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The Manifest Presence of God | God's Three Room House | Part 3APastor James A. McMenis | Word of God Ministries

2 Corinthians

Worry doesn’t have to dominate your life. In Turn Your Worries into Prayers, Whitney Hopler reflects on Psalm 34:4 and shares how prayer can transform fear into peace and courage. Listeners will learn practical steps for turning anxious thoughts into prayers, experiencing God’s strength in challenging situations, and trusting Him to guide their hearts even when circumstances don’t change. This episode is perfect for anyone seeking freedom from fear, deeper trust in God, and practical ways to make prayer a daily habit. ✨ Highlights Psalm 34:4: prayer frees us from fear Turning worry into prayer shifts attention from the problem to God God may not always change circumstances, but He strengthens and changes us Practical tips for praying immediately when fear arises Learning to walk with courage and peace through life’s challenges Reflection: identifying specific fears and giving them to God

As believers we recognize we're saved by grace through faith, and that's a total work of God. He gets all the glory for that right! But did you realize, your growth and the good in your life, comes from God too? All glory is to go to God, for His work in our lives. Our sufficiency is from the Lord. And that's the emphasis of today's Abounding Grace as pastor Ed Taylor dives back into Second Corinthians chapter three. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/302/29

2 Corinthians

Daily Dose of Hope September 29, 2025   Scripture - John 1:1-18   Prayer:  Holy God, We come before you in this new week with humility and gratefulness.  We praise your powerful name.  Thank you, so much, Lord, that you came to earth to dwell among us and show us a different way of being.  Help us to pay attention to your example.  Help us to be more loving and more merciful in all we do.  Help us to be even but a small reflection of you.  You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Thank you, Jesus.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, a deep dive into the Gospels and Acts.  This is the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  Today, we are starting our final Gospel, John.  And John is different from the other three Gospels, we will see that as we work our way through it.  It's also a beautiful Gospel.  It goes deep.  Be prepared for life change as we engage with the book of John.    This first chapter is John's Christmas story.  It's quite different from the other Gospels.  In fact, the Gospel of John doesn't have any of the Christmas characters we know and love so well–no Joseph or Mary, no shepherds or angels, no manger and animals, no wise men traveling from the east. John didn't need to rehash those details of the incarnation. Afterall, the other Gospels had already been written and did a great job telling the story of baby Jesus. John chose to go about it differently, focusing less on how Jesus came and more on why Jesus came, and how the whole idea of the incarnation was so incredible, so mind-blowing, so amazingly significant for all people for all time. For in Jesus, God announced to the world that “I'm with you!” and that has made all the difference.   We find John's Christmas story in two verses in this chapter: John 1:1,In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.   What does this mean? Both the Jewish and Greek listeners would have been familiar with the term “Word,” which was Logos in Greek. -Jews were in the habit of substituting the Word of God for God himself in their concept of wisdom/reason---wisdom/reason is one of the meanings for LOGOS. -Greeks thought of Logos as the ruling principle of life and the universe. -Gnostics–believed the Spirit was imprisoned in the physical body and the secret to get it out was gnosis, knowledge, logos. (They didn't believe Jesus possessed a true, physical body.)   So when John writes that the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, he means that the Word, LOGOS, is Jesus Christ. Please know that this was a mind-blowing claim. Jesus wasn't just a little baby who was born under unusual circumstances when Caesar Augustus was governor of Syria. He wasn't just a wise man who told amazing stories and fed a lot of people. No, Jesus (the Word) was present at the very beginning of time, Jesus (the Word) was with God, and Jesus (the Word) was God himself. To the Jews, John says the Word of God (GOD) is Jesus. To the Greeks, John says the ruling principle of life/universe is Jesus. To the Gnostics, John says the secret knowledge that leads to freedom is Jesus who had a true, physical body and dwelt among us. Jesus was not some mental concept, some intangible thought life; No, Jesus, God himself, became flesh and made his dwelling among us.   Let's unpack this a bit more because it's pretty amazing.  Let's start with the Word dwelt among us. A more accurate translation of the term “dwell” actually is “tabernacle” or “pitched his tent.” When a Jewish listener heard this, they would immediately think of the tabernacle in the Exodus. The tabernacle was where God met with his people before the temple was built---it housed the ark of the covenant and it represented God's presence/God's dwelling among his people. Now, John is saying, God has chosen to dwell among his people in an even more personal way, in the Word became flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ. In Jesus, God chose to dwell among his people.   What was the benefit of God dwelling among the people? Think about this. You can kind of know someone, but when you dwell with someone, when you live with someone, then you really get to know them. If you've ever had a roommate, you know this well. You might be friends and know about one another but when you dwell together, when you live with one another, then you know all the stuff–the good and the bad. It's the same when you get married and live together. You know if they put their dishes in the dishwasher, you know if they leave trash around, you know the thoughtful things they do, you know the annoying things they do .You don't just kind of know them. You truly know them.   When God came to earth to dwell among us in the person of Jesus, it was so humans could truly understand who God was, truly know God. God is Jesus and Jesus is God. So the character of Jesus was the character of God. The teachings of Jesus were the teachings of God. The miracles of Jesus were the miracles of God. When Jesus voluntarily gave his life on a cross for the sins of all humanity, it was a demonstration of God's amazing, expansive love for us. When Jesus was resurrected three days later, it was a demonstration of how God conquered death once and for all, meaning that we could have new life now and eternal life in the future. God dwelling among us in Jesus meant that God was not some distance, far off, hard to understand deity.  No, the WORD was with us, hanging out in the living room, sitting at the kitchen table with us, and we could get to know him in a very personal, very intimate way. I love to think about Jesus walking with the disciples, dining with the tax collectors and prostitutes, spending a few days resting in the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. He dwelled with the people in a very intimate way.   So the WORD made his dwelling among us. But some of you might be like---but that was so long ago. We personally did not walk with Jesus and talk with Jesus. He didn't literally dwell with Us personally. I would argue that Jesus does in fact walk among us and speak to us today. Afterall, we serve a living God and God's presence is everywhere. There is no place that we can go where God's presence is not. God's presence is here through the presence of the Holy Spirit.   And we can also still dwell with the Word in another way – through the Bible. Just as the Word came to dwell among us, we can dwell in the Word. The Bible is the Word of God. We meet Jesus, Logos, God on the pages of Scripture. As we dwell in Scripture, we enter into the life of God and God enters into our lives.   The Bible is not simply for information but for transformation. The purpose of Scripture is for us to get to know and love God more fully and be drawn more deeply into the life of faith so we can be changed from the inside out. It is not a textbook---we don't simply study it to acquire information and show people how smart we are. This is God's story from Genesis to Revelation. We learn about God's character. We learn about how God has been present throughout history. We learn about God's mission and plan of redemption for all people for all time. We learn about Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection. We learn about the Kingdom of God and how Jesus demonstrated this new way of doing life, the way God always intended his world to be. We learn about the early church and the coming of the Holy Spirit. We learn about how God's mission continues through the church, through us, not in our own power but as God works through us.   And while God revealed himself in Scripture through a specific people group, the miracle of God's Word is that it transcends time and place. When we dwell in the Word, God continues to reveal himself to us in new ways, we get to know God better, we begin to be transformed little by little. As we dwell in God's Word, the WORD, Jesus, becomes more real to us.  How has the Bible become more real to you as we have worked our way through Mark, Matthew, and Luke?    Blessings, Pastor Vicki

How do we forgive others even when it's difficult? Why does forgiveness lead us closer to Christ?Join us at our Saturday Night Service for our series "Knowing God: The Creator of Family".This Saturday, 5 PM, at the Main Hall, CCF CenterWe are also livestreaming at the following links:ELEVATE facebook.com/ElevateMain youtube.com/ElevateMainTVB1G MINISTRY facebook.com/B1GMinistryCHRIST'S COMMISSION FELLOWSHIP facebook.com/CCFMain youtube.com/CCFmainTV

Young or old, new believer or seasoned saint… you can be confident the Lord wants to use you! And isn't that encouraging? But we need to realize our sufficiency comes from God, and not in and of ourselves. This comes to light through a study in Second Corinthians chapter three, where Paul expresses His sufficiency is in the Lord! Today on Abounding Grace we'll learn more about that. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/302/29

New to The Church at Bushland? Tell us a little about you and receive a personal note from Pastor Jeff. First Time Guest: https://www.thechurchatbushland.com/guestform?location=livestream How can we pray for you? Submit your prayer request here: https://www.thechurchatbushland.com/prayerrequest Subscribe to get the latest videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheChurchAtBushland We also have our newest channel, @TCABClips, with sermon and worship highlights and short content from Digging for the Truth. Subscribe, turn on notifications, and never miss an episode! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6VflV8HJUd-6vTX9CSJRKw Listen while you work, exercise, or whatever keeps you busy: Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/the-church-at-bushland/id6442779332 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/077EsZwp6Y7pPhv7X8mXEY?si=893d09eeae9142d5 Support the online ministry at TCAB. Join the giving team today! https://www.thechurchatbushland.com/giving Download the TCAB App today! iOS - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-church-at-bushland/id1495461805 Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kidunottech.culminate.tcab Connect with The Church at Bushland: Website | https://thechurchatbushland.com Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thechurchatbushland/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thechurchatbushland/

Psalms 10:1 Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? 10:2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. 10:3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. 10:5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. 10:6 He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. 10:7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity. 10:8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. 10:9 He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. 10:10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones. 10:11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it. 10:12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble. 10:13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it. 10:14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless. 10:15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none. 10:16 The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land. 10:17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: 10:18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

Sunday AM 09/28/2025

Leaving a Youth Ministry Job is tough, in this video, we're going to explore some top Youth Pastor job switch questions, such as: Is it wrong to look for a new church job? When you start looking, when should you share that information with your current church? How can someone go about expressing concern about current job frustrations without burning bridges? SHOW NOTES Shownotes & Transcripts https://www.hybridministry.xyz/168

In this three part series I challenge you to let your life answer this most fundamental question. This week the message examines "the god of this world" and your relationship with him. Some will pass the test while others fail miserably.

Continuing our series on the book of James, in James 1:12-15 we learn about trials and tests, how these tests can become a temptation to sin, and how prone we are to blame God and others in these temptations.Our present trials have both a present and future benefit to those who love God, ultimately proving our faith and increasing our joy. In these trials, we will face the temptation to sin, but we must recognize its source and its course. Temptation never comes from God—God tests but He never tempts—but rather from our sinful desires. These sinful desires create sin in our live, and apart from Christ these sins create death. To avoid temptation, we can prepare and act by fleeing from the sin, resisting the sin, or looking to God for escape

Sunday AM-September 21, 2025

All for the Kingdom Podcast – Episode #232: "Breath of Life, Genesis 2:4-17" Subtitle: Man's unique creative purpose to glorify God, dwell with God, and love God.Join Pastor Ben in this insightful expository sermon as he delves into Genesis Chapter 2:4-17, exploring the profound theological depths of man's unique creation, his intended purpose, and the transformative power of Christ's redemption. This sermon unpacks fundamental truths about man's relationship with God, addressing both the goodness of creation and the pervasive impact of sin.Key Scripture: Genesis 2:4-17Episode Highlights:• Man's Unique Creation: Discover how man was distinctly made in God's image, possessing both a physical nature (formed from dust) and a spiritual nature (God's breath of life). This uniqueness sets humanity apart from all other creation, designed specifically for a relationship with God. The sermon contrasts this with false teachings that deny man's uniqueness or spiritual nature.• Man's Purpose: To Glorify, Dwell, and Love God:◦ Glorify God: Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, a core doctrinal truth emphasized by historical catechisms. This involves both reflecting God's glory and finding soul satisfaction in rejoicing in it.◦ Dwell with God: God created man to dwell with Him, a principle element of the Garden of Eden and recurring throughout scripture, from Noah to Abraham, Israel, and ultimately for the redeemed in the New Jerusalem (heaven). Dwelling with God requires being a people of God, in a place of God, receiving the provision of God.◦ Love God: Man was created with the freedom to choose God or to sin. This includes the ability to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which gave the ability to distinguish between good and evil. Death results from the desire for evil that stems from this knowledge and the choice to disobey.• The Garden of Eden: A Real Place of Provision: The Garden is not a metaphor, but a real, physical place of God's perfect provision and blessing. Man was placed there "to work it and to keep it," indicating that labor was part of God's good design before the Fall. In the Garden, desire and good were in perfect unity.• The Corruption of Sin: Since Genesis 3, sin has corrupted man's heart, leading to a desire for things that don't glorify God and causing man to hide from God's presence out of shame. The sermon touches on the profound impact of Adam's sin, which brought death into the world (Romans 5:12).• Redemption Through Christ: Only through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ are people made able to fulfill their purpose of glorifying and rejoicing in God. Jesus, unlike Adam, knew the distinction between good and evil but lived a sinless life, offering salvation through his perfect obedience (Romans 5:19, Hebrews 4). The good news of the gospel is not man's free choice of God, but God's sovereign grace in choosing to so love the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.Find Out More:Ben Smith is the pastor of Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA.Additional podcasts, books, and downloadable PDFs of Pastor Ben's sermon outlines and manuscripts are available at http://bensmithsr.org.You can find information about Central Baptist Church at cbcwaycross.org.This sermon was originally preached on 9/7/2025.

Communication is one of the most important things in the world: being able to listen to a message and relay it accurately is vitally important in almost every sphere of life. This is especially the case when it comes to God: God wants people who are prepared to listen to him. What does that mean for us?Understand the Bible is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Understand the Bible at utbible.substack.com/subscribe

Pastor Andy teaches that when we truly connect with God, we are empowered to fight - not just external battles, but the internal ones that shape our identity and destiny. Struggles that seem adversarial, even those with God Himself, are often tools to strengthen us for future victories and to bring us into alignment with who He says we are. True breakthrough happens when we stop resisting God's call, embrace our God-given identity, and fight forward with faith, knowing our weapons are divine and our victory is promised. If you would like to support WOCC financially you can give by clicking here: https://www.worldovercomers.church/give/ Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 10 Genesis 32 Ephesians 6 Romans 10 Joel 3 Psalm 30 Isaiah 54 Zechariah 4

This message focused on the significance of biblical prophecy in revealing God's plan for the world, with special attention to Daniel, Ezekiel, and Israel's history. We explored how ancient kingdoms rose and fell through human ambition, yet God's purposes remain sovereign. The discussions highlighted Israel's promises, failures, and forsaken relationship with God, while contrasting the Church's position in Christ. Themes of idolatry, submission, and spiritual separation from the world were emphasized, along with the reminder that Christ's return will conclude the “times of the Gentiles.” The conversation underscored the need for faith, humility, and reliance on God's grace rather than human effort.Themes:Prophecy as God's revelation of His plan (Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation)Earthly kingdoms built on ambition and chaos vs. God's sovereignty (Genesis 11; Assyria, Egypt, Babylon)Israel's promises vs. the Church's position in Christ (Hosea 1:9–11; Romans 7)Israel's forsaken relationship due to failure of leaders and peopleGod's patience, long-suffering, and call to repentanceDangers of idolatry and backsliding, importance of godly sorrow (Exodus; 1 John 2:15–17)The law exposing sin but not producing righteousnessSpiritual separation from the world and living in submission to GodGod's communication with individuals during times of darknessThe “times of the Gentiles” and Christ's imminent returnScripture References:Daniel; Ezekiel; Hosea 1:9–11; Genesis 11; Romans 7; Revelation; 1 John 2:15–17; Exodus

Hope for Hard Days ReCreate Church | Michael Shockley | September 7, 2025 Esther Series, Part 9: Esther 9, 10 ---------- EPISODE SUMMARY In the final episode of the Esther series, Michael Shockley explores how God works through our worst days to bring about His greatest victories. Through the creative story of Hayden and Morty (paralleling Haman and Mordecai), discover how what appears to be a day of destruction becomes a day of deliverance for God's people. As Esther chapters 9-10 unfold, watch the ironic reversal where the enemies of the Jews are defeated, leading to the establishment of the holiday Purim. From the cafeteria catastrophe to the Persian Empire's transformation, learn how God's unseen hand can flip any story - even turning the worst day in history (the Crucifixion) into humanity's brightest hope. This message reminds us that God doesn't cause our worst days, but He absolutely redeems them. Core Message: God works through our worst days. ---------- KEY TOPICS COVERED The Hayden and Morty Story Introduction - Creative allegory of middle school cafeteria drama - Hayden's quest for revenge against his spelling bee nemesis Morty - The setup for disaster with gravy, creamed asparagus, and chocolate milk - Parallel to the Haman and Mordecai conflict in the Book of Esther - Cliffhanger moment showing how quickly situations can change The Historical Context of Esther 9-10 - Recap of the escalated grudge that led to genocidal decree - Haman's plot against the Jews and his subsequent downfall - The irreversible nature of Persian law requiring a counter-decree - Nine months between the plot's discovery and the day of execution - The choice given to potential attackers to change sides The Day of Reversal (Esther 9:1-5) - The 13th of Adar: from planned destruction to actual deliverance - "The opposite occurred" - complete reversal of expectations - Fear of Mordecai and the Jews falling upon their enemies - Government officials helping the Jews due to Mordecai's prominence - The Jews defeating their enemies throughout the 127 provinces The Spiritual Parallel to God's Law - The Law of Righteousness exposing all people as condemned - God's refusal to lower His standards of perfection - The Law of Grace through faith in Jesus as the "second decree" - Substitution: Jesus taking our punishment on the Cross - Imputation: Christ's righteousness credited to our account The Battle Results and Aftermath - 500 enemies killed in the capital city of Shushan - 75,000 total defeated throughout the Persian Empire - The death of Haman's ten sons (grown men who supported the decree) - The Jews refusing to take spoils - focused on defense, not wealth - Two days of battle followed by peace and celebration The Establishment of Purim - Mordecai's letters establishing an annual holiday - The 14th and 15th of Adar becoming days of celebration - Feasting, joy, gift-giving to family and the needy - The meaning of "Purim" - referring to the lots (Pur) Haman cast - God directing even the roll of dice to accomplish His purposes The Unseen Hand of God - God's fingerprints everywhere despite His name never being mentioned - From orphan and intended victim to champions of peace - The transformation of superstition into recognition of divine favor - How apparent coincidences reveal providence in hindsight The Conclusion of Hayden and Morty - The backpack tear held together by failing duct tape - The pencil on the floor causing Hayden's spectacular fall - The complete reversal: Hayden covered in food, Morty triumphant - "You got served" - divine justice with a sense of humor - From cafeteria catastrophe to unexpected hero status God's Redemption of Our Worst Days - How God doesn't cause our worst days but redeems them - The parallel between Esther's story and the Cross - Turning the day of Crucifixion into humanity's brightest hope - Personal application for loss, failure, betrayal, and current struggles - The invitation to trust Jesus with all we dread ---------- MEMORABLE QUOTES "God works through our worst days." "The Unseen Hand of God turned the day of destruction into the day of deliverance." "He is our Substitute when it comes to the punishment, and His Righteousness is Imputed to us. Which is to say, He suffered through the test, and we got the passing grade." "Even the naming of the holiday shows that God directed even the roll of the dice to choose the day." "God's Name is never spoken, but God's fingerprints are everywhere." "God never wastes our pain. He doesn't cause our worst days, but He redeems them." "If God could turn the horrible day of Crucifixion into the brightest hope in history, He can redeem your story, too." "You got served." (Lunch Lady Loretta) "Got milk?" (Morty) ---------- BIBLICAL FOUNDATION - Primary Text: Esther 9:1-5, Chapters 9-10 complete - Key Theme: Divine reversal and redemption through apparent defeat - Historical Context: The 13th of Adar and the establishment of Purim - Theological Concepts: Substitution and imputation through Christ - Gospel Connection: How God redeems our worst days through the Cross - Literary Note: God's providence shown without direct divine mentions ---------- PRACTICAL APPLICATION If You're Experiencing Your Worst Day Right Now: - Remember that God specializes in flipping stories and reversing outcomes - Trust that what feels like destruction may be setting up deliverance - Know that God's unseen hand is working even when you can't see it - Understand that apparent coincidences often reveal divine providence If You're Dealing with Past Failures and Regrets: - Recognize that God doesn't waste pain but redeems it for purpose - Remember that your worst moments don't define your final story - Trust that the same God who redeemed the Cross can redeem your past - Allow time and perspective to reveal how God was working all along If You Feel Condemned by Your Imperfections: - Understand that God's law reveals our need, not our hopelessness - Know that perfection is required, but Christ provides it for us - Trust in substitution: Jesus took your punishment on the Cross - Believe in imputation: Christ's righteousness is credited to your account If You're Waiting for Justice: - Remember that God's timing often involves longer processes than we expect - Trust that divine justice is more complete than human revenge - Know that God can turn your enemies' attacks into your strengthening - Understand that true victory often looks different than expected If You Haven't Trusted Jesus Yet: - Consider how the Cross transformed history's worst day into its best news - Understand that salvation comes through faith, not perfect performance - Know that God can flip your story no matter how bad it seems - Trust Jesus with all you dread and receive His redemption today ---------- THE ULTIMATE INVITATION Maybe you're living through what feels like your worst day. Loss, failure, betrayal, diagnosis, job loss, or consequences from past mistakes. Perhaps you feel like Morty, about to be destroyed by forces beyond your control. Or maybe you feel like Hayden, watching your carefully laid plans collapse in spectacular failure. The good news of Esther - and the even greater news of the Gospel - is that God works through our worst days. He doesn't cause them, but He redeems them. The same God who turned a day of destruction into deliverance for the Jews, who turned the horror of Crucifixion into the hope of salvation, can flip your story too. Trust Him with all you dread. Trust Jesus for salvation. Your worst day may be setting up God's greatest work in your life. ---------- CONNECT WITH RECREATE CHURCH - Website: recreatechurch.org - Support the Ministry: Give through the Tithe.ly app or offering boxes ---------- What worst day in your life needs God's redemptive touch? Are you trusting in your own ability to fix things, or surrendering to the God who specializes in impossible reversals? God works through our worst days - let Him work through yours.

Welcome to another episode of The Cutting Room Floor, where we further unpack Sunday's message, discuss practical applications, and hear some of what didn't make the final cut.

A Sermon for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity 2 Corinthians 3:4-9 by William Klock Imagine you're an Israelite at the time of the Exodus.  Moses shows up and announces that the God of your ancestors—a God no one's heard from in four hundred years—is going to deliver you from Pharoah's slavery.  Sounds pretty sketchy.  But then God begins to act.  He sends ten plagues on the Egyptians.  He turns the Nile to blood.  Wow!  But then Pharoah's magicians do the same thing.  Okay…maybe not as impressive as it seemed at first.  But as the plagues go on, they get more and more impressive and Pharaoh's magicians can't keep up.  By the tenth plague you know without a doubt that this God of your fathers is something.  He's even more powerful than Pharoah and his gods.  And then the Red Sea.  Pharaoh chased you down.  Your people are stuck between the sea and Pharaoh's army.  All is lost.  And then the God of your fathers parts the sea itself in an amazing display of power and authority.  Imagine what it was like to walk through the sea on dry ground.  And then to watch as, just as miraculously, the God of your fathers causes the waters to come crashing back into place just at the right time to drown Pharaoh's army.  And you join with your people as, for the first time, you sing praise to this God of your fathers—a God whom you're now starting to think of as your God.  But God isn't finished.  He appears as a magnificent pillar of cloud in the day and a pillar of fire at night and he leads your people into the wilderness.  When there's nothing to drink, he causes water to pour forth from a rock.  When there's nothing to eat, he miraculously provides an abundance of manna and quail.  At Mount Sinai he meets your people in cloud and lightning on the mountaintop.  He establishes a covenant with you.  He will be your God and you will be his people.  He sends Moses down the mountain with the torah and with instructions for the tabernacle.  And having been in God's presence, Moses' face shines so brightly with God's glory that he has to wear a veil.  And when your people have finished assembling the tabernacle, you see God's glory—like a cloud—descend to fill it.  It's stounding.  It's the sort of thing the Egyptians could only dream about their gods doing and the God of Israel does it for real.  And, eventually, just as he promised, God leads your people into Canaan—the promised land—and he conquers the people for you and gives you their cities.  And you know it's him, not you.  There's no doubting it.  He had you march on Jericho, not with swords, but carrying his ark and blowing trumpets as you marched in circles around the city.  Not to attack it.  Not to put siege to it.  But simply to announce that the Lord, the God of Israel had come.  And when that announcement was clear and when everyone could see that you and your people had done nothing but announce the Lord's presence, he caused the walls to come crashing down.  He defeated the city.  And neither you nor anyone else could possibly think of taking credit for it.  Neither you nor anyone else took the Lord for granted.  Neither you nor anyone else could dream of giving your faith, your loyalty, your allegiance to any other god.  Because you had seen with your own eyes the glory of the Lord. Even as the generations passed, the people remembered the Lord.  They lived in those cities, they drew from those well, they harvested crops from those fields that the Lord had taken from the Canaanites and given to their fathers and grandfathers.  They bore in their flesh the sign of God's covenant—that statement, “I will be your God and you will be my people”—they bore that sign in their circumcision.  And every year they celebrated the Passover and not only recalled the events of the Exodus in which the Lord had saved their fathers; they participated, themselves, in those events—they owned them as if they'd happened to them.  And the covenant was renewed. And if you read the Old Testament no further you might think it would be like that forever.  How could a people who had so experienced the glory of God ever take him for granted, let alone turn their backs on him?  How could a people who had so experienced the glory of God ever look for confidence and hope in anyone or anything else?  But it happened.  They took their status as his people for granted.  They began to take those cities and wells and vineyards and fields he'd given them for granted.  They stopped celebrating the Passover and remembering what he'd done for them.  They started worshiping other gods.  They lost faith in the Lord and started putting their trust in kings and in armies and in politics.  And when the prophets came to rebuke the people and to call them back to faithfulness, they refused to listen and abused those prophets.  Eventually, because they took it all for granted, because they were unfaithful, the Lord took away the land and the cities and fields and vineyards—and finally even his presence—and sent the people into exile in a foreign land.  But not before he promised them renewal.  One day he would restore them and make them new and fill them with his own Spirit, he would turn their hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, so that they would be forever faithful. And, in Jesus, the Lord fulfilled that promise to his people.  In Jesus he was born as one of them, but rejected and crucified as a false Messiah.  God raised Jesus from death and overturned the verdict against him, declaring that he really was the Messiah and creation's true Lord.  In rising from the grave Jesus conquered death.  And then, to those who were baptised and received the sign of God's new covenant, he gave God's Spirit.  The old Israel had a temple.  This new Israel is the temple.  And as we read in last week's Epistle, Paul stressed that the risen Jesus appeared to the twelve, and to the other disciples, and even at one point to five hundred, and lastly to him.  And Jesus changed everything for them.  In his death and resurrection he led his people in a new exodus, not this time from physical bondage under Pharaoh, but from bondage to sin and death themselves.  And in baptism, Jesus leads his people like Moses through the waters of redemption to meet the Lord on the far side.  And the Spirit leads us, not as a pillar of cloud or fire, but as God's very presence within us, as we embark on a world- and humanity-saving trek through the wilderness of the old evil age into the age to come, towards the New Jerusalem, to that day when gospel and Spirit have done their work and Jesus does away with sin and death and evil once and for all and forever, and creation is set to rights and we enjoy the presence of our God eternally.  Those first eyewitnesses took this astounding gospel story to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the world and amazing things happened.  It was more than just a story of the glory of God.  The story of the old exodus was that, but this was more.  The story of the Messiah and this new exodus has power unlike any story that has been told before or since.  This is a story backed by the life-giving and life-changing power of Jesus and the Spirit and the people who heard it and believed it and came to trust in the death and, most importantly, the resurrection of Jesus, they were changed.  Forgiven by the redeeming death of Jesus and then given a foretaste of the life of God's new world by the Spirit whom he poured into them.  It was a change that no one could ignore.  Some were captivated by it and came to hear and to believe the gospel story for themselves and they shared in this new life too.  And others got angry as the gospel story and God's new world challenged the gods and the kings and the systems in which they were already invested.  But to those who believed, the gospel, the good news about Jesus was life itself.  And they gathered together as often as they could and when they did, they not only shared the community the gospel had given them, they shared in the meal Jesus had given them.  In the Lord's Supper they ate bread and drank wine—and just as in the Passover—they didn't just remember what Jesus had done to deliver them from sin and death, they appropriated that death and resurrection, they participated in that saving event themselves.  They owned this new exodus just as the Israelites owned the events of the first exodus.  And each time it was as if the Lord was renewing his covenant with them: through Jesus and the Spirit, I will be your God and you will be my people. And you might think that their faithfulness to the Lord would be unending.  You would think that their trust and loyalty—their confidence—would always and only be in Jesus the Messiah.  But it wasn't.  If we're honest about our struggles, we know that it's easy to become distracted by other things.  There's a reason we gather every Sunday to hear the good news again and to come to the Lord's Table to be reminded and to renew the covenant.  There's a reason why wendaily immerse ourselves in the scriptures and in the story there of God and his people.  Because when we don't, even as glorious as that story is, even as it once captivated us so thoroughly, somehow—and to our shame—we forget.  And Jesus is still there, but we start focusing on other things and we start looking for other things and we start putting our confidence and our hope in other things. It even happened in the early church with that first generation of believers.  Paul had arrived in Corinth in about a.d. 50 or 51.  He proclaimed the good news about Jesus and both Jews and gentiles there were captivated by the story.  They believed.  They were baptised.  And Paul stayed with them for about a year and half, helping them to set up a church.  And everyone knew that it wasn't Paul who had done.  He was just an unassuming little man.  Funny looking, maybe with a speech impediment.  (Remember in last week's Epistle he owned that insult about being a monster, prematurely born.)  What happened in Corinth wasn't about Paul.  Brothers and Sisters, it was about the power of the gospel and the Spirit.  And yet just a few years later, it all started to fall apart.  The amazing story about the death and resurrection of Jesus that had once so spoken to them about the glory of God started to fade, and with it their motivation to holiness.  Sin—gross, truly wicked sin—started to creep into the church and they found ways to justify it.  Their worship became chaotic as people began using the gifts the Spirit had given to bring attention to themselves instead of to build up the body.  They abused the Lord's Supper and twisted and undermined its covenant meaning.  And when Paul, their brother, the one who had not only brought the gospel to them, but who could speak with authority about it because he, himself, had met the risen Jesus, when he wrote to them they brushed him off.  They told him they didn't want to hear from him anymore.  He'd been displaced by other preachers who were flashier, who were more handsome, who were better spoken then he was. And so, at the end of 2 Corinthians 2 he appeals to them.  He talks about himself as “we” instead of “I” and I think he does that to emphasise that he stand with the other apostles whose authority came from being eyewitness of the risen Messiah.  The same could not be said of others who have come to them and led them astray.  He writes to them, saying, “We aren't mere peddlers of God's word, as so many preachers are.  We speak with sincerity.  We speak from God.  We speak in God's presence.  We speak in the Messiah.”  The Messiah: that's who this is really about.  Paul has no authority of his own.  He simply speaks what he heard from Jesus himself.  And his point here is that they had once been captivated by that gospel of the Messiah that Paul had proclaimed to them, but now they've been captivated by the words of mere men.  “Do you want a letter of recommendation before you'll listen to me?” Paul asks.  “Do I need to give you a sheaf of reference letters so you'll know I'm legit?” “No,” says Paul, going on in 3:2: “You are our official reference!  It's written on our hearts.  Everyone can know and read it.  It's plain that you are a letter from the Messiah, with us the messengers.  A letter not written with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God.  Not on tablets of stone, but on the tablets of fleshly hearts.” In other words, despite all their problems, despite their backsliding into worldly ways, they are not the people they once were.  Paul had proclaimed the good new—the story about Jesus and his death and resurrection and ascension—and through that preaching the Spirit had captivated them and filled their hearts with faith.  They believed.  They gave their trust, their loyalty, their allegiance, their obedience to Jesus and they were transformed.  And Paul could see it even through all their problems.  No, Paul doesn't need to give them references.  “You are my reference,” he says to them.  I know you've kicked me to the curb, but it was the message I received from Jesus that I preached to you that transformed you—not the merely human words of the other preachers who came along.  It was the word of God that did it. And they really, really need to hear this.  Because in the years since Paul left, as they've listened to teachers who led them astray, as the glory of the pure gospel has faded from their vision, they've begun to put their confidence in other things.  They no longer associate Paul with the gospel.  They're thinking of him as that funny-looking little man with the speech impediment.  And following someone like that in Greek culture, well, that wasn't going to get you anywhere.  And so they associated with the handsome preachers with eloquent rhetoric who could impress the Greeks.  They've forgotten that the gifts the Spirit gave them were gifts of grace to build up the body, and now they're abusing them and putting their confidence in them.  They've forgotten that the gospel puts them all on an equal footing before the throne of grace, and they're letting their old class and cultural divisions divide them up.  They were growing their church—as we'd say it today—but they weren't growing it on the gospel. We do the same thing today.  We may do it even more than the Corinthians, because commercialism is the cultural water we swim in and we don't even realise how much it impacts how we think about church and we don't realise how it so easily displaces the gospel and gospel growth and gospel ministry.  We build our churches around personalities.  We build our churches around programmes.  We build our churches around demographics.  We build our churches by advertising that we're better than or that we're not like our neighbouring churches.  We treat the church as if it's a business or a social club instead of a family—the covenant people of God, transformed and shaped by the gospel and the Spirit.  The Spirit has transformed our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh through the power of the gospel, but we forget the centrality of the gospel and allow our hearts to calcify back into stone.  It might not seem like that's what's happening at first.  Our churches may even have the appearance of success, but it's because we're appealing to stony hearts of worldly people with what they value, not with the power of the transforming gospel they need.   It's that simple gospel that needs to be at the centre of everything.  The risen Jesus always before us.  The risen Jesus at the centre of every decision we make.  The risen Jesus at the heart of everything we do.  Just Jesus, crucified and risen.  The simple gospel.  So Paul goes on in verse 4: “That is the kind of confidence we have toward God, through the Messiah.”  Stop putting your confidence in other things.  Just put it in Jesus.  He and only he can bring us before God.  So Paul says, “It isn't as though we are qualified in ourselves to reckon that we have anything to offer on our own account.  Our qualification comes from God: God has qualified us to be stewards of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit.  The letter kills, you see, but the Spirit gives life.”  The gospel was his only qualification and the only one that mattered.  The same goes for us. Now, think again of the glory that God put on display in the Exodus and in the story of Israel that followed.  That's what Paul gets at in verse 7 when he writes: “But just think about it: when death was being ministered, carved in letter of stone,”—he's talking about Mt. Sinai and the giving of the law”—“it was a glorious thing, so glorious in fact that the children of Israel couldn't look at Moses' face because of the glory of his face, a glory that was to be abolished.”  The glory God displayed in those days was astounding.  It moved the people to faith and trust and worship. But now Paul's talking about the new covenant and what God has done in Jesus and the Spirit.  “Will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?” he asks them.  “If ministering condemnation is glorious, you see, how much more glorious is the ministry of vindication—of righteousness, of justice?  In fact, what used to be glorious has come, by comparison, to have no glory at all, because of the new glory which goes so far beyond it! O, Brothers and Sisters, would that we would also be so captivated by the glory of the simple gospel of Jesus the Messiah.  There is no other glory that can compare and if we will keep it always before us—this good new of Jesus, crucified, risen, and Lord—if we would keep our eyes always focused on it, if we let it shape our lives, if we let it shape our decision, if we let it be the basis for everything we do as the church.  If the glory of the gospel were our sole source of confidence and hope, it would transform our churches and make us the people God intends for us to be.  God's promise is that one day the knowledge of his glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea, but, Brothers and Sisters, remember that he has made us the stewards of that glory.  He has entrusted his gospel of life to us and he's filled us with his Spirit.  It is our calling to make his glory known by taking the good news of Jesus to Courtenay and Comox, to Vancouver Island, to Canada, and even to the ends of the earth.  You may have placed a veil over God's glory.  This morning let the scriptures lift that veil.  Let the bread and the wine here at his Table lift that veil.  Look on the glory of the Lord revealed in Jesus the Messiah and be refreshed and renewed for the gospel ministry to which you have been called. Let's pray: Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve:  Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Saviour; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

So today is Day One… and the message is simple but powerful:Fear Not.Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God…”God isn't just telling you not to be afraid — He's promising to be right there in the middle of it with you.

Pastor Andy teaches that an authentic relationship with God requires more than simply adding Christ to a life that remains unchanged. Isaiah's vision reminds us that encountering God's presence should lead to a deep awareness of personal sin and a willingness to be transformed. Believers are urged to evaluate their closeness to God, confront the behaviors and mindsets that keep them distant, and fully engage their faith to experience the power, change, and blessing that come from truly being reconciled with Him. If you would like to support WOCC financially you can give by clicking here: https://www.worldovercomers.church/give/ Scripture References: Colossians 1 Isaiah 6 Ephesians 2 Romans 5 2 Corinthians 5 Joshua 1 Jeremiah 29 Psalm 107 1 Corinthians 1

Anchored While Waiting August 24, 2025 Elwyn Johnston 2 Thessalonians 1:1 – 12; 2:13 - 17 Verse of the Week: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul” Hebrews 6:19 1. Anchored in community “Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians” 2 Thessalonians 1:1 We grow together. “your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.” 2 Thessalonians 1:3 “we keep on praying for you” 2 Thessalonians 1:11 We go through tough times together “We proudly tell God's other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships” 2 Thess. 1:4 2. Anchored in eternity “God will provide relief for you who are suffering. He will do this when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven.” 2 Thessalonians 1:7 We are loved by God “God is love” 1 John 4:8 “loved by the Lord” 2 Thessalonians 2:13 “God our Father, who has loved us” 2 Thessalonians 2:16 “I have loved you with an everlasting love” Jeremiah 31:3 We are chosen by God “God has chosen you….God called you through the gospel” 2 Thessalonians 2:13 & 14 “God does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to repent.” 2 Peter 3:9 We have hope by God “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul” Hebrews 6:19 “good hope by grace” 2 Thessalonians 2:16 “stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you” 2 Thessalonians 2:15

TOPIC: PATHWAY INTO GLORY TO GLORY 2(The Glory Of God) PREACHER: Rev. Dr. Ebenezer Okronipa SCRIPTURES: 1 Corinthians 2:7 1 Corinthians 11:7 Romans 3:23 Genesis 3:8 Genesis 22:12 Proverbs 23:26 Joshua 24:14 Acts 20:38 Psalm 91:1 Hebrews 5:12 Isaiah 32:13-15 Numbers 17:6-8 James 1:21-25 Psalm 1:1-3 KEY POINTS Understanding God's Glory Glory is who God is and how He reveals Himself to us. A person is the best definition of the glory of God. Man is an economy of God's glory, not just a recipient of His mercy. The Role of God's Word The Wisdom of God is the Word of God. God's Word is vital for manifesting His glory. The Word delivers: Knowledge Wisdom Information Correction Rebuke Instructions Pathway to the Glory of God Have a Vision for Glory and Growth: Never judge your life based on natural circumstances. The Fear of God: A platform for changing levels of glory (Genesis 22:12). Deep reverence that causes a man to tremble at God's instructions. A heart that is ever panting after God (Proverbs 23:26). Commitment to obey divine instructions. Stay in the Presence of God: God's presence has transformative power (Acts 20:38, Psalm 91:1). Build a life of conscious regular fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Two things that happen when we stay in His presence: Mysteries are revealed. Instructions are given. Meditation: Meditation grounds truth into our spirit (James 1:21-25). It pushes truth deep and causes it to open up (Psalm 1:1-3). CONCLUSION The Pathway into Glory to Glory 2 emphasizes the importance of having a vision for glory, walking in the fear of God, staying in His presence, and meditating on His Word. By following these steps, believers can manifest God's glory and experience transformation in their lives.

Sermon Outline: Jude 1:1-2 (The Marks of A True Christian) The CalledIntroductionNew series: walking through the book of Jude (one chapter, but deeply relevant).Warnings: false teachers infiltrating churches with watered-down doctrine.Today's focus: Jude 1:1 — identity, calling, and assurance in Christ.1. Jude's Identity (v.1a)“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James…”Servant/Bondservant of ChristTerm also used by Paul and James.Means total surrender — either a slave to Christ or a slave to self.Slave to self = never satisfied; slave to Christ = true fulfillment.Brother of JamesJude establishes credibility—linked to James, half-brother of Jesus.Authority matters in warnings against false teachers.Application: Where is your identity rooted? In self or in Christ?2. The Audience (v.1b)“To those who are called…”The Called of GodGod has always called His people (Isaiah 43:1–2).Christians are chosen, redeemed, and set apart to glorify God.Encouragement of SalvationHebrews 7:25 — Jesus lives to intercede for us.Eternal Advocate = eternal security.Application: If you are in Christ, you are called, known, and held by God.3. The Assurance (v.1c)“…beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.”Loved by God the FatherHis love is the foundation of our calling.Kept for Jesus ChristBelievers are safe and secure in Him.Eternal security isn't man's idea—it's God's promise.Warning: This only applies to true believers.Shallow prayers, church attendance, or “asking Jesus into your heart” ≠ true conversion.True salvation = repentance, faith, and surrender to Christ alone.Application: Don't play church—get serious about eternity.4. The Mission of the Church (Colossians 1:28)Proclaim Christ — the center of all preaching.Warn everyone — judgment for sin is real.Teach maturity — help believers grow into Christlikeness.Application:Assurance flows from maturity.Childlike faith ≠ childish faith.Open your Bible. Read. Obey. Grow.5. The Danger of Neglecting the WordMany avoid Scripture because it confronts sin.Comfortable flesh resists God's truth.True peace and assurance come only by:Making war on sin.Trusting Christ's finished work on the cross.Walking daily in obedience to His Word.ConclusionJude begins with encouragement: called, loved, and kept in Christ.But this only belongs to true believers.Eternity is real—don't play games with your soul.Main Call: Open your Bible. Trust Christ. Live as one who is called, loved, and kept.

The Great Thing Itself, what some call “God”, has no name, but goes by at least 1,000 names. We'll explore the many names for “God” across different faith traditions and what those names tell us about “God”.

Luke 2:27-33 MSGAs the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God: God, you can now release your servant; release me in peace as you promised. With my own eyes I've seen your salvation; it's now out in the open for everyone to see: A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, and of glory for your people Israel. Jesus' father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words.Imagine for a moment taking your child to what we would think of today as a baby dedication and having a total stranger walk up and tell you more about your child than you know—all because God had told him. Simeon explained Jesus' entire life mission while holding a baby. Now, that is faith.In our final day of this series, I want you to know, while of course there was and will only be one Jesus, because of His life, each of your children have a distinct and unique plan, purpose, and mission in their lives. God has their life mapped out.You don't have to see it today, just like Jesus' parents couldn't, but God does … and God can ... and God will.Read once again: Jesus' father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words.Imagine one day being “speechless with surprise” at watching what God does in the life of your child, with the life of your child. That kind of vision is available to you as a parent through a relationship with Christ. Will you trust there is a plan greater than you can imagine for your child that is already mapped out? Now, can you embrace that God thought you would be the perfect parent for that plan He has for your child? How does it feel to know your are right where you are suppose to be as the parent of your child according to God's Plan?Let's pray: “Father, thank You that You have a plan for my child and you even know where they will work with You and where they will fight You, just like I did. Please draw them close to You, guide them, lead them, protect them to be all You want them to be. And I'll just be grateful to get to watch. As above, so below. Amen”

Bible StudyDon't just take our word for it . . . take His! We would encourage you to spend time examining the following Scriptures that shaped this sermon:  Sermon OutlineGod's promise to us is that He will be with us always no matter what the circumstances may look like.While God is sovereign over everything in our lives, even when things are their darkest, God has the last word.In Jeremiah 32, the Lord gives us four promises:God promises to be our GodGod promises to change our heartsGod promises that He will not turn away from us.God promises to do good for us.God's greatest gift to us is the gift of Himself.Sermon QuestionsIs there a time or circumstance when you knew that God was with you?What is your answer to the question of why God allows hardships in our lives?What does Jesus say to us about the promises in the Old TestamentWhat does the fear of the Lord mean to you?What do you rely on to wake up every morning submitted to God?Have you ever been concerned about your ability to persevere in the faith?Have you ever prayed that desperate prayer 'Don't let me go'?Questions?Do you have a question about today's sermon? Email John Burley ().

The Anatomy of God-God's Power by FC Young Adults Podcast

Guiding Question: What does it truly mean to receive the gift of Jesus at Christmas—and how do we know if we've really received it? Summary Description: Robert Lewis offers a rich and heartfelt Christmas message centered on the gift of Jesus Christ. Drawing from the imagery and wonder of the season, he calls listeners beyond the festive emotions to the deeper spiritual reality of Christmas: the incarnation as God's indescribable gift. He contrasts true belief—deep, active, and transformational—with passive or flawed belief that merely observes but never receives. Using John 3:16 and stories of personal restoration, freedom, and surprise, he explores how receiving this gift leads to real-life change. The message invites both seekers and believers to reflect honestly on the nature of their belief and respond to God's ultimate question: "Do you want me?" Outline: The Spirit of Christmas Holiday nostalgia and spiritual sensitivity. Christmas is more than feelings—it's about the gift of Jesus. Jesus: The Indescribable Gift Biblical titles and descriptions of Jesus as a “gift.” 2 Corinthians 9:15; Romans 6:23; John 4:10. The Woman at the Well Jesus' compassion and invitation to a broken Samaritan woman. “If you knew the gift of God…” God's Question to Us Christmas answers: Is God there? Does He care? But the real question is: Do you want the gift? What Does It Take to Receive the Gift? John 3:16 and the call to “believe.” The distinction between real belief and flawed, passive belief. Real Belief vs. Flawed Belief Real belief leads to action, life change, and deep connection with Christ. Flawed belief is passive, distant, and untransforming. What the Gift Delivers Forgiveness (Colossians 2:13) Freedom (John 8:32) Restoration (Psalm 23; Joel 2:25; Jeremiah 30:17; Malachi 4:6) Surprise (1 Corinthians 2:9) Reunion and eternal life (1 Thessalonians 4:17) Stories of Transformation Real-life testimonies of people who embraced the gift and experienced freedom, restoration, and hope—even from prison. Final Invitation A call to receive the gift through genuine, life-altering belief. Key Takeaways Jesus is not just the reason for the season; He is the gift that changes everything. True belief is not passive acknowledgment but an active, surrendered trust that transforms life. Many claim belief but have not received the life promised in John 3:16—because their belief lacks real buy-in. The gift of Jesus delivers real change: forgiveness, freedom, healing, purpose, and eternal hope. Christmas invites us to answer God's question: “Do you want me?” When we truly believe, Jesus surprises us—again and again—with grace, power, and presence. Scriptural References 2 Corinthians 9:15 – “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.” Romans 6:23 – “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” John 4:10 – “If you knew the gift of God…” John 3:16 – Belief as the key to eternal life. Colossians 2:13 – Forgiveness of all transgressions. John 8:32 – The truth will set you free. Psalm 23 – “He restores my soul.” Joel 2:25 – “I will restore the years the locusts have eaten.” Jeremiah 30:17 – “I will restore you to health.” Malachi 4:6 – Restoring hearts of fathers to children. 1 Corinthians 2:9 – “What God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17 – “So shall we always be with the Lord.” Recorded 12/19/04

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In this time of worship and reflection, we were reminded that God looks at the heart, not outward appearances. We considered how our perspective on prophecy and eternal judgment impacts the way we live right now. We reflected on the assurance of our identity in Christ, even when we feel unworthy, and we found encouragement to draw near to God in the face of rejection and pain. Through it all, we were led to fix our eyes on God's love, seek intimacy with Him, and live from a place of surrender and confidence in His view of us.

The Sermons on the Amount, Part 3 - You are God's Supervisor MESSAGE SUMMARY: This Sermon series assembles important Biblical references to all aspects of money and finances and their influence and impact on us; therefore,  helping us to apply these Scriptures to our lives today. The reason for this series is because money and possessions have captivated our culture. Jesus' “Parable of the Talents”, in Matthew 25:14-30, tells us a great deal about our responsibilities and accountability regarding the “talents” that God has given us – also, we are to supervise these “talents” that God has given us. We have been given different “talents” by God; and God will give us blessings based on how we supervised the “talents” which He has given us; however, God will punish us if our supervision is not acceptable to Him. Stewardship – we are God's Supervisors, which is an awesome responsibility. As God declared and challenged us in Genesis 1:26-27: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.". Therefore, humankind is supervisor all that God, the Creator of the Universe, created. With this awesome responsibility of stewardship, God has given us some instructions in Scripture to help us in this responsibility: 1) God has entrusted us with those “talents” that He has given us and He provides the opportunity for more; 2) God expects us to use what He has given us and according to His will – involve God in the process; 3) God has provided for our needs and enjoyment but, also, God expects us to address the needs of others; 4) God expects us to work using our “talents”, skills, and gifts; 5) God expects us to abide with His principles regarding money – a) the first part of our “increase” is Holy and Sacred to God (God is owner), b) tithing (God owns all and the first 10 percent is returned to Him as the prophet Malachi tells us in Malachi 3:10: “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse {e.g., Church}, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.".). c) giving is Worship, and d) saving; and 6) God will hold us accountable. God has entrusted us with what He has given, and He has provided us with the opportunity for more. You cannot out give God; and God is always faithful.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen.    Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Matthew 25:14-30; Genesis 1:26-27; Matthew 21:31-41; 1 Timothy 6:17; Acts 20:35; Genesis 2:15; Proverbs 14:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; Proverbs 10:14; Proverbs 18:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; Proverbs 3:9-10; Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:8-12; Proverbs 23:5; Exodus 23:15; Proverbs 6:6-8. (Click the Bible References, in blue, below to read the full Bible text for these Scripture References.). A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “To Be a Jesus Follower, You Must First Enter the Only Door to God's Kingdom and that Door is Jesus – the Door to Eternal Life”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Welcome to the 10th sermon in our series on what the Bible is all about. Do you really know what the Bible is about? When you understand the point an author is trying to make even the most complicated of books make much more sense. This summer we are going to “stand on the shoulders” of D. A. Carson and his book The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story as we walk through the big story of Scripture to discuss what the Bible is truly about.

Over the last few weeks on the program, we've been discovering how it is that God speaks to us today and how we can get about hearing Him when He does speak. The question is – when it's something big or important – how can we make sure that we've heard Him right? Because the last thing we want to do, is to get it wrong, right?   The Counsel of Others It's great to be with you again today in this last message in the four part series that I have called, “How Can I Hear God Speak to Me?" And today we are going to take a look at how God sometimes speaks to us through the people around us. Just the other night I was asked to spend some time facilitating a discussion amongst the elders, the church council, of a particular church, not far from where I live. It seems that what had been going on was that there was conflict amongst some of the leaders and that's not good. Leaders of God's people shouldn't be in conflict – they should act in unity. The Apostle Paul, writing to his friends at the church in Philippi said this – Philippians chapter 2, verse 2: Make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love and being in full accord and of one mind. We were chatting about the fact that God has made each one of us differently – Romans chapter 12 – some of us are prophets, others servers, others teachers, encouragers, givers, leaders, carers. And I can tell you, a leader is going to have a totally different view of the world compared to say, an encourager or a carer – that's because leaders are wired one way, the encourager is wired another way and the carer is wired yet another way, on the inside. That's the way it is, because we are different. We see things differently and often, that's the source of conflict. Now, in this meeting, one of the elders of the church; an older man with a great deal of wisdom asked the sixty four million dollar question. He said, "Okay, so we are all different, with different points of view – then how are we meant to discern the will of God, out of all those different views?" And that my friend, is a very, very good question. One of the things I'm prone to do is to race out and just do things – without listening to the advice of other people. It's because my personality type is the "leader". I'm an action person. I work on the theory that if I make ten decisions today and get just seven of them right, I'm way ahead than if I only made three decisions but got them all right. And my good friend Keith Henry, with whom I co-authored the book, “My Personality GPS”, he makes this point about leaders – he says that one of their natural weaknesses is they often fail because they don't listen to advice. Those detail people – you know the sort – they analyse everything to the "enth" degree – those detail people naturally drive me nuts because they slow me down. I want to get on with things and they want to analyse things first. But you know what I have learned? I have learned that without those detail people, I am going to fail at things because God is in the detail. The detail matters! And part of my growing up; my process of maturing is to value and to listen to the detail people because they are really, really, really important to me. And I have come to realise that often God will speak to me through the gifts and the abilities of other people, even – let me say – people who in the natural have a tendency to drive me nuts. I love that – God has such a great sense of humour in dealing with our own immaturity. Okay, what does God's Word have to say on this issue – this answer to the sixty four million dollar question? When there are all these different perspectives, how are we supposed to discern God's will? Well, there are a few fantastic bits of wisdom on this very thing in the Book of Proverbs – Proverbs chapter 15, verse 22, says: Without counsel plans go wrong, but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs chapter 18, verse 2: A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing personal opinions. Proverbs chapter 20, verse 18: Plans are established by taking advice; wage war by following wise guidance. Isn't that great stuff? What God is saying to us here is that, if we rush off in a fit of pride because we think we know best, well, there's every chance that our plans will go off the rails. But if we humble ourselves, instead of being more interested in our own opinions and listen to the advice of others, that's how our plans are going succeed. I have to tell you this is something I have had to learn and I have learned it the hard way and the more I have learned it, the more I have succeeded. We were recently planning something really new in the ministry of Christianityworks – quite different and quite new. And so we pulled together a group of very different people to plan and implement the project. Very different people, I have to say and with all that I am, I believe we heard God speak through this process. And with all that I am, that's exactly what I think God meant for us to do. “Without counsel plans go wrong, but with many advisers they succeed.” It's awesome stuff! It is so easy to fall into conflict when teams of people are working together or at least trying to and yet, everyone sees things from a different perspective. And the key to discerning God's will is mutual submission - that requires wisdom. Have a listen to what God has to say about His wisdom; the wisdom that comes from above. James chapter 3, verse 17: The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. The bit I really like in there, that strikes a chord with me, is the bit that says "willing to yield" – willing to get off its high horse, listen to the skills and views and gifts and abilities of other people as godly men and women that God has put around us. It's when we yield that we hear the voice of God. Let me say it again: it is when we yield that we hear the voice of God. And there is a reason for that: James chapter 4, verse 6: Because God opposes the proud but he gives grace to the humble. So often we want to hear God speak; we want to discern the will of God: "God, what are You doing? God, what's next? God, this is a tight spot, how do I deal with this?" And yet we ignore the good advice of the godly men and women that God has put around us. Hello!! Why? Because we are proud! Let me say this loving but directly – immature and foolish and proud, because as it says in Proverbs chapter 18, verse 2: Like a fool, we take no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing our own personal opinions. We all know people like that – we have all done that. We get on our high horse; we think we are right and we are not interested in listening to anyone else. And to stop doing that we need to humble ourselves. Sometimes, as we saw last week on the programme, God speaks to us supernaturally, other times He speaks to us through the ordinary and the every day. Both are equally valid! And one of the great delights of my heart, something that I have grown to truly love is to hear God speak through the lives and the mouths and the skills and the abilities and the gifting and the experience of other people because by His grace He has taught me to get off my high horse, to shut up and to listen.   Dreams and Visions Right now I want to go on and chat about dreams and visions, because that's something the Bible; the New Testament talks about. But are they real? Does God really still speak through dreams and visions today or is this a phoney notion? I think they're reasonable questions to ask when we are enquiring as to how God speaks with us. Now maybe you are thinking, "Dreams and visions – aw, for goodness sake! Where is this joker coming from? Is he for real?" Well, my response is simply this: my heart; my passion is to dive into God's Word, the Bible, to read it, to understand it as best I can and to live it. I'm a simple kind of guy and that's how I approach life. And one of the things that happen is that God often does things in ways that I, with my rational Western mind-set, perhaps wouldn't have chosen had I been in His big shoes. Well, fortunately for you, I'm not – that's the up side. But perhaps the downside is that if we accept God at His Word, then we have to accept that He is going to do things His way, even if they don't always quite make sense to us. So, what does God's Word say about dreams and visions? I am going to share with you a passage from chapter 2, from the Book of Acts. God's Spirit has just been poured out on these Christians and they are all talking in different languages – they are behaving as though they are drunk – literally. You can read it for yourself – the fifth book in the New Testament; the Book of Acts chapter 2. Not surprisingly, the other Jews in Jerusalem at the time were pretty critical of this sort of behaviour. They are accusing these Christians of being drunk, so Peter the Apostle, stands up to explain. Acts chapter 2, beginning at verse 12: All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' See, what's going on here is that the unexpected is happening. These Christians are falling over as though they're drunk; they are speaking in different tongues. And to silence the sceptics, Peter gets up and says, "You think this is amazing? This is nothing! Wait to see what else is going to happen." And then he goes on to quote the Old Testament prophet of Joel. Remember this is Jerusalem in the first century – everybody listening knows the Scripture that he is quoting. And he promises that the Holy Spirit will cause people to have dreams and visions and prophesies – all ways that God is going to speak with us. "It's in the Bible", Peter is saying, "so don't shoot me; the messenger." And if I could personally echo that same sentiment to you, here and now – if you somehow feel uncomfortable with the notion of dreams and visions and prophesies and me talking about it – friend, it's in the Bible, so please, don't shoot the messenger. Do you know that many, many Muslims who come to put their faith in Jesus Christ, report that they saw Jesus coming towards them in a dream. In fact, this is a really, really common occurrence. Has God ever spoken to me in that way? No, He hasn't. I hear God in different ways and that's fine. We are all different and God knows that and He speaks to us in different ways. But I have been impacted by this – absolutely. When my wife, Jacqui, first visited our church – this was before she was my wife, in fact, none of knew who she was – she came on a Sunday morning; a service when I was preaching. And she came back again on the Sunday evening. Now, in the evening, our pastor Phil was scheduled to preach that night. You may have heard me speak about Phil before – he is a practical, very down to earth kind of guy. He gets up; he is about to preach and he looked towards Jacqui – he didn't know her name; none of us knew her and he said to her, "Look, God's given me a vision for your life." And he went ahead and he described this picture; this vision he had had in a huge amount of detail. That was a pretty gutsy thing to do, I thought. Well, Jacqui is pretty quiet and shy so she didn't react. Months later though, we discovered that this was an incredibly difficult time in her life and that she had been wanting God to speak to her and that vision that Phil described to her that night, was a huge turning point in her life's journey. In fact, if Phil hadn't communicated that to her that night, she probably wouldn't be my life today. In many parts of the world, people have no problems at all with the idea that God speaks through dreams and visions and prophesies, but somehow, we Westerners, with our rational, materialistic mindsets, struggle with the idea. Let me come back to where I started. We should test everything like this against God's Word. Sometimes, people will come to us with stuff that isn't from God but sometimes it is from God and if God tells us in His Word the Bible, that all along it's been His plan to speak to us through dreams and visions and prophesies, well, I don't know about you, but I think we should be listening. Yes, it's open to abuse! In Colossians chapter 2, verse 18, Paul talks about this – about people who: ... dwell on visions, being puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking. That's why we test everything against God's Word. But friend, God does things in ways that perhaps, you or I wouldn't have done and I hunger to hear Him speak and I delight in hearing Him speak. When, how, that's His choice. Our job is to listen.   Ducks in a Row Well, here we are almost at the end of this series that I have called, “How Can I hear God Speak to Me?” And over the course of these four messages, we have looked at eight different ways that God speaks to us today. (1) The Bible, firstly, God's Word, (2) secondly, God speaks to us in times of prayer; when we get still before Him. (3) Thirdly, God speaks to us through preaching and teaching – God anointed, Spirit-filled, faithful, Christ-centred preaching. (4) He speaks to us through signs and wonders, (5) through prophets. (6) Sometimes He speaks right out of the blue – (7) other times, through the counsel and the gifts and abilities of others and sometimes (8) He speaks through dreams and through visions. And you know, you add that up and what you discover is that God is speaking rather a lot – principally, primarily through the authority of His Word, the Bible; the living Word of God. That's why we put it right up there at number one. If numbers two through eight purport to be God speaking, then they had better be consistent with number one, the Word of God. If they aren't, then they are not from God – it's as simple as that. Let's make no mistake – God is not in the business of contradicting Himself. God is not in the business of changing His mind. But He is interested in our lives – in the nitty gritty of our lives and He knows that sometimes we need His guidance. And because He loves us, it stands to reason therefore, that He is going to speak specifically into our lives as any father would. I heard a pastor; a man whom I respect greatly, stand up and preach a sermon, not too long ago, in which he basically said that God, these days, only speaks through His Word, the Bible, and through no other means – not through prophets, not through signs and wonders, not through anything except the Bible. Uh!! Well, the first thing is ... the first thing is that it's not what the Bible says. Each of the other ways that God speaks with us that we have looked at over these last few weeks – numbers two through eight, that I just listed previously – in that list we just went through, each of those is straight out of God's Word, the Bible. But afterwards, when I went and asked this pastor a couple of questions, it was interesting. The first one I asked was: "Well, how did you come to be an ordained minister in this church; in this denomination?" And his answer was: "Well, because I felt called!" And friend, that's exactly the right answer – in fact, it's God's calling that's the only answer. So my next question was: "Well, how did you discern that calling; how did you come to the conclusion that God was calling you into His ministry?" And he then proceeded to tell me about this and that, all the things we have been talking about in two through eight – through other people, through preaching, through voices out of the blue. Yet, he didn't want to acknowledge that God speaks that way, even though this man had discerned his calling into ministry that way. It stands to reason that if we feel led by God to do this or to do that, we somehow must have heard Him speak that into our lives. That's what this series of messages has been all about. We are going into God's Word and learning from Him how it is that He chooses to communicate with us. But learning to discern His calling; learning to put the pieces together sometimes isn't easy. Along the way I have made mistakes and I'm sure you have too and when it comes to the big decisions in life, that's a bit of a scary prospect. What if we think we are hearing from God but we're not, in choosing a wife or a husband or in choosing a particular career or ministry or in maybe, heading off to so some distant foreign land to become a missionary? You get the point! I mean, I do believe that sometimes – often times – God's leading leads us right into the wilderness for an experience of the wilderness, when we are expecting instant success. That's okay; I'm not bothered by that. The issue, simply uppermost for me, is if I am going to head off in this direction or in that, then I want it to be the direction that God has chosen and ordained and prepared for me. That's all! Whatever way it is, I want it to be God's way. How do you discern God's will amongst the noise and the distractions of life? A prophesy, a dream, a passage from the Bible leaps out at you, "Man, were they from God or am I just imagining this?" Before the days of global terrorism, as a frequent flyer, I was often invited up into the cockpit of a plane, to sit in the jump seat and watch take-offs and landings. They were the good old days. One time I was returning during the night to Sydney, on a flight from New Zealand and I was in the cockpit of a Boeing 767 which gives you a great view out of the front windscreen – better than most other commercial planes of the time. And flying into Sydney, well, it's a pretty big city – there were so many lights. I thought, ‘How are the pilots going to pick the runway out amidst all these lights?' I mean, I know they were flying by instruments but eventually, they had to see the runway. And then all of a sudden, we turned and the plane levelled off and the runway came into view. This bright, straight row of lights – I mean, you just couldn't miss it. All those lights in a row, clearly, unmistakably showed the pilots which direction to fly in and how to land once they were off their instruments into visual mode. And for me, it's the same thing with discerning God's will. He speaks to us in different ways at different times and learning to understand Him is a process, as it is in any relationship. But when I feel Him leading me down a particular path, inevitably what happens is, two or three or four things kind of line up in a straight line – a Scripture verse that sets my heart on fire and just won't go away and then someone else comes along with a word; a prophesy and they don't know what is going on; they don't know what I'm thinking and dreaming. And then some event – that door over there that I thought was open, slams shut in my face and this one over here, to my surprise, opens up. And all of a sudden it's like those lights on the runway – they end up in a bit of straight line, like little ducks in a row that point you in a certain direction. And sometimes, oftentimes, you can't actually see them until you start heading down the path. In fact, that's mostly the case – we have to step out first in faith, often letting go of the past, before God reveals what is coming next. That's why it's called ‘stepping out in faith'. But friend, time and time and time again, I have seen my God just line those little ducks up in a row and when I see that, I start to head down that path; prayerfully, eyes open, asking God to open doors if it is His will and to slam them shut, if it's not. Sometimes there is opposition and that's where faith comes in. But above all, I always remember this: God is a faithful God, He knows my heart; He will not lead me down a path that He doesn't want me to follow. Yes, sometimes He will take me to the wilderness; yes, sometimes He needs to prune me and cleanse me so that I can bring Him more glory. That's fine and that's His choice. I just want to make sure I'm following in His direction. And whilst I have run into the occasional dead end along the way, you know, as I look back ... look back over the last decade and a half of walking with Jesus, I can see how He has guided me to where He wants me to be. Friend, God is a faithful God. God is still speaking to us today, through His Bible, through prophesies and dreams and visions and other people and He's speaking to us in so many different ways. Can I encourage you to stop, to spend time with Him, to listen to Him, to learn to discern His voice? Jesus said we would hear His voice and we would know that it's Him. And as we grow in that and we discover how we can hear God's voice, friend, that is such a wondrous thing. God is still speaking to His people today!

The Anatomy of God-God's Heart by FC Young Adults Podcast

Psalm 94,O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth!2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve!3 O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?4 They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.5 They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage.6 They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;7 and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”8 Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise?9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear?He who formed the eye, does he not see?10 He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?He who teaches man knowledge—11 the Lord—knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.12 Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law,13 to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.14 For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?17 If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.18 When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who frame injustice by statute?21 They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.22 But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.23 He will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the Lord our God will wipe them out. Growing up, when my family took road trips, my brothers and I would tell time in “ninja turtle shows.” It was our way of saying, “Are we there yet?” Inspired by our favorite tv-show, featuring four adolescent, pizza-eating, crime-fighting reptiles in a half shell. “Mom, how many turtle shows until we get there?” “How many turtle shows until we eat?” “Dad, I have to go the bathroom.” “Okay, we'll stop in two ninja turtle shows.” “No, Dad, I need to go in now ninja turtle shows.” Mind you, we weren't actually watching ninja turtle shows in the car (that needs to be clarified today). There were no screens on those 6, 7, 12-hour drives.How many ninja turtle shows? This was our 8-year-old, 9-year-old way of saying, How long? We're tired of this car. We're tired of this uncomfortable seat belt. We're tired of Dad's banjo music. We just want to get to the cabin, or the ocean, or the mountains, or wherever we were going. How long, Mom? How long, Dad?I thought of those car-rides as I was studying Psalm 94 over the last month. The psalm reminded me how much of life, even the Christian life — especially the Christian life — is waiting. Some of you are waiting right now, and you've been waiting a long time. And you're tired. You're tired of the doctor's visits. You're tired of the hard conversations. You're tired of the applications and interviews. You're tired of the demoralizing headlines and all the evil you see in the world. You're tired of trying to bring up Jesus again, because you know how angry it makes them — but you love them, so you keep bringing him up. You're tired. . . . How long, O Lord?That's the kind of prayer this is. This particular psalm is wrestling with wickedness and waiting for God to bring justice for his people, but much of it really does apply to whatever pain or uncertainty you're carrying right now. Their ‘How Long' SongSo this is a how long song, and there are dozen or so of these in the psalms. They prayed this kind of prayer a lot. They certainly weren't afraid to pray and ask how long, to plead with him to put an end to their pain and confusion and suffering. Here's Psalm 13:How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?Notice, they weren't questioning if, but when. They knew he was going to do what he said he would do — and they told him they knew that — but they weren't afraid to ask when. It was an honest, faith-filled way to express their anguish to God. Lord, when will you make this right? How long? We know the day's coming, we know you'll come through for us, we know you'll put an end to their evil, but why can't it be today? Can't it be today, God? Don't be afraid to pray how long prayers. God teaches us to pray those kinds of prayers, again thirteen times in the psalms.So what were the people waiting for here in Psalm 94? Let's start in verse 3:O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.They crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage.They kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”This psalm, like many psalms, is wrestling over evil in the world. These are really wicked people. He says they're attacking God's people. They're killing widows and sojourners and orphans. And they're not doing it in secret. “They pour out their arrogant words;” verse 4, “all the evildoers boast.” They brag about killing kids. Can you imagine? It's horrifying that we don't have to imagine. . . . Do we? No, their wicked tribe is alive and well today in America, where we kill nearly a million children in the womb every year. And then people parade their abortions, right here in our city. How long, O Lord! Put an end to this wickedness. Save these precious boys and girls. It's wicked today, and it was wicked then, and God's people were tired of it — tired of the killing, tired of the boasting, tired of the blaspheming. “God, how long are you going to let them talk about you like that!” Make it all stop. Put it to an end. Show them who you are. Show them that you love us.This psalm is their how long song, and the song addresses three audiences with three different messages, and those are my three main points:God, take vengeance.Believers, take heart.Sinners, take heed.1. God, Take VengeanceThis is where the psalm begins, verses 1–2:O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth!Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve!God of vengeance. The God who confronts and punishes those who wrong him, everyone who wrongs him. The God of Psalm 94 will wage terrifying war on every unforgiven sin against him. He will have his vengeance. Is that how you think about God? Is that how you pray?We don't pray like this much, do we? You don't hear this in our prayers on Sundays, at least not often. Maybe that's because the church isn't a nation like Israel, and so we don't have the same kinds of national enemies Israel did. We're not dealing with Egypt and Assyria and Babylon. We also live in the New Covenant age, and so we might think that God was a God of vengeance and wrath, but now he's a God of compassion and mercy. Not so. The God of Psalm 94 is the God of wondrous compassion and mercy (we'll see that in a moment). And the God of John 3:16 and Romans 8:28 is every bit the God of consuming wrath and certain vengeance.The same letter that gave us the promises of Romans 8 says, just four chapters later, Romans 12:19:“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'”Vengeance is still his, and he will repay.We should shudder to think about what's coming to those who will not repent and believe in Christ. Their destruction is coming, and it will be worse than any of us can imagine.God is still a God of vengeance, and the people of God still have enemies. Some estimate that tens of thousands of Christians are killed every year because of their faith, in places like China, India, Ethiopia, Iraq, and North Korea. And the murderers are still boasting. They're still preaching the same lies, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” No one's going to do anything to us. It's evil and God will have his vengeance. And one way that vengeance will come is through our prayers for justice. “O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth!” You show your awesome glory in mercy, and you show it in wrath. Shine forth! Show them who you are. Show them that you see and that you love us.2. Believers, Take HeartSo, first, they pray, “God, take vengeance.” The psalmist also turns, though, and addresses the afflicted, in verses 12–23. He speaks to those who are waiting and suffering and praying, and he strengthens them to wait well with four key messages. 1. Your waiting will end.We'll start where the psalm ends, verse 23:[God] will bring back on them their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out.It often seemed like evil was unchecked and might go unaddressed, so God's people wrote songs to remind themselves that every evil will be fully punished. As we just saw in the last point, God will have his vengeance, and his vengeance is a refuge for all who belong to him. We can trust that every sin against us will be paid for in full.And not just our waiting for justice and vindication, but all our waiting will end one day and soon. “‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,'” Revelation 21, “‘and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.' And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.'” No more tears or death or pain waiting, and all things new. Your waiting, whatever you're waiting for in this life, will end.2. Your waiting is not condemnation.There are twin confusions when the wicked keep hurting God's people. The first is why the wicked seem to get away with so much and for so long. The second is why God allows his people to suffer like we often do. God speaks to both in this psalm. God will judge the wicked — all the wicked for all that they have done — and God is not judging you. Verses 12–13:Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law,to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.What's he saying? He's saying that the painful waiting that the faithful are enduring isn't condemnation. It's discipline. It's not a pain that leads to death, but a pain that leads to life, and holiness, and joy. “Blessed” — happy — “is the man whom you discipline, O Lord.” Our waiting is a refining and a training for righteousness. It's the love of a Father, not the sword of a Judge.And even while we wait and endure his fatherly discipline, he comforts us by speaking to us.“Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.”While they are being afflicted, for as long as they are afflicted, he's teaching them his law — he's revealing himself to them through his word — in order to comfort and strengthen them. He'll have his vengeance soon — justice will be done — and until then, he's going to keep speaking rest into your waiting. And that brings us to the third message.3. Your waiting isn't too heavy for him.Your waiting might feel too heavy for you. And that might make you think that it's too heavy for God. You can't imagine carrying what you carry another year, another month, maybe another day. And so you start to wonder if there's any way to carry it. God can carry it. This is verses 16–18:Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.When I thought, “My foot slips” — I can't carry this anymore. I can't take even one more step — The Lord held me up.I love these verses because even though things are going badly for God's people right now, even though the wicked have the upper hand for now and they're causing terrible pain and loss, the psalmist can still see and feel the kindness of God.“If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.”If the Lord had not been my help, it could have been so much worse than this. This suffering and waiting is awful — How long, O Lord! — but I'd rather bear this with your help than bear anything apart from you. You've helped me. You haven't abandoned me. We're going to see in a minute how persistent sin hardens and blinds a person and keeps them from seeing God. We see the opposite here, though. Because the psalmist's heart is soft and his eyes are clear, he's able to see the grace and help of God even in terrible suffering, even in the darkness of the valley. He can still see. What would this have been like if the Lord had not been my help? But he was my help. He is your help, no matter how dark it gets. Your waiting isn't too heavy for him.4. You can have joy while you wait.This is all under point #2. Point #1: God, take vengeance. Point #2: Believers, take heart. And we hear four precious reasons to take heart:Your waiting will end.Your waiting is not judgment.Your waiting isn't too heavy for him.And now, fourth, you can have joy while you wait.This last one comes from verse 19 (this verse was the reason I asked to preach this psalm). I've returned here again and again and leaned on this verse to remind myself how good God can be, even in trials. Verse 19:When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.Even though everything around me's going wrong right now, you cheer my soul. Your consolations comfort and satisfy me. God can cheer any soul, even yours, even now. You might have to wait for justice, or for healing, or for reconciliation — and you might have to wait a long time — but you don't have to wait for joy. Not with this God. Not if God himself is your joy. Even when the cares of your heart are many, he can cheer your soul. Your cares will never exhaust his consolations. Your pain will never surpass the joy of his presence.The apostle Paul understood Psalm 94:19. He says, “In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy” (2 Corinthians 7:4). Why? He tells us in Philippians: “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord . . .” (Philippians 3:8). I have Christ — my life is his, and he lives in me, and he's more than I could ever have or enjoy without him. So when the cares of my heart are many, they're not too many. No, even then, my God is able to cheer my soul. I promise you, he's able to cheer your soul.3. Sinners, Take HeedWhen we're waiting for God to make what's wrong right and put an end to all the evil around us, we say to God: “God, take vengeance.” We say to one another, “Believer, take heart.” And, last point, we say to the enemies of God: “Sinner, take heed.”We get a glimpse here into the heart and logic of evil, verse 6:[The wicked] kill the widow and the sojourner, and murder the fatherless;and they say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.”Satan whispered to Adam and Eve, “Did God really say?” Here, he whispers, “Does God really see?” God doesn't see what you're doing. He's not able to watch everyone all the time, and if he is, he couldn't possibly have the time or interest to deal with it. No, God doesn't see your sinning.And they don't just believe what he's saying, they don't just think this is the back of their minds while they keep sinning. No, by verse 7, they're preaching Satan's sermon. They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive.” God's not going to do anything about this. Do you really believe that? No, God's not going to do anything about this, because there is no God. That's what they're really preaching. And that's what indulging in sin — any sin — does to us. This is the hardening and blinding I mentioned earlier. Sin takes us from believing “God doesn't see” to preaching “God doesn't see” to eventually rejecting and ignoring God altogether. Sin hardens us until we can't see or hear or feel anymore. We walk and eat and sin in a world filled with the glory of God, and yet we can't see him or hear him anywhere. It's like walking along the Pacific Ocean, and looking around wondering where the water is. Sin does horrible things to people, and this is the worst thing it does to us. It slowly poisons our eyes until the unspeakably glorious God seems small, weak, boring, imaginary. Giving into sin will destroy your soul by slowly blotting out heaven. Is some sin doing that to you? You might say that God is real, and that he sees everything, and that he'll judge every wrong one day, but if you secretly persist in that sin, you're really saying you don't believe any of that. And if you keep returning to that swamp of lust or bitterness or greed or self-pity, you'll see less and less and less until you can't see anything at all. You won't be able to see the ocean, even if you're standing in it.Hear the warning, verses 8–11:Understand, O dullest of the people! Fools, when will you be wise?He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge — the Lord — knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.He made the eye. Do you think he can't see what you're doing? He made the ear. Do you think he can't hear what you're saying? He doesn‘t just know what you're doing and saying; he knows what you're thinking — “he knows the thoughts of man.” You're not fooling him at all, not even for a second. You're fooling yourself, and you'll destroy yourself if you stay on that path. God sees all, and he will have his vengeance. But even now, even after you've given into that sin again and again, the God of vengeance, the God of perfect justice, is holding out a hand of mercy to you, a blood-stained hand of mercy. And this brings us to the Table.God of Vengeance and MercyWe meet the God of vengeance and mercy in the face of Jesus Christ, who comes to execute judgment against all who refused to repent and to save all those who repent of their sins and treasure and follow him. Listen to 2 Thessalonians 1:6–9:God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance — terrible vengeance — on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints — stunning mercy — and to be marveled at among all who have believed.He is the God of vengeance. Every wrong will be made right — every wrong committed against you and every wrong committed by you. And those wrongs will be made right one of two ways. Either God will inflict his vengeance on you, because you refused his mercy. Or he will have poured out his vengeance on his Son, at the cross, because you humbled yourself, believed in his Son, and were saved. Those who are forgiven through faith will never taste the wrath of God, not one ounce and not for one second.

Pastor Fletcher continues our theology series with Psalm 19.

In Today's Uncertainty, We Need to Remember that God Wants to Walk with Us In All Our Life Situations, Both Good and Bad – Just Ask Him MESSAGE SUMMARY: “Lord is my helper and confident, why should I be afraid? What can man do to me?” For this confidence, you must know who Jesus is – both in your heart and in your mind. Jesus is the Son of God – God in the flesh. As Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.". Therefore, You do not need to worry about troubling circumstances in your life because you know that He is with you; and He will guide you no matter how dark your life seems. Jesus is the light that shines in darkness.  As Jesus tells you in Luke 12:4-5, that when you have anxiety and fear in your life, you must determine if this anxiety derivative of the right kind of fear: “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!”. When you are faced with life's tragedies and the anxieties that result from just living your life, Jesus can turn those situations and your fears into ways and results that you cannot fathom, understand, or anticipate; but you can certainly appreciate. Why not give God a chance to walk with you in all your life situations -- good and bad? Ultimately, the Psalmist got it right in Psalm 23:4: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.".   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus' name, amen.   Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because I am in Jesus Christ, I will seek God's perspective on my situation. For I know that in all things God works together for good to those of us who love Him and are called according to His purpose. From Romans 8:28 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Philippians 4:4-9; Mathew 6:25-34; Psalm 23:1-6; Psalms 22b:17-31 A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Prayer for America ” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

"Judgment, Restoration, and the Reign to Come”

Does Philippians 2:5-11 describe an eternal pre-incarnate God the Son humbling himself to become man?No.Philippians 2:5-11 is about the decisions, actions and attitude of the man Christ Jesus, and his eventual exaltation by his God.Philippians 2: Did God become Man?https://youtu.be/ntg8KvZ2pSQDeity of Christ Interpretations Dishonor the Man Jesus Christhttps://youtu.be/R2VOKEvGqAwFull text here:https://landandbible.blogspot.com/2020/03/did-god-become-man-philippians-25-11.html

God's purpose cannot be thwarted even by our deliberate disobedience, as we see in Jonah's desperate attempt to escape his divine calling to Nineveh.• The word of God exists to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable"• Jonah's story shows a consistent downward trajectory when running from God• God uses a storm as a wake-up call to Jonah's disobedience and complacency• The irony of pagan sailors praying while the prophet sleeps• Momentary disobedience doesn't have to undo future usefulness for God• The contrast between Peter and Judas - two betrayals with different responses• God receives glory even when His people are disobedient• Like Joseph, what others mean for evil, God can use for good• Following God's will is always more fulfilling than running from it"God, if you called me, I will go. Wherever you lead, I'll go. Wherever you take me. God, I am your servant. God, your will be done and it will be done. Lord, can I join you in this mission? Can I not find myself running away to Tarshish, but can I find myself in the will of God?"

The Voice of God God: My Pronouns Are I / Us Essential Church June 29, 2025 SUMMARY The message focuses on the role and significance of the Holy Spirit within the Christian faith. It begins with a depiction of a Baptist church member seeking the Holy Ghost to fill his congregation, emphasizing the desire for spiritual movement and presence. The pastor delves into the nature of the Holy Spirit, clarifying that it is not an abstract force but a person within the Trinity, which is one in essence but three in person. The discussion highlights the Holy Spirit's role in pointing believers towards Jesus Christ, emphasizing that the Spirit's work is to make individuals more Christ-like. The message also explores the concept of the Holy Spirit working with, in, and through believers, using the analogy of a theatrical play where God is the director, Jesus takes center stage, and the Holy Spirit is like the tech crew, orchestrating the unseen elements that enhance the experience. Furthermore, the pastor addresses common misconceptions about the hierarchy within the Trinity, likening it to a baseball team where each member knows their role without a single person calling all the shots. The message concludes with a prayer, asking for sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's guidance and a deeper relationship with God. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. **Role of the Holy Spirit**: How does the message describe the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer? What are the three prepositions used to explain this role? 2. **Focus on Jesus**: Why does the pastor emphasize that the Holy Spirit always points towards Jesus Christ? How can this understanding affect a believer's relationship with the Holy Spirit? 3. **Trinity Analogy**: The message uses a baseball team analogy to describe the Trinity. How does this analogy help clarify the roles within the Trinity? Do you find this analogy effective? 4. **Misconceptions about the Holy Spirit**: What are some common misconceptions about the Holy Spirit mentioned in the video? How does the speaker address these misconceptions? 5. **Personal Experience**: The pastor shares personal experiences of overcoming challenges with the help of the Holy Spirit. How do these stories illustrate the practical work of the Holy Spirit in everyday life? 6. **Empowerment and Gifts**: The message discusses the debate over supernatural fillings versus the enhancement of God-given talents. What are your thoughts on this debate? How do you see the Holy Spirit working in your own life? 7. **Prayer and Sensitivity**: The message concludes with a prayer for sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's guidance. How can believers cultivate this sensitivity in their daily lives?

Jesus Is God God: My Pronouns Are I / Us June 22, 2025 Essential Church