Sermon Outlines
Ever wish you had paid more attention in seminary? Struggling with preparing a sermon? GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins wants to help pastors with useful resources to help them as they serve the Lord.
With more than a quarter century of pastoral leadership, Hawkins makes available some of his most popular sermon outlines for pastors, Sunday school teachers and other Bible study leaders. These free resources can help you as you prepare your sermon or lesson each week.
In addition to these sermon outlines, Hawkins offers his video Weekly Staff Meetings with insights on some of the most common issues pastors and ministers face as well as a Podcast.
Romans 8:28
Every family has their family secrets; those things we know about ourselves that others outside our family do not know about us. Did you know that in God’s family we have a family secret? There is something we know that those not in the family of God do not know.
Our family secret is found in Romans 8:28. Think about the way it begins—For WE know… Yes, Romans 8:28 is a family secret. This verse has given more comfort to Christians than perhaps any other single verse in the Bible. How many of us in time of need have climbed upon this verse and stood there and found comfort? Our family secret is:
I. Confidential
For we know
The lost world doesn’t know this truth but “we” do. Only those of us born into the family of God can comprehend it.
II. Constructive
Things work together for good
How many times in our own experience have we looked back over our Christian lives and in retrospect observed something that at the time seemed to be so disastrous but ended up working for our good?
III. Comprehensive
All things
Can we believe this? Had Paul said, “Some things” or “Many things” or even “Most things”, we might be better able to grasp it. But he says, All things! God can take even our mistakes and messes and work them together in the tapestry of the cross so that all things can work together for our good and His glory.
IV. Conditional
To those who love God and are called to His purpose
When quoting Romans 8:28 many of us leave off this last phrase. The love spoken of here is agape, the highest level of sacrificial love. Thus, this promise is to the one who longs to see Christ lifted up and exalted through his or her life and experiences.
We have a family in the family of God. It is confidential, constructive, comprehensive, and conditional. Yes, God has a way of working all things together for our good when we love Him and long to see Him glorified through our lives.
