South Union Sermons

Bottom line: When you love like Jesus, as a disciple you will be known and Jesus will be shown.

Bottom line: Even in my suffering, I can trust God no matter what.

God's plans are bigger than our dreams.
God's purposes are greater than our pain.
God's faithfulness is more trustworthy than our circumstances.
God transforms our sorrows into joy.

Bottom lie: When our hope is in Christ as Lord of our life, we will be blessed even when this life brings suffering.

This message looks at 5 responses to suffering in the life of a believer. These 5 responses will make a difference in our thinking and lives in the midst of suffering.

1) Realize the blessing of suffering
2) Refuse to worry or panic
3) Acknowledge Christ as Lord
4) Be ready to give a defense
5) Keep a pure conscience

Bottom line: God tests our faith to show us and grow us. He shows us where we are spiritually and prepares us for where He wants us to go.

Trials are adverse circumstances that God introduces or allows in order to identify where we are spiritually and to prepare us for where He wants us to go. Abraham’s trial was a test. God wanted to know just where Abraham’s heart and faith actually stood.
It’s not how we act in church that reveals the genuineness of our faith, but how we act in a crisis that reveals our faith

Bro. Josh wants to remind us that TIME IS RUNNING OUT. We all understand that time is passing quickly. When you and I were born our time put up on the play clock of life and from the moment you took that first breathe that clock started running. With every day that passes you and I are getting closer and closer to hearing the final buzzer.

Paul challenged the believers in Ephesus with that reality in Ephesians chapter five.

In this message we will see that Paul reminds the believers in Ephesus and us of four things:

1.) We need to be looking. V.15
2.) We need to make the most of our time. V.16
3.) We need to make sure we don't like a fool and act thoughtlessly. V17a
4.) We must understand God's will for our life. V.17b

Bottom line – Faith grows as it responds in trust to an increasing revelation of God.

When my content (what I know of God) of faith grows and the context (who I know God to be to me) in which I exercise my faith grows, then the faith that I exercise in the crises of life can grow too.

Bottom line: When the world around me seems like it is spinning out of control, I can pray and seek the help of God who is always in control.

Acts 12 teaches us two big truths: God is always in control. Because God is always in control, we should pray and seek His help and power.

Bottom line: The proof that Jesus is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do is the resurrection.

Disbelief in Jesus is never an intellectual problem. It is a will problem. People refuse to accept and believe in Jesus because they do not want to.
Belief does not come as a result of “seeing” proof. Faith responds to truth as it is revealed by God.
The resurrection of Jesus proves who Jesus is, the Son of God.
The resurrection of Jesus proves our sin debt was paid in full by Jesus on the cross.
We must choose by faith to trust Jesus as Savior.

Bottom line: The story of Jesus’ resurrection is worth telling and believing.

It’s a story too good not to tell.
It's a truth too good not to share.
It's contains a promise too good not to believe.
Jesus is a Savior too good not to receive.

Bottom line: Pressing on in prayer through the circumstances or situations or temptations that press in on us leads to our prevailing and accomplishing our Father’s will.

Jesus was pressed under the weight of all that the cross entailed while in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed and gained victory over the temptation to avoid of the cross. We can learn much from Jesus about prevailing prayer in the midst of the pressing. Pressing on in prayer under the pressing weight of what weighs us down can be lonely, must be humble, based on our relationship with God as Father, must be persevering and surrendered.