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
1 Thessalonians 5:24 NKJV “He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it.”
God has brought us into this new year peacefully. The year is new, fresh, and full of potential. But It is also full of uncertainty. In the midst of uncertainty, our faith can struggle, our walk with God becomes labored, and our heart heavy. There is something about the unknown which seems to weaken us. It drains our patience and blurs our focus. Yet, in the middle of everything stands a faithful God. A God who is not manipulated by the struggle and is not moved by the winds of chaos and adversity. A God who remains faithful even when our faith is fragile. It seems more difficult nowadays than ever to not worry about tomorrow, yet that is exactly what God has asked us to do (Matthew 6:34). For when we cast our burdens on Him (1 Perter 5:7), the troubles of the moment begin to fade. When we trust the plans He has for us, our fear begins to diminish. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), our focus becomes consumed by clarity. Trusting God is the only way. We can trust in His plan and in His eternally capable hands to uphold us. Yes, we may be in the midst of uncertainty, but we can be certain of one thing: God is faithful, and that is more than enough for our tomorrow. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”
We all will experience storms at some points in our lives. That is why, when we hear the Word of God, we need to listen as though our lives depend on it because they do. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in one of His teachings said, “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24–25 NKJV). In contrast to the wise man who builds his house on the rock, Jesus made this statement about the man who does not build his house on the rock: “Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall” (Matthew 7:26–27 NKJV). We are in a spiritual battle, and we fight a spiritual battle with spiritual weapons. Ephesians 6:17 tells us that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. So, when the Devil comes with a temptation, we need to respond with the sword of the Spirit. Or when the Devil whispers in your ear any word or idea contrary to the will of God for your life, you need to respond with the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God). Memorize the Word of God. Use the Word of God. It will help you in times of temptation and in times of trial. As the psalmist wrote, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11 NKJV). Know the Word of God and use it to protect yourself against the storms of life!
Psalm 1:2 NKJ “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law, he meditates day and night.“
We make numerous choices every day, from what is simple to what is complex and life changing. One choice we make every day is whether to start the day with the Word of God or with social media or something else. Are we going to start the day with prayer, or are we going to start it with worry (Philippians 4:6)? Are we going to make time in our schedules to meet with other believers or make other activities a priority instead? The Bible tells us, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1–2 NKJ). The words “blessed” and “happy” are interchangeable. Basically, the Bible is saying that if we want to be happy, there are some things that we should not do, and there are other things that we should do instead. Do not walk in ungodly counsel, Psalm 1 tells us, and instead walk in godly counsel. In other words, meditate on (or think about or ponder) the Word of God. This is not referring to the meditation of Eastern mysticism. Rather, to meditate on the Word of God means to ponder or contemplate what the Bible has to say. God instructed Joshua to meditate on the book of the law day and night for prosperity and good success (Joshua 1:8). What you need this year is not resolution but solution, which comes by a closer walk with God through His word. You make your choices, and your choices make you!
Numbers 23:19 NKJ “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”
What we belief shapes our destiny. What do you believe? What God says about you, what you say about yourself, or what people say about you? Without doubt it is safer to believe God and not man. Man is shifty. The same mouth man uses to praise you is the same mouth man will use to crucify you. Man cannot always be trusted but God can be trusted. Psalm 118:8 says “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” God does not change His opinion about you. He loves you with everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). God loves you completely and irrevocably. He always has and He always will. Man cannot be sustained by man but only by God his maker. God is your healer, and provider. He has your future in His hands. He has engraved you upon the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16). He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). God is your rock, your fortress, your strength, your buckler, the horn of your salvation, and your high tower (Psalm 18:2). Believe what God says about you and act on it. It is safer to believe Him!
It sounds incredible that a beautiful little baby, born in a manger in Bethlehem, was God Almighty. Jesus was fully God and fully man. God came to this earth and walked among us. Jesus became one of us without ceasing to be Himself. He became human without ceasing to be God. And Isaiah 9:6 tells us that He is the Mighty God. He has all the power that you need to take care of the demands of life. Whatever you are facing, whatever challenge or difficulty you are going through, the Almighty God has taken residence in your heart if you have given your life to Jesus Christ. In addition, Isaiah calls him Everlasting Father. This brings hope and encouragement to those who grew up without a father or who maybe had a harsh, abusive father. We have a Father in Heaven who loves us. Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, we can now call God our Father if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ. Not only is God our Father, but He is our Everlasting Father. That means He is not only our Father on Earth, but He also will receive us into Heaven one day. All these started with the birth of Jesus Christ, God with us (Emmanuel)!
JOHN 6:37 LB “But some will come to me–those the Father has given me– and I will never, never reject them.”
People may reject you. But Jesus will not. Jesus died for sinners. He loves them and will help them, if only they will come to Him. Jesus did not come to condemn us, but to help us. The truth is, when your self-worth is based on any opinion other than God’s, you will always be vulnerable to rejection. Think of the Bible account of the woman caught in adultery. JOHN 8:11 NIV “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life free from sin.” Religious people will reject you for any number of reasons. The length of your hair, the food you eat, or the clothes you wear are only examples of reasons they may reject you. But Jesus is different. He will accept you just as you are. Overcoming rejection starts with understanding and accepting how much God loves and values us (1 John 3:1). Many people think they need to clean up their life and get their act together before coming to Jesus. But they have it backwards. They should come to Jesus now and let Him “clean them up.” If we could make ourselves perfect, we would not need a Savior. Think about that!