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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I grew up hearing those words…and most of you probably did, too. If you practice being angry, you’ll get really good at being angry. The same goes for selfishness, impatience, judgment, hatred, etc. God tells us to reject those areas and, instead, opt to practice kindness, trust, self-control, etc. But here is where the warning comes…YOU CAN’T MEET GOD’S MEASURE in those areas! Only the Spirit of God can meet the measure of God. So, in order to meet His expectations, you need to have Him inside of you. He tells us that if we walk by the Spirit, we cannot sin. Whew—that’s a relief. But it will take practice letting Him rule and not your broken nature. So start practicing God’s way…you’ll get really good at it! References: Romans 12:9-21, Galatians 5:1, 16-25 (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. In the Bible, the book of James concentrates on faith and works. Both subjects have often been misunderstood, but as we go through this series, God will surely enlighten our hearts. Right up front, though, we need to understand a few principles cited in James: faith without works is dead; dead faith is worse than no faith at all; faith must work, must produce and must be visible; and lastly, verbal and mental faith is not enough, it must inspire action. Faith is more than just “believing”. The original meaning of the word was closer to “binding” and that is what faith really is…being “bound” to Jesus Christ. Are you “bound” or just hanging around? In James 1, we are encouraged to consider it pure joy when various trials are encountered because God has a plan and there are definite purposes for your tribulations. Endurance, perfect results, wisdom and the crown of life are all the benefits of those trials. But we must do all this in faith, without doubting or double mindedness – tough row to hoe, but absolutely essential in clinching that “binding” to Jesus. Listen in to the sermon and get some more golden nuggets from the Lord. (Originally recorded 11/20/13.) 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. © http://www.123rf.com We so often feel that way when grief and struggles assail us. But we must be reminded that when overwhelmed…REMEMBER GOD’S GREATNESS! (Read Psalm 77:7-15 and Exodus 14:1-31) So, don’t get caught up in the details of your circumstances…get caught up in the greatness of God. We so often shake a fist at God because He didn’t stop the devastation or the “extreme circumstance”. But stop and think…if He is in total control, then your extreme circumstance isn’t “extreme” to Him! And, just because things didn’t work according to your plan, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t His plan! In the Scriptures noted, we see that the Israelites panicked when the Egyptian army was roaring down on them. They forgot so quickly what God had just delivered them from in their years of slavery and deprivation. By looking at the details of the situation instead of looking to God first, they were consumed in fear instead of faith. God’s love and plan won out and He rescued them again…just like He will for you. Lesson learned: Don’t get caught up in the details of your circumstances…get caught up in the greatness of God. LISTEN TO AUDIOIf 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.)
© 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.) God's say-so is the title of Oswald Chambers' daily devotional reading for June 5. This message is based on Hebrews 13:5-6, "Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.' So that we confidently (KJV - boldly) say, 'The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid, what shall man do to me?'" Mr. Chambers comments that "My say-so is to be built on God's say-so. God says - 'I will never leave thee,' then I can with good courage say - 'The Lord is my helper, I will not fear' - I will not be haunted by apprehension." To haunt means to come to mind continuously, to pursue relentlessly, to harass. Apprehension means to be fearful or have uneasy anticipation of the future; to dread. In obedience to God's Word, followers of Jesus Christ can experience a life of freedom and emancipation from fear and doubt. Jesus did not do anything apart from His Father's say-so and we, as believers, are to do (practice) the same! Audio: (Click forward button below to play audio of sermon and/or download mp3 file.)
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