On January 14, the Tampa Tribune printed an article covering most of the front page about Tim Tebow, a devout Christian and quarterback of the Denver Broncos football team. The story was titled, "BOTH ON THE FIELD AND OFF, TIM TEBOW IS A MAN ON A MISSION." The article stated that, "the Denver quarterback has faith-driven motivation to capitalize on his time in the spotlight." This 24-year-old young man is humbly determined and committed to use his celebrity status on the world's athletic stage to glorify Jesus Christ. In like manner, all God's children have an obligation to let the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ shine in their daily life. God has a mission for you–a faith-driven mission that will please Him. He will fashion, mold, and shape you into the image of Jesus Christ, right where you are. He will connect the dots and put the pieces together for you. Most likely you are not famous like Tim, but you and I, and whomsoever will, must have faith-driven motivation and "...walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:8, 9) Do you have faith-driven motivation? Are you on a mission for Jesus Christ–for such a time as this? Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of sermon and/or download mp3 file.)
Personal Testimonies: Prior to the morning's message, Pastor Mark opens the floor to life testimonies. It is great encouragement to hear how the Lord is working in each of our lives. Click the forward button below to play the personal testimonies of Pastor Mark and others and/or download mp3 file.)
0 Comments
We are finishing up the series on doing good works not just talking about them. We covered two areas: (1) why good works are important and (2) the sequence to follow to make sure the good works are God’s good works and not just our own, which are the good works that will burn. In finishing the sequence to follow to assure the good works are a work of the Spirit of God, we came to understand that:
Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of message and/or download mp3 file.)
Did you miss the first part of More Flappin' and Less Yappin'? Click here to listen.
In the previous posting of the message More Flappin' and Less Yappin', Pastor Pugsley referenced the video The Man In The Hole. Unfortunately, the sound did not translate properly in the audio, so we are posting it for your viewing below. To view the video full screen, click on the last icon to the right on the bottom of the video.
Tonight’s title says something to us. When a butterfly comes out of the cocoon, it doesn’t sit around and complain that it can’t fly or that no one told him how to fly. And he doesn’t ask “what do you expect of a caterpillar?” He just starts flapping his wings and flies. When we come to know the Lord, we can’t just talk about a life in Christ (the yappin’ part)—you have to live a life in Christ (the flappin’ part). Get up and DO IT! “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” (James 2:17) Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of message and/or download mp3 file.)
I am sure all the parents and child care givers hearing that title have at some time said that to their children. Do you do that to God? Do you demand something of Him in prayer; do you demand God to prove Himself to you by doing something you can see? If so, we need to talk—to talk about faith. Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Let’s review some of God’s truth on those scriptures as we read Hebrews 11. Follow the sermon on the audio link. Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of sermon and/or download mp3 file.)
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.)
© Carolyn Marshall, Living Life Photography God's purpose for His people has always been to trust and obey Him in any and all circumstances regardless of the difficulty. In Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus sent His disciples out to sea to cross to the other side while He retreated from the crowd to the mountain alone to pray. He knew their boat would soon be battered with powerful waves and most likely much of His praying was on their behalf. Someone has said, "I'd rather be in the storm out at sea with Jesus than safe on the shore without Him." In our world today, faithful followers of Jesus Christ have also embarked on a journey in obedience to His command. Jesus said to His disciples, "Go your ways: behold I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves." (Luke 10:3) Our success today relies upon our obedience to Jesus and full dependence on His strength every moment in the stormy seas of life—and there will be storms! How about you today? Are you willing to remain obedient and stay in the boat—knowing that Jesus ever lives to make intercession for you (see Hebrews 7:25) and that He will come to you in this storm world? Psalm 121 (New American Standard Bible - NASB) The LORD the Keeper of Israel. A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever. 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 Mark will open the floor to life testimonies. It is great encouragement to hear how the Lord is working in each of our lives. (Click the forward button below to play the personal testimonies of Pastor Mark Parsons and others.) Oh, to walk with God and to be pleasing to Him—to love, worship, adore, and obey Him each and every day of our lives!
We read in Genesis 5:24 that “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him." Again in Hebrews 11:5, “By faith, Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found because God took him up, for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.” We also learn from Hebrews 11:6 that “...without faith it is impossible to please Him…" Therefore, the message is clear for Enoch’s generation and for our generation today that all mankind cannot please God without faith in the Living God through Jesus Christ His Son. Satan was active in that time and sought to destroy Enoch’s walk of faith in God. His evil is present today as well, and he seeks the fall of all true believers in Jesus Christ. Walk in the Spirit; walk in faith; walk in the light; walk in love and in truth; and walk with God through Jesus—and you will be victorious over all evil! |
Archives
September 2021
|