Sunday Words of Encouragement June 18, 2023 - A Father's Faith!

Our Sunday School teacher shared a good message from James 1:9-11. James was speaking to Christians who had given up everything to follow Christ. James noted that God honors the poor and that the rich have an opportunity to humble themselves and allow God to honor them too. The point being that those with fewer material goods are likely to have a closer reliance on God. This is a heart and attitude issue.

Pastor’s message, which was based on Mark 9:14-29, continued the message of man humbling himself to seek God’s help. Pastor’s message focused on the father of a demon possessed boy. Pastor noted that not all illness is from demon possession but most illness is from man’s sin nature. In this passage, the boy was seized by a demon and his father sought help by seeking out Jesus. He came upon the Apostles first and they were unable to cast out the evil spirit. The father kept going forward to the master, Jesus.

He was a good father seeking healing for his son. A father should know when his children need a touch from God. A father should raise his children to know they can look to God. Parents can and should provide Godly mentors for their children, especially in these days, to counterbalance against worldly influencers.

Elder men and women can teach the younger. Those who are close to Jesus can be an example. 1 Peter 5. Parents should look for someone who can be a Godly influencer. The parents, especially the father should be hanging out with other Godly men. Manly men can be Godly.

The boy’s father sought compassion – “Have mercy on us and help us, if you can” (Mark 9:22). Jesus responded: “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” (v23.) The father then appealed to Jesus saying, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (v24.) Jesus then cast out the demon, healing the boy.

Men need to be worshipers and followers of Christ in order to lead their family to Jesus. Pastor asserted it is an indictment on Christians when we spend more on our children developing in sports than developing their spiritual growth.

Men (and women) need to humble themselves and not be too proud to seek help. Micah 6:8. Psalm 18: 27; Psalm 149:4. Peter encourages Christians to seek God’s power in 1 Peter 5:6-7:

6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

All Christians need God to show up. Our reliance should be on Him. Paul boasts in his weakness to show God's strength. Paul acknowledges that he is not enough, but God is! Don't judge others, but rather intercede by prayer for them.

The boy’s father’s faith was not perfect, but he trusted that Jesus could work with imperfect faith.
God wants us to grow in our belief and reliance on Him. Don't be held back by mistakes in your past. Move forward. Press on to get to God. Desire more of God.

Men will not lead be able to lead their family to God if their wife and children are more spiritual than he is. Remember that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. We do not have it all together, but we can give it to Him.

Pastor feels there has been a spirit of pride in our community that has kept men from relying on God. This is spiritual warfare. Do not be acclimated or remain accustomed to that spirit. Do it God's way, humble yourself. Lead your children to Christ!

We sang this song in worship and I found this video to share. Good, Good Father.

Verses for Today:
Mark 9:21-24 NLT
21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father.
He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.”
23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”


Heavenly Father, I give you thanks that you gave me a Godly husband who shared his love of you with our children!

Sunday Words of Encouragement July 1, 2018

We went to Panama City Beach this morning to join our daughter’s family for church. The 9:40 service is a contemporary service designed for the young people. The music was good, if loud.

The minister leader shared a sermon titled The Goodness of God. He noted that even from his days in seminary he learned that all people have different understandings about God. Some perceive God’s aloofness, majesty and anger. Human, distorted views create a problem in understandings by the world, church and among Christians.

God's acts do not sustain us.
God's ways do sustain us.
God revealed his Goodness to Moses with compassion. Exodus 33:19.
At the heart of God's goodness is generosity.
God gives us life, hope, and joy in His word. True happiness comes from peace.

When you pray, how do you see God? With his arms crossed?
Goodness is not what God possesses. It is who He is. God is not good to you because you are good, but because He is good.
Sometimes God’s goodness is shown by his discipline of us. “Do not despise the Lord’s discipline.” Proverbs 3:11-12.

There are benefits in recognizing God’s goodness. God is our sun and shield; an unlimited source and unlimited protection. Psalm 84:11.

How does God reveal His goodness to us?
He loves us. Psalm 145:9.
He delivers us from trouble. Psalm 107.
In lostness and loneliness. In bondage. In foolishness. In natural occurrences.

What is our proper response? Our response is thanks.
God’s plan for man was always redemption; from the very beginning. In perfect time He sent His son. God's goodness is revealed through his son; through the death and resurrection. Romans 5:6-8.

We sang this song in worship this morning and I think it works with the message.

Verses for Today:
Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Lord - I praise you and give you thanks continually for being so Good and loving to me, even when I don't deserve it. Help me to thank you each morning for the good You will do for me each day!

Sunday Words of Encouragement July 17, 2016

Our Sunday School lesson this morning was from Romans 15:1-7 – a good message on Unity in the Body. For service we had a guest evangelist (Thomas) with wife (Sheila) and daughter (Mariah) minister to us with song and messages, the parents each shared an unprepared word and the daughter shared a word with special song.

Once again it was remarkable how God’s orchestrating hand was apparent. Our Choir song was “Through the Fire” which states that God will see you through and help will always come in time; “My God will show up, and take you through the fire again.”

Sheila shared that the last time they visited three years ago their son was with them. Shortly after that visit he began to have day seizures and grand mal seizures at night. Sheila said that God had told her beforehand that a storm was coming but that God would see them through. After a little over a year Sheila was praying, asking God how much longer they would be facing this. God said it would be over “soon”. Within two weeks the seizures stopped! Now their son is in ministry as an associate pastor. The family believes that Satan sent the illness trying to keep their son from his destiny to serve God. But God was victorious. Further, God was faithful as the family had no insurance but every bill was paid.

Mariah shared a song “My Rest” which proclaims that we can put our hopes and plans in God’s hands and trust in His strength.

Thomas then shared that God has said He will be with us “until the end”. The end isn’t here yet. He is not done with us yet. The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness (Luke 4) and sometimes God allows us to go through a wilderness to prepare us and bring our understanding to a place He needs us to be. But God will always see us through and bring us out of the fire and the wilderness. Jesus returned filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and when he returns to earth he is coming for a spotless, strong, bride filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The church needs to step up an stand up as a beacon of light in dark times.

Thomas noted that his family was not brought to our church by happenstance or accident but rather by a divine plan; an appointment by God. Just so, God has a plan for each of us. He has divine appointments for our lives if we are willing to trust Him to use us for His purposes (Romans 8:28).

The service ended with more wonderful songs: Holy Spirit You Are Welcome Here, God Will Make a Way, and Good, Good Father.

It was hard for me to decide which song to share. I picked Good, Good Father.

Verses for Today:
John 17:20-21 (NIV)
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

As deaths occur throughout our country and throughout the world I pray for comfort, peace and for love to grow to overcome hate. I am thankful that I have found answers in Christ and that I have peace. Above all, I give thanks that my God is in control.