A description of Jesus, being full of the Holy Spirit, is something we should strive for. Jesus was empowered and led by the Spirit in His encounter with Satan. As we serve the Lord and face many encounters with the enemy, Satan, we must strive to be like Jesus in this situation, full of the Spirit and being led by the Spirit. Encounters with Satan is nothing new for believers, he has been tempting and testing since the beginning. Jesus shows us how to handle these encounters when they come.

Today, we're going to examine three seasons in our lives as Christians and in our role as a church.

Twelve men have been sent to spy out the land. They were sent by their leader to see if the land was as good as it had been told to them. These twelve men represented each of the twelve tribes of their people. They were gone for forty days and came back with a report. Even when people see the same thing, they do not always agree on what they had seen. Some see opportunity and some see failure. Which one are you?

As we remember the 15th anniversary of 9-11, we need to know that even in the midst of tragedy, God is there. Most of us remember where we were that fateful day, how we sat clued to the television watching the reports, or calling relatives and friends in disbelief of what had happened to the United States of America. We remember the reports of all who came and aided those who had been hurt or lost loved ones. We remember the scenes of the firefighters, police officers, military, and ordinary people performing bouts of courage, of being brave in the middle of this horrific tragedy. Even in all of this, God was and is on the scene.

Paul is in one of the worst storms of his life. The ship is tossed and turned by the waves. The sailors even fear and they begin to wonder if they will survive. Sometimes in life, we face storms. I believe we face three types of storms, storms from the devil, storms of testing, and storms of our own making. The storm Paul faced came because of others and I believe because Satan did not want Paul to make it to Rome. In this passage of Scripture, Paul shows us how to deal with the storms of life.

Three young men have been thrust into a new environment. They are in a strange country. New jobs have been given to them. Each shows a gift for wisdom and decision-making. Their King has decided to change the rules. Will they go along or disobey? It is a question we all face at times in our lives. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, better known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, now face the worst situation of their lives. What will they do? How will they respond?

Praising God should be a priority in our lives. Praising God for His mercy should be a part of our daily lives. In this psalm, the writer is giving glory to God for His mercy that is everlasting-it never fails or ends. In these verses, there are four reasons to praise God for His mercy.

Paul is giving practical application on how to live in Christ. He now wants them to understand that living before the world is important for the body of Christ. He gives us two applications that still apply today.

Our responsibility is not to simply tell about Christ but to share Christ in a clear, precise manner. People need to know who Jesus is. Paul states in this passage of Scripture, "so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make clear in the way I ought to speak." This should be the desire of all believers.

People are still looking for true love. It is the kind of love they decide to show or receive that puts them in harm's way. Our world's view of love is warped. Yes, there may be some exceptions, but it is not true love. God shows us His love by coming down and being a part of HIS creation.