This morning we opened our arms and our hearts to welcome our Pastor Candidate, Bro. Jared Shumate, and his family to Valley View.

This morning he shared a message with us about our direction and how we can fulfill the works of God.

In order for our church to fulfill the works our church has for us, we must focus certain areas in our life to God. But before we can do that as a church, we must do the same as individuals.

Are you ready to move forward and fulfill the works of God?

Have you ever been involved in a project from beginning to end? It's very satisfying to see something you started and have been involved with come to completion. But, it is equally as frustrating for us to begin something, being involved at the beginning, but never getting to see it through to completion.

Paul experienced this. In fact, he wrote to the church at Corinth about this very thing. He talks about planting seeds, and Apollos watering them. But he is quick to point out in the same verse that it was God, not either of these men, who gave the increase.

Are you planting seeds in someone's life? Maybe you find yourself as the gardener instead, being used to water the seeds someone else has planted. Regardless of how God is using you in someone's life, it is God Himself who gives the increase.

Tonight, as part of our Youth Sunday, we had Bro. Jud Yant share one of his very first messages as a newly called young preacher. Bro. Jud asked the question that Paul asked in the book of Romans; How Shall They Hear Without a Preacher?

You may not have been called to be a preacher of the Gospel, But, all who are saved are, in fact, called to share the Gospel with others. It is our responsibility to reach the lost.

Are you fulfilling that commandment in your own life?

If you have children or grandchildren your are familiar with fingerprints. Fingerprints on everything. The furniture, every window in the house, the TV, the appliances, the walls. Everywhere. Even those of you without kids are familiar with fingerprints on your stuff, especially your phone screen. The police often dust for fingerprints when investigating a crime.

Those fingerprints are evidence that someone has been there and had their hands on it. Our lives are the same way. We should live close enough to God that someone can look upon our life and see that God's fingerprints are all over us.

Esther found herself in a circumstance that she did not expect. But God orchestrated it all for her to be in the place she was, exactly when she was, for a very specific reason.

Are you facing a battle today? Maybe it's a personal battle that no one else knows about. Maybe it's a battle within your family, or your church, or your workplace. When we face a battle, the natural instinct in the body is to fight it, or to run from it. But sometimes there is a third option; to stand your ground.

In this morning's message we can see that sometimes standing our ground is exactly what the Lord wants us to do. Sometimes the battle is ours. But other times The Battle is the Lord's.

The Bible talks a lot about servanthood and what it means to be a servant. The book of John even tells us that if we will serve Jesus, then His Father will honor us. Imagine that. The creator of the universe, of all things great and small, the all mighty, will honor little, lowly us.

But, there's a condition to that statement. "If"...