Our Sermons
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
Psalm 111:10
The root word for “worry” means “to choke” or “to strangle.” Worry can ruin your day. It can ruin your week. It can ruin your month. Actually, worry can ruin your life. Worry hurts us and chokes us out. It is time to stop worrying and start praying. I understand that we have situations in life that can make us to worry, but I am reminded of the words of Apostle Paul: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7 NLT). When you worry about the future, you cripple yourself in the present. Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its joy and strength. Even when things are going well, we start worrying that something is going to go wrong. Jesus said, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:34 NLT). We need to develop the conditioned reflex of turning worry into prayer. When worry creeps in, when panic hits, stop and pray right away. Bring every thought of worry into captivity (2 Corinthians 10:5). Remember, God is in control of your life, so cast your cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7), in prayers!
Proverbs 29:25 NLT “Fearing people is a dangerous trap.”
If your goal in life is to have the approval of people, you will never really feel secure, because the time will come when you do something they disapprove of; then what? The Bible says, “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety” (Proverbs 29: 25 NLT). A trap is just another word for a prison. If someone other than God can determine your worth as a person, that someone can make you feel like a prisoner anytime they decide to. When a critic’s opinion becomes your own opinion, you are living in a prison of your own making. The reality is, some of the people you are trying so hard to impress will never be impressed. Knowing that enables you to work alongside people without allowing yourself to be controlled by their moods and governed by their opinions. Each time Paul went to another town, people were meeting and hearing him for the first time. Some of them liked him, and some did not. He writes, “For some say, ‘Paul’s letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless!’” (2 Corinthians 10:10 NLT). So how did Paul handle this? He writes, “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant” (Galatians 1:10 NLT). In order to feel secure in life and fulfilled in what God has called you to do, you must reach the place where you can be confident that you are loved and approved by God, and that is what matters!
Luke 5:5 “….. nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”
The Christian life is that of faith (Romans 1:17, 2 Corinthians 5:7). Simply put, faith is the confident belief in God’s promises. If you want to experience the blessings of the finished work of Jesus Christ, you must realize that it starts with faith. This faith comes by hearing God’s word (Romans 10:17) and without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6) or receive from God (James 1:6-8). When we step out in faith, God honors our movement and He steps in with power to bring our expectation to realization. Peter walked on water when he stepped out of the boat in faith (Matthew 14:28-29). Peter caught a great multitude of fish when he stepped out in faith and let down his net at the instruction of Jesus, despite every contradictory evidence (Luke 5:5-6). The Ark of the Covenant, the glory of God’s presence with the Israelites, was brought to the edge of the Jordan. As soon as the priests stepped into the river, the waters stopped flowing, piling in a heap upstream. A path opened for the people to follow, and the entire Israelite nation passed through the dry riverbed to the opposite shore (Joshua 3:15-17). God acts when we step out in faith. A lot of people have the idea that if something is God’s will for them to have that it will just automatically happen without any effort or involvement on their part. Not so! We have to cooperate with God. We must believe what He says. We must resist doubt and fear. To walk in the fullness of blessing God desires for us, we must fight the good fight of faith. Rise up and step out in faith. You cannot have victory if you are seated in self pity or if you have given up in your mind!
2 Timothy2:3 “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
The Christian life is greatest life to live, because God takes a life that was empty, aimless, and headed for destruction, then turns it around and transforms it. He forgives all our sin, removes our guilt, and literally takes residence inside of us through the Holy Spirit. Most importantly, He changes our eternal address from a place called Hell to a place called Heaven. This all comes about as a result of the power of the gospel proclaimed and believed. But in this day and age some have believed what I would describe as a watered-down version of the gospel, a gospel that promises forgiveness but rarely mentions the need to repent of your sin, a gospel that promises peace but never warns of tribulation, a gospel that says God wants you to be healthy and wealthy and never have any problems to speak of, a gospel that says you will so find the favor of God that everything will be at your call and beckon. But that is not the gospel of the New Testament. The Christian life is not a playground, but a battleground (Ephesians 6:12). Not only is there a God who loves you and has a plan for your life, but there is also a devil who hates you and wants to oppose God’s plan. I am not saying that once you become a Christian, you will be sick, poor, and miserable, but the fundamental nature of the Christian life is to continuously know and walk with God through His grace and love. It is about sticking with Him when the sky is blue and also when it is filled with clouds. It is for better or for worse. Jesus made it clear that storms will enter every life (John 16:33). But as we seek to know and follow Christ, we will live in peace and victory (Psalm 34:19).
2 CORINTHIANS 4:18 NIV “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
There is a sizeable number of people who are convinced they are too evil for God to help, or they have problems that are too big for God to handle. They seem to have more faith in their inability than they do in God’s ability. They seem to have more faith in the problem than they do in God. This happens when we focus on the problem, instead of looking to God who is the solution. As long as we focus on the problem and let it consume our attention, we will have faith in it to defeat us. We will forget “the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world (1 John 4:4 NIV). We have a choice on what we focus our attention on, in times of crisis. So, no matter how urgent the problem biting at your heels may seem, God’s answer for you is to look up and focus on His provision. God is bigger than any problem you face and can deliver you from any situation, no matter how bad it is. The devil tries to get us to focus on ourselves and our shortcomings, instead of focusing on Jesus and His ability to carry us through to victory. Whenever the focus is pointing to us, instead of pointing to God, you can be assured the devil has some involvement in those thoughts. You have to make the choice to focus your attention on God instead of on yourself and your problems. Instead of thinking of how evil you are, focus on how good God is. His goodness is more than enough to overcome your evil. Instead of looking at what you lack, look at all God has. And remember He is your Father and He loves you. Have faith in God!
Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
For a believer in Christ Jesus, living a life of sacrifice is to live your life totally for Christ. You live as commanded by God in His word and as led by the Holy Spirit. You die to your old life and on a daily basis you resist temptation and crucify (put to death) sinful desires that keep you from following Christ (Luke 9:23). God wants us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, daily laying aside our desires to follow him; putting all our resources at His disposal and trusting Him to guide us; doing this out of gratitude that our sins have been forgiven (Romans 12:1). Jesus Christ is our perfect example of living a life of sacrifice. While He was here on earth, He did nothing of Himself, but acted in total surrender to the instructions of God, the Father, seeking only the will of His Father who sent Him (John 5:30). Remember, as a believing Christian, you have been crucified with Christ, and the life you now live should be by faith in Christ, who loved you and gave Himself for you (Galatians 2:20). Whenever God asks us to do something it will entail a sacrifice, and when we make that sacrifice in obedience, the door of the miraculous is opened unto us!