Nothing God does is by accident. Nothing catches God off guard. He had it all planned from the beginning. We often think of the New Testament as modern and the Old Testament as the former. In some respects, that is true; however, today, Brother Kelley shows us that the Old Testament is a collection of pointers, types, and shadows of the prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament. God has had a plan from the beginning. We are not stumbling through life; we are on a journey of faith.

Nothing God does is by accident. Nothing catches God off guard. He had it all planned from the beginning. We often think of the New Testament as modern and the Old Testament as the former. In some respects, that is true; however, today, Brother Kelley shows us that the Old Testament is a collection of pointers, types, and shadows of the prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament. God has had a plan from the beginning. We are not stumbling through life; we are on a journey of faith.

What are we pursuing? What are we after? Would your answer to this question match the answer of your spouse or your children? The world prioritizes wealth, power, and fame. The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal and are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Often, we twist that last part to mean that we can do what makes us happy. To the founding fathers who penned those words, happiness was family, opportunity, and freedom to govern themselves in a way that had not been known under colonial rule. If we pursue happiness in the way the world defines it, we are governed by emotions that will eventually disappoint and leave us wanting. The things the world defines as happiness are temporal.

We award trophies for accomplishments. Sports, The Art, cook-offs, and many other activities present awards, certificates, plaques, and trophies for being the best or coming in first in a competition. Awards are fine, and the temporary recognition for an accomplishment is nice, but if that becomes the goal in life, what have we accomplished? If you win the county fair apple pie contest, you have the blue ribbon to commemorate that, but what will that mean many years later? The blue ribbon mattered in the moment, but over time, that will be forgotten, and someone else will win the prize. Trophies do not last forever. We must chase after things that are worth it. Some will ask, "Don't I deserve to be happy? Can't I pursue winning the prize?" Sure, you can, but at what cost? The Bible has many stories of people who pursued what made them happy, but at a high price: Eve, Lot, Saul, David, Esau, and Judas all traded much for a very temporary reward. Our text asks, "What does it profit a man to win if it costs him his soul?" If we win awards, but neglect Jesus, it is all for naught. Trophies are temporal, but crowns are eternal. Trophies represent moments, but crowns represent a lifetime.

What are we pursuing? What are we after? Would your answer to this question match the answer of your spouse or your children? The world prioritizes wealth, power, and fame. The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal and are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Often, we twist that last part to mean that we can do what makes us happy. To the founding fathers who penned those words, happiness was family, opportunity, and freedom to govern themselves in a way that had not been known under colonial rule. If we pursue happiness in the way the world defines it, we are governed by emotions that will eventually disappoint and leave us wanting. The things the world defines as happiness are temporal.

We award trophies for accomplishments. Sports, The Art, cook-offs, and many other activities present awards, certificates, plaques, and trophies for being the best or coming in first in a competition. Awards are fine, and the temporary recognition for an accomplishment is nice, but if that becomes the goal in life, what have we accomplished? If you win the county fair apple pie contest, you have the blue ribbon to commemorate that, but what will that mean many years later? The blue ribbon mattered in the moment, but over time, that will be forgotten, and someone else will win the prize. Trophies do not last forever. We must chase after things that are worth it. Some will ask, "Don't I deserve to be happy? Can't I pursue winning the prize?" Sure, you can, but at what cost? The Bible has many stories of people who pursued what made them happy, but at a high price: Eve, Lot, Saul, David, Esau, and Judas all traded much for a very temporary reward. Our text asks, "What does it profit a man to win if it costs him his soul?" If we win awards, but neglect Jesus, it is all for naught. Trophies are temporal, but crowns are eternal. Trophies represent moments, but crowns represent a lifetime.

God will equip us to face the challenges in life. He may not eliminate these challenges, but he will provide us with what we need to overcome them. He told the disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they received power from on high. That work power has an impact on us. When we hear power, we think of strength, energy, and the ability to overcome what we are facing. It is important to remember that his power is not of human origin; it comes from God. We are not talking about a slight boost of energy. It is a great, overwhelming force.

In the United States, we recently celebrated Independence Day. This is traditionally done with fireworks. Whether it's a string of firecrackers or a multimedia aerial display, Americans enjoy celebrating with fireworks. As much as we ooh and aah about these celebrations, they are not life-changing. The next day, life is back to normal. Fireworks are a pretty flash and a bit of noise, but then it is over. That is not the power God has given us. The power He provides is much more explosive. Dynamite is used to clear out rocks and create a path through the mountain for a new road. Or it might be used to destroy a building that has outlived its usefulness to make way for something new. In these situations, cute firecrackers are insufficient to do the job. We too often try to throw firecrackers at our problems instead of using the dynamic power that God makes available to us. Firecrackers and dynamite are similar in that they both have fuses that lead to an explosion. But dynamite is designed for work and to make significant changes. Firecrackers are designed for entertainment. God has not called us for entertainment value. He does not want us to be firecrackers; he wants us to be dynamite.

God will equip us to face the challenges in life. He may not eliminate these challenges, but he will provide us with what we need to overcome them. He told the disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they received power from on high. That work power has an impact on us. When we hear power, we think of strength, energy, and the ability to overcome what we are facing. It is important to remember that his power is not of human origin; it comes from God. We are not talking about a slight boost of energy. It is a great, overwhelming force.

In the United States, we recently celebrated Independence Day. This is traditionally done with fireworks. Whether it's a string of firecrackers or a multimedia aerial display, Americans enjoy celebrating with fireworks. As much as we ooh and aah about these celebrations, they are not life-changing. The next day, life is back to normal. Fireworks are a pretty flash and a bit of noise, but then it is over. That is not the power God has given us. The power He provides is much more explosive. Dynamite is used to clear out rocks and create a path through the mountain for a new road. Or it might be used to destroy a building that has outlived its usefulness to make way for something new. In these situations, cute firecrackers are insufficient to do the job. We too often try to throw firecrackers at our problems instead of using the dynamic power that God makes available to us. Firecrackers and dynamite are similar in that they both have fuses that lead to an explosion. But dynamite is designed for work and to make significant changes. Firecrackers are designed for entertainment. God has not called us for entertainment value. He does not want us to be firecrackers; he wants us to be dynamite.

In John 4, Jesus meets the woman at the well. She talks about her past and looks forward to a future when the Messiah comes, but she is reluctant to discuss her present. For many of us, right now is chaotic, and we are just trying to survive and make it to the bright future we are imagining. This woman had a past. She was looking forward to a better future, but her present was a mess. As she looked to the future of seeing the Messiah, she missed that He was standing right in front of her. She had no idea that day would change her entire life. No one knows what the day will bring. Today is special, because it is the day the Lord has made. Anything is possible today. Tomorrow is not promised, so seize the opportunity the Lord provides today. The promises of the Lord are renewed every day. Now is the day to take hold of that promise.

In John 4, Jesus meets the woman at the well. She talks about her past and looks forward to a future when the Messiah comes, but she is reluctant to discuss her present. For many of us, right now is chaotic, and we are just trying to survive and make it to the bright future we are imagining. This woman had a past. She was looking forward to a better future, but her present was a mess. As she looked to the future of seeing the Messiah, she missed that He was standing right in front of her. She had no idea that day would change her entire life. No one knows what the day will bring. Today is special, because it is the day the Lord has made. Anything is possible today. Tomorrow is not promised, so seize the opportunity the Lord provides today. The promises of the Lord are renewed every day. Now is the day to take hold of that promise.

Our text says a Just man walks in his integrity. There is a distinction between a "Just Man" and "Just a Man." Our world tends to define being a man in a negative light. To them, men are abusers, manipulators, inept, or dumb. While some men may exhibit some of these traits, most do not. Most men provide for their families and try to be a good example to their children. Bro. Long exhorts us to "Don't stop acting like men". Be a good man and set a good example for those who are coming up to follow. The bible says there arose a generation that did not know the Lord. As the elders died, the next generation did not learn to follow after God. It is easy to play the blame game with the generations of God's people after Moses and David. Did the elders not teach the young, or did the young not listen to the message? We must not fall into that same pattern. Our young people need more than war stores from times gone by. They need to see us living the life we profess to believe in, and doing that consistently, at church, at home, and on the job. Children mimic their fathers. The world tries to downplay a man's role in the family, but statistics and research overwhelmingly prove that view to be wrong. If dad is a good man, there is a high probability that his children will be good too. It is critically important for fathers to live a life that inspires their children to follow in their footsteps.

Our text says a Just man walks in his integrity. There is a distinction between a "Just Man" and "Just a Man." Our world tends to define being a man in a negative light. To them, men are abusers, manipulators, inept, or dumb. While some men may exhibit some of these traits, most do not. Most men provide for their families and try to be a good example to their children. Bro. Long exhorts us to "Don't stop acting like men". Be a good man and set a good example for those who are coming up to follow. The bible says there arose a generation that did not know the Lord. As the elders died, the next generation did not learn to follow after God. It is easy to play the blame game with the generations of God's people after Moses and David. Did the elders not teach the young, or did the young not listen to the message? We must not fall into that same pattern. Our young people need more than war stores from times gone by. They need to see us living the life we profess to believe in, and doing that consistently, at church, at home, and on the job. Children mimic their fathers. The world tries to downplay a man's role in the family, but statistics and research overwhelmingly prove that view to be wrong. If dad is a good man, there is a high probability that his children will be good too. It is critically important for fathers to live a life that inspires their children to follow in their footsteps.