Gateway Church - MO

We think that happiness is important; we think it’s so important that it’s a part of the Declaration of Independence. (Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are considered inalienable rights.). But what if God wants more for you than just your happiness? What if God wants you to be holy and blessed more than He wants you to be happy? What if what God wants for you is better for you than just being happy? But, what if God’s best for us means we have to be unhappy sometimes? Are we still willing to trust and follow God even if what’s best for us doesn’t always make us happy?

“It’s the thought that counts” has been used to excuse untold late birthday gifts, poorly done projects and careless words. Sadly, many who claim to follow Jesus have the same sentiment when it comes to their walk of faith. We often tell ourselves that as long as we believe in our hearts, then what we say or do – or what we neglect to say or do – doesn’t matter. God knows our hearts so we’re OK. But Jesus makes it clear that a faith that does not result in a changed life is really no faith at all.

It’s popular to think that choosing to follow Jesus will solve all our problems; health, financial, relational, you name. it. We tell ourselves that if we believe in Jesus, go to church, and do all the right things, he will make our lives easier. But nowhere in the Bible are we promised an easy life in return for choosing to follow Jesus. In fact, Jesus promised just the opposite. He said we would have trouble in this world. But he also said that he had overcome the world. Following Jesus doesn’t make our lives easier, but it always makes them better.

Jesus told us to “go and make disciples.” We often assume this applies to ‘professional Christians’ like pastors and missionaries. But Jesus intended for every follower to make disciples. And we don’t have to wait to be sent. He has already sent us. His plan was that as we go through life, as we get ‘out there’ we are to point other people to the reality of a God who loves them and will radically transform them so they too can experience a life worth living.

Our natural tendency is to hang on to what we have. Letting go of and giving away our resources seems kind of ‘out there’. But Jesus tells us that when we choose to be extravagant with our generosity, not only will our faith grow stronger, but he’ll use our resources to transform our world.

When we’ve been wrong, we want to get even. When we’ve been wronged, we want someone to make it right. We want someone to pay. But our demand for repayment poisons our souls and wreaks havoc on our relationships. However, Jesus calls us to do something that’s unthinkable, something that is out there. Jesus calls us to forgive the unforgivable. Not because they deserve forgiveness, but because God, through Jesus, has forgiven the unforgivable in us.

Almost every world religion is based on the teachings and writings of a great teacher. Christianity is different. The basis for our faith is an historical event that changed the world. A dead man came back to life and offers the promise of a new life for those who will trust in and follow him. It may seem like an ‘out there’ claim, but it’s one that is worth investigating and will radically reshape your life when you know the truth.

JESUS COMES TO DELIVER THE CAPTIVE.

JESUS COMES TO GIVE PEACE TO THE RESTLESS.

JESUS COMES TO RESTORE THE BROKEN.

​Listen in this week as we have our district superintendent Dr. Devon Smith preach about taking a stand in faith and living in love.

We all want to live happily ever after. We want the job, the relationship, the future of our nation, whatever to have a happy ending. But many of us have come face to face with the reality that our ‘Happily Ever After’ looks more like a ‘Happily Never After’. What do we do NOW when we are unsure of the future. The Bible shows us that the right course of action is to obey Jesus now and trust him to work out our future. It’s rarely easy, but it is always worth the work and the wait.