We enjoyed a Sunday School that had our lesson in Revelation delayed a week. Our teacher opened up to questions and we ended up discussing Gog and Magog; Jesus teaching in parables; and Jesus’ humanity.
Our worship was good and one of our members shared video and explanation of our outreach ministry to our local Early Childhood Center. Our Interim Pastor noted how it is important that our church continue to Love God and Love others. We are to build relationships, plant seeds, and watch God manage the growth.
Pastor then continued from last week’s message: Jordans, Giants and Jesus. He reminded us that we will all face challenges on every side. Political, economic, relationship, and spiritual.
He noted that we're all adrift in the same boat. As Job said: “Mortals, born of woman,
are of few days and full of trouble.” Job 14:1-3.
Your promise is always on the other side of your Jordan.
Arise. Stand up! Step up! Be strong & courageous!
God has new territory for each one of us, our families and our church.
We need to obey the Word of God. God's promises are ‘yes and amen.’ 1 Corinthians 2: 20.
God has redeemed us, called us by name and will see us through the rivers and fires. Isaiah 43:1-3.
The difficult places to walk through are the Jordans and the difficult people you have to deal with are the Giants. Remember- our battle is not with things of this world, but with the enemy.
Ephesians 6:12.
Now we look at the story of David and Goliath. 1 Samuel 17.
The explorers brought back a report and evidence of a land of incredible fruit and honey. But ten of the men were afraid of the Giants and saw themselves ‘like grasshoppers’. How do we view ourselves? God views us as His child – precious to Him.
Some people hide out of fear they will never be overcomers. Beware of people trying to define God's plan their own way who are hindering you from fulfilling God's call. Don’t let those people who won't face their own giants pull you down.
Shut out distractions, like David did.
Keep doing what God wants. By His power. There is a call for the Church to win people as overcomers.
Listen to the voice of God! Remember as Paul said: I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13.
Stir up remembrance.
Remember how God has helped you in the past, like David did. 1 Samuel 17:34-36.
After David explained that the Lord had rescued him in the past and the Lord would rescue him from the Philistine, Saul said to him: “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
The Giants are defying God, not us.
Stay with what is proven.
David couldn’t use Saul’s armor because it wasn’t proven for him; he could barely stand up in it!
The battle will be won not with our worldly armor but with God's skill. We can use the most effective tools of our time, but it will mean nothing without God. We win “In the name of the Lord.” The Lord is our proven means of success.
It has always been about the name of the Lord.
‘The word was made flesh…’ John 1:14 and ‘Jesus is the name above all names…’ Philippians 2: 8-11. Jesus is the answer and your hope when facing Jordans or Giants.
Our worship was good and one of our members shared video and explanation of our outreach ministry to our local Early Childhood Center. Our Interim Pastor noted how it is important that our church continue to Love God and Love others. We are to build relationships, plant seeds, and watch God manage the growth.
Pastor then continued from last week’s message: Jordans, Giants and Jesus. He reminded us that we will all face challenges on every side. Political, economic, relationship, and spiritual.
He noted that we're all adrift in the same boat. As Job said: “Mortals, born of woman,
are of few days and full of trouble.” Job 14:1-3.
Your promise is always on the other side of your Jordan.
Arise. Stand up! Step up! Be strong & courageous!
God has new territory for each one of us, our families and our church.
We need to obey the Word of God. God's promises are ‘yes and amen.’ 1 Corinthians 2: 20.
God has redeemed us, called us by name and will see us through the rivers and fires. Isaiah 43:1-3.
The difficult places to walk through are the Jordans and the difficult people you have to deal with are the Giants. Remember- our battle is not with things of this world, but with the enemy.
Ephesians 6:12.
Now we look at the story of David and Goliath. 1 Samuel 17.
The explorers brought back a report and evidence of a land of incredible fruit and honey. But ten of the men were afraid of the Giants and saw themselves ‘like grasshoppers’. How do we view ourselves? God views us as His child – precious to Him.
Some people hide out of fear they will never be overcomers. Beware of people trying to define God's plan their own way who are hindering you from fulfilling God's call. Don’t let those people who won't face their own giants pull you down.
Shut out distractions, like David did.
Keep doing what God wants. By His power. There is a call for the Church to win people as overcomers.
Listen to the voice of God! Remember as Paul said: I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13.
Stir up remembrance.
Remember how God has helped you in the past, like David did. 1 Samuel 17:34-36.
After David explained that the Lord had rescued him in the past and the Lord would rescue him from the Philistine, Saul said to him: “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
The Giants are defying God, not us.
Stay with what is proven.
David couldn’t use Saul’s armor because it wasn’t proven for him; he could barely stand up in it!
The battle will be won not with our worldly armor but with God's skill. We can use the most effective tools of our time, but it will mean nothing without God. We win “In the name of the Lord.” The Lord is our proven means of success.
It has always been about the name of the Lord.
‘The word was made flesh…’ John 1:14 and ‘Jesus is the name above all names…’ Philippians 2: 8-11. Jesus is the answer and your hope when facing Jordans or Giants.
I just found this song this morning and I think it fits.
1 Samuel 17:32-37, 45-46 NIV
32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
Lord, I trust you in all things of my life. Please guide my work and my blogging to Glorify You.
