Are you finding it difficult to love people these days?  Maybe due to the restrictions that the pandemic has put on us or maybe due to the divisive issues in our society?  In this episode, we take a look at 1 John 4:7-11 to learn from God's example of love and see how He calls us to love one another.

No one can escape suffering. In the course of life, all of us will experience our shares of pains, disappointments, and sorrows. How we choose to respond during life's sufferings can be defining for our faith. The good news is that biblical lament gives us the avenue to respond in the presence of God. I invite you into Psalm 137 this morning, to gain a deeper understanding as to why lament is necessary for the Christian life.

The Importance of the Gospel

The message of the gospel is so important. 

• we need to declare it faithfully because people need to hear it as our response to it will determine our eternal destiny, whether we spend it with God or in hell completely separated from His presence

You might have gone to church all your life, but if you have never really made that decision to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and God’s free gift of salvation, then you are not a Christian.  However, today can be the day that you become one!  God says in II Corinthians 6:2, and I quote:

for He says, “At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation”— so don’t delay!

If you sense God calling you, then I am going to ask you to take the step to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and pray to receive Him into your heart and your life!  If you are ready to take that step, then say the following prayer and ask God to receive His unspeakable gift of eternal life in Christ our Savior:

“Dear God,

I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness.  I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that you raised Him to life.  I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will.  I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen."

Even in the midst of a pandemic and other difficulties in life, we can praise God for who He is and what he's done.  This week, we look at Psalm 145 to see the many reasons for praise - His greatness displayed through works and deeds, His grace and mercy, His eternal kingdom, His faithfulness and providence, and His righteousness and justice.

Our world gives us plenty of things to be fearful of.  A few notable examples include this COVID pandemic, our economic collapse, brutality and violence on our streets, racism, and politics.  Our world teaches us to either avoid or get angry at those things we fear.  Either way, we become enslaved to those fears as their emotional grip leads us to react.  But God's Word gives us a better way, and that is to praise God for His sufficiency and ability to overcome those fears.  Let's see how Psalm 91 shows that is possible.

Are you just trying to survive spiritually during these past couples of months? It is problematic when we neglect our walk with Christ due to the change in the rhythm of life, the demands of work and family, and the burden of societal unrest. The answer to these problems is not just endurance or activism. Though important, they will only lead to burn out if operated alone. Instead, we must pair the aforementioned with intimacy with God. Psalm 103 teaches us how to draw closer to God through praise.

This short message is from Psalm 27.  This psalm of David talks about the protection, refuge, fellowship, and guidance that we have from the Lord. 

Verses 1 to 3 talk about God’s protection. 

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the defense of my life;

Whom shall I dread?

2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,

My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.

3 Though a host encamp against me,

My heart will not fear;

Though war arise against me,

In spite of this I shall be confident.

In this first part of the psalm, David states how confident he is of God’s protection even in the face of many enemies who want to attack him, even though a war should arise.  God’s protection is sure, and David put his full confidence in God’s ability to keep him safe.

Verses 4 to 6 talk about the refuge that we find in the Lord:

4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the Lord

And to meditate in His temple.

5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;

In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;

He will lift me up on a rock.

6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,

And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

David longs to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.  He finds a refuge there in the day of trouble.  He worships God and offers sacrifices with shouts of joy.  Even in times of trouble, he sings praises to God and finds refuge and peace through worshipping God.

Verses 7 to 10 describe the fellowship that we have with God:

7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,

And be gracious to me and answer me.

8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You,

“Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.”

9 Do not hide Your face from me,

Do not turn Your servant away in anger;

You have been my help;

Do not abandon me nor forsake me,

O God of my salvation!

10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,

But the Lord will take me up.

This passage addresses the closeness and fellowship of God.  If we seek His face, He will not forsake us.  When we are lonely (and that can even be true when many people are around us), when we need someone to count on, God is always there.  Our relationships with our earthly father and mother are some of the closest that we can experience.  They are the ones that we can count on and turn to, and yet this psalm says that even if our father and mother were to forsake us, the Lord will take us up.

The last section of this psalm, verses 11 to 14, talk about how God guides our steps.  When we need guidance in difficult times, when we face adversaries, when seek to go in the right direction, God teaches us:

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord,

And lead me in a level path

Because of my foes.

12 Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries,

For false witnesses have risen against me,

And such as breathe out violence.

13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord

In the land of the living.

14 Wait for the Lord;

Be strong and let your heart take courage;

Yes, wait for the Lord.

It’s because of God’s protection, refuge, fellowship, and guidance that we can face and overcome anything that comes our way.  God is faithful, and He is and always will be there for us.

“Dear Lord, thank you for your faithfulness.  Because you give us protection, refuge, fellowship, and guidance, we can face enemies, difficulties, danger, loneliness, and uncertainty with full confidence that you will see us through.  In Jesus’ name, amen.”

This Father's Day message provides a closer look at Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, and how he serves as an inspiring example for fathers.  He was a righteous man, one who had a very close relationship with God, our Heavenly Father, and a man who obeyed God completely and without hesitation.  Through the study of Joseph and his example, we can find practical applications not just for fathers but for wives, children, young adults, and even for those who might be hurting on Father's Day.