Paul had an understanding and insight into the struggles and battles in living for God. He understood all these because he had endured them all himself. In all of that he learned that there were some things that were indispensable to a life living for God. God knew all that we would need in order to face life’s challenges and He has graciously provided all that we need.

The church at Colossae was birthed in the midst of great revival. They fell in love with the word and the gospel message. Over time however, they began to face challenges that affected their relationship with God. Paul identified three things that became a challenge to the spiritual life. First are circumstances. The things that no matter how well we plan, cannot be planned. We will all struggle with the circumstances of life. Too many christians believe that living for God is an insurance policy against those circumstances. The truth is that even if we were not living for God, we would still have to deal with the circumstances. The second thing that Paul understood would challenge the spiritual life if people. People get on our nerves. We all have to deal with people and their moodiness, selfishness and idiosyncrasies. We all have people problems because people have a way of pushing our buttons and getting under our skin. The third thing that Paul understood was that attitudes would be a problem to our spiritual walk. This refers to the outlook and approach to life. Our attitudes are developed most often by our experiences. We will have to deal with other people’s attitudes, but more importantly, we will need to guard and take care of our own attitude.

Paul discovered the Holy Ghost, God gave us three wonderful gifts to deal with these three challenges. In verse 11 Paul tells us that we have been strengthened with fortitude. God has given us the spiritual ability to withstand things. It is a conquering spirit that no situation can defeat. In the Holy Ghost there is a strength that the consequences of life cannot destroy. The second gift is the gift of longsuffering. We might translate that as patience. We need patience with dealing with people. The last of the gifts is the gift of joy. This is an attitude of life that cannot be defeated. Joy is not a feeling, it is an attitude. We know joy as a pleasant feeling, but in the Hebrew, it is a feeling of contentment and delight. Joy is something that looks at the moment, but does not get locked in because it knows that better things are coming. Joy is not based on things, but on God’s glory.

Paul had an understanding and insight into the struggles and battles in living for God. He understood all these because he had endured them all himself. In all of that he learned that there were some things that were indispensable to a life living for God. God knew all that we would need in order to face life’s challenges and He has graciously provided all that we need.

The church at Colossae was birthed in the midst of great revival. They fell in love with the word and the gospel message. Over time however, they began to face challenges that affected their relationship with God. Paul identified three things that became a challenge to the spiritual life. First are circumstances. The things that no matter how well we plan, cannot be planned. We will all struggle with the circumstances of life. Too many christians believe that living for God is an insurance policy against those circumstances. The truth is that even if we were not living for God, we would still have to deal with the circumstances. The second thing that Paul understood would challenge the spiritual life if people. People get on our nerves. We all have to deal with people and their moodiness, selfishness and idiosyncrasies. We all have people problems because people have a way of pushing our buttons and getting under our skin. The third thing that Paul understood was that attitudes would be a problem to our spiritual walk. This refers to the outlook and approach to life. Our attitudes are developed most often by our experiences. We will have to deal with other people’s attitudes, but more importantly, we will need to guard and take care of our own attitude.

Paul discovered the Holy Ghost, God gave us three wonderful gifts to deal with these three challenges. In verse 11 Paul tells us that we have been strengthened with fortitude. God has given us the spiritual ability to withstand things. It is a conquering spirit that no situation can defeat. In the Holy Ghost there is a strength that the consequences of life cannot destroy. The second gift is the gift of longsuffering. We might translate that as patience. We need patience with dealing with people. The last of the gifts is the gift of joy. This is an attitude of life that cannot be defeated. Joy is not a feeling, it is an attitude. We know joy as a pleasant feeling, but in the Hebrew, it is a feeling of contentment and delight. Joy is something that looks at the moment, but does not get locked in because it knows that better things are coming. Joy is not based on things, but on God’s glory.

The world is changing rapidly. At one time human knowledge doubled every century. By the end of World War II, human knowledge was doubling every twenty five years. Today, it is estimated that knowledge doubles every 13 months. Every aspect of life is experiencing change at a rapid pace. Centuries ago, Daniel predicted the rapid expansion of knowledge. The word used in that writing was not only an increase in knowledge, but a multiplication of knowledge. Some changes are good, but we do not yet know the results of many of the changes we are experiencing. There are people living today that experienced a life without electricity, indoor plumbing or automobiles. We have access to instant communication that even 50 years ago was unheard of. Lewis and Clark took years to explore the land west of the Mississippi river, but today we can travel from St. Louis to Seattle in a matter of hours. We live in a time of sweeping changes. In some ways, those changes have caused us a downfall. If sweeping changes have taken us down this path, those same changes can also be our salvation. Our text illustrates that sweeping can yield good results. Cleaning the house brought back something that was once lost. This woman had lost a coin. Not just any coin, but one of a set of ten that she had collected over her lifetime. They were to be worn as a headdress on her wedding day and represented the things put into her life to make her the woman she was. She had lost something precious and set out to find it. How many of us have lost something precious in life? How many of us have lost peace? How many have lost their contentment? How many have lost their joy; their sense of contentment, of thankfulness? Some have lost their sense of identity with God. Others have lost their sense of awe of the sovereign Lord. Some have lost their sense of responsibility. If we have lost those things, perhaps it is time to get out the broom and sweep out the clutter and dirt in the house that are in the way. Those are the kinds of sweeping changes we need.

The world is changing rapidly. At one time human knowledge doubled every century. By the end of World War II, human knowledge was doubling every twenty five years. Today, it is estimated that knowledge doubles every 13 months. Every aspect of life is experiencing change at a rapid pace. Centuries ago, Daniel predicted the rapid expansion of knowledge. The word used in that writing was not only an increase in knowledge, but a multiplication of knowledge. Some changes are good, but we do not yet know the results of many of the changes we are experiencing. There are people living today that experienced a life without electricity, indoor plumbing or automobiles. We have access to instant communication that even 50 years ago was unheard of. Lewis and Clark took years to explore the land west of the Mississippi river, but today we can travel from St. Louis to Seattle in a matter of hours. We live in a time of sweeping changes. In some ways, those changes have caused us a downfall. If sweeping changes have taken us down this path, those same changes can also be our salvation. Our text illustrates that sweeping can yield good results. Cleaning the house brought back something that was once lost. This woman had lost a coin. Not just any coin, but one of a set of ten that she had collected over her lifetime. They were to be worn as a headdress on her wedding day and represented the things put into her life to make her the woman she was. She had lost something precious and set out to find it. How many of us have lost something precious in life? How many of us have lost peace? How many have lost their contentment? How many have lost their joy; their sense of contentment, of thankfulness? Some have lost their sense of identity with God. Others have lost their sense of awe of the sovereign Lord. Some have lost their sense of responsibility. If we have lost those things, perhaps it is time to get out the broom and sweep out the clutter and dirt in the house that are in the way. Those are the kinds of sweeping changes we need.

The island of Patmos is a barren, rock of an island that was used as a prison. Isolated in the Aegean sea, it was desolate, hopeless place. Men were sent there to die. If the forced labor did not get them, the utter loneliness would. John had not committed a crime, but was there because of his preaching the gospel. While we may not physically go to Patmos, we often find ourselves there spiritually or emotionally. We find ourselves in circumstances that trt our mind and soul. What we say to ourselves in such times is more important than what our circumstances tell us. We all have a choice in how we respond to situations. No matter how hard, dire or hopeless our situation is, how we respond will determine the outcome. Feeling sorry for ourselves or looking for pity will not work. John was not alone on Patmos. There were many there in the same situation. Self pity is not the answer. It will not get us out of our Patmos, nor will it make it any easier to live there. In our text, there is a report of deliverance. It contains the truth that a man discovered in a difficult place. One translations says “I found myself on Patmos.” Bro. Hughes chooses to read this not that he found himself ON Patmos, but that he found HIMSELF on Patmos. Our text is a message of self discovery. One thing John found is that he was not going to get off of Patmos by himself. He found out that his present troubles could not overcome his future hope. God kept speaking to John about a future. If finally dawned on John that if God was talking about a future, that he would be in it. As hard as Patmos was, that was not how John’s story would end. John learned was that he was not defined by Patmos. God showed him that he could bear more than Patmos could deal. Finally John learned that he could make it. He did not die on Patmos. John endured much but he was able to live through it. As bad as what we are experiencing may be, God is not going to abandon us there. We have what it takes to overcome. The key is finding yourself in troubled times.

The island of Patmos is a barren, rock of an island that was used as a prison. Isolated in the Aegean sea, it was desolate, hopeless place. Men were sent there to die. If the forced labor did not get them, the utter loneliness would. John had not committed a crime, but was there because of his preaching the gospel. While we may not physically go to Patmos, we often find ourselves there spiritually or emotionally. We find ourselves in circumstances that trt our mind and soul. What we say to ourselves in such times is more important than what our circumstances tell us. We all have a choice in how we respond to situations. No matter how hard, dire or hopeless our situation is, how we respond will determine the outcome. Feeling sorry for ourselves or looking for pity will not work. John was not alone on Patmos. There were many there in the same situation. Self pity is not the answer. It will not get us out of our Patmos, nor will it make it any easier to live there. In our text, there is a report of deliverance. It contains the truth that a man discovered in a difficult place. One translations says “I found myself on Patmos.” Bro. Hughes chooses to read this not that he found himself ON Patmos, but that he found HIMSELF on Patmos. Our text is a message of self discovery. One thing John found is that he was not going to get off of Patmos by himself. He found out that his present troubles could not overcome his future hope. God kept speaking to John about a future. If finally dawned on John that if God was talking about a future, that he would be in it. As hard as Patmos was, that was not how John’s story would end. John learned was that he was not defined by Patmos. God showed him that he could bear more than Patmos could deal. Finally John learned that he could make it. He did not die on Patmos. John endured much but he was able to live through it. As bad as what we are experiencing may be, God is not going to abandon us there. We have what it takes to overcome. The key is finding yourself in troubled times.

Our nation is engaged in a great political battle as we move to elect the next president. No matter who wins next November, the end result will not change. What we are dealing with goes much deeper than what political party is in power. As bad as it seems now, the bible tells us that it will get worse before we get better. We will soon all be focused on the Olympics. There on display will be the most talented and gifted athletes. These people have dedicated their life to being the best in their field. Bro. Hughes explains that he is more concerned not about the political race, or the athletic races, but the spiritual race that we all run. That is the only race that matters. Most of us will never run for political office, or compete in an olympic race. However, we are all engaged in a race that we must not lose. We cannot fail at the race we have begun. Many are more concerned about the temporal races than they are about the eternal race. Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, reminds them of the eternal race. The Corinthian church had many problems that Paul had to address. The most prevailing problem was that they felt as if they were a mature church. Because of this feeling, they felt liberty to indulge in things that “lesser” churches could not do. They felt that their maturity gave them privilege to in a way that was contrary to the word of God. They thought they could handle it. Paul had remind them they were just as corruptible as anyone. He used an analogy of a race to illustrate that they had to work as hard at living a life for God as an athlete must trains for his race. Talent is not enough. Life is a battle and if we are going to win, we must give it our very best effort. Every day we live, we are engaged in a battle for eternity. Winning the race for eternity is the only thing that matters. If anyone could boast that he had earned some leisure, Paul certainly could. Rather than taking that approach, Paul reminds them that even he had to work and strive every day. We live in a world where we let our circumstance determine our choices, Paul tells us that we cannot do that. The spiritual race in life is the only race that matters. Paul understood that winning didn’t just happen. It will happen because of the work and effort. Any athlete knows that winning requires training, sweat, determination and effort. Winning the race involved commitment. Commitment will never go without being challenged. When we commit to living a life for God, we can be assured that we will encounter resistance. The key is not the commitment, or the challenged, but our response to the challenge. A commitment requires a lot of will and endurance. Winning the race requires a determination that does not get weak in the knees in the face of a challenge. Paul tells us that if we are going to win this race, we have to get control of the reins of our own life. It requires self discipline. We are in a race and what is to the right or left does not matter. All that matters is what is what is front of us. Paul tells us that winning the race is important. But more that winning the race, he reminds us that we must concentrate on winning the right race.

Our nation is engaged in a great political battle as we move to elect the next president. No matter who wins next November, the end result will not change. What we are dealing with goes much deeper than what political party is in power. As bad as it seems now, the bible tells us that it will get worse before we get better. We will soon all be focused on the Olympics. There on display will be the most talented and gifted athletes. These people have dedicated their life to being the best in their field. Bro. Hughes explains that he is more concerned not about the political race, or the athletic races, but the spiritual race that we all run. That is the only race that matters. Most of us will never run for political office, or compete in an olympic race. However, we are all engaged in a race that we must not lose. We cannot fail at the race we have begun. Many are more concerned about the temporal races than they are about the eternal race. Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, reminds them of the eternal race. The Corinthian church had many problems that Paul had to address. The most prevailing problem was that they felt as if they were a mature church. Because of this feeling, they felt liberty to indulge in things that “lesser” churches could not do. They felt that their maturity gave them privilege to in a way that was contrary to the word of God. They thought they could handle it. Paul had remind them they were just as corruptible as anyone. He used an analogy of a race to illustrate that they had to work as hard at living a life for God as an athlete must trains for his race. Talent is not enough. Life is a battle and if we are going to win, we must give it our very best effort. Every day we live, we are engaged in a battle for eternity. Winning the race for eternity is the only thing that matters. If anyone could boast that he had earned some leisure, Paul certainly could. Rather than taking that approach, Paul reminds them that even he had to work and strive every day. We live in a world where we let our circumstance determine our choices, Paul tells us that we cannot do that. The spiritual race in life is the only race that matters. Paul understood that winning didn’t just happen. It will happen because of the work and effort. Any athlete knows that winning requires training, sweat, determination and effort. Winning the race involved commitment. Commitment will never go without being challenged. When we commit to living a life for God, we can be assured that we will encounter resistance. The key is not the commitment, or the challenged, but our response to the challenge. A commitment requires a lot of will and endurance. Winning the race requires a determination that does not get weak in the knees in the face of a challenge. Paul tells us that if we are going to win this race, we have to get control of the reins of our own life. It requires self discipline. We are in a race and what is to the right or left does not matter. All that matters is what is what is front of us. Paul tells us that winning the race is important. But more that winning the race, he reminds us that we must concentrate on winning the right race.

In our world, it is too easy to speak what is wrong rather than focusing on what is right. We speak things into (or out of) our lives by what we say. Our mouth and the things that we say can sabotage our own desires and the plans that God has for us. Our words often betray us. We need to work to remove the negative from our conversation. More than the negative, we often express doubts, fear and uncertainty in our words. The age in which we live make it easy to forget the things that God has said about us. Our text in Mark where Jesus calms the storm is powerful. Not only did he rebuke the waves, He rebuked the disciples even more forcefully. Why was He so upset. It wasn’t so much how they had reacted to the storm, but more than they had forgotten what He said: “Let’s go to the other side.” Jesus was angry with them because He had already declared the outcome. The storm distracted them from the promise that He said that they would go to the other side. They allowed their circumstances to cause them to lose focus of the fact that the outcome had already been determined. Storms will come up in life. What we say in the midst of these storms is very important. We can either be let by the circumstances or by the promise that God has given. When they woke Him to ask “do you not care that we perish?” He had already given the word, and they let their circumstance distract them from that word. God has promised that we will live and not die. We need to learn to speak what we seek, not what we see. When we allow our circumstances to dominate our words, we will invite the wrath of God and risk losing the miracle that God had for us. We can give into our fears and doubts, or hold on to the promise. God does not always tell us what will be involved in realizing the promise. The bible is full of stories of men and women who had a promise and then had to go through storms, trials and tumult before they got to the promise. God’s word is what will transform any situation. Lord save us from the negative atmosphere in which we live and let us speak the word of God into our lives.

In our world, it is too easy to speak what is wrong rather than focusing on what is right. We speak things into (or out of) our lives by what we say. Our mouth and the things that we say can sabotage our own desires and the plans that God has for us. Our words often betray us. We need to work to remove the negative from our conversation. More than the negative, we often express doubts, fear and uncertainty in our words. The age in which we live make it easy to forget the things that God has said about us. Our text in Mark where Jesus calms the storm is powerful. Not only did he rebuke the waves, He rebuked the disciples even more forcefully. Why was He so upset. It wasn’t so much how they had reacted to the storm, but more than they had forgotten what He said: “Let’s go to the other side.” Jesus was angry with them because He had already declared the outcome. The storm distracted them from the promise that He said that they would go to the other side. They allowed their circumstances to cause them to lose focus of the fact that the outcome had already been determined. Storms will come up in life. What we say in the midst of these storms is very important. We can either be let by the circumstances or by the promise that God has given. When they woke Him to ask “do you not care that we perish?” He had already given the word, and they let their circumstance distract them from that word. God has promised that we will live and not die. We need to learn to speak what we seek, not what we see. When we allow our circumstances to dominate our words, we will invite the wrath of God and risk losing the miracle that God had for us. We can give into our fears and doubts, or hold on to the promise. God does not always tell us what will be involved in realizing the promise. The bible is full of stories of men and women who had a promise and then had to go through storms, trials and tumult before they got to the promise. God’s word is what will transform any situation. Lord save us from the negative atmosphere in which we live and let us speak the word of God into our lives.