Come Alive (Audio)

Often times parents get caught up in the everyday routine and they neglect the calling God has on their lives. When He blessed them with the gift of children, He also called them to raise them up in the Gospel. Part of every parent’s role is to teach their children as much as they can about who God is and demonstrate what it means to live in relationship with Him. As Pastor Mark examines the account of the Eli’s sons, we are warned to be guarded against spiritual complacency and idleness as we raise our kids. We need to make sure that we are actively pointing them towards our Savior.

Our God is wise and just. Today’s passage presents a harsh reality of who God is. Sometimes He has to allow and even cause things to happen to people who are bringing harm upon His Children. We love the grace side of God, but when His justice comes to bear, we may not like what we see. As Pastor Mark continues to lead us through 1st Samuel, we encounter an example of God’s execution of justice. It may sound unloving, but it was out of His desire to see His Creation redeemed and His Children protected that He had to carry out the painful punishments for the sinful rebellion of Eli’s sons.

Our God is wise and just. Today’s passage presents a harsh reality of who God is. Sometimes He has to allow and even cause things to happen to people who are bringing harm upon His Children. We love the grace side of God, but when His justice comes to bear, we may not like what we see. As Pastor Mark continues to lead us through 1st Samuel, we encounter an example of God’s execution of justice. It may sound unloving, but it was out of His desire to see His Creation redeemed and His Children protected that He had to carry out the painful punishments for the sinful rebellion of Eli’s sons.

God is a wise and generous provider. He knows our hearts, and He understands what we really need. As we try to live a life of faith, relying on Him, it is tempting to get greedy. We thank God for what He’s given us, all the while coveting after the things we don’t have. Instead of being content in His provisions, we try to supplement with our own resources and fulfill those selfish desires. As Pastor Mark reminds us in today’s message, we need to realize that all we really need has been provided by our loving Father and when we feel like there is something we are lacking, it’s an opportunity for us to increase our faith in Him.

God is a wise and generous provider. He knows our hearts, and He understands what we really need. As we try to live a life of faith, relying on Him, it is tempting to get greedy. We thank God for what He’s given us, all the while coveting after the things we don’t have. Instead of being content in His provisions, we try to supplement with our own resources and fulfill those selfish desires. As Pastor Mark reminds us in today’s message, we need to realize that all we really need has been provided by our loving Father and when we feel like there is something we are lacking, it’s an opportunity for us to increase our faith in Him.

What motivates us to be involved in ministry? Are we trying to earn the favor and blessings of God? Do we just enjoy the feeling of being admired and praised by those who we minister to and around? There can be many different motivations behind our ministry, but there is only one right reason to minister. As Pastor Mark reminds us in today’s message, it doesn’t matter how many good things we do, how many people we share the Gospel with, it all comes down to the heart behind it. God desires joyful service that is all for Him. Not for the feelings we get, but simply to bring glory to our Father in Heaven.

What motivates us to be involved in ministry? Are we trying to earn the favor and blessings of God? Do we just enjoy the feeling of being admired and praised by those who we minister to and around? There can be many different motivations behind our ministry, but there is only one right reason to minister. As Pastor Mark reminds us in today’s message, it doesn’t matter how many good things we do, how many people we share the Gospel with, it all comes down to the heart behind it. God desires joyful service that is all for Him. Not for the feelings we get, but simply to bring glory to our Father in Heaven.

Our children are a wonderful gift. God has given them to us and we should never take that for granted. But, it can be easy to turn our children into an idol. We may cling to them tighter than we do our faith in God. As we encounter in the example of Hannah and Elkanah, they had longed to have a child for years and years, finally, God granted her the desire of their hearts, but with the condition that they would give their son back to God. As Pastor Mark points out, their willingness to release their son into God’s will demonstrates the deep level of their faith. They knew that their most important purpose in life was to serve God.

Our children are a wonderful gift. God has given them to us and we should never take that for granted. But, it can be easy to turn our children into an idol. We may cling to them tighter than we do our faith in God. As we encounter in the example of Hannah and Elkanah, they had longed to have a child for years and years, finally, God granted her the desire of their hearts, but with the condition that they would give their son back to God. As Pastor Mark points out, their willingness to release their son into God’s will demonstrates the deep level of their faith. They knew that their most important purpose in life was to serve God.

Most parents love to bless their kids. They may work hard to make money that allows for great experiences or possessions that they think will make life better. Or they invest their time and energy into their relationship with their children. Whether a parent is financially capable or not, they do their best to fulfill the desires of their kid’s hearts. As Pastor Mark reminds us in today’s message, there’s nothing wrong with giving your kids good things, but we need to make sure that our top priority is teaching them the truth about their Creator. All the material blessings in the world mean nothing if they don’t have Jesus.