Chestnut Mountain Church

When the angel appeared to the shepherds during Jesus' birth, the shepherds were told that "for you a Savior has been born" along with the sign that God had given to know that Jesus was the child. The King of kings didn't enter into this world the way a normal could would. The way Jesus arrived was simple. Don't forget the simplicity of the Christmas story. Don't forget the simplicity of the Gospel. For you a Savior was born and for you He died for you so that you may have eternal life.

On December 8, 2019, we celebrated our 2nd annual Send Sunday where we sent out our church to feed over 2500 people in our community. We were sent to love first because He first loved us. Loving and serving others is our way of saying thank you to our Savior. We must continue to see people the way God sees them for He has called us to love and serve one another. Listen to this full sermon about loving others and seeing people the way God sees them.

No matter how impossible or ignorant it may seem, when we are obedient God shows His power. As Christians, we too often get too comfortable and check cruise control too soon in our lives. However, when God speaks, we must obey even if it's seems impossible and that there is no way. We have to be okay with not understanding every detail or outcome of what God has called us to. When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush, it seemed that there was no way Moses could do what God was calling him to, but God made it possible. As we move into 2020, Pastor Brian lays out this No Way vision for our upcoming series in the new year and to begin preparing our hearts for how God will lead us as His followers individually and as a church in 2020.

In this week of Thanksgiving, we see how Paul declared "but thanks be to God" despite what he faced and went through. He declared this because he knew the promises of God and knew he would see the victory if he remained obedient. As believers, we must know that God is calling us to be a part of His victory parade. We must spread the fragrance of victory wherever we go in a lost and dying world. We must continue to say thank you to our Savior. Are you willing as a Christian to say thank you to your listen?

As Habakkuk 3 concludes, we see Habakkuk declaring that he will worship God through this battle. Habakkuk settles that everything will not always turn out the way he wants and even if it doesn't turn out the way he wants he will still worship God for who He is. What started out as a journey filled with question marks in Habakkuk 1 ends with a big exclamation mark in Habakkuk 3. Throughout Habakkuk's journey, his circumstances never changed but what did change was his focus. He shifted his focus from his circumstances to focusing on God. Listen to this full message about changing our focus in the final part of our Even If series as we follow Habakkuk's journey.

As Habakkuk's prayer continues in Habakkuk 3, we see Habakkuk declaring his faith and trust in God. Even if Habakkuk doesn't understand what God is doing or what He will do next, Habakkuk declares that he will trust God. We see Habakkuk move from asking why to declaring who. As believers, we must understand that faith supersedes understanding and is about trusting. When you know God, you can trust Him even if you don't understand because He is worthy of your faith. Listen to this full message about faith in the seventh part of our Even If series as we follow Habakkuk's journey.

As Habakkuk 3 begins, we see that Habakkuk is beginning to see God through a different lens. From Habakkuk 1 to Habakkuk 3, we see the progression of how Habakkuk has changed the way he prays and his perspective of God. In chapter 1, Habakkuk prays that God isn't hearing him to praying to God that he will position himself differently to hear from God in chapter 2. Finally in chapter 3, Habakkuk is now praying that he has heard from God. Throughout Habakkuk's journey, we see that Habakkuk's circumstances never changed but what did change was Habakkuk spending time with God. Listen to this full message in the sixth part of our Even If series as we follow Habakkuk's journey.

As we continue in Habakkuk 2, we see that God answer Habakkuk as Habakkuk has positioned himself in a position to hear from God. God tells Habakkuk about what He sees and what could be stumbling blocks for people. We see that true satisfaction only comes through Him and not fulfilling the satisfaction of our flesh through worldly things. Jesus is the only one that will set you free. Listen to this full message in the fifth part of our Even If series as we follow Habakkuk's journey.

As we continue in Habakkuk 2, we see that God answer Habakkuk as Habakkuk has positioned himself in a position to hear from God. God tells Habakkuk to record what He is saying on the tablets so that the one who reads it may run. While we are in this season of waiting for His return, it does not mean that we sit around to only wait for Him. We should turn our walking into running during the waiting to tell others about Jesus. Listen to this full message of running in the waiting to tell others about Jesus in the fourth part of our Even If series as we follow Habakkuk's journey.

In Habakkuk 2, we see Habakkuk enter into this time of watching and waiting for God. We see his first sign of surrender to God. In Habakkuk 2:1, he declares that he will stand on his guardpost. God has given us all a guardpost to watch over. However, are we willing to rise above the chaos of this world? Can the world see the difference between us and the lost? Listen to this full message of standing on our guardpost and rising above the chaos of the world in the third part of our Even If series as we follow Habakkuk's journey.