1 & 2 Peter Sermons:
True Holiness is Journeying with Jesus
Knowledge Adds Up! 2 Peter 1:3-11 Series Belle August 29, 2010am Ideas from HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT by Mark Buchanan Theme: To KNOW Christ more is the goal…not to be PUFFED UP but to ADD UP our faith and goodness… Purpose: To encourage growth in Christ and in the Mystery of His ways. How many of you know things that the person beside you does not? A Secret Ingredient for Oatmeal Cookies your great grandmother gave to you? You know how to wire up a house? Wire up a muffler on your old clunker? You know how to encase a butterfly under glass so that his wings perfectly spread? You know how to identify 10,000 species of butterflies in Madegascar? You know how to write out the Quadratic Formula by heart? And then use it? You know how to unclog the sink from hair and gook if you have long haired children? You know a lot of trivia on sports…baseball players? Or maybe movie stars? KNOWLEDGE is wonderful feeling! HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?? I have a friend with a college degree in Bible, a Master’s degree in journalism, and a law degree to be a lawyer. J HOW MUCH DO WE NEED TO KNOW? *On this Promotion SundayàStudents Especially: Stay in School! You’ll know about more and more stuff. You’ll know how to do more and more Stuff. You will have a feeling of POWER and ACCOMPLISHMENT when you get your degree! BETTER QUESTION than “how much do we need to know?” IS WHAT do I need to know?? That is God’s Question. Turns out, NOT MUCH. 2 Peter 1: 3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; We need to know what we need to know before we can know it J PETER was just a fisherman. For life, so he thought. Had his little bass boat with a 400hp engine, racing stripes, VROOOMing across the lake…fishing… well, kind of. REALLY…he threw heavy nets over the side of rough wooden boats and pulled and tugged until he needed a choiropractor! His hands were rough, tough and powerful and he had a mule’s back, a hawk’s eyes for finding the school of fish, and a horse’s sense for business. Peter didn’t need much else. Until he met Jesus. THEN Peter began to change in his knowledge database… Peter KNEW a lot about his job. He knew what it meant when one kind of bird flocked overhead. He knew what it meant when the nets were full of one kind of fish but not another. He knew the frothy waves rolling up on the shore meant one thing, And the dullness instead of sheen on the fishes’ belly meant another. THE POINT IS: PETER WAS NOT A SCHOLAR. Peter didn’t like BOOKS. Peter didn’t KNOW A LOT when it came to readin’, writin’ and arithmetic… but he knew his job, he knew how to fish. And then something or Someone began to work on Peter. Peter’s knowledge increased. Not from books, but from THE LIVING WORD of God. ;) The Sanhedrin were “book people”. They were Scholars with spindly little hands and soft palms…not like the rough hands and calluses of Peter. The Sanhedrin loved their books, loved to debate over little bits of meaning in a text, loved to squint at dim pages by candlelight and extract knowledge from the writings of past experts. The Sanhedrin loved to weigh the theories of the law, how to live by the law, they stockpiled theology. Peter did not impress the Sanhedrin…nor did the Sanhedrin impress Peter!! Fishermen and Scholars are worlds apart in what they know and care about. Scholars treasure knowledge, fisherman don’t care much for it. And Fishermen love stuff that book guys dislike. YET… and here is the fun part…Yet fisherman Peter and fisherman John astounded the Sanhedrin! Set them back on their heels! ACTS 4:13 When they (the Sanhedrin) saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. THESE MEN HAD BEEN WITH JESUS Unschooled. Ordinary Men. But with a steady gaze. An unwavering calm. The Sanhedrin are Israel’s Supreme Court…judging the lives of men and women who would stand before them in FEAR. Yet Peter and John, mere fishermen, stood up with COURAGE. Upright. Unafraid. They didn’t bellow, they didn’t quake. Peter and John did not shake their fingers nor their fists. Peter and John simple stood their ground. For Jesus. For they KNEW JESUS! They had BEEN WITH JESUS! LISTEN TO THEIR COURAGE! ACTS 4 7They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?" 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! 9If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11He is 12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." IT’S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW, IT IS WHO YOU KNOW! Ever heard that saying?? Getting a job in WV…sometimes it is not the degree, but the connections. #19 years old – no jobs to be found in summer between semesters at Olivet. That Sunday A. James Manchin spoke at my church, I spoke to him… On Monday I had a job with the state that would last for 3 months! Sometimes IT’S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW, IT IS WHO YOU KNOW! Peter and John would agree! They knew Jesus!! Friend. Teacher. Traveling companion. As Savior and LORD. They knew Jesus!! They had walked with Him and talked with Him. They knew His laugh and his sigh. They had spent time with Him in prayer and in His Words. They knew Jesus laughing and weeping, angry and rebuking. They knew Jesus touching lepers, welcoming children, befriending Samaritans. Peter knew Jesus when Jesus slept through a storm on the lake. Peter knew Jesus when Jesus stormed at HIM when Peter slept in the Garden. The POINT IS: PETER KNEW JESUS. Not a scholarly knowing, for Peter had much more to learn about Jesus J that way. Remember the sheet on the roof full of unclean animals?? Much more to know… Peter KNEW Jesus in a personal Knowledge: the SAVIOR who has forgiven him of his sins, even the sin of Denial 3 times! Peter KNEW Jesus in a deep Knowledge: a FRIEND who calls him to Journey over everyday life paths. Peter KNOWS Jesus in a working Knowledge: the LORD who works out the roughness of Peter’s attitudes. Are you a Scholar? Do you have a lot of book knowledge? Is that Important? Not so Much. Remember: IT’S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW, IT IS WHO YOU KNOW! Peter and John were unschooled, common fishermen. The Scholars took notes! …they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Today, if you DO NOT KNOW Jesus, YOU CAN! If you have a need to know Jesus MORE you can! Altar is a place for Sinners and Saints…both seeking the knowledge of Jesus… The deeper, personal, SAVING knowledge for the Sinner! The deeper, shaping, SANCTIFYING knowledge for the Saint! To know Jesus MORE is to KNOW è 2 Peter 1: 3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; Those are some powerful promises!! And We need His Power and His Promises to LIVE OUT the KNOWLEDGE of HIM WHO CALLS US! Altar Call: KNOWING YOU, JESUS Final Hymn of Commitment: 475 Deeper, Deeper * Belle July 11, 2010 am CHRIST WITH US IN THE STORM – Peter Series Some ideas from material by John Maxwell MATTHEW 14:22-33 INTRODUCTION – Don’t trust your feelings in the Storm! # Charlie Brown’s stands on the flat beach after a storm that destroyed his beautiful sandcastle: Storms of life reveal things about us: 1. The nature of my faith 2. The strength of my commitment 3. The level of my maturity 4. The healthiness of my attitude 5. The measure of my teachability READ Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus sends his disciples right into a dark storm!! A. Everyone has storms, even Christians! i. Jonah was swallowed by a whale ii. Paul told the Corinthians they were taking communion “Unworthily” in pride and arrogance, and so were sick and dying iii. Ananias and Sapphira lie to God and are killed by God i. Jesus made / COMPELLED his disciples to go into a storm v22 ii. When fishermen are afraid, it is a BIG storm! iii. Joseph was in the will of God in slavery and even in prison iv. Paul was in the will of God in shipwreck, beatings, and a martyr’s death i. Jesus came into the world to talk to us about God 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? What does Jesus do for us in the Storms of Life? b. He arrives at the darkest hour i. “…a little before morning” Matt 14:25 ii. 4th watch of the night = 3am – 6am Jesus arrived iii. Jesus saw everything 1. He knows where we are 2. He knows our fears 3. He hears our cries 4. He came when in the darkest hour i. Walking on the water! ii. Impossible to fear when we see THIS Majestic Jesus!! i. We ACCEPT the fact that suffering is normal for the Christian who stands firm for Christ 1Peter4:12 1. We are honored “to bear that Name” v16 a. For Christians as “the family of God” b. For unbelievers who “do not obey the gospel” v17 {Transition} We must not only ask “What does Jesus want us to DO for us in the storms of life?” We must also ask: C. What does Jesus want us to learn in the Storm?? Matthew 14: 27 – 31 a. Jesus wants us NOT to look at the WIND, but to LOOK AT HIM i. Peter sank when he looked around v30 ii. Peter knew at least when to look UP iii. Sinking = LORD, SAVE ME! V30
b. Jesus wants to be the LORD of the Storms of your Life! V31 i. You of little faith! Why did you doubt?? ii. Jesus wants us to look only to Him in the Storm! 1. Not circumstances that fluctuate 2. Not people who disappoint
i. Who allowed the disciples to sail into a storm ii. Who rescue Peter J when we sank in the storm iii. Who reaches out to US when we CALL out to Him in the Storm!!
* Independence Day – July 4, 2010 AM Sermon Belle
In "Making Christ-like Disciples in Belle" we would like to have our Sunday worship enriched by the Word of God every time!
As a pastor, I will try to post my Sermons on the Letters of Peter by the Saturday before Worship for you to pray about for the following day.
My prayer is that we all will walk together on this Journey with Jesus...until we reach the maturity Christ has for each of us!!
~
Colors are Power Points
" 'the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the capstone.
1 PETER 4:12
- A Helicopter Pilot operates on instruments in a storm. If he operates on his feelings he may ditch into the ocean.
“I know there should be a lesson here somewhere, but I’m not sure what it is!”
a. Sometimes Storms arise because we are OUT OF God’s Will
b. Sometimes Storms arise because we ARE IN the will of God!
c. Obeying God, walking in His light, in the center of God’s will… yet you could be in the middle of a terrible storm!
B. What does Jesus DO for us in the storms of life??
a. He prays for us – Matthew 14: 23-24
ii. Now He is in heaven talking to God about us! iii. Romans 8:33-35 (NIV)
c. He arrives in His majesty
d. Jesus ministers to us through HIS sufferings!
ii. We REJOICE if we are worthy to be insulted for His name 1Peter4:14… for they insulted Jesus Christ
iii. We suffer without shame and with PRAISE as a Christian 1Peter4:16
2. We know that God will judge justly v17
c. Jesus wants our FAITH IN HIM
Closing Hymn and Altar Call for Faith in Storms: ‘Til the Storm Passes Over
1 Peter 2:9 A Holy Nation
Illustrations and Quotations from "One Nation Under God" by Toby Mac
One of the most important things America has forgotten is that we are ONE NATION UNDER GOD.
Textbooks in our public schools seldom reflect the depth of commitment to God that our forefathers knew.
Samuel Adams was a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, served as Delegate to the First Continental Congress in 1774 and was elected Governor of Massachusetts in 1794.
Most of society knows the name now only as connected to a BEER by that name! J
Yet Samuel Adams believed that GOD Himself brought America into existence.
Speaking of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (point to flag in our sanctuary)
“We have this day, restored the Sovereign, to Whom alone men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and…from the rising to the setting sun, may His Kingdom come.”
Our Freedom was brought and bought by God!
1. Freedom is not cheap, it is bought with a price
The Declaration of Independence was the most dangerous document of its time! Dangerous? Why? You say.
With America still under British Rule, the signers of the Declaration expected to be tried for TREASON to the crown of England!
To sign your name to the Declaration of Independence from Mother England and it was like signing your own DEATH WARRANT.
Yet it was officially adopted on this date - July 4, 1776 – in Philadelphia. SIGNED on August 2, 1776. (for you trivia buffs who watch Jeopardy)
They say as John Hancock scratched his name on the document with that pen, an awful silence filled the room. They who signed fully expected the British to retaliate and eventually the British did with attacks, capture, and even torture!
COURAGE was needed that day, for FREEDOM. Living for a Bigger cause than themselves, the signers even joked a bit about the hanging.
The tall, sturdily built (meant BIG) Colonel Benjamin Harrison of VA told the skinny Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts:
“I shall have a great advantage over you, Mr. Gerry, when we are all hung for what we are now doing. With me, it will be over in a minute, but you, you’ll be dancing on air an hour after I’m gone.”
Freedom is not cheap, it is bought with a price… the sacrifice of men and women who see a cause greater than themselves.
PHOTO – Abraham Clark signer of Declaration
##The story of Abraham Clark –> 1781
“We have captured your sons!” The British officer’s works hung in midair.
Abraham Clark staggered backward at the news. Three British soldiers stood on his front porch; two were armed with muskets. The third man, an officer, paused to let his works sink in, then continued. “Your sons are prisoners of the Crown, locked away in our prison ship, the Jersey. They will surely die there, unless you repent of this foolish rebellion against the king.”
The officer took a rolled-up letter out of his jacket and held it out to the stunned father. “Sign this paper. Admit you were wrong, Mr. Clark, and your sons go free!”
Clark turned his head away to hide his confusion. His sons—captured? Held as prisoners of the Crown? How could this be? They had done no wrong. He was the one who had taken a stand, who had signed the Declaration of Independence. He was the one who had pledged his honor, his property, and his life for the cause of liberty. But not his sons.
“Shoot me!” Clark begged the armed soldiers. “I’m the one you want! Shoot me and let my sons go free. They are so young. Their lives are still before them.”
The officer’s eyes gleamed. So far, the British had been unable to break the resolve of any of the signers of that accursed document. Perhaps this father would be the first one to crack under pressure—to give up the cause for the love of his sons.
“No. Your sons remain our prisoners until you sign the paper.”
Clark closed his eyes. How could he choose his country over his own sons? It was a choice no father should ever have to make.
Pressing the advantage, the British officer thrust the letter in Clark’s face. “This rebellion is a lost cause. You backwoods colonists can never stand against the power of the British Empire. Don’t be a fool, ” he sneered. “Your sons’ lives—their freedom—is at stake!”
The officer’s words cut through Clark’s indecision.
He suddenly knew what he must choose. It was for freedom’s sake that he had taken this stand for independence, so his sons could live free—free from tyranny and oppression.
Before God and man, Clark had pledged to stand with the others, to stand united for this cause, and he would not back down. He knew others had been attacked, captured, and tortured. He knew the British were trying hard to force Clark and the others to break the pledge they had made with one another. If just one man gave in, others might also. Clark knew then that, despite the terrible price he must pay—the lives of his sons—he could not back down. He was a link in a long chain, and he determined he would not be the link that broke under pressure.
Point> Father God paid the ultimate price for our freedom by giving His only Son, Jesus Christ! John 3:16 QUOTE
A horrible price. The death of the pure Son of God. A spotless Lamb who did not have to die for he was perfect. But since we were in need, since we needed Freedom and Independence from sin…
God sacrificed his only son.
Freedom is NOT cheap…not in America with our founding fathers…we are humbled by their sacrifice and courage.
Freedom is NOT cheap in the price of SIN… we are humbled by Jesus’ sacrifice… Courage? Yes. AND LOVE for us, to pay for our Freedom in Blood.
2. With Personal Freedom, Obligation to Others Arises
We think in terms of the individual in our culture today.
“What is in it for me?” before we do anything, any job, any responsibility.
The signers of the Declaration of Independence thought as a Community, Corporately, as a group! Not worried about their own rights, they surrendered even their self-survival FOR THE GREATER GOOD
With Personal Freedom, Obligation to Others Arises.
America was PAID for with blood!
Patriots who gave their lives did not do so for great material possessions…
Greed was not in their minds nor their motives.
They thought of establishing for all of mankind a Republic that might reflect the Kingdom of God (see Samuel Adams’ quote)
The founding fathers thought in terms of “What can I do for my country?”
NOT “What can my country do for me?”
John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural speech: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
A fitting theme for the founding fathers.
A serious mindset that might turn our country around today!!
## Dr. Benjamin Rush PHOTO was considered as notable as George Washington and Ben Franklin by some. We say “WHO?”
Yet Dr. Rush, another signer of the Declaration of Independence, saw With Personal Freedom, Obligation to Others Arises
1. He helped formed the 2 houses of Congress
2. He served as Physician General of the Continental Army
3. By studying old manuscripts he rediscovered a cure for deadly yellow fever that had killed 4,000 in 100 days. They credit Dr. Rush for saving 6,000 lives with that cure.
4. He trained Lewis of Lewis and Clark Expedition in medical emergency care for his long trip
5. Dr. Rush helped establish 5 universities and colleges.
6. He started the FIRST American Bible Society
7. Benjamin Rush was known as “the Father of Public Schools” calling for free education supported by a property tax so that all children could afford school
He wrote a pamphlet giving 12 reasons why the Bible needs to be the central textbook in schools!
BEST QUOTE from Benjamin Rush: “I lament (am sorry) that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes and take so little pains to prevent them…”
“We neglect the only means of establishing and perpetuating our…forms of government: that is, the universal education of our youth IN THE PRICIPLES OF CHRISTIANITY AND THE BIBLE…”
Upon Benjamin Rush’s death, John Adams wrote: “I know of no character living or dead, who had done more real good in America.”
With Personal Freedom, Obligation to Others Arises.
Benjamin Rush lived his life of freedom, NOT for himself, but for OTHERS!
I think his life shows us how to put God FIRST in everything we do!! Benjamin Rush used all of his life to honor God and to serve man.
With more patriots like Rush, we truly would have as 1 Peter says A HOLY NATION! Dr. Rush exhibited signs of “entire sanctification”! He let God have total control of his life and actions! Great hero of FAITH.
In 1787, when he was 44, Rush had a dream: He was on a beach with a group of black Africans who were telling him the horror of slavery. Rush took this as a calling from GOD HIMSELF and gave his best to have America free the slaves.
May we live as Rush did, with a Freedom paid for in Blood, with an Obligation to the Freedom of Others!
Freedom is NOT cheap, it is paid for with sacrifice.
America’s Freedom and our Freedom in Christ
Freedom is NOT selfish, there arises an obligation to serve others.
We ask what we can do for our country!
Finally, Freedom is NOT our own doing, it is a GIFT OF GOD.
## The story of George Washington crossing the East River…said to be the most amazing story of deliverance of the Revolutionary War!
Saved by the Fog
Evacuation of Long Island Summer 1776
“We are expecting the final attack at any moment. Our men are surrounded and outnumbered almost four to one.” Just returning from headquarters to the trenches, Major Benjamin Tallmadge spoke softly to his fellow officers so as not to be overheard by the soldiers around them. “We are low on powder—as always—and the British fleet is even now preparing to sail up the East River to cut off any chance of retreat.”
It was August 27, 1776, only six weeks after the Continental Congress had voted to accept the Declaration of Independence, and things were not looking good for Continental army. To fight would mean defeat. And surrender was out of the question.
“What are we going to do, then?” a lieutenant asked.
“Firmly rely on the protection of Divine Providence,” was General George Washington’s reply. “God has not brought us this far to desert us.” Little did the officers know they were about to see the most amazing episode of divine intervention in the Revolutionary War.
The Americans waited all afternoon—and no attack came. The night passed quietly. They waited all the next day as well. Why had the British not attacked? They clearly outnumbered the Americans. Perhaps they were waiting for the winds to change so their warships could join in the battle.
While General Washington waited, he was inspired with a daring plan. By night, they would secretly evacuate the entire army—eight thou—sand men—across the East River. It was a desperate move. The East River was a mile wide. And wouldn’t the British see them in the moonlight or hear the splashing of their oars—not to mention the sounds that eight thousand men would made, no matter how quiet they tried to be?
Was it a coincidence that just the day before, a regiment of Massachusetts fishermen had come over to reinforce Washington’s army? They were joined by equally skilled mariners from Salem. Together they would gather the necessary row boats, and then all night long they would make the dangerous two-mile round trip, rowing expertly and soundlessly, back and forth, their boats loaded with men, supplies, cannons, carts, cattle, and horses.
But as the next day dawned, the retreat was far from complete. At least three more hours were needed. Major Tallmadge’s unit was among those who remained. They watched—silent but anxious—knowing that without the cover of night they would be exposed to certain discovery and fierce attack.
Major Tallmadge described the scene: “At this time, a very dense fog began to rise out of the ground and off the river, and it seemed to settle in a peculiar manner over both encampments. I recollect this providential occurrence perfectly well, and so very dense was the atmosphere that I could scarcely discern a man at six-yard distance….We tarried until the sun had risen, but the fog remained as dense as ever.”
Against all odds, the fog remained until the last boat, with General Washington in it, had left the shore. As the fog lifted, the British were shocked to find the American trenches empty. They ran to the shore and started firing on the last four boats, which were now out of range of their guns. By the time the British were able to move their cannons into position, the Americans had completely escaped.
GIFT OF FREEDOM
Freedom is NOT FREE -- Paid for with Sacrifice and Service.
What will we do?
Praise God for being our Deliverer in both the founding of our Country and the founding of our Spiritual Lives! FREEDOM
Worship Jesus Christ as the ONLY King whose Sacrifice and Service is Unlimited
Live Like Kingdom Patriots
Wearing out our New Testaments until we live like Jesus Christ!
DELIVERANCE 379 - Scripture Responsive Reading
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1 Peter 2:9-10 We are who Christ says we are!
Beginning the Summer Series Early... May 16, 2010
Theme: To uplift the church in times of stress to know who Christ is and who He makes us to be!!
Purpose: Stress relief of Christians in relying on Christ’s power through His Church.
1. WHY GO TO CHURCH?
A Churchgoer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.
"I’ve gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."
This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor.
It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"
*
2nd Question for Today: What is the church?
Many would say a brick building, with big white columns, and nice green pews!
1 Peter would say the church is THE PEOPLE OF GOD…
not bound to a building… not limited by the pews J
God’s People. We are CALLED. CHOSEN to be His!
V9 A people belonging to God!
We undervalue that promise sometimes. God is there for us!
In Max Lucado’s Book “Come Thirsty” he tells the story of a blind student named John. In his TEEN years, John was in an accident that took his sight and it made him very bitter. He lost all hope.
John says “I was bitter and angry with God for letting it happen, and I took my anger out on everyone around me. I felt that since I had no future, I wouldn’t lift a finger on my own behalf. Let others wait on me. I shut my bedroom door and refused to come out except for meals.”
What changed your attitude? A friend asked.
John gives his father the credit. Weary of the Pity Party and ready for his son to get on with life, he ordered his son to put up the outside storm windows all over their home.
“Do the work before I get home or else!” the dad said firmly, slamming the door on the way out.
Jon reacted with anger. Muttering and cursing and groping all the way to the garage, he found the windows, stepladder, and tools and went to work.
“They’ll be sorry when I fall off my ladder and break my neck.”
But he didn’t fall. Little by little he inched around the house and finished the chore. The assignment was complete. He finished his father’s task.
John reluctantly realized he could still work and began to reconstruct his life from that point.
YEARS LATER he learned something else about that Day. When he shared this detail with his friend, his blinded eyes misted. “I later discovered that at no time during the day had my Father ever been more than 4 or 5 feet from my side.”
Point>> Our Father has no intention of letting his Children Fall!
We need to CLAIM that promise! CLING to that Verse!
V9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
*
We ARE Chosen! When we respond to His Choosing, we step “out of darkness” into his WONDERFUL Light! I like that!
God calls us out of the sin and dark places of living in this world…
He forgives our sins, brings LIGHT to our hearts and to our paths…
ONLY CHRIST can do this, PRAISE HIS NAME! v9…that you might declare the praises of Him who called you…”
He CALLS us out of darkness… CHOOSES us to be the People of God…
He not only gives us a new Calling… He gives us a new Mission!
You are…A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD – on a mission to bring others to Christ.
The job of the church is not to impact the church, but to impact the world. It’s like a huddle in a football game. 60,000 people don’t pay for a high priced ticket to watch the WV Mountaineers huddle.
What if you went to a WVU game and for 2 ½ hours you watched 11 men stand in a circle and talk?
That’s not what I pay for!! 60,000 people pay for a ticket on Mountaineer Field to see what difference the huddle makes!
And what we want to know is, having called the play in secret, does it work in public? The challenge for the church is not what we do when we call our Sunday morning huddle, but what we do when we break our huddle and head to our Monday morning assignment.
We are a Royal Priesthood! We huddle on Sundays, Start the game on Monday!
Like our Wednesday night crew learned: Priest is Latin for BRIDGE or BRIDGE BUILDER. So our Mission is to bring others to Jesus Christ … To BRIDGE the gap between what the World says about Christ and the Truth about Christ in Scripture…
A Royal Priesthood… J A Holy Huddle…
## Our local Missions’ Team huddled a couple of months ago...
The NMI – Naz Missions International - has been talking about putting "feet to our teaching" by serving the inner city of Charleston through the Hissom Tabernacle.
Once an independent ministry to serve the poor, the Hissom Tabernacle is now a Church of the Nazarene, joining our District about 2 years ago at the WV South District Assembly.
They serve the poor with food pantry, clothing & utensil pantry, Wednesday night supper, church chapels, and HUD approved housing for people trying to get back on their feet.
Our 1st group to the inner city was this last week. Our mission’s president, Rennae Morris, coordinated the supper on Wednesday night at Hissom with Brad White, Austin Romaca, Rennae Morris, and Lynne Sizemore serving. Thanks also goes to all who cooked and prepared the meal! The people at Hissom enjoyed it immensely. One man's comment: "Great Food! I hope your church comes back SOON."
Our long-range vision is to serve the inner city of our area, training our youth and adults in the way of Christ's love and compassion.
We know some may struggle whether or not to aid the poor in today's welfare society.
Reading Proverbs seems to outline God's concern for the poor in many verses!
Prov. 14:31b but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
John Wesley said it best:
"There is no personal holiness without social holiness." (a ministry to the needy).
We are a Royal Priesthood, a Bridge to those desperately in need of the Hope of Jesus Christ! Thanks to our NMI Council for being kind to the needy… you honored God!
A HOLY NATION
This is a much bigger vision of the church than we can possibly conceive!
We limit the church to our local church, or at best our denomination… when the people of God stretches across denominations lines, across every tribe and color around the world, across rich and poor and everyone in between…
The People of God are called to be ONE, a Holy Nation, 1st putting our faith in the Light of the World Himself, Jesus Christ J and then and only then reaching out as God’s People to those in darkness…to bring them to the LIGHT of Jesus Christ!
Sometimes He calls us to leave our comfort zone (like down to the inner city of CharlestonJ), God CALLS us to be daring and stretch in our attitudes… to open up our hearts to His daring & leading…
In chapter one of his book The Kingdom of God is a Party, Rev. Tony Campolo told a story about how he was jetlagged in Honolulu from a long flight.
At 3:30 in the morning he was walking up and downs streets to look for a place to eat. He found a sleazy place still open, went in, when suddenly door of the diner swung open. To his discomfort, 8 or 9 prostitutes, marched in. It was a small place, they sat around and talked. The talk was loud and crude, Campolo felt out of place. Then he overheard the woman sitting beside him say “Tomorrow’s my birthday, going to be 30.”
Her so-called friend responded nastily “So what da ya want from me? A birthday party? A cake? Sing Happy Birthday to You?”
“C’mon” said the woman next to him. “Why you being so mean, I’m just telling you, that’s all. Why have to put me down? I don’t want anything from you, why would you give me birthday party? Never had one whole life, why should I have one now?”
Campolo heard all that, after the women left, called over to the guy behind the counter – “Do they come in here every night?”
“Yeah” said the counter guy.
“The one who sat next to me, does she come here every night?”
“Yeah, that’s Agnes, why do ya wanna know?”
“Because I heard her say tomorrow is her birthday, what do you say that you and I throw birthday party for her –right here tomorrow night?”
“That’s great! What a great idea!” Harry, counter guy called to his wife, told her about the plan, she said, “That’s wonderful, you know Agnes is really nice and kind, nobody ever does anything nice and kind for her.”
So the next morning at 2:30 am, Tony Campolo came back at the diner, armed with party decorations and made the diner look good. The word got out on the street by 3:15am it seemed like every prostitute in Honolulu was in the diner, wall to wall prostitutes and Rev. Tony Campolo.
At 3:30am Agnes swung the door open, and everybody screamed at top of their lungs, “Happy Birthday”
Rev. Campolo said “Never have I seen a person so flabbergasted... so stunned... so shaken. As she was led to counter, they all sang the birthday song, and at the end of the song you could tell she was barely holding in tears.
When birthday cake came out with the candles, she lost it and sobbed openly.
Harry, the counter guy, gruffly mumbled,
“Blow out the candles, Agnes! Come on! Blow or I’ll hafta do it.”
Seconds later that seem like minutes, Harry blew out the candles , then handed her a knife “Cut the cake Agnes, we all want some cake”
Agnes looked down at the cake. “Look Harry if it’s alright with you ... I’d like to keep the cake a while, not eat it right away.”
“Sure, it’s ok if you keep the cake,” Harry says, “Keep it.”
“Can I?” She got off her stool picked up cake like it was the holy grail walked slowly to the door and she left for her apartment.
Stunned silence held the diner.
Tony Campolo says “Not knowing what else to do I broke the silence by saying ‘What do you say we pray?’”
So at 3:30 in morning here I was leading a prayer meeting with bunch of prostitutes, in a diner in Honolulu.
It felt like the right thing to do, so I prayed for Agnes, her salvation, for a life change, for God to bless her.
When I finished, Harry leaned over the counter, and with a trace of hostility in his voice he said “Hey, You never told me you were a preacher. What kind of church do you belong to?”
Then, in one of those moments when just the right words came, I answered:
“I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the a.m.”
Harry waited a moment and then almost sneered as he answered
“No you don’t, There’s no church like that. If there was, I’d join it. I’d join a church like that!”
How are we to be a people of God?
We are to be a church like that... that welcomes sinners...like Jesus’ did!
The Sad truth is that... many churches are not like that...but wouldn’t we all like to join a church like that? A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a church that brings people out of the darkness into His wonderful light?
A declaration of praise out of darkness. I pray Christ stirs our hearts to be a church like that! To be the PEOPLE OF GOD!
May He bless our ministry to others, to Belle, to the inner city of Charleston, to the World!
Let’s close with a Testimony of the Church, brought out of darkness into his wonderful light! Stand and Sing…
Hymn: Tis’ so Sweet to Trust in Jesus! Page 560
Colors are the Power Point Highlights
June 6, 2010 10:45am
“Leaving a Godly Heritage” Proverbs 3: 1 - 10 NIV
2 for they will prolong your life many years 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; 4 Then you will win favor and a good name 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; 8 This will bring health to your body 9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
but keep my commands in your heart,
and bring you prosperity.
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
in the sight of God and man.
and lean not on your own understanding;
and he will make your paths straight.
fear the LORD and shun evil.
and nourishment to your bones.
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
How do you gauge success?
*Earnings?
*Education?
*Toys? (the big ones count!)
*A Good Name?
Proverbs is a Pathway to Success Paved by the Wisest man who ever lived!
Solomon, the 3rd King of Israel…asks for wisdom when God willing to grant health or wealth!
Proverbs are Principles to Live By, set down by God Himself through the Holy Spirit’s wisdom in Solomon.
Proverbs are a great place to have devotions if you are Busy Beyond Belief! Snippets of God’s Words in one or two lines that can change your life AND last a Lifetime! A lifetime of Wisdom! Who doesn’t need wisdom…?
READ Proverbs 3: 1-4
Proverb’s Path: A Creative God v1-4
## Roger Sherman loved God so much it affected his actions!
A famous politician AND church member!
Roger Sherman wrote down his basic beliefs that he held so dear. His pastor, Jonathan Edwards, Jr, was so impressed with his work; the church made his words their written creed or statement of faith! Not bad for a man who was a cobbler (worked on shoes), self-taught until he received an honorary degree from YALE University! Lived 1721-1793.
Roger Sherman was more than just a Sunday Christian. He sought to incorporate the Love of God into everyday living!
June 11, 1787, the heat was stifling and made it hard to think. Dressed in powdered wigs of the day, Sherman and his Constitutional colleagues toiled away on the Constitution of the United States of America.
Sherman had seen it all. He was eagerly a part of all four founding documents of the United States: the Articles of Association in 1774, the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the Articles of Confederation in 1778, and now the Constitution.
Bickering in the hot room, no one could decide on how to let the States be represented in the united Continental Congress: some wanted the larger states to have more say in the country; after all they bore the tax burden! Others wanted EVERY state to have the same say, after all that is why they came to America. So huge Pennsylvania was arguing with tiny Delaware on who gets more say or power in the newly forming Congress.
Sherman finally spoke, and people listened: “Gentlemen, my fellow statesmen from Pennsylvania and Virginia are correct!” {uh, oh, he was taking the Big States side!}
The room fell silent. ½ were happy, the other side angry and upset.
Sherman continued: “Gentlemen, my fellow statesmen from Delaware and Rhode Island are correct too. Every point each makes is undeniably true. And therefore we must heed them all.”
And then in a point of God’s guidance and God’s wisdom, Roger Sherman proposed the system of Congress that we have today. TWO houses!
The SENATE that puts ALL States on equal footing with equal representatives. THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES which gives larger populations greater representation.
May I say I believe that this godly man is a powerful example of allowing God to guide him at a time of national crisis! A man of God who saw a wall of problems, prayed, asked God for guidance, then found that God gave a CREATIVE ANSWER that shaped the lives of millions in the years to come!
GOD IS A CREATIVE GOD IN GIVING WISDOM!
God has a creative answer for your troubles or the problem that you face today!
KEY: Take the Proverb’s Path!
Plug into God’s Ways, His Higher Ways!
Seek His Wisdom in your Life, you will never regret it!
è Roger Sherman concluded his career by serving in the NEW U.S. House of Representatives from 1789 to 1791 and the NEW U.S. Senate from 1791 to 1793!
Let’s look at the rest of the Wisdom Path…
Proverb’s Path:
Trusting God v5-6
Sometimes it is harder to offer to trust God when life seems to offer only pain.
Ironically, some stumble at the Book of Proverbs as it seems to offer Promises of health, wealth and life “as it should be”…peaceful, with children well behaved. J
HEALTH – v8 says following wisdom “will bring health to your body” but sometimes we are very Unhealthy? So what gives?
WEALTH – v9-10 “honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”
So why not every time? ALL Christians aren’t healthy, wealthy, nor wise! J
Not a shock to anyone, is it?
Ø As Christians we contract illnesses that are sometimes lifelong, many times terminal
Ø As Christians we ask “why?” when we lose money on the stock market, wreck our cars or trucks, and lose control of our children as they make bad decisions when we have trained them better…
Ø How do we KNOW God is trustworthy when all these bad things happen to good people? Have we a lack of faith? Do I just blindly leap into the dark hoping God catches me?
## George MacDonald, one of the greatest thinkers of the 19th century, author of over 90 books, greatest influence on CS Lewis by Lewis’ testimony...
MacDonald lived a life of ill health most of his life and lived in financial stress most of his life. He was preceded in death by 4 of his children from TB and other illnesses, one daughter dying right before her marriage.
He had to lie on his back for months with an icepack on his chest to slow the bleeding from his lungs.
McDonald says in effect about his life:
I would not trade all of my dark days in life for bright days. For in the hardships, I learned the greatest truths of God that have kept my soul. “Without the dark days, I would not have seen just how bright Christ would appear."
George MacDonald’s
The QUEST Study Bible says:
Proverbs are PRINCIPLES of right living: thinking and acting God’s way!
Proverbs are NOT sure fire promises or guarantees…even though we want them to beJ
Like MacDonald, there is no immunity from illness or financial troubles.
Rather, proverbs point to general principles that guide us…God’s PATH to Life!
John 10:10 “I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.” -JESUS
God’s Ways – that save us from unnecessary pain or suffering!
God’s Wisdom – that saves us from bad decisions and the consequences!
God’s Path – that leads our lives to the most abundant life possible!
While we are not guaranteed we will never get cancer or go broke, we can avoid the foolish choices that can prematurely cut our lives short or cause financial ruin. – Quest Study Bible
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
The Proverb’s Path leads to a Giving God…
Proverb’s Path:
Honoring God v9-10
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with the first fruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
It sounds like a Promise doesn’t it?
Yet it is a principle for living God’s Way!
We need to live believing one thing: GOD IS A GIVER.
Proverbs Path Today leads us to this one eternal truth: God is a lavish GIVER in His gifts to men & women who follow His leading!
Many do not accept Jesus Christ as Savior because they see God as a TAKER.
Bill Hybels, pastor of one of the largest churches in America, was walking one day with an unsaved person he had recently met.
He says: I was talking with a guy I had met about all that Christ had done in my life, and I brought the conversation to its close by saying,
“You know, Bob, a relationship with Christ is available to you as well. All you have to do is open up your heart and tell God that you need Him, and you, too, can start a whole new life.”
Bob looked as though I had just invited him to have lunch with me on the moon.
In Bob’s mind, God was clearly a TAKER, rather than a GIVER.
Bob had done the calculations and he ended up believing that he would lose much more than he would gain if he gave his heart to Jesus Christ.
To Bob, God is a demanding Being. God has a lot of rules and forbids me to have a lot of fun.
But what Bob doesn’t know is that God is NOT a Taker, God is a GIVER.
Proverb’s Path is clear:
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with the first fruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.
Who doesn’t want to end up like that with a life LAVISH with God’s Grace and Abundance?
Follow God’s Proverb’s Path! TRUST in the Lord with ALL your heart!
Lean NOT on your OWN understanding! In ALL your ways, ACKNOWLEDGE HIM, and He WILL make your paths straight!
God is the Ultimate Giver! On the Cross of Calvary is His best Gift of All!
Do you believe He wants you to have His Best? He gave His one & only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but HAVE everlasting life!!
The Altar is open if you wish to start seeking God’s path, the path to the perfect GIVER.
Altar Call: Amazing Grace
When we’ve been there 10,000 years… God’s generosity will last for all of eternity! 10,000 years is no time at all in eternity! His GIVING GRACE will be celebrated FOREVER and ever!
~
Senior Sermon: May 23, 2010 AM
DJ, Mackenzie, Adam
Jeremiah 18:5-6 Then the word of the LORD came to me:
"O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD.
"Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.”
On the way home from our daughter’s graduation, we stopped in a pottery. I love pottery! Beautiful works of art made from a clump of mud and clay.
Amazing to me that from something so plain can be made something beautiful.
2nd power point slide is the Potter’s WHEEL where the mud gets “thrown” and turned and shaped…
You see the unbaked cups and pots and plates…”greenware”, before firing.
THEN comes the finished product: some are plain, some are fancy J LIKE US!!
Some are colorful, some white. Some are very noticeable, some could be overlooked.
The point is ALL are useful…
God makes us all a bit differently, so that He can USE US in different ways!!
God says in Jeremiah “Like clay in the hands of the potter, so you are in my hand…”
The potter let me take pictures as she shaped and molded a piece of clay….
Shaping on the wheel, then shaping with a KNIFE – hurts sometimes as God shapes us.
Scraping and cutting away the excess with MASTER precision! For God is the Master Potter.
Will we allow His Hands to shape and scrape? J Adults or teens or children, He is willing!!
Don’t Be a Cow…Be a Rhinoceros
From Doug Samples of Clendenin WV Church of the Nazarene
“Call Waiting: Connect with God’s Plan for Your Future”
Cows
~Cows love to lie around all day, chew their cud, and moo, which is their way of complaining.
~Cows love to be lazy and hang out all day with nothing to do.
~ Cows are always looking for shortcuts and the path of least resistance.
~ Cows love to wait around and watch to see which way the herd is going.
~ Cows are always content with a C on a test, especially when it would mean another two or three hours of study to get a B or an A.
~ Most of all, cows love mediocrity. They dream of being ordinary and average.
Rhinoceroses On the other hand…
~ Rhinos are thick-skinned chargers who enjoy the excitement of running through the jungle of life rather than following the herd of cows to the meat market.
~ Rhinos love a great challenge.
~ Rhinos love the risks, the demands, and even the potential failures that come with the hazards of life.
~ Rhinos love swimming upstream.
~ Rhinos love being five minutes early for a 6am basketball practice.
~Rhinos love to have the ball in their hands in the final seconds with the game on the line.
~ Rhinos love being the lead dogs with bugs in their teeth.
~ Rhinos are great dreamers
~ Rhinos are never afraid of failure because every time they fail they get smarter.
~ Rhinos understand that “success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” (That’s an Abraham Lincoln quote.)
Rhinos in the Jungles of West Virginia
My dad taught me at an early age to be a rhinoceros. While all the other dads were joining country clubs and playing golf with their sons, my dad bought a nasty piece of wooded hillside called Knollwood. There must have been a gazillion trees on this three acres of West Virginia hillside. Our job was to clear out over half the trees in order to make room for a house, a driveway, and so on. During my junior high and senior high years, Dad and I would get up early on Saturday mornings and throughout the summer to grub out trees. Dad didn’t believe in cutting the tree off at the ground and leaving the stump. Noooooooo! Every tree had to be dug out (grubbed out) by the roots and then cut up with a two-man saw or an ax. (Chain saws must have been against Dad’s religion.)
Every morning as Dad and I would drive to Knollwood, I could cry and complain and fuss in hopes that Dad would somehow be struck with a miracle of mercy and let me go back home and sleep in. I wanted to be a cow like all my other cow friends and sleep till 11am and then go play baseball or basketball and go down to the riverbank and tell dirty stories.
Rhino
~To work hard while everyone else was playing.
~To grub out a tree while everyone else was leaving the stump.
~To think while everyone else was goofing off.
~To solve problems while everyone else was standing around complaining.
~To dream the impossible while everyone else was saying it couldn’t be done.
~To commit my life to God while all my friends were being cows down on the riverbank.
Dream of doing great things for God.
But I’ve got to warn you: If you choose to be a rhinoceros, you will always be the target of a lot of criticism and hassle from all the other cows. They will continually try to pull you back into the herd so that you’ll be average and plain and common and mediocre like the rest of them.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Who do you think you are?”
“Who are you trying to impress?”
“Someone ought to take you down a notch or two!”
“Why did you have to mess up the curve for that test?”
“Why don’t you want to hang out with us anymore? Aren’t we good enough for you?”
Don’t be a cow and follow the crowd. Hook up your horn to Jesus, and follow Him no matter what anyone else is saying or doing.
Instead of hanging around with all the cows, you need to find some other rhino friends to team up with. As you go looking for rhinos, remember, you won’t find them in herds. They will undoubtedly be unique people who may not be on the most popular list. There may even be some great rhinos hiding in the senior adult group at your church from whom you could learn some valuable lessons, if you would carve out some time to be with them.
~ Thomas Edison was a rhino who failed a thousand times trying to invent a lightbulb, but he never gave up.
~Orville and Wilbur Wright built a flying machine while all the other cows were standing around saying it couldn’t be done.
~John Glenn went up into space as an astronaut for a second time when he was 77 years old.
~Beethoven composed some of his greatest works late in his life after he had become totally deaf.
~Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the church door at Wittenberg.
~Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream at a time when everyone else was consumed by a nightmare.
~Bill Gates was dreaming of a personal computer in every home in America just a few years after the chairman of IBM had declared, “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”
~Three Hebrew teenagers (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) each politely but boldly told the king, “I’m no cow, so I won’t bow!”
Why Be a Rhino?
Here’s the reason. Are you ready? The reason you need to be a rhino instead of a cow is because the world out there is a jungle and not a pasture field. It really is a jungle out there. And if a cow gets loose in the jungle, it’s not going to be the king of the jungle; it’s going to be the Burger King of the jungle.
The world is not an easy place. It’s not fair. It’s not safe.
The world out there is challenging, demanding, risky, dangerous, and hazardous. You will never survive, you will never make it, if you’re a cow. But when you decide to be a rhino, you are choosing to enjoy the adventures and opportunities of life. You are choosing to take life by storm even when it means fighting through failures and disappointments.
As a rhino you will discover that the Bible is the most amazing safari guide Manual anyone has ever written. Throughout the pages of God’s Word you and I can find the kind of spiritual food that keeps a rhino going strong. Stuff like
~”In all your ways acknowledge (God), and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:6, NKJV).
~”I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13, NKJV).
~”Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-3).
~”We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor. 4:8).
~”Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed….For our light and momentary troubles (only a rhino could see dying as a light and momentary trouble) are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 cor. 4:16-17).
From the BooK: Come Thirsty by Max Lucado
We can relate to the story of Louis Armstrong. The famous trumpeter grew up in rural Louisiana in the early 1900s. When he was a young boy, his aunt Haddie often sent him to the creek for water. On one occasion, as he leaned over to fill his bucket, an alligator so scared the youngster that he dropped the pail and ran. His aunt told him to go back and get the water. “That alligator,” she assured, “is just as scared of you as you are of it.”
“If that’s the case,” He answered, “then that creek water ain’t fit to drink.”
Alligators lurk in our creeks too. And when we see them, we react.
We fear rejection, so we follow the crowd.
We fear not fitting in, so we take the drugs.
For fear of standing out, we wear what everyone else wears.
For fear of blending in, we wear what no one else wears.
For fear of sleeping alone, we sleep with anyone.
For fear of not being loved, we search for love in all the wrong places.
But God transforms those fears.
Those saturated in God’s love don’t sell out to win the love of others.
They don’t even sell out to win the love of God.
Do you think you need to? Do you think, If I cuss less, pray more, drink less, study more…if I try harder, God will love me more?
Sniff and smell Satan’s stench behind those words. As Christians, we all need improvement, but we don’t need to woo or earn God’s love. We change because we already have God’s love. God’s perfect love. We change because we dearly love Him.
God knows your entire story, from first word to final breath, and with clear assessment declares, “You are mine.”