The greatest power of prayer is not persuading God to do something. God does not need to be persuaded. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God is willing. The greatest things that takes place in fervent prayer is what happens in our own heart. If our prayers do not affect our own life, they are not effective prayers. We do not have to beg God to love us. "For God so love the world...." God is always there. Our prayers must affect us so that God can use us the way He wants to use us.

One of the biggest mistakes a church can make is giving into the desires of the congregation. This is not new, but dates back to the old test. (Micah 3:11). We want a church that is comfortable. We want to hear the songs we like, we want to hear the kind of preaching we like. Bro. Shoemake declares that we must preach the word and not pay attention to the popular trends of today. The world does not need more sophisticated programs, the world needs the word of God. We need more of the power of God that changes lives. We don't need grandeur, we need God! When God is involved in our services, there is nothing that can hold people back. There is not anything that is too great for God. There is no limit to what God can do if we will just allow Him.

The greatest power of prayer is not persuading God to do something. God does not need to be persuaded. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God is willing. The greatest things that takes place in fervent prayer is what happens in our own heart. If our prayers do not affect our own life, they are not effective prayers. We do not have to beg God to love us. "For God so love the world...." God is always there. Our prayers must affect us so that God can use us the way He wants to use us.

One of the biggest mistakes a church can make is giving into the desires of the congregation. This is not new, but dates back to the old test. (Micah 3:11). We want a church that is comfortable. We want to hear the songs we like, we want to hear the kind of preaching we like. Bro. Shoemake declares that we must preach the word and not pay attention to the popular trends of today. The world does not need more sophisticated programs, the world needs the word of God. We need more of the power of God that changes lives. We don't need grandeur, we need God! When God is involved in our services, there is nothing that can hold people back. There is not anything that is too great for God. There is no limit to what God can do if we will just allow Him.

We hear a lot about destiny. We are usually speaking about what we are intended to do, become or accomplish. We reference the potential that lies in each one of us. A lot of books are sold trying to reveal to people what their destiny may be. We spend a lot of time talking about destiny and potential, but not a lot of time talking about the journey that must be undertaken to realize that destiny or potential. There is a process that must be undertaken to reach God's purpose for us.

Our text from Deuteronomy is one of the longest farewell addresses known to exist. Moses reviews and recounts to the people of Israel the journey thus far and what was left to be done in their journey. Deuteronomy is one fo the most quoted old testimate books in the new testimate. Jesus himself often referred to it. It is a work that outlines Moses' understanding ot God and HIs protection, provision and leadership. Our text is taken from an illustrative story of God's work in the lives of the people of Israel. It is s picture of how God cares for His people and how He takes us from one place to another. The eagle and the nest represent God and His protection and coverage. In reading this story, we learn about God's attitude about us. There is nothing left to chance. He has all of our life and experiences planned. Our life has a design and purpose that when He brought us into this world, He had a destiny in mind. He has a role for us to fill and a purpose for us to accomplish. God's attitude toward us is not one of indifference. God's action in our life has purpose and meaning. When God allows or causes things to disturb us or move us, it is all designed to move us toward a purpose. God does not look at each day an wonder what will happen to us. God is working for us. There are things that GOd allows in our life that, when we are experiencing it, we do not know the reason. We may never know the reason, but just as a parent disciplines a child out of love, so too does God discipline us out of love.

Our text says: as an eagle...so the Lord. An eagle is chosen as a mighty, majestic creature. The eagle shelters her young and when necessary, pushes them from the shelter of the nest. God protected his people until it was necessary to bring them out of Egypt. Before he could get them out of Egypt, He had to send trouble. Even after He got them out of Egypt, it took many years to get Egypt out of them. Progress in life is seldom pleasant. Any progress requires work, discomfort and effort.

This story displays a principle of life: Change, conflict, and struggle are part of growth. We cannot grow and remain the same. The trouble, struggle and conflict we experience in life are part of the growth process. Every struggle or conflict in life are to prepare us for a better life that God has in store for us. God did not design us to stay in the comfort of the nest. He designed us to soar. In order to soar, we have to be pushed out of our comfort zone. Just as the eagle, God will push us out of the comfort of the nest. As we fall, He flies faster than we can fall to under gird us until we can learn to fly on our own. There is purpose in our pain, in our hardships and in the stiring we feel in our spirit. There are many things that we fight in life, that we should give into and let God set us on the journey of our destiny.

We hear a lot about destiny. We are usually speaking about what we are intended to do, become or accomplish. We reference the potential that lies in each one of us. A lot of books are sold trying to reveal to people what their destiny may be. We spend a lot of time talking about destiny and potential, but not a lot of time talking about the journey that must be undertaken to realize that destiny or potential. There is a process that must be undertaken to reach God's purpose for us.

Our text from Deuteronomy is one of the longest farewell addresses known to exist. Moses reviews and recounts to the people of Israel the journey thus far and what was left to be done in their journey. Deuteronomy is one fo the most quoted old testimate books in the new testimate. Jesus himself often referred to it. It is a work that outlines Moses' understanding ot God and HIs protection, provision and leadership. Our text is taken from an illustrative story of God's work in the lives of the people of Israel. It is s picture of how God cares for His people and how He takes us from one place to another. The eagle and the nest represent God and His protection and coverage. In reading this story, we learn about God's attitude about us. There is nothing left to chance. He has all of our life and experiences planned. Our life has a design and purpose that when He brought us into this world, He had a destiny in mind. He has a role for us to fill and a purpose for us to accomplish. God's attitude toward us is not one of indifference. God's action in our life has purpose and meaning. When God allows or causes things to disturb us or move us, it is all designed to move us toward a purpose. God does not look at each day an wonder what will happen to us. God is working for us. There are things that GOd allows in our life that, when we are experiencing it, we do not know the reason. We may never know the reason, but just as a parent disciplines a child out of love, so too does God discipline us out of love.

Our text says: as an eagle...so the Lord. An eagle is chosen as a mighty, majestic creature. The eagle shelters her young and when necessary, pushes them from the shelter of the nest. God protected his people until it was necessary to bring them out of Egypt. Before he could get them out of Egypt, He had to send trouble. Even after He got them out of Egypt, it took many years to get Egypt out of them. Progress in life is seldom pleasant. Any progress requires work, discomfort and effort.

This story displays a principle of life: Change, conflict, and struggle are part of growth. We cannot grow and remain the same. The trouble, struggle and conflict we experience in life are part of the growth process. Every struggle or conflict in life are to prepare us for a better life that God has in store for us. God did not design us to stay in the comfort of the nest. He designed us to soar. In order to soar, we have to be pushed out of our comfort zone. Just as the eagle, God will push us out of the comfort of the nest. As we fall, He flies faster than we can fall to under gird us until we can learn to fly on our own. There is purpose in our pain, in our hardships and in the stiring we feel in our spirit. There are many things that we fight in life, that we should give into and let God set us on the journey of our destiny.

It has been said that a man's life is the outcome of what he believes or does not believe. We as believers are called to a life of faith. We are called to live by faith. More than once the bible declares taht the just shall live by their faith. Often as we look at the future, many would conclude that things do not look promising right now. When we observe current events and trends, it is easy to become downcast and conclude that the times are not that good. There are many that believe in this hour that being faithful to GOd is a waste of time and effort in these times. Our text is an example of putting faith into practice. It is one thing to say we are faithful, but another to live by it. In our text, Jeremiah the prophet was in prison. The economic times were bleak as the market was down. It seemed at the time that the end of God's people was at hand. In that setting, Jeremiah is approached by his cousin to sell him some land. God spoke to Jeremiah and told him to buy the land at it's full market price. It does not take a financial expert to understand that when the market is down, things do no sell at full price. But God's direction was to purchase the land at full price. Given the circumstances of the times, purchasing this land was questionable at any price, but God directed him to buy it at full price. By do this, Jeremiah demonstrated his faith in God's word. The question is this: Why did Jeremiah buy the land? Why take such a risk? Jeremiah's actions were a reflection of his faith, not his times. The times said it was time to sell, not buy. But his faith said to buy. He believed in spite of what it looked like, stock in God's economy is always a good investment. We must decided what our future will look like. We can look at our circumstances or we can look at our faith. Circumstances tell us that our young people are lost. Circumstances tell us that we cannot reach a lost world. But our faith shows us something different. What is our faith saying about our times? Out times would tell us that we are part of a losing effort and that faith in God is declining. We must ask ourselves if our efforts to worship God is worth it. Is it worth keeping the lights of the church on and the doors open? Does it matter that we pray? Our future is worth it. Every time we give an offering; Every time we praise and worship; everytime we sing, we reaffirm that our future and the future of our children are worth it. Faith is an investment; not in what is, but in what will be.

It has been said that a man's life is the outcome of what he believes or does not believe. We as believers are called to a life of faith. We are called to live by faith. More than once the bible declares taht the just shall live by their faith. Often as we look at the future, many would conclude that things do not look promising right now. When we observe current events and trends, it is easy to become downcast and conclude that the times are not that good. There are many that believe in this hour that being faithful to GOd is a waste of time and effort in these times. Our text is an example of putting faith into practice. It is one thing to say we are faithful, but another to live by it. In our text, Jeremiah the prophet was in prison. The economic times were bleak as the market was down. It seemed at the time that the end of God's people was at hand. In that setting, Jeremiah is approached by his cousin to sell him some land. God spoke to Jeremiah and told him to buy the land at it's full market price. It does not take a financial expert to understand that when the market is down, things do no sell at full price. But God's direction was to purchase the land at full price. Given the circumstances of the times, purchasing this land was questionable at any price, but God directed him to buy it at full price. By do this, Jeremiah demonstrated his faith in God's word. The question is this: Why did Jeremiah buy the land? Why take such a risk? Jeremiah's actions were a reflection of his faith, not his times. The times said it was time to sell, not buy. But his faith said to buy. He believed in spite of what it looked like, stock in God's economy is always a good investment. We must decided what our future will look like. We can look at our circumstances or we can look at our faith. Circumstances tell us that our young people are lost. Circumstances tell us that we cannot reach a lost world. But our faith shows us something different. What is our faith saying about our times? Out times would tell us that we are part of a losing effort and that faith in God is declining. We must ask ourselves if our efforts to worship God is worth it. Is it worth keeping the lights of the church on and the doors open? Does it matter that we pray? Our future is worth it. Every time we give an offering; Every time we praise and worship; everytime we sing, we reaffirm that our future and the future of our children are worth it. Faith is an investment; not in what is, but in what will be.

When we look around at our world, it is easy to become disheartened. There are some that feel that the times in which we live are hopeless. We are not the first people to live in times that can be described as hopeless. Our text is taken from a time when God's people were facing a hopeless situation. The real question is can our tomorrow be better than today. God shows Ezekiel that it is possible with the help of God. God spoke this lesson: No matter how long things have been bad, God's word can change everything in a moment. The valley was evidence of a battle. We don't know how long they had been there, but the bible is clear that it had been a long time. The word of God comes to tell us that no matter how long it has been bad, or how desolate the destruction, God can change it all with one word: Live! God can come to the most dysfunctional situation imaginable, and instantly make a difference. God is on a mission to rebirth hope. One word spoken can change a messed up situation and bring it back together. God has a remedy for our brokenness. God knows how to fix what is wrong in our life. Those bones had been in that valley for a long time and no one was able to do anything about it. But God could with one word. The bones were scattered about, but God knew how to put it all back together in the correct order. On His word, all the bones went back together not only in the correct order, but with the correct body. God wants us to be whole. It is not enough that we function, but He wants us to be whole. God will restore things as they ought to be. Change will not come without some kind of movement. We cannot be transformed without some kind of movement. The bible says the bones began to move. It must have appeard chaotic, but it was the beginning of a miraculous restoration. If we let God work, the movement we see will produce a miraculous restoration. We must be willing to submit to this movement in order to become what God designed us to be. If we want transformation we must be willing to move. Even in that desolate dry valley, they were in a place where God can do a work. No matter how bad the situation in our life might be, we are in a good place for God to perform a miracle. One word is all it takes.

When we look around at our world, it is easy to become disheartened. There are some that feel that the times in which we live are hopeless. We are not the first people to live in times that can be described as hopeless. Our text is taken from a time when God's people were facing a hopeless situation. The real question is can our tomorrow be better than today. God shows Ezekiel that it is possible with the help of God. God spoke this lesson: No matter how long things have been bad, God's word can change everything in a moment. The valley was evidence of a battle. We don't know how long they had been there, but the bible is clear that it had been a long time. The word of God comes to tell us that no matter how long it has been bad, or how desolate the destruction, God can change it all with one word: Live! God can come to the most dysfunctional situation imaginable, and instantly make a difference. God is on a mission to rebirth hope. One word spoken can change a messed up situation and bring it back together. God has a remedy for our brokenness. God knows how to fix what is wrong in our life. Those bones had been in that valley for a long time and no one was able to do anything about it. But God could with one word. The bones were scattered about, but God knew how to put it all back together in the correct order. On His word, all the bones went back together not only in the correct order, but with the correct body. God wants us to be whole. It is not enough that we function, but He wants us to be whole. God will restore things as they ought to be. Change will not come without some kind of movement. We cannot be transformed without some kind of movement. The bible says the bones began to move. It must have appeard chaotic, but it was the beginning of a miraculous restoration. If we let God work, the movement we see will produce a miraculous restoration. We must be willing to submit to this movement in order to become what God designed us to be. If we want transformation we must be willing to move. Even in that desolate dry valley, they were in a place where God can do a work. No matter how bad the situation in our life might be, we are in a good place for God to perform a miracle. One word is all it takes.

It has never been easy to live for God. It has always required some effort. This journey requires some perseverance. Bro. Hughes points out that there are some things that are common to those who are successful in this journey. He shares one of them with us tonight as being a key to living an overcoming life. This concept is not complicated. In fact, many skip over it in looking for some more complex answers. When we look at Paul, we wonder what gave him such confidence in his living for God. What was it about Paul that made him such a stalwart man of God? It was not Paul's personality or disposition that made him what he was. He lived all through all he did by adhering to the simple principle contained in our text. He says "I am persuaded..." The real secret to Paul's life is that persuasion. That conviction set into motion all else in his life. It gave him confidence. It allowed him to be satisfied if he was in prison or walking free. Paul was convinced of some things in his life. The key to living an overcoming life is settling some things in life so that there are no questions. Paul was not confused about key things. In our world, convictions are falling away, but Paul settled things in his heart about who he was and who he served. He didn't necessary know WHAT he would believe, but he knew WHO he believed. Once we settle WHO we believe, we then know WHAT we are supposed to believe. What we believe will then determine how we live. It all starts with in whom we believe. If we get our focus on Jesus and let Him determine our path, then what we believe will take care if itself. When things are settled in our life, convictions will come. Convictions then will lead to commitments. Commitments result in confidence. When we have confidence in life we are satisfied. Paul, not matter what situation he was in, was satisfied. It all started with his believing in Jesus and being persuaded.

It has never been easy to live for God. It has always required some effort. This journey requires some perseverance. Bro. Hughes points out that there are some things that are common to those who are successful in this journey. He shares one of them with us tonight as being a key to living an overcoming life. This concept is not complicated. In fact, many skip over it in looking for some more complex answers. When we look at Paul, we wonder what gave him such confidence in his living for God. What was it about Paul that made him such a stalwart man of God? It was not Paul's personality or disposition that made him what he was. He lived all through all he did by adhering to the simple principle contained in our text. He says "I am persuaded..." The real secret to Paul's life is that persuasion. That conviction set into motion all else in his life. It gave him confidence. It allowed him to be satisfied if he was in prison or walking free. Paul was convinced of some things in his life. The key to living an overcoming life is settling some things in life so that there are no questions. Paul was not confused about key things. In our world, convictions are falling away, but Paul settled things in his heart about who he was and who he served. He didn't necessary know WHAT he would believe, but he knew WHO he believed. Once we settle WHO we believe, we then know WHAT we are supposed to believe. What we believe will then determine how we live. It all starts with in whom we believe. If we get our focus on Jesus and let Him determine our path, then what we believe will take care if itself. When things are settled in our life, convictions will come. Convictions then will lead to commitments. Commitments result in confidence. When we have confidence in life we are satisfied. Paul, not matter what situation he was in, was satisfied. It all started with his believing in Jesus and being persuaded.