Harbor Rock Tabernacle

The Lord has made Himself known through creation, through His actions and especially through Jesus Christ. So as we ask Him to "shake" us out of fear and spiritual apathy, the first place to be stirred to action is to know Him more fully, and be filled with wisdom and understanding. During a time of widespread confusion and lack of logic, Proverbs says that wisdom cries out to be heard and used to correct what is wrong. For those seeking Truth, God's Word is the foundation for all wisdom, and His commands should be applied to every area of our lives. So we need a renewed hunger to know all of it, not only to strengthen us, but to tell others about the Lord. Video of this service is available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBVaRgX4oq8

As we live in these Last Days, the Spirit is calling believers to hear His voice, and be stirred to be bold for Him. But for that to happen, we must first be shaken. The temptation will be to be shaken by how the world is raging against Jesus Christ, similar to what the disciples experienced in Acts 4. But God is in control and Christ has already won victory over the world, so believers need to find fresh confidence in the His power, and present ourselves to Him as bondservants. Because the Lord is ready to "extend His hand" to heal and save, we should ask for His Spirit to shake us and stir us to act. Video of this service is available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqGZf0FOf-M

With the uncertainty, stress and fear in the world, it is easy to think that there is nothing more important than life here on earth. But a believer in Jesus Christ has eternity secured in heaven, which means this is not our home. Our citizenship is in heaven, so in Colossians 3, the apostle Paul urges us to keep seeking what is from above. This means to direct our minds toward Who and what we love, and to prioritize the things of God. Using an analogy of driving at night, there are 6 options for how we can respond in light of this, as the dusk descends on history. Rather than choosing poor substitutes of the world, we're called to set our eyes on our real home. Video of this service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubGoMCXoUYk

In our battle with insecurity, there are times when our self-focus and weakness become internal weapons that damage our life and relationships. King Saul fell into this trap. Rather than finding confidence and strength in the promise of God to bless him as a leader, Saul hid from the responsibility and made a series of bad decisions. His impatience and impulsiveness revealed that he was working in his own strength and "wisdom", instead of fully relying on the Lord. This fostered a "victim mentality" that ultimately ruined his kingdom. The Lord calls us to something far greater--a life secure in His perfect provision, timing and leading. Video of this service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtSMXBEstEU

Even to the disciples, and especially Peter, Jesus confronted the self-focus and self- sufficiency that triggers insecurity…but He also worked to transform their thinking. He does the same with us to fill us with His strength and confidence, because insecurity strips us of spiritual power. 35 years after Jesus' resurrection, Peter affirms that the Lord has generously given believers "everything we need pertaining to life and Godliness". This counteracts the temptation to have a "Nerf life"--soft and harmless, like a power outage. Instead, the Lord has called us to "partakers" in His divine nature. Video of this service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCY4zVsNcIA

Rather than increasing community and feelings of acceptance, the rise in technology has ironically done just the opposite--divide and discourage. When we feel insecure in this way, we respond in different ways--from isolating to having a victim mentality to proving people wrong. But the best response is to humble ourselves and ask the Lord to change and renew us. A Roman centurion who came to Jesus was a most unlikely person to seek His help, but he recognized that Jesus was the only One Who could solve his need. He shows us that instead of being dictated by our emotions, times of insecurity can be beneficial to teach us, while increasing our faith and experiencing God's power. Video of this service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T61zV615DKs

If someone was to describe your spiritual life, what characteristics would be unmistakable? For the believer in Jesus Christ, the presence and power of His Holy Spirit is the main distinctions. It is the Spirit Who points us to Christ and calls us to love Christ. But we can become focused on being filled with knowledge--which is needed...unless the desire of our heart is lacking. In this study from multiple New Testament texts, we are called to seek and emphasize the work o the Spirit. Since we are a new creation in Him, our old life has no place or authority, and we have to fight man-centered thinking. Because if Jesus was full of the Spirit and led by Him and working under His power, how much more important is it for us? Video of this service is available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJR0FaTvaig

The apostle Paul had experienced a radical spiritual transformation in his life. It didn't come from the abundance of good works or his own strength, because he realized he had been spiritually dead because of his own sin. But God didn't want him--or us--to stay that way. Once Paul met and trusted Jesus Christ, he looked at his former life and knew his life was far different. He was now alive in Christ. When we are living in Him, there is no longer the clear evidence of that old, dead past, and it causes you to move forward, and serve the Lord, and talk about this amazing change all the time. Video of this service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMQoxZ28kv8

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus' disciples are instructed to fight against spiritual attack, through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is essential, because even the most convicted, committed, called servant of God can struggle with insecurity and doubts. John the Baptist, who had 12 unique confirmations from the Lord, and who fulfilled his role as Jesus' forerunner, briefly wrested with this when his ministry was concluded and he was in jail. He asked if Jesus was really the One sent from God. The Lord's gracious reply, and strong affirmation of John and his faith, gives us great reassurance that we can trust the Lord to be our security and strength. Video of this service is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o87v9WZEzfM