Uncertainty is a given…fear is optional. Truer words have not been spoken…and that, by GOD! The scriptures are full of the admonishment/encouragement to stop being fearful. Genesis 26:24: “…I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you…” Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous hand.” There are many, many more scriptures showing us that we do not need to fear. Do we need anything else? What security…you won’t get that anywhere else. You’ll have:
I think I’ll sign up with God in Christ…how about you? (Listen to entire sermon below.) If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS.
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Some people are those “glass half full” people who … complain, complain, complain! God doesn’t want us living like that, for sure. But how can we live a better life in a world that sometimes seems so bitter and full of evil? Viewpoint … viewpoint … viewpoint – that’s how. We can’t brush sin and hardship under the rug; I’m not suggesting that. Just realize there are beauty, treasure, and holiness here, too! What you train yourself to see and think on is the key. That training must be based on the Word and will of God. Remember, all the positive thinking in the world will only get you so far; but a life in Christ will cover all aspects and truly make you BETTER not bitter. God tells us to set our affections on things above and not on things of the earth. There is no way you can stay bitter and not get better when you realize that in Jesus you have:
(Listen to entire sermon below. Originally recorded 06/01/14.) If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS. The more I read the Scriptures, the more intimate a relationship that develops between Jesus and me…do you find that the same with you? Psalms 104, 105, and 106 give us a wonderful thread of who God is. That thread helps us to know Him all the more…His greatness, His mercy, His love for us. It holds true…to know Him is to love Him! Satan has worked hard to give out so much “misinformation” about God—for deception is his game. Evil doings happen all over the planet, and many people shake their fists at God instead of Satan. Satan IS evil…God IS good…any questions! If you KNOW God, you will push back any deception in regards to Him. Read all of each Psalm: savor what the Scriptures have for us. Psalm 104 – the Lord’s care over all His works Psalm 105 – the Lord’s wonderful works in behalf of Israel Psalm 106 –Israel’s rebelliousness and the Lord’s deliverance If you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS. We have covered the need for a new life; the way to a new life; and now we shall finish with the results of this new life…that’s the best part! Now, there are no surprises here, because most of us know the results of being born into a new spiritual life in Christ, but this review will brighten your day and refresh your soul. A life in Christ gives you:
Previous "My Way Or The Highway – A New Life In Christ" MessagesIf you have never put your complete faith in Jesus Christ for your eternal salvation, why not believe what God's word says and call on Jesus Christ to save you right now? Click here and let us show you how you can KNOW JESUS. That is the usual response from most sane people...no one looks forward to suffering. But can we learn something in it and gain something from it? The Book of Job certainly covers the issue and answers many questions regarding suffering. Just the word “suffering” brings a creepy, crawly feeling to most. So much so, we prefer to do without it forever! But let’s look a bit closer at the reality of suffering. It is really a two-sided coin. On one side, suffering could be seen as coming from God to bring out the best in us (squeezing the grapes to make wine, so to speak). On the other, it could be seen as Satan trying to use the same circumstance to bring out the worst in us. Your response to suffering can be to despise it, faint under it or receive instruction from it. If you realize the purposes of suffering, then maybe, just maybe, you can receive instruction from it. “Purposes” to suffering—yes, I said purposes to suffering. They are to produce fruit (patience, knowledge and maturity), to silence Satan, to glorify God, to become more like Jesus, to teach us dependence on God, to refine our lives, to rebuke our sin and to enlarge our ability to minister to others who are suffering. In Hebrews 12:11, we are told that discipline is sorrowful but if you are trained by it, it yields the fruit of righteousness. The entire Book of Job is glorious, really, when you see what God does to Job in his sufferings and the changes that came about in his life…it explains so very much and shows God’s supreme wisdom. Of course, we all know the ending...Job not only changes but has his health and his wealth restored to him doubly. Read Job 1-42, it’ll do a body good! Also, listen to the attached audio of the sermon and be blessed. Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of message and/or download mp3 file.)
Study Guide: (Download file to print Study Guide for message or view embedded file below.)
Quick Access to Previous Message on the Study of Job: If you missed the first part of this two-part study, here is a quick link: Job - How God Turns Suffering and Loss Into Joy and Gain.
In the account of Job, we see a man who had everything. He was a man who loved God and was blessed mightily by Him. Satan, of course, didn’t like any of that and challenged God regarding Job. Satan accused Job of loving God only because Job had been blessed. He intimates that God used those blessings to bribe Job into loving Him. God proves His point in this account and allows Satan to torment Job, but not to take his life. Satan gladly obliges and throws it all at Job causing him to lose everything, even his health. But Job refuses to stop loving God. Job is tormented, he complains, he questions God, etc., but he never stops loving God and acknowledging God’s greatness. We all know the end of this story...even though Job lost everything, God restored him many times over. Job never got his original kids or servants or business back, but he received many times over a NEW and wonderful life to live. God is great and gracious in all His ways. He loves us and knows the depth of our suffering. Our problem is that we don’t wait long enough for God to fix or restore what is broken and lost. And, sometimes, even though things may never get fixed or restored, He will give you the strength and courage to get through it all and STILL have NEW life of joy and gain to make up for the suffering and loss. Joni Erickson was paralyzed in a diving accident at 15 years old. She never got the use of her body restored, but God blessed her with a determined spirit and a whole new life that she says would never have existed if she were not paralyzed from the neck down! She is a singer, artist, speaker, and philanthropist. She is married, and she and her husband started an organization that repairs old wheelchairs and delivers them to paralyzed youths in poor countries. Wow—what was taken away in one way was totally restored in another. Don’t try to figure God out...just let Him work His marvelous ways in your life. To Him be all the glory! (Scripture Reference: Job) Audio:(Click forward button below to play audio of message and/or download mp3 file.)
Study Guide: (Download file to print Study Guide for message or view embedded file below.)
Abundance and plenty are mentioned throughout the Scriptures, so what are you crying about? Are you crying because you can’t go for two weeks of vacation but only one? Or are you crying because you have to eat out only once a week instead of four? Or maybe it’s even more serious, as you are in foreclosure and can’t sell your home or because you have just lost your job and all your bills are due still ask you...what are you crying about? Sounds strange to the natural nature to even ask those questions because the natural nature screams out the answer—because I am scared to death of what is going to happen! Don’t be scared. Stay close to Him before your catastrophe, in your tragedy and after the storm because we have abundance in God. Go ahead and check it out: Psalm 36:8, John 10:10, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Ephesians 3:20, Philippians 4:19, 2 Peter 1:11. God is with you. Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of sermon and/or download mp3 file.)
Personal Testimonies: Occasionally, prior to the morning's sermon, Pastor Linda will open the floor to life testimonies. It is great encouragement to hear how the Lord is working in each of our lives. This morning, Pastor Linda shared one of her "life experiences" that caused her to reflect on the message of abundance that she gave. (Click the forward button below to play the personal testimonies of Pastor Linda Pugsley and others and/or download mp3 file.)
In the personal time this morning, Pastor Linda spoke of the cardboard testimonies in the GodTube video. For your convenience, here is Oh, How He Loves Us! Study Guide: (Download file to print Study Guide for sermon or view embedded file below.)
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