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David Servant ( - )
Read freely text sermons and articles by the speaker David Servant in text and pdf format. David Servant is the Founder of Heavens Family, helping the least of these world-wide. David Servant has been serving in ministry since 1979 as a church-planter, pastor, teacher and missionary. When David Servant read the results of his high-school vocational aptitude test, he laughed. The results told him that he was best suited for a career in ministry or in entertainment. At the time, David's future goal was to live in a log cabin in the wilderness and live off the land for the rest of his life. The Lord, however, had different plans for David Servant. God didn't intend for him to run away from the world, but rather to play a part in changing the world by building God's kingdom. David received his call to ministry during his (reluctant) freshman year at Penn State, and one year later was enrolled in Bible School.
David Servant is the author of eight books, including Forever Rich, and the The Disciple-Making Minister, a 500-page equipping manual that has been translated into more than 20 languages and is being distributed to tens of thousands of pastors.
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showing from 401 to 450 of 542 articles
Jesus Heals a Lame Man at the Pool of Bethesda John 5:1-15
Praise God for what Jesus did for this lame man at the pool of Bethesda! He had been suffering for thirty-eight years from his sickness, and perhaps had been unable to walk all that time. But he still had hope of being healed. He'd heard that an angel of ... read more
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind John 9:1-41
Have you ever wondered why some people are born with what are called "birth defects"? That is, they have something wrong with them physically, like the man blind from birth that we just read about. It doesn't seem fair, because most people with birth defe ... read more
Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy Mark 1:40-45
If you live in the United States or any other developed nation, you will probably never see a person with leprosy. It's a horrible skin disease that actually eats away at the parts of the body it has infected. People who are afflicted with leprosy watch t ... read more
Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man Mark 2:1-12
Can you imagine what it would have been like to witness this miracle? Four men brought their paralyzed friend on a pallet to a house where they heard Jesus was staying. Upon arrival, they discovered that the house was jammed with people, and many others w ... read more
Jesus Heals a Royal Official's Dying Son John 4:46-54
Yesterday we read about Jesus healing a young man whom He did not see or touch. Jesus was perhaps several hundred yards away from the centurion's young servant when He spoke His healing word. But today's story even tops yesterday's, because Jesus was abou ... read more
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Matthew 12:9-21
What a wrong idea the Pharisees held about keeping the Sabbath holy! They were hoping to catch Jesus healing someone on the Sabbath so they could bring charges against Him for breaking the fourth commandment. Their spiritual blindness is almost beyond our ... read more
Jesus Invites Weary People to Rest Matthew 11:28-30
In today's short reading, Jesus helps us to understand salvation. By using a metaphor, He explains what He's offering us and what we need to do to receive it. What is a metaphor? A metaphor is a comparison of things that are basically not the same, but wh ... read more
Jesus is Accused of Working for the Devil Matthew 12:22-37
Today we realize even more how wicked the Pharisees were. After witnessing the instantaneous deliverance of a man who had been both blind and unable to talk, they claimed that Jesus got His power to cast out demons from Satan. Most of the other witnesses ... read more
Jesus is Arrested Matthew 26:36-56
It was the night before His crucifixion. Having counseled, comforted and prayed for His disciples, there was nothing left for Jesus to do but wait for His arrest, trial and execution. Jesus decided to wait in a grove of olive trees called Gethsemane, just ... read more
Jesus is Baptized by John the Baptist Matthew 3:13-17; John 1:29-34
John had baptized many people who had repented and believed his message that the Messiah would soon appear. When Jesus came to be baptized, John didn't yet realize that He was the Messiah, so it wasn't for that reason that he was hesitant to baptize Jesus ... read more
Jesus is Resurrected! Matthew 28:1-15
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all record the story of Jesus' resurrection, and when we read them without careful comparison, they seem to be contradictory. However, upon closer examination, we see that all four Gospel writers told different details of the ... read more
Jesus is Twice Anointed Matthew 26:1-16; John 12:1-11
To a casual reader, it might seem as if Matthew and John were writing about the same incident. The two stories, however, contain details that differ significantly. Mary anointed Jesus six days before the Passover, and the unnamed woman anointed Him two da ... read more
Jesus Makes Amazing Claims John 8:12-59
As we've often realized from other readings, if Jesus wasn't God's Son, He was guilty of making outrageous claims about Himself. If He was only a man, His claims could be considered blasphemous, because what He said about Himself can only be rightfully sa ... read more
Jesus Multiplies Food for Five Thousand People Mark 6:30-44
Can God use kids? According to John's record of this same story, the five small barley loaves and two small fish that Jesus multiplied belonged to a young boy (see John 6:9). Perhaps it was his lunch. Regardless, I'm sure that boy never forgot the day whe ... read more
Jesus Offers Living Water to Thirsty People John 7:37-53
Can you imagine Jesus shouting to the Jerusalem crowds, "If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within" (John 7:37b-38)? That would take a lot of nerv ... read more
Jesus Pays His and Peter's Temple Tax Matthew 17:24-27
The Temple tax was one that all Jews were supposed to pay once a year for the upkeep and maintenance of the Temple in Jerusalem. It wasn't a large tax, but it wasn't a small one either, equivalent to about two days' wages for a working man. Because the Te ... read more
Jesus Prays for His Disciples John 17:1-26
Although Jesus knew that He would die an excruciatingly painful death in just a few hours, His mind was not on Himself. Rather, He was primarily thinking about those who did and would believe in Him. Jesus' great love and concern for them is made obvious ... read more
Jesus Predicts Judas's Betrayal and Peter's Denial John 13:18-38
Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas would betray Him (see John 6:64,70-71), and of course God knew it from eternity past. In fact, it was predicted in Psalm 41:9 that the Messiah would be betrayed by one with whom He would share His food. Jesus revea ... read more
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman Mark 5:21-43
In both of the healing stories we read today, faith was a factor. Jairus believed that if Jesus would lay His hands upon his dying daughter, she would live. His faith was evident from his actions. First, he journeyed to Jesus who was by the seashore. And ... read more
Jesus Raises a Widow's Son From the Dead Luke 7:11-17
O, how I would love to have been present to see this miracle in person! How about you? If we use our imaginations, however, picturing in our minds what happened that day outside the gate of Nain, we can still share in some of the thrill of the eyewitnesse ... read more
Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead John 11:1-57
When Jesus heard that His friend, Lazarus, was sick, He stated that Lazarus's sickness would not end in death, but that He would receive glory from it. Jesus, of course, was talking about how He would be glorified when Lazarus was raised from the dead.
... read more
Jesus Sends Out His Twelve Apostles Matthew 9:35-10:39
Because Jesus' love was so great, He wanted to serve everyone. He was limited, however, because He was only one human being. There were so many sick and demon-possessed people, and so many who needed to hear the good news and repent of their sins. So Jesu ... read more
Jesus Shows Mercy to an Adulterous Woman John 8:1-11
Because they didn't believe in Him, the Pharisees and religious teachers wanted to prove that Jesus was not from God. So they formed a plan that they hoped would expose Him as a fraud. In the Law of Moses, God commanded that adulterers be stoned to death ... read more
Jesus Stands Trial Before Pilate John 18:28-19:16
During Jesus' time, Israel was under the domination of the Roman Empire, and although the Jews were permitted to conduct judicial proceedings and punish criminals, they were forbidden to punish anyone by death. Consequently, the chief priests and elders n ... read more
Jesus Summarizes His Sermon on the Mountainside Matthew 7:12-29
Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever lived, and what we've read today adds proof. He illustrated the truths He taught with examples His hearers could relate to easily. Today we've read about narrow gates and broad highways, wolves pretending to be shee ... read more
Jesus Talks About Jerusalem's Destruction and the End Times Matthew 24:1-28
If you were giving Jesus a tour of your city and pointed out the city hall, public library and largest old stone church, and He told you that the time was coming when those buildings would be completely destroyed, you'd probably want to know when! That is ... read more
Jesus Talks About the Final Judgment Matthew 25:31-46
Continuing to answer His disciples' questions about His return, Jesus concluded by telling them what would happen soon after He did come back. That will be the time when He will judge everyone on the earth, ultimately allowing them to remain in His kingdo ... read more
Jesus Talks Again About His Impending Death John 12:20-33
Jesus knew that He would be crucified in Jerusalem during the Passover festival in just a few days. He had already predicted His death on several occasions to His disciples, but now He wanted them to begin to understand the purpose of His death.
First ... read more
Jesus Teaches about Being Critical of Others Matthew 7:1-6
As Jesus continued teaching about God's standards of holiness, He told His followers to stop judging other people. What did He mean? A judge is someone who looks for faults in people who are brought to court. That's his job, and there is nothing wrong abo ... read more
Jesus Teaches About Divorce and Remarriage Matthew 19:1-9
The religious teachers of Jesus' day were divided over the question of divorce. The Law of Moses spoke about a man finding some "indecency" in his wife and giving her a certificate of divorce (see Deuteronomy 24:1). The question was, what qualified as an ... read more
Jesus Teaches About Humility and Servanthood Luke 14:1-14
Just the fact that the only fault the Pharisees could find with Jesus was that He healed on the Sabbath tells us that He must have been a very good person. (We know that he was sinless). Jesus wasn't content to let them think that He was guilty of even on ... read more
Jesus Teaches About Inner Purity Mark 7:1-23
Has your mother taught you to wash your hands before you eat? Now you can tell her that Jesus is against her rule, right? Wrong! The Pharisees washed their hands before eating, but not to cleanse themselves of germs, because they didn't know about germs t ... read more
Jesus Teaches About Material Possessions Matthew 6:19-34
For many people, money is their god. Just like a god, money controls their lives, consuming all their energy, thoughts and time. Money is the main source of their joy, and they're never satisfied with how much they have but are always wanting more. This i ... read more
Jesus Teaches About Persistence and Prayer Matthew 7:7-11
This portion of Jesus' sermon on the mountainside is commonly considered teaching about prayer. However, I think Jesus had more in mind than prayer in what we've just read. I think He was also talking about laziness and persistence.
Jesus first talked ... read more
Jesus Teaches About Prayer Luke 11:1-13
Like most teachers, Jesus sometimes repeated to one group what He'd already taught another group. Some of what we read today Jesus taught during His sermon on the mountainside (see Matthew 6-7), so we'll only consider what is new to us.
Teaching about ... read more
Jesus Teaches About the Coming Kingdom Luke 17:20-37
There are many places in the Old Testament that tell about the time when God's kingdom will rule over all the earth. That promised future kingdom is something the Jewish people anticipated for a long, long time. As Christians, we also are waiting for that ... read more
Jesus Teaches About the Narrow Door to Heaven Luke 13:22-35
The main reason why Jesus became a human being was to die for our sins so we could be forgiven. Jesus was the "Lamb of God," and it was God's will that He die in Jerusalem during the Passover feast with all the other Passover lambs. As Jesus made His fina ... read more
Jesus Teaches His Disciples Mark 9:30-48
As the time of His death drew nearer, Jesus began avoiding the crowds in order to spend time teaching His disciples. He knew that they would be the ones to carry on His work after His ascension, and He had a limited amount of time to get them ready.
If ... read more
Jesus Tells a Story About Different Soils Matthew 13:1-23
The best way to teach is to take what a person already understands and relate it to what he needs to understand. For example, if a person didn't know what a donut was, you could explain it by saying that donuts are round with holes in the middle, like car ... read more
Jesus Tells His Followers to be Ready for His Return Luke 12:35-48
The old Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared," should also be a motto for every follower of Christ. Boy Scouts are supposed to be prepared for whatever might happen, but Christians should be prepared, above everything else, for the return of Jesus. He said He wi ... read more
Jesus Visits His Hometown Luke 4:14-30
After spending two days in Sychar (where Jesus met the woman at the well) Jesus and His disciples continued journeying to the region of Galilee. When they arrived, Jesus preached in many places, telling people to repent and believe the good news. He often ... read more
Jesus Walks on Water Matthew 14:22-36
Do you remember the story we read a few days ago when Jesus and His disciples were caught in a violent storm in a boat on the Sea of Galilee? After He rebuked the wind and waves, Jesus rebuked His disciples for their lack of faith. They had been filled wi ... read more
Jesus Warns Against Greed Luke 12:13-21
When an unmarried person dies, all his possessions usually become the property of other people, based on the instructions in the deceased person's will. If the deceased person has children, his possessions are usually divided equally among them. When poss ... read more
Jesus Warns His Disciples of the World's Hatred John 15:18-16:4
Keep in mind that Jesus would be gone in less than twenty-four hours. This was the final opportunity He would have to speak with His disciples before His crucifixion.
Jesus knew that unsaved people would hate His disciples just like they had hated Him, ... read more
Jesus Warns People to Repent Luke 13:1-9
We are sometimes tempted to think that people who suffer some tragedy are more wicked than most people, and that God is punishing them for their sins. Surely, it is with those people that God is angry. In today's reading, however, we gain Jesus' perspecti ... read more
Jesus Warns the Religious Leaders Matthew 23:1-36
What we read today was certainly not the only time Jesus strongly rebuked the Pharisees and religious teachers. In fact, we've previously read in Luke's Gospel of a time when Jesus spoke some of the very same words while dining in a Pharisee's home (see L ... read more
Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet John 13:1-17
In Jesus' time, foot washing was a common practice. People wore sandals, and their feet would often become dirty from traveling dusty roads and paths. Upon entering a house, the first order of business was the washing of feet. If a person were wealthy eno ... read more
Jesus' Birth Foretold to Mary Luke 1:26-56
Back in the days of Elizabeth and Mary, people got married at a younger age than people do today, often when they were teenagers. Mary may have been only sixteen or so when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her she would have a child. Imagine God ... read more
Jesus' Burial John 19:31-42; Matthew 27:62-66
When people were nailed to a cross in Roman times, all of their weight was suspended on the nails through their wrists and hands. The muscles in their arms and legs were severely stressed and soon became exhausted, resulting in the dislocation of shoulder ... read more
Jesus' Final Words and Ascension to Heaven Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-20
On one of the occasions when Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples in Galilee, He told them what He wanted them to do for the remainder of their lives. It would be their job to make disciples of all the nations. The Greek word translated "nations" could ... read more
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