Podcasts about his sovereignty

Clyde Raynard - April 27, 2025 - The Glory of His Grace - Ephesians 1:4-6 Part 1 of Ephesians – What your calling is. (Who you are in Christ) Our Motivation for A Worthy Walk – Ch 1-3 Part 2 of Ephesians – How to Walk Worthy. (Walking as Christ would walk) The Manner of A Worthy Walk – Ch 4-6 Our Motivation for A Worthy Walk The Father's Plan 1:1-6 Verse 3 – To Bless Us (The Extensiveness of His Blessing) The Praiseworthy God - “Blessed” (eulogetos) Rev. 4:13-14 The Personal God - “God AND Father…” John 20:17 The Prodigal God – EVERY spiritual Blessing Not “A” spiritual blessing Not “SOME” spiritual blessings Not “MANY” spiritual blessings But, EVERY spiritual blessing! In Christ (The Ground of His Blessing) The Father's Plan 1:1-6 2 Thes. 2:13 Acts 16:31 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 John 3:16-18 Acts 17:39 Acts 20:20-21 We are saved by freely trusting Christ as our Saviour. John 6:37   Is it the Sovereignty of God at work, or the Free will of man? YES! Perplexing Things in The Bible – “By-Faith Understandings” aka: the IHNI File The Hypostatic Union of Christ The Trinity of God The Sovereignty of God and The Free Will of Man Simple Proof For Sovereignty and Free Will In Salvation Statements Reasons God Sovereignly chose us to be saved Eph 1:4, 1 Thess. 2:13, Etc. Sinners must trust Christ as Saviour Acts 16:31, John 3:16, Etc. God sovereignly chooses us AND we freely trust Him. GSS - God Says So Bug-Busters Choose a Side - (Sovereignty! or Free Will!) or Choose to Submit - Listen to God and believe ALL that He says. (Even if you can't fully explain or understand it.) Does This Railroad Lead to Heaven God's “Railway to Heaven” runs on two tracks – His Sovereignty and our free will. Eliminate or emphasize either one and you have a train wreck Ephesians 1:4 “…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.” What did God do? “…He Chose us…”! When did He do this? “…before the foundation of the world…” Why did He do this? “…that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”

His Sovereignty, Our Humility - Pastor Chad Hertler Ecclesiastes 7:13-29

How does the fact that God gave us all a "free will", and His Sovereignty work together? In this episode we'll discuss that, and try to help with "Clearing Up the Confusion".

Trust in God's Power and His Sovereignty and Remain Steadfast in Prayer.

The Sovereign Shepherd   Michael Lodge, Speaking Pastor   How deeply do you know God? The more you know Him the more confident you become in Him. The more you grow in your appreciation of His Sovereignty the more you realize you are not lost in a world of chaos and confusion. God is in control. Not only is He in control but He is near you as a loving shepherd. Do you know Him as your Sovereign Shepherd?   Click on the links below for additional Cascade Church resources. Connect Card: https://cascadechurch.org/connect Give Online: https://cascadechurch.org/give

The Realms over which God is Sovereign and the Implications of His Sovereignty

Find the complete show notes here:  https://watwm.podbean.com/. In this podcast of Woman at the Well Ministries, Part 4 of a series discovering the Hope that is found in the Bible, we are going to learn to find Hope in God's deliverance, His Sovereignty, and His Love. Join us as Kim takes us on a journey through the scriptures revealing the Hope the scriptures give. “We have no need to be lonely, for we are never alone.” Scriptures Mentioned in this Episode Romans 15:13 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+15%3A13&version=KJV  Psalm 25:16 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+25%3A16&version=KJV  Psalm 25:11 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+25%3A11&version=KJV  Psalm 25:18 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+25%3A18&version=KJV  Psalm 25:2 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+25%3A2&version=KJV  Psalm 25:19 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+25%3A19&version=KJV  Psalm 25:20 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+25%3A20&version=KJV  Psalm 25:4 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+25%3A4&version=KJV  Psalm 25:10 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+25%3A10&version=KJV  Did you enjoy this podcast? Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can listen to us on all major podcasting platforms like Apple Podcasts,  Spotify,  Google Podcasts,  YouTube, and Podbean. Check out Kim's latest Bible Bit book on Amazon! Do you want to bring Kim Miller to your church, upcoming retreat, or conference? Contact us! This podcast is brought to you by Woman at the Well Ministries and is supported by our faithful listeners. To support this podcast, please visit our support page. 

Hey good people! This week's episode was a hard one to make. We're living in unprecedented times. So many of us are struggling with so many things and it makes it difficult for us to choose faith. Faith requires full surrender, while fear gives us a bit of control. Fear gives us the ability to manage our outcome, even if it's not ideal.But my prayer for you is that you glean from the widow that the Prophet Elijah asked for water and bread. My prayer is that you trust God with it all, despite what it looks like. My prayer is that faith becomes your first option and not your last resort. My prayer is that you spend more time resting in God's presence and less wrestling with what He's already worked out in His Sovereignty.Reference Scriptures: 1 Kings 16-171 Peter 5:7Philippians 4:6-8

A new MP3 sermon from Arbor Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Praising God for His Sovereignty in Affliction Speaker: Steve Woodman Broadcaster: Arbor Church Event: Sunday - AM Date: 1/17/2021 Bible: Psalm 66:8-12 Length: 54 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Arbor Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Praising God for His Sovereignty in Affliction Speaker: Steve Woodman Broadcaster: Arbor Church Event: Sunday - AM Date: 1/17/2021 Bible: Psalm 66:8-12 Length: 54 min.

This week's podcast, takes us further in understanding - of what The Lord will be orchestrating in His Sovereignty to reveal the integrity of His Kingdom Harvests. So, do not just take notes! Prepare to have your eyes opened with greater clarity!

Title: Measuring Spiritual Success Text: Acts 11:19-24 FCF: We often struggle in our responsibilities to make disciples because we place too much or wrong responsibilities on ourselves. Prop: Because God's sovereignty and human responsibility work in perfect concert in evangelism and discipleship, we must go and make disciples of all nations. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 11. In a moment we will read from the scriptures beginning in verse 19 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible on page 1244 or in whatever version you prefer. After officially concluding the episode of Corenlius, a God-Fearer now received into the body of Christ, Luke now continues his record of the unified and triumphant church. The Gospel continues to spread far and wide, geographically and culturally. And today we will see another first for the gospel. Up to this point, we have only seen people come to the Messiah of the Jews, Jesus of Nazareth, with a previous affiliation or familiarity with the faith of the Jews. Even Cornelius, a God-Fearer, maintained a level of intimacy with the practice of the Jewish faith. But what about outright pagans? What about those who worship false deities? Is God able to save them directly through Christ? Would they even be able to believe on the Jewish Messiah while not being connected to Judaism at all? This question and its answer will change the trajectory of the book of Acts and the ministry of the church… forever. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Prayer for Illumination: Father, make your Word a swift Word, passing from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip and conversation; that, as the rain returns not empty, so neither may your Word, but accomplish that for which it was given. I ask this in Jesus name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] Every morning my girls go out and do chores. They feed chickens and ducks and cats. But before they go out they always consult our temperature gage to determine if they need to bundle up or not. Imagine if they go to read the gage and it says 30 degrees. So predictably they go out in their winter gear. Only to find out that the temperature is actually 30 degrees Celsius. Just in case you don't know that 9/5 of the Celsius temperature plus 32 is the Fahrenheit, let me just tell you that 30 degrees is 86 degrees Fahrenheit. See what can happen when we start using the wrong tool to measure things? In the church we know that we are to go and make disciples. We know that. We know that God has given us certain responsibilities for His Kingdom on earth. But if we are measuring our success by Celsius when we should be measuring by Fahrenheit… we are bound to be disappointed or overwhelmed. What is our scale to measure whether we are successful or not? Let's see if the text today can answer this for us. I.) God's sovereignty and human responsibly work in concert together in evangelism, so we must go and make disciples of all nations. (19-21) a. [Slide 3] 19 – So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. i. The emphatic particle here that is translated “So then” in the LSB consists of 3 words in the Greek. ii. It is used to emphasize a stark change of scene. Many other translations use the word “Now” with the NLT choosing “Meanwhile” iii. What we are to gather from this is that the episode with Cornelius is over and that Luke is shifting to another episode in the narrative. iv. Luke points back to the stoning of Stephen to provide the backdrop for the gospel going forward beyond Judea and Samaria. v. [Slide 4] On the map behind me we see Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. vi. Phoenicia refers to a region along the coast north of Israel. vii. Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean Sea about 100 miles from the nearest coast. viii. Antioch is the capital city in Syria which is in the south east of modern Turkey. 1. Antioch is 3rd most strategic city in the Roman empire behind Rome and Alexandria 2. Josephus estimates that Antioch is around 500,000 people strong at this time. 3. It was inhabited by around 25,000 Jews and many other Proselytes and God-Fearing Gentiles. 4. On its coins, it called itself “Antioch, metropolis, sacred, and unbreakable, and autonomous, and sovereign, and capital of the East.” 5. Though culturally and ethnically diverse, Moral and religious laxity abounded. 6. It is the center for worship of Artemis and Apollo 7. But quickly it becomes the hub of much of Christianity's westward expansion. ix. What we need to recognize immediately is that we are well outside of Israel at this point. As you can see from the map, Judea and Samaria are several hundred miles south of the setting of this next episode. x. Even Caesarea, which is where Cornelius lived, is several hundred miles south of this. xi. Here we see the effect that the stoning of Stephen had on the church. The Christians fled far and wide to escape Saul's persecution. xii. And although at the time, Damascus seemed to be stretching Saul's limit of authority – look how far these Christians escaped? God's church was never truly in danger. xiii. We also learn from this verse that the common practice for these Christians, since they were all Jewish, was to share the gospel with Jewish people in these various places. xiv. Up to the end of verse 19, we should probably see all that is said as a “pre-Cornelius”. b. [Slide 5] 20 – But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. i. The way this reads, it does leave the possibility that evangelism to Gentiles was being successfully done prior to or concurrent with Cornelius and the outpouring of God's Spirit. ii. However, since Luke is writing this account of the spread of the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth, it seems likely that Cornelius and his house coming to Christ was the ground zero of Gentile evangelistic endeavors. iii. [Slide 6] Cyprus we've discussed already but Cyrene is on the North African coast of the Mediterranean sea, west of Egypt. iv. We can see it on this map which zooms out even further. v. Cyrene is the furthest point to date that we've seen the gospel of Christ go. vi. It is unclear if these men came to Antioch to proclaim the good news, like missionaries, or if they came to Antioch for another reason and began then speaking the gospel. vii. But in any case, we see that with Cornelius, people now have concluded that the gospel should not be preached only to certain nationalities or cultures. c. [Slide 7] 21 – And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. i. The Lord's hand was with them. His power, His guidance, and His will. ii. Without the Lord's hand going forward and empowering and enabling, no man can be saved. iii. How remarkable then to see God do so for those who have had no background in Jewish teachings or religion. iv. As a result of the Lord's empowering… a great number who believed turned to the Lord. v. This brings up a difficult but doctrinally significant thought. 1. Some translations attempt to solve the difficulty by changing this to read something like “and a large number believed and turned to the Lord.” 2. However, the word believe here is a participle and not a verb. Furthermore, it has an article with it, the Greek text says “The believed” which makes it necessary for this particular participle to act like an adjective. 3. Well, what is this word modifying? 4. It modifies the word “number” and the phrase “a great number”. 5. It defines the great number as being those who believe. 6. The verb in the sentence is the word “turned”. 7. So what? This isn't English class, Chris. Speak plainly! 8. This is not saying all who believed turned. Rather it is saying a great number who believed turned. 9. In other words… there were some who believed who didn't turn to the Lord. 10. What are some implications of this? a. There are different kinds of faith or belief. b. Last week we pointed out that there were different kinds of repentance. There are repentances that lead to life and that are gifts from God. There are also repentances that lead to death and are not from God. c. In a similar way there are kinds of faith that are from God and truly unite us to Christ. But there are also kinds of belief that seem genuine but ultimately do not save and are not from God. i. We see this as the kind of belief that Demons possess in the book of James. ii. We also see from the book of John, disciples believe on Christ as the Messiah and then abandon Him. d. What we see here is that of all the people who believed in Jesus, with at least a confession of their mouth, a great number of them also turned to Jesus as Lord. e. And to turn to Jesus as Lord is to turn from other Lords. It is to repent. f. In other words, this is Luke's way of further clarifying the 3 points of genuine conversion. Someone who believed and turned to the Lord… has repentance, belief, and the indwelling of the Spirit. g. Remember…It is all or nothing. h. For a great many, they had it all. i. But for some, they only had belief. Therefore, they had nothing. d. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: In this new episode we see familiar themes repeat themselves yet again. A new group of people in a new place take the gospel to people who had never heard and the Lord's hand goes with them. And what happens? Conversion. We see men and women, who have never had any association with Judaism at all, believing and turning to Christ as Lord. Would we have dived into this text alone; we might be tempted to conclude that God's hand is only necessary to save the hard cases. His hand is needed to save those who are unruly, unclean, unkept, and irreligious. But we don't need His hand to save the moral and the religious. A British monk named Pelagius, the heretic, would have agreed with this thought. However, because we've walked through verse by verse the first 10 chapters of Acts, we know beyond doubt, that the moral and religious need just as much of the Lord's sovereign intervention to save them as these pagans did. The truth of the matter is… that God's sovereign intervention is necessary to save every single individual from their sin. The only way a man receives repentance, faith, and the Holy Spirit, is if God gives it to him. But notice that these men from Cyprus and Cyrene did not sit around waiting to see God's hand move first. Instead, they preached to all the Greeks. And the Lord's Hand went with them. We too must make disciples of all nations, praying for and relying on the power of God to save them from their sin. Transition: [Slide 9 (blank)] So we see tension resolve in harmony. God's sovereign and and human responsibility work together to bring the gospel to all kinds of people. While true that God's hand must be present for any to come, God has given His people the honor of being a conduit of His saving power. Buy is this harmony maintained in discipleship too? Is discipleship purely man's responsibility or does God have sovereignty over this as well? II.) God's sovereignty and human responsibly work in concert together in discipleship, so we must go and make disciples of all nations. (22-24) a. [Slide 10] 22 – Now the news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. i. Similar to the events following Philip preaching in Samaria, we see the church at Jerusalem acting not as an administrative check but rather as a support to the work. ii. They send Barnabas, a man we have seen several times so far in the book of Acts. iii. He was from Cyprus, probably a wealthy man who sold his possessions to help poorer members of the church. iv. When Saul was rejected by the Christians at Jerusalem because they didn't trust him, Barnabas was the one who took Saul to the apostles and vouched for him. v. Now we see Barnabas sent, not to correct, but to aid and guide the development of the church in Antioch. b. [Slide 11] 23 – who when he arrived and saw the grace of God, rejoiced and began to encourage them all with a purposeful heart to remain true to the Lord. i. Barnabas when he arrived was overjoyed. Why? ii. The grace of God was on full display. iii. What might we expect to see from the grace of God if it is indeed present in the lives of true converts? This verse actually tells us. iv. The instruction of Barnabas was that they remain true to the Lord. v. Therefore, we can see that one expression of God's grace on someone who is truly converted, is that they are true to the Lord. They are loyal and faithful to Him. vi. So, Barnabas, seeing no need for correction began to encourage them to remain faithful in what they were doing. vii. There are two items in this verse we need to address. One is textual the other is theological. viii. Textually, we really don't know where the concept of a “purposeful heart” goes. 1. The phrase “with a purposeful heart” describes devotion and determination. 2. But here is the question. 3. Is Barnabas' encouragement to them achieved by devotion and determination or is their remaining faithful to the Lord achieved by devotion and determination? 4. While many translations put this phrase at the end of the verse implying the latter, the LSB has put this in the middle, probably to maintain the necessary ambiguity. 5. In a moment, we'll see good reason for this devotion and determination to be applied to Barnabas' encouragement and not to the loyalty of these new converts. ix. Theologically we have something else to point out here regarding God's grace and human responsibility. 1. Although God's grace is displayed in the loyalty and faithfulness of His people, that does not mean that Barnabas could walk away from the situation. 2. God's true people will never walk away or stop being true to the Lord. But the means of that happening comes about through God's people encouraging and teaching one another to stay faithful. 3. While God's grace makes it possible and assured that His true people will remain in Him forever… That does not mean that God's people do nothing. 4. Instead, they must strive to remain loyal to the Lord. As His grace has already predisposed them to be and as His grace will assure them to be. 5. Both extremes favoring God's sovereign grace or Human effort take us down theologically untenable options. We must maintain this balance. 6. We call it, theologically, the ordinary means of Grace. God uses ordinary means, i.e. humans encouraging and instructing other humans in the Word of God, to dispense grace to His people to enable and assure their growth and faithfulness. 7. God's Word will not return to Him void. We often use this in evangelism to indicate that either we plant a seed or reap a harvest. But really this principle is most readily true in discipleship and preservation. God's Word when given to His true people is guaranteed to render results. 8. This is why in Church discipline, when someone refuses to respond to the Word of God correcting their sin behavior, we ultimately treat them like unbelievers. Because God's Word should have an effect on believers. It should grow and preserve them and they should respond in obedience. c. [Slide 12] 24 – for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a considerable crowd was brought to the Lord. i. The beginning of this verse is the reason I believe that the purposeful or steadfast heart belongs to Barnabas in his encouragement. ii. He was determined and devoted to encouraging them in their faithfulness to Christ. iii. If not, what does this description about Barnabas being a good man, full of the Spirit and faith help to explain? iv. His joy? He was joyful because he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and Faith? v. His encouragement? He encouraged them because he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and Faith? vi. His joy and encouragement could be explained simply because he was sent by the Jerusalem church and was a fellow believer. But the fact that his encouragement was devoted and determined to ensure their faithfulness to Jesus… that would certainly need explaining. Why was this man so devoted and determined to encourage these new Christians to be faithful? vii. Because he was a good man who was full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. viii. Truly like his nickname suggests, he was the son of encouragement. ix. As a result of the Spirit's power in Him and His dedication and determination to encourage strong disciples of Christ, many more were brought to the Lord there in Antioch. x. Strong disciples who are faithful to the Lord are the beginning of many more coming to Christ. d. [Slide 13] Summary of the Point: God calls on His people to participate in both His saving and preserving work of grace. Not to aid Him or because He could not do it Himself, but because He has afforded us the opportunity to serve Him in this way. Barnabas did not need to go to Antioch to make sure the new converts stayed true to Christ. God's grace would have been more than sufficient to keep them sealed until the day of redemption. But God has chosen ordinary means to dispense His grace to His people. So, Barnabas goes and as a determined encourager becomes a conduit of God's grace to these new believers. And these new believers strive to remain faithful to the Lord as a result of that grace being given. God's grace sets us to action not to passivity. So, knowing God is sovereign over salvation does absolutely nothing to dampen the passion we must have for evangelism. In fact, it ignites it, because we know that God is the one who saves and that we are simply that conduit for His grace to flow through. And that is true in discipleship as well. I stand up here and teach you each week, knowing that God is the one who grows you and preserves you in His grace. But I hope that He may use me for that end. That is why I preach. The notes of God's sovereignty and human responsibility play in perfect harmony because that is how God has composed them in His grand opus called Redemption. Conclusion: So CBC, what must we learn from this text and how then shall we live? What doctrinal truths do we see here and how does that affect us? Doctrinal Takeaway: [Slide 14] God's sovereignty over the saving, growing, preserving and glorifying of His people should not be disregarded or diminished. Jesus is the one who will present us faultless before the throne of God. He will not lose one single sheep that the Father has given Him. And all that the Father have given Him will hear His voice and follow Him. And even though all this is true, God has commanded His people to go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the triune God and teaching them to observe everything He has commanded. God saves and keeps His people. But God's people have a responsibility to share the gospel and disciple one another toward faithfulness to the Lord. Rather than seeing these two items as contradictory or at odds, we must instead see them as a glorious gift to us. In our work we are guaranteed success without fear of failure. And in His work, we are afforded usefulness and participation. God the ultimate delegator has assured His work will be completed and then calls, empowers, and equips His people to see it done. My friends… what an amazing and loving God we serve. He has secured our end, paid our way, but is training us for greater things. He will not fail, so we must obey. Now let me break this down into some more practical ways. 1.) [Slide 15] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that evangelism and discipleship are spiritual battles we cannot win without a special work of God's grace. a. Evangelism is telling someone who is blind to look at the beautiful colors of mercy and grace. It is commanding those who are crippled to stand and run the race toward Christ. It is telling the dead to rise and breathe in the breath of God's love. b. Discipleship is teaching someone to crucify themselves every single day. To offer themselves up as a living sacrifice. To cast themselves upon a God they cannot see, hear, smell, or taste. c. Can men do this? How did we ever get convinced we could? Why do we naturally assume that we are equipped for this work? d. We read in the scriptures God's people doing these things but ignore God's hand in it all! e. What a despicable thing it is. It is borderline blasphemy. f. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood my friends. The battles we face are not ones that can be won by logic, reason, kindness or tolerance. g. Every single heart that is to be saved must have the impossible done to it first. It must be overthrown. h. Every single believer that grows must intentionally and joyfully endure pain and hardship to cut away sin from their lives and obey the Lord. i. This is not a fight we can win. j. And the New Testament writers continue to show us that in every individual salvation and in every believer's growth, God is actively pouring out grace to accomplish it. k. God did not sacrifice His Son enabling all men to somehow be able to convince other men to be saved. For all men are still dead in sin. l. No, my friends. God's grace, God's hand, God's sovereign intervention is necessary for each individual's salvation and each believer's individual growth. For evangelism and discipleship. m. But that can't mean we do nothing! 2.) [Slide 16] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must make disciples of all nations, not because they won't be saved or preserved without us, but because our God has commanded and afforded us this privilege. a. Just because we cannot do it and God does – doesn't mean we should not do anything at all. b. Just because God can do it by Himself, doesn't mean that we sit like bumps on a log and watch from the bench. c. No, my friends. d. God has called us up and put us in the game. Knowing that only He can carry the team. e. Though God does all to save and keep His people with His sovereign grace… He has called us to go and make disciples to the best of our ability. f. To share the gospel with passion and care and to disciple His people with determined encouragement. g. The results are up to Him… this is sure… but knowing He is in control of the results only propels us to give our utmost. h. Because we are no longer striving for an outcome but for His glory and out of love for Him. i. If we believe the results are up to us, the highest motivation we can possibly attain for evangelism and discipleship is the good of our fellow man. j. But if the results of evangelism and discipleship are up to God, then our motivation is for the glory of God. Is this not the chief end of man? Would it not make sense to have this motive at the core of all God has called us to do here on earth? k. Believe that God is in absolute control over saving and keeping His children! And allow that to encourage your hearts to obey Him passionately… to make disciples… for His glory. 3.) [Slide 17] De-Exhortation: “What actions should we stop doing” or “What behaviors do we naturally practice that this passage tells us to stop doing?” We must stop measuring success or failure by human metrics. a. My friends so often we get so caught up in measuring our success. b. Butts in pews. Professions of faith. Attenders of this function or that function. c. My friends, I succumb to this as well. d. Oh it is so easy to look out and see light attendance as a personal failure. The last few weeks our attendance at church has been fairly light. e. And I confess to you that even though I know there are sicknesses and things preventing folks from coming to worship - standing in front of you my flesh rebukes me and calls me a failure. f. Why? Because I am just prideful enough to think that what I am doing here can be measured in this way. As if I am responsible for you being here or not. g. My friends, I struggle with metrics. I do. This little church has not grown numerically since I've been here. h. People have come. i. People have gone. j. People have gone home to glory. k. And for the most part… our numbers have stayed the same. l. A few have been saved. m. A few have been baptized. n. Compared to many businesses and even other churches… it would be easy to call this church… a failure. o. But my friends, this church is a success. p. Do you know why? q. Every week we as a body faithfully worship God, study His Word, pray to Him, serve one another, and love each other. r. That is success. s. Friends, if I died tomorrow and next Sunday rolled around… would you come to church? t. Of course you would. Why? Because in reality no one wakes up on Sunday and says… oh goody I get to go learn from Chris today! u. Nobody wakes up on Sunday and says… well, I don't really want to go to church today, but I don't want to miss what Chris has to say! v. Because evangelism and discipleship are spiritual battles that we need God's power and grace to wage… measuring success and failure is a completely different metric altogether. w. Success is no longer how many souls are saved or how many people are growing. That is a metric we can observe but it is not one we can reliably equate to our success or failure. Why? Because those items belong to God not us. x. So, what is success? y. Success is… have I poured out myself to deliver the teaching, counseling, care, and service to His people this week? Have I done all of this out of Love for God and love for His people? The answers to those questions determine whether I have been successful or not. z. And it is the same for you. aa. Success is not leading your children to Christ, nor is it insuring they grow up to be a godly man or woman. For in reality – you can't do any of that anyway. bb. Success is faithfully teaching them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Teaching them His ways and demonstrating them in your life… not perfectly… but consistently and progressively. That is success. cc. The same goes for your grandkids, the same goes for the person who sits in your pew. The same goes for your neighbors down the road. dd. That is how we should measure success. Not by results… but by obedience. ee. So how are you doing? 4.) Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God goes with us to save, grow, and preserve His elect, our brothers and sisters! And He will not lose one of them. a. This thought is of immeasurable comfort to me my friends. And I hope it is to you also. b. Combining the truths of God's sovereignty and human responsibility in saving and keeping His people we might feel the overwhelming and daunting task of our responsibility. c. Even though there is an initial load lifted from our shoulders when we realize that success doesn't mean numbers… that weight was no doubt partially reapplied when I spoke of measuring success by our obedience. d. Even the question – so how are you doing… may have been quite rebuking to you. e. That's good. It is good to feel rebuked. f. But let me soften that slightly by reminding you again that God goes with us in all of this. g. He has not left us alone with what is our responsibility. That is why His Sovereignty and our responsibility must be held together. His Sovereign and powerful hand aids us in our monumental task to go and make disciples. h. So maybe after the question, so how are you doing, you felt hopeless. i. I'm doing terribly you might have said. And along with that you may have said, and I'll never do any better. j. Let me encourage you friend that you are only half right. k. Yes, you are doing terribly, and yes, YOU'LL never do any better. But my friends… when the hand of the Lord goes with you… You cannot help but succeed. l. Be comforted and cry out in dependance for God's mighty hand to do all He requires of you. Let me close with a prayer by a monk named Serapion (Ser-ah-pee-on) Scholasticus. A scholar who not only was banished by Emperor Constantius (Con-stan-tea-us) II for his orthodox views against Arianism, but who wrote a prayer handbook called the Euchologion (Yook – oh- log- eon) of Serapion. Father of the only-begotten, you are good and compassionate. You care for us, lover of humanity and lover of our souls. You are the benefactor of all who turn to you. Now would you hear this prayer, and give us knowledge and faith, piety, and holiness. Bring to nothing every passion, every lust, and every sin from among this people. Make us all clean. Have patience with our faults, for we kneel before you, uncreated Father, through the Only-Begotten One. Give to us your holy understanding and complete support. Enable us to seek and love you, to search and seek out your divine answers. Master, give us your hand and raise us up. Raise us up, God of compassions, and cause us to look up. Uncover our eyes and help us to speak. Do not allow us to be ashamed or embarrassed, or to accuse ourselves. Blot out the charge of the debt that is against us (Colossians 2:14) and write our names in the book of life (Philippians 4:3). Include us among your holy prophets and apostles, through Your only-begotten Jesus Christ, through whom to you is the glory and the strength both now and to all the ages of the ages. It is for His sake we ask this... Amen. Benediction: May He who guides our feet through this vain world, To lead us to His heavenly seat; Whose mercies shall ever endure, When this frail world shall be no more, Help you to contend in the cause of the Gospel with your fellows whose names are written in the book of life. Until we meet again… Go in Peace.

I. My. Most Pressing, Ever-Present Need A. I Need a Merciful Savior B. I need a Sovereign LordII. His Gracious, Most-Convincing Proof A. Evident of His Sovereignty B. Evidence of His Mercy

What better way to pray than to model the prayers of Jesus. The classic Lord's Prayer found in Matthew 6 sits in the middle of what many consider Jesus' greatest message, "The Sermon on the Mount". Two movements, give and take, can be found in this prayer. In particular come and see how forgiveness is tantamount to a vital prayer life. "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." The Lord’s Prayer has 2 Movements: Give (vv.9-10) a. His Sovereignty b. Our Submission Are you ready to give God his Sovereignty and our Submission? Prayer of Submission: Heavenly Father, We bow before you in worship. We want to submit and surrender ourselves completely and unreservedly in every area of our lives to you. Your perfect will for us is always our best. Prayer of Submission: Lord Jesus, We worship you and we want to love and cherish you and treasure you above all else. We recognize that you alone are worthy to receive all glory, honor, and praise. We are thankful for your sacrifice on the cross that has atoned for our sins and to receive eternal life in your Name. Holy Spirit, Come fill us with joy, peace and comfort. We welcome your guidance, counsel, and help each and every day. We humbly pray this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Take (vv.11-13)

What better way to pray than to model the prayers of Jesus. The classic Lord's Prayer found in Matthew 6 sits in the middle of what many consider Jesus' greatest message, "The Sermon on the Mount". Two movements, give and take, can be found in this prayer. In particular come and see how forgiveness is tantamount to a vital prayer life. "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." The Lord’s Prayer has 2 Movements: Give (vv.9-10) a. His Sovereignty b. Our Submission Are you ready to give God his Sovereignty and our Submission? Prayer of Submission: Heavenly Father, We bow before you in worship. We want to submit and surrender ourselves completely and unreservedly in every area of our lives to you. Your perfect will for us is always our best. Prayer of Submission: Lord Jesus, We worship you and we want to love and cherish you and treasure you above all else. We recognize that you alone are worthy to receive all glory, honor, and praise. We are thankful for your sacrifice on the cross that has atoned for our sins and to receive eternal life in your Name. Holy Spirit, Come fill us with joy, peace and comfort. We welcome your guidance, counsel, and help each and every day. We humbly pray this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Take (vv.11-13)

Christians should praise God and press on, knowing that He has sealed us with the Holy Spirit and secured our future according to His Sovereignty

Exodus 14 This is a story about the glory of God! The Glory of God is seen in... 1. His Sovereignty  2. His Salvation  3. His Strength  See His Glory Show His Glory Give Him Glory

Exodus 14 This is a story about the glory of God! The Glory of God is seen in... 1. His Sovereignty  2. His Salvation  3. His Strength  See His Glory Show His Glory Give Him Glory

A continued discussion of God's Decrees. His Sovereignty and man's responsibility.

A continued discussion of God's Decrees. His Sovereignty and man's responsibility.

A continued discussion of God's Decrees. His Sovereignty and man's responsibility.

* Over the past couple of weeks, we have been considering the transition of Paul's ministry from proclaiming the gospel in a traveling ministry to the ultimate fulfillment of God's prophetic proclamation to him that Paul would bear His name before kings (cf. Acts 9:15-16) We have seen how God used Paul's wrongful imprisonment to begin the process of moving him along to Rome, just as Jesus had promised him (cf. Acts 23:11). * In the spring of 2020, we studied Paul's second letter to the church of Corinth. The title of the series was "Embracing Affliction" because that is the theme of Paul's letter. In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul provides a list of the afflictions and trials which he had endured up to the point of writing that letter. In the list, he states that he had been shipwrecked three times, and that he had spent a day and a night in the deep! What is truly amazing about that statement is that he wrote that letter to them prior to this voyage we will be considering today! * As we began that series, we considered from 2 Corinthians 1 the purpose of afflictions - the reason that we should "embrace" them. It is through these situations that "press us" we experience the encouragement of the Father of all encouragements ... in order that WE might be able to put courage into (encouragement) others who are going through pressing situations, and that we might reveal the presence and power of God to those who do not know Him! * Today, we will see how God - in His Sovereignty - orchestrated events in order to provide Paul an ideal opportunity to share His power and presence with a large group of prisoners, soldiers and sailors! * This message was presented on July 30, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

1. The Glory of His Sovereignty -2. The Glory of His Holiness-3. The Glory of His Power

It is not always, Sin, Satan and family bloodlines and patterns that will bring darkness, chaos and havoc into a man's or woman's life. Sometimes, God permits the darkness for reasons and a purpose best known to Him. He will permit it and allow it to stay for a season and a reason. It is not to punish us, although it will feel like that, but because there is a deeper meaning to and for the darkness and chaos, which we cannot even begin to fathom or comprehend. -Proverbs 16:4 “The Lord hath made all things for himself, yea even the wicked for the day of evil.” Yes, I hate to say it, difficult to digest, but even evil can be an instrument in the hand of God. —2 Corinthians 12:7 “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” Paul did NOT have a thorn in his flesh, he was GIVEN the thorn. Sometimes God will remove His hedge of protection not to kill us but to protect us from ourselves. He will use the darkness, the thorns, the messengers of Satan, send the storm and chaos, if and when He pleases, and how He sees fit for our own good. He gives Satan power over our lives, for a moment and a season. —Job 1:12 “The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but not the man himself do not lay a finger on him.” What does one do, what can one do, when God in His Sovereignty permits Satan to unleash wicked havoc in our lives? Will we still love God? What do we do, what should we do, in such anguishing moments? -Job 1:22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.” Yes, he spoke out in his pain. -Job 7:11 “Therefore, I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul…” Why? —Job 6:4 “The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God's terrors are marshaled against me.” —Job 16:12 All was well with me, but he shattered me; he seized me by the neck and crushed me.” —Job 19:10 He tears me down on every side till I am gone; he uproots my hope like a tree. His anger burns against me;…” —Job 30-19:21 He throws me into the mud, and I am reduced to dust and ashes. I stand up, but you merely look at me. You turn on me ruthlessly; with the night of your hand you attack me.” What do you do when God turns on you and you don't know why? Who should you turn to? HIM. —Job 19:25-27 “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes — I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me.” Even when Job realized that God permitted the darkness, he still yearned for Him. And in the end he saw Him. —Job 42:5 “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” In the end, Job Chapter 42, he ended up getting twice more than he possessed before the darkness God had permitted in his life. What darkness has God permitted in your life? Why? The answer is different for each of us, but one thing remains the same. If we stay with Him and look up to Him in the darkness, WE WILL SEE HIM. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/activategodspurpose/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/activategodspurpose/support

1. He Renews Peace and Pattern After His Storm (1b-5) 2. He Renews Mission and Mandate for His Servants (6-20) 3. He Renews Compassion and Care by His Sovereignty (21,22)

1. He Renews Peace and Pattern After His Storm (1b-5) 2. He Renews Mission and Mandate for His Servants (6-20) 3. He Renews Compassion and Care by His Sovereignty (21,22)

Who's Buttering Your Bread?” (Mark 8:11-17 NLT) They didn't get it!  They just didn't get it!  After everything Jesus did, they still questioned His identity, doubted His ability, argued His authority, debated His Sovereignty, and even contested His credibility.  No, this wasn't just outsiders but even His insiders, His own disciples.  What would it take for them to simply BELIEVE?  What would it take for them to put their total FAITH in Jesus Christ?  That is what “frustrated” Jesus – notice the movement of back and forth - He feeds a multitude on the east side and go to the west side only to be met by Unbelieving Pharisees troubling Him for a test – NO (vv.12-13) – then He gets back in the boat with doubting Disciples who's arguing over one loaf of bread.  And Jesus asked the question, “Don't you understand yet? (v.21)”  Since even the FAITH to believe is a Gift from God, thank Him for what you have and trust Him for even more

* As the Gospel spread, the Spiritual War continued. * In our study of the book of Acts, we have seen that the Apostles were threatened and persecuted for proclaiming the name of Jesus ... and informed the Sanhedrin that they were to obey God rather than men - to be witnesses of the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah. * Next, Stephen was stoned to death for proclaiming Christ and Saul of Tarsus spread the persecution even unto Damascus. * However, in each of these situations God reveals His Sovereignty and His faithfulness to those who believe in Him. The Sovereignty of God does not mean that we will not be persecuted but rather that through the persecution or the deliverance God is working His plan. * In our passage today, God reveals that He is the Sovereign King and that He can, and does, over-rule earthly kings at His choosing. * From last week ... Barnabas and Saul had been sent by the church of Antioch with a gift to the church of Jerusalem. These events that we cover today occur while they are in Jerusalem (cf. 12:25). * This message was presented on February 19, 2023 by Bob Corbin.

Genesis 29:30-30:24 – God reveals His Sovereignty in the Chaos. Jacob’s sinful life is producing more sin, and the result is incredible family dysfunction. Don’t let cultural norms determine what is right for your family! Listen to an eye-opening message from Pastor Dave Menard as he unpacks the importance of male leadership in the home […] The post Genesis 29:30-30:24 – Sovereignty in the Chaos appeared first on The Mission Church.

Genetic Testing and Prophylactic Mastectomy with Erin Simeone Erin Simeone and I talk about her personal journey with genetic testing, genetic mutations, a breast cancer scare and her double prophylactic mastectomy. Based on her mother's cancer diagnosis Erin started preventive check-ups. At one of these appointments Erin is given the option to check for the BRCA gene.  Now mind you, Erin is in her early 30's, raising a baby boy and planning on having more children with her husband so having to face the decision whether or not to pursue genetic testing was very daunting. Simple as it may sound, making the decision whether or not to get tested actually has a very weighty consideration attached to it. What if it comes back positive for a genetic mutation? She'd then be forced to make a decision on which path to choose and no matter what she chose, it would impact every aspect of her life.  She did decide to do the testing and when the results came back 6 or 8 weeks later, she did discover that she indeed had a genetic mutation. Now she faced even harder decisions. Erin shares an example that her doctor gave her that let her know she faced a 75% chance of having breast cancer. What would this mean for her young family and any future plans for adding more children? Fresh in Erin's mind is thought of her friend, a young mom herself who passed from breast cancer after a courageous fight. Erin also recalled the painful yet successful battle her mother went through as she faced her breast cancer diagnosis when Erin was only 15. Erin shares her thoughts as she wrestles with the decision process and eventually deciding to get the double mastectomy. Additionally, she tells us the 2 things that she couldn't live without while going through the recovery period.  As surgeries do, her mastectomy left her feeling very vulnerable and helpless so Erin also shares not only who you want in your corner but how you can come alongside someone to help them through such a vulnerable phase.  I love what she termed her, two am friends. She was saying that you need to find people who you can call at 2am and they're there for you. I immediately thought of my sister and a couple of my friends that I would consider my 2am friends but then I got to thinking, at our age we all cut our phones off in hopes of getting a solid night of sleep and not have to get up to go to the bathroom! But the good news is, Jesus is always accessible and that is the one thing that stands out the most in this conversation with Erin. She gave example after example of the importance, the difference and the impact that her personal relationship with God made in the midst of uncertainty and hard questions. Her desire to use her pain to make a difference for just one person was the motivation that kept her going. Each time she wanted to focus on the hard parts of this season she would turn her focus to God. Looking, listening and seeking His presence, allowed her to see Him through countless situations and experiences. One of the bible verses that was very powerful for her was when God lead Moses to the Red Sea. She talks about how encouraged she became when she noticed something about that scripture that she had missed many times before. A small detail and yet oh so powerful!  I do want to pause for a moment and purposefully speak to those who have lost a loved one to cancer and Erin does touch on it. If you've lost a loved one, we're not saying God didn't love them or protect them or that He forgot them. God holds the fullness of life in the palm of His hand it's not over until, in His Sovereignty, He brings it to a close.  Every single one of us will leave this life on a vehicle one of which is cancer. Death comes for every living being. Actually, death is a transition phase. We will pass from here into eternity and more to Erin's point, do you know which eternity you'll transition to? There are only two choices, heaven and hell and it's on this side of eternity that we get to step out in faith and choose to love Jesus in return. What is love if not a choice, right? With Erin's salvation in tact and her healing journey in place, the question she gets most often is, would she choose the mastectomy all over again if she had to? Listen in to find out! Live Loved and Thrive!  Bio: Erin lives in Chesapeake, Virginia, with her husband of close to eleven years, a son, Cullen who is six and a daughter, Camryn who is one. She is a local to the area, having been born and raised in Virginia, and is truly blessed to have most of her immediate family still living locally.  She teaches in the local community and finds joy in building relationships with her students as well as working with them to achieve their hopes, dreams and goals, making learning fun and engaging. Erin attends River Oak Church where she has met life long, 2am friends that have become family, and is an active member of the church body, as well as her in home life group. She enjoys working in the children's ministry, helping with VBS, helping new members find a place to serve wherever and whenever she meets new people, or helping in any way the Lord moves.  While cancer has been such a tremendous part of her family, in both positive and negative ways, Erin counts it all joy to have been given the opportunity to get ahead of a cancer diagnosis, and hopes to continue to be used as a vessel for the Lord in her family, her church, her school and her community. She strives to find Jesus in every day, and leans wholly on His direction and guidance as she maneuvers through marriage, motherhood, family, church, friendships, and school.  “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 Transcript: https://www.happyscribe.com/transcriptions/d059b7a3cf9d4a1bbb9955d6ee858096/edit_v2  

Dr. Griffin conveys the heart of The Father and mind of God once again in this week's podcast - to “Make sure all things are aligned with His Sovereignty.”

In a single day, Jesus displays His Sovereignty as He teaches with authority, exercises total control over demons, and heals sick people completely. Mark 1:21-34 For more resources on this teaching, please visit https://www.brcc.church/the-sovereignty-of-the-king

Our calling is not to make sense of God to the extent that we can explain Him. Ours is to believe, embrace and proclaim His Person, His Sovereignty and Reality in our lives and in the world.

This fall we are going Deeper into our understanding of God and our relationship with him. Over the past few weeks we have looked at the Trinitarian nature of God and last week Pastor Gary taught us about the heart of God as our Father. This week Pastor Nate focuses on God the Father and His Sovereignty over all of creation. Life can often seem out of control and random, but we know that we have a Father God who has complete authority to accomplish his will not only for us, but for all of creation. Listen in and grow deeper in your understanding of the sovereignty of God. Then, may we all rest in the knowledge that our God is in control and our lives are safe in His hands. 

After making a big deal about the importance of fearing God and trusting in His Sovereignty, the author returns to similar observations to those he made in chapter 4. He continues to ask why there are so many things that seem difficult to understand about how life works. He is still perplexed over the inequities of life. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/eatscripture/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eatscripture/support

After making a big deal about the importance of fearing God and trusting in His Sovereignty, the author returns to similar observations to those he made in chapter 4. He continues to ask why there are so many things that seem difficult to understand about how life works. He is still perplexed over the inequities of life --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/eatscripture/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/eatscripture/support

Video: https://youtu.be/b9d1mBI7H1U ONE THING Opposing God is always a consequence filled bad idea. Ezra 6:11-13 CONTEXT We oppose God when we believe, think and act against His Sovereign will. Scripture Background…In the midst of opposition to God they spoke the word of Life, that we know as the Gospel, Bible. Presented with the hardships of our faith we must remember that God, Jesus the Christ and the Holy Spirit will not ever be overthrown! It is good advice for us to never be found opposing God's will to biblically seek, save and mature us all. (The temporal and eternal consequences can / will be disastrous) Who are we opposing when we go against God's will? God in His Sovereignty, the Saving Grace Filled Authority of Jesus Christ and the Guiding Strength of the Holy Spirit. We exist to bring God glory and make disciples. Not Opposing God IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT TO WHY WE EXIST Based on this message what can we do to become more like Jesus? Gospel-Centered = WORSHIP Ask God to help you remove any opposition in you toward Him. COMMUNITY Believe, think and act in accordance with His Sovereign will. SERVICE Invite others through explanation and action to gladly submit to God. MULTIPLICATION Only affirm, support and stand with what is God's will as found in the Bible.

Does your lifestyle determine your beliefs, or do your beliefs establish every aspect of your life?In this sermon Pastor Monte unpacks GOD's Prophecy of Rescue and His Sovereignty in Isaiah 43, teaching us how the Identity of GOD provides a firm foundation for our beliefs. When we recognize Him for Who He Is, His Word to us in prayer establishes our beliefs.Support the show

#Sovereignty #PerfectSovereignty #SovereightyOfGod #GodsSevereignty Friday, 12th of August 2022 Otakada.org Content Count 2,220,644 Podcast Link: Blog link: https://www.otakada.org/perfect-sovereignty-of-god-what-is-it-what-are-the-manifestations-of-gods-sovereignty-in-our-world-sixty-six-66-scriptures-to-backup-his-sovereignty-in-our-world/ YouTube Link: Perfect Sovereignty of God – What is it? What are the Manifestations of God's Sovereignty in our World? Sixty Six (66) Scriptures to backup His Sovereignty in our World Thank God it's Friday Friends! – TGIFF

Are you feeling worn down from your anxiety, depression or loneliness? In Jesus, there is always hope in His Sovereignty for your life and always reassurance of His love for you no matter how hard it gets. Stay tuned to find out how!

Prayer is one of the most, if not THE most, overlooked resources for enforcing the victory that Jesus won over sin and Satan on the cross. When we understand that God, in His Sovereignty, often waits for His people to pray before He acts, we learn that prayer is our #1 strategy for living.

Cooperate with His Sovereignty.

Listen as we learn how to cooperate with His Sovereignty.

"God will meet us in the darkness and give us eyes to see the treasures there!" In this episode, Sarah Clarkson shares her personal story of wresting with God in the midst of mental illness from her book, This Beautiful Truth: How God's Goodness Breaks into Our Darkness. Sarah found herself in the midst of deep personal pain and surrounded by a broken world leading her to ask questions like: "Where is God?" "Can He be trusted?" "Is He still tender towards me?" God began to open her eyes to His goodness and beauty all around her. In the midst of the darkness. If you struggle with a mental illness or feel overwhelmed by the darkness and unrest in our world today, this will encourage your heart. When your trust in God has been shaken, He is there. { USE PLAYER BAR @ TOP OF PAGE to listen to show, subscribe and share } Important Takeaways from Show Suffering, grief and loss can drain our world of beauty and meaning Understanding the evil in the world and the goodness of the Lord creates a constant tension God wants us to taste and see His goodness every day (Psalm 34:8)  Stories and art can re-enchant our own world, helping us to recognize the beauty of the person and presence of Jesus all around us again (C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien) Rather than allow ourselves to disengage, we must choose life and hold fast to God (Deuteronomy 30:19-20) Jesus demonstrates God's power to redeem all things, to take what is broken and fully restore it Theodicy is the study of God and justice God created a world that was meant to reflect His beauty and goodness We were given the gift of freedom; Having free will is what gives us the ability to love We can use our freedom to destroy the world or order it Our freedom is based on God's choice to give us freedom; therefore His Sovereignty will always prevail We have the opportunity to respond to God's beauty, to be a part of creating it and offer it to others Rather than deny the reality of evil, we can choose to embrace the beauty and light of God all around us Being redeemed in the midst of our pain means clinging to the hope that God's Kingdom is coming God is unthreatened by our frailty; His goodness and grace engage with us wherever we are (Psalm 103:14) 5 Ways to Find Joy in the Midst of Darkness Seek companionship and community - Pain can be the great isolator so we must choose to draw near to Christ-minded people Recognize the power of words - Engage with the life-giving redemptive words of Scripture Look for tiny acts of God's beauty - Counter the darkness by waking up to the beauty all around you Step away from the online world - Let your first encounter of the day be with Scripture and God's creation Focus on the present - Recognize God and His wonder in your everyday life I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. ~ Isaiah 45:3 NKJV Links from Show This Beautiful Truth: How God's Goodness Breaks into Our Darkness Book Girl: A Journey through the Treasures and Transforming Power of a Reading Life [Disclosure: I make a small commission from affiliate links used in this post.]   Connect with Sarah Clarkson Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter Connect with Joanna  Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter Get Episode Updates! We'd love to have you join our special Living Room Podcast email list. Even if you're already part of my regular list, by applying in the form below, you'll be notified when new episodes air - and get a special gift for joining (among other things!)   I'd love to hear from you... What spoke most to you from Sarah's interview?

Got life crazy? What about busy, on top of busy? Can you relate to the lurking feeling of not measuring up? In the busy, chaos and demanding expectations on every side, God is whispering profound wisdom. But, you cannot hear Him because He will not compete with the noise in your life. Imagine, there is a trusted life route, whether we want it or not, that is being governed by a faithful and loving God, yet we don't consult His Sovereignty or pause to consider His wisdom. In Psalm 46, God's Sovereignty is the basis by which all things are held together. No matter how much is going on around or within our lives, He is our safe zone. In Christ, our peace and sanity are secure. In our times of busy, or inability to focus, God encourages us to “be still…” and to be strengthened by Him. For my busy moms, I understand the trenches, for the working women, I am with you on the level of busy brewing, and for the wives that are trying to be all she can be, listen I get it. But, God is still, in spite, calling for us all to elevate Him as our first things first. I want to encourage us all to start telling our busy, that God is first. Once we get aligned with Him, He will keep the rest in order.

Gay Bearden is a music teacher, children's book author, mom of 3 adult kids and at one point dreamed of being a park ranger! She speaks about how the layers of her life can sometimes cause her to focus less on God, the gift of the Holy Spirit and how His Sovereignty is her rock. (PS - This was a note-taking conversation for me! So much wisdom.)

Hey Guys! Welcome back to another episode. In this episode, Faith will be discussing about the importance of revering the Lord while in His presence. In today's generation, and even maybe the past generations, we come to God casually and forget that He is a LIVING GOD. He is OUR CREATOR and RULER. We forget His Sovereignty, so therefore, we become familiar with Him. He yearns for a relationship and reverence. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Faith challenges her listeners to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. To bask in His presence and delight in Him. We hope that this podcast is a blessing to you. Make sure to leave us a review, rate us, subscribe, like and also do share. Blessings to you! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/faith-wickliff/support

Welcome to Episode 9 of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We stand at a pivotal point in our story. We have now transitioned from Abraham to Isaac, so we are so glad you are joining us at this point. But that means that, if this is your first episode, you've missed quite a bit and it would benefit you immensely to go back and start from Episode 1 to hear the story of Abraham.  You could also pick it up here and then go back, not a big deal. I am confident it will be fruitful and enjoyable for you. My name is Mario, glad to make your acquaintance. If you have comments or questions, feel free to find us on Facebook @MariosMinistries. You can definitely leave us a comment there or visit our website at mariosministries.com.  Let's go.  [Bumper]  When we left off, Isaac had married Rebekah, after the death of his mother, Abraham's wife Sarah. And now we start on Genesis chapter 25 with the account that Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah and she bore him 6 children and 10 grandchildren. Then we are told he died at the ripe old age of 175 years. He was buried with Sarah in the tomb he had purchased for her.  We are then given the descendants of Ishmael, Abraham and Hagar's son, and we are told he lived 137 years before he died. It is worth noting for future studies that his descendants settled, we are told in verse 18 of chapter 25, “over against all his kinsmen.” So, some of the conflict we will read about in Scripture later, are born out of this arrangement.  Then we get to Isaac, through whom the Abrahamic covenant – the promise God had made—will be carried through. Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah, and we get an interesting parallel right away because we are told that Isaac prayed for Rebekah, his wife, because she was barren—she couldn't have children.  As you will remember, this was the struggle of his parents, early on in their walk with the Lord, when they were given the promise of many descendants, but they were not able to have children, so it is interesting to contrast how the two handled the situation, at least initially.  You see Abraham believed God, which was huge, under the circumstances. But both he and Sara, struggled with the infertility issue a bit, to the point that they fell into that fool's errand of trying to help God keep His promise by making Abraham have a child with Hagar, Sarah's maidservant. And, as we've discussed, much pain ensued from that misguided decision.  But here we are told now that Isaac prayed to God and, “the Lord granted his prayer” – verse 21. Note, it was not an instantaneous prayer either. Isaac was 40 when he married Rebekah and will be 60 by the time she gives birth. Therefore, we can calculate 19 plus years of praying before Isaac's prayer for his wife is ultimately answered.  I hope that is encouraging to some of you out there. Maybe you who have been praying a long time for something, and you must realize that God's timing is not human timing. We saw what he did in the life of Abraham, and here too we have in the case of Isaac, God waiting for His timing in answer to Isaac's prayer. So don't give up. We know for a fact that God hears our prayers and that He loves us, that He will keep His Words—His promises—so we can trust Him in His timing too.  Rebekah gets pregnant then, and we are told the children (plural) struggle within her. So yes, surprise, surprise, there is more than one baby in her womb.  But it looks like the kicks and movements within her felt so out of the ordinary, that she inquires of the Lord about it.  Let's not miss that, this is admirable, once again. God will answer her, and it shows us that God cares about everything in our lives. We do well when we inquire of Him, instead of what most of us do, which is complain to God about most things.  The Lord tells Rebekah, starting on verse 23, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”  The matter is revealed further then. Rebekah indeed, has twins. The older is called Esau. The younger they named Jacob, and even as they came out of the womb, we are told Jacob was holding on to Esau's heel, further symbolizing the struggle God had explained to Rebekah.  This revelation by the Lord then will weigh in in the hearts and minds of, at least Rebekah, though we can safely assume she shared the word with her husband. I think that is a safe assumption for us to make.  We are told the boys grow up and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents—which means he was a man of the house, if you will. So, in that sense, we can see how Esau became close with his dad, while Jacob gravitated towards his mother. We are told Isaac loved eating of Esau's game, which will be important for the next event we read about at the endo of this chapter.  It is a strange account that leaves you asking many questions, perhaps because we do not fully understand the weight of the birthright idea at that time, but here is what happens. Jacob was cooking a stew. Esau came from the field, and he was exhausted. Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of the stew, for I am exhausted.”  Because of the response, we sort of figure that he was in bad shape. If you've ever been outdoors and run out of water or food, you might understand that things can get pretty desperate. One day, I'll tell you the story of my friend Ken and I doing the Appalachian Trail.  But that's a story for another occasion. Esau is desperate then, ask for stew, and Jacob, seizes on the opportunity and tells him, well, if you want some stew, sell me your birthright.  Now, again, lots of questions: was that “a thing” back then, the selling of the birthright? That is, was it common back then. What are the effects? Why does Jacob do this? Was he aware of the promise God had given her mother? We have already been told Rebekah and Jacob were close, so it would not be a stretch to think that Rebekah had laid it upon his heart about his destiny. So, maybe.  The answers to this question do not seem to be determinative, though, so let's continue reading. Esau, does not seem to think it a big deal, for he tells him, “I am about to die here, of what use is a birthright to me?”  Jacob makes him swear. Esau does, and Jacob gives him the stew.  Now, thankfully, in order to understand this event, we have help from other passages in Scripture, which is an essential principle for us to understand. We read Scripture in light of Scripture. I think we might have mentioned that before. So, for this account we have help from this very interesting passage in Hebrews 12:15-17 where the writer tells us:  See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.  Wow. So, there you have it. Note how it connects this story with God's grace and guarding against allowing that “root of bitterness” to spring up on us. That is what Esau had allowed. And that's why he made the choice that he made.  Some of you are there right now. You can feel the “root of bitterness” within you right now, and I want to sign the alarm for you: DANGER! We make bad decisions when we allow bitterness in our heart. Therefore, repent, come to the LORD, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob immediately, while there is still time, before you make a choice you will regret. Do not be like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.  Note that the passage compares what Esau did to sexual immorality. Because isn't that exactly the way that many of our sexual immorality comes about? A husband or wife feels neglected, perhaps unappreciated, lets bitterness enter his or her heart and now is ripe for the picking, as they say, in danger of making a choice he or she will regret for the rest of his life. Many throw away their entire lives for a single meal (a night of pleasure), an act to blow off steam, to relax and have a good time. Only those times are very short, and the regret lasts a lifetime.  Do not be like Esau, Scripture tells us. Do not neglect what is eternally good and pleasurable, for a fleeting moment of perceived release. That sort of “freedom” enslaves.  Certainly, there is much more to say, but we, unfortunately cannot stay here for long, so I commend you this story for further meditation and study. The Hebrews passage also gave us a glimpse of what is to happen, that Esau will indeed regret his decision, but we're not quite there yet, so let's keep going.  We are told next that there was a famine in the land and Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech, the king of the Philistines— ostensibly to overcome the famine.  We've already dealt with Abimelech of Gerar, the king of the Philistines before in Genesis chapter 20. He was one of the kings who took Sarah before realizing she was Abraham's wife, but, because of the passage of time, it is likely that this is a different Abimilech, perhaps his son? There are several characters named Abimelech in Scripture.  At any rate, the Lord appeared to Isaac and speaks to him. Let's read what He said (this is Genesis chapter 26:2-5):  “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.  I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”  First of all, note God's faithfulness to Abraham. He will bless Isaac and his offspring for Abraham's faithfulness. Think about that, you parents out there, the sort of impact you can have in your family and children, if you are faithful to God.  Remember our term, this is the Abrahamic Covenant still being unfolded through God's amazing grace, and the promises of God, again being found unshakeable from generation to generation. You can count on His Word, 100 percent of the time.  But he is not to go to Egyp. So, Isaac settles in Gerar. And, you won't believe what we read about as he settles there, the men of the area ask him about his wife Rebekah, and guess what he decides to do, he was afraid, so he said she was his sister.  Seriously? He's going to follow his dad on that? Well, yes, apparently. And not surprisingly if we are honest with our own human nature. Yes, we will fall in the same hole, we saw our father fall. The many promises we made to ourselves not to be like them, notwithstanding. Right?  Rebekah was beautiful, so that we know what is going to happen. But thankfully, Abimelech was astute enough to notice something. Verse 8 of chapter 26 tells us that when he saw the two of them laughing together, he knew something was up. So he called up Isaac and said, “Look man, don't give me none of this she's my sister business, she is your wife” (he didn't quite speak like that, but you get the idea). Isaac confesses and Abimelech says, “what have you done, you could have brought guilt upon us.” Which is interesting, right. These people, even though they do not know or serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, they know that certain things are wrong.  Which is something many philosophers, thinkers and theologians have explored. How this moral law written in our hearts, points us to a moral law giver—to God. Yet another thing for you to think about.  But here, Abimelech let's everyone know that no one is to touch Rebekah as she is Isaac's wife. The Lord blesses Isaac, as Abraham was, in his time in Gerar.  He became very rich, and the Philistines envied him. So, they filled up all the wells that they used, even the ones that Abraham had dug up, and Abimelech ultimately asks him to leave for apparently Isaac had become more powerful than their entire kingdom.  He leaves and settles in the Velley of Gerar and has to re-dig up the wells that Abraham had dug up during his time there and that the Philistines had covered up. But when the water came out, the herdsmen of Gerar, fought them saying the water was theirs. So, Isaac moved and dug a new well, but they fought him about that one too.  So, he moved and dug a third well, and was finally left in peace to use it. He called Rehoboth, saying, “For now the Lord has made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land.”  Then he went to Beersheba where the Lord appeared to him that same night he got there and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake.” So, they built an altar there and dug another well.  Interestingly, Abimilech and his advisors where indeed very afraid of Isaac's prosperity because they follow after Isaac and ask that he make a pact with them not to harm them. Isaac does.  Finally, we are told that when Esau was 48 years old, he took Judith and Basemath, daughters of two Hittites to be his wives. Not a wise move that we are quickly told made life “bitter” for Isaac and Rebekah.  And there is that word again, I believe the Scriptures are sounding the alarm on for us today: bitterness. Do not let it take root in you, fight it with all your heart. Trust in God, full trust in His Sovereignty and goodness and love for us, is the answer. “What can man do to me?” sung David in his Psalms, and it is affirmed for us again in Hebrews 13:6, “we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?'” Rest in that. And don't fret. Do not let your anxieties rule, leave them at the foot of the Cross.  One last event at the end of Isaac's life will mark the course of history. It's an important one, we don't want to rush it. So, we'll live it for next time. It begins in chapter 27, if you want to study ahead before we meet again.  It should be fun. See you then.

When it comes to God, there is no one that can rival Him. He stands alone in the eternal Hall of Fame.He is the Most High, subject to none, and influenced by none. He alone is the Sovereign One.Today we sing of His Sovereignty, with help of our friend and Godfather of English Hymnody, Isaac Watts.

In this final message in the series we've entitled, “Lord, Teach Us to Pray,” we will be considering the fourth movement of prayer derived from the Lord's model prayer. Thus far, we covered the first three movements of REVERENCE, RESPONSE, and REQUEST. In this final message, we are going to cover the fourth movement of READINESS. When we reverence God first for who He is, particularly His Sovereignty, and respond with surrendered hearts ready to do His will, we are in the best place to offer our requests to God. Furthermore, the spiritual activity of prayer before a Sovereign God should remind us that we need His activated power to overcome our spiritual foe. Therefore, as the last line in the Lord's Prayer teaches us, we must pray to be battle-ready to overcome the devil's schemes and temptations. Hence, the last movement of prayer, derived from the Lord's Prayer, is READINESS. In light of this theme, we consider 3 ways that prayer equips us to overcome temptation.