This message touches on a variety of issues but the main focus is 1 Cor. 8:2 “And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.”

  A major dilemma for today’s believers is the diversity of beliefs in denominations, bible versions, pastors, teachers and even those who attend the same churches. No matter where a person may turn for reliable answers they will find differences of opinions. Confusion is minimized only when we choose to trust a single source. The problem is who is right. That brings us back to trusting ourselves to decide. The problem then is how we can know that we are right.

Scripture References: Col. 1:9-10, Mt. 18:1-4, Proverbs 3:5-6

Salient Points: “Why God?”, Something to think about, Not lowering standards, Freedom from or in sin, Separate faith and works, Catch 22, Man’s selfish nature, Back to the cross, Think like a little child, Back under bondage, Faith or sin, The technology curse, It’s not our world, Why a little child, The faith of a child, Think like a child, When faith overrules works, The future humbling, Look what I did, Taking God’s glory, It’s all God’s life, Loving in the good and bad, Influenced by our desires, Truth from God only, Ask the right way, Understanding God, Lean not to thy own understanding, God’s desire.

Special Thanks,
Images courtesy of;  Hubble Telescope, Nassau, Space Science Telescope Institute and the James Webb Space Telescope that include selected scriptures from the public domain version of The King James Bible. The availability of STScI materials on this website does not imply the endorsement of STScI or by any STScI employee of any private use of such materials, including, in particular, any commercial use and any use intended to mislead. For more information please visit our Copyright Information page by clicking here. 

  This message is about understanding why God does things the way he does and how he wants us to respond when our desires conflict with his.

   “Why God” is arguably the most frequent and fervent prayers that are offered up to God.  Why did you let this happen, why didn’t you stop that, why don’t you heal more, why don’t you bless our efforts more, why don’t you answer our prayers, the list is nearly endless.  From our point of view God could, and should fix a lot more than he does.  So why doesn’t he? 

Scripture References: Col. 1:9-10, Mt. 18:1-4, Proverbs 3:5-6

Salient Points: “Why God?”, Something to think about, Not lowering standards, Freedom from or in sin, Separate faith and works, Catch 22, Man’s selfish nature, Back to the cross, Think like a little child, Back under bondage, Faith or sin, The technology curse, It’s not our world, Why a little child, The faith of a child, Think like a child, When faith overrules works, The future humbling, Look what I did, Taking God’s glory, It’s all God’s life, Loving in the good and bad, Influenced by our desires, Truth from God only, Ask the right way, Understanding God, Lean not to thy own understanding, God’s desire.

Special Thanks,
Images courtesy of;  Hubble Telescope, Nassau, Space Science Telescope Institute and the James Webb Space Telescope that include selected scriptures from the public domain version of The King James Bible. The availability of STScI materials on this website does not imply the endorsement of STScI or by any STScI employee of any private use of such materials, including, in particular, any commercial use and any use intended to mislead. For more information please visit our Copyright Information page by clicking here. 

  This message is part two in a study of why, we as believers are so fearful about problems in life and how we can gain in faith and live in peace even in the worst of times.

  We have example after example of how God has chosen to work with His creation to see what they would do with the free will He gave them.  Jeremiah wrote in chapter 17 verse 10; “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”  The LORD is interested in how we respond when things are out of our control and the more difficult the circumstances the more important our responses are to God.

  King David found himself in a great distress that is a perfect example of how we can stay faithful even during the worst of times.  The story is found in 1 Samuel chapter 30, “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”   The way David encouraged himself  was remembering the many times that God had delivered in the past.  In the same way he did when he faced Goliath, by remembering being delivered from a lion and a bear as he tended his father’s sheep.

  For us in these last days we need to keep in mind Luke 21:28, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”

 Scriptures: Jer. 9:24, Mk. 12:28-34, Eph. 3:1-6, Col. 1:9-18, Rom. 3:10-12  

Salient Points: A bumpy week, Applying what we learned from Pt-1 (Pray, Trust, Remember, Wait, Ask self, Not a test, Don’t yield, The greatest sin for believers), The glory in the heavens, Knowing God, Overwhelmed with God, When God is near, The understanding and love connection, One of 7 mysteries, Seeing problems from God’s view point, Knowing God better, Self destructive, Changing from glory to glory, Working in love, Joy in opportunity, Duty or passion, The nature of the flesh, Amazed in God’s presence, The center of your affections, From the Fathers hand.         

Sub Series: Overcoming Fear with Faith Pt-2

Special Thanks,
Images courtesy of;  Hubble Telescope, Nassau, Space Science Telescope Institute and the James Webb Space Telescope that include selected scriptures from the public domain version of The King James Bible. The availability of STScI materials on this website does not imply the endorsement of STScI or by any STScI employee of any private use of such materials, including, in particular, any commercial use and any use intended to mislead. For more information please visit our Copyright Information page by clicking here. 

  This message is the first part in a study of why, we as believers, are so fearful about problems in life and how we can gain in faith and live in peace even in the worst of times.

  In Mark chapter 4, Jesus calmed the sea, saving all those with Him and all the other ships also. Afterward Jesus asked the question, “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?” The response was not that of gratitude or relief. Surprisingly we read in the next verse; “And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

  Jesus question was no doubt was rhetorical and was intended to get those, whom He had just saved, to question themselves and realize how foolish their response was. The question applies just as much to us today and maybe even more because we know from Hebrews 11:6 that faith is essential for us to please God.

 Scripture References: Jer. 9:23-24, Mk. 4:35-41, Prov. 3:5-6, Mt. 14:22-23

 Salient Points

Delighting the Lord, A different view of the bible, Fear following deliverance, Why we are afraid, Self focused, The last resort, Look for God’s motives, To afraid to function, Panic stricken, Fearing the unknown, Greater fear after deliverance, Missing God’s glory, Missing the purpose, Orchestrated by God, A lesson on self, God’s purpose, Surprised by understanding, Living with worry and fear, Rethink the problem, Identify the reason, What’s the lesson for, Created problems, Testing verses opportunity, A changed response, God’s aware, Fear changed into peace.

Special Thanks,
Images courtesy of;  Hubble Telescope, Nassau, Space Science Telescope Institute and the James Webb Space Telescope that include selected scriptures from the public domain version of The King James Bible. The availability of STScI materials on this website does not imply the endorsement of STScI or by any STScI employee of any private use of such materials, including, in particular, any commercial use and any use intended to mislead. For more information please visit our Copyright Information page by clicking here. 

  In this message there are three life altering questions asked and answered, that can give us a reason to pause and consider what our daily efforts are creating, as we hurriedly stack one day on another like the building blocks of life.  The Questions considered are: Who Is God?  Who Are We? What Does God Want? 

  Few people have time to think about the really important questions in life.  They are busy just making ends meet, having fun and solving problems.  If asked the question, why were you born, their first thought may be, what are you talking about, I don’t have time to think about things like that, but a question like that can change a life.  We are easily overwhelmed with life’s details and we lose sight of what it is all about.  Like a brick layer focusing on how many bricks he is laying every day no longer thinks about what he is building or how important it is or who will benefit by his work.

Scripture References: Colossians 1: 12-17

Salient Points

A bored Deacon, Undernourished believers, Recognizing what God is making, Who is God, Eternal being, Time verses eternity, A vocal Creator, Unlimited, Still creating, Rightful owner, No equals, Who are we, A unique free will, Self serving, Without purpose, None that do good, Our own standards, A sustained existence, The saving difference, What is there to love, What does God want for creating us, It’s about love, The big difference, Our Great Creator.

Special Thanks,
Images courtesy of;  Hubble Telescope, Nassau, Space Science Telescope Institute and the James Webb Space Telescope that include selected scriptures from the public domain version of The King James Bible. The availability of STScI materials on this website does not imply the endorsement of STScI or by any STScI employee of any private use of such materials, including, in particular, any commercial use and any use intended to mislead. For more information please visit our Copyright Information page by clicking here. 

  This message continues the study of how our motives for serving God can easily change from serving in love into a service of duty without us being aware that it has happened. 

  We are much like Cain and Abel. Both had a desire to please the LORD with their offerings, but Abel’s offering was from the heart as evidence of his appreciation for the LORD’s blessings and his motive was the LORD’s pleasure. Whereas Cain’s offering was meant to gain more favor by impressing the LORD with the quality of his efforts.

  Jesus said “If ye love me keep my commandments”. We see things from the outside, like keeping a score board. How many in attendances, offering sizes, number of conversions and so on and if they show growth they make us feel successful but Jesus said “without me ye can do nothing”. The way to tell the difference between the outward appearance and the heart is who you want to benefit from your efforts.

Scripture References:Lk. 17:7-10, Jn. 15:4-5, Is. 42:5-12, Is. 48:6-11Prov. 3:5-6, Mk. 4:35-41 

Salient Points: Self justification, What to expect from a sinner, Just tools, Cain’s failure, Looking to criticize, Got in on God’s deal, Humbled or hardened, Glory in the heavens, When God had it alone, Why God made us, We get in the way, Trusting God’s ways, Passive prayers, Unanswered prayers, Selfish prayers, Looking for relief, God wants total trust, Still creating, Fearful and without faith, Real fear, Fixated on self, Where is the storm from, How much is God doing in our life, Asking God the right way. 

Special Thanks,
Images courtesy of;  Hubble Telescope, Nassau, Space Science Telescope Institute and the James Webb Space Telescope that include selected scriptures from the public domain version of The King James Bible. The availability of STScI materials on this website does not imply the endorsement of STScI or by any STScI employee of any private use of such materials, including, in particular, any commercial use and any use intended to mislead. For more information please visit our Copyright Information page by clicking here. 

  This message is a serious look into our motives for serving God and how our motive can cause us to take credit for His results. In much the same way as a child who had been given money to buy a present may feel about how much they had paid for a gift.

  Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” This makes it clear that why we do something is more important than what we do. An example of this would be to buy a Christmas present because it is Christmas, or to buy it because we want the receiver to benefit from the gift. One is a matter of duty and the other is an act of love. Paul, in writing to the Church at Corinth told them, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” We can have a sense of relief or a feeling of accomplishment when our motive is about duty or fulfilling a need, but the feelings of elation, that Paul spoke about only come by actions motivated by love.

 Scripture References: Matthew 7:24-26, Revelation 3:13-17

 Salient Points

Self focused, Recognizing God’s involvement, Hearing and doing, The last church age, All about me, Focused on work, results and growth, Motive check time, How does God benefit by making me, Doing for self, Our free will, Praising each other, Motivated by need, Comfort from working, Satan’s problem, Humble laborers, The power of our free will, Warning about taking credit, Striving with God, Seek to understand God better, Look for His involvement, Perfect peace.

Special Thanks,
Images courtesy of;  Hubble Telescope, Nassau, Space Science Telescope Institute and the James Webb Space Telescope that include selected scriptures from the public domain version of The King James Bible. The availability of STScI materials on this website does not imply the endorsement of STScI or by any STScI employee of any private use of such materials, including, in particular, any commercial use and any use intended to mislead. For more information please visit our Copyright Information page by clicking here. 

  This message identifies the initial wrong turn that we all take that leads us away from God’s desires and His fellowship.

  In the scriptures, as well as in our own lives we can see clearly that there are times when God’s creation is closer to Him than at other times. King David, a man after God’s own heart went up against Goliath in righteous anger because he had spoken evil of God, and later sinned greatly in the matter of Bathsheba and Uriah. Moses spoke with God as friend to friend and miraculously received the Ten Commandments from God’s own hand but then disobeyed by smiting the rock instead of just speaking to it as God had instructed. What happened to these great men that caused such failures, and is there something we can learn from their mistakes and avoid them?

Scripture References: Isaiah 14:12-142, Timothy 3:1-5

 Salient Points

Making sense of God’s ways, How Lucifer fell, Focusing on self, Steps to thinking of self, Perfect peace, Unsatisfied, When prayer fails, Distractions from God, Life without purpose, Re-focusing on the Creator, These perilous times, Self love, Last days, The “I” test, Not made for self, Works built on sand, The scales at the judgment, All about self, It’s God’s fault, Seeking to know God, Made to fellowship with God.

Special Thanks,
Images courtesy of;  Hubble Telescope, Nassau, Space Science Telescope Institute and the James Webb Space Telescope that include selected scriptures from the public domain version of The King James Bible. The availability of STScI materials on this website does not imply the endorsement of STScI or by any STScI employee of any private use of such materials, including, in particular, any commercial use and any use intended to mislead. For more information please visit our Copyright Information page by clicking here. 

  This message doesn’t focus on the problems as the cause for our fears; it identifies why those in the boat were afraid of the storm and why they became more fearful after Jesus had performed the miracle. The answer applies directly to us as believers.

  In Mark chapter five Jesus performed a great miracle when He said unto the sea “Peace, be still” and the wind and sea obeyed Him. Then immediately He turned to those in the ship and asked the question, “Why are you so fearful? how is it that you have no faith?” He didn’t ask them to get an answer, He knew why. Jesus ask the question for them to think about why they had become so afraid and what caused them to completely lose their faith. Their response, in the very next verse, was an increase in their fear instead of calming them down.

  The question, why are you so fearful, applies to us today and maybe even more than they. Stress and worry come at us from every direction leaving us oppressed, frustrated and discouraged. If it becomes overwhelming we experience panic attacks, the fight or flight response kicks in and then finally we begin to withdraw into ourselves.

  As believers there is a solution, but it isn’t found in relief from the problem, it’s in the question that Jesus asked.

Scripture References: 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Heb. 12:11, Jer. 9:24, Mark 4:35-41, Mt. 14:21-33Is. 14:12-14, Heb. 4:12, Ps. 50:15

Salient Points: Profiting from God’s word, Why chastening, What is righteousness, when chastening fails, Humility, God’s revolving door children, Lacking understanding, Missing the lesson, Delivered and still afraid, Finding courage and faith, Why the storms, Walking on water, When Jesus asks, Why want children, Frustrations of parenting, Yielding to parenting, Discerning your heart, Why we don’t understand, Missing God, Looking the wrong way.

Special Thanks,
Images courtesy of;  Hubble Telescope, Nassau, Space Science Telescope Institute and the James Webb Space Telescope that include selected scriptures from the public domain version of The King James Bible. The availability of STScI materials on this website does not imply the endorsement of STScI or by any STScI employee of any private use of such materials, including, in particular, any commercial use and any use intended to mislead. For more information please visit our Copyright Information page by clicking here. 

  This message is to remind us of how blessed we are. It is also a reminder that what God has blessed us with was not to spoil us, but an opportunity to love and appreciate Him more for it.

  In a conversation with an extremely wealthy man, a less successful man said, I have more than you do, to which the richer man replied, I know your holdings, how can you say that, the reply was simple, I have enough, and you don’t.

  A major flaw in mankind is, always wanting more. Even with things we already have we want better ones. From phones to refrigerators, from cars to houses we want more bells and whistles. It’s as though no matter how much we get, we will always want a better one.

  In Luke chapter 12, we are cautioned that, the more we have the more we will be accountable for, but we continue to ask for more. In the book of Jeremiah we are warned not to glory in our blessings, successes or talents that God provides us with, but still the more we have the better we feel about ourselves.

Scripture References: Jeremiah 9: 23-24, Psalm 37:4, Mark 4:35-41

Salient Points: Always wanting more, Comfort from acquiring, Diminishing appreciation, Expecting blessings, Wanting more because of more, Unfairly treated, Spoiled adults, Entitled, Upset or frustrated with God, Stop focusing on self, Thinking past ourselves, Delighting in God not His blessings, When God gets close, Calming the storm, Being fearful and without faith, Sinking in the storm.

Special Thanks,
Images courtesy of;  Hubble Telescope, Nassau, Space Science Telescope Institute and the James Webb Space Telescope that include selected scriptures from the public domain version of The King James Bible. The availability of STScI materials on this website does not imply the endorsement of STScI or by any STScI employee of any private use of such materials, including, in particular, any commercial use and any use intended to mislead. For more information please visit our Copyright Information page by clicking here.