Podcasts about key points god

Hey Mama, ever asked the Lord why he won't just take your destructive anger away?Struggling with destructive anger, shame, guilt, or overwhelm? In this episode, we dive into the question, “Why won't God just take away my destructive anger?” Discover how God's gift of free will invites us to grow through our struggles, lean on His grace, and build stronger relationships with our kids. Through personal stories, scriptures, and practical encouragement, you'll learn how to pause, process big emotions, and ask, “Lord, what are you teaching me? Where are you growing flowers from my dirt?” Plus, find out how your growth can become a gift to others, helping them navigate their own challenges.Key Points:God doesn't take away our struggles because He gives us free will, inviting us to choose His way and grow in faith (Galatians 5:16-17, Ephesians 5:10).Managing emotions is like starting a new exercise routine—it's hard at first, but with practice, you build strength to choose God's path.When we slip up, God's grace covers us, and recovery helps us move forward (Romans 7:22-25, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).Our struggles produce “flowers” (growth and healing) that we can share with others, like supporting a friend or modeling grace for our kids (Ephesians 5:18-20).Tools like the Trigger Tracker and SIT & Pray can help you process emotions and seek God's will (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).Tools & Links: Help! I'm Angry Now: Calm Mom Anger in the MomentNatalie's Story Out of Destructive AngerGrab Natalie's FREE Trigger Tracker!Make Wellness - Biactive Precision Peptides Questions, thoughts, feedback? Send me a text!Connect with Natalie: Natalie's Website: nataliehixson.comInstagram: instagram.com/angrymamacoachPinterest: pinterest.com/nataliehixsonYouTube: @angrymamacoachAcknowledgements: Producer and editor: Skye Hixson Music: Simon Reid www.simonreidmusic.com

When God's Gone Missing April 27, 2025 Exodus 14:10-20 Exodus 13:21-22 Key Points God's not missing. You've just lost perspective. Perspective helps us determine who is fighting the [...]

Main Theme: Jesus' triumphal entry demonstrates his humility, kingship, and worthiness of praise, calling believers to surrender their burdens, offer their lives in service, and recognize his present-day relevance. Key Points: God has need of thee: Just as Jesus sent disciples for the donkey, God has a purpose for every believer today. He calls us […]

Send us a textTitle: Our Greatest Problem in Life (Romans 1:18-32)Welcome back to The Bible Project Daily Podcast, where we seek to understand how God's Word speaks to our lives today. In this episode, we confront one of the most profound questions humanity faces: What is our greatest problem in life?Many have attempted to answer this question from different perspectives. Some argue that social inequality, economic disparity, political structures, or psychological struggles are at the root of human suffering. However, the Bible presents a different perspective. According to Scripture, our fundamental issue is not merely sociological or psychological—it is theological. Our greatest problem is our broken relationship with God.Today, we will be studying Romans 1:18-32, one of the most powerful and sobering passages in all of Scripture. The apostle Paul lays out a detailed diagnosis of the human condition, revealing the consequences of humanity's rejection of God. He argues that people have deliberately suppressed the truth about God, even though His attributes are clearly displayed in creation. This suppression leads to spiritual blindness, moral corruption, and ultimately, divine judgment.Through this passage, Paul outlines a downward spiral: when people turn away from the truth of God, they fall into futile thinking, idolatry, and ultimately, self-destructive behaviors. Three times in this passage, Paul states that "God gave them over"—a chilling expression of divine judgment, where God allows people to follow their sinful desires as a consequence of their rebellion.As we unpack these verses, we will explore:How God's attributes are revealed in creation.The consequences of suppressing the truth about God.The moral and spiritual decay that results from rejecting God's truth.The reality of God's righteous judgment against sin.This passage is not just an analysis of ancient societies; it serves as a mirror for our world today. It challenges us to examine our hearts, recognize our tendency to suppress God's truth, and turn back to Him in repentance.Episode Notes:Scripture Reference: Romans 1:18-32Main Theme: Humanity's greatest problem is not social, political, or psychological—it is theological. Our rejection of God leads to moral and spiritual corruption.Key Points:God's wrath is revealed against human ungodliness and unrighteousness.Humanity suppresses the truth about God, despite clear evidence in creation.This suppression leads to idolatry, moral decline, and divine judgment."God gave them over"—a terrifying phrase that highlights the consequences of rejecting God.The passage serves as both a warning and a call to repentance.Stay with us as we dive into this challenging yet necessary discussion. Let's seek a biblical understanding of our greatest problem and how Christ provides the only true solution.Thank you for tuning in to The Bible Project Daily Podcast. If this episode has challenged or encouraged you, consider sharing it with others. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss future episodes as we continue our journey through the Book of Romans.Support the showFor an ad-free version of my podcasts plus the opportunity to enjoy hours of exclusive content and two bonus episodes a month whilst also helping keep the Bible Project Daily Podcast free for listeners everywhere support me at;|PatreonSupport me to continue making great content for listeners everywhere.https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com

Restoring the Mandate of Audacious Faith ON EARTH Dr. Okronipa emphasized that God is calling His children to audacious faith, drawing from 1 John 5:4, Habakkuk 2:4, and Daniel 11:32. Key Points: God is Raising a Generation of Faith: God is raising a generation of people who will be mandated with the supernatural power of God to manifest the power of God at will. The tool for this is faith. Faith is a Spiritual Virtue: Faith is a spiritual virtue with limitless capacity for progress. It is a spiritual explosive that can destroy the powers of darkness and cause the saint to walk in dominion. Faith Makes the Impossible Possible: What is possible with God is also possible to the man of faith, because when you have faith, you enter into the God-realm, where all things are possible to you (Luke 1:37). Declaration: "Faith Convention is not just another programme; it is a divine platform for the conferment of our inheritance and dominion. And the tool we must wield is faith!"

Restoring the Mandate of Audacious Faith ON EARTH Dr. Okronipa emphasized that God is calling His children to audacious faith, drawing from 1 John 5:4, Habakkuk 2:4, and Daniel 11:32. Key Points: God is Raising a Generation of Faith: God is raising a generation of people who will be mandated with the supernatural power of God to manifest the power of God at will. The tool for this is faith. Faith is a Spiritual Virtue: Faith is a spiritual virtue with limitless capacity for progress. It is a spiritual explosive that can destroy the powers of darkness and cause the saint to walk in dominion. Faith Makes the Impossible Possible: What is possible with God is also possible to the man of faith, because when you have faith, you enter into the God-realm, where all things are possible to you (Luke 1:37). Declaration: "Faith Convention is not just another programme; it is a divine platform for the conferment of our inheritance and dominion. And the tool we must wield is faith!"

The Courage to Stand February 23, 2025 Joshua 6 Joshua 7 Key Points God commanded Joshua to "stand up" when he was in mourning and confusion. Grieving over [...]

On The Field February 9, 2025 Hebrews 10:38 Hebrews 12:1-2 Hebrews 11:1 Hebrews 10:23-25 Key Points God is not a fan of "fans". In the Bible, [...]

Episode 429 of the Reformed Brotherhood, Tony and Jesse explore the topic of hearing God's voice and discerning His guidance in everyday decisions. The discussion begins with an affirmation of God's active presence in the lives of believers through the Holy Spirit and transitions into a theological exploration of how the Spirit leads Christians today. The hosts tackle common questions such as how to determine God's will in decisions like career choices, relationships, and daily activities, emphasizing the importance of wisdom, prayer, and reliance on God's Word. The episode delves into the distinction between natural and supernatural guidance, challenging the notion that the Holy Spirit only works through overtly miraculous means. Instead, Tony and Jesse highlight the Spirit's continuous involvement in sanctifying believers and guiding them through ordinary means, such as the application of God's moral law, personal inclinations shaped by biblical principles, and the counsel of mature Christians. They also discuss the balance between trusting God's sovereignty and taking active responsibility in decision-making. Listeners are encouraged to develop a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit's work in their lives, not only in significant decisions but also in the seemingly mundane moments of daily life. With practical advice on seeking wise counsel, evaluating personal gifts, and aligning decisions with God's revealed will, the episode offers a comprehensive guide to navigating life's choices with faith and confidence in the Spirit's leading. Key Points: God's Will and the Holy Spirit's Guidance: The Holy Spirit primarily leads believers through God's Word and the moral law, but He also uses natural means like personal inclinations and external circumstances to guide decisions. The Role of Wisdom and Counsel: Christians are encouraged to seek advice from pastors, mature believers, and their church communities as part of discerning God's will. Balancing Natural and Supernatural Guidance: While acknowledging that the Holy Spirit can work supernaturally, the hosts emphasize His ordinary, continuous work in sanctifying believers and leading them toward holiness. Practical Decision-Making: The episode provides a framework for decision-making, including evaluating moral considerations, personal desires, and practical constraints while trusting God's sovereignty. Questions for Reflection: How can I better recognize the Holy Spirit's work in my daily life and decision-making process? What steps can I take to seek wisdom and counsel when faced with a major decision? How does understanding God's moral law help me align my choices with His will? How can I grow in trusting God's sovereignty while taking responsibility for my actions?

Key Points: - God cares about us; He saved Bryan's Mom and Grandfather - He lost half of his friends, then the other half - He got a new set of friends (really family) - Everybody notices when you truly get saved

The Fullness of Your Inheritance November 17, 2024 Galatians 3 Galatians 4 Hebrews 4:16 Romans 5:5 Mark 14:36 Romans 8:38-39 Key Points God sent [...]

Remember You Belong October 27, 2024 Luke 22:19 John 3:16 Ephesians 1:3-4 John 15:13-15 Romans 7:18-19 Colossians 2:13-15 Key Points God helps us create [...]

Feeling stressed or overwhelmed? In this powerful sermon, Pastor Eric Thomas uses lyrics from Miguel's hit song "Sure Thing"—"Bet that, never gotta sweat that"—to remind us that when you bet on God, you never have to worry about the outcome. No matter what chaos or challenges you face, God's promises are always a sure thing. If you're tired of carrying the weight on your own, this message will show you how to let go of stress and fully trust that God has everything under control. He won't fail you—ever. Key Points: God is a Sure Thing: Why you can always count on Him, no matter the situation. How to release stress and trust in God's perfect plan. Strategic warfare: while the enemy may have a plan, God's plan is always greater. Stop worrying—when you bet on God, you never have to sweat it! Scripture Reference: Jeremiah 29:11 — "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Willing or Not September 1, 2024 Isaiah 6:1-8 Jonah 1:1-3 Jonah 2:8-10 Jonah 3:3-5 Jonah 4:1-3 Matthew 28:19-20 Key Points God has good plans [...]

Ever wonder how God can transform your darkest moments into a beacon of hope? This week on an exciting NEW episode of Faith on Fire, we welcome our new co-host Javier Oguin, a man whose incredible journey from addiction, homelessness, and gang life to a life filled with purpose and divine grace will leave you inspired.Javier's powerful testimony serves as a vivid reminder that God's grace and mercy are everlasting, urging us all to lock into our divine purpose with a sense of urgency.Remember, your story isn't just for you—it's a lifeline for others navigating their own personal battles.To cap off this powerful episode, we encourage you to share your faith actively through social media, igniting the fire of God in others' lives. Join us, Rob Dawson and Javier Oguin, as we hope to inspire and uplift you for another amazing week. Hallelujah!Key Points:God can take your mess and turn it into a message! [1:55]People need what you have. It's not about you. [3:19]We must have a focus and concentration to the assignment God has for our lives. "Are you in alignment with the assignment God has for your life?" [8:40]Scripture References:"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God." - 2 Corinthians 10:5-6"IT IS WRITTEN". Matthew 4:4-7The Story of the Lame man healed at the gate called Beautiful. - Acts 3:1-10Connect with Us:Website: https://robdawson.tv/faithonfire/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faithonfiretv/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faithonfiretv/ https://www.instagram.com/robdawson/ https://www.instagram.com/javier__olguin/Join the Conversation: Use the hashtag #FaithOnFirePodcast or #FOFPod on social media to join the discussion and share your thoughts on this episode. Take a screenshot and tag us in your next post. We love hearing from our listeners!Support the Show: If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcast, sharing it with your friends, or supporting us by sharing one of our favorite clips. We love our Fire Squad. Keep going hard and burning bright for Jesus!- Rob & Javi

Unlock The Blessing June 30, 2024 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 2 Corinthians 8:1-12 Key Points God's impact is not limited to your generosity, but our level of generosity controls [...]

Summary of Roland's Sermon: Coping with death (Genesis 23) This sermon focuses on Genesis 23 and explores the themes of faith, God's promises, and perseverance even in the face of difficulty. Context: Follows the story of Abraham being tested by God, where he was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22). Chapter 23 bridges a 20-year gap with little explanation of what happened during that time. Key Points: God's faithfulness: Even though there seems to be a pause in God's plan, He is still working behind the scenes. Abraham's faith: Despite loss and unanswered questions, Abraham continues to trust God's promises. Sarah's legacy: Though not perfect, Sarah plays a vital role in God's plan as the future mother of nations. (Galatians 3:29) The importance of faith: Examples of Abraham and Sarah's faith are given to illustrate the importance of believing in God's promises, even when things seem difficult. (Hebrews 11:11) Abraham's purchase of the field: Symbolic of claiming the promised land, even though it wouldn't be fully his in his lifetime. Demonstrates his belief that God would keep His promises to him and his descendants. Death and the Christian Hope: Death is not the end for believers. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57) Christians have the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ. (John 3:16) Core Message: God is faithful and keeps His promises, even when we can't see how. We are called to live by faith, trusting in Him even in the midst of life's challenges. Bible References: Genesis 18:14 Genesis 22 Genesis 23 Galatians 3:29 Hebrews 11:11 John 3:16 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 Transcript Is that better? I agreed to do this a few months ago and then I looked at it, I just gulped and I thought, well, it's probably one of the shortest chapters in Genesis, Genesis chapter 23. And it's basically the death of Sarah, that's Abraham's wife. Then Abraham buys a field with a cave in it and then he buries his wife. And that's it. I think there's a little bit more to it than that and we're going to find out. I do like the scriptural accounts of people in the Bible because it just tells you everything about them, the good points, the failures, the difficulties. And we have, I think chapter 23 in my mind is a bit of a transition chapter because it's all about Abraham and Sarah. And it's all about God's promises to Abraham. And of course his main promise is that Abraham and Sarah would have a son called Isaac and through Isaac all the nations of the earth would be blessed. We're going to come to look at that in a moment. Chapter 22 is from what you heard last week from Andy was about Abraham being tested, God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. And it's difficult to get your head around this. The promise of God is that he would give them a son, Isaac, and the covenant, that agreement that God had made between himself and his people would be that Isaac would be the means of the blessing of God upon the earth. And yet he asks him to sacrifice his son and he went through all that yesterday. We come to chapter 23 and in effect there's a leap forward in time. There's about 20 years gap. There's nothing said what's happened in that 20 years. It's estimated that Isaac would be in his late teens and then it goes silent. What is happening? Has God gone off for a nap, a break? Has God gone away? And it just struck me that whilst there are gaps, life goes on. God is still at work whether you see it or not, whether you feel it or not, even though it feels like you're not working is working. Yeah, even when we don't see that you're working is still working. And chapter 23 in effect is a bit of a transition as I've said. It's from Abraham and Sarah and now with Sarah's death there is going to be a transition from Abraham to Isaac. We'll read in that in the next chapters. Very little is said about the nature circumstances of Sarah's death. Sometimes death comes unexpectedly through accident or some other cause or through a period of prolonged illness and decline. But we're not told anything about that. The scripture is very, very scant on that. It simply says in chapter 23, we'll read chapter 23 and then we'll get into this. So it says this, Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kiriath Abba, that is Hebron, in the land of Canaan and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her. Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said, I am an alien and a stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead. The Hittites replied to Abraham, sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead. It just struck me as I was reading this, the choicest of our tombs. You know, the choicest of wine, the choicest of fair food. The choicest of our tombs. Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. He said to them, if you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf. So he will sell me the cave of Machpelon which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you. Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. No, my lord, he said, listen to me. I give you the field and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead. Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land and he said to Ephron in their hearing, listen to me if you will. I will pay the price of the field. Accept it from me so I can bury my dead there. It's a bit of a to and fro negotiation this isn't it? Ephron answered Abraham, listen to me my lord the land is worth 400 shekels of silver but what is that between me and you? Bury your dead. Abraham agreed to Ephron's terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites. 400 shekels of silver according to the weight current among the merchants. So Ephron's field in Machpelah near Mamre both the field and the cave in it and all the trees within the borders of the field were deeded to Abraham as his property. In the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of the city. Afterwards Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre which is at Hebron in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave in it were deeded to Abraham by the Hittites as a burial site. In Sarah's death in burial in the way that Abraham dealt with this there is the promise of God there is faith in the promises of God that God is happened through this bizarre situation as it were. We're told that Sarah is 127 years old. Abraham is 137 years old and Isaac is about 37 years old. They were living in Hebron in a place in Hebron near Mamre. Mamre is about 20 miles south of what would become Jerusalem. Not there yet but it's the promise it's the promise it's what is what they're seeing. God plays them strategically to accomplish his plans his purposes over generations and over hundreds and over thousands of years. What are we told about Abraham's reaction? Again in verse it's in verse two isn't it? And Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her. There's quite strong words behind that when it says he went to mourn her and to weep over her. There was a real sense of loss bereavement something part of him had gone. It was a major blow a major loss but it was a time to reflect on all that they did and all they had experienced in God. I'm not quite sure why I've got this passage but I do really do believe that we need to look at Sarah and Sarah lived a long life with many ups and downs and difficulties and errors and things done wrong. Actually it's the same as you and me and I'm so refreshed that God picks ordinary people not special people because they're good and they've got it all sorted but because in the messed upness of life God can work. It's interesting to note that I think I'm writing saying that Sarah her name was the only female name that God changed. It was from Sarah to Sarah from my princess princess and in God's plans and purposes there was something about God using Sarah as well as Abraham to declare his promises and declare his covenant. That Sarah would become mother of nations mother of nations yet to come. All the nations of the earth are going to be through Isaac. Well at the moment it's Isaac and yet she declared and it's declared over her that she would be mother of nations mother of kings of peoples mother of a royal line of kings from king David from whom Jesus the savior would come and I've been about just thinking for Christmas one of the Christmas carols once in royals David's city stood a lowly cattle shed. God's plans and purposes through his covenant with Abraham and Isaac then Jacob runs throughout the old testament is all leading to Jesus coming and Jesus being born in the situation where he was being born with his lineage both through Joseph and Mary made him made Jesus to be of the line the lineage of David king David. It's a covenant promise to Abraham and Sarah it's a it's a promise that is repeated to Isaac through your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. Sarah's faith in God's promises we've seen that twice Abraham had passed off Sarah as being his sister which was half a truth because she was half sister twice that happened and in both situations in the situation with Hagar Sarah's maidservant she persuaded Abraham to take Hagar and to have a son and Ishmael was produced but that was not God's plan that was not God's promise God intervened in that situation when Hagar and Ishmael were banished they were sent away again God intervened and although the although Ishmael was not God's plan nevertheless God blessed him and said he would be the the source of a great nation when the three visitors in chapter 18 declared that Abraham and Sarah would have a son in their old age God was intervening Sarah be told laughed but it just says this in chapter 18 verse 14 she did she just declared when she laughed she says this is anything too hard for the Lord and just going back there was a double whammy first of all she would secondly she was well beyond the age of bearing children yeah and yet yeah and yet the three visitors declared this time next year you're going to have a son God can do anything think about it God can do anything God is not restricted by physical limitations God is not restricted by the the mess that the the the things that we do that bring about shall we say disasters in some cases but we believe he is a miracle working God that out out of what appears to be disaster out of what appears to be chaos God can come in God can can intervene as it were and I just want these are examples to us these were people of faith if we are people of faith we should have that expectation that God can do and wants to use us and it's not because we're really good people because we're not really are we but it's because of his covenant towards us God's heart is that he wants a people a people of his own a people called by his own name and that's come down that's come down the the the generations and the years and the same applies God today wants a people for his own a people by his own name hey that's me and you cheer up could be worse could be worse one act of believing faith can have long lasting impact and outworking from Sarah's son Isaac came multitudes and nations and kings he's the God he's God who doesn't change he's the same yesterday today forever what's the scriptural verdict on Sarah having a very much ups and down moments we see there's a verse in Galatians 3 29 and the apostle Paul is simply talking about the sons of God if you belong to Christ he's telling the Christians if you belong to Christ then you are Abraham's seed not a natural lineage link but it's a spiritual link if we are in Christ if we have accepted Christ spiritually in our hearts then we are of Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise to the covenant of God so by virtue of coming into Christ we are part of God's great plan God's great purpose for the world that we live in and the obvious one is in Hebrews 11 when it simply says this by faith Abraham even though he was past age and Sarah herself was barren was unable to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise it wasn't because they could do it they couldn't do it themselves but God caused it to happen and so from this one man and he as good as dead and nice well how are you feeling good as dead today good as dead good as dead came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore wow that's the verdict yes she didn't get she didn't get everything right neither did Abraham but God's promise is God's promise even in the mess even in the mess up that we make God doesn't write us off God is with us God helps us through God restores us and we need to get hold of that because I believe I don't know what Sarah's thoughts were when she saw eyes growing up and she was thinking back to Hagar and Ishmael I don't know she I expect there would be a sense of guilt and shame actually in that yet yet God was at work in her and she saw by faith something something by faith that was just at that point a boy growing up to be a man so the next bit is about the field of Ephron very quickly the custom was that in these days that when members of the family died you took them back to the ancestral home and buried them in their lands I guess in various conversations I've had with with Jeff and Pauline in India about what happens if one of us well one of you don't die and just as and just just just checking it's fun isn't it when you're traveling with people what kind of things you discuss what what happens lots of people will bring the body home to bury I think Jeff and Pauline have rather radical ideas but he is where we drop amen so if Abraham was going to do that he would have to go back to where did he come from Ur of the Chaldeans wherever that was it is it's a long way long way up north Pauline long way up north love he would have returned to his country of origin however he negotiates a burial place in Canaan instead his wife Sarah had died without seeing the full measure of God's promise and he must be thinking well my time will be up soon Abraham is walking by faith it's not always so happened to be here the beam is being brought there by God Abraham is walking by faith and not by sight he is trusting that the same Lord who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans will also place the promised land into his hands and into the hands of his offspring therefore he seeks to own just a small parcel of land as a pledge of greater things to come and that's why this this negotiation we'll give it to you we'll give it to you we'll give it to you no there's something about this is my land I want it to be my land this is what is going to come to the people of God the promised land it starts here it's interesting that they are in Canaan Canaanites from Canaan the grandchild of Noah Canaan I think yes one of Noah's offspring but it's also the area that would be known around Jerusalem in Israel it was important that it didn't just have a piece of land but he had ownership of it and in a sense he was saying that this plot of land is a deposit it's a deposit that guarantees the full inheritance so 146 you know I believe by faith we've got 146 whether it's going to be in my lifetime or not it will be renovated I really believe that by faith by faith by faith but there's something in Abraham that he's got hold of he can see beyond the immediate practical situations of life immediate practical situations of life and everything that's happening he can see beyond that and he can see that God has made a covenant and God's working out his covenant and who knows what what part we've got to play in things the little parts that we get to play in but but we need to have that sense of vision that sense of of knowing that you know it's bigger than us actually it's bigger than me it's bigger than us together it's God at work God's doing something and as we kind of get hold of that we begin to see we begin to do things and we begin to see God work and and that's what I that's what excites me it's not the kind of things that the programs we're putting on it's the things that God uses those things to reach people we're in a baptism again and I think what the the great joy is is the last few baptisms is it's been people who have come through into faith with Jesus and that's just absolutely wonderful and it's ordinary people some of them unlikely people who probably don't consider themselves anything special or significant but they're the people God wants to reach God to to to show to show his love too so the field of Ephron Abraham knows that the whole land of Canaan is rightfully is due course and he's prepared to pay the price 400 shekels of silver was an awful lot of money and elsewhere I think in Jeremiah and and somewhere else in the old testament there are plots of land in that area sold one of them was for 17 17 shekels of silver and the other one was for I think 40 silver so Ephron's generous gift of 400 400 shekels of silver Abraham said it's worth paying it's worth paying it's it's more than that just that piece of land I want to say that 146 is more than just one it's what it opens us up to us what God wants to do through that facility it's bricks and mortar folks but God can use us and what we do in here out there out in the neighborhood to make known Jesus to so many John Calvin writes that Abraham bought the field in order that he might not possess a foot of land by the gift of any man he did not want to be beholden to obliged to any man he bought it for God I believe it was an act of faith I think it was faith it was God's promised land and that's what he wanted and finally he simply says once once the sale had been signed and sealed he then buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field we know as Christians that death was never meant to be part of the creative order it came in through chapter three Genesis the fall of man for Christians for those who believe in Jesus death is not a final tragedy it isn't the end point it isn't the the finish in in Hollybush when I was at Hollybush a few years ago helping out there they would use a term this person that person they've been promoted to glory promoted to glory is it salvation I'm sure they did they picked it up because because they were all getting old anyway but apart from that it is it is the promise it is the faith they profess it's not it's not I sometimes I listen to stuff on the radio usually radio 4 and there's all kinds of twaddle quite honestly but you know there's still you know well we don't like to think that it's it's that death's it that's it we don't like to think it no well that's that's true but some people insist that that's it you're born you live you die end of end of end of that's not our God that's not from God God does things when he's thinking about thousands of years time I don't know I don't know where we'll be as a church in 20 years time 30 years time might be I might be around I don't know but I'd like to think that we are part of something that we are seeing by faith as Abraham did when we deal with bereavement death it isn't the final tragedy for us we find it a great opportunity to display our faith in God when we are face to face with the grave excuse me and that Easter refrain oh grave where is oh grave oh death where is your sting oh grave where is your victory victory but thanks be to God in Jesus in Jesus there is eternal life for God so loved the world that he gave his only son Jesus that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life however good it is for you here on earth it's far far better in his presence and from my little bit of knowledge of C.F. Lewis I just remember one of one of the the chronicles where they talk about heaven I suppose they're referring to heaven and it's like it's like the earth but everything is brighter and sharper than what we see on earth and yet so often what we see is what we feel is the reality the reality is we have a destination we have a place we know where we're going to and it will be far far far better there than it is here this is the glorious hope that we have and whether whether we're around when Jesus returns come Lord Jesus quickly we pray but if not then we by faith will rise when Jesus returns we will rise and we will join him in the air it tells us so that's part of the promise that we have part of the covenant that we have part of the covenant that we have that comes through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and then through Jesus a bit of a bizarre ramble through that chapter but there are lots of things in there that simply talk about the promises of God and the fact that he is a miracle working God that he uses ordinary flawed people like myself for his glory and that's God's mercy and grace that's God's love and commitment and all I do is say I need you Lord come to me help me amen

Daily Scripture Readings: If you're reading along with us, today's McCheyne Reading Plan passages are: Deuteronomy 18 Psalm 105 Isaiah 45 Revelation 15 Take 15-20 minutes to read these chapters, then come back and join me. Bible Focus Verse: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows, (Psalm 23:5) Summary: This episode looks at the opposition and spiritual warfare we can face when stepping into our God-given callings. It examines common fears like failure, rejection, inadequacy and how the enemy uses these to derail us. The host shares truths from Psalm 23 and practical strategies for countering the opposing forces and moving forward with confidence. Key Points: God has prepared a table of provision for us, even in the presence of enemies/opposition Common opposing fears: failure, rejection, criticism, inadequacy Truths to counter opposition: God's presence, divine provision, peace, assurance of success, identity in Christ Strategies: Stay grounded in Scripture, regular prayer, celebrate small wins, set boundaries, seek community Takeaway: Don't allow fear, doubt or the enemy's tactics to take a seat at the table God has prepared for you. Remain focused on God's assurances as you boldly move into your calling. Call to Action: Reflect on areas you're giving the enemy a foothold. Take practical steps to reclaim your space and God's peace/confidence. Closing: Subscribe at unshacklednetwork.org/bible for daily episodes via email once a week. For more inspiring content, visit FreedomStoryMedia.com. Don't forget to check out the Ordered Chaos Club, our soon-to-launch Christian Creative community at orderedchaosclub.com. Thank you for joining today's episode of Five by the Fire. Remember to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a rating as well. See you next time! Listen to the Full Devotional For Today's Readings: https://freedomstorymedia.com/fbtf164

Key Points: God of the Small Picture: God is intimately involved in the details of your life. God of the Big Picture: Human history is part of God's big story, and we are called to live for something bigger than ourselves. Scriptures Main: Acts 28:11–31 Supporting: Acts 19:21, Acts 23:11, Acts 27:23-24, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 What does it mean to live your life in a bigger story? This sermon explores how God is both the God of the small picture, intimately involved in our individual lives, and the God of the big picture, working through human history. As we conclude our journey through the book of Acts, we are called to see our lives through the lens of God's faithfulness and to live for something greater. Watch the Sermon: YouTube Stay Connected: Website: www.onetribe.church Phone/WhatsApp: +254 798 363475 YouTube: OneTribe Church Nairobi

Summary of Nick's Sermon: A Time for Every Purpose This sermon is based on Genesis 21, which tells the story of the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah. Key Points: God is Faithful: Even though it took 25 years for the promise of a child to be fulfilled, God remained faithful to his word. The Importance of Holding On: We can easily get discouraged when our prayers seem unanswered, but the story of Abraham and Sarah reminds us to hold onto faith. Laughter in the Midst of Difficulty: Laughter is a gift from God that can help us see challenges in perspective. God Uses Our Mess-Ups: Even when we make mistakes (like Sarah suggesting Hagar), God can still work through them for good. God Blesses Our Mess: We may regret our past actions, but God is gracious and can still bless us. God Works Across Divides: While there is division in the world, God seeks to bring people together and show his grace to all. Biblical References: Genesis 21:1-7 - Birth of Isaac Scripture about laughter (not mentioned but referenced in sermon): unreferenced Additional Points: The sermon references the story of doubting Thomas (John 20:24-29). The importance of looking for God working in the lives of people from different backgrounds is mentioned. Transcript Thank you, good morning. Am I on? I think I am. Can you hear me yet? Great. We are still in Genesis, you may be surprised to hear. Genesis 21 already, and just been fascinated reading these passages, hearing what people have said through different aspects of God's Word in Genesis, and it is God's Word. Let's remember that when God gives us something on a Sunday morning it's because we need to hear it, and I need to hear it. There are challenges for me in the preparation of this Word. We need to hear what God is saying. It's quite a long passage, Genesis 21, it's quite involved, there's different elements to it, and we're just going to take a wander, a wander through it, deeper than our feet could ever wander. And we're going to, yeah, just have a table. The title on the screen is A Time for Every Purpose. It's not there, it doesn't matter, but it seems like we've been following, we've arrived, the subtitle in my Bible of Genesis 21 is The Birth of Isaac, and we've been following this story of Isaac, it seems like, for as long as Sarah was. It's just been going on and on and on. You know, God said, I'm going to give you a son, and then there's the whole Ishmael story, and there's all of that, and then years pass into years, and I think we've said, wasn't it 25 years from the time of the promise up to the time of the fulfillment, and yet we've arrived. Genesis 21, the birth of Isaac. So much drama has been generated since God made that simple promise. Like we've been on the edge of the fulfillment, week on week on week. It's around every corner, it could even be today, but today, finally, the time has come, and there is a beautiful rhythm to the first few verses of Genesis 21. I don't know what version I'm using here, English standard version. It's quite good in places and quite old-fashioned in others, but we're going to read it from here. The Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as He had promised, and Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, that's true, in case we've missed it, Isaac, and Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old as God had commanded him. Makes the life of faith look very simple, doesn't it? The Lord visited Sarah as He had said and did to Sarah as He had promised, obviously, but it's not that obvious, is it? Because we're 25 years into the story, and there's been a whole load of stuff that has happened, and yet we come to this culmination, simply the Lord visited Sarah as He had said. All the years of waiting, hoping, doubting, trying to manipulate the promise, laughing at the prospect, it all came down to this, the Lord visited Sarah as He had promised. Johnny reminded us last week that God is committed to His promises, and here we see it, 25 years on, with every passing year their faith looked more and more ridiculous. Sarah got older and older, I mean these are these are crackpot people, you know there's a 99 year old lady or whatever she's saying, oh you know God's told me I'm going to have a child, oh well okay, good luck with that. God visited Sarah as He had said. One of the burdens of modern life, as you may well know, is being on hold to telephone call centers, listening to a recorded voice saying, thank you for holding, your call is important to us, and you know with every fiber of your being that your call is not important to them, otherwise they would have answered it. If you have any involvement with the Edge Center on a Thursday morning, you know that it's not true, their call is not important, and so we can spend the best part of two hours waiting to talk to somebody at Sheffield Council or whoever it is, no offense to Sheffield Council, didn't mean to mention you on the recording, just scrub that bit off, artificial intelligence. But even in the life of faith we can feel like we're in the waiting room can't we, all can feel like we're on hold. How many know what it's like to believe God for something, how hard it is as day runs into day to keep focused on what He has said, and not to be distracted, not to be discouraged, and not to let doubt overcome us, and not to make us think, well did we really dream it all up, did we have too much cheese one night, and we we really haven't heard God speak to us. We don't know what is happening, how do we keep motivated, how do we keep believing, you know your prayer is important to us, please hold on. And Abraham and Sarah were no different, they were overcome with distractions and doubt, but in the end the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, as He had said, that it's like it's almost like well obviously that was going to happen, but clearly it wasn't obvious, Sarah, but as He had said, God did it. And yet the church, the life of faith is littered with stories of people that have given up, people give up on those on those holding, on those telephone things, listening to the music over and over and over again, oh I've had enough. And the temptation is to say I've had enough. It seemed so exciting when we started, it seemed so fresh, it seemed so full of promise, it seemed like like it was going to, it was all going to make sense, it seemed like it wasn't going to be this painful, it wasn't going to be this confusing, it wasn't going to be this draining. Remember the rhythm of those verses, the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, hold on, despite the drama. Jonathan spoke to us yesterday morning about building a community church, and one of the things that he threw in was a poster that he's seen at Hollybush where with a little boy who with his head in his hands and the phrase was, it's always too soon to quit. And I think the story of Abraham and Sarah tell us it's always too soon to quit, because God does as He has said He will do, despite everything that goes on in the middle of it. And I don't know what's vexing you this morning, what is troubling you, what is eating away at your heart, what is discouraging you, what doubts are coming in, but let this word stand that God is faithful, He's faithful to His word, He's faithful to you. Johnny said God is committed to His promises and He's committed to His people, He's committed to you, it is worth holding on, hold on, come what may. And as we go through and we get to verse 6, it says that Sarah said God has made laughter for me, for everyone who hears will laugh over me. Good laughter I'm sure. God has made laughter for me. At the end of it all there must have been tears, there must have been pain, there must have been arguments in the Abraham and Sarah household. There were a few big issues weren't there over the years. But at the end of it all she could say God has made laughter for me. Laughter is a gift of grace. Don't despise laughter, it shakes our hearts free. Andy was talking earlier, it was about the pneumatic drill. Laughter is a pneumatic drill that breaks up the hardness of our hearts and the unbelief that grips us. If we can laugh when we get a grant for 20,000 and we lose one for 75,000, we can laugh because we've got the background of faith, the background of the goodness and the faithfulness of God that we know. This story of 146 is bigger than our application to Veolia or what their trustees decide or any of that, that God has showed us from the beginning that he has given us this and he's given us this land and he's given us the future and he's given us the opportunity to be part of the extension of his kingdom on this precinct, you know, subject to the decision of Veolia trustees. It's not is it? We're thankful for them and we're thankful that we can go back to them in future and we can ask them again, so think again. But we, you know, we can laugh. George MacDonald, I don't know who he is. I think he had a farm. He said, yeah, that was his dad, old MacDonald. His son George and his brother Ronald. Yeah, he said E-I-E-I-O, yeah. I thought we'd throw that in. I told you laughter was good. He said, one day, it is the heart that is unsure of its God that is afraid to laugh. It's the heart that is unsure of its God that is afraid to laugh. And we are people who live against the background of the promises of God and we shouldn't really be those who have our heads in our hands all the time. And I'm speaking as somebody who people always say to me, what's wrong? What's wrong with you? Why the frown? Why are you rubbing your head? I used to do that in Zambia, you know, it's like I'd come out of the office and everybody was sitting laughing and chatting and I'd be going like this. Rub our heads. I'm not really somebody who's always associated with laughter. Let's be honest, there's full transparency. Kizak and Sammy call me jolly old Nick and it's an exercise in sarcasm. But we shouldn't be those who have our heads in our hands and I have to learn this and we have to learn to laugh freely and unreservedly. I never really understood being not one of nature's laughers. I like making people laugh, but I don't always find it easy myself, but Toronto blessing. People were laughing all the time. 30 years ago we had this outpouring of God's Spirit on the church and there was one of them, there were lots of manifestations, some funnier than others, but there was one, the hallmark of it was laughter. People were laughing uncontrollably from nowhere and I was leading the church at the time and it was hitting our church and there were things going on and we embraced it. We wanted it. We had the meetings. We went to the prayer meetings, but I didn't get it myself in the sense of I don't know why people laughing. Think maybe I was, yeah, I'm spiritual. Oh, there we are. It started again. Yeah, so the... I don't know what I was saying, but yeah, anyway, yeah. So, but recently, this is what happened recently. About 30 years on from Toronto blessing, I was in a particular stressful situation. I used to sleep all right. Whatever happens, however stressful things get, I annoy Erica because I could just go to sleep. But one day I woke up early and started to chew over these things. I was thinking about it. And I went downstairs and started to think and I didn't particularly pray or have any particular encounter or whatever, but suddenly something like my perspective changed and I just started to laugh about the whole situation and I couldn't stop laughing about it and I just found what a liberation that was because what it was telling me was that you don't know what to do. You don't know the answer. I haven't even given you the answer, but God is in control and the people and one of the blessings of being involved in life in Africa is the way people are so ready to laugh against the background of intense suffering because, you know, because it's not flippant. It's not flippant laughter or just think of laughing, bury a head in the sand and just laugh anyway. It's actually facing, fully facing the facts that life is dreadful and there are so many challenges and there are so many unanswered questions. There are so many, so many things that people will point and say where is your God now and all of that is reality for people and yet the laughter is so near the surface. People will laugh and celebrate. I mean Alex, our friend in Kenya, when we went to see him last year just before I got sick and we were with him and he was just relaying some of the stories about the children that they were trying to support in Kenya and some of the challenges they had and some of the challenges he felt that he said I just pass them on to you because I don't have, you know, any answers and he said, he said we just look at it and we don't know what to do and we just say well Jesus is Lord and then just started laughing and laughing and laughing. Jesus is Lord, so he said, you know, it's, who was it yesterday saying oh it's God's problem. It's not flippant humor, it's laughing because we're confident in our God and as we learn and come to know the God who is faithful and certain and never lets us down then the result will be the freedom to laugh. It's a gift, you know, in the West we have so much even though we, you know, we look at our thing, oh broken Britain and it's all falling apart and NHS and blah blah blah and all of that stuff, we think, you know, we think we're hard done by but we have more than 99% of the entire world and yet we laugh the least. We have, you know, if there's nothing you can add to our life, if we don't have joy in the midst of our life, there's nothing you can add physically that will give us joy because we've got it. We've got opportunity, we've got power, we've got choice, there's money, people might feel like, oh I haven't got much money. No, you may not have much money but in terms of the context of the whole world, we've got loads of stuff. Even when people come on a Thursday and we try and help with, you know, with benefits advice, at least there are benefits to get. You know, there's a whole load of stuff that we have and we have the freedom and yet if we can't find peace in all of that, in the middle of it all, then we have a problem. So we have to discover the God who gives us laughter. Sarah said, God has made laughter for me. God has made laughter for us, not when our problems are solved. He's made laughter for us today. What problems are you carrying today? What grief are you carrying today? What sadness? What confusion are you carrying today? Because today God has made laughter for you because he's in control. He's in control. And so we move on. She said, who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I was born in a son in his old age. And then in the middle of it all, you see Abraham threw a feast to celebrate because finally they say, oh yeah, oh it actually worked out. You've been in that position before where you sort of celebrate like we're great people of faith. Abraham gets all the plaudits, doesn't he? He was a great man of faith. The Bible says he never weakened in his faith. Really? When you read through, God is so gracious. If he can say, it gives me hope for my judgment. When he looks at me, oh he never weakened in his faith. No, that was me. Man of faith and power for the hour. So he threw a feast and they celebrated because God had done what he said he would do. And in the middle of it all, Sarah looked up and she saw Hagar's son, Ishmael, laughing. Now it didn't say he was laughing at her, just that he was laughing because everybody else was laughing. Sarah was laughing, but there was something in it that pricked her. She didn't like what she saw. She didn't like the fact that he was there because he was a reminder of other things. There was this celebration that God had done what he said, and yet Sarah had actually been part of a big mess-up where they'd arranged for Abraham to have a child with Hagar, Ishmael, because they thought, well maybe this is the way that we can do it. And in the middle of it all, there is this reminder, probably I'm trying to get all confusing numbers, I think 14-year-old reminder of what she had done and what she'd been part of, and she didn't like it. And she said, send him away and send her away, banish them. Even in our blessing, even when we learn to love, there can be bitterness that controls our hearts. And she was bitter in the middle of her blessing, and she said to Abraham, take her away, send her away. Abraham, it was her who came up with the plan of course, but she didn't want him around, and Abraham was sad because it was his son. Now I read these words that come strongly, what came strongly to mind is like the link between these cross-references that come up in my mind, the link between doubting Thomas and Sarah, that Thomas, when Jesus was resurrected from the dead, he said, actually I'm not sure I believe it, but I want to put my hand in his side and my fingers in the holes in his hands, and then I will believe. And so Jesus graciously offered himself to him and said, here, put your fingers in here, put your hand in my side. And Thomas said, no, now I believe, now I've seen. And he said, blessed are you because you have seen and believed, but more blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. And Sarah was one of those who, yes, she saw the goodness of God. God is faithful even when we are faithless. He carries us through, but she marred her experience of the goodness of God because she messed it up in the middle, and she had a constant reminder of what she had done. I mean, I've been in so many situations, and we try and encourage one another with it, or when you think, when you see God is faithful all the way through, and somehow you know that at the end of it all, we're going to be laughing, we're going to be saying, well, God is great, God does all things well. And yet there's still that angst in the middle, and there's still that question, you know, what's going to happen? And there's a constant challenge that I bring to myself, so I don't really want to feel foolish at the end of it all. God will always be faithful, but I don't want to feel foolish when he is, when he shows himself good, and when he shows himself strong, and when he does what we know that he always does. I don't want to say, yeah, but I let the side down in the process. I got discouraged, I got fed up, I got impatient, and Sarah's joy was clouded by the memory and the reminder of what she did. More blessed it would have been to hold on to the promises of God relentlessly, and to see what he was able to do. The Lord visited Sarah as he had said he would do, and yet she received it. God is good, but she messed it up in the process, and there was pain, and there was bitterness as a result. God grants her request, and he said, you can read through the passage later, he said, okay, he told Abraham to do it, tell her to go away, give her some water, give her what she needs, and send her away into the wilderness. But he came to Abraham privately, and said, don't worry, I'm still going to bless him because he's your son. The grace and the kindness of God, even in our mess, God is able to bless our mess. God didn't join in the battle and say, yeah, I don't like them either, get rid of them. He said, I'm going to make him a great nation because he comes from you. Isaac is the child of the promise, but Ishmael is your child, and I will bless him. And so Hagar goes into the wilderness, and she gets to the point of giving up hope, and she even said, well, I'm going to put my child under this bush, and I'm going to turn away because I'm not going to look on the death of my child. She was expecting him to die there in the desert, and then God heard them and spoke to them and said, up, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation. Sarah saw Hagar and Ishmael as a sharp reminder of what had gone wrong. God used the opportunity to show grace in the middle of the mess. God is gracious. Who has a track record that is perfect? No arms are going up. I presume that's because you're shy. I know you're all very, very spiritual. God blesses our mess. We can all look back with regret. We can all look back with uncertainty. We can all look back and think, I wish it hadn't been that way. I wish I had maintained a faith. I wish I'd been stronger in my belief and in my declaration of the praise of God. The songs that we sing say, I'll praise God in the goodness and in the dark days. I'll praise God when things are going well, and I'll praise Him when they're not. I'll praise Him when I'm healthy. I'll praise Him when I'm sick. It doesn't always work out that way, does it? We like to have the results in front of us, and yet we can look back and we can see, actually, there are times in our lives that we regret. We regret our response to God. We regret the words that we've spoken. We regret the prayers we haven't prayed. We regret the unbelief we've expressed. We regret it, but God blesses our mess as well as our success. Historically, you know, Ishmael is the father of the Arabic nations, and there is a story right up to the present day. You only have to turn on the news. See, there is enmity, there is division, there is hatred between races and cultures, going all the way back to these roots. In our election and all of that that's going on, there are people that will want to stoke culture wars and divisions between any number of groups in society, whether it's between Christian and Muslim, whether it's between black and white, whether it's between rich and poor, wherever the division falls, people want to stoke that. And what we find is that God is a gracious God, and we don't find Him taking one side or another of a culture war. We find Him in the middle of it all, that God is able to say, I will bless Ishmael and make Him a great nation. And it reminds us that in a world that is built on hatred and division and separation, that Ishmael's descendants are our brothers. And so we must pray for them, and we must pray for people. We must look for the grace of God that links across. We must find out where He is. You know, I was brought up in a sort of a reformed tradition. I said, well, not brought up, but the church that I joined was very much reformed in its theology. What that means is that there was a very heavy emphasis on the Reformation, the Protestant tradition, and all of that. And so there was a sense that there was nothing particularly good about Catholic theology or Catholic doctrine or Catholic tradition. And we were brought up with the history of the wars and things that had gone wrong. And so you sort of brought up that suspicion and that uncertainty about things. And then I got into a meeting that I didn't intend to get into, where there was a man from our local Catholic church, and he was talking about how he visited a shrine where the Virgin Mary had appeared to different people, and they got healed of different things. And it all just sounded really weird. I thought, I don't need to listen to this. But as he got to speak and as he got to explain, and he talked about how he encountered God, how he encountered Jesus in that place, and he said, and all the stories about Mary and everything went to one side, and it ended up just glorifying Jesus about what he'd encountered there. And it really challenged my mind and challenged my thinking to say, actually, in the middle of where I think I've got God on my side, we find him crossing barriers and crossing boundaries. And so in all the culture wars that we've got going on, whether it's to do with, there can be anything. It could be, like I say, it could be where we come from, our background. It could be the sexuality and gender issues. It can be abortion. It can be all of those things. Yet what we need to do is look for God in the middle of all those things. If you read the stories of the 24-7 prayer movement and the way that they've been able to connect with people from every different background and every different lifestyle and every different thing, they said they already find God already there in the middle of it all. And God is able to make himself known. He doesn't wait for people to become like us in order to meet them or to speak them or to deal with their lives or to show them grace or to show them mercy. I have one friend who's a Muslim lady, and she's very outspoken, very gregarious, very funny. She lives in Zambia, and she said to me that she, because the expatriate community in Zambia has a lot of missionaries in it, and so she would come up again. She said to us actually, I think it was a compliment, she said, you're the first Christians that I've met that don't want to argue with me. And she said she had a problem. One lady came to her and said her opening gambit in conversation was, you're going to burn in hell. And she said, oh, well, at least I won't be alone because you'll be there with me. And that's the sort of humor that she's got. But as you get to know her and as you get to talk to her, you find out there is a great pain and great suffering and great grief that has gone on in her life, and yet she's able to articulate how she met Jesus in Bethlehem, near Bethlehem, where she went. She's from Lebanon, and she went there with a Christian friend, and she encountered the power and the presence of Jesus in that place. And she said her life has never been the same again. She would not identify as a Christian. She would not say that she's a Christian. She's a Muslim lady, but when you talk to her and you understand, you know that God met her personally. God is able to cross barriers that we struggle to cross. There are always treasures of grace to be found. Let's move on quickly. The passage at the end of verse 22 through to 24 is about the treaty with Abimelech. I think, again, read it. There won't be a tremendous benefit in us reading the details of it, but Abimelech was a man who recognized the grace of God in Abraham, and the two men agreed to conduct their relationship based on their reverence for God. It's a story of men being fashioned and shaped by the presence of God in their lives and by their reverence for God and their fear of God and manifesting righteousness and integrity in their dealings with one another. And quickly, as we come to a close, what I'm getting from that is that God is not just doing firework events. He's not just doing miracles in our lives, but He is slowly revealing and manifesting His character through relationships and through society. And this is the hope of revival that we have, that God would manifest Himself in our lives and our hearts to such an extent that it affects all of our relationships, all of our connections, all of our conversations, everything that happens. That's our prayer on a Thursday morning when people come in that they will, yes, they will hear the words of the Gospel, but they will also encounter the reality of changed lives and transformed lives, and we're seeing people's lives now as they come in also being transformed by the reality and the presence of God. And that's what you see in this, in the outworking of this relationship and this encounter between Abimelech and Abraham, two men that could have gone to war with each other, that could have fought each other, that could have argued with one another, that could have that could have torn each other to pieces, and yet they decided to deal with each other based on their relationship and the reverence for God. And Abraham decided to commemorate the grace and the goodness of God by planting a tree, a tamarisk tree, in verse 33. And as we draw to a close, what I want to say about this is that the message was so strong about the attitude we need when dealing with God's work in our life. He didn't throw a party or have a feast. He planted a tree. Trees are for the long term. Trees are generational. Trees span decades. When we first went to Zambia, and we bought the place that we still have there now, there was a big expanse of land at the back, very nice open space, and it was roasting hot. If you sat out there, it was like sitting in a wok, and there was just no shade anywhere. And Erica's dad was with us at the time, and we were saying to him, the problem with the garden is it's lovely, but it's just so hot. There's no shade. There's no whatever. He said, well, you could plant a tree. He said, oh, don't be ridiculous. We need some shade now. I want to wait for a tree to grow. But we did plant some trees, and now I will take you there. I just should have done it on here. I'll take you to Google Earth. You can see those trees from Google Earth. They're huge and shady and lovely, and he was a man of vision, and I wasn't. But trees are powerful. Trees tell us of, you know, trees span generations. Trees span lifetimes. They just, you know, whatever. And Abraham's moment to commemorate the goodness and the grace of God was to plant a tree, and that tells us something. He didn't just put up a banner or maybe it's not about him. There's that phrase, there's that quote that says we should plant trees the shade of which we will never sit under, and that I believe is at the heart of this church and the things that we talked about yesterday and the things that we're talking about when we look at 146 and the projects that God has given us. We are actually planting trees the shade of which we will not sit under. We're building for generations. We want to, there will be stories that we will only hear in eternity about what will happen in this place, that it will go on beyond any of us being here, and it's having that long view of the goodness and the grace of God, planting a tree to say this is how I'll remember. We are planting trees. Plant trees in your life. Don't just look for what is God going to do for me today. I think it's great when we do respond and we do pray for one another and we have an encounter with God here in the moment, but it's not about a here in the moment encounter that is going to change your life. It's going to be a tree that is planted. If God plants anything in you today, let it be a tree that changes you in 5, 10, 15, 20 years time. Don't be a Christian partygoer. Be a tree planter. And so God will do what he has promised to do. He gives us freedom to laugh. Always be grateful. Give no space to ingratitude or bitterness. God is able to bless our mess. Look for God's grace everywhere, even when you don't expect to find it. And don't throw parties, plant trees. Those are the lessons today. God bless you.

Watch Episode:  Daily Scripture Readings: If you're reading along with us, today's McCheyne Reading Plan passages are: Deuteronomy 10 Psalm 98 Isaiah 38 Revelation 8 Take 15-20 minutes to read these chapters, then come back and join me. Scripture Reading: Genesis 3:8 (ESV) And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool[a] of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Key Points: God created the Garden of Eden as a place of perfect harmony and communion with Him Adam and Eve walked with God in intimacy and trust, not just gaining knowledge The temptation was to seek knowledge over relationship/intimacy with God Today, we can feel spiritually dry despite having access to immense biblical knowledge Our primary calling is to walk intimately with God, not just know about Him Practical tips for intimacy: daily quiet times, journaling, nature walks, sabbath rest, community Takeaway: "It's not about what you know, but who you're with. The vibrant life we long for is found in intimacy with Jesus, not just knowledge accumulation." Closing: Subscribe at unshacklednetwork.org/bible for daily episodes via email once a week. For more inspiring content, visit FreedomStoryMedia.com. Don't forget to check out the Ordered Chaos Club, our soon-to-launch Christian Creative community at orderedchaosclub.com. Be blessed and be a blessing. Thank you for joining today's episode of Five by the Fire. Remember to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a rating as well. See you next time! Listen to the Full Devotional For Today's Readings: https://freedomstorymedia.com/fbtf157

Don't Worry About The Whether May 19, 2024 Deuteronomy 1:9-27 Genesis 12:1-3 Numbers 13 Key Points God has freed you from captive to calling. God's plan is [...]

Speaker: Robert Vona Opening Scripture: Exodus 25:8-9, "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it." Episode Summary: In this sermon, Pastor Vona emphasizes the transformative power of God's grace and mercy. He discusses the significance of the blood of Jesus as the ultimate qualifier for our relationship with God, overshadowing all human qualifications. The sermon highlights the importance of personal experiences with God's mercy, using biblical narratives from Exodus and Genesis to illustrate how God desires to commune with his people and provide them with rest and peace. The sermon encourages listeners to carry the mercy of God into every interaction and to live as conduits of His grace. Key Points: God's Invitation and Human Qualification: The only qualification to stand before God is through the blood of Jesus, which covers our sins and allows us communal access to God's presence. Purpose and Peace through God's Presence: The speaker describes how God's mercy is designed not just to save us but to give us peace and a sense of purpose, using the sanctuary (Tabernacle) as a metaphor for God dwelling among His people. The Importance of Mercy: Emphasizing mercy over judgment, the sermon explores how the mercy seat in the Tabernacle represents God's desire to meet and commune with His people in a place of forgiveness rather than condemnation. Living Out God's Mercy: Encourages believers to carry the mercy they've received into their everyday interactions, suggesting that how one handles the presence of God (figuratively carrying the 'ark') is crucial in their Christian walk. Practical Faith in Action: The sermon calls for a living faith that goes beyond knowledge and ritual into a dynamic relationship with God, which involves regular engagement with Scripture and a personal commitment to embodying God's love and mercy in the world.

Summary of Sermon: Big Questions About God This sermon explores the story of Abraham and Sarah from Genesis 18, focusing on the themes of faith, prayer, and God's character. The passage: Abraham is visited by three strangers who turn out to be angels. They tell him Sarah will have a son despite her old age. Sarah laughs in disbelief, but God hears her and questions her lack of faith. Key Points: God's Immensity: - We can't limit God by our understanding. - Even when things seem impossible, God can do more than we imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Truth and Grace: - God desires truthfulness, but He also offers forgiveness (shown by Sarah's lie and God's continued presence). Imposter Syndrome and God's Love: - We may feel like frauds, but God's love is unconditional. Prayer as Invitation: - Prayer is a conversation, an opportunity to participate in God's plans. - Like a parent including a child in a task, God invites us to be involved. Abraham's Intercession: - Abraham prays for Sodom and Gomorrah, arguing for justice and the preservation of the righteous. - This act highlights the power of prayer and our ability to intercede for others. God's Justice and Mercy: - The story raises the question: Can God be both Just and Merciful? - The sermon suggests the answer is found in Jesus, who satisfies both by paying the penalty for our sins. Does Prayer Change God's Mind?: - The sermon argues that prayer doesn't change God's ultimate plan, but it can change how He accomplishes it. - In this case, God rescues Lot from Sodom showing a different, better outcome than Abraham anticipated. **Ending**: The sermon concludes with a prayer thanking God for His love and mercy, acknowledging Jesus' sacrifice, and asking for the continued work of God's word in the listener's life. Transcription I'm going to read the first part now then I'll talk about it and then she'll come back and read the second part. And I'm reading from the New Living Translation. The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the Oak Grove belonging to Marmory. On Sunday Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day and he looked up and he noticed three men standing nearby. Well when he saw them he ran to meet them and welcomed them bowing low to the ground. My Lord he said, if it pleases you stop here awhile rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet and since you've honoured your servant with this visit let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey. All right he said, do as you have said. So Abraham ran back to the tent and he said to Sarah, hurry get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough and bake some bread. Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant who quickly prepared it and when the food was ready Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat and he served it to the men and as they ate Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees. Where is your, Sarah your wife the visitors asked. Oh she's inside the tent Abraham replied and then one of them said, I will return to you about this time next year and your wife Sarah will have a son. Well Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent and Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time and Sarah was long past the age of having children so she laughed silently to herself and said, how could a worn out woman like me enjoy such pleasure especially when my master my husband is also so old and then the Lord said to Abraham, why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say can an old woman like me have a baby? Is anything too hard for the Lord and I will return about this time next year and Sarah will have a son and Sarah was afraid so she denied it saying, I didn't laugh but the Lord said, no you did laugh. Thank you and let's have the first slide up about it, we can go on to the second slide. I don't know if somebody said to you that the Lord had appeared to them what do you think that might look like, what would you expect? I'm guessing you might expect them to describe the experience and what they felt like but this passage isn't like that at all, we're not told how anybody felt and in fact a big chunk of what Anne's just read was full of the case study arrangements and it's very down to earth and concrete and you might wonder what was going on but you know for me one of the things that tells me it just it feels so authentic you know if you ask me can I remember anything I was doing on the 22nd of November last year I would say I'm not close but I could look at my diary couldn't have I have absolutely no recollection of that day whatsoever even only it was last year but you know I couldn't remember where I was and what I was doing and what I was going to eat and who said what on the 22nd of November 1963 even though I was only eight years old why was that because that was that was when John F Kennedy was assassinated and I can remember I can remember the where the when the what the how and it seems to be you know Abraham and Sarah had the experience of God and so all these little details that would otherwise inconsequential are imprinted on their mind it says in Hebrews that sometimes we can entertain angels without realizing it but I think I think Abraham did realize something and by the end he realized a lot more because he will have an experience of God next slide yeah so um Abraham and Sarah are old and you let's capture the scene as it was described in the passage Abraham and Sarah is inside the tent and if you've ever been camping you know about being inside you can hear pretty much exactly what's going on outside the tent but other people can't see you so she's in the tent and she's listening and the three visitors are outside the tent talking to Abraham and actually it says that they had their back to the tent and Sarah laughs but she doesn't laugh out loud she laughs to herself so how on earth did they know how on earth did they know and who does that remind us of who else do we read about in scripture who knew what was in people's heart before they spoke and we think of a story like in John 1 about Jesus and Nathaniel we think about it described elsewhere and it's from this point on in the passage that the the main figure of the three described as the Lord because that's the point when they realized only God himself could have known this and and the story begins with Abraham but actually it's clear that the focus isn't on Abraham it's actually on Sarah it's on one hurting woman and that's what the focus is on even when the spokesman when the Lord says to Abraham what's going to happen doesn't say you know Abraham I'll be back next year and you'll be a father is Abraham I'll be back next year and Sarah will hold the baby at her arms so he's Sarah is in focus here and and and Sarah I feel for Sarah you know she's been through a lot in life and in faith her life has not been easy she has longed to have a child and it has not happened she has longed for prayer to be answered she's longed for the promise of God to be fulfilled and it has not happened she has experienced failure you know she was the one with the idea about the servant girl Hagar and that she experienced failure and disappointment and I've taken this slide from reading from a translation of the Hebrew by Robert Alter Robert Alter is a professor of Hebrew he's a Jewish actually a Jewish professor of Hebrew at the University of California in Berkeley and I use his translation because he sticks very close to the original Hebrew and it brings out the emphasis on the impossibility of this and also of how Sarah was feeling about herself Abraham and Sarah were old advanced in years Sarah no longer had a woman's flow she has post-menopausal she will not conceive and and Sarah laughed I've read in one book that it's described as Sarah chuckle I don't think this is a chuckle I think this is a bitter painful laugh you know she'd had all those hopes maybe once and now some some man has showed up and reopened the whole thing again by promising her that she'll have a child again and and and she's laughed inwardly and said after being shriveled shall I have pleasure and my husband is old and Robert Oliver says the word pleasure kind of connotes sexual pleasure so not only is she post-menopausal but I mean she's not in the sex with her husband successful sex I'm not going to go into that but you know that's how she feels about this she is she is hurting and in pain next slide and the Lord said he's anything too hard for the Lord that's a good you see Sarah Sarah had been looking at her own situation and her analysis of her own situation probably wasn't wrong but God is inviting her not to look at her situation but to look at him and I think there's something something glorious in that these are words to hang on to is anything beyond the law and we'll ask probably at least a couple of years there's a verse in the New Testament I haven't been able to shake off and it's in Ephesians 3 20 actually James said that in the worship referred to it it says God is able to do immeasurably more than anything we can ask or imagine so God is able to do so much more than we can ask or imagine and I kind of want to hold on to that word and say God do in our midst things we thought impossible do more than we can imagine and and reach out beyond our own situation to the greatness of God next slide please and Sarah lied and she said I didn't laugh and he said yes you did you laughed you know God only deals in truth there is no white wash no spin no bullshit with God he only deals in truth and I'm guessing this was painful for Sarah and when God points out sin in our life that can hurt and I felt that pain but you know it's wholesome too because it's truth and and hard truth is still better than the soft lie next slide I love this and we're going to I want you to think about this and cheer up you're a worse sinner than you ever dared imagine and you're more loved than you ever dare hope I mean that's a very significant truth I mean take the first bit of it you know if you ever start to feel one really not such a bad sort after all you are deceived and in a place of danger so the truth about I don't think we should wallow in our sins I don't think we should think about our sins more than we need to repent of them but nevertheless the truth that we have sinned grossly is true about us but God loves us more than we ever thought possible and actually we can put those two things together because they're not kind of opposites they reinforce one another really put it this way have you heard of imposter syndrome so that's when you feel you're a bit of a phony a fraud and you're concerned that you might be found out maybe you think more that people just knew this or that about me they wouldn't they wouldn't think so much of me and that might be true but you know the glorious thing about this truth is that it doesn't wash with God God already knows all the truth about us the God who knows exactly how bad we are also loves us more than we can ever imagine there are no disappointments there are no things that can come out of the cupboard that are going to disappoint God God loves us knowing us exactly for who we are next slide and we need you back so we're now in Genesis still in 18 but 16 to 33 then the men got up from their meal and looked out towards Sodom and as they left Abraham went with them to send them on their way should I hide my plan from Abraham the Lord asked for Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised so the Lord told Abraham I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah because their sin is so flagrant I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard and if not I want to know the other men turned and headed towards Sodom but the Lord remained with Abraham and Abraham approached him and said will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked suppose you find 50 righteous people living there in the city will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes surely you wouldn't do such a thing destroying the righteous along with the wicked why you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same and surely you wouldn't do that should not the judge of all the earth do what is right and the Lord replied if I find 50 righteous people in Sodom I will spare the entire city for their sake but then Abraham spoke again well since I have begun let me speak further to my Lord even though I am but dust on ashes suppose there are only 45 righteous people rather than 50 will you destroy the whole city for a lack of five and the Lord said I will not destroy it if I find 45 righteous people there but then Abraham pressed his request further suppose it was only 40 and the Lord replied I will not destroy it for the sake of the 40 oh please don't be angry my Lord Abraham pleaded let me speak suppose only 30 righteous people are found and the Lord replied I will not destroy it if I find 30 then Abraham said oh since I have dared to speak to the Lord let me continue suppose there are only 20 and the Lord replied then I will not destroy it for the sake of the 20 well finally Abraham said oh Lord please don't be angry with me if I speak one more time suppose only 10 are found there and the Lord replied then I will not destroy it for the sake of 10 and when the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham he went on his way and Abraham returned to his tent thank you next slide please how do you think of prayer do you think of prayer as a duty as something you do for God supposing it's more like an invitation to participate an invitation to share with God in his plans and purposes I see what I think I think prayers like um imagine a young mother with a toddler and and she says um would you like to make some biscuits and so the toddler is very excited about it and joins in the making of the biscuits now the truth is the mother is more than capable of making the biscuits without any help from the toddler and in fact the task will probably be easier and tidier without the child's help but she does it because she wants to involve them because it's good to do things with your child and because it's good for the child to learn things and develop skills and have fun and I think that's why God calls us to pray because he wants to involve him he wants to share us in what he's doing next slide well actually no we're not next slide what we're gonna say so and and there's something very charming about this conversation that Abraham has with God um you know it's both respectful um Abraham is you know he approaches God carefully doesn't he he's not he's not demanding he's not blustering he's respectful and yet there's great intimacy it's almost like a conversation between two friends and as well see Abraham is also very frank about what's bothering him so Abraham is kind of opening up to God in this and we'll see that the invitation is not Abraham praying for Abraham Abraham is standing before the face of God on behalf of others in truth Abraham is probably particularly thinking about his nephew Lot who lives in Sodom and that's a great privilege you know that we can stand before the face of God and pray on behalf of somebody who is precious to us next slide we need to go back one so the Lord told the Abraham I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah because their sin is so flagrant I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard if not I want to know and before we get on to Abraham's prayer it seems to me there's another prayer going on there's a great outcry and prayer I think has been rightly described as prayer is a kind of it's a raging against the things that offend the heart of God you know it's a bringing to God the pain and suffering we bring it before God we rage against this messy and broken world and there's an outcry going on here also I think tells us something about Sodom and Gomorrah that what's happening in Sodom and Gomorrah isn't just people having fun it's not victimless crime there is great suffering and people are being hurt but even then notice you know it's a nice little touch God wants to see for himself he wants to do the right thing he's not taking its second hand he wants to establish the facts to know the truth next slide and do you recognize that picture been on the news a lot this is Daniel and John in who is you know hacked to death by a nutter with a sword and you know I think I'm going to imagine the outcry to God when we see pain and suffering in this world will be read in Gaza or in Israel or in Ukraine or in other places around the world with this great suffering we cry out to God on behalf of people who are going through terrible times next slide what was in the Sodom and Gomorrah and was it worse than everywhere else yeah you might think that the answer to the first question is quite easy after all the word Sodom has given its name to the word Sodomy which describes anal sex so you think you might think you know the answer and there's a bit more to it than that was it worse than everywhere else I think Sodom was wicked but if you look at how Sodom and Gomorrah described in the New Testament there were worse places and it's an example and actually it's an example of how God could save the righteous and will finally punish the unrighteous next this is a verse that people don't always know but it's quite important now this was the sin of Sodom she and her daughters were arrogant overfed and unconcerned they did not help the poor and needy they were haughty and did detestable things before me you know I just I suspect this sentence could be written about pretty much any Western nation Sodom and Gomorrah wicked places but not uniquely so and I think that also explains more of this outcry you know there's more to Sodom and Gomorrah and arrogant overfed and unconcerned they did not help the poor and needy next slide and Abraham says surely you wouldn't do such a thing destroying the righteous along with the wicked why you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same surely you wouldn't do that should not the judge of all the earth do what is right and you see what I mean about frankness see Abraham is troubled by what he thinks God is about to do but he brings his concern to God I think sometimes you know when we when we are struggling in our life with what God is doing or not doing I think there's a temptation to kind of back off a bit and we yeah we back off actually Abraham's is the better example he takes the stuff that's bothering him about what he sees God doing or not doing and he takes it to God and he addresses God about it he pours out to God what's on his heart his concern shall not the judge of all the earth do right I think that's a beautiful phrase and I think it's a phrase that helps us but what horrid things happen in this world we remember shall not the judge of all the earth do right I think it also this may be an aside but it also I think confirms to me the teaching consistently of the Bible that there will be a final judgment she you've all heard the expression somebody says well life's not fair and the truth is if this life is all there is then there is deep unfairness is that some good people suffer very badly and some evil people enjoy trouble free lives so the promise of final judgment is also linked to God's goodness the judge of the earth will do what is right and I think in situations where we can't understand what's going on to it's good to hold on to this I think that Abraham's doing he's basing his prayer on the character of God and I think that's a really good example you know we pray to God because he is good because he loves us because he's interested in us and because he wants to hear what we have to say we base our prayers on who God fundamentally is and that gives us a respectful boldness to take to God whatever's troubling us next slide please Abraham does not ask for mercy he's not asking for favors he's looking for simple justice who are false it's true read that passage that's very clear he's he's concerned for jump justice and Abraham's concern was that God was going to punish good people along with that they were going to treat them no differently so his concern was that righteous people probably thinking of his nephew love were going to be treated along with the wicked but there is a flip side to this that we need to think about a bit and understand the issue it raises clearly a good judge will not convict innocent people but wouldn't you also expect a good God to convict the guilty so why is that not a problem for us or is it a problem next slide now let me recognize this person Paul indeed I think it's it's at a Natalie elfic so she's the MP for Dover and there's been allegations in the press recently that she'd kind of tried to lobby I think justice secretary to get her then husband's trial for sexual misdemeanor delayed and I don't know if she did it or not you know that's not the point but you can see that actually kind of trying to interfere with the process of justice on behalf of a close relative is seen as a bad thing so how is it that I can pray to God on behalf of people who are precious to me how is it that I can pray to God for mercy from me how does that how is that possible without offending the principle that God is the judge of all the earth should do what is right and I'm sorry if I raise the problem for people you hadn't previously had but nevertheless I think it's I think it is there and I think the the answer to that of course is to be found in Christ so Jesus is the answer to this but let's unpack that a bit often in the bible sin is described as debt so in the law prayer we say forgive us our debts so imagine the situation you are dragged into court and on account of a huge debt which you cannot afford to pay and and you're there in the dock and and all the lawyers are lined up and everything else and the judge starts the proceedings and said well how much does the prisoner owe and on the prosecution table there is a kind of look at computer screens and a fumbling of papers and then one of the barters gets to his feet and said uh your honor it appears that a third party has cleared the debt and the judge would then say well I don't even understand why we're here and he turns to you and said you're free to go justice is not offended in those circumstances that is not an unjust thing a debt may be paid by somebody else and that's why we need Jesus Jesus paid our debts you know if God could simply say oh yeah it'd be um Steve's a nice bloke I was going to forgive his sins but based on nothing else then God would not be just and Christ would not have had to die Christ goes to the cross in order that our debts would be paid in full and in Christ both the justice of God and the mercy of God are fully revealed next slide does prayer change God's mind this is this is actually quite a tricky question um and I read in one of the books I was looking at he says well you know Abraham argues God down from saving Sodom and Gomorrah if he can find 50 righteous people to saving Sodom and Gomorrah if he can find only 10 and superficially at least that does seem to be what's happening and it may even be what Abraham thought was happening but but when we study the text more closely you see there's a bit more to this than meets the eye first of all the concern that God would destroy the righteous with the unrighteous and would destroy things even if there were 50 people around that originates from Abraham not from God God didn't actually say that that was that was what Abraham's worried about but God doesn't say that you also know that that what happens next is both different from and better than Abraham had foreseen remember Abraham stops when he gets to 10 and if God had only done what Abraham asked for Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot and his family would all have perished what God does is different he rescues the righteous he takes them out of the situation it never seems to have occurred to Abraham that that was a possibility so God does something different from what Abraham was expecting and because he rescues even three never mind 10 God does something that is better than Abraham asked for and nevertheless if I was to try and answer this question in a sentence and sort of thinking about the kind of relative position of the parties like the mother with that toddler making biscuits I would say yes prayer does change God's mind and it is essential but only to the extent that God himself wants this desires it and calls for it next slide we'll pray now but I want to leave the first minute of prayer just for a time of quiet well a minute silence and just just ask God about what you've been hearing and say to God anything that you feel you need to see so we'll give a minute silence and then I'll finish with a few words and we'll start that we'll start that now Father we thank you simply that you are a good God and that you love us more than we can imagine and all we do want to commit ourselves and those who are precious to your justice and mercy and we thank you for Jesus Christ who died and wiped away our debts we thank you that the promise of Christ to wipe away our debts is available to anyone who really wants it all we have to do is to put our trust in Christ so Father we thank you for that and Lord if you've spoken to us this morning and and we hope that you have spoken to us we hope that we have heard and discerned your word may your word continue to work in us may it bless us and do us good in Jesus name amen you

Summary of Sermon: Covenant by Nick This sermon explores the story of Abraham and Sarah from Genesis 17, focusing on the concept of God's covenant and its enduring promises. Key Points: God's timing: The passage highlights the vast amount of time that can pass between God's promises and their fulfillment. We can get discouraged by waiting, but God's faithfulness endures. (Genesis 16 & 17) Resilient Faith: The long wait for a child teaches us about the importance of holding onto faith and God's promises even when there seems to be no progress. (Romans 4:17-21) God initiates the relationship: God is the one who pursues a relationship with us, revealing Himself and offering His blessings. (Genesis 17:1) God's Sovereignty: We are not God. There's a healthy reverence and humility required in our relationship with Him. (Genesis 17:3) The Power of Names: Names and labels can influence our perception. God changes Abram's name to Abraham signifying a shift in his identity and future. (Genesis 17:5) Transformation: God desires to transform us from the inside out. We can hold ourselves back by clinging to past limitations. (Gideon - Judges 6:11-16) Promises vs. Feelings: God's promises are not contingent on our emotions. We can rely on His faithfulness even when we doubt or feel discouraged. (Genesis 17:1-8) Signs of the Covenant: Circumcision served as a physical reminder of God's covenant with Abraham. God gives us various signs to bolster our faith. (Genesis 17:11) Illustrations: The author uses contemporary examples like service awards and long-term friendships to illustrate God's faithfulness despite the passage of time. The story of Zacchaeus from the Gospels demonstrates how God takes the initiative in relationships. Applications: We are encouraged to develop a resilient faith that trusts in God's promises even when facing challenges. We should acknowledge God's sovereignty and majesty in our worship. The sermon challenges us to examine the labels we place on ourselves and be open to God's transformative work. We can rely on God's enduring promises regardless of our emotional state. Verses Referenced: Genesis 16:1-16 Genesis 17:1-27 Romans 4:17-21 Judges 6:11-16 Transcript Thank you very much and excellent foundation this morning to what I want to say from the team so thank you Stephen team as well for leading us in worship that way we've already we've raced to Genesis chapter 17. So right into the heart of the story of Abram and Sarah I and remember Karen spoke very challenging last week about the birth of Ishmael and how that came about. And so if you do have a Bible or a phone or iPad or whatever it is figured up to Genesis 17 and we'll read it so we get some context into what I want to say this morning. So Genesis 17 from verse 1. When Abram was 99 years old the Lord appeared to him and said I am El Shaddai God almighty serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants. At this Abram fell face down on the ground then God said to him this is my covenant with you I will make you the father of a multitude of nations what's more I am changing your name it will no longer be Abram instead you will be called Abraham for you will be the father of many nations I will make you extremely fruitful your descendants will become many nations and kings will be among them I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you from generation to generation this is the everlasting covenant I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you and I will give the entire land of Canaan where you now live as a foreigner to you and your descendants it will be their possession forever and I will be their God then God said to Abraham your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant you and all your descendants have this continual responsibility this is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep each male among you must be circumcised you must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth this applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased all must be circumcised your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant then God said to Abraham regarding Sarah your wife her name will no longer be Sarah from now on her name will be Sarah and I will bless her and give you a son from her yes I will bless her richly and she will become the mother of many nations kings of nations will be among her descendants then Abraham bowed down to the ground but he laughed to himself in disbelief how could I become a father at the age of a hundred he thought and how can Sarah have a baby when she is 90 years old so Abraham said to God may Ishmael live under your special blessing but God replied no Sarah your wife will give birth to a son for you you will name him Isaac and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant as for Ishmael I'll bless him also just as you have asked I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants he will become the father of twelve princes and I will make him a great nation but my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year when God had finished speaking he left Abraham on that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and every male in his household including those born there and those he had bought then he circumcised them cutting off their foreskin's just just as God had told him Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised and Ishmael his son was 13 both Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on that same day along with all the other men and boys of the household whether they were born there or bought a servants or were circumcised with him that's the story Genesis 17 the title is covenant but I've broken down going through that passage broken it down into a number of different sections so we've just got some some points that we can draw from in terms of our application and our understanding of the story and the first thing that I want us to think about is that God's word and God's promises over our lives have no sell by date you don't get to a point where you think well yeah that was then but this is now you know that that is sort of worn out now it doesn't you know God may have said that in the past but but I think things have moved on we've progressed we've gone to a new situation a new reality and maybe the promise doesn't carry the same weight as it once did and one thing that's easy to miss with these accounts in Genesis has been pointed out over the last few weeks is just how long the span of time is between the events Karen spoke last week about the events leading up to the birth of Ishmael and here that was in chapter 16 and in chapter 17 Ishmael is 13 years old already it's like super fast forward I was saying we've raced to chapter you know 17 this this is a long period of time and we still haven't seen the fulfillment of the original promise given to Abram Abram and Sarah as they were then messed it up as Karen pointed out they and they involved Haegar in a in a plot to try and try and manipulate God's blessing and to work out how it would how the promise could actually be brought about according to their own understanding and God said no that's not the way it's going to be I'm going to bless you from a son from your own body and yet 13 years later we still haven't seen it when Erika spoke she talked about there being 25 years between the promise the original promise that Abram would have a son and the birth of Isaac 25 years is a decent amount of time isn't it it's not as long now as it once seemed but it's still a long time teaches me about and us about the longevity the length the span of time that God's promises can cover they can span years decades and they're still as valid today as they were the day they were given and we're an instant-minded people aren't we we if we send a text or a WhatsApp and we haven't had a reply in 20 minutes we think what's wrong what's wrong with those people haven't they maybe I better send them another one or send them a different one if you send a WhatsApp try a text message or then an email maybe even radically give them a ring they've seen the message there's two blue ticks and they haven't written back why aren't they answering I've got a number of friends now that I've turned off that blue tick thing so you never know with it yeah maybe we'll give them a nudge I remember we used to get a gold watch or a carriage clock when you've done 25 years service in a company my son my youngest son started a new job last May and this week he got his long service award he did personal letter from the CEO congratulations on on finishing a year we're not very good at allowing the passage of time are we without wanting something dramatic to show for it I mean he did laugh I like his perspective he did they understand it was a funny thing long service award for a free I don't know what they're expecting but these accounts ground us in the fact that God's work in our lives take a lifetime faith in Jesus is a long game I keep referring see I'm really good on I listen to what everybody said Chris spoke many weeks ago and said about a long obedience in the same direction I've read that book as well the world my world looks very different from when I was 16 and when I first came to faith it's four years so so much has changed but things God spoke to me then are still being worked out now and some haven't even come to be I found in the attic the other day a number of prophetic words I got in about 1988 and it was it's fascinating to see that these things still carry weight they still stand and I wonder if you struggle when God seems slow or even seems to have forgotten about you all together Genesis teaches us that just because nothing's happening doesn't mean nothing's happening God allows our lives to unfold and he doesn't seem to be worried by taking time Charles Slagle once said that God is extremely slow but he's never late he doesn't give us updates or commentary he told them 13 years ago actually you've got it wrong Ishmael is not the blessing there's going to be a son from your body 13 years later they're still waiting there haven't been there haven't been daily updates or you know like we get from Steve we get emails from Steve keeping us up to date with what's going on in case we in case we lose heart that God doesn't seem to to operate in the same way Steve but he's building strong resilient people who have the strength to hold on to him and his word even when there's no external disco even when there's no external encouragement even when we don't actually get the updates even when we don't know we haven't got you know our latest sort of nugget of encouragement from God or from anybody else can we keep holding on can we keep resilient can we keep our eyes focused on the promise on our understanding of what God has said we struggle don't we in that in the African churches which we've been so much a part over the years there's the thing where somebody was out God is good if he was there all the time and all the time God is good because that is his nature and it's a wonderful declaration but it's something in our in our sort of society that we can start to undermine and we can start to question and say yeah but there's all this that's happened and that's that happened but there's something about those statements and those declarations that are so important to actually say that yes God is good he's good throughout the span of time he's good throughout every change in our circumstances he's good in sickness and he's good in health he's good in poverty and he's good in wealth he's good all the time and there's a resilience and a strength that is needed in our hearts in order for us to navigate the life of faith and particularly in the times that we live in we have to be those that can hold on resiliently and rigidly onto onto the Word of God and say that we know what he said and we know what he would do and we will not be knocked sideways or blown around by everything that happens to us or everything that can come or everything that might undermine our faith we say know that we know that we know the God who we have believed so what Paul said didn't he I know who I have believed and I'm persuaded that he is able that's nothing to do with feelings that's nothing to do with what might happen tomorrow that's to do with what we know what we know deep in our hearts what we've been persuaded and what we've come to the settled realization about that God is good and faithful in Romans it tells us the story about Abraham Abraham they said he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead and yet against all hope in hope believed and so became the father of many nations he faced facts and yet still believed can we face facts and still believe still hold on still choose faith still choose joy still choose that overcoming attitude to endure confusion and loss and hold firmly to what we know about God always challenged by the the accounts in the book of Acts about people like Silas and Paul when they were whipped and they were flogged and they were they were thrown in a dungeon and they were locked in stocks and there was there was there was nothing good about their situation and yet they were able to respond with joy they were able to respond with worship because they knew that they're God they they knew who they had believed and were persuaded in every way that he was good that he was faithful and that he would do what he had promised and that whatever happened to their lives God's promises would stand and that's the situation that we have and that's the the type of people that God is wanting to build in us we need to be tough we need to be tough people tough for tough in our faith tough in our resilience tough in our ability to hold on to the word of God and you don't need me to tell you that life has its own curveballs it has its own challenges it has unexpected twists and turns the question is will we stand when those things come will we know that God's promise is not undermined it's not set aside it's not forgotten but it stands in our lives secondly our relationship with God is his idea and not ours God appeared to Abraham and didn't just speak but gave him his name I am El Shaddai God Almighty that's a real big deal for someone fought for God to come to Abraham and reveal his name not just say you know give me sacrifices give me worship give me loyalty give me give me your stuff give me all those things he's actually I'm going to give you my name I'm going to give you my presence I'm going to give you my who I am could be reticent about using our first and English people can be can't we we're a bit more relaxed here you know I I am Nick or whatever you know but in in tradition we we don't like to keep our powder dry a little bit who we are we we we're a little bit more formal Americans are very relaxed about it all but giving our name it's a bit like the lifting of the veil this is who I am it reveals something about ourselves all the local tribes had their gods that they offered sacrifices to but he was God Almighty drawing closes and this is who I am I'm going to give myself to you Abraham through no for no reason except that I'm choosing to do it and the Bible is a story of how God has revealed himself to us and his intention to be known by us we think we hold ourselves back who think I'm not good enough I'm not strong enough I'm not faith filled enough I'm not you know I don't think I can really aspire to a relationship with God and yet we find God has actually come to us and revealed himself to us of his own volition and his own choice I am El Shaddai God Almighty God's idea to have a friendship with you not yours so when you think I don't know if I could be a very good friend of God go say well I'm being your friend I want to be a friend with you and yet we disqualify ourselves when it is actually God who has approached us God who has revealed himself to us God who has gone before us and lavished us with mercy and grace you look at yourself and you say well who am I that God should know me that you know that I could I could even think maybe I'm just on the edges I'll look just like Zacchaeus in the tree and he was he didn't even qualify himself he didn't want to introduce himself to Jesus he just wanted to see what was going on and so he climbed up like a spectator in life and looking down just to see if he could benefit from just seeing what Jesus was doing with his real friends and in the middle of it all Jesus looked up pointed at him and called in my name and says Zacchaeus come down because I'm coming to your house I'm coming to your house not would you like to come to my house I'm coming to yours he's very bold Jesus wasn't he wasn't very English I'm coming round get the kettle on that's the position of security we're in we are safe we are secure we are blessed because our blessing is from God to us not the other way around that he comes to us and he says I am God almighty of all the people to introduce themselves to us God almighty makes himself known to us made himself known to Abraham thirdly God is God and we are not sounds obvious doesn't it but it's easy to forget God is God and we are not verse three at this Abraham fell face down on the ground God spoke to him and Abraham didn't speak back he fell face down on the ground and God said to him this is my covenant with you and explained the terms of the covenant God has come to us and he's announced himself to us and his desire to have a relationship with us but it doesn't sort of put us on a unequal as somebody once said he's God almighty not God almighty so there he comes so close and there's such an opportunity for us but yet there was something in the revelation that Abraham received that caused him not to just say all right God let's have a chat he got down on his face on the ground and then God spoke to him and there's something about that relationship that we need to I think that was reflected in some of the songs that we chose this morning the the power and the glory and the majesty of who God is is so vital for us in our relationship with him because we have we're invited into a beautiful relationship with him we're invited into his promises we're invited into his blessing but we have to remember who we are and who he is and we have and there must be always that dynamic of worship between us you know we have that thing people will say well when I see God I'm going to have a word with him and I'm going to I'm going to ask him a few questions I'm going to sit him down and he's going to answer me these things we think well okay we'll see how that works out because there is a difference there is a difference between God and us there's a difference between the eternal and the flesh there's a difference and we have to know it and we have to respond to it we are free in our relationship with God but we have to know who he is he is God and we are not Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and from that time they decided we're going to decide now what's good and you find it now don't you people will say well if God is going to say this and if God is going to say that then you won't find me worshiping him I couldn't worship a God like that there are even people that will that will assert that what God has said is evil or wrong or not progressive or not modern enough or whatever it is and we have to understand that whatever we think we are not the judges of God and Abraham fell down on his face and then God spoke to him that was the position from which God spoke to him and there is that in our hearts where we have to know that we are we are who we are before God in order that God might speak to us we are not God God is God Simon Peter when he had interacted with Jesus he knew who Jesus was they were friends together they'd done all sorts of things together but when there was a revelation about who Jesus was who this was standing in front of him he said go away from me Lord because I'm a sinful man Isaiah when he saw God himself he said woe to me because I am a man of unclean lips and I live amongst the people of unclean lips there is a conviction that comes just by being in the presence of God and we need to be prepared for that and ready for that because that is the reality of what it means to be worshipers a revival of worship that will turn us inside out and put us down on our faces it challenges the natural arrogance of our hearts as we come to terms with what it means I am God Almighty and that immediately affects the way that we interact and the way that we relate with God thirdly or fourthly or fifthly I can't remember how many we've done three thank you God changes our names or changes names and he changes outcomes he changes the labels that are put upon our lives Abram's name was changed from Abram exalted father to Abraham father of many after 25 years things were beginning to happen at long last God said this time next year you will have a son and I'm changing your name from Abram to Abraham exalted father to father of men it's a good label Abram was a good name not a bad name and he said there's a change of gear now we are we are moving from from from one position to another where we are looking at the eternal blessing with the eternal promise this son you thought you'd worked it out Isaac each male was born and all of that but then none of that is gonna is gonna is gonna affect the eternal promise but it's Isaac who will be the source of the blessing and so Abraham's name was changed to accommodate the word over his life and future names and labels matter and names and labels can keep us rooted in the past or they can build faith for the future and our understanding and then there's so many things that we might it might be our actual name came across a child in our sad situation in our time in Zambia and when we asked the child's name we were told it was rubbish that was that was the name of the child and and it was such a such a terrible you know it's almost like something you throw away and yet and so people of faith and I think the family came to faith as well and they decided to change the name of the child to blessings or gift gift that's what it was gift not something but you know those simple things like that matter our names your name might mean something it might it might not is something that parents do these days a lot more than they used to do look into the meanings of names and what it all means on sort of want to our aspirations and our expectations our hopes for our children so we'll let's encompass it in a name I think Nicholas means great leader or something look it up later but we can label ourselves in our in our hearts and our emotions we can say well this is just what I am this is who I am this is what I've always been this is what I'll always be it's interesting how they stick isn't it I was fascinating you know the Jesus had had supper in the home of a man called Simon the leper he was someone who'd been healed but he was he's still carried that that label but there are things from our things from our past things from our our understanding of ourselves things from our upbringing that shape our expectation of what we can be and what God can do in our lives and God himself comes to right at the beginning of history comes to Abram says I'm going to change your name to Abram because I know that names matter and know that labels matter and and it's true of us today that there is so much that can can be encompassed in the labels that are placed upon us whoever controls the labels controls the outcome and we need to hear what God is calling us not what we call ourselves he would come to Gideon in the Old Testament while he was hiding away threshing wheat in a wine press an impossible thing to do and he said the Lord is with you mighty warrior and he looked out and he said I'm anything but a mighty warrior but that was what was spoken over him Jesus would change Simon's name I tell you you are now Peter and on this rock I'll build my church so much that is carried in the in the names that we that we have and very often we look back and we judge ourselves and we shape ourselves and we make the the Abram was limited by the by his imagination in terms of what he understood of himself and God was coming in and saying no I'm going to stretch your imagination and God wants to stretch our imagination about what is possible about what grace can mean in our lives about what transformation can look like you know we talk the message of transformation but we don't often really grab hold of what it means to be transformed from the inside out that we we have a gospel of transformation but we really expect to be the same we year after year after year and yet there is an opportunity and I know there are people in here that could give testimony after testimony of how God has transformed them from one place to another but we want to see that multiplied over and over again and one of the things that will be the key to that is if we are prepared to change the labels over our lives and our expectations over what can happen even the good things there are many good things many transitions that we go through in life from one good thing to another and yet it's that previous good thing that can hold us back whether it's a a life change of direction or change of employment retirement whatever it is there can be all of that and we can we can we can fail to really step into the fullness of all that's ahead of us because we we're pulled back a little bit by what we what we hear from the past God changes labels and finally the promises of God are not attached to our feelings we rely on our feelings very much for our encouragement don't we we encourage ourselves if we feel good all is good we feel good God is in heaven if we feel bad maybe years we're not sure other promises still standing other promises are strong when we feel bad as when we feel good and God was establishing here with Abraham an eternal unconditional covenant he changed his name and then he gave him an enduring mark he didn't say you know just just remember this you just tell tell people he said actually what we're going to do is give you quite a radical mark of circumcision to remind him and everyone of the promise Erica spoke about the signs of the covenant about the rainbow and the starry night and how Abraham had nine thousand starry nights to consider the promise of God and nothing that ever happened to him in his life was ever going to remove those stars from the heaven it doesn't matter you know and with it there was desolation all around him he could still look up and those stars would be there to remind him and God gives us marks that remind us that actually these promises are outside of ourselves they're outside of our circumstances are outside of whatever might happen to us and they are deep and permanent God came to him spelled out that he was going to become a father and it was Sarah his wife who would give birth and he laughed in disbelief this is Abraham the father of faith by the way who got all his credit all his righteousness credited to him for faith his first response was to laugh and and as I was preparing this I remember that song by Michael Cobb they called him laughter I won't sing it to you before he came after the father had made an impossible promise come true the birth of a baby to a hopeless old lady no offense to the to Sarah on there but just amazing what God can do but Abraham his his human response was to laugh how can this be it's impossible but then from that laughter he got himself together he took a deep breath and he stepped forward and he did what God had told him to do he did the circumcision he made the mark on his body and everybody else's all the other male bodies that were there to remind them of the of the nature of the covenant he set aside all his feelings and he acted on God's word he chose to believe he chose to put things into action he chose to to mark himself permanently in order that he would always remember what God had said and every generation after would remember what God had said because there needs to be those things in our lives we need to be those those moments where we take a decision to say actually we're not I don't even care what's going to happen tomorrow I don't even care what's happening to me at the moment I am going to choose to believe in the goodness and the permanence of the promises of God as we look forward as individuals as we look forward as a church and we consider all that God is going to do we choose to believe in the promises of God so excited and it's encouraging when we hear the hundred thousand pounds has come in and we think oh well maybe we got it right after all that's not what we're thinking or what we should be thinking you know that's a relief few they actually know that's what we that's actually what we expect because God has placed something in our hearts and promised us things that we are now seeing the unfolding of and so therefore we will continue to see the unfolding and we will continue to see and we will see God establish things in this community and in this church that even we won't even see the fulfillment of there'll be others that will come after us because we believe in the promises of God it's not down to you know did did we get it right did we get it wrong what do we feel today or how you know how's it going how was the how was the feeling at the prayer day what do people think we don't take focus groups to decide whether the promises of God are still valid they are there but perhaps our response when we consider what God has said is to laugh and we have to be those that will then stand up and take action and make decisions and allow ourselves to be marked by the promises of God not just moved by the promises of God let's not allow it would only just be a moved emotionally into a into a into faith but we want to be marked forever to say we are people who have staked everything on the promises of God and as we come to communion don't want to take away from what James said he's going to say but as we come to communion it's that that is so important it's that it's that it's not an emotional process it's not something that we go through and we we try to find the emotions for communion but it's actually a physical thing to remind us that these promises stand forever that this covenant stands forever remember God's word stands no matter what time has passed he wants us to choose faith in him regardless of what has happened or is happening or will happen he has chosen to come to us and open a relationship with us not the other way around God is God and you are not I am not God has things to say about you your life your future that are different to what others have said or you've said about yourself and we need to listen to him and what he says and it may be difficult to believe God or to trust him but you can choose to do it you can determine to put your trust in him every day for the rest of your life and be marked forever as a believer in Christ and as a believer in God not just while things are running well but forever forever and ever and ever and on into eternity amen God bless you

This week, Pastor Bailey continues our study in Nehemiah and shows us how we can expand our faith through people.  Key Scripture:  Nehemiah 2:1-8 Nehemiah 2:17-18 Nehemiah 3:12 Psalms 133 Nehemiah 4:13-14 Key Points:  God will use all types of people to expand our faith When our community unifies in cooperation, watch the miracles that will take place Praying this week that the Lord expands your faith through the people in your life. 

The God Who Made Me March 17, 2024 Genesis 41:46-54 Psalm 34:1-10 Key Points God makes me to make me. Your focus defines your future. Adversity is not [...]

I Am Lit January 28, 2024 John 8:2-12 Key Points God uses light in ways that we don't. The world uses light to condemn. God uses light to heal. [...]

Listen, y'all! We have lived a life in our very short years. We've been married and divorced and married again. It's been an adventure, and the lessons learned are invaluable. Tune in as we talk young marriage, divorce, and where we are today. KEY POINTS: - God should be at the center of your marriage and waiting process. PRODUCTS / RESOURCES: Like what you're hearing? Follow the Wright sisters on social media! IG | @crystalandalisa - instagram.com/crystalandalisa IG | @wrightcee - instagram.com/wright.cee  IG | @atwluxuryhomes - instagram.com/atwluxuryhomes TikTok | @crystalandalisa - tiktok.com/@crystalandalisa

According to 1 John 5, the most effective intercession comes when we know that what we are praying is within God's will. Bold faith comes from hearing God's will and partnering with God to see it happen. Hear practical handles and testimonies on listening intercession. Effective Intercession: Partnering with God In this episode, we dive into the importance and power of intercession, and how partnering with God can lead to breakthroughs and transformations in various situations. We also share practical ways to become an effective intercessor. Summary: - God is looking for human partners to manifest His power in the world - We are representatives of God in the world, and when we partner with God, we get access to His supernatural love and resources - Efficient intercession stems from being guided by God's will and listening to His voice - Intercession involves humility and connectedness with the divine - Visualizing and "handing over" the person we're praying for to Jesus is one effective method of intercession Key Points: - God wants to work through us to bring about change in the world - Visualize bringing the person you're praying for to Jesus, handing them over to Him and asking what they need - Focus on listening for what God's will is for the person you're praying for - Continual prayer, even when facing tragedy or unanswered questions, is crucial for intercession - Effective intercession may involve experiencing the same grief as Jesus does and joining Him in prayer and fellowship

Proclaiming Victory March 26, 2023 Title: Proclaiming VictoryLuke 8:22-25 Luke 9:1-2 Luke 8:16 Key Points:God's clear direction doesn't ensure the direction is clear.Swamped : "to be filled", AND "to [...]

Give That Bag January 22, 2023 Title: Give That Bag John 6:5-12 Malachi 3:10 Matthew 10:9-10 Key Points:  God is the God of all resources. Finances [...]

November 21, 2022: Drex DeFord, Executive Healthcare Strategist at CrowdStrike joins Bill for the news. Meta faces mounting questions from Congress on health data privacy as hospitals remove Facebook tracker. Deepfake video of Zelenskyy could be 'tip of the iceberg' in info war, experts warn. Oracle Cerner to close 2 Kansas City-area campuses. And a deep dive on some Big Tech healthcare partnerships. Amazon Pharmacy and Florida Blue. University of Rochester and Sectra. Samsung and HealthTap. Microsoft and Haleon. JDRF and AWS.Key Points:God bless the cybersecurity pros in healthcare right now As Mike Tyson says, everybody has a plan until they get punched in the faceDue diligence in M&As is way different than the actual putting together of thingsCrowdStrikeStories:Meta faces mounting questions from Congress on health data privacy as hospitals remove Facebook tracker - Stat NewsDeepfake video of Zelenskyy could be 'tip of the iceberg' in info war, experts warn - NPROracle Cerner to close 2 Kansas City-area campuses - Beckers9 Big Tech healthcare partnerships - BeckersSign up for our webinar: How to Modernize Your Data Platform in Healthcare: The Right Fit for Every Unique Health System - Wednesday December 7 2022: 1pm ET / 10am PT. Subscribe: https://www.thisweekhealth.com/subscribe/Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisweekhealthLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ThisWeekHealth

Key Points:God wants us to shine brightlyLeadership examples of Joseph, David, Paul, and JesusTop leadership traits for us to embodyReferences:Download the session worksheet, watch the video, or listen to the podcast on our website: https://driventolead.org/sessions/session-42/ Table Talk takes place after the message at our monthly meeting. It is a round-table discussion time for the men to consider these questions, walk through life together, and encourage each other. Take time to think through these questions and how you can apply today's message to your life.Table Talk Questions:Give an example of where you can lead more in your family.Share with the group who in your life has been a light in dark moments.What are some ways that you can bring light into your relationships? Keep in Touch:Website: https://driventolead.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/driventolead.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHa8qG1duRWfPFZOpDjak0AThanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review and share Driven to Lead with your friends. If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, we would love to have you join us at our monthly men's breakfast - learn more about this event on our website.

Key Points:God's gift of LoveOur soul needs GodLife 1.0 vs Life 2.0Becoming a spring of living waterReferences:Download the session worksheet, watch the video, or listen to the podcast on our website: https://driventolead.org/sessions/session-38/ Table Talk takes place after the message at our monthly meeting. It is a round-table discussion time for the men to consider these questions, walk through life together, and encourage each other. Take time to think through these questions and how you can apply today's message to your life.Table Talk Questions:Are you currently living your spiritual life through your heart, mind, or soul?In your life have you received God's gift of Love? Did you receive it from a family member, someone else, or directly from God?Why is it difficult to live life from an eternal perspective? Keep in Touch:Website: https://driventolead.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/driventolead.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHa8qG1duRWfPFZOpDjak0AThanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review and share Driven to Lead with your friends. If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, we would love to have you join us at our monthly men's breakfast - learn more about this event on our website.

Key Points: God only changes someone's name on 3 occasions in the Bible. Each time, the change denotes the person is to become the leader of God's people. Peter, (“Rock”) is given the “keys”, the power to “bind and loose”, will represent the authority of God on earth. The Church is to last until the end of the earth, so that authority (keys) is to be passed down. “Apostolic succession.” See linked images for additional support https://drive.google.com/file/d/1at58RsLF1j7OHu-2Xof5lWs9dYH3zoso/view?usp=sharing https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cw6Z8gYqeDAnf7NVx_uLcPe_xhmrW3Vb/view?usp=sharing --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/catholicbiblestudy/support

Key Points: God has given ALL of us talents to be used for the benefit of the Kingdom. What we don't use, we'll lose. (Just as we do physically by not exercising.) Check yourself with verse 40. What are you doing for/to others who need help? Many of those are not easy to love. We love them not because they are “lovable”, but because Christ loves us so much, that he gave everything, (Our life, and His life!)for us. We're all brothers and sisters in God's family. Nothing pleases a good father more than to see his children care for one another. You can't say you love God without showing love for all others. (You can't say “It's Jesus and me, and the hell with thee!) --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/catholicbiblestudy/support

Key Points:God's design and impact on our relationshipsWhy we need relationshipsThe foundation of a healthy relationshipReferences:Download the session worksheet, watch the video, or listen to the podcast on our website: https://driventolead.org/sessions/session-36/ Table Talk takes place after the message at our monthly meeting. It is a round-table discussion time for the men to consider these questions, walk through life together, and encourage each other. Take time to think through these questions and how you can apply today's message to your life.Table Talk Questions:Share an example of a relationship where you believe you have been aligned with someone outside of your family.Is it difficult for you to be intentional in your relationships? If so, can you explain why?Can you explain a challenging relationship in your life? Keep in Touch:Website: https://driventolead.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/driventolead.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHa8qG1duRWfPFZOpDjak0AThanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review and share Driven to Lead with your friends. If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, we would love to have you join us at our monthly men's breakfast - learn more about this event on our website.

In Matthew 5, Verses 15-16, we're told:"Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven."Key Points:- God wants us to ambassadors for righteousness while we are here on earth. Your behavior serves as an example for others.- And make no mistake, if you proclaim yourself as a Christian to friends and family members, know those who are nonbelievers or weak in their faith are watching you. If you proclaim yourself to be a Christian and fail to behave accordingly, you give comfort to those who are quick to judge, and in that judging whatever faith they may have had will be weakened.- When you live an exemplary life in accordance with God's Word, you are a light in this world, a beacon for others who look up to you as a model of Christian living. - This doesn't mean you must be perfect. But I suggest to you it does mean affirming your intention every morning to live each moment of that day in a way that is pleasing to God. In so doing, you become an ambassador for God and a model for everyone you know and have contact with. - When you act as an ambassador for God, you let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven."To listen to previous episodes of "Bible Verses for Better Living" visit: https://www.spreaker.com/show/bible-verses-for-better-living.---Host:Stephen Carter, CEO, Stress Solutions, LLC. Website: https://www.EFT-MD.com. Email BibleVersesForBetterLiving@gmail.com.—Technical information:Recording and first edits done with Twisted Wave. Other edits done with Audacity and then leveled with Levelator. Final edits and rendering done using Hindenburg Journalist Pro.Microphone: EV RE320.—Key Words:God, Jesus, Bible, Matthew 5, honor God, pray, prayer,

This is episode 18 in my 30 episode Prosperity Series because I am determined to help you break free from the mental disease of poverty. And today we're diving into, where does money come from? By now, you know, money is energy, and if you've been paying attention to the prosperity series, you know that money comes from us not to us. I want to make sure that I really drive this home and that's why we're doing an entire episode on it. We create money in conjunction with Source, God, Infinite Intelligence, the Universe, whatever name works best for you. We create with Source and that's where money really comes from. It doesn't come from the work that we do. It doesn't come from winning a lottery ticket. It doesn't come from the 3D space around us. It comes from us based on our vibration. Look around at your life, if you're not liking what you're seeing, it's because your thoughts, your vibration and the things that you say have created that exact reality. That reality you are seeing is coming from you. It cannot come from anywhere else. It comes from you and your vibration. That's why it is so important to remember where money comes from, us. Now since you're listening to me, I know you've gone through at least one awakening process, but I promise you there's more to come. And if you're struggling with money, that means you still have a ways to go because we know money is part of our spiritual test. Money is a spiritual test to see where we are vibrationally. When we're looking at our checking accounts and we're not seeing the money there, and we're starting to panic, that is just a reflection of our vibration. The thoughts that we've been having are now starring us in the face. One of the thought patterns that I've had in the past was that when money would come in I would have a subconscious thought like, “Okay, let me get all the bills paid really quickly before the money runs out.” That's crazy, isn't it? But as most definitely a thought pattern and I can watch myself do it. Money would come in and I'd pay off everything that I needed to pay off, which was almost done out of a fear that there wasn't going to be any more money for awhile. I would get everything paid and then I would feel really comfortable for a while. And then the money would disappear again. And it would disappear because, well, of course I created that reality! And another reality that I still create myself is that I pride myself on how good I am at juggling funds. I've been doing that since my early twenties. My parents had a financial situation that I had to take care of, in fact, many financial situations that I have had to take care of since I was about 22 years old. I had to learn how to juggle. I was taking care of all of their finances, as well as my own, and I learned to “juggle” the funds to make everything work. There was a sense of pride, that I could juggle money and get things to hum, sort of hum, paying person A and ignoring person B and then paying person C and then the next time paying person B and not person A. It was crazy, but it was done out of necessity. The real problem was that I found some sort of pride in that skill and I've carried that around for years too. And every now and then I will slip back into it and I'll hear myself think, “Oh, well, if I can just juggle this….” and I catch myself and think, “Oh! There it is again!” Think about the thoughts you're having about your money and your finances, because that's why you have this reality that you're experiencing. Those two thoughts I was having were pretty ingrained in me and even to this day continue to repeat themselves. It's a cycle. And there's been a pattern in my prosperity because of those thought patterns. Take a moment to take a look at your money patterns. Do you see a pattern in your spending or in your debt? Is there a pattern in your flow of abundance? I think we all have them, very few people are in balance with money, which is where we need to be. We need to be in balance so that we can get into alignment with money. When we are in balance, it's easier to create more money. When we're out of balance and we have a lot of debt or we're having a lack of money, at that moment of being out of balance we actually repel money away because there's a little bit of fear behind being out of balance. When we're in balance, when you know you can afford your mortgage payment and your car payment, everything feels good. Then you can create more money. But it's very, very difficult to create money when you're in scarcity. I know a lot of times we can manifest money because we're really, really focused because we need it so bad. But then it doesn't last very long, does it? Being able to know that money comes from us is the key piece to prosperity. No, I'm going to throw on a little twist because I've said it a million times, money comes from us. But one little twist is to know that money actually comes from Source. All of your money and your prosperity comes from Source. Not totally you, but it's Source flowing through you. Not the 3D you, the 5D you. That's where money really comes from. So when you're in a moment of panic or scarcity around money, just remember it's coming from Source, ultimately source flowing through you, so long as you don't block it and repel it with low vibration thoughts. If you're an open receptacle for the flow of Source, God, Infinite Intelligence to flow through you, you will never be in lack. You will always have prosperity. That's why they say that abundance is our birthright. It's our birthright and it's our natural state. See, all these crazy thoughts we have as humans, that's not our natural state. You may feel like it's your natural state because you can't stop the chatter in your mind, but that's not your natural state. Our natural state is to be open to receiving the flow from Source. When we're open to receiving the flow from Source, that's when we receive abundance. And that's it, God is our source. So when you're in that moment of lack, you need to stop and realize that you've probably been blocking prosperity with these crazy thoughts and feelings. Stop and remember that God is our source. You don't even have to know how the money will show up. You may be looking at the 3D and thinking, “I have to go get a job so that I can get money.” But who knows how it will come in? Don't limit yourself. You are truly an amazingly powerful human being that can create whatever you desire. So let's not put limits on your abundance by saying it has to come from a 3D job. It can come from anywhere. I think I shared with you guys last week and I had a thousand dollars come to me out of absolutely nowhere. Someone said they had a spiritual debt they wanted to pay and they sent me some money. It was a beautiful energy exchange. And what was interesting, was that the week before I was thinking about money and I said to myself, “You know what? It doesn't matter where it comes from. I'm going to loosen up a little bit and allow it to flow. Instead of focusing on the 3D and thinking I had to go build a new marketing funnel to increase my income, I allowed abundance to flow from wherever it was going to flow. Open up to receiving it in any way possible. It is not just about going to a job probably when you don't love and getting a paycheck. It is so much more than that. At the end of the day, remember that money comes from you and it comes from Source. And so that means sources flowing through you. And that's why it is your natural state to be abundant. I'd love to hear your ah-ha's from this podcast, take a picture and post it out on social media and tag me. And again, you're not going to want to miss an episode, subscribe to this podcast and leave a review if you like what you're hearing. I'll catch you in the next episode. Key Points: God is the source of your prosperity Money comes FROM us not TO us Your thoughts and vibration create your financial reality Resources: Download a FREE copy of my international bestselling book Are You A Spiritual Entrepreneur? here: https://kimberlymaskaspiritualbiz.com/freeayasebook I invite you to join my free Facebook Group, Spiritual Biz Success, where you can get all of your spiritual business questions answered: https://www.facebook.com/groups/spiritualbizsuccess Ready to step out and shift consciousness on this planet with your spiritual gifts? Watch my free masterclass to discover the 5 Shifts My Spiritual Coaching Clients are Using to Create 6-Figure Spiritual Businesses. Watch it here: www.spiritualbizsuccess.com

Key Points:God expects us to forgive others, just as He has forgiven us.Jesus models forgiveness for us.Unforgiveness brings torment in a variety of ways.7 Protocols of Forgiveness to help us move forward.References:Download the session worksheet, watch the video, or listen to the podcast on our website: https://driventolead.org/sessions/session-32/Learn more about Forgiving Forward at https://www.forgivingforward.com/ Table Talk takes place after the message at our monthly meeting. It is a round-table discussion time for the men to consider these questions, walk through life together, and encourage each other. Take time to think through these questions and how you can apply today's message to your life.Table Talk Questions:Give an example of being wounded in your life.When you wound someone, it will normally be through words, actions, or attitudes. Which one do you struggle with in your relationships?If unforgiveness is a sin, why would you choose not to forgive? Keep in Touch:Website: https://driventolead.org/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/driventolead.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHa8qG1duRWfPFZOpDjak0AThanks for listening! If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review and share Driven to Lead with your friends. If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, we would love to have you join us at our monthly men's breakfast - learn more about this event on our website.

In this week's episode, we wrap up our talk about forgiveness and everything that comes along with it. Lexi B discusses how to make sure you are on God's path for your life and not your own. Key Points: -God is like GPS, He will always keep you on the right track -Talk to God about everything, He has answers for every little thing -Patience is key, clarity comes from waiting -Let go of any expectations, be open to the way God will bless you Scripture Study: John 15:1-2

In part two of our forgiveness series, we dive deeper into two more key facts that help in the process of forgiving yourself Key Points: God has planned your every step -Whichever mistake you made was the right one, we do the best we can with what we have -Finding the purpose of the pain helps you transform it & you

This six-part series is called “David: Turning Points”. I did this series seven years ago, but I want to repeat it because 2021 will be a turning point in my life, and more importantly, for Central Christian Church. For six weeks, we look at turning points in the life of King David. David is called a man after God’s heart, not because he was perfect, but because he had a heart for God. By studying turning points in David’s life, some positive, some negative, we can learn how to face turning points in our lives. Lesson #1 (January 1 & 3, 2021) – Accepting the Call Text: 1 Samuel 16:1 – 13David was just a shepherd boy when first called by God. This is the first sign God wanted to do something special in David’s life. We see Samuel anoint David, and some lessons about God’s call in our lives Key Points: God’s call comes to secular tasks and spiritual roles. God’s call often comes unexpectedly. God’s call comes to ordinary people. God’s call often comes simply, not dramatically.God’s call usually comes gradually. God’s call may come to you repeatedly.Support the show (https://centralnow.com/give/)

God goes by many names, some we know & some we don't. In part 2 of this series, Lexi continues the conversation on how God's names are equal to His promises to you.  Key Points: -God promises to guide you; He is a shepherd -God will heal you physically, mentally, and emotionally -God will be your peace through your tests -God will always make a way for you & He will always be on your side -God is the Great I AM, call on His name to ask Him to move positively in life Scripture Isaiah 40:10

Do you live your life from a place of peace? Through the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego found in Daniel 3, Pastor Clinton demonstrates what it means to have true peace even when we're surrounded by chaos and confusion and shares how we can experience God's perfect peace in our lives. Key Points: God is present in your situation God is in control of your situation God will get you through your situation Key Scriptures (all in NIV): John 14:27 Proverbs 3:5-6 Daniel 3:15-18 Daniel 3:24-28 Deuteronomy 31:6 Psalm 46:10

Today we are talking about men’s health and some alternative, natural and less invasive treatments that you can take to gauge your own health as well as treat the root cause not just the symptoms of what you may be experiencing.  Helping me with that is my doctor, Dr. Michael Einsohn, who founded and runs the Thermography Center of Dallas which was actually the first thermography center in America.  Listen to the show for an important link and how to get $125 off your first visit.  With over 20,000 thermograms completed and a one time consultant for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America he’s helped thousands of men and women with their health. Key Points: God made no mistakes when He created you. A thermogram can detect or tell you the health of your heart, prostate, your pancreas, liver and other internal organs Get away from just looking at your health or medical symptoms Resources Mentioned: For full show notes and links to the resources discussed in this episode go HERE Get $125 off your visit to the Thermography Center of Dallas, when you mention Men Unplugged   ThermographyCenter.com Ten Steps to Live with Power and Purpose course Jeff Jerina's evangelism training book.  To get a discounted pre-order copy, signup to the weekly email list HERE Like or Follow the Men Unplugged Facebook Page Like or Follow the Men Unplugged Twitter Page Support Men Unplugged 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  

Key Points God is a giver, he delights himself in giving you everything you asked according to him will. You must prepare and position yourself for what you’re praying for. Blessings can’t come until there has been some type of preparation in your life. God always expects us to move first...Examples: Servants had to fill pots of water for Jesus to turn it into wine; Naaman had to dip in Jordan River 7 times to be healed from leprosy. Your blessings won’t fall into your lap. You must do your part.

A talk with one of Jeff’s former seminary professor’s Dr. Rodney Whaley about how to develop and sustain an authentic heart for worship.  You’ll hear an amazing story about God’s creation, a rich experience of worship and God’s provision through an experience that Dr. Whaley had running the Idatarod sled dog race.  Key Points: God speaks to us in His voice in those moments of solitude We talk about we love God’s music but do we love the God of the music? When the Lord restores your soul it’s usually for something that’s coming next Worship is not something you do it’s something you are For More Key Points and full show notes visit MenUnplugged.net/podcast/rodney-whaley Key Resources: Men Unplugged Super Bible Sale - Get the ultimate digital KJV Study Bible plus 3 free gifts for only $19.95 by July 1st Men Unplugged Facebook page Men Unplugged Facebook Live The Bible Psalm 139:16  James 1 Psalm 23 Joshua 1:5 Jeff Jerina’s keynote speaking and evangelism training  course.  Contact Jeff if you would like him to personally give that training at your church, school, group or event.  MenUnplugged.net/speaking

Former Major League baseball player, Brett Carroll, joins the Men Unplugged show.  Get the inside track on a stellar professional career with an amazing story about his first home run in the majors and what Hall of Fame pitcher it was against (awesome story).  Jeff and Brett share openly and honestly about their relationships with their fathers and how we as dads can maintain a healthy relationships with our sons and daughters.  What does God tell us and show us.  Key Points God’s grace is sufficient for all of us, His strength is made perfect in our weakness Admit as a man that we have weaknesses and that whatever lies the enemy tells you, whatever shame you have, God’s love, power and grace overcome all of that God is telling us that He is going to take care of us God gives us Milestone Memories God is bigger than any moment in our life (my quote) The game doesn’t teach you character it just reveals it What we say to our kids as dads means a lot (good or bad) Our ultimate model for maintaining a healthy relationship with our sons and daughters as fathers is that of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son Trust and abide in the Lord, John 15:5 to get the strength to maintain a healthy relationship with your son and / or daughter To mend a broken relationship be humble, broken and contrite  The love of an early father is so key in experiencing the love of our Heavenly Father Resources Mentioned A Prodigal’s Journey - a poem by Jeff Jerina Like / follow Men Unplugged on Facebook or follow Jeff on his twitter  @jeffjerina.  Visit MenUnlugged.net for a list of resources, including a FREE month’s membership to Covenant Eyes by using promo code MenUnplugged, the Strand Study Bible which you can only get at MenUnplugged.net, as well as, the personality type finder for men, their wives, kids and corporate teams.