All of us struggle with issues of concern and doubt. We will all encounter disappointment and heartaches. All of us are held prisoner by the same fears and worries. Collectively, we are all suffering through a global pandemic. None of us could imagine what 2020 would bring when we rang in the new year. Our text if familiar. It is one of the most triumphant moments in the new testament. Paul and Silas had been beaten and imprisoned in the deepest part of the prison. Their circumstances were bleak. They were in the part of the prison where they took people to await their death. In the face of the beatings, and their gloomy outlook, Paul and Silu’s response was remarkably bright. Instead of mourning their situation, they began to pray and sing praises to the Lord. Those sounds of praise was a testimony that the external circumstances of life cannot destroy the relationship with God. It only took two men to change the atmosphere in that prison. Not only did they improve their situation, but the sound of their praise also enlighten the entire prison. There is a world around us that we do not even realize. Each of us has an unconscious ministry that takes place in everyday situations. Paul and Silus did not pray and praise to be heard. The did not do it so that the people around them would hear them, They prayed and praised for themselves, but their sound affected all around them. The sound that comes out of our mouth affects all that can hear. What kind of sound is coming from us? Somebody is listening for our response. People who know that we are a child of God will take note of how we respond to life. Some people are watching our response to this pandemic. Some are determining their future by what they see in us. We all suffer the same circumstances, but we will not all suffer the same fate. The world is looking for the sons of God to be revealed. What better time than now for a child of God to demonstrate the hope we have in Jesus? Some are in the same prison that we are, but they do not have the hope that we have. If we do not profess that hope, how will they ever get it? Somebody is listening. People are watching. What do they hear? What do they see? What is our testimony?

We live in a turbulent time. The spirit that grips our world is one of confusion. It is a spirit that is trying to change our values. Anger and outrage are driving a rewriting of history and what we believe. This spirit is attempting to write God out of necessity.

We live in a turbulent time. The spirit that grips our world is one of confusion. It is a spirit that is trying to change our values. Anger and outrage are driving a rewriting of history and what we believe. This spirit is attempting to write God out of necessity.

In our text, Paul is writing to seven different churches. These first-century churches experienced many changes. They had drifted away from the truth from which they were birthed. They struggled with fear. They fought the influence of the corrupt environment around them. They battled the dilution of their doctrine. The delt with a Jezebel spirit. That spirit that entertains itself with evil, and tolerates the corrupt influence of the world. All of these churches faced problems, but they had one thing in common. Each of them had strong people who were overcomers. God still looks for overcomers who can fight off and resist the attacks of the enemy. That there is an overcomer, implies that there will be a battle. Our world is a battleground. What we say is being challenged daily. What defines us? Do our determination, our resilience, and our love for God define us? Have we succumbed to a spirit of compromise? Do we remain silent in the face of evil? We cannot allow our culture to define us. We cannot give into passivity or embracing this culture of uncleanliness. We have to be known as an overcomer. What is defining our life?

We live in a turbulent time. The spirit that grips our world is one of confusion. It is a spirit that is trying to change our values. Anger and outrage are driving a rewriting of history and what we believe. This spirit is attempting to write God out of necessity.

We live in a turbulent time. The spirit that grips our world is one of confusion. It is a spirit that is trying to change our values. Anger and outrage are driving a rewriting of history and what we believe. This spirit is attempting to write God out of necessity.

In our text, Paul is writing to seven different churches. These first-century churches experienced many changes. They had drifted away from the truth from which they were birthed. They struggled with fear. They fought the influence of the corrupt environment around them. They battled the dilution of their doctrine. The delt with a Jezebel spirit. That spirit that entertains itself with evil, and tolerates the corrupt influence of the world. All of these churches faced problems, but they had one thing in common. Each of them had strong people who were overcomers. God still looks for overcomers who can fight off and resist the attacks of the enemy. That there is an overcomer, implies that there will be a battle. Our world is a battleground. What we say is being challenged daily. What defines us? Do our determination, our resilience, and our love for God define us? Have we succumbed to a spirit of compromise? Do we remain silent in the face of evil? We cannot allow our culture to define us. We cannot give into passivity or embracing this culture of uncleanliness. We have to be known as an overcomer. What is defining our life?

We live in a turbulent time. The spirit that grips our world is one of confusion. It is a spirit that is trying to change our values. Anger and outrage are driving a rewriting of history and what we believe. This spirit is attempting to write God out of necessity.

We live in a turbulent time. The spirit that grips our world is one of confusion. It is a spirit that is trying to change our values. Anger and outrage are driving a rewriting of history and what we believe. This spirit is attempting to write God out of necessity.

In our text, Paul is writing to seven different churches. These first-century churches experienced many changes. They had drifted away from the truth from which they were birthed. They struggled with fear. They fought the influence of the corrupt environment around them. They battled the dilution of their doctrine. The delt with a Jezebel spirit. That spirit that entertains itself with evil, and tolerates the corrupt influence of the world. All of these churches faced problems, but they had one thing in common. Each of them had strong people who were overcomers. God still looks for overcomers who can fight off and resist the attacks of the enemy. That there is an overcomer, implies that there will be a battle. Our world is a battleground. What we say is being challenged daily. What defines us? Do our determination, our resilience, and our love for God define us? Have we succumbed to a spirit of compromise? Do we remain silent in the face of evil? We cannot allow our culture to define us. We cannot give into passivity or embracing this culture of uncleanliness. We have to be known as an overcomer. What is defining our life?

Life is not an easy journey. Sometimes, life takes us to places that we do not understand. All of us, as time point in our life, have questioned why. Why did this happen? The circumstances of life sometimes seem to be at odds with the promises of God. We will struggle to reconcile our current situation with the promise or the direction we have from God. in our text, God appears to Gideon to encourage him and call him to a particular purpose. Gideon asked the same questions that so many have asked: how can God be with us in this situation? The fact that God came to speak to Gideon was a confirmation that He cares and knows where we are. Too many are lost in their circumstances because that is all they can see. God is speaking, even now, to let us know that He is with us. We must get our eyes off our circumstances and look to see that God is near and is speaking even now. No matter what our current situation says, what God says takes precedence.

When our world seems to contradict the word of God, we must hold onto that Word because it will stand. God’s word will not fail. We cannot trust our feelings. Feelings will betray us, but God never will. Prescription is not reality. Gideon, Job, and David all had a perception of their circumstances that were not in line with God’s truth. The bible says that God looked on Gideon, and in that look, He removed the fear, doubt, and weariness. That look placed confidence, strength, and power. Gideon struggled when he looked only to himself and his circumstances. When he began to look to God for encouragement, he was lifted up. God’s word to us is that we have to get up. Forget about our circumstances and feelings lift our eyes to God. The reality is that God will go with us to the ends of the earth or the depths of hell. He will be with us every step of the way. It is time to get up and fulfill our purpose.

Life is not an easy journey. Sometimes, life takes us to places that we do not understand. All of us, as time point in our life, have questioned why. Why did this happen? The circumstances of life sometimes seem to be at odds with the promises of God. We will struggle to reconcile our current situation with the promise or the direction we have from God. in our text, God appears to Gideon to encourage him and call him to a particular purpose. Gideon asked the same questions that so many have asked: how can God be with us in this situation? The fact that God came to speak to Gideon was a confirmation that He cares and knows where we are. Too many are lost in their circumstances because that is all they can see. God is speaking, even now, to let us know that He is with us. We must get our eyes off our circumstances and look to see that God is near and is speaking even now. No matter what our current situation says, what God says takes precedence.

When our world seems to contradict the word of God, we must hold onto that Word because it will stand. God’s word will not fail. We cannot trust our feelings. Feelings will betray us, but God never will. Prescription is not reality. Gideon, Job, and David all had a perception of their circumstances that were not in line with God’s truth. The bible says that God looked on Gideon, and in that look, He removed the fear, doubt, and weariness. That look placed confidence, strength, and power. Gideon struggled when he looked only to himself and his circumstances. When he began to look to God for encouragement, he was lifted up. God’s word to us is that we have to get up. Forget about our circumstances and feelings lift our eyes to God. The reality is that God will go with us to the ends of the earth or the depths of hell. He will be with us every step of the way. It is time to get up and fulfill our purpose.

Life is not an easy journey. Sometimes, life takes us to places that we do not understand. All of us, as time point in our life, have questioned why. Why did this happen? The circumstances of life sometimes seem to be at odds with the promises of God. We will struggle to reconcile our current situation with the promise or the direction we have from God. in our text, God appears to Gideon to encourage him and call him to a particular purpose. Gideon asked the same questions that so many have asked: how can God be with us in this situation? The fact that God came to speak to Gideon was a confirmation that He cares and knows where we are. Too many are lost in their circumstances because that is all they can see. God is speaking, even now, to let us know that He is with us. We must get our eyes off our circumstances and look to see that God is near and is speaking even now. No matter what our current situation says, what God says takes precedence.

When our world seems to contradict the word of God, we must hold onto that Word because it will stand. God’s word will not fail. We cannot trust our feelings. Feelings will betray us, but God never will. Prescription is not reality. Gideon, Job, and David all had a perception of their circumstances that were not in line with God’s truth. The bible says that God looked on Gideon, and in that look, He removed the fear, doubt, and weariness. That look placed confidence, strength, and power. Gideon struggled when he looked only to himself and his circumstances. When he began to look to God for encouragement, he was lifted up. God’s word to us is that we have to get up. Forget about our circumstances and feelings lift our eyes to God. The reality is that God will go with us to the ends of the earth or the depths of hell. He will be with us every step of the way. It is time to get up and fulfill our purpose.

There are times in life when things do not work out as we planned. We find ourselves in situations where we do not know what to do. In times like this, the facts that we see in front of us challenge our faith. We think we are prepared for these disruptive events, only to find that when presented with them, we are not. Our text is one of the most beautiful passages in the bible. It was, no doubt written after a profoundly difficult event in the writer’s life. We do not know who wrote this Psalm, but what we do know is that the author discovers a comforting revelation after a challenging time. He found that God knew him and was interested in the details of his life. The psalmist realizes that there is no place that we can go that God is not with us. Two words from the tenth verse highlight the totality of God’s knowledge of us: Even There. Even in the extremities of life, even there, God is there. No matter where we are, the presence of the almighty God is there. We may be uncomfortable in our situation, but God is still with us.

Far too often in life, we limit ourselves by what we can see. When we are in a trial, we get tunnel vision and are so focused on what we can see, but we forget to look for God. Things may seem hopeless at the moment, but this song from many years ago reassures us that no matter what, God is with us. Even there.

There are times in life when things do not work out as we planned. We find ourselves in situations where we do not know what to do. In times like this, the facts that we see in front of us challenge our faith. We think we are prepared for these disruptive events, only to find that when presented with them, we are not. Our text is one of the most beautiful passages in the bible. It was, no doubt written after a profoundly difficult event in the writer’s life. We do not know who wrote this Psalm, but what we do know is that the author discovers a comforting revelation after a challenging time. He found that God knew him and was interested in the details of his life. The psalmist realizes that there is no place that we can go that God is not with us. Two words from the tenth verse highlight the totality of God’s knowledge of us: Even There. Even in the extremities of life, even there, God is there. No matter where we are, the presence of the almighty God is there. We may be uncomfortable in our situation, but God is still with us.

Far too often in life, we limit ourselves by what we can see. When we are in a trial, we get tunnel vision and are so focused on what we can see, but we forget to look for God. Things may seem hopeless at the moment, but this song from many years ago reassures us that no matter what, God is with us. Even there.

There are times in life when things do not work out as we planned. We find ourselves in situations where we do not know what to do. In times like this, the facts that we see in front of us challenge our faith. We think we are prepared for these disruptive events, only to find that when presented with them, we are not. Our text is one of the most beautiful passages in the bible. It was, no doubt written after a profoundly difficult event in the writer’s life. We do not know who wrote this Psalm, but what we do know is that the author discovers a comforting revelation after a challenging time. He found that God knew him and was interested in the details of his life. The psalmist realizes that there is no place that we can go that God is not with us. Two words from the tenth verse highlight the totality of God’s knowledge of us: Even There. Even in the extremities of life, even there, God is there. No matter where we are, the presence of the almighty God is there. We may be uncomfortable in our situation, but God is still with us.

Far too often in life, we limit ourselves by what we can see. When we are in a trial, we get tunnel vision and are so focused on what we can see, but we forget to look for God. Things may seem hopeless at the moment, but this song from many years ago reassures us that no matter what, God is with us. Even there.