If we had a choice, most of us would not choose many of the things that we must face in life. In our text, Paul helps us understand some things about life and how to live in uncertain times and how to finish our course with joy. Paul does not wish that he could change things about his life. He was not worried about changing his life, he was worried about finishing his life in a manner that was pleasing to God. This teaches us that we need to quit fighting and fretting about our circumstances, and simply continue on the path that God has for us. In stead of being worried about it, he was strengthened by the fact that even though he did not know what was ahead of him, God DID know and had it worked out. We cannot go back and we cannot stand still. We have no choice. We are bound to go, but not bound by the uncertainty. Paul knew that he could not alter what lay before him, but he had already placed it on the alter of God and that his life was in His hands. We cannot decide where life takes us, but we can decide the attitude with which we approach it. There are many people in the world and far too many people in the church that are worried about tomorrow. When we learn the lessons of Paul and live our life by faith rather than by sight, we can finish with joy.

Bro. Kilgore returns to the same text he used when he spoke to us back in July. In our text, David saw that the people were prepared to stone him, but he remembered the past where God had saved him. He remembered Goliath, he remembered the lion, and he remembered the bear. If God saved him then, He would do it again. David had a promise. God had told him that he would wear the crown in Israel, and that had not yet happened. David knew that they could not kill him, because he had a promise from God that had not yet happened. If we remember the lessons of David, we can face any situation where our back is against the wall.

In our text, Jesus had returned to His hometown. As was his custom, He went to the House of God to worship. That custom: That God is in the house of God is still a custom today. Jesus stood before them that day in His hometown and proclaimed that the was the Jubilee, and no one believed him. He marveled at their unbelief. They could not and would not believe that He was who he said he was. They made him commonplace. They thought that they knew Him and could not get beyond seeing Him as they had known Him in the past. Many of them had known Him as a friend. We sing a song called Friend of God. It is important to be His friend, but that is not enough. Jesus is a friend to all, but in being His friend, it is still possible to be a sinner. Peter was surly a friend of Jesus, but even this most faithful of disciples denied Him three times. Peter’s brokenness after this saw him converted. No one was ever able to identify Peter has having denied Jesus, because after his conversion, Peter was a different man. Bro. Custer observes that many people do not believe that they need to come to church to worship. The truth is that if people will not go to the house of God to worship, they will not find a prayer closet at home. The alter is the only place we need to go to resolve our problems. There are many programs and groups where people sit around and talk about their problems. They can talk all they want, but until people fall of their face at an alter, they will not find resolution to their problems. Even if we have been to the alter before for the same problem, it is not a sin to come back again. God will work the same work every time. The devil tricks us into thinking that if we go back to the alter for the same problem, we have somehow failed. Bro. Custer tells us that every time we go to the alter; God strengthens us to make it through until we can. Instead of taking our problems to support groups, we need to take them to the great physician. The great physician can restore joy and heal the broken hearted.

Bro. Kilgore returns to the same text he used when he spoke to us back in July. In our text, David saw that the people were prepared to stone him, but he remembered the past where God had saved him. He remembered Goliath, he remembered the lion, and he remembered the bear. If God saved him then, He would do it again. David had a promise. God had told him that he would wear the crown in Israel, and that had not yet happened. David knew that they could not kill him, because he had a promise from God that had not yet happened. If we remember the lessons of David, we can face any situation where our back is against the wall.

In our text, Jesus had returned to His hometown. As was his custom, He went to the House of God to worship. That custom: That God is in the house of God is still a custom today. Jesus stood before them that day in His hometown and proclaimed that the was the Jubilee, and no one believed him. He marveled at their unbelief. They could not and would not believe that He was who he said he was. They made him commonplace. They thought that they knew Him and could not get beyond seeing Him as they had known Him in the past. Many of them had known Him as a friend. We sing a song called Friend of God. It is important to be His friend, but that is not enough. Jesus is a friend to all, but in being His friend, it is still possible to be a sinner. Peter was surly a friend of Jesus, but even this most faithful of disciples denied Him three times. Peter’s brokenness after this saw him converted. No one was ever able to identify Peter has having denied Jesus, because after his conversion, Peter was a different man. Bro. Custer observes that many people do not believe that they need to come to church to worship. The truth is that if people will not go to the house of God to worship, they will not find a prayer closet at home. The alter is the only place we need to go to resolve our problems. There are many programs and groups where people sit around and talk about their problems. They can talk all they want, but until people fall of their face at an alter, they will not find resolution to their problems. Even if we have been to the alter before for the same problem, it is not a sin to come back again. God will work the same work every time. The devil tricks us into thinking that if we go back to the alter for the same problem, we have somehow failed. Bro. Custer tells us that every time we go to the alter; God strengthens us to make it through until we can. Instead of taking our problems to support groups, we need to take them to the great physician. The great physician can restore joy and heal the broken hearted.

Experience is the best teacher. Most of us wish that was not true, because experience is often not the most enjoyable way to learn something. Like the child that cannot resist touching the hot stove, many of us cannot learn without getting burned. Though many of us would have it otherwise, we must go through in pleasant experiences in life. Most often learning experiences are bitter experiences. When things are going well, we tend to not be in learning mode.

In our text, Israel had just been delivered from Egyptian bondage. They had crossed Red Sea on dry land and saw Pharos’s army swallowed up by the waters. Now only three days from this miraculous experience, they begin to murmur and complain that they would perish in this desolate place without water. Their day of triumph gave way to a day of turmoil. This illustrates how quickly the journey of life can change.

Bro. Hughes offers lessons learned from Marah. Life is a mixture: It is not all good and not all bad. Tears may follow laughter, but the reverse is also true, great blessing can follow times of turmoil. Marah also teaches us that we have short memories. Only three days removed from a miraculous exodus from bondage, Israel could not remember that God had led them there and that if He led them there, He can lead them out. Israel learned that bitter experiences have a way of forcing them to look at themselves and deal with things in their life that need to be dealt with. Marah reminds us that bitter experiences that God always has a remedy for our situation. Marah teaches us that if when we are willing to see what God shows us during our bitter experiences, they can be turned in to something sweet. Finally Marah teaches us to be totally dependent upon God.

Marah’s have to come because they serve a divine end. Days of disappointment are placed into our lives, so that we can learn more about Him. Marah’s come so that we may keep ourselves alert to the fact that God is leading us.

Experience is the best teacher. Most of us wish that was not true, because experience is often not the most enjoyable way to learn something. Like the child that cannot resist touching the hot stove, many of us cannot learn without getting burned. Though many of us would have it otherwise, we must go through in pleasant experiences in life. Most often learning experiences are bitter experiences. When things are going well, we tend to not be in learning mode.

In our text, Israel had just been delivered from Egyptian bondage. They had crossed Red Sea on dry land and saw Pharos’s army swallowed up by the waters. Now only three days from this miraculous experience, they begin to murmur and complain that they would perish in this desolate place without water. Their day of triumph gave way to a day of turmoil. This illustrates how quickly the journey of life can change.

Bro. Hughes offers lessons learned from Marah. Life is a mixture: It is not all good and not all bad. Tears may follow laughter, but the reverse is also true, great blessing can follow times of turmoil. Marah also teaches us that we have short memories. Only three days removed from a miraculous exodus from bondage, Israel could not remember that God had led them there and that if He led them there, He can lead them out. Israel learned that bitter experiences have a way of forcing them to look at themselves and deal with things in their life that need to be dealt with. Marah reminds us that bitter experiences that God always has a remedy for our situation. Marah teaches us that if when we are willing to see what God shows us during our bitter experiences, they can be turned in to something sweet. Finally Marah teaches us to be totally dependent upon God.

Marah’s have to come because they serve a divine end. Days of disappointment are placed into our lives, so that we can learn more about Him. Marah’s come so that we may keep ourselves alert to the fact that God is leading us.

Our text chronicles an amazing conversation between Jesus and a woman from Samaria. Culturally at the time, Jews had no regard for Samaritans. Jews regarded Samaritans as a lower class and insignificant people. The bible describes this woman as someone whose life was a mess. She had been married five times, and was living with a sixth man. Bro. Hughes surmises that due to her social situation, her own people did not welcome her. She was at the point of simply trying to survive. She comes to this well that is at least a half-mile away from her home, and she encounters a loving God who speaks to her. Her life was a mess, but she finds a God that offers her a love that is unreserved. She finds a love of God that surpasses all understanding. God loves us despite of our shortcomings, and failures. It was no accident that Jesus was at the well that day. His journey did not have to go through Samaria, but the bible says, “He needs go through Samaria.” Bro. Hughes explains that during this conversation, Jesus extends to her four gifts that changed her life. First He showed that He loved her by simply speaking to her. Jesus was a Jew, and Jews had no dealing with Samaritans. By simply speaking to her, He was demonstrating a love that she could not understand. Secondly, He understood her. Jesus knew her background. Often we feel as if no one understands us, but Jesus does. Next, He extends to her a third gift: He wants us. God wants those that no one else wants. Others had rejected and use this woman, but Jesus reaches out to her out of love. Despite of all of our failures and shortcoming, He wants us. Finally He extends to her a forth gift: Another chance. God can step into a broken life extending love, understanding, desire and another chance.

It would be nice if one could build without having to battle; If we could build relationships with out conflict. All of us face some kind of opposition in whatever we do. If we are to make progress, we cannot sit around and wait for a better day, because a better day is not coming. Many times we must make progress in the midst of adversity and resistance. Any one who is trying to establish something for God or lead a Godly life that is not facing opposition. We must learn that even though there is opposition that does not mean that God is opposed to us. We have to learn that the presence of opposition does not mean that we have done something wrong. When we begin to look for reasons for opposition, we quit working on what we are trying to do. This is exactly what the enemy wants. In our text Nehemiah shows us that it is possible to make progress and have revival in the face of opposing forces. Bro. Hughes tells us that we do not have to look for trouble; it will find us. It is how we respond and react to trouble that will define the outcome. If we lose our focus on our purpose and instead focus on our trouble, we will no succeed in accomplishing what God wants us to do. There are people in the world that will never cheer for our success. In fact, they lay in wait for our failures so that they can mock and ridicule. We must learn to not seek these people’s approval, and only seek approval from God. What we can learn from Nehemiah is that the best defense to this opposition is a good offence. Adversity and criticism will make us defensive. When this happens, we have lost our focus, and need to refocus on our goal. In our text when the enemy criticized the building of the wall, the people began to worry about their efforts. Nehemiah re-focused them on their task and pressed on with the building of the wall. We need to get to where are acting and reacting to the Holy Ghost, and not on what people are saying or doing. If we can learn the lessons from Nehemiah, we can have Revival in the midst of conflict.

Our text chronicles an amazing conversation between Jesus and a woman from Samaria. Culturally at the time, Jews had no regard for Samaritans. Jews regarded Samaritans as a lower class and insignificant people. The bible describes this woman as someone whose life was a mess. She had been married five times, and was living with a sixth man. Bro. Hughes surmises that due to her social situation, her own people did not welcome her. She was at the point of simply trying to survive. She comes to this well that is at least a half-mile away from her home, and she encounters a loving God who speaks to her. Her life was a mess, but she finds a God that offers her a love that is unreserved. She finds a love of God that surpasses all understanding. God loves us despite of our shortcomings, and failures. It was no accident that Jesus was at the well that day. His journey did not have to go through Samaria, but the bible says, “He needs go through Samaria.” Bro. Hughes explains that during this conversation, Jesus extends to her four gifts that changed her life. First He showed that He loved her by simply speaking to her. Jesus was a Jew, and Jews had no dealing with Samaritans. By simply speaking to her, He was demonstrating a love that she could not understand. Secondly, He understood her. Jesus knew her background. Often we feel as if no one understands us, but Jesus does. Next, He extends to her a third gift: He wants us. God wants those that no one else wants. Others had rejected and use this woman, but Jesus reaches out to her out of love. Despite of all of our failures and shortcoming, He wants us. Finally He extends to her a forth gift: Another chance. God can step into a broken life extending love, understanding, desire and another chance.