In our text, Jesus is entering Jerusalem for the last time. As he entered, those that saw him cried out and worshiped him loudly and boisterously. The Pharisees wanted Jesus to rebuke them. Jesus replied that if those that worshiped were silent, the very stones of the earth would cry out in praise. The question is not could the stones speak. If He said that they could speak, they surely would. Bro. Hughes asks not if the stones could speak, but what would they say? These stones had been around from the formation of the earth so they would say that when God speaks, things happen. If the stones could speak this morning they would praise the wisdom and power of their maker. They would testify of chaos turned into order. If stones could speak they would say that with God all things are possible. When we read the bible we find a God of blessing, help, strengthening and calming peace. If stones could speak they would tell of the successive stages of God’s way of working His will. God’s process is as important as His promise. The process will lead you to His purpose. The way that God leads us is as important as the destination He is leading us to. If stones could speak they would cry out to the majesty of the builder; the one who put everything in its place. None of this happened by chance, but by a divine purpose and plan.

If stones could speak they would tell us of how wonderful God is, about the wonders of His creation and they would tell us that whatever chaos we may be experiencing right now, that God had an answer.

Trials are not good or bad. They are something that happens. They are unavoidable and unstoppable. Bro Hughes is not concerned with the actual trials, but our response to the trials. Our responses to trials determine whether the trials are done to us or for us.

Trials are not good or bad. They are something that happens. They are unavoidable and unstoppable. Bro Hughes is not concerned with the actual trials, but our response to the trials. Our responses to trials determine whether the trials are done to us or for us.

Fear is one of the most troublesome emotions we have in life. None of us are beyond its reach. It affects us in many ways; none of them good. It is easy to tell someone to not be afraid, but the person offering that advice is not dealing with the same thing we are. Bro. Hughes comes today to do more than tell us to not fear, but to give us a word that can help deal with fear. Our text is rich with opportunities to apply the word to our life. This text is more than a story; it is a moment of revelation. Many see the failure of Peter, but the focus of this text is not failure. Peter may have failed, but he failed trying to do the greatest thing in his life.

The winds were against the disciples. Jesus came to where they were in the midst of their struggles. He came with a calming voice. In our human nature we look at people in their struggle and often have no compassion for them. Jesus came with a word to help them deal with their fear. The Lord told them to be of good cheer. In the Greek, the word literally means to have courage. Only Peter responded to the Lord’s words. Peter often gets criticized for being rash and impulsive, but Bro. Hughes explains that this is not the case here. Peter reached out and took hold of the word and believed that he was hearing from the Lord. Jesus said be of good courage, and Peter took hold of that and wanted to obey the word of God. The power of God’s word can get us out of any situation we are in. It can break the hold of fear and release us from the torment. This text tells us that when we believe and act on the word of God, we can experience the supernatural. The Lord is in the midst of our storm. We many not recognize Him, but He is there. When Peter believed the word of the Lord, his fear left him. Peter would have never thought to ask to walk on the water, but when he had faith in the Lord, his mind was clear to think things he had never even considered. When God speaks, we had better reach out and embrace it, because it is the only thing that will help us survive our storm. When we listen to God, we hear the voice that answers our fears.

Fear is one of the most troublesome emotions we have in life. None of us are beyond its reach. It affects us in many ways; none of them good. It is easy to tell someone to not be afraid, but the person offering that advice is not dealing with the same thing we are. Bro. Hughes comes today to do more than tell us to not fear, but to give us a word that can help deal with fear. Our text is rich with opportunities to apply the word to our life. This text is more than a story; it is a moment of revelation. Many see the failure of Peter, but the focus of this text is not failure. Peter may have failed, but he failed trying to do the greatest thing in his life.

The winds were against the disciples. Jesus came to where they were in the midst of their struggles. He came with a calming voice. In our human nature we look at people in their struggle and often have no compassion for them. Jesus came with a word to help them deal with their fear. The Lord told them to be of good cheer. In the Greek, the word literally means to have courage. Only Peter responded to the Lord’s words. Peter often gets criticized for being rash and impulsive, but Bro. Hughes explains that this is not the case here. Peter reached out and took hold of the word and believed that he was hearing from the Lord. Jesus said be of good courage, and Peter took hold of that and wanted to obey the word of God. The power of God’s word can get us out of any situation we are in. It can break the hold of fear and release us from the torment. This text tells us that when we believe and act on the word of God, we can experience the supernatural. The Lord is in the midst of our storm. We many not recognize Him, but He is there. When Peter believed the word of the Lord, his fear left him. Peter would have never thought to ask to walk on the water, but when he had faith in the Lord, his mind was clear to think things he had never even considered. When God speaks, we had better reach out and embrace it, because it is the only thing that will help us survive our storm. When we listen to God, we hear the voice that answers our fears.

In our text, Jesus sends the disciples into the city to secure a place to eat for the Passover feast. The journey took them some two miles into town in search of a man with a water pitcher. Just as the Lord said, they found the man and were shown to the upper room. Bro. Marler offers several examples from his many years of ministry where simply following the Lords command, allowed a series of events to take place to bring blessing, to keep safe or to otherwise allow God’s plan to work out. If we maintain an alignment with God and His will, the course of our life is already assured.

In our text, Jesus sends the disciples into the city to secure a place to eat for the Passover feast. The journey took them some two miles into town in search of a man with a water pitcher. Just as the Lord said, they found the man and were shown to the upper room. Bro. Marler offers several examples from his many years of ministry where simply following the Lords command, allowed a series of events to take place to bring blessing, to keep safe or to otherwise allow God’s plan to work out. If we maintain an alignment with God and His will, the course of our life is already assured.

We do not have to look very hard to find parallels between our world today and the world of Noah’s time that was described as wicked. We cannot watch the news or read a newspaper without feeling the tension, friction and turmoil in the world. We observe unusual weather and natural phenomenon throughout the world. All these things are fulfilling the prophecy of the end times. Though the day is unknown, the season of the end is easily observable. We can argue many things but we cannot refute the powerful truths demonstrating in nature those things that were described in the bible many years ago. Who could have predicted a hurricane in New York City followed by a blizzard within days. The wickedness and violence that we see in our world cannot be denied.

We need look no further than the story of Noah to understand what lies in our future. What are the timeless lessons of Noah that we can embrace to live today? First, No matter what man may think, God is watching. The story of Noah reminds us that God is not indifferent to what is going on. The hour will come when He will act and He will let the world know that He is in charge. Not only does God see the evil and vile, he will take note of and make provision for the righteous.

Secondly Noah’s story tells us that in uncertain times, we must live by faith and not by fear. Fear will not tie us to God’s promises; in fact it will tear us away from them. Fear of tomorrow; fear of the economy; fear of guns; fear of running out all consume our chaotic world. Like Noah, if we live by faith in a wicked world, we are sure to be mocked and ridiculed. In God’s economy there is more than is visible on the surface. The skies were not dark when Noah began building the ark. There were no clouds when he finished. But once the doors were shut, they turned dark quickly.

Finally this story tells us that we cannot let standing alone bother us. No matter what the world does, living for God pays off. We may be the only one standing there, but stand we must. The bible says that Noah find favor in the eyes of the Lord. Favor with God is better than favor with men. In fact, because Noah found favor with God, God saw to it that Noah also found favor with men.

The moral of Noah’s story is simple. Do right no matter what. No matter how out of step we may be with society it is worth standing with God in order to be saved. That is a good word for troubled times.

We do not have to look very hard to find parallels between our world today and the world of Noah’s time that was described as wicked. We cannot watch the news or read a newspaper without feeling the tension, friction and turmoil in the world. We observe unusual weather and natural phenomenon throughout the world. All these things are fulfilling the prophecy of the end times. Though the day is unknown, the season of the end is easily observable. We can argue many things but we cannot refute the powerful truths demonstrating in nature those things that were described in the bible many years ago. Who could have predicted a hurricane in New York City followed by a blizzard within days. The wickedness and violence that we see in our world cannot be denied.

We need look no further than the story of Noah to understand what lies in our future. What are the timeless lessons of Noah that we can embrace to live today? First, No matter what man may think, God is watching. The story of Noah reminds us that God is not indifferent to what is going on. The hour will come when He will act and He will let the world know that He is in charge. Not only does God see the evil and vile, he will take note of and make provision for the righteous.

Secondly Noah’s story tells us that in uncertain times, we must live by faith and not by fear. Fear will not tie us to God’s promises; in fact it will tear us away from them. Fear of tomorrow; fear of the economy; fear of guns; fear of running out all consume our chaotic world. Like Noah, if we live by faith in a wicked world, we are sure to be mocked and ridiculed. In God’s economy there is more than is visible on the surface. The skies were not dark when Noah began building the ark. There were no clouds when he finished. But once the doors were shut, they turned dark quickly.

Finally this story tells us that we cannot let standing alone bother us. No matter what the world does, living for God pays off. We may be the only one standing there, but stand we must. The bible says that Noah find favor in the eyes of the Lord. Favor with God is better than favor with men. In fact, because Noah found favor with God, God saw to it that Noah also found favor with men.

The moral of Noah’s story is simple. Do right no matter what. No matter how out of step we may be with society it is worth standing with God in order to be saved. That is a good word for troubled times.

The story is told that Michelangelo is walking though a stone yard one day when he saw a block of granite and he said “I must let the angel out of that rock” He began to work on the stone until he had carved the stone to a beautiful angel. God sees in us far more in us than we see in ourselves. He sees more than we can imagine possible. It has always been God’s desire to release that which He placed in us. John offers in our text, the first glimpse of a man who will become one of the most influential apostles. When we meet him here, he is far from what he would become. There was something inside Simon that God would eventually transform into Peter. God saw something there that was hidden inside. God saw beyond all the shortcomings, and sees what can become when His love and His Grace are applied. God knows how to do it, if we will just yield to His touch.

Few of us know all that God had to work through in Simon’s life that was trying to defeat God’s purpose. Jesus would have to battle issues in Simon before he could work out that better man. There are three specific roadblocks that Jesus had to go through in order to release the man inside Simon.

The first thing that God had to deal with was Simon’s own personality. Simon was known among his peers as someone who was hotheaded, mouthy, and brash. Many people let their mouth overload them. They come to God, but they do not bring their sharp tongue to Him. Eventually Simon allowed God to bring his personality under His grace and this allowed the man inside to come forth. The second thing God had to deal with was Simon’s heredity. We all have a history. We all have baggage. There are some people who excuse their failures based upon their parents, their upbringing or their history. If we will let grace have say in our life, God can release the better man inside. We do not have to be a victim of our past. Finally God had to deal with his environment. Simon was from Bethsaida. Bethsaida was a bad place that the bible tells us that Jesus passed judgment over. God was able to overcome the wickedness of this environment to bring Peter out of Simon.

If Grace can have a say in our life, it can overcome our personality, our past and our environment to release the man or woman that God desires for us to be.