The Psalms: From the Heart of a Country Preacher
By Neal Murphy
()
About this ebook
Rev. Howell, my father-in-law, earned an associate of arts degree from Wayland Baptist College, a bachelor of arts degree from Hardin Simmons University, and a masters degree in theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.
Neal Murphy
Since Neal Murphy began his writing career in 2005, he has had over thirty short stories published in national magazines. He has authored five books, most dealing with growing up in a small East Texas town. He examines questions that we all have, such as the following: Why do roosters crow at dawn? Are mules really stubborn? Are skunks really polecats?
Related to The Psalms
Related ebooks
Cast Your Nets: Reflections on Life, Ministry and Fishing Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy Favorite Sermon Vol 2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy Favorite Sermon Vol 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhen Black Preachers Preach Volume 2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSurely Goodness And Mercy Shall Follow Me Vol. 2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhen Black Preachers Preach Volume 3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNIV, DayBreak Prayers for Believers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The BE Attitudes for Christians Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Plant a Local Church Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSunday Morning Volume 1: Inspirational Sermon Guide for Busy Pastors Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYour Jesus GPS: Find Direction, Personal Growth, Inner Peace and Joy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Adult Christian Life: 3rd Quarter 2016 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHoly spirit angry with today’s church: There is church everywhere but love is not everywhere Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYou Said It & I Believe It Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Inside Story: Biblical Personalities Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNextGen Leaders: April- June 2022 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReady to Preach Ii: Ready to Use Sermons and Worship Resources Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJesus the Bread of Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDisciple Maker's Lesson Handbook Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUncommon Servant: The Therapeuo Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Way of the Lord Part One Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTrue Worshippers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Reflection and Praises Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFROM MEMBERSHIP TO DISCIPLESHIP: The Path to Spiritual Formation and a World-Impacting Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Zeal of Thine House Has Eaten Me Up!: To the Church of the Living God with Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHome Bible Study Commentaries from the Gospel of John Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5...And Shall Call his Name Jesus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGod's Promises Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Church@Prayer: 52 Weeks at the Throne of Grace Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Religion & Spirituality For You
The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Love Dare Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5THE EMERALD TABLETS OF THOTH THE ATLANTEAN Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Grief Observed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Be Here Now Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Course In Miracles: (Original Edition) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Upon Waking: 60 Daily Reflections to Discover Ourselves and the God We Were Made For Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tao Te Ching: A New English Version Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Warrior of the Light: A Manual Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dangerous Prayers: Because Following Jesus Was Never Meant to Be Safe Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul, Written and Se Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5NRSV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Buddha's Guide to Gratitude: The Life-changing Power of Everyday Mindfulness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Complete Papyrus of Ani Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hindu View Of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jesus and Buddha: The Parallel Sayings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Celebration of Discipline, Special Anniversary Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Writing to Wake the Soul: Opening the Sacred Conversation Within Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Psalms
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The Psalms - Neal Murphy
Copyright © 2008 by Neal Murphy.
Compiled and Edited by Neal Murphy
Introduction by Mary Howell
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
To order additional copies of this book, contact:
Xlibris Corporation
1-888-795-4274
www.Xlibris.com
Orders@Xlibris.com
53628
Contents
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction
PSALM 1
Ungodly vs. Godly
The Blessed Man
How To Be a Failure in the Christian Life
PSALM 2
The Heathen in Three Views
Why Do the Heathen Rage?
Ask of Me
PSALM 3
I Cried unto the Lord
For the Lord Sustained Me
PSALM 5
The Shielded Christian
Give Ear to My Words
Lead Me
PSALM 8
God’s Estimate of Man
What Is Man?
How Excellent Is His Name
PSALM 9
The Marvelous Works of God
PSALM 10
The Wicked Described
PSALM 11
The Victory of Faith
If the Foundations Be Destroyed
PSALM 14
Some Bible Fools
And the Lord Looked Down
There Is No God
PSALM 15
A Citizen of Zion
PSALM 17
As for Me
PSALM 18
I Will Love Thee, O Lord
PSALM 19
God’s Law Is Perfect
The Heavens Declare God’s Glory
By Them We Are Warned
PSALM 20
Rejoicing in Salvation
Set Up Our Banners
PSALM 22
Be Not Far from Me
Laborers Together with God
PSALM 23
My Shepherd
The Nightingale of Psalms
PSALM 24
Hands
The Earth Belongs to God
PSALM 25
Let Me Not Be Ashamed
Show Me Thy Ways
PSALM 27
The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
Teach Me Thy Way
One Thing
The Tragedy of Life without Faith
PSALM 28
My Rock
PSALM 32
Blessed Are the Forgiven
Why Are We Reluctant to Confess?
PSALM 33
Blessed Is the Nation
PSALM 34
I Sought the Lord
Blessing the Lord
PSALM 36
The Wicked Man and the Righteous God
PSALM 37
A Recipe for Happiness
PSALM 39
A Sincere Prayer
Take Heed to Your Ways
PSALM 40
What Hath God Wrought?
Some Things God Does for Us
God Thinks of Us
PSALM 42
Where Is Thy God?
PSALM 46
Stop, Look, and Listen
The God of Jacob Is Our Refuge
God Is
PSALM 48
God’s Loving-Kindness
The Church
The Rest of the Way
PSALM 51
Consequences of Sin
David’s Confession
PSALM 53
Four Kinds of Fools
What Kind of God Do We Worship?
PSALM 57
Be Merciful
Among the Lions
My Heart Is Fixed
Is Your Heart Right?
PSALM 61
Prayer
When Your Heart Is Overwhelmed
PSALM 63
Sublime Things
Thou Art My God
PSALM 66
Come and See the Works of God
God’s Power and Deeds
PSALM 68
And the Lord Gave the Word
PSALM 70
Rejoice and Be Glad
PSALM 71
Senior Citizens
PSALM 72
Who Only Doeth Wondrous Things
PSALM 73
Draw Near to God
An Envious Christian
From Doubt to Assurance
PSALM 78
For Their Heart Was Not Right with Him
Warning from Those Who Failed
How May We Have Hope in God?
PSALM 79
Help Us, O God
PSALM 84
God Leads His Children
What Is God Like?
Dwelling in God’s House
PSALM 85
Wilt Thou Not Revive Us Again?
Revival
PSALM 86
Lord, Thou Art Good
For Thou Art Great
PSALM 87
Our Heavenly Record
Three I Wills
When He Writeth Up His People
PSALM 90
Teach Us to Number Our Days
Applying Our Hearts to Wisdom
PSALM 91
Some Precious Memories
Safe Am I
What We Can Do
PSALM 94
Shall the Wicked Triumph?
PSALM 96
For the Lord Is Great
Say among the Heathen
PSALM 98
Marvelous Things
PSALM 100
With Thanksgiving to God
God’s Truth Endures
PSALM 103
The Benefits of the Lord
Thanksgiving
God Remembers
God as Our Father
PSALM 104
There Go the Ships
Man Goeth Forth unto His Work
My Meditation
PSALM 105
Thanking God for the Bible
And Be Ye Thankful
Remember God’s Works
PSALM 106
A Song of Remembrance
A Look at God’s Mercy
PSALM 107
The Lord Is Good
Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So
Oh, That Men Would Praise the Lord
He Brought Them into the Port
Four Portraits of the Soul
PSALM 112
The Prosperity of the Righteous
PSALM 116
Why I Love the Lord
What Shall I Render unto the Lord?
Deliverance of the Soul
PSALM 118
This Is the Day
Days
PSALM 119
The Keeper of God’s Laws
Taking Heed to God’s Word
I Will Not Forget Thy Word
Salvation through God’s Law
I Thought on My Ways
Getting Understanding
Light for Dark Places
I Prayed for Grace
PSALM 121
Help from the Lord
The Watchman
PSALM 122
I Was Glad
A Simple Invitation
PSALM 124
Our Help
The Soul-Winner
PSALM 126
The Lord Hath Done Great Things for Us
Missionaries
Spreading the Truth
PSALM 127
The Vanity of Work without God
PSALM 131
Humility
PSALM 133
Singleness of Heart
PSALM 135
I Know That the Lord Is Great
PSALM 139
A Believing Heart
Precious Thoughts
PSALM 140
Protection against Enemies
PSALM 142
The Prisoner’s Prayer
No Man Cared for My Soul
PSALM 143
The Prayer of a Soul in Distress
Hear Me Speedily, O Lord
What Is Man?
Happiness in the Lord
PSALM 145
The Good News of the Lord
The Righteous Lord
The Ways of the Lord Are Right
PSALM 146
God Is Our Helper
Praise Ye the Lord
PSALM 147
The Might and Grace of the Lord
PSALM 148
Nature’s Praise of the Lord
PSALM 150
Let Everything Praise the Lord
Music in a Revival
SILENT SERMONS
Silent Sermons
Acknowledgements
As the compiler and editor of the material for this book, I would like to thank those who assisted me in the creation and publication of this effort. Of course, I wish to thank Rev. Clarence Howell who wrote all the sermon outlines after much study and prayer. In 2007, I edited and published over three hundred of Rev. Howell’s sermon outlines in a book entitled From the Heart of a Country Preacher by Xulon Press. This volume contains sermon outlines from the book of Psalms only.
A special thanks goes out to his youngest daughter, Mary Howell, who helped find all of her father’s material in old boxes, suitcases, and drawers after he died in 2006. I would like to thank her for writing the introduction and sharing photographs used in this book.
My wife, Clara Howell Murphy, assisted in proofing and putting the book together; so a special thanks for her assistance is in order.
It is hoped that God will use this book as an inspiration to many people and that Rev. Howell’s legacy and ministry will live on. All scripture references used in this book are from the King James Version of the Holy Scriptures, unless otherwise noted.
Neal Murphy
Preface
Open the Bible to the center, and there will be found a book containing one hundred and fifty poems and hymns of varied beauty and spiritual power. These hymns of praise, confession, lament, anguish, comfort, and communion were attributed to King David as it was the custom of that time so to honor a great man. Actually, he was the author of only a few of the psalms.
Originally, a Psalm of David
did not imply authorship by David, but rather a collection under royal sponsorship. They were actually written by many authors covering a period of about five hundred years.
The Psalms originated as temple hymns in early Hebrew days and were later used as the hymnbook of the Second Temple. In these songs are revealed the heights and depths of life—the loftiest heights of the human soul and the lowest depths of human weakness.
Developing sermons from the Psalms has been a rather difficult problem for preachers over the years. It would be like taking your church hymnbook, turning to a song, and attempting to build a sermon around the verses. Rev. Clarence Howell developed good sermons of most of the Psalms, and are presented in this book. It is hoped that pastors and teachers can use these outlines to build their own sermons or lessons from these ancient writings.
Neal Murphy
Introduction
It is a blessing to introduce you to The Psalms: From the Heart of a Country Preacher, which features the ministry of my dad, Brother Clarence Howell, who faithfully served God until the age of ninety-eight. He was called to his heavenly home on December 3, 2006. His ministry spanned more than seventy years, and he influenced the lives of many people.
William Clarence Howell was born on June 1, 1908, in Dodd City, Texas; and he was one of eight children of William and Winnie Howell. He spent his early years on a cotton farm in Fannin County.
He accepted Christ as his Savior at the age of fifteen after hearing a traveling evangelist preach a sermon entitled You Must Be Born Again.
He surrendered to God’s call to the ministry after four years during which he never went more than two waking hours without thinking about his call.
He was ordained on July 28, 1929, by the Valley View Baptist Church near Olton, Texas. He graduated from Wayland Baptist College where he met his future wife, Leta Thorp. After graduating from Hardin Simmons University, they were united in marriage on July 3, 1932, in Lamesa, Texas.
The Howells’ first home was in Dimmitt, Texas, where he taught school for five years and served as pastor of the Sunnyside Baptist Church. Clarence and Leta moved to Fort Worth where they both attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. While attending seminary, Bro. Howell pastored the Vilott and Custer City Baptist churches.
In 1940, the Howells moved to the Texas Panhandle where he served as pastor of the First Baptist Church in Kress for six and one-half years. He served as principal of the Kress High School where they both taught school.
From Kress, Bro. Howell and his family moved to Hemphill where he preached his first sermon as pastor of the First Baptist Church on January 4, 1947. A highlight of his Hemphill ministry was the baptism of forty-four people in one year. During his Hemphill pastorate, he also served as part-time pastor of the Fairdale and Yellowpine community churches.
The Howells moved to Boling, Texas, in November 1967 where he served as pastor of the First Baptist Church for six and one-half years. Upon his retirement in June 1974, the Howells returned to Hemphill where he once again became pastor of the Yellowpine church for sixteen years. He also served as interim pastor of the First Baptist Church of Pineland for one year and as interim pastor of the First Baptist Church in Bronson for four years. God gave him a place to preach every Sunday until the age of eighty-six. His ministry extended to youngsters of all ages while he served as a school bus driver for twenty-six years.
Bro. Howell was affectionately known as Hemphill’s town pastor and Sabine County Courthouse’s chaplain. In 1981, his Sabine County friends made Bro. Howell’s visit to the Holy Land financially possible. He was named Outstanding Citizen of 1985 by the Sabine County Chamber of Commerce. He was among the Nine Who Make a Difference honorees selected by KTRE-TV in 1986. He made daily visits to Sabine County Hospital and local convalescent homes where he prayed and shared the love of Jesus. He preached at Hemphill Care Center until the age of ninety-five. Bro. Howell performed approximately one thousand weddings and officiated at over fifteen hundred funerals during his ministry.
It is also my privilege to introduce you to my brother-in-law, Neal Murphy, who prayerfully read and sorted through hundreds of my dad’s sermons. Murphy spent long hours preparing the manuscript for this book. He is also the author of two other books, >From the Heart of a Country Preacher and Those Were the Days: Stories of Growing Up in East Texas, which were published in 2007.
Bro. Howell’s sons-in-law and daughters, Neal and Clara Murphy and Richard and Jane Creech, join me in sharing his Christian legacy through the pages of this second book. It is our prayer that Dad’s ministry will continue to witness about Jesus and bring glory to the Word of God.
Mary Howell
image%201.jpgRev. Howell shown in the office of new church building in 1963.
PSALM 1
Ungodly vs. Godly
Psalm 1
Note the progression in verse 1—walketh, standeth, and sitteth down. One leads to the other.
I. THE UNGODLY:
A. They are like chaff—blown here and there by the wind.
B. They are insecure—there is no anchor for the soul.
C. They are able to stand up in this life.
D. Some do stand and deny the Bible as God’s Word.
E. Some do stand and deny that there is a God.
F. Some do stand and blaspheme God and ridicule Christians.
G. Some may make light of preachers and say ugly things.
H. Some may use their money for themselves without much thought of God or people.
I. Some may prosper in a material way while their soul is starved.
J. Some may even boast of their independence and take pride in their false security.
II. AT JUDGMENT DAY:
A. They will not be able to stand.
B. They will be weighed and found wanting.
C. They will be unable to give one good reason why they rejected Jesus.
D. They will wonder why they found fault with the church.
E. Their failure to stand will mean everlasting loss and will bring grief to Jesus when He has to say Depart from me.
III. THE RIGHTEOUS:
A. Will have stability in this life, having built on a solid foundation.
B. Will have influence that will go on and will speak after their death.
C. Will bear fruit throughout the years.