A Sure Hope

God did amazing things through the prophet Elisha. He tried heroically to turn Israel’s heart back to God, and he did have some success in that. And although there’s no Elisha alive today, Pastor Dave’s teaching will show that God’s still trying to get His people to become more heartfelt in their following Him.

What a tragedy for this woman – to have her only son die in her arms! But in Pastor Dave’s teaching today you’ll find out more about her – her unwavering faith in God. You’ll see in the way she handles this situation that she’s not giving up on her child. She’s going to pursue God’s best for her boy, and no one’s going to stop her.

Being a witness for Jesus is way more than passing out tracts or standing on a street corner telling people about Jesus. It’s about living your life in a way that pleases Him. Elisha was a man who was pleasing God in how he lived, and as Pastor Dave will be teaching, this…difference…was noticed by people that saw Elisha.

God wants your faith to be as strong as possible. And while He will send people to help you, and has provided the Bible to guide you, He also expects you to act on what He’s shown you. And this is one of the lessons of the story you’ll hear about in Pastor Dave’s teaching. To have stronger faith, you have to do the work of faith.

There are men and women serving God who are known all over the world. Some might think that these people have it pretty easy. But as Pastor Dave will teach, the real work is done behind the scenes. Prayer, study, preparation – lots of these things – go on well before anything the public sees.

It’s important to remember that for all of the talents you think you have if you’re going to be used by God, you must rely on God’s Spirit to empower you for the ministry. Pastor Dave’s teaching today will remind you of this critical fact. You’ve probably seen people try to serve God in their own strength and watched them fail.

People who want to serve God are going to face opposition. God used the prophet, Elijah, despite hostility from the ruling class. Elisha would face the same thing but was willing to endure it to be used by God. Pastor Dave’s going to challenge you to be willing to be an instrument of God’s will, no matter the danger.

Is there anyone that you admire for their spiritual depth and maturity that you’d want to be like? Elisha wanted to be like his mentor, Elijah. Pastor Dave’s going to teach about the time when Elijah’s going to be taken off of this earth. You’ll hear about Elisha’s request and the conditions under which it would be met.

In today’s message, Pastor Dave explains a time in Elijah’s life when he was challenged by the King’s servants because he was following God’s instruction. When the King’s servants tried to attack Elijah, fire rained from heaven and destroyed the attackers. We’re called to submit to authority ONLY if it doesn’t go against God.

Have you ever found yourself torn between what’s written in the Bible and what authority tells you to do? In today’s message, Pastor Dave speaks about examples of conformity to physical authority in the Bible. And, how; while we are called to submit to our authorities, that submission is never allowed to overrule God’s commandments.