Psalm 14:1-3, Romans 3:10-12, 23, Luke 15:4-7 Trey was a guy in my dorm back in College. He was born and raised near beautiful Kitimat, BC. His father would take him to go hiking on the Robinson Ridge Trail … apparently a long and difficult path. They loved the trail because of the challenge it provided for them. JEREMIAH 29:10-14, ROMANS 5:6-8 Even before the struggles and the battles and the pain that you’ve gone through, God was aware of it. He knew what was happening to you. He wasn’t far away from you and uncaring. He was right by your side and he grieved to see you suffer. He loves you. Matthew 28:16-20, Luke 2:17-18 For 3 years, Jesus’ disciples listened intently to what the teacher said. They wrestled with and soaked in every word the master spoke. They witnessed every miracle he performed. They not only knew ABOUT Jesus, they had come to know Him as the way, the truth, and the life. He was God in the flesh, the One who is “eternal life”. They knew the message of Jesus and he changed them. John 14:1-7, John 16:33 It’s no real secret that I am a BIG fan of basketball and hockey … In either case, two incredibly skilled teams of athletes engage in a battle … a fight to conquer and defeat their rival to score more points than the other team before time runs our. The battlefield language is often intense … even wounding. ACTS 1:11, JOHN 3:16-17 I got into my car the other day and the radio was left on to a country radio station. I don’t know about you and I’m not trying to judge, but I’m not a big fan of Country Music … but as you might have guessed, Rhonda and a couple of our kids sure are. A song came on by a guy named Tim McGraw called, “Live Like Your Were Dying” Matthew 6:25-34 Can I be a little vulnerable with you today? Sometimes … even me as a Pastor, I get overwhelmed by the “STUFF” of today. Sometimes, I do “worry" about my family, my children, grandchildren, parents who are aging … and you — my church family. I’m concerned for your health during this COVID-19 season, your families who may not know Jesus, your loved ones who are sick or far away … and I’m concerned that all of you know Jesus’ love for you. I don’t want any of you left out of his love and care … Habakkuk 1-3 I don’t really understand why so much of life is about waiting … especially when God never seems to be in a hurry. And I don’t know about you but I find waiting to be hard work. I twiddle our thumbs, shuffle my feet, try to hide my awkward yawning, breathe long sighs, and stew inwardly with frustration. Sometimes I even question God: “Why do I have to live beside this awkward neighbour, why do I have to have this tedious job, or this embarrassing behaviour of mine. How long do I have to wait on this health issue that will not go away? Why don’t you come through for me, why don’t you answer me God? … I’M WAITING … ya, it’s probably just me, right? Romans 8:28, 2 Thessalonians 3:16 The secret of peace is found our relationship to Jesus Christ. He is our peace. When Jesus is our Saviour and Lord, and as we grow to become more like him, his peace becomes very real to us. The more time we spend with him … the more time we spend reading about him in the Bible and talking to others about him, the more we begin to mirror his life in ours. Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 5:8, John 1:12, 1 Corinthians 15 So what does a Polio vaccine have to do with you? Perhaps nothing directly … but what if today, March 26, 2020 a cure could be found for the most devastating, destructive infection to ever hit planet earth. It’s an infection that doesn’t hit 30 or 40 % of the population … it affects 100% of the population. Yes, today there are 7 billion, 655 million, 957 thousand, 369 people living on earth and every one of us is infected and in every single case … the results are death. 2 Thessalonians 5:16-18 I know it sounds simple but please don’t miss this amazing truth, God’s will for you and me right now is to rejoice, pray and give thanks. Did you notice, he didn’t tell us to be happy, he told us to rejoice. Literally to choose joy in the face of your circumstances. It is to defiantly turn your gaze away from your disaster and marvel at your deliverer. Rejoice in the Lord. Then he says pray … and pray continually. Why pray, because prayer helps us see what God is doing. The more time we spend with our Dad, the more we start acting like he does. His actions become our habits. His power becomes our encouragement and his peace, becomes our peace. And do you know what happens when we rejoice in the Lord, when we pray with focused attention to see his Kingdom come … we start giving thanks IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES and living right in the middle of God’s will! |