October 1, 2023
Psalm 40.6-8 and Hebrews 10.1-10
He Did It for You

Has someone ever done a major favor for you, given you a great gift, or just blessed you in some way without your asking? It may have been an unexpected blessing. When you needed them, they showed up. The actions they took, they did it for you. And rightfully so, you want to bless them in return. And as good as their actions were, there is someone greater who has done something a million times greater than they. His name is Jesus and He did it for you.

The Old Covenant said make animal sacrifices to cover the sins of the people. The New Covenant said God would enter the world to become the atoning sacrifice for the people.

Through Jesus, we do not have the pay the penalty of sin. Jesus is our scapegoat.
Through Jesus, we do not have to yield to the power of sin. 1Cor 10:13
Through Jesus, when He returns, we will be removed from the presence of sin. John 14:2-3

Remember what Jesus did for you. Yes. He did it for you! He did it for me! He did it for us! How can you and I repay the LORD? There is no even exchange. So the best we can do is what He asked us to do. And that is to commit to following Jesus. Receive Him as your LORD and Savior today. Amen.

September 24, 2023
Deuteronomy 32.35 and John 16.33
Stuff Happens

The Bible says that in this world we would have trouble. "Stuff Happens." But what do we do? God, here is the STUFF that is HAPPENING, but we THANK YOU, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY for BEARING this BURDEN for US! We recognize vengeance is YOURS and YOU will repay.

"STUFF HAPPENS!" How do we respond?
1. RECOGNIZE stuff happens! (In this world you will have trouble.)
2. CONNECT with JESUS for your PEACE! (In Me you may have peace. Take heart.)
3. EMBRACE YOUR VICTORY in JESUS! (Take heart. I have overcome the world.)

BUT we must not TEMPT the LORD! Don't GO where GOD has not sent you! Don't WALK or AGREE with those who we know are WALKING WRONG! So at all times let us OBEY the VOICE of GOD! Do what is RIGHT! STUFF will STILL happen, but GOD will KEEP you and PROTECT YOU. GOD will provide VICTORY for YOU, TRUST and BELIEVE! COMMIT your HEART to JESUS today, right NOW!

Amen.

September 17, 2023
Psalm 127:1-2and Luke 6:1-11
"Try Higher"

Jesus is sharing the Word of God with a crowd. When he finished, he asked the fishermen to launch into the deep waters to let down their nets for a catch. They had caught nothing all night. Peter was the expert fisherman. He did not believe it would work. Nevertheless, Simon Peter answered Jesus and said, “Because YOU say so, I will let down the nets.

Peter TRIED HIGHER and was BLESSED! Simon Peter OBEYED God and was BLESSED so much that the blessing was OVERFLOWING! We too must TRY HIGHER in this life! When we TRUST GOD and PUT GOD FIRST (TRY HIGHER) we WILL see things change for the good in our lives!
TRY HIGHER by tapping into the LORD about ALL things! We must still do the work. But we must ALWAYS have Christ in our lives in FIRST PLACE. Let us all TRY HIGHER by putting Jesus Christ First in ALL things at ALL times. Let us follow Simon Peter's example… Trust God and follow Him.

Amen.

September 10, 2023
Hosea 10:9-12 and Galatians 6:7-8
"We Reap What We Sow"

Hosea reminds Israel that they have been sinning since the days of Gibeah. They had not repented but persisted in their sins, because of hardened hearts and depraved minds. They were depending on themselves. God tells them that he would punish them. But in Hosea 10:12, there was a hope offered to them. They wanted to reap the fruit but did not want to do the work (sow). They only wanted the benefits.

Ephraim, of the 12 tribes of Israel, was taught to obey God and do good works. But they set up their own kingdom and lived according to their own will. We reap what we sow! This is where the Israelites then and many of us miss it today. Listen to the message to discover how to reap bountifulness with the LORD.

Amen.

September 3, 2023
Isaiah 55.6-11 and Revelation 3.20-22
Open the Door

We find seven churches in the book of Revelation chapters 2 & 3 that Jesus addresses. As you hear about each of them, think about if any of them represents where you are today as it relates to your personal relationship with the LORD.

Church in Ephesus – the loveless church.
Church in Smyrna - the suffering church.
Church in Pergamum – the compromising church.
Church in Thyatira – the corrupt church.
Church in Sardis – the dead church.
Church in Philadelphia – the faithful church.
Church in Laodicea - the lukewarm church.

For the person who does not currently have Christ in their life, for the person who may just need a revival, and for the person who needs to repent and return to the LORD, Rev 3.20 is for you. It’s for me. It’s for us!

Rev 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Open the door of your heart to Jesus while He is still knocking. We are forever lost if we do not let Him in and He stops knocking.

Please, do not try to live this life on your own. Look around you. You see the events happening in the world. We need the LORD and He is available to us. Just like I need an expert for my oven, I need the expert Creator of life to order my steps in His Word. Won’t you open the door!

Amen.

August 27, 2023
Daniel 1.8-21 and 1Peter 3.8-16
Courage to Communicate Your Faith

Peter is writing to the Jews who were being severely persecuted and run out of Jerusalem. They were all over and dispersed throughout the Middle East. Peter encouraged them to conduct themselves like the followers of Christ that they were. He also told them to have the courage to communicate their faith, their reason for their hope.

Daniel along with Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego were teenagers who courageously communicated their faith. Even when threatened with the fiery furnace, the three Hebrews held to their faith. You can read their story in Daniel chapter 3.

Many of us will not be faced with the threat of a literal lions’ den or fiery furnace. We may be faced with extreme peer pressure to follow the crowd. Paul was pressured to follow the crowd in Athens, Greece.

Paul’s defense in Acts 17:
1. Common ground connection – v22 (very religious)
2. Combine other connection points (unknown God v23; own poet v28)
3. Close with major point (vv30-32 repent & accept the resurrected Christ)

Paul’s defense in Acts 26:
1. Common ground connection – vv2&3 (Agrippa expert in Jewish beliefs)
2. Combine other connection points – vv25&26 (Agrippa knows OT Scripture & heard about the many witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection)
3. Close with major point – v27 (I know you believe) v28 almost persuaded

Jesus used parables (Matthew 13):
1. A farmer went out to sow (common ground connection)
2. Seeds fell by wayside, stony places, among thorns, and good soil (connection points)
3. Hear, understand, and apply the word of God (major point)

Daniel and the three Hebrews boys were brought up believing in God. They knew why they believed. Know why you believe. I believe somebody is ready to accept Jesus after you courageously communicate your faith with them.

Amen. Invitation to follow Jesus.

August 20, 2023
Isaiah 53.6-12 and Mark 15.42-47
Courage to Take a Stand

Isaiah was prophesying about how Jesus would take on the sins of the world so that we would be forgiven. He was innocent. Yet He did not speak up for Himself. The Romans were planning to bury Him with the other two they crucified. But He was buried in a rich man’s tomb, Joseph of Arimathea.

Isaiah 53.8 stands out to me because it asks the question, “Who of His generation protested?” In other words, “Who took a stand for Jesus?” Did anyone have the courage to take a stand?

I wonder what would have happened if Joseph and Nicodemus had the courage to take a stand during the mock trial of Jesus before the crucifixion. They found their courage after the fact!

I wonder how many of us are facing circumstances where we need the courage to take a stand before it’s too late. When that mob descended on the US Capitol on that fateful day of January 6th, who had the courage to take a stand to say this is not right?

When you are with your friends and someone suggests doing something that you know isn’t right or would get you in trouble, do you have the courage to take a stand and say no?

By the grace of God, we all have the power to make a positive impact in the world. And our youth, teens, and young adults can positively transform this world by finding their voice. God has so much in store for you. Pray for the courage to take a stand and let Him use you to do your part.

What’s the point? When you have the courage to take a stand, you can impact your life and the lives of others in such a way that it blesses them, and it blesses you. It’s okay to start small. Pray for the courage to take a stand and become the leader God has called you to be.

Amen. Invitation to follow Jesus.

August 13, 2023
2Chronicles 32.1-8 and Acts 4.23-31
Courage under Pressure

The nation’s highest military award for courage is the Medal of Honor, presented by the President in Congress’ name. The recipients put the mission above their personal risks. Their mission was to serve this country even though it could cost them everything.

In our day, perhaps King Hezekiah would have received the Medal of Honor for his heroics. In Moses’ day, the Egyptians were the most powerful nation on the planet. In Hezekiah’s day, the Assyrians were arguably the most efficient military force in the ancient world.

The people of Judah were encouraged because they realized with God, they were in the majority. With God they had power. With God they had victory! With God they had courage!

Just like with Judah, there are some battles we must fight. They did not pray that God would take away the problem. They prayed for courage to overcome the problem with help from the LORD. In other words, they prayed for courage under pressure.

At times you and I will be faced with pressure. It may be peer pressure to do wrong. It may be pressure from bad leadership to follow a bad example. It may be pressure from others to just keep quiet about issues that need to be addressed. There are times that we do not need to pray that God would remove the pressure. We need to pray that the LORD will strengthen us to overcome the pressure.

Jesus wants us to know that you and I are overcomers in His strength. When we know right, let us do right! Even when we are pressured to do wrong. Even when we don’t fully know the outcome of the situation. And especially when we are afraid, pray for courage under pressure! Amen.

Invitation to follow Jesus.

August 6, 2023
Exodus 12.21-28 and Luke 22.14-20
Why We Commemorate Communion

Jesus, born into a Jewish family, remembered the Passover every year. Jesus tells His disciples this is His final Passover meal with them until Passover is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. What is the meaning of this? We must journey back several thousand years to Egypt to know.

When Joseph was alive, the Pharaoh trusted him, and the Israelites prospered in the land. When a new Pharaoh arose after Joseph’s death, he became concerned about the number of Israelites living in Egypt. To keep them in the place, he made slaves of them. They suffered as slaves for 400 years.

God raised up a deliverer, named Moses, to tell Pharaoh to let His people go. Pharaoh said no!
God sent plague after plague after plague. But Pharaoh still would not free the Israelites. So God tells Moses He would send the 10th and final plague that would make Pharaoh let His people go. He sends the angel of death that would take the life of the firstborn of every human and animal in the land.

Exo 12:13 NKJV Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

The Israelites sacrificed lambs to the LORD. They took the blood and covered the doorposts that night. The angel of death went throughout all of Egypt. There was weeping and crying because of the lost of so many lives. The Israelites were covered by the blood of the Lamb.

Whereas Passover was God’s supernatural deliverance of physical bondage, Communion is Jesus’ supernatural deliverance of spiritual bondage.

Jesus was telling them then and us today, that He has become the Passover Lamb. His blood would be shed so that He would cover us. So when Satan tries to snatch us into his kingdom of bondage, he must pass over us (those who have accepted Jesus as LORD and Savior) because we are covered by the blood.

We remember, honor, and respect Communion because of the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and anticipated return of Jesus for His followers. Jesus Christ is our Passover Lamb. He is our salvation. He is our gift of eternal life.

Amen. Invitation to follow Jesus.

July 30, 2023
Genesis 18.22-33 and Acts 12.1-5
The Power of Intercessory Prayer

Have you ever prayed specifically for another person? I don't mean just praying, "LORD, please bless my family and friends." Now that's a good thing to pray. But sometimes, you know someone is going through or facing something that is hard. Do you pray to God for that person in that situation? This is called intercessory prayer.

In our texts today, we will find two examples of intercessory prayer that should encourage us to pray for others. The Scripture read in your hearing were Genesis 18.22-33 and Acts 12.1-5. Today's subject is The Power of Intercessory Prayer.

Gen 19:29 NIV So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.

Act 12:5 NIV So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

God miraculously rescued Lot and delivered Peter. I want to challenge you today. Look for three opportunities to pray specifically for others. We need more empathy and compassion in this country. Intercessory prayer can help us get there.

Amen.