Love Worth Finding | Audio Program

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 2 Timothy 1:6-8

Fear is an instinct that God has put into us to help protect and preserve us and our loved ones. But the Bible warns us about the damage, destruction, and debilitation of a “spirit of fear.”

Adrian Rogers says, “Legitimate fear is like a thunderstorm: lightning flashes, thunder rolls, water pours down. But then it passes and the sun shines again. The spirit of fear is like constant darkness: a drizzle, a fog that you live in.”

Paul’s instruction in 2 Timothy shows us how to handle our fear. 2 Timothy 1:6 says, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” Because fear caused Timothy to forget who he was in Christ, Paul had to remind Timothy of how gifted he was and what God had done in him.

When we focus on fear rather than on God, we leave our gifts and abilities unused, buried, and forgotten. And, like Timothy, many of us are afraid to fail, so we never try; we project our failures upon ourselves, so we give up.

In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul reveals the deliverance from the spirit of fear, which is a spirit of faith: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

God has endued us with power over fear, through the Holy Spirit of God. If we understand that, we have greater strength than our foes, there is no need to be afraid. And through the Holy Spirit, we have been given everything we need.

We are perfectly loved by the God who is in control; truly knowing that eliminates all dread. His perfect love casts out fear (See 1 John 4:18.).

Finally, we’ve been given a spirit of sound mind. Many times, we are afraid, not on the basis of reality, but because the deceiver has made us afraid. God has given us a spirit of discernment and wise discretion. With a sound mind, we can look at every fear in the clear light of His Word. 
Apply it to your life
If you have been neutralized by a spirit of fear, remember that you have the power of the Holy Spirit within you. You also have His perfect love lavished upon you. Adrian Rogers says, “The man who can kneel before God can stand before anyone else.”

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Many of us struggle to believe God can use us as we are, with what little we have to offer. But the truth is, God does extraordinary things through ordinary people to give glory to Himself.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 gives good news to those who struggle with feelings of inferiority.

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty…” (1 Corinthians 1:27).

This passage first recognizes God’s simple people. He chooses the nonintellectuals to shame the Ph.D. scholars. He uses the weak to shame the All-Stars; He has chosen the “nobodies” to shame the socialites.

Thank God that He can use people with brilliant minds, high status, and extraordinary abilities. But praise God, He can use any average person who dedicates every part of himself to Him; God doesn’t just settle for these people—He goes after them.

Second in this passage, we see God’s special power: “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).

Adrian Rogers says, “I learned that God didn't want me to do anything for him; He wanted to do something through me.”

In the Book of Judges, the story of Gideon demonstrates God’s use of someone others consider “the bottom of the barrel” to do big things. Likewise, God used young David to take down the giant Goliath; as a result, God received the glory.

Finally, we see God’s sovereign purpose for using ordinary people: that no man should glory in himself in God’s presence.

We are saved by grace and not by works, so none of us can boast (See Ephesians 2:9.).

There are no superstars in Heaven; if we want to be used by God in a way that matters, we only need to be available to Him and obey His will for our lives.

Adrian Rogers says, “The highest place in the world is the center of the will of God for you, wherever that is.”

Apply it to your life
Adrian Rogers says, “The greatest ability is availability.” If you want to be used by God, you can be; are you willing, or at least willing to be made willing?

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Isaiah 40:28-31

Many of us are emotionally fatigued, physically drained, and spiritually defeated; the reason being that most of us are dealing with some form of stress. Stress is the gap between the demands placed upon us and our ability to meet them. It’s not a sin to be stressed; Jesus Christ, in His humanity, knew what it was like to be weary.

If it is not the demands of service that drain us, sin and spiritual warfare will weary us. But we must remember that God promises His insurmountable strength to us.

Isaiah 40:28 says, “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.”

Adrian Rogers says, “The Christian life is not just a changed life; it is an exchanged life: we give Him our weakness and He gives us His strength.”

Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”

When we wait on God, we take the initiative in actively pursuing Him. Practically, we must:

Long for Him daily
Listen to Him in our quiet time
Look to Him for our every need
Live for Him, dedicating our lives to the service of the Lord.
When we wait upon God, we are programmed for His service.

In times of adversity, God will help us fly. We will face storms in this life that will surely stress us out. But if we wait on God, like an eagle, we can rise higher, see further, and fly faster.

In times of opportunity, God will teach us to run. There’s enough time every day to do everything God wants us to do; sometimes we have to run to get it done. As we accelerate, we trust in God to sustain us, so that we will not grow weary.

And in times of necessity, God will aid us to walk through the mundane. Our greatest need is day-by-day faithfulness in the little things, steadily walking in the regular humdrum times of life.
Apply it to your life
If you believe in the promises of God, you must wait upon Him every day. Long for Him daily, listen for His voice in your time alone with Him, look to Him for every need, and live for Him.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Psalm 102:6-7

Loneliness is the most devastating and inevitable fact of human existence. We all must experience it, and we can’t stop it; rather, we must learn how to deal with loneliness.

Loneliness is not solitude, nor is it being lonesome or being in isolation. It is insulation; it is feeling cut off, unnoticed, unloved, uncared for, unneeded and maybe even unnecessary.

David expresses his loneliness in Psalm 102:6-7: “I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert. I lie awake, and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.”

Everyone has three basic psychological and spiritual needs: to share love intimately, to be understood and cared for, and to be needed and wanted. When we don’t feel these needs are being met, we feel cut off.

Loneliness can come from feeling rejected; it can be a deep inner wound that hasn’t healed, and we don't want to risk being hurt again. Others of us may have a sense of insecurity and low self-worth. We are unable to see ourselves as worthy of acceptance. Some of us are lonely because we’ve gone through deep sorrow, tragedy, and loss. In our grief, we lose our sense of perspective.

We must see that loneliness can be destructive to our health and well-being. Many of our harmful vices and coping mechanisms are formed due to loneliness.

We must also remember that Jesus is the answer to loneliness. He alone meets our three basic needs. He loves us intimately and He understands what it is to feel lonely.

Psalm 102 is a messianic song, one that portrayed how Jesus would feel on the cross.

Adrian Rogers says, “When David died, he could say, ‘yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art with me,’ (See Psalm 23.) but Jesus walked that lonesome valley all by himself.”

He needs us as His beloved Body; more than that, He wants us as His Bride.

We may be alone, but we are never alone. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus (See Romans 8:38-39.).
Apply it to your life
If you are dealing with loneliness, understand that it is a common fact and it can be a crippling force. But more than that, remember: Jesus, alone, is the answer. 

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Numbers 11:15; 1 Kings 19:4

Depression is not just sadness -- it is a profound helplessness and hopelessness that we can’t seem to regulate on our own. Becoming Christians does not make us immune to depression. If it can happen to Moses, Elijah, and Jonah, it can happen to us.

God’s Word offers insight to help us in dealing with depression. Each prophet who uttered prayers of deep depression was physically worn and emotionally distraught. When Moses desperately prayed for death, he had been leading the Israelites in the wilderness alone, heavy under their burdens. As the people blamed him day and night for their problems in the wilderness, Moses felt emotionally drained. Frazzled by death threats from Jezebel, Elijah made a long, strenuous journey without food and water; exhausted, he asked God to take him out of his misery. Likewise, Jonah was far from home after a perilous journey by land and sea. Jonah was also angry because God had started a revival in the land of Tarshish after Jonah had prophesied judgment upon the land.

Adrian Rogers says, “Moses had his eyes upon others. Elijah had his eyes upon himself. And Jonah had his eyes upon circumstances. But none of them had their eyes upon God.”

As a result, these prophets became spiritually run down. Right on the heels of great spiritual experiences, these prophets faced great letdowns; they were walking through valleys after hillside experiences.

But we also see God did not answer the prophets’ prayers for death because He knew them. Knowing the prophets were in the throes of depression, God did not mistake the moments for the men.

Instead, God physically blessed them. He gave Moses help and assurance that He’d take care of His people. God provided Elijah with food and rest to replenish his strength. As Elijah asked for pity, God instead showed him His great power. And God delivered Jonah from his grief through shelter from the sun. In the cool of the shade, God provided Jonah with a new perspective.

God lavished His love on the prophets, and their stories did not end with depression. What powerful examples these are: when we draw near to God, He draws near to us!

Apply it to your life
Are you dealing with depression? The answer, though profoundly spiritual, could be quite practical. As you ask God for His provision, remember: God loves you; when you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 1 John 5:13

As Christians, we have the opportunity to know without a doubt that we have eternal life. Praise God, we can be saved and know it; but we can also be saved and doubt it.

As pain is a signal that there is something wrong with one’s physical body, doubt is a signal that something is wrong in the believer’s spirit.

1 John 5 is written for those who are dealing with doubt, so that we may be saved and know it.
“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).

Understanding this, we can dispel doubt through these three basic tests:

Commandment Test
If we claim to love God, we will keep His commandments (1 John 5:2). This does not mean we follow these commandments flawlessly. In this context, to “keep” means to steer. The commandments of God are the standard by which we chart our course. We order our lives by His commandments. This is not about sinless perfection; it simply means a Christian does not make sin his lifestyle.

Adrian Rogers reminds us, “We’re not saved because we keep his commandments. We keep his commandments because we are saved.”

Companion Test
Another birthmark of the Believer is love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Fellowship is in the nature of both the Christian and the Church.

Adrian Rogers says, “The Church and God are not identical, but they are inseparable.”

If we love Jesus, we will love the Church—because of who we are, and who fellow believers are. We, having the nature of God, are called to love the Church, which is both the Body and the Bride of Christ.

Commitment Test
The assurance of our salvation is ongoing; it is not a past event, stamped by a time, date and place. It is a present decision to trust in Jesus, right now. We can trust in Him, for He alone is the assurance of our salvation.
Apply it to your life
Do you have doubts about your faith? Consider these tests; if you don’t know whether your doubt is the Holy Spirit’s conviction, or the devil’s tactic, believe in Jesus. 

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Hebrews 12:14-15

Bitterness is a terrible problem that blows the joy out of our lives and leaves our souls in darkness. It often manifests itself in people as hostility and fault-finding. Sometimes, it can look like self-pity, or an aloof, disinterested spirit.

The Bible warns about the blight of bitterness and describes how to uproot it before it takes its full effect. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord…”

We must recognize the root of bitterness. A bitter person is someone who has generally been hurt. Adrian Rogers says, “The root of bitterness grows in the soil of a hurt that has not been properly dealt with.” The hurt could have been intentional, unintentional, or imagined; regardless, something happened and that hurt has turned into anger.

Second, we see the fruit of bitterness: “...looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled…” (Hebrews 12:15).

Bitterness produces physical and emotional trouble; it fatigues us, it stresses and depresses us, and it can even make us sick. It also brings spiritual trouble; anger becomes a sin when we begin to live with it—when we nurse and feed it and cherish it.

The bitterness turns to wrath, which burns slowly, then explodes into an unproportionally big anger. The arguing and clamoring lead to evil speaking, and then tragically transforms into malice—a desire to harm someone else.

Finally, we must pursue bitterness to uproot it. Because bitterness is an underground sin, we have to seek it out. When we live outwardly good lives while bitterness festers beneath the surface, we prune its limbs while strengthening the root.

The only way to uproot bitterness is forgiveness. On the basis of God’s grace, we must forgive others as God has forgiven us. We must make things right with our brothers and sisters if we want the love of God to take root in our hearts, instead.

Apply it to your life
Do you feel the blight of bitterness, deep down in your soul?

Adrian Rogers says, “There may be somebody who has shut you out, but I want you to take God's love and bring him in—for Christ's sake and what He has done for you.”

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Proverbs 19:11-12
It’s been said that unjustified anger is like an acid that brings harm to anything it is poured on, including the very container it inhabits. If we can’t control our temper, we risk wrecking our lives and destroying our testimonies.

Proverbs 19:11 reveals God’s answer to anger. “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.”

Scripture says sudden anger is to be controlled. When we feel it coming, we must confess it to God and keep it contained until we have a chance to consider it.

Sinful anger is to be condemned; it is not a weakness, it is wickedness. It is anger without a cause rooted within us. It is centered on a person rather than on an offense. It refuses to forgive and let go.

Stubborn anger is to be conquered. Bitterness and wrath take over when we let the sun go down on our anger. We allow the devil access in our lives when we let anger rule over us.

We must recognize and repent of our anger and refuse the devil’s schemes to use our emotions against us. If we don’t control, condemn, and conquer anger, it will control, condemn, and conquer us.

But there’s a sanctified anger we are instructed to channel. It is not destructive to the soul, and it does not result in sin. We see it in Jesus in Mark 3, when He cleared the temple of malicious Pharisees and self-seeking merchants who were taking advantage of the poor.

It is not only possible to possess righteous anger, but it is also expected. In fact, injustice ought to stir us and move us to act. Never once did Jesus retaliate when he was personally attacked and abused, even when He was crucified. Yet, Jesus was moved with righteous anger to act when He saw other people being attacked and abused.

Adrian Rogers said, “Sometimes anger is love’s clearest expression, but we need to be careful with it.”

If we want to follow the example of Jesus, we are instructed to get angry at the right time, for the right reason, against the right thing, in the right way.
Apply it to your life
Is there a sudden, sinful, stubborn anger in your life that is controlling you? Recognize it, repent of it and rebuke the enemy, so that you may live righteously and protect your testimony.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: 2 Samuel 12:1-14

2 Samuel 12 tells the heartbreaking story of how God dealt with David’s sins. David had committed adultery and murder. When David finally asked God for forgiveness, he faced cleansing with chastisement through the loss of a child.

In order to understand why David suffered as he did, we must know the law of the harvest.

The first principle of the law of the harvest is implantation: if we want a crop, we have to plant.

We reap because we have sown, and many times we reap the physical and spiritual blessings somebody else has planted before us.

The second principle is identification: we reap the same as we sow.

Adrian Rogers says, “You cannot plant discord and reap unity. You cannot plant hypocrisy and reap holiness. You cannot sow to the flesh and reap to the spirit.”

Galatians 6:7 confirms, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”

The third principle is incubation: we reap later than we sow.

David’s fatal crop came up days after God pronounced judgment on him. But some seeds sprout after a long incubation period. Whatever it may be, we will reap in due season.

The fourth principle is intensification: we always reap more than we sow.

Hosea 8:7 warns, “They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind.”

If we do a little good, God rewards us a lot; if we do a little evil, our punishment will be far more severe than we’d expect.

The final principle is implementation: if we want to reap a crop, we must get busy.

God gives the opportunity, but we must implement the plan. We may try to talk ourselves out of planting based on exterior circumstances.

Ecclesiastes 11:4 instructs, “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.”

David’s experience with the law of the harvest was a painful one. God forgave him, but He did not cancel out the law of the harvest. To be forgiven means there’s unbroken communion with God, but it doesn’t mean we bypass the suffering for what we’ve done.

What David planted came to the surface, just as we will reap what we’ve sown.

Apply it to your life
Understanding the law of the harvest, will you reap blessings or consequences? Choose to plant what is good and pure.

Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Habakkuk 1-3

The Book of Habakkuk might be the most pertinent Scripture in this day and age. In three short chapters, Habakkuk shows us how to give thanks in dark days.

There are three things to remember about faith as these days grow gloriously dim.

In chapter one, we learn that faith does not live by explanations, but by God’s promises.

“The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’” (Habakkuk 1:1-2).

Habakkuk has been praying fervently, crying out for help with a broken heart. Yet he experienced Heaven’s silence, Earth’s sinfulness, and Hell’s success. He begins to question if God is even listening. God will not explain everything to us because we would not understand His ways; He will not limit Himself to our understanding.

In chapter two, Habakkuk shows that faith doesn’t live by appearances, but by providence.

In the silence of a prayer tower, God revealed His providence to Habakkuk, first through Scripture, which is Truth.

Habakkuk also saw God’s provision for the saints: “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). Faith, when it is rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is the most powerful force on earth.

God also provides retribution for the sinner. Judgment will come against all material, moral, and spiritual corruption running rampant on Earth. Adrian Rogers reminds us, “The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.”

God will also show provision through the reign of the Savior: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).

Finally, in chapter three, we learn that faith doesn’t live by circumstances, but by praise.

Habakkuk 3:3 says, “His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise.”

In these dimming days, we must remember God’s glory, rejoice in His goodness and rely on His grace. Adrian Rogers says, “We don’t need to know why, we need to know Who.”

Apply it to your life
Are you giving thanks in these dark days? Remember: faith does not live by explanations, but by promises. It does not live by appearances, but by providence. And we can praise Him in every circumstance.