Main Scripture: Exodus 8:2-14
Speaker: Pastor Lorrie Owens
“Procrastination is my sin, It brings me naught but sorrow.
I know that I should stop it; In fact, I will...tomorrow.” Gloria Pitzer
In our passage today, the Lord has sent the plague of frogs to the land of Egypt in response to Pharaoh’s refusal to let the Hebrews go. There weren’t just a few frogs hopping around – there were millions. They were everywhere. Think about it. You’re trying to cook in your kitchen; you open your oven, and out hop frogs. You’re lying in your bed at night; you turn over and look into the eyes of – frogs. Frogs may not be the worst animal in the world, but they certainly aren’t something I’d want in my house. They’re kind of ugly and slimy; they shed (and even eat their old skin), and the croaking sound they make is hideous. Pharaoh finally came to his senses and sent for Moses, asking him to pray to the Lord to remove the frogs. When Moses asked Pharaoh when he wanted him to pray for the removal of the frogs, Pharaoh replied “tomorrow”.
Personally, I would have said “yesterday”!
At first, it appears Pharaoh is crazy. But, when we really think about it, we’re not that different than Pharaoh. God does not want anything to stand between us and Him. He sent His Son to ensure that deliverance is available from anything that harms our relationship with Him. All we have to do is ask for the deliverance. But, too often, our response is the same as Pharaoh’s. “I know I need to get my life together, and I’m going to. Really. Tomorrow……”
We all have frogs in our lives. We may think they are just little tadpoles – eating too much, gossiping, having a bit of a temper. Or, maybe we realize that our frogs are full-grown monsters: additions to drugs, alcohol, sex, physical abuse, adultery. We can have external frogs (ones that others can see), or internal frogs, like jealously, selfishness, or pride. Our frogs may start out looking good to us, like a new romantic interest. The frogs that invaded Egypt probably didn’t look so bad to the Egyptians at first. Frogs represented fertility to the Egyptians of that time. One of the things they worshipped was a goddess named Heqet, who was the goddess of fertility. She was depicted with the body of a woman and the head of a frog. But that good thing quickly grew into a serious problem.
That new relationship starts out well – an attractive love interest, someone to spend time with, the excitement of new love. But that person starts convincing you to do things that you know are ungodly. You know you need to get away from the person. Your friends and family are telling you that you need to end the relationship as soon as possible. The Holy Spirit is telling you to sever all ties with the person. And you tell yourself every day that you are going to do just that – tomorrow.
Also, keep in mind that the longer you take to ask God to deliver you from your issue, the greater the impact of that issue on you future. Keep in mind that when God did deliver the Egyptians from the frogs, the frogs did not just disappear. They died. As you can imagine, it probably didn’t smell too good around there will millions of dead frogs piled into heaps. Had Pharaoh asked Moses to pray sooner, there wouldn’t have been quite as many dead frogs to clean up behind. Maybe your drinking problem, or your promiscuity, or your gambling hasn’t gotten out of hand, at least not yet. But, rather than ask God to deliver you, you continue living with your frog. Now, after losing you job, wreaking you marriage, having a baby out of wedlock that you can’t take care of, ruining your health, you finally come to God and ask Him to deliver you. And, He does. But the consequences are still there. Had you not procrastinated, maybe things would not have ended up being this bad.
My brothers and sisters, when God reveals the frogs in your life to you, do not wait until tomorrow to accept the deliverance He so freely offers. Do not be like Pharaoh. Claim your deliverance today! Tomorrow is not promised to you. 2 Corinthians 6:2b tells us that today, not tomorrow, is the day of salvation. In James 4:17, we are told that it is a sin to know that you are supposed to do something and not do it. Do not procrastinate. Do not wait. Ask the Lord to deliver you from those frogs today.
June 20th Message: "A Blueprint for Fathers"
Main Scripture: John 3:16
Speaker: Pastor Robert Owens
We hope that all of you dads had a great Father's Day. Last Sunday, after Pastor Bob's grandkids expressed their love for him during the service by presenting him with a gift, he delved into the Word of God to present us with the perfect blueprint for fathers -- our Heavenly Father Himself.
John 3:16 is a very familiar scripture. However, Pastor Bob had us looking at it a little differently on Sunday. In the sermon, he showed us how this scripture gives us four ways that God relates to us as our Father. God Himself provides a model for earthly fathers to relate to their children.
First of all, the Father loves. John 3:16 starts with "For God so loved the world..." When a child comes into the world, a real father loves his child the moment he sees him or her. The child has done nothing yet to earn that love. But the father loves the child anyway. God loved us from before the time we were even conceived. We have not, and never will do anything great enough to earn His incredible love. But He loves us anyway with an everlasting love. Godly fathers must model this love when relating to their children.
Second, the Father gives: "that He gave His only begotten Son". The Father not only gave, but He gave His best -- His only Son. Fathers must be prepared to give their best to their kids. That means not only the obvious -- to house them, feed them, clothe them, provide for their education, but also give of yourselves. Giving material things is easy; giving of yourselves is much harder sometimes. You work hard. You're tired. You want to relax. But children, even grown ones sometimes, need your time. They need your wisdom and advice. They need to just have some fun with you every now and then. Don't give your kids the leftovers. Give to your kids as our Father gave to us. He gave His all.
The third way John 3:16 provides the perfect model of fatherhood is in showing that the Father requires. In this verse, which gives us God's Plan of Salvation, He has a requirement: "...that whosoever believeth in Him..." God provides the plan, but He does require something of us to realize this plan. We must believe. Earthly fathers must also set requirements for their children. Children should be required to be honest, to be respectful, to work and to try their best. And not only must fathers set the expectation that the requirements are met, but they must also lead by example. Godly fathers must be like Joshua, in Joshua 24:15, and boldly state "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord".
Lastly, the Father prepares His children for the future. God has a plan for us. In the last portion of John 3:16, He again lays it out for us "...that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life". By allowing God to have control of our lives, He is preparing us for everlasting life with Him. A good father follows this example by preparing his children for this life. He instills in them a strong work ethic, teaches them how to handle money, how to handle victory and defeat, what to look for in a spouse and, most of all, how to honor God. A good father looks at his child's future, even beyond his own lifespan, and tries to prepare them for all they will face.
Fathers, look to God as your perfect blueprint for fatherhood. If you do so, you can't go wrong.
Speaker: Pastor Robert Owens
We hope that all of you dads had a great Father's Day. Last Sunday, after Pastor Bob's grandkids expressed their love for him during the service by presenting him with a gift, he delved into the Word of God to present us with the perfect blueprint for fathers -- our Heavenly Father Himself.
John 3:16 is a very familiar scripture. However, Pastor Bob had us looking at it a little differently on Sunday. In the sermon, he showed us how this scripture gives us four ways that God relates to us as our Father. God Himself provides a model for earthly fathers to relate to their children.
First of all, the Father loves. John 3:16 starts with "For God so loved the world..." When a child comes into the world, a real father loves his child the moment he sees him or her. The child has done nothing yet to earn that love. But the father loves the child anyway. God loved us from before the time we were even conceived. We have not, and never will do anything great enough to earn His incredible love. But He loves us anyway with an everlasting love. Godly fathers must model this love when relating to their children.
Second, the Father gives: "that He gave His only begotten Son". The Father not only gave, but He gave His best -- His only Son. Fathers must be prepared to give their best to their kids. That means not only the obvious -- to house them, feed them, clothe them, provide for their education, but also give of yourselves. Giving material things is easy; giving of yourselves is much harder sometimes. You work hard. You're tired. You want to relax. But children, even grown ones sometimes, need your time. They need your wisdom and advice. They need to just have some fun with you every now and then. Don't give your kids the leftovers. Give to your kids as our Father gave to us. He gave His all.
The third way John 3:16 provides the perfect model of fatherhood is in showing that the Father requires. In this verse, which gives us God's Plan of Salvation, He has a requirement: "...that whosoever believeth in Him..." God provides the plan, but He does require something of us to realize this plan. We must believe. Earthly fathers must also set requirements for their children. Children should be required to be honest, to be respectful, to work and to try their best. And not only must fathers set the expectation that the requirements are met, but they must also lead by example. Godly fathers must be like Joshua, in Joshua 24:15, and boldly state "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord".
Lastly, the Father prepares His children for the future. God has a plan for us. In the last portion of John 3:16, He again lays it out for us "...that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life". By allowing God to have control of our lives, He is preparing us for everlasting life with Him. A good father follows this example by preparing his children for this life. He instills in them a strong work ethic, teaches them how to handle money, how to handle victory and defeat, what to look for in a spouse and, most of all, how to honor God. A good father looks at his child's future, even beyond his own lifespan, and tries to prepare them for all they will face.
Fathers, look to God as your perfect blueprint for fatherhood. If you do so, you can't go wrong.
September 20 Message: "Changing and Growing"
Main Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17
Last Sunday’s message was centered on changing and growing, and why we must experience both when we become Christians.
When we accept Christ, we become a new person. That does not mean we completely change overnight. The change is a process. In the natural world, humans do not come here as fully grown and fully mature. We come as helpless babies. We start out drinking milk, and later take on food with more substance. We continue to learn and grow until we become adults (hopefully, we continue to learn even after we are grown). The same is true of us spiritually. We start out learning more about God, His Will and His Ways. We learn to pray. We spend time with like-minded Christians. The Bible starts to make sense. Life starts to make sense. We see the beauty of God and His handiwork in this world, even in the midst of misery and pain. We trust what God is doing with and in us, and we gain godly confidence. We are growing up in the Lord.
We are a new creation when we accept Christ into our lives. Growth is the vehicle of that change.
One thing to remember about spiritual growth is that, unlike physical growth, spiritual growth is a choice. In the physical world, we do not make the decision if we will or will not grow. We don’t decide how tall we will grow, or how fast we will grow. That is determined by our physiology and our DNA. But we can choose to grow, or not to grow spiritually. Unfortunately, there are many Christians who choose to remain as spiritual infants. They may initially start to grow, but somewhere along the way, they choose to stop. But, when things stop growing, they live for a while, but eventually they die and start to decay.
How do you know when you’re growing spiritually? To answer that question, you must continually self-assess – to measure yourself. There are two very effective ways to do that. The first is to measure yourself against yourself. If you’ve been a Christian for a while, there should be a change. Are you the same person you were before you accepted Christ? Are you still mean-spirited and quick tempered? Do you still curse? Do you flip people off on the freeway, with a "I Love Jesus" sticker on your bumper? If someone is hurting or in need, do you simply not care, which is the same way you used to feel? Are you still focused on money and material things? Do you still cheat on your taxes, or do you still purchase items that you know are stolen? Do you still steal? Do you still cheat on your spouse, or treat your children badly? Are you still disobedient to your parents or belligerent with your boss at work? Are you disrespectful to your elders? If any of these examples describe the way you used to be – and also describe who you are today, it doesn’t appear you’re growing much, if at all.
The second, and even more important way we self-assess is by looking at the standards given to us in the Word of God. There are many. One good place to look is Galatians. Galatians 5:22-23 gives us a listing of those qualities that we find in Christians who are growing in the Lord. Likewise, Galatians 5:19-21 gives us a listing of character traits and actions that we find in those who are definitely not growing in the Lord. Read and assess. And be honest with yourself.
One thing to remember – when you self-assess, you’re doing just that. You’re looking at yourself. You are not comparing yourself to someone else (“well, at least I’m not as bad as him”)... You’re not going to grow by doing that. That’s like a person who committed a murder admitting he did it, but saying at least he’s not as bad as the other guy who killed two people. When we stand before God, He will not ask us about what the other guy did. We have to talk to God about our own lives and our own actions.
God does not leave us to grow alone. He is there to help us every step of the way. He is the Divine Gardener, who waters us, fertilizes us, and also prunes us. Water represents those things that are essential to our spiritual growth: Bible study, hearing the Word of God, prayer, fellowship with other Christians. The fertilizer represents those things that help promote growth — primarily Christian activities that nurture us. And the pruning represents the cutting away of those things that hinder our growth. This is usually the part we don’t like, but it is necessary for us to grow into who He created us to be. He will cut away bad attitudes, bad habits, even bad people – anything that come between us and Him. We have to accept God’s pruning; we must accept what we don’t like, as well as what we like. If it is from God, it is only for our good.
Matthew 13:4-8, as well as John 15:1-8 are good scriptures to read to get a better understanding of God’s desire for us in this area.
Remember, spiritual growth is a choice. What choice have you made today?
Be blessed …HGCF
Last Sunday’s message was centered on changing and growing, and why we must experience both when we become Christians.
When we accept Christ, we become a new person. That does not mean we completely change overnight. The change is a process. In the natural world, humans do not come here as fully grown and fully mature. We come as helpless babies. We start out drinking milk, and later take on food with more substance. We continue to learn and grow until we become adults (hopefully, we continue to learn even after we are grown). The same is true of us spiritually. We start out learning more about God, His Will and His Ways. We learn to pray. We spend time with like-minded Christians. The Bible starts to make sense. Life starts to make sense. We see the beauty of God and His handiwork in this world, even in the midst of misery and pain. We trust what God is doing with and in us, and we gain godly confidence. We are growing up in the Lord.
We are a new creation when we accept Christ into our lives. Growth is the vehicle of that change.
One thing to remember about spiritual growth is that, unlike physical growth, spiritual growth is a choice. In the physical world, we do not make the decision if we will or will not grow. We don’t decide how tall we will grow, or how fast we will grow. That is determined by our physiology and our DNA. But we can choose to grow, or not to grow spiritually. Unfortunately, there are many Christians who choose to remain as spiritual infants. They may initially start to grow, but somewhere along the way, they choose to stop. But, when things stop growing, they live for a while, but eventually they die and start to decay.
How do you know when you’re growing spiritually? To answer that question, you must continually self-assess – to measure yourself. There are two very effective ways to do that. The first is to measure yourself against yourself. If you’ve been a Christian for a while, there should be a change. Are you the same person you were before you accepted Christ? Are you still mean-spirited and quick tempered? Do you still curse? Do you flip people off on the freeway, with a "I Love Jesus" sticker on your bumper? If someone is hurting or in need, do you simply not care, which is the same way you used to feel? Are you still focused on money and material things? Do you still cheat on your taxes, or do you still purchase items that you know are stolen? Do you still steal? Do you still cheat on your spouse, or treat your children badly? Are you still disobedient to your parents or belligerent with your boss at work? Are you disrespectful to your elders? If any of these examples describe the way you used to be – and also describe who you are today, it doesn’t appear you’re growing much, if at all.
The second, and even more important way we self-assess is by looking at the standards given to us in the Word of God. There are many. One good place to look is Galatians. Galatians 5:22-23 gives us a listing of those qualities that we find in Christians who are growing in the Lord. Likewise, Galatians 5:19-21 gives us a listing of character traits and actions that we find in those who are definitely not growing in the Lord. Read and assess. And be honest with yourself.
One thing to remember – when you self-assess, you’re doing just that. You’re looking at yourself. You are not comparing yourself to someone else (“well, at least I’m not as bad as him”)... You’re not going to grow by doing that. That’s like a person who committed a murder admitting he did it, but saying at least he’s not as bad as the other guy who killed two people. When we stand before God, He will not ask us about what the other guy did. We have to talk to God about our own lives and our own actions.
God does not leave us to grow alone. He is there to help us every step of the way. He is the Divine Gardener, who waters us, fertilizes us, and also prunes us. Water represents those things that are essential to our spiritual growth: Bible study, hearing the Word of God, prayer, fellowship with other Christians. The fertilizer represents those things that help promote growth — primarily Christian activities that nurture us. And the pruning represents the cutting away of those things that hinder our growth. This is usually the part we don’t like, but it is necessary for us to grow into who He created us to be. He will cut away bad attitudes, bad habits, even bad people – anything that come between us and Him. We have to accept God’s pruning; we must accept what we don’t like, as well as what we like. If it is from God, it is only for our good.
Matthew 13:4-8, as well as John 15:1-8 are good scriptures to read to get a better understanding of God’s desire for us in this area.
Remember, spiritual growth is a choice. What choice have you made today?
Be blessed …HGCF
September 6 and September 13 Sermons: "Admiration versus Devotion -- Which Do You Have?" (Parts I & II)
Main Scripture: Matthew 7:13-29
In the sermons Pastor Bob delivered the past two Sundays, he asked a singular question: are you an admirer of Jesus, or are you truly devoted?
That may seem like an odd question, but it really isn’t. A person can be an admirer of someone, but not exactly a devotee. For example, I admired Michael Jackson for his music. I purchased his albums and CDs over the years, knew the words to many of his hits, and was amazed at the artistry in some of his videos. I was saddened when I learned of his tragic and untimely death. However, I can’t call myself a MJ devotee. Many of the true Michael Jackson devotees were inconsolable when they learned of his passing. Some played his music non-stop in the days following his death. Others were glued to the television, as they spent untold hours watching Michael Jackson video marathons. A few who gave birth during that time frame named their babies after him. Many spent hours on the Internet trying to get tickets to his memorial service. Others donned a fedoras, white socks, and sequined gloves to express their feelings.
Another example – the location we hold our worship services in is also the home hotel for the Oakland Raiders. On game days, there is absolutely no question who the Raider devotees are. I root for them, but I’m not going to paint my face silver and black to show my support! (quick note: the pastor is a former Denver Bronco but there are still members of the fellowship, even members of his family, who are Raider fans….sorry!)
The truly devoted will alter their thoughts, actions, and their very lives to follow the one they are devoted to.
Many of us who are believers are not shy about letting people know we are Christians. We attend church every Sunday, drive around with a fish on our cars, are quick to say “God bless you”, and won’t leave home without our cross necklaces or our WWJD bracelets. But how many of us are truly devoted? How many of us have really altered our thoughts, actions – our very lives – to follow Jesus?
In Matthew 7: 24 – 27, Jesus gives us a good litmus test. Those of us who are admirers only, in times of adversity (the rain), will react the same way we always would have in the past. When times get rough, we go back to getting drunk, abusing drugs, cursing, hurting others physically or verbally, dishonesty – nothing has really changed. However, those of us who are true devotees of Christ will strive, in times of adversity, to react as Christ would react. Will we be perfect every time? No. But, will we emulate the actions of Christ in those situations more often than not? Yes, we will.
The truly devoted will alter their thoughts, actions, and their very lives to follow the One they are devoted to.
Be blessed this week…HGCF
In the sermons Pastor Bob delivered the past two Sundays, he asked a singular question: are you an admirer of Jesus, or are you truly devoted?
That may seem like an odd question, but it really isn’t. A person can be an admirer of someone, but not exactly a devotee. For example, I admired Michael Jackson for his music. I purchased his albums and CDs over the years, knew the words to many of his hits, and was amazed at the artistry in some of his videos. I was saddened when I learned of his tragic and untimely death. However, I can’t call myself a MJ devotee. Many of the true Michael Jackson devotees were inconsolable when they learned of his passing. Some played his music non-stop in the days following his death. Others were glued to the television, as they spent untold hours watching Michael Jackson video marathons. A few who gave birth during that time frame named their babies after him. Many spent hours on the Internet trying to get tickets to his memorial service. Others donned a fedoras, white socks, and sequined gloves to express their feelings.
Another example – the location we hold our worship services in is also the home hotel for the Oakland Raiders. On game days, there is absolutely no question who the Raider devotees are. I root for them, but I’m not going to paint my face silver and black to show my support! (quick note: the pastor is a former Denver Bronco but there are still members of the fellowship, even members of his family, who are Raider fans….sorry!)
The truly devoted will alter their thoughts, actions, and their very lives to follow the one they are devoted to.
Many of us who are believers are not shy about letting people know we are Christians. We attend church every Sunday, drive around with a fish on our cars, are quick to say “God bless you”, and won’t leave home without our cross necklaces or our WWJD bracelets. But how many of us are truly devoted? How many of us have really altered our thoughts, actions – our very lives – to follow Jesus?
In Matthew 7: 24 – 27, Jesus gives us a good litmus test. Those of us who are admirers only, in times of adversity (the rain), will react the same way we always would have in the past. When times get rough, we go back to getting drunk, abusing drugs, cursing, hurting others physically or verbally, dishonesty – nothing has really changed. However, those of us who are true devotees of Christ will strive, in times of adversity, to react as Christ would react. Will we be perfect every time? No. But, will we emulate the actions of Christ in those situations more often than not? Yes, we will.
The truly devoted will alter their thoughts, actions, and their very lives to follow the One they are devoted to.
Be blessed this week…HGCF
August 30, 2009 Sermon: "The Cost of Following Jesus"
Main Scripture: Matthew 19:16-30
Pastor Bob painted a picture in last Sunday’s sermon that has stayed in my head all week:
A young man dated a young woman that he finally decides he wants to marry. He selects the time and place for his proposal. The big moment arrives. He wants to make his proposal one that she can’t resist – but he also wants to be completely honest with her, so there will be no surprises when they become husband and wife.
“Darling”, he starts, “you are the woman for me. I want to make you my wife. I will cherish you and take care of you for the rest of your life. I will buy the biggest house anywhere you want to live. Jewelry, furs, cars – whatever you ask for will be yours. You will vacation in the most luxurious locations on earth. You will never have to lift your hand to perform manual labor”.
The young woman’s eyes glistened as she hung on her love’s every word. Her dreams were about to come true. No girl could ask for anything more! “There is but one thing I ask of you,” the young man states as he concludes his proposal. “For 364 days of the year, I’m all yours. I will be what you want me to be and do what you want me to do. All I ask is that you not object or get angry on the one day each year – only one day – I spend with my girlfriend…..”
The young man was willing to commit most of himself to his intended wife, but not all. Some people probably would think this is a good deal! But, if the young woman truly loves the young man, why would she settle for a situation like that? The things cannot take the place of the one thing her heart yearns for, which would be him.
But think about it: many of us ask God to settle, don’t we? We are willing to commit most of ourselves, but not quite all. We may live “good” lives; we work, we don’t steal, we give to charities, we may even work at the local soup kitchen on Thanksgiving. We’re nice to the dog and we put a toy in the Toy Drive box every Christmas. We feed our kids and we don’t cheat on our spouses. God should be happy with that, shouldn’t He? So what if there are a few little things you still do, or are not willing to give up. You’re only human, right?
In Matthew 19:16-30, we learn about a rich young man who wanted to find out from Jesus what he had to do to inherit eternal life. The young man was a good person. He obeyed all of the laws of his religion. But Jesus challenged him on the one thing that prevented him from committing himself totally. The young man could not give up his wealth. His wealth was an outward symbol to everyone that he was blessed and highly favored of God, wasn’t it? How could Jesus ask him to give it all away?
You don’t have to sell your house, leave your family, and move to a deserted island to prove your devotion to God, unless God explicitly tells you to do so! But you should search your heart and your life and ask yourself, honestly, what is standing between you and God? What is keeping you from making God first in your life? What personality traits do you continue to possess that you know are not pleasing to God?
My brothers and sisters, to get it all, we have to give it all.
May God bless and keep each one of you this week....HGCF
Pastor Bob painted a picture in last Sunday’s sermon that has stayed in my head all week:
A young man dated a young woman that he finally decides he wants to marry. He selects the time and place for his proposal. The big moment arrives. He wants to make his proposal one that she can’t resist – but he also wants to be completely honest with her, so there will be no surprises when they become husband and wife.
“Darling”, he starts, “you are the woman for me. I want to make you my wife. I will cherish you and take care of you for the rest of your life. I will buy the biggest house anywhere you want to live. Jewelry, furs, cars – whatever you ask for will be yours. You will vacation in the most luxurious locations on earth. You will never have to lift your hand to perform manual labor”.
The young woman’s eyes glistened as she hung on her love’s every word. Her dreams were about to come true. No girl could ask for anything more! “There is but one thing I ask of you,” the young man states as he concludes his proposal. “For 364 days of the year, I’m all yours. I will be what you want me to be and do what you want me to do. All I ask is that you not object or get angry on the one day each year – only one day – I spend with my girlfriend…..”
The young man was willing to commit most of himself to his intended wife, but not all. Some people probably would think this is a good deal! But, if the young woman truly loves the young man, why would she settle for a situation like that? The things cannot take the place of the one thing her heart yearns for, which would be him.
But think about it: many of us ask God to settle, don’t we? We are willing to commit most of ourselves, but not quite all. We may live “good” lives; we work, we don’t steal, we give to charities, we may even work at the local soup kitchen on Thanksgiving. We’re nice to the dog and we put a toy in the Toy Drive box every Christmas. We feed our kids and we don’t cheat on our spouses. God should be happy with that, shouldn’t He? So what if there are a few little things you still do, or are not willing to give up. You’re only human, right?
In Matthew 19:16-30, we learn about a rich young man who wanted to find out from Jesus what he had to do to inherit eternal life. The young man was a good person. He obeyed all of the laws of his religion. But Jesus challenged him on the one thing that prevented him from committing himself totally. The young man could not give up his wealth. His wealth was an outward symbol to everyone that he was blessed and highly favored of God, wasn’t it? How could Jesus ask him to give it all away?
You don’t have to sell your house, leave your family, and move to a deserted island to prove your devotion to God, unless God explicitly tells you to do so! But you should search your heart and your life and ask yourself, honestly, what is standing between you and God? What is keeping you from making God first in your life? What personality traits do you continue to possess that you know are not pleasing to God?
My brothers and sisters, to get it all, we have to give it all.
May God bless and keep each one of you this week....HGCF
July 5, 2009 Sermon: "Prayer, Power and God's Love"
Main Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21
On last Sunday, Pastor Bob hit upon several truths about the nature of prayer, how we pray in power, and how this is even possible because of the love God has for us. But there is one particular verse he talked about that I want to explore in this blog.
Ephesians 3:20-21 tells us that God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. My question is -- do we actually limit our blessings with our prayers? Do we try to box God in? Think about it. Too often, we pray to God (usually only when we want something from Him), and in our prayers we bring a laundry list of things we want Him to do. Or, maybe it isn't a laundry list -- it's just one thing we continually beg God for, as if we really believe our constant nagging is going to exhaust God enough to give up and grant us what we want. It may have worked with our parents and grandparents, but that’s not how God operates.
Problem is -- what we're asking for is often so small and so insignificant when compared to God's plan for our lives that even if He grants our prayer, it’s meaningless from the perspective of eternity. God is capable of doing so much more for us than we can begin to imagine. God can do things in our lives that are truly transformational. But how do we ask for something that is too big for us to imagine?
Well, if we ever learn to listen as much as we talk, we may get an answer to that question. As Pastor Bob talked about on Sunday, this issue leads us to the topic of the true nature of prayer. Prayer is not a one-sided conversation where we dictate to God what we want Him to do. It is a dialog between us and Him. We talk; He talks.
But how do we know when God is talking to us? Have you ever heard God’s voice? Or, does God communicate with us through feelings? Does He let us know what he wants us to know through dreams? Does He communicate through coincidence, weird circumstances, or other “signs”? How do we know it is Him and not our psyche? We'll talk more about this in a future blog.
Please feel free to post your thoughts and questions on this topic. May God bless and keep each one of you....HGCF
On last Sunday, Pastor Bob hit upon several truths about the nature of prayer, how we pray in power, and how this is even possible because of the love God has for us. But there is one particular verse he talked about that I want to explore in this blog.
Ephesians 3:20-21 tells us that God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. My question is -- do we actually limit our blessings with our prayers? Do we try to box God in? Think about it. Too often, we pray to God (usually only when we want something from Him), and in our prayers we bring a laundry list of things we want Him to do. Or, maybe it isn't a laundry list -- it's just one thing we continually beg God for, as if we really believe our constant nagging is going to exhaust God enough to give up and grant us what we want. It may have worked with our parents and grandparents, but that’s not how God operates.
Problem is -- what we're asking for is often so small and so insignificant when compared to God's plan for our lives that even if He grants our prayer, it’s meaningless from the perspective of eternity. God is capable of doing so much more for us than we can begin to imagine. God can do things in our lives that are truly transformational. But how do we ask for something that is too big for us to imagine?
Well, if we ever learn to listen as much as we talk, we may get an answer to that question. As Pastor Bob talked about on Sunday, this issue leads us to the topic of the true nature of prayer. Prayer is not a one-sided conversation where we dictate to God what we want Him to do. It is a dialog between us and Him. We talk; He talks.
But how do we know when God is talking to us? Have you ever heard God’s voice? Or, does God communicate with us through feelings? Does He let us know what he wants us to know through dreams? Does He communicate through coincidence, weird circumstances, or other “signs”? How do we know it is Him and not our psyche? We'll talk more about this in a future blog.
Please feel free to post your thoughts and questions on this topic. May God bless and keep each one of you....HGCF
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
