Words are the powerful conveyance of ideas, thoughts, and intentions. Words can open our world and expand our horizons. Our texts today include the word uttermost. How far does that word reach? What is the fullness of its meaning? We have discovered, charted, and measured much of the earth and the heavens, but we cannot quantify things beyond what we have measured. We know there is more there, but we cannot discover it. What is beyond is the uttermost. The scripture writers used many different words to describe this beyond. It speaks to the edge of our understanding, the most significant degree of effort or power, or the fullness of understanding. Brother Hughes' texts today demonstrate four different ways the Bible describes a characteristic of God as uttermost. First, in John, Jesus describes his love for us. We cannot tell the limits of His love for us. We cannot find it because it does not exist. The love of God is always further on. Despite the failure, disappointment, slowness of understanding, or even turning our back on Him, God still loves us. People may give up on us, but God never will. Secondly, God's power is beyond measure. Nothing is too complicated for God. He spoke the world into existence, healed blind eyes, and raised the dead. Nothing is too much for Him to do. Not only can He save us, but He is willing, even to death on the cross, for our sins. Third, Psalms describes God's plan for us. It is larger and more expansive than we can comprehend. Finally, Matthew tells the peril of not accepting God. Jesus paid our debt of sin and expects that we will draw near to him because of what he gave us. His expectation is often greater than we acknowledge. The Bible contains the word All. He expects all because He gave all. Do we give our all, or are we holding some back? While we were yet sinners, Jesus paid it all for those who did not deserve it. Is He getting what he paid for?

Words are the powerful conveyance of ideas, thoughts, and intentions. Words can open our world and expand our horizons. Our texts today include the word uttermost. How far does that word reach? What is the fullness of its meaning? We have discovered, charted, and measured much of the earth and the heavens, but we cannot quantify things beyond what we have measured. We know there is more there, but we cannot discover it. What is beyond is the uttermost. The scripture writers used many different words to describe this beyond. It speaks to the edge of our understanding, the most significant degree of effort or power, or the fullness of understanding. Brother Hughes' texts today demonstrate four different ways the Bible describes a characteristic of God as uttermost. First, in John, Jesus describes his love for us. We cannot tell the limits of His love for us. We cannot find it because it does not exist. The love of God is always further on. Despite the failure, disappointment, slowness of understanding, or even turning our back on Him, God still loves us. People may give up on us, but God never will. Secondly, God's power is beyond measure. Nothing is too complicated for God. He spoke the world into existence, healed blind eyes, and raised the dead. Nothing is too much for Him to do. Not only can He save us, but He is willing, even to death on the cross, for our sins. Third, Psalms describes God's plan for us. It is larger and more expansive than we can comprehend. Finally, Matthew tells the peril of not accepting God. Jesus paid our debt of sin and expects that we will draw near to him because of what he gave us. His expectation is often greater than we acknowledge. The Bible contains the word All. He expects all because He gave all. Do we give our all, or are we holding some back? While we were yet sinners, Jesus paid it all for those who did not deserve it. Is He getting what he paid for?

Our title tonight does not refer to salvation. We need to stay ready. Brother Long comes tonight to talk about faith. Either we believe what we say, or we do not. We say we believe in prayer, but do our actions back that up? When we pray, do we expect God to answer that prayer? Is there doubt in our minds that we will ask, but we are not sure it will happen? God said that if we pray to the mountain to move, it will move if we do not doubt. But how many of us are talking to the mountain and not believing?

In our text, Paul is writing from prison, and his situation looks bleak. He tells them that the church is praying for his release, so he tells them to prepare his room. He had no indication of being freed other than the church's prayers. When people pray together in unity, things happen. Pray like we are expecting God to respond. We must call out to god with expectation.

Our title tonight does not refer to salvation. We need to stay ready. Brother Long comes tonight to talk about faith. Either we believe what we say, or we do not. We say we believe in prayer, but do our actions back that up? When we pray, do we expect God to answer that prayer? Is there doubt in our minds that we will ask, but we are not sure it will happen? God said that if we pray to the mountain to move, it will move if we do not doubt. But how many of us are talking to the mountain and not believing?

In our text, Paul is writing from prison, and his situation looks bleak. He tells them that the church is praying for his release, so he tells them to prepare his room. He had no indication of being freed other than the church's prayers. When people pray together in unity, things happen. Pray like we are expecting God to respond. We must call out to god with expectation.

Our title tonight does not refer to salvation. We need to stay ready. Brother Long comes tonight to talk about faith. Either we believe what we say, or we do not. We say we believe in prayer, but do our actions back that up? When we pray, do we expect God to answer that prayer? Is there doubt in our minds that we will ask, but we are not sure it will happen? God said that if we pray to the mountain to move, it will move if we do not doubt. But how many of us are talking to the mountain and not believing?

In our text, Paul is writing from prison, and his situation looks bleak. He tells them that the church is praying for his release, so he tells them to prepare his room. He had no indication of being freed other than the church's prayers. When people pray together in unity, things happen. Pray like we are expecting God to respond. We must call out to god with expectation.

Most of the time, we preach about not going back. Scripture encourages us to keep moving forward and putting our past behind us, striving for the reward ahead of us. Our minds are occupied with what we must do and how to do it. Many of us overschedule and pack life so full that it becomes hectic, and we rush to accomplish everything on our to-do lists. In this state, it is easy to make mistakes or to overlook essential things in our haste to do it all. If we are not careful, our rushing can cause us to leave things behind. Our text from Luke is an example of leaving something behind. Joseph and Mary begin a journey home from Jerusalem. They travel for a day before they realize a young Jesus is not with them. Joseph and Mary were not bad parents. They were not evil people. They got so caught up in the businesses of their life that they simply forgot to make sure Jesus was with them. Like Mary and Joseph, it is easy to let the rush of day-to-day life distract us from making sure Jesus is with us. The Bible says that they turned back immediately to find him when they realized their mistake. Going on without Him was not an option. Sometimes, we have to go back to find what we left behind.

Most of the time, we preach about not going back. Scripture encourages us to keep moving forward and putting our past behind us, striving for the reward ahead of us. Our minds are occupied with what we must do and how to do it. Many of us overschedule and pack life so full that it becomes hectic, and we rush to accomplish everything on our to-do lists. In this state, it is easy to make mistakes or to overlook essential things in our haste to do it all. If we are not careful, our rushing can cause us to leave things behind. Our text from Luke is an example of leaving something behind. Joseph and Mary begin a journey home from Jerusalem. They travel for a day before they realize a young Jesus is not with them. Joseph and Mary were not bad parents. They were not evil people. They got so caught up in the businesses of their life that they simply forgot to make sure Jesus was with them. Like Mary and Joseph, it is easy to let the rush of day-to-day life distract us from making sure Jesus is with us. The Bible says that they turned back immediately to find him when they realized their mistake. Going on without Him was not an option. Sometimes, we have to go back to find what we left behind.

Most of the time, we preach about not going back. Scripture encourages us to keep moving forward and putting our past behind us, striving for the reward ahead of us. Our minds are occupied with what we must do and how to do it. Many of us overschedule and pack life so full that it becomes hectic, and we rush to accomplish everything on our to-do lists. In this state, it is easy to make mistakes or to overlook essential things in our haste to do it all. If we are not careful, our rushing can cause us to leave things behind. Our text from Luke is an example of leaving something behind. Joseph and Mary begin a journey home from Jerusalem. They travel for a day before they realize a young Jesus is not with them. Joseph and Mary were not bad parents. They were not evil people. They got so caught up in the businesses of their life that they simply forgot to make sure Jesus was with them. Like Mary and Joseph, it is easy to let the rush of day-to-day life distract us from making sure Jesus is with us. The Bible says that they turned back immediately to find him when they realized their mistake. Going on without Him was not an option. Sometimes, we have to go back to find what we left behind.

No one likes to go hungry. Some of us have had some lean times, but most have not known famine as our text describes. Recently, we have had some bare grocery store shelves in our country, but nothing can compare to what the Bible tells us in Egypt. However, the famine in Egypt was more severe than most have ever experienced. Once their money ran out and they had sold their cattle, all that was left was to sell their land and themselves into servitude to survive. Sometimes, we find ourselves in a spiritual famine. And, like the Egyptians in our story, we rely on our finances and assets to carry us through the lean time. We come to church and offer what we have to be fed, but like the long famine, sometimes the lean times are longer than we expect, and we have to have more than being provided for a short time. The Bible says that after they traded their money and livestock for bread and were still in trouble, they came back again asking for seed. They knew that getting seed was the key to survival because, with seed, they could reap a harvest that would provide for their future. Our spiritual survival relies on seeds, too. The seed we plant will harvest souls that God will use to build His church. That harvest will come to us, our children, and our grandchildren. We may have famine now, but a time of increase is on the way, but to see that, we must have seed.

No one likes to go hungry. Some of us have had some lean times, but most have not known famine as our text describes. Recently, we have had some bare grocery store shelves in our country, but nothing can compare to what the Bible tells us in Egypt. However, the famine in Egypt was more severe than most have ever experienced. Once their money ran out and they had sold their cattle, all that was left was to sell their land and themselves into servitude to survive. Sometimes, we find ourselves in a spiritual famine. And, like the Egyptians in our story, we rely on our finances and assets to carry us through the lean time. We come to church and offer what we have to be fed, but like the long famine, sometimes the lean times are longer than we expect, and we have to have more than being provided for a short time. The Bible says that after they traded their money and livestock for bread and were still in trouble, they came back again asking for seed. They knew that getting seed was the key to survival because, with seed, they could reap a harvest that would provide for their future. Our spiritual survival relies on seeds, too. The seed we plant will harvest souls that God will use to build His church. That harvest will come to us, our children, and our grandchildren. We may have famine now, but a time of increase is on the way, but to see that, we must have seed.