Has culture invaded your view of God? The challenge of this message is to examine our lives to see if we are doing things God’s way or man’s way. As the world continues to be in a simplified season, let’s let God show us how to live His way, forsaking the expectations of culture.
The Greatest is LOVE
The Bible says that in the last days, the love of many will grow cold because of the increase of wickedness (Matthew 24:12). In these days that we are living in, it can be very easy to forsake love. There are so many things that get in the way of love: fear, judgement, pain, sadness, jealousy, frustration, busyness, etc., but as believers, we are called by God to love.
Healing and Redemption
In this message, John and I share our testimony of God’s healing and redemption. Redemption is not about just getting what we want, but allowing God to heal us and then refusing to limit God’s plan for our life by anything in our past. The redemptive work that God can do in the life of a believer is a powerful display of his glory.
Bear with One Another
Not too long ago, my brother and I were having a discussion about a debatable subject. (The subject will remain anonymous). He was very convinced that he was right and I was very convinced that I was right. I was questioning him on some of his viewpoints for a while, and then finally, I pointed something out to him. The point that I brought to his attention seemed so obvious to me that I didn’t even bother to bring it up in the beginning because I thought he would have thought of it already.
A Broken World - A Heavenly Kingdom
Jesus came to earth during the darkest moment in human history. He said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Jesus came to divide us from this evil world, not to make us comfortable here. He is the Prince of Peace, but this peace is with God. In the midst of a troubled world, this audio message calls the church to arise in righteousness and holiness to transform the landscape of a nation from the inside out.
Blessed
We all want to live a blessed life, but do we know what leads to the blessing? Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV), “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” Blessing comes when we trust in the Lord. So, what does it mean to trust in the Lord? To have confidence in him? It can be easy to say I trust God, but it is much harder to live out our confidence in him when we are faced with the challenges of life.
God Is Faithful
The Lord wants to remind us that He is faithful. Psalm 37 has been a very powerful word for me in this season, as it speaks to the faithfulness of God. It says, “Do not worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper…”
Personal Revival
We are all experiencing a season of simplification, where our normal is stripped away. I realize this looks different for all of us, and the amount of change and pressure on our families looks different too. While I like to live a simple life, the current season is a bit too cut back for me. In the past, I have run from these seasons, and I imagine that many of you have too. The rush hides the pain we’ve avoided, the broken places we’ve failed to repair, and the faults we’d rather forget. We can even be so busy for God that we have no personal relationship with him anymore – only a heavenly to-do list that we think is satisfying our spiritual need. This season has been a time of personal revival for me, and I am praying that it has been for you too, and if it hasn’t, that it will be!
Hope in Crisis
Many people are looking for answers right now. Some are asking short-sighted questions as to how to get through this current crisis, and others are asking questions about life in general. Christians and non-Christians are asking these questions. In times like this, we are able to clearly see what we have put our trust in. Have you trusted in something that you now realize is only temporary? Do you feel like you are losing control over your life? Do you feel like the world is out of control? Listen in to this teaching to discover HOPE IN CRISIS!
Grace to Become
As the coronavirus situation began to unfold, I would like to say that faith was my first response, but it was not. Just the threat of shut downs caused a lot of anxiety in me. It was as if I was holding my breath to see what would come next. Each new restriction seemed like more change than I could handle. On top of that, I was feeling so guilty for the fear that was gripping my heart. I desired to be firm in my faith and trust in God during these challenging times, but I didn’t seem to be able to live out that desire.
Canceled
There is a parable in the Bible that has made me uncomfortable for some time. Whenever I would read it, I recognized the principle that Jesus was teaching, but my flesh would fight against it, wanting to hold onto my ways instead of God’s ways. The parable illustrates the principle of forgiveness – that thing we know we should do, but somehow, we still aren’t convinced is the right thing to do. After all, some of our pain is deeply rooted and very justified. After reading this parable recently, I saw God’s truth more clearly than ever before in the area of forgiveness. Forgiving others can become a privilege when we truly know that we have been completely forgiven and set free from our debt.
Redemption for Trials
When we talk about trials, the first Bible story we think of is Job. If we only read the first part of the story, we will think that the book of Job is about a man of suffering and nothing more. But, if we continue, we will find that it is a story that illustrates the evil of the enemy, God’s hand of protection, a man’s struggle with trial, the humbling of a man before God, and a gracious God who redeems above and beyond all that the enemy destroyed.
Possess the Promise Land
For many years, I was scared to go to the beach on the gulf side of Florida. When I was younger, my cousins had traveled there and told me that there were sting rays everywhere! I pictured the water to be brown, not because of pollution, but because of sting rays. Swimming did not sound like a pleasant experience, so I was resolved that going to the beach there would not be much fun.
Why does God allow suffering?
List of verses that are referenced:
Why is there suffering in the world?
- John 10:10
- Romans 8:20-25
- John 16:33
What does the Bible say about suffering?
- Mark 8:31-33
- Isaiah 55:9
- Isaiah 53:4-12
- Luke 24:25-26, 45-47
What can God do with my suffering?
- Hebrews 12:2
- Isaiah 53:10-12
- Romans 8:17-18
- Philippians 3:10-11
- Romans 8:28
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
- Job 42:10
A Woman in Ministry
Yesterday was International Women’s Day. It is an interesting thing that we need to celebrate a day like this. Unfortunately, history has marginalized and even dehumanized women. In this modern era, our culture is still trying to figure out how to celebrate women in an honorable way. I don’t think any culture or earthly kingdom will ever get it right. Thankfully, we can be part of a Heavenly Kingdom that gets the true value and beauty of women.
Rest for Your Soul
As I was reading my devotions a few years ago, I was challenged to examine my life to see what worldly pursuits I could exchange for “the will of God [that] remains forever” (1 John 2:17). Immediately, my mind assumed that I was looking for a money issue. However, I tend to not be overly indulgent in spending, and at that time, I was very content with my possessions, whether they were little or much. So, I was initially stuck, but it didn’t take long for Christ to reveal to me my fault.
The Way in a Manger
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6 (NIV)
The years prior to Jesus being born were very dark. Isaiah says that people looked for light, but all was darkness. God had been silent for many years, and people were desperate for direction. There was confusion, distress, and yet – hope.
God is With You
"Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means 'God is with us.'" – Matthew 1:23 (NLT)
Jesus is still with us today in the person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the greatest gift God could give to his children because it is the power of God within us. It is a remarkable promise that God is always with us and we can connect with him anytime and anywhere.
But, what happens when you find yourself asking, “What’s the point of God being with me anyway?”