But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you
out of darkness into His marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9
God created us because He wanted to, and we are called to show how good He is in word and deed. But how can we do that unless we know the wonderful, praiseworthy things of our God?
Then they came to Jericho and as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” Mark 10:46-49
Get Desperate and Determined. Blind Bartimaeus was desperate and in need, and he called out to Jesus. So often, when we get under pressure, the temptation is to shift into neutral and zone out in front of the TV. Instead of letting lethargy set in, we need to get desperate and cry out to God for help. “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles” (Psalm 34:6).
And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him.” Mark 11:22-23
Have faith in a faithful God. To understand faith, look no farther than the One who is ever urging us onward, the One who is ever present and all about seeking and saving. We need to trust God, who is our teacher, and study the Word, which is more than a history book—it’s God’s heart revealed.
In this rubber-meets-the-road message, Pastor Jeff addresses things that can block our prayers and weaken our faith, and he turns to the Scriptures to underscore the importance of loving and forgiving others. Key Bible Verses: Mark 11:22-25; Galatians 5:6.; Matthew 18:15
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Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? … But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39
“Who will separate us from the love of Christ?” is the important question. Paul was convinced, and now it’s crucial that we become convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love.
How do I receive Jesus?
1 – God’s Plan: Peace and Life
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Key Bible verses: Ephesians 4:1-2; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Here’s a deeply moving call to every believer to lay down the hurts and bitterness of yesterday and walk forward in forgiveness, embracing the plans God has for you today.
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Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
God has called us to an effective, significant life, and in order to fulfill this call we need love. Without love, our actions become white noise (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
Do not give the devil an opportunity. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Eph. 4:27, 31-32
Love, conforming to the image of Christ and valuing people, produces an atmosphere charged with potential. If we let ourselves become bitter instead of living this Christian life to the fullest, we are of no good to those who desperately need help.
What We Believe
We believe the entire Bible to be the inspired, infallible Word of God, the revelation of God’s will for man and the divine and final authority for the Christian life.
We believe in one God, the Creator of all things, who is revealed in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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Hear my cry, O God; Give heed to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy. Let me dwell in Your tent forever; let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah. Psalm 61:1-4
You may be overwhelmed in a situation where you flat-out need divine intervention. Jesus came for that purpose, that He might destroy the work of the devil (1 John 3:8). “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). Jesus became a sin substitute and set us free, and He has given us authority over all things (Luke 10:19).
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32 NASB
This is the huge deal: God has called us to the royal law of love (James 2:8). Bitterness and unresolved anger give the devil an opportunity to keep us from moving forward: “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity” (Ephesians 4:26-27).
Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. [But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.] Mark 11:25-26
Faith works through love (Galatians 5:6). Faith can’t work unless we let go of all bitterness and walk in love. Jesus said that, after loving God, the greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). There is no way around forgiveness; God has made it imperative for every Christian.
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you,
along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other,
just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32
God has called us to follow Christ’s example: He showed His great love and died for us when we were still stuck in our sin.
