Perhaps you’ve heard the joke about the man stranded during a hurricane. He continues to ignore the assistance offered to him, passing up a truck, a boat, and even a helicopter! When he dies, he asks God, “Why didn’t you save me?” The truth is, God provided ample opportunities for the man to be saved, but the man was responsible for his choice to accept or decline the help. Listen in today, as Pastor Dan speaks on this topic, and consider this: Are you passing up on the help that God is offering you?

I tried my hand at pottery when I was in 7th-grade art class. From a heap of clay, I had made a fine-looking cup to bring home to my mother. I was proud of my work, but imagine, if you will, that this cup spoke to me, complaining about my craftsmanship. “You didn’t make me large enough; you didn’t give me a handle; I wanted to be a different color!” A foolish thought, perhaps; but what are you, in God’s hands, but clay? Today, Pastor Dan provides insight into understanding this analogy of your place before God.

Getting what we deserve feels great, doesn’t it? Receiving good grades after studying hard, getting those promotions at work after a long project, or picking up that free Chick-fil-A sandwich! But it depends on the context. If we receive what we deserve, when it comes to our standing before God, we are all sinful, deserving of death and hell. Today, Pastor Dan walks us through how, despite how “no one is good, not even one”, we don’t have to get what we deserve. There is grace to go around.

Our God is gracious beyond comprehension. He went to incredible lengths, sending His own beloved Son to take on flesh and suffer and die on a cross to secure our salvation. Yet many people reject Him and even accuse Him of being cruel and unloving. As Pastor Dan will explain in today’s message, as much as God loves those people, He will not force their hearts to soften. As they harden their hearts, they can come to a point where God allows them to completely solidify against Him.

Have you ever heard someone say, “That’s just not right!” in response to a tragic event? When we experience things that we see as unfair, one of our first responses may be to question God and wonder how He could be good if He allows such injustice. As Pastor Dan will clarify in today’s message, our God, who exists eternally, with no end or beginning, is the very definition of righteous. He created righteousness, and we can trust that His ways are good even when we can’t see it from our perspective. 

On the surface, if you look at the nation of Israel, it may appear as though God’s plan failed. As a nation, they rejected Jesus as their Messiah and still do. But, as Pastor Dan will point out in today’s message, there is a remnant of Israel that believed, and this remnant has grown over time. While some believe God is done with Israel, that isn’t supported by Scripture. He still has a plan for this chosen nation, and He will use them in orchestrating His final work of judgment and redemption for this world.

You don’t want that to be true of you. Just as God chose Israel to hold a special position in this world – a nation to bless all other nations – He’s extended that invitation to all who would believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. If you’ve accepted that gift, you have a calling. Your life is no longer just about meeting your own needs and desires. As Pastor Dan will remind us in today’s message, we are called to live a life that serves others and spreads the amazing truth of the Gospel to our world. 

Material wealth and abundance in this world are not the same as the blessings we experience in God’s Kingdom. Our God is a faithful and generous provider, and we can trust Him to meet our needs. This is true for us as individuals, and it’s true on a larger scale – for our churches and even our nations. As Pastor Dan will point out, when a nation operates in a way that honors God – marked by love, compassion, and righteous living, we can expect to experience the blessing of His divine providence. 

God never backs out of His covenants or breaks His promises. He is steadfast in His Word. As we enjoy the benefits and blessings of the New Covenant He extended to us through Christ, we can still take comfort and encouragement by looking back at the ways He fulfilled His promises under the Old Covenant. As Pastor Dan will point out in today’s message, even in the last century, we see the fulfillment of His promises taking place on a global scale, and He has shown Himself to be faithful.  

Struggle is a part of this life. That’s not how God designed it. This brokenness we experience rises out of sin and rebellion against God. Just to clarify, this doesn’t mean God punishes us specifically for our individual sins. It’s the sin we’re born into that results in pain and heartache throughout our lives. As Pastor Dan will remind us in today’s message, whatever form our hardship may take, it should not be seen as a punishment or a slight from God, but as an opportunity to trust in Him more.