EZ Sermons Online

Religious Hypocrisy

2026-09-02T15:12:50.800-05:00

Gtcotr/ws092226

During the last few days before the cross …

Luke 19:47 Jesus was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him.

About 2 days before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus addressed these groups directly. He pronounced woes on the Scribes, Pharisees, and Hypocrites. He called these religious people - “blind leaders of the blind.” Much of what Jesus said can be summed up in:

Matthew 23:24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”

This proverb describes the practice of focusing on and making a fuss about smaller and less important observations while ignoring the weightier and more important ones. Many of the things Jesus mentions in chapters 21 through 24 deal with personal practices and observations of religious people.

Jesus was not attempting to say small sins are ok. Rather Jesus is pointing out the hypocrisy that results in judging others when we ourselves have sin in our own lives … especially sins which are greater sins in the eyes of God.

The gnat was the smallest creature, and the camel was the largest creature readily known to the Jews at that time. Gnats represented bothersome sins while camels referenced docile, perhaps even comfortable or profitable and non-threatening sins.

Jesus asked: “Which is greater?”

Matthew 23 NKJV

17 “Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?”

19 “Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?”

Allow me to ask you tonight: Which is greater? The sin or the soul? Are you focused on the sin someone has committed or on the soul that needs saved and rescued from hell?

Matthew 7 NKJV

1 ¶ “Judge not, that you be not judged.

2 “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

3 “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye?

5 “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Many times, the plank in our eye may be anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, gossip, hurt, or fear. The motivation of our heart to judge others, especially when we care more about the sin than we do about the soul, is often misplaced, even if well-meaning, it’s still wrong in the eyes of God.

How should we proceed when we observe something that troubles us?

1. Make sure you love the sinner as much as you hate the sin.

2. Talk to God before you talk to the person.

3. Then, don’t uncover the nakedness of others.

a. Reference to the sin of Canaan and the curse of Ham.

b. Proverbs 17:9 – Cover transgressions and seek love! Reveal the sins of others will serve to separate close friends.

Once we understand what sin is, we should begin to judge ourselves, not others.

Family Sunday

2026-08-29T21:13:51.464-05:00

Gtcotr/ss083026

It was the early spring, maybe March, close to the time of the Passover that year, when Jesus heard about the death of John the Baptist. Jesus was tired and sad but there was a multitude of people gathering around Him and they were very hungry. We are told there were 5,000 men, besides the women and children. Up to 15,000 people had been following Jesus all day and they needed something to eat. The 12 Disciples of Jesus were concerned because they knew that they did not have enough money to buy everyone food and so, they came to Jesus.

This is often what we do, and what we should do, when we face a problem we cannot solve … we take the problem to Jesus! Sometimes taking the problem to Jesus is the only thing you can do about it.

An account of that day and what everyone did can be found in all four of the Gospels (Matthew 12; Mark 6; Luke 9; and John 6). In a moment we are going to read about it in John 6. Today we will focus on the young boy who saved the day. Follow along with me and imagine yourself on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. The flowers are blooming and the wind is blowing.

John 6 NKJV

1 ¶ After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.

· This is not an ocean as some might imagine a sea would be.

· This is a relatively small freshwater lake that is about 7 miles wide, east to west, and about 14 miles north to south.

· It is also called the Lake of Gennesaret which is a reference to a harp (musical instrument), alluding to the shape of the lake.

· Jesus performed most of His earthly ministry in the towns and villages on the northern shores of this lake.

· Jesus was looking for a place to rest and pray when He went out into a field on a hillside outside of the town of Bethsaida (Luke 9:10).

2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.

3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

· They had all been so busy ministering that Jesus and the Disciples had no time to themselves to even rest or eat (Mark 6:31-33).

· They had just sat down and, here came the multitudes looking for Jesus.

4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.

5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”

· Jesus was always concerned about people’s health and welfare.

· Even though these are fleeting and temporary needs, Jesus took precious time to meet them and to leave us an example to follow.

6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

· The question Jesus asked Philip was not aimed at the multitude’s need, but rather at Philip.

· Philip was asking but the other disciples were listening.

7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”

· 200 Denarii = 200 days wages.

· The average annual salary in 2023 in Jefferson County, Texas, was reported to be $61,300. (Census.gov – Jefferson County, TX)

o Based on that figure, 200 days wages would be $33,589.

o That’s a lot of money to pull out of your pocket for a picnic.

· I checked the price for 2 fish and fries at Hamburger Depot - $7.70.

o For 15,000 people that would be $115,500.

· The disciples were in a difficult place – perhaps Judas didn’t have that much money allocated to the homeless in his ministry account.

· The Disciples were bewildered: “Does anyone else have any ideas?”

· Because Jesus has told us to feed these people (Matthew 14:16).

8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him,

9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”

· A lad = a little boy – probably no older than 9 or 10.

· It was the time of the barley harvest. Barley was used for animal feed as well as for the poor (John Gill’s Expositor) and barley made a coarse brown bread.

· 2 small fish = most likely something like 2 dried sardines.

· What are these compared to the thousands of people?

10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

· Besides the number of women and children (Matthew 14:21).

· Again – perhaps as many as 15,000. But even if it had only been 15 people it would still have been a huge miracle.

11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

· Notice – the Disciples ended up feeding the multitude … Jesus didn’t do it – they did.

· Everyone did their part. The little boy, the Disciples, and Jesus.

· Miracles happen when everyone does their part … even children.

· And everyone ate as much as they wanted …

12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.”

· They gathered up the leftovers – very important to the miracle.

13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

· If you sow, you reap.

· He who gives to the poor, lends to the Lord. And the Lord will repay (Proverbs 19:17) that which has been given.

· I think those 12 baskets filled with fish and loaves were carried by the disciples back to the little boy’s house and given to his mama.

o When the Bible doesn’t tell us, we can imagine the rest of the story unfolded in accordance with the scriptures covering those subjects.

o What do you imagine? I don’t think the disciples kept them. They never belonged to them in the first place.

o This was done to feed the hungry and bring glory to God – not to make the disciples rich.

14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Ok … let’s focus on this little boy for a moment. Imagine yourself in his shoes. Maybe you’re at the State Fair, or an Astro’s Baseball game, or maybe the Dallas Cowboys game and you are surrounded by thousands and thousands of hungry people. Now let’s imagine you have two McDonalds’ fish sandwiches in your backpack, and you’re hungry too.

You can’t just take a sandwich out and start giving people a bite. You surely couldn’t let even the first person eat all they wanted. What made this moment different for this little boy in the Bible and what can we learn about it?

1. It was not his plan that worked, it was God’s plan.

a. Only God could fix this problem.

b. The boy didn’t just give what he had to the people, he gave it to Jesus.

c. What we have can seem so small and insignificant in our hands and yet be so big in God’s hands.

d. Just giving things away may not help you or anyone else.

e. Our giving should be God directed.

2. Something gave him faith.

a. He had to trust that what he was feeling and what he was thinking was the right thing to do.

b. He had to believe in miracles and be willing to participate.

c. Just like the woman in 1 Kings 17, he had to embrace his awakening.

3. One unselfish act can change the world.

a. He wasn’t stingy.

b. He wasn’t afraid.

c. He wasn’t shy about what he had to offer.

d. This little boy is continuing to feed people every day all around the world.

4. Miracles happen when everyone does their part … even little children.

a. One small act of kindness can have rippling effects for eternity.

b. The blessing you are waiting for might be waiting on you.

We cannot know until we get to heaven, but it is easy for me to imagine the traits we see in this little boy were the traits he saw modeled by his parents. Someone packed him lunch that day and I bet they were so proud to see him willing to share. The miracle that fed the multitudes also fed the little boy. Instead of eating his meager meal, he ate all he wanted. Miracles are some of the biggest blessings to those who help make it happen.

BLESSED Part 3: Making God Our Refuge

2026-08-29T07:16:00.000-05:00

RECAP

Intro: What it Means to be Blessed

- God gives us blessings, produces blessings, and promises blessings.

- We as people tend to focus on material blessings more than God does.

- God has given us blessings, but how much stuff we have is not the best way for us to measure God’s blessing in our life.

- The truth is that we ARE blessed— blessed with every spiritual blessing.

- We have access to the blessing of God.

- However, we must walk in them in order to experience His blessings the way He intended for us.

Part 1: Delighting in God’s Word

- There is a blessing when we delight in God’s Word.

- Blessed is the man who refuses to listen to the voice of the world.

- Blessed is the man who delights (values) God’s Word

- Blessed is the man who meditates on God’s Word

- Blessed is the man who obeys God’s Word

- That person will be blessed: stable, sustained, fruitful, enduring, and prosperous.

- Walking in God’s ways is the closest thing to heaven on this side of it.

Part 2: Walking in Integrity

- Integrity means wholeness—being the same person publicly and privately.

- Integrity is not perfection. When people of integrity fail, they admit it, repent, and make it right.

- Through integrity, we are building the life we will live in tomorrow. Our words, decisions, and actions eventually become our foundation.

- God connects integrity with His blessing: His favor, His vindication, and a generational blessing upon our children.

- Never sacrifice what God has promised tomorrow for what compromise can give you today.

INTRODUCTION

[Display the photo of Mont-Saint-Michel Fortress]

I want you to look at this picture. This is Mont-Saint-Michel, a fortified abbey and village built upon a rocky island off the coast of France.

During the Hundred Years’ War, English armies conquered nearly all of Normandy. But Mont-Saint-Michel remained standing. When the tide was low, enemy soldiers could approach it. When the tide rose, the pathway disappeared beneath the water and the stronghold became an island again.

For nearly thirty years, the English surrounded it, blockaded it, and repeatedly attacked its walls. In 1434, they launched one of their greatest assaults, bringing powerful iron cannons to break through its defenses.

But the defenders held their ground. The English were forced to retreat, leaving two of their cannons behind. Those cannons can still be seen near the entrance today as reminders of an enemy who came against the stronghold but could not conquer it.

Mont-Saint-Michel was surrounded, but it was never possessed.

That is what a refuge is. A refuge is not a place where trouble never comes. It is the place you run to when trouble comes. Psalm 91 does not promise that the battle will never reach us. It promises that in the middle of the battle, we have somewhere to run to, God the Most High.

Although we are blessed, we still face trouble, difficulty, danger, etc. We find ourselves battling the difficulties of life. However, while there is still an abundance of evil and danger in the world we live in today, we have a promise of God’s divine protection in our life when we do one thing: Make God our refuge.

Remove photo of Mont-Saint-Michel Fortress…

When we find ourselves in a troubled situation, we just need to call out 9-1-1 (Psalm 91:1). We can begin to recite Psalm 91 to remind ourselves of the promise He has given us when we find our refuge in Him.

MEANING OF REFUGE

So with that said, what is a refuge?

Refuge = A place of safety that absorbs the force of an outside threat

A refuge does not always make the threat disappear. Instead, it stands between you and the threat. The walls of Mont-Saint-Michel did not remove army assault, they absorbed the force of its assault and protected those inside.

Machseh = Shelter from a storm; to run to and puts one’s trust in

A refuge is more than something you believe exists; it is something you must run to and enter. Its protection is experienced by the person who runs to it. Making God our refuge is to intentionally relocating our trust from your own resources into His presence and protection. We stop depending first on our strength, plans, money, relationships, or ability to control the outcome, and we run to God.

How do we make God our refuge?

Psalm 91:1-2 — Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

According to Psalm 91, we make God our refuge, the place we run to in times of trouble, by doing two things:

Dwell — “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High…” (v1)

• To dwell means to “inhabit.”

• Meaning you are not simply visiting, but establishing permanent residence.

• It means to find peace of mind within (no anxiety)

• It means to build your life there in commitment

Visitor:

- Treats God like an emergency room and leaves when things get better.

- Wants the benefits of walking with God without the commitment.

• Dweller:

- Makes God’s presence their permanent residence

- Commits to daily fellowship with God through prayer and God’s Word

• The only way to rest in God’s shadow is to be close to Him. In the same way the French were only able to experience protection from the enemy by entering the Mont-Saint Michel, we too only experience His divine protection when we are in close proximity with God.

Confess — “I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress…” (v2)

• I will “say”, means to declare, command, or decree; state as an absolute truth.

• It is being intentionally vocal about the truth about your position in Him.

• It is a declaration of who you belong to

- Confession gives voice to faith (not fear)
Faith speaks the size of your God
Not “I will say of the trouble” or “I will say of the bad news”
It says, I will say of the Lord!”

- Confessions Activates God’s Word
Its not just that “God is a fortress…”
It is, “He is MY fortress, and MY God…”

- Confessions Turn God’s Truth to Personal Ownership
Notice how the language of the psalmist goes from talking about God in verse 1 to personal personal declaration of who God was in his life.

v2 — “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

The Blessings of God as our Refuge

1. The Blessing of God’s Protection

• Deliverance from Hidden Traps
v3 — “He will save you from the fowler’s snare…”

Fowler is a bird hunter who does so in the shadows. He sets a trap for the bird in a deceptive way. When the bird doesn’t expect it, the trap closes in on it.

Our enemy is hunting us in the shadows, but God promises to protect us from the traps that we don’t even know about and we don’t even see! He will guard you and keep you from the enemy’s tactics.

• Personal Covering
v4 — “He will cover you with His wings, and under his wings you will find refuge”

When we draw near to God, we are close enough to be covered by His wings. We are covered by and protected like one that protects its own. When we make Him our refuge, we will find safety under His wings.

• Freedom from Fear & Unseen Danger
v5-6 — “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness…”

No matter the terrors, dangers, worries, concerns, God is bigger than all of them. Because he is our fortress, we do not need to fear the attack of the enemy. He tries to distract us or to dishearten us, yet God’s protection keeps us safe in His presence.

• Household Protection
v9-10 — “If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.”

When you make God “MY refuge, and the place you dwell, you are safe in your dwelling place. Your “tent” is your dwelling place. It is your home. God will watch over you and guard you from physical and spiritual dangers.

2. The Blessing of God’s Personnel

• Angelic Protection and Intervention
v11-12 — “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

God has angels on assignment. I don’t know how many angels are at the service of God, but it is apparent that you and I have angels who are tasked with watching over you and I. When we dwell in the resting place of God and make Him our refuge, He will command His angels to watch over you. They will do their part and protect you from spiritual enemies. They will also intervene as verse 12 says so that you will not be harmed.

3. The Blessing of God’s Presence

• Personal Help
v14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.”

God promises to be there with you and rescue you in times of trouble. When we choose God, not just in an emergency, but when we are in fellowship with Him, He promises to protect you with His presence.

• His Presence in Trouble
v15 — “He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”

He promises to answer you prayers when you call on Him. Because you and I are with Him as out refuge, He will be there to keep us from being overtaken by trouble. He promises to deliver you from your crisis.

• Promise of Long Life — (v16)
v16 — “With long life I will satisfy Him and show him my salvation.”

God promises to bless you and satisfy you with long life. He will keep you from your life being cut short. He will save you when you are in trouble.

TAKEAWAYS

I. Run to God first

• When trouble comes, do not make God your last resort.

• Before you panic and run to someone else, run to God.

• Let prayer become your first response.

• Bring your fears and burdens into His presence.

• Trust God before trusting your own understanding.

II. Make God your daily dwelling

• Do not treat God like an emergency room that you visit only when something is wrong.

• Build your life in daily His presence.

• Spend time with Him through prayer and His Word.

• Remain close to Him when life is good.

• Make fellowship with God your daily way of life.

III. Speak faith over fear

• Do not allow the enemy to have the loudest voice in your life.

• Declare who God is and where you have placed your trust.

• “The Lord is my refuge.”

• “The Lord is my fortress.”

• “He is my God, and I trust in Him.”

IV. Rest in the Blessings of His refuge

• When you have made God your refuge, live with the peace and confidence that come from being under His watch.

• Rest in the blessing of His protection.

• Trust that His angels are working on your behalf.

• Remember that His presence is with you in every situation.

• Refuse to live controlled by fear.

Reference Points

2026-08-26T14:14:29.791-05:00

Gtcotr/ws082626

Because of the common errors in calculating exact dates and years into what many now refer to as BC and AD, the following years are representative of what many generally hold. Communities often date themselves and their memorable occurrences based on a reference point that took place within their culture. God has a calendar and a clock. We see through a glass darkly and can at best only know partly. But we are not left without insight and instructions from God.

· Daniel 1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiachin, King of Judah

· Daniel 8:1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar

· Daniel 10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the message, and had understanding of the vision.

960BC – King Solomon completed the building of the First Temple in Jerusalem after 7 years of construction.

605BC – Captive Israelites deported from Jerusalem to Babylon. Daniel and the three famous Hebrew young men were in this group.

597BC – Nebuchadnezzar brought King Jehoiachin (Jeconiah), along with members of the royal family, and other leading elders and craftsmen to Babylon. The prophet Ezekiel was in this group.

594BC – Jeremiah wrote a letter to the elders and priests, the prophets and all the people who had been carried away captive to Babylon.

586BC – The City of Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed and the remainder of the Jews were taken captive to Babylon.

538BC – Some Jews returned to Jerusalem with Zerubabbel.

516BC – The Temple, called the Second Temple, was completed under Zerubabbel. Joshua (Jeshua) the High Priest, worked alongside Zerubabbel to rebuild and restore the Temple. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to finish the work.

It was 70 years from the destruction of the Temple in 586BC to its rebuilding in 516BC, fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah.

20/19BC – Herod the Great renovated and expanded the Temple into the Temple we know from Jesus’ day.

70AD – The Romans destroyed that Temple and the City of Jerusalem.

According to common dispensational/premillennial Christian eschatology, the Third Temple is generally expected to be built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem either just before or during the first part of the seven-year Tribulation, although the Bible does not give a specific date.

Worship in the Temple will include sacrifices which will be stopped by the Antichrist 3 ½ years into the 7-year tribulation and will commit the abomination of desolation in accordance with 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 – The “man of sin” sitting in the Temple of God showing himself that he is god.

We cannot know the dates but, God gives reference points all along the way. We see prophecy being fulfilled every day. We often feel held captive in this world and under the thumb of ungodly kings. Yet we have a promise from God. What should we do between now and the fulfillment of the promises of God?

Jeremiah 29 NKJV

1 ¶ Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who were carried away captive — to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.

2 (This happened after Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.)

3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying,

4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit.

6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters — that you may be increased there, and not diminished.

7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.

Take Aways for Tonight:

· God knows the end from the beginning.

· The prophecies of the Bible are true, but it may take a long time to happen.

· Between the promise and the provision, blossom where you’re planted.

· Seek the peace of the city for in its peace, you will have peace.

BLESSED Part 2: Walking in Integrity

2026-08-23T08:43:57.762-05:00

RECAP

Intro: What it Means to be Blessed

- God gives us blessings, produces blessings, and promises blessings.

- We as people tend to focus on material blessings more than God does.

- God has given us blessings, but how much stuff we have is not the best way for us to measure God’s blessing in our life.

- The truth is that we ARE blessed— blessed with every spiritual blessing.

- We have access to the blessing of God.

- However, we must walk in them in order to experience His blessings the way He intended for us.

Part 1: Delighting in God’s Word

- There is a blessing when we delight in God’s Word.

- Blessed is the man who refuses to listen to the voice of the world.

- Blessed is the man who delights (values) God’s Word

- Blessed is the man who meditates on God’s Word

- Blessed is the man who obeys God’s Word

- That person will be blessed: stable, sustained, fruitful, enduring, and prosperous.

- Walking in God’s ways is the closest thing to heaven on this side of it.

INTRODUCTION

In 2009, a New York City taxi driver named Mohammad Asadujjaman picked up an Italian tourist and dropped her off at her destination. Sometime later, he discovered that she had accidentally left a handbag in the back of his taxi. Inside the bag was more than $21,000 in cash, along with jewelry and other valuables. When the woman realized what had happened, she contacted police, but she was told not to get her hopes up about ever seeing the money again.

And you can understand why. He was a taxi driver. Nobody was there watching him. Nobody knew what was in the back of that cab except him. He could have taken the money, thrown the bag away, and probably no one would have ever known. But instead, he began trying to track down the woman who had left it. He eventually found her and drove more than 50 miles to return the bag—with all of the money and valuables still inside.

People were stunned by his honesty. The story made news because what he did was so unexpected. The woman and her family were overwhelmed with gratitude, and they even offered him a reward, but he refused it. When asked about what he had done, he simply said, “I’m needy, but I’m not greedy.”

That is integrity.

What strikes me most is that we live in a society where true integrity is “surprising.” That just seems so sad to me.

WHAT IS INTEGRITY?

Before we define what integrity is, I believe it is important to discuss what integrity is not. Integrity is not:

• Perfection — People imagine that if you make a mistake then you lack integrity. However, that is just expecting someone to be perfect. When a person of integrity fails and makes a mistake, they own it, repent if it, and then make it right. They don’t cover it up.

• Image Management — Integrity is not asking ourselves, “how will this make me look?” Instead, integrity asks the question, “what is the right thing to do?” Image management cares about appearing to be righteous. Integrity cares about actually being righteous.

• Reputation — Reputation is who people think you are. Integrity is who you really are. You can have a great reputation publicly while living completely different in private. There is no security in that kind of life.

So then what is integrity?

Integrity comes from the idea of one having an integrated life. In other words, that they are the same person wherever they go. Integrity also comes from the word “integer,” which of course is a whole number. It carries the idea of being a “whole person.” In other words it means to be “one.”

Integrity (Tom) = Completeness, wholeness, innocence, being undivided.

[Image 1]

Integrity = Being the same person publicly and privately.

It’s when your private life is consistent with your public life. Integrity means God does not just get one slice of my life, He gets the whole person. It means that we allow Jesus to lead every part of our life and for the Holy Spirit to clean us from the inside out.

LIFE PARABLE: THE RETIRING CARPENTER

There is a well circulated parable of a man who was a master carpenter. He worked for his company his whole life and was preparing to retire. So he made the announcement to the company and to the owner. His employer hated to lose such an experienced worker, so he asked him for one final favor: build just one more house.

The carpenter agreed, but his heart was no longer in the work. Because he knew he was almost finished, he began cutting corners. He used cheaper materials, rushed parts of the construction, and accepted workmanship that he ordinarily would never have allowed. Instead of finishing his career with excellence, he simply wanted to get the job done.

When the house was finally completed, the employer came to inspect it. Then, rather than preparing to sell it, he handed the carpenter the keys and told him that the house was his—a retirement gift in appreciation for all his years of service.

The builder was stunned. If he had known that he as building this house for himself, he would have done a better job. And the fact is that through integrity, you and I are building the house that we will live in the rest of your life. Through our words, our actions, how we treat people, how we talk about people, etc. The house we are building is the house we will be living in the rest of our lives.

Therefore, integrity is incredibly important. In fact, its so important that God tells us that there is a blessing available for the person who walks in integrity. The person who walks in integrity is a candidate for the blessing of God over their life. In fact, we are going to discuss three blessings found in scripture that are tied to walking in integrity.

1. Integrity brings God’s favor upon our life
Psalm 84:11 — “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

God withholds no good thing from the person who walks upright before the Lord. To walk upright means to be a person of integrity. That person God honors and bestows favor on their life. It may seem easier to get further along on the front end by compromising or cutting corners. Sometimes dishonesty appears to create a quicker opportunity. Sometimes bending your convictions may seem like the easier path. Sometimes doing things the wrong way may even seem to produce faster results.

A person of integrity understands that he does not have to manipulate an outcome or abandon their convictions to receive what God has for them. If something is good for us, Psalm 84:11 says that God will make a way for it in His way and in His timing.

Never sacrifice what God can give you for something that compromise can get you.

2. Integrity allows God to vindicate you
Psalm 24:3-5 — “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.”

There are times when we can do everything right and be treated as if we were the ones who did something wrong. In those moments we may feel like we need to say something or do something in order to validate your case. However, here it is saying that the person who walks in integrity has God on their side to do their vindicating. Integrity frees you from having to prove yourself. As you protect your integrity, God will protect your name and reputation.

We see this with Joseph. He refused to go against God’s Word and walked upright in every situation. Even though he experienced hardship due to the falsehood of others, the truth was found out and God delivered Him. Not only did He deliver him, but God exalted Joseph as well in the end.

Value having clean hands and a pure heart above everything else. That is what God values as well. As the famous saying goes:

If you have integrity, nothing else matters.
If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.

3. Integrity Produces a Generational Blessing
Proverbs 20:7 — “The righteous man walks with integrity; blessed are his children after him.”

The Bible says that the sins of the father visit his children and the generations afterward. Well, the same truth can be said concerning a man’s integrity. While sin and compromise can bring a curse upon our children, integrity brings a blessing upon our children and the generations afterward. In other words, the decisions we make today can create a foundation for the generations coming after us.

By walking in integrity, our children can inherit:

• A good example

• A trustworthy name

• Healthy patterns

• Spiritual stability

• Safe upbringing

• Etc

• The integrity that you are building today will become a blessing your that children will live under tomorrow.

If you have integrity, nothing else matters.
If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.

TAKEAWAYS:

I. Through integrity, you are shaping the house you will live in

II. Never sacrifice what God promised you tomorrow for something that compromise can get for you today.

III. Integrity promises a blessing not just for you, but for the generations after you.

IV. If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.

Aliens – Friend or Foe?

2026-08-15T18:11:59.903-05:00

Gtcotr/ss081626

Many news outlets, YouTube podcasts, and television documentaries have recently increased their coverage and their opinion-focused programming to include information concerning extra-terrestrial beings. As usual, the world is so far behind the times. Moses, and several others have written about these beings and their visitations to earth and interactions with man since the beginning. From the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation, we are told of powerful extra-terrestrial entities who individually and collectively communicate with, assist, oppose, comfort, and/or control people, nations, and space.

Some of these alien creatures are friendly and some aren’t. Some help mankind while others are murderous, inflict injury, spread infirmity, cause division, create conflict, promote lunacy, breed fear, illicit depravity, engender hatred, and manufacture falsehoods. Their desire is to capture and control the minds of men and women, boys and girls, and take over their lives. The Bible is filled with these accounts.

Extra-terrestrial means, “not of the earth.” The beings we are all well aware of are not from earth – not human in origin – or as many call them, alien to our planet. These include angels, both good and evil. This is nothing new and our best source of information was written several thousand years ago and confirmed by 40 different authors in 66 books over a period of 1500 years. As well, these interactions have continued since those writings for the past 2000 years. The disclosure so many are talking about now has been reported openly in the best read, most quoted and top purchased book in the history of the world for thousands of years.

By the way – the ultimate desire of these bad aliens is to trick you into trusting them so that you will believe their lies, let them control you, and then take you back with them to their home where you will live in their world so they can hold you captive and torture you forever and ever. But …

“Let not your heart be troubled! Neither let it be afraid!” (John 14:1). Just read the book for yourself …

What can be done to keep from going to hell and living in a lake of fire being tormented day and night? Let’s see what the book says.

Romans 10 NLT

9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

12 ¶ Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.

13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”

14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?

15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”

16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “LORD, who has believed our message?”

17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.

It’s an old message, as old as sin itself. Jesus is the good guy in this story – the devil is the bad guy.

I believe there are angels among us, good and bad, and always have been. From the serpent in the Garden of Eden to the two men (angels) who visited Abraham and then Lot in Sodom; from Gabriel to Michael, to the heavenly host who appeared in the sky above the shepherd fields of Nazareth announcing the birth of Jesus; from the prince of the air over Persia making war during the time of Daniel to the lying spirit in the mouth of the false prophets in 1 Kings 22 …

Hebrews 13:2 Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels (extra-terrestrial beings) without realizing it!

Abraham did, Lot did, Mary did, Zacharias did, Daniel did, Peter did, Paul did, and so many others were influenced, both for good and for evil, by these creatures. You can find more information about these creatures and the ongoing war at www.ezsermons.com and search for my notes on a Wednesday night, March 25, 2026. The notes don’t cover the UFO’s or UAP’s but I did share in the teaching where these vessels or flying vehicles are clearly identified in the accounts of the Bible (Ezekiel 1&10; 2 Kings 2). They are real but for the Believer, they are nothing to worry about.

Romans 8 NLT

38 I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God, the Creator of the universe, has given us a weapon to use against every enemy both in the heavenlies and on the earth. This weapon is the sword of the spirit (Ephesians 6:17). It works against every evil power. It is the Word of God and, if you know Jesus, which is activated by speaking God’s Word in the name of Jesus.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.

Whenever you are in trouble or if you sense trouble coming, do what the Bible (the Master Manual) says and - Call upon the name of the Lord, and be saved (Romans 10:13)!

Do you know Him? Let’s call upon His name together right now?

BLESSED Part 1: Delighting in God’s Word

2026-08-15T06:54:00.000-05:00

RECAP

Intro: What it Means to be Blessed

- God gives us blessings, produces blessings, and promises blessings.

- We as people tend to focus on material blessings more than God does.

- God has given us blessings, but how much stuff we have is not the best way for us to measure God’s blessing in our life.

- The truth is that we ARE blessed— blessed with every spiritual blessing.

- We have access to the blessing of God.

- However, we must walk in them in order to experience His blessings the way He intended for us.

INTRODUCTION

One of the greatest inventions in my lifetime is the GPS. It is one of those things that greatly improves our way of life, but is taken for granted now. The truth is that it is an incredible blessing! We can type in almost any address in the country and within seconds, our phone can tell us exactly how to get there.

What GPS does:

- Tells us when to turn

- Warns us about upcoming traffic.

- Reroutes us if there is an accident.

- Informs us when we are going the wrong way.

That is a blessing!

However, regardless of how amazing GPS is, it is only a blessing if you follow it.

You can have the route pulled up, you can hear the directions, you can even agree with the directions. But if it says, “turn right,” and you keep going straight, you are not going to experience the benefit of GPS. Why? Because the benefit of GPS is found when you follow the instructions given.

Similarly, the same thing is true with the Word of God.

God has given us His Word as a blessing. His Word gives us direction for how to live. It tells us what to do in every situation of life. But it is not enough to simply have the Bible. Nor is it enough to simply hear the Bible. The blessing comes when we allow His Word to direct the way we live. Why? Because the benefit of God’s Word is found when you walk in His ways.

That is exactly what Psalm 1 shows us. Let’s turn to Psalm 1 and read it together of what His Word says.

Psalms 1 contrasts a picture of two different paths, or two different ways of living. There is the way of the world and then the way of the Lord. The one who follows the way of the world brings a curse on his life. The one who follows the way of the Lord brings blessing on his life. The words “blessed is the man” refers to the person who does two things: what they avoid and what they embrace.

The Way of the World (Cursing)

Verse 1 begins by describing the way that blessed people refuse to go. It paints a picture of a man walks in the ways of the world.

V1 — “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers…”

The person who is blessed is the one who avoids this path. This is the path of the world. Jesus says wide is the road that walks this road. However, this path leads to destruction. The person who is blessed is the one who refuses this path. He understands that not every voice deserves to be in his life. No one goes down this path without first being influenced. What is influencing you?

There is a progression here in verse 1:

Walks — Worldly Influences

• Speaks of the direction of someone’s life.

• They are headed in the direction of the counsel of the wicked.

• To have counsel of the wicked in your life is evident that the door has been opened to allow the influence of the wicked in their life.

• When we allow those influences in our life, they begin changing the way we think.

• Next thing you know, you begin thinking the same way they do.

• Things the Bible says are wrong suddenly begin to feel they aren’t that bad.

Stands — Worldly Practices

• Counsel of the wicked now becomes what we practice.

• We have now moved from walking over to the way of the wicked out of curiosity to now participating in worldly practices.

• The counsel of the wicked have now become the way of the sinner.

• Something that once bothered me now becomes something I practice.

• Standing reflects a pattern of compromise.

Sits — Worldly Comfort

• I have gone from wicked counsel, to sinful practices, now to worldly comfort.

• Not just hearing the wrong thing, not just doing the wrong thing, now you are comfortable with it and you perspective has shifted.

• Sitting in something is becoming comfortable with a new reality.

• A scoffer is someone who mocks, ridicules, and rejects the things of God.

• They refuse to accept correction and make fun of people who try to live right.

The progression here in verse 1 is:

1. I listened to what was wrong.

2. Then I started doing what was wrong.

3. Eventually I stopped thinking it was wrong.

The blessed person refuses to allow the world to become the primary voice shaping their life.

The Way of the Lord (Blessing)

Then the writer continues to verse 2 to show what the blessed person embraces. He says that the blessed person refuses to go the way of the world. Why? Because his delight is in the Word of God.

V2 — “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

The blessed person…

1. Delights in the Word of God

Delight means to enjoy, desire, and be satisfied with His Word.

There are things that we all delight in. When we delight in something, people don’t have to tell us to do it. We delight in:

• Checking our phones

• Watch our favorite tv show

• Eat our favorite dessert or snack

• Nobody has to tell us because we create time for the things we enjoy. Now that doesn’t mean that we wake up every morning fired up and ready to read Leviticus. It means you value what God has to say to you and you desire to know it.

• When we delight in something, we enjoy it. What we enjoy, we naturally give our attention to. What we give our attention to, we want more of.

• There is a difference between reading God’s Word and delighting God’s Word. It’s not just something that we do. It becomes something that we enjoy and look forward to.

• Delighting in God’s Word is about valuing its wisdom and its potential in your life.

• Psalm 119:72 — “The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver.”

• This is what it looks like to delight in the Word of God. The writer is saying that “What God has to say to me is incredibly valuable.”

• The more you value God’s Word, the more you desire it.

2. Meditates on the Word of God

v2 — “On his law he meditates day and night.”

It is possible to read the Bible and then walk away forgetting what you just read. Ask Jesus or His brother about it, they can tell you all about it. Meditating on God’s Word is what keeps us from doing this very thing.

Meditation of God’s Word is different than meditation in the world. Meditation in the world is emptying our minds. Meditation in a godly sense is filling our minds with God’s truth.

Meditate (Hagah) = Thinking on, dwelling on, mulling over truth.

To meditate means to murmur. It means to speak to oneself about the truth and mull it over. It is what we choose to think about. Meditation is thinking about God’s Word, dwelling on it, speaking it to yourself and so that you will be successful in doing what it says.

Whatever you think about the most, consumes you the most. Whatever consumes you the most, will control your life.

3. Obeys the Word of God

Luke 11:28 — “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”

There is a major difference between knowing what God says and doing what God says. We can read the Bible, hear sermons, memorize scriptures, know all the right answers, and still choose to do the opposite in our life. Knowing what God says is not enough. Even the devil knows what God’s Word says.

Jesus doesn’t say “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God,” but those who “hear and do” what it says. The key that unlocks the blessing of God on our life is obeying His Word. When we walk in God’s ways as He designed it, we will be blessed in all of our doing. This is why obedience is such an important theme in the Bible, because it unlocks the blessing of God on our life.

John 13:17 — “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Revelation 1:3 — “ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”

God desires for us to walk in His ways because of the blessing that comes with it.

WHAT IS THE BLESSING

This is the blessing that is promised on our life when we walk in His ways:

V3 — “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

• Stable — “He is like a tree planted…”

- The person who is rooted in God's Word has something holding him steady.

- Life may shake him, but he will not have to be uprooted by everything that happens around him.

• Sustained — “…by streams of water…”

- Even as life tries to suck the love, peace, joy, patience, it is unsuccessful.

- Why? Because his source is not found in what’s around or within himself

- Instead, you have a continual supply of God’s Spirit that is sustaining you.

• Fruitful — “…that yields its fruit in its season…”

- Spiritual fruit is produced in your life

- Even as you walk through seasons that make no sense, you are growing the fruit necessary for that season.

- It means that you are always growing.

• Enduring — “…and its leaf does not wither…”

- Regardless of the season you are in, you develop roots that remain strong as you are sustained by the flow of steady streams of living water.

- Even when the circumstances around it are troubling, its leaf does not wither because it is planted by streams of water.

- No matter what you are walking through, you will make it through because God is with you. You are rooted and built up in Him.

• Prosperous — “In all that he does, he prospers.”

- Prosper = Succeed going the direction that God called you to go.

- You succeed in walking in God’s ways and walking in His wisdom.

- The blessing is you succeed in following God’s path.

- That is the closest thing to heaven that you and I will experience here on earth.

- One day when we are in heaven, there will be no more sin, no more deception, no more hurt and pain, no more temptation. We will be made new. We will perfectly walk in the plan God intended for us.

- Until that day, living out God’s Word is the closest thing to experiencing heaven on this side of it.

TAKEAWAYS:

I. Refuse to listen to the voice of the world

II. Value the Word of God

III. Fill your mind with His truth

IV. Do what it says

When we do this, we unlock the blessing of God that He intended for our life. We will be walking in His ways; the closest thing to heaven on this side of earth.

The Set Time

2026-08-08T20:25:59.377-05:00

Gtcotr/ss080926

Psalms 102:13 You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, Yes, the set time, has come.

God has a clock and a calendar without which, everything in your world would descend into chaos. The Universe runs on a strict schedule from orbits to decelerations in the rotational speeds of the earth and the moon.

For example, the earth spins at about 1000 mph at the equator so that it rotates the approximate 24,901 miles circumference in about 24 hours. The moon, on the other hand, is only about 6800 miles in circumference and spins at about 10 mph making one revolution every 27.3 earth days. These are predictably connected so that we never see the back side of the moon.

The Divine plan is consistent and trustworthy and since God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), and since He is committed to telling us things before they come to pass (Isaiah 42:9), we can wholeheartedly trust both His Word and His Spirit. King Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes (3) that God has a set time for every purpose under heaven.

Acts 14:17 tells us that God did not leave Himself without a witness. Many of the witnesses spoken of in the Bible are blessings that testify to the goodness of God. Do you remember the prodigal son, spoken of by Jesus and recorded in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15? Jesus said that after this young man had lost all of his money, his reputation, his comfort, his peace, his fellowship his dignity, and his pride, he came to his senses. And when he came to his senses, he did not first recall his sin. Rather he first realized how good his father was. “Even the servants in my father’s house …”

Jesus painted a picture of a Father who never stopped being a father. Even though the son stopped acting like a son, the father was faithfully waiting. The son said, my father treats his servants better than the world is treating me – I think I’ll go home and serve him … He is good. Romans 2:4 tells us that it is the goodness of God that leads people to repentance. God is good and His divine plan is consistent and trustworthy. God is predictable, just ask Jonah. God’s plan is to bless you and make you a blessing.

We read about it in prophecy. When the Children of God were experiencing a truly difficult time for their nation (605BC) and their enemies seemed unconquerable, God set for them a time. God told them beforehand when and how He was going to bless them and deliver them and prosper them and re-establish them, and what they needed to do in the meantime.

You see, at this point in history God wasn’t happy with them … but He loved them. God’s love is always greater than His disappointment.

This brings us to a principle of life which says: If you want to feel different about someone, you’ve got to start thinking differently about them. And love wants to … it just has to start somewhere.

Jeremiah 29 NKJV

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

So what have we discussed today?

1. God is consistent, predictable, and trustworthy.

2. God has a set time to bless you and remind you that He is good.

3. What you can do right now is seek Him with all your heart.

When will you find the blessing of God? When you seek Him and search for Him with all your heart. The safest we will ever be is in our Father’s house. Someone has been a father to you … you know you can depend on his goodness. God is good … all the time!

And recently I heard the Lord say to me – “Abundance is coming. What will you do with it?”

BLESSED Intro: What it Means to Be Blessed

2026-08-08T07:31:00.000-05:00

INTRODUCTION

There is something that every person has in common: we all want to be blessed. Every person here desires to be blessed. We want our family to be blessed, finances, health, career, relationships, our future, etc. We pray and ask the Lord:

• Bless my family.

• Bless my business.

• Bless this opportunity.

• Bless my future.

Our hope is that God will bless us. That is a good desire! In fact, I believe that God wants to bless us. James 1:17 says that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights.” However, we have to ask ourselves the question: what does it mean to be blessed? Do we actually understand what being blessed actually means?

MISCONCEPTIONS

The fact is that the world has misconceptions when it comes what it means to be blessed; and even what it looks like. We imagine that if I get the promotion, I’m blessed. If the money is good, I’m blessed. If my family is healthy, I’m blessed. In other words, if everything works out the way I hoped it would, then I am blessed. You see, “blessed” has quietly become another way of saying, “My life is going the way I want it to go.” However, the truth is that those things cannot be our definition of be what it means to be blessed. Here are some misconceptions that are commonly believed about being blessed:

• Wealth = Favor

- Many believe that if you have money, a big house, or a new car then it means that you are more blessed than others.

- If I don’t have a lot of money then it means that I am not blessed like they are.

• Absence of Hardship

- If you are truly blessed, bad things will pass you by and life will be smooth.

- The belief is that when God blesses you, He goes before you to ensure you will have no problems for your life.

• Blessings are Earned by Good Behavior

- If I pray enough, act right, and do all the right things, then you can guarantee blessings in your life.

- This is more of a transactional thought that becomes more like a reward system that is based merit alone.

What does it mean to be blessed?

In scripture, you continually find this phrase:

• “Bless is the man…"

• “Blessed is the one…”

• “Blessed are those…”

Virtually the Bible never describes what a person possesses materially. Instead, it describes the condition of a person’s life before God.

Blessed (Makarios) = Fortunate; Privileged; Favored

It is a happiness that comes from receiving favor from God. In the New Testament, the word itself carries the meaning of being blessed by God.

Blessed = To live under the goodness and favor of God.

God Gives Blessings

- There are things that we have in our life because God has given it to us

- They are a blessing because God has placed in our life

- This is what God puts around me.

God Produces Blessings

- As we walk according to His ways, God produces fruit in our life.

- This is fruit that allows us to be happy regardless of the circumstances surrounding us.

- This is what God develops within me.

God Promises Blessings

- There are blessings that we have that may not be fully realized until eternity.

- This is what God has prepared ahead for me.

Material vs Eternal Blessings

While it is true that God has given us material blessings (what He places around us), the New Testament tends to focus more on spiritual and eternal blessings than anything. These are the blessings that God produces in us and that He promises us in eternity.

Matthew 6:19-20 — “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

1 Peter 1:3-4 — “3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into… an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.”

While God does want to bless us in order to meet our material needs today, we should not measure His blessings primarily by earthly possessions.

That is a important distinction. Someone with very little materially can be incredibly rich spiritually. And a person with tremendous wealth materially can actually be very poor spiritually.

THREE WAYS WE EXPERIENCE GOD’S BLESSING

I think God’s blessings can be broken up in this way:

- Having blessings

- Being blessed

- Walking in His blessings

1. Having Blessings

• There are things in our life that are a blessing.

• Our home, car, job, food, clothing, family, health, a/c, life, etc.

• These things are a blessing because they have been given to us by God.

• There are many things we have that many other people do not.

• Much of this is circumstantial blessing (because we live in America).

• However, having blessings is not the same thing as being blessed.

• James 1:17

• God gives us good things, but good things are not the definition of a blessed life.

2. Being Blessed

• That is who you are.

• You are blessed because you are a child of God.

• Because you are a born again believer, you have been blessed by God!

• You are blessed because you possess every spiritual blessing.
Ephesians 1:3 — “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.”

• Through Christ, you and I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing.

• Because you possess every spiritual blessing, you have “access” to every one of them as well.

3. Walking in His Blessings

• Although we have access to every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, those blessings do not become a reality just because we want them to.

• In the same way that Norah has access to cookies that are in the pantry or to the fruit in the fridge, she is not going to enjoy them unless she goes to the pantry/fridge and gets them out. She can ask me for permission all day long, but unless she goes to grab them from the pantry, she won’t be eating any cookies today!

• Similarly, we too have to walk in the blessings that God has given us.

• They were made available to us through the sacrificial death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus paid for them, so that we can walk in them.

• However, many times we expect to have peace without going to the pantry to pull it off the shelf in order to experience that peace given to us.

• We expect for God to do His part and our part.

• Sometimes we are asking God to do what He has already done, while ignoring what He has asked us to do.

• Jesus has already paid for them and God the Father has already made them available on the shelf. All we have to do is walk in them.

Over the next five weeks, we are not going to talk about five ways to be blessed. The fact is that if you are in Christ, you are already blessed! Instead, we are going to explore ways the Word of God teaches us to walk in His blessings.

BLESSED Sermon Series Topics

1. Delight in God’s Word

2. Walk in Wisdom

3. Fear the Lord

4. Live Generously

5. Remain Faithful Under Trial

TAKEAWAYS

I. Realize that you are already blessed in Christ.

• You do not need to try and convince God to bless you.

• If you belong to Jesus, Ephesians 1:3 says that He has already blessed you with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

II. Recognize the blessings you do have.

• It is okay for us to ask God for material blessings.

• However, don’t become so focused on what you are asking God for that you overlook what He has already given you.

• Make a list of the good things God has placed in your life and thank Him for them.

III. Remember to walk in the blessings God has provided for you.

• God has already done His part.

• Don’t ask God to do your part as well.

• His Word shows us how to live in the good things He has made available to us.

• We just have to be obedient and walk in them.

The Freedom of Surrender

2026-08-01T19:23:53.786-05:00

Freedom is one of the greatest privileges that we have access to here in America. It is a privilege (special right) because of those who have fought to protect my right to freedom. I have the rights and freedom to worship God, share my opinions, to vote, and travel/live where I want to. Those are rights and privileges we have here in America because of freedom. It is a privilege because not every country has access to those freedoms. Freedom is available here in America because someone was willing to fight for it for me.

There is also a freedom that comes through surrender. Meaning, there is a peace available to us when we are willing to let go of control.

Have you ever been riding with someone who made you nervous? Maybe they were driving too fast. Maybe they waited too long to brake. Maybe they took a route that you would not have chosen. Even though you were in the passenger seat, your whole body was moving and reacting as if you were the one driving. Has that ever happened to someone?

• Your foot was pressing an imaginary brake.

• Your hands were gripping the seat.

• You were watching every turn.

• You were shouting instructions: Slow down! Watch that car! Why are you going that way?

The problem was not that the driver did not know what they were doing. The problem was that you were the one driving. Better said, you were not the one who was in control and you were struggling to trust the person who was.

As funny as it sounds, this is almost the exact picture of how we are with God. We say that “God is in in control,” but we sit beside Him with our foot on an imaginary brake. We try to tell Him when to move, where to turn, when to slow down, and what outcome we believe would be best.

We pray, but we still try to manage everything on our own. We ask God to lead, but we get anxious when He takes a road that we did not expect. We tell Him that we trust Him, but we keep reaching for the steering wheel. In the midst of all this, the more we try to control what we were never meant to control the more anxious, frustrated, and exhausted we become.

Control = Our attempt to guarantee an outcome through our limited power, resources, and understanding.

However, life continually reminds us that we are not in control.

We cannot control:

• What other people decide…

• How someone else responds…

• What opportunities come our way…

• The diagnosis we want to receive…

• What happens tomorrow, next week, or next year…

Nevertheless, while we are not in control, we are not without hope. Why? Because…

God is in control.

The freedom of surrender begins when we stop fighting God for the position that only He is capable of holding. And the truth is that your life is safest when its placed in His hands. Better said, peace begins where our control ends.

So how do we experience true freedom by truly surrendering to God?

1. Recognize who is in control
The first truth we must establish is that God is in control. That is an absolute truth. God is in charge, regardless of what I think about it, feel about it, or believe about it. This is something that we as Christians don’t have a hard time agreeing with, we have a hard time believing it and living it out. I believe its because we spend so much time focusing on the problem rather than turning our attention to Him. Let me remind you who your God is:

• Sovereign — God has complete rule and reign. There is no power above Him. There is no one that He answers to. Nothing or no one can remove Him from His throne.

• Omnipotent — God has the power to accomplish everything He purposes.

• Omniscient — God possesses complete knowledge and never acts with incomplete information.

• Omnipresent — God is fully present everywhere; nothing happens outside of His awareness.

• Perfect Wisdom — God always knows the best means for accomplishing His plans.

• Provident — God actively preserves and governs through His creation to accomplish His purposes.

• Consider the Scale of What God Governs:

• Milky Way

•

• NASA says that the Milky Way contains 100 billion stars.

• The observable universe contains 100 billion galaxies.

• That suggests that there are over one septillion stars in the observable universe (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars).

• Psalm 147:4 — “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”

• God knows every star, where it is located, what its made of, where it began, and how long it will burn.

• The Earth

• The ground beneath us is constantly moving.

• The earth rotates at nearly 1,000 mph near the equator while orbiting the sun approximately 30 km per second (65,000 miles per hour).

• It may feel like we are sitting still, but we are traveling through space at tremendous speeds.

• We don’t ever worry about about the earth staying on its orbit, nor do we ever have to remind it.

• The God who governs the universe also sustains what is happening within us even right now.

• Colossians 1:17 — “… in Him all things hold together.”

• Job 12:10 — “In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”

• Your Body

• Your entire bodily systems are working together right now watching what is happening, communicating information to one another, making adjustments, repairing damage, removing waste, fighting threats, all in a process called Homeostasis. It is constantly adjusting your oxygen, blood pressure, blood sugar, electrolytes, hormones, body temperature, etc.to keep them all within ranges that allow your body to function.

• Your heart beats approximately 60 to 100 times a minute. Over the course of a day your heart beats approximately 100,000 times. In that same day your heart pumps about 2,000 pounds of blood throughout your body.

• Every time you inhale, oxygen enters your lungs and moves into your blood. At that same exact time, carbon dioxide (waste as your cells generate energy) moves from the blood into your lungs so that you can exhale it. This is absolutely essential for life.

• Right now while you are listening to this sermon, your brain and nervous system are helping you regulate

- Breathing

- Heart-rate

- Blood pressure

- Digestion

- Body temperature

- Balance

- Pupil size

- Blood distribution

• All of this is happening without a conscious consideration. Without realizing it, you are trusting God with every breath and every heartbeat. This makes us realize that we are not in control of our life as much as we think we are. You don’t even consciously control the body you live in.

• If God is not overwhelmed by managing over one septillion stars or keeping your heart beating right now, your current situation is not going to be the thing that ultimately exhausts Him. Admitting that God is in control wakes us up from the illusion that we were ever in control in the first place.

2. Trust the One who is in control
It’s one thing to know that God is in control. It is another thing to trust the God who is in control. The good thing is that God is trustworthy.

God is:

• Good

• Faithful

• Loving

• Infinite

• Proverbs 3:5-6 — “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…” — Trust doesn’t mean that we understand everything. Trust is leaning on the God of the universe. We are asked to trust God that He will take care of us.

• “Lean not on your own understanding…” — We tend to only trust what we can analyze. Here we are challenged to not lean on what we know because our understanding will always fall short. We only know so much and can only see so far down the road. God is unlimited in His knowledge and sees the end from the beginning. Don’t lean on yourself, lean on God.

“Lean not” doesn't mean don't use your brain. It means don't make your limited human perspective the foundation of your security. Your understanding is a rowboat; God’s understanding is an ocean.

• “In all your ways acknowledge Him…” — Realize that you are not the one who is in control, but God is. Acknowledge that God is worthy by seeking Him and His wisdom above our own understanding.

Acknowledging God = Seeking Him

• “And He shall direct your paths.” — This is a promise that when we seek God and acknowledge that He is worthy of our trust, He will actively point us in the right direction. The right direction does not mean that it’s the direction we want to go.

• The Trust Test

1. I feel more secure when I have a clear plan than when I simply have God’s promise.

2. I tend to assume that if I do not make something happen, things won’t turn out the way I want them to.

3. I struggle to believe that God is working when I cannot see any progress.

4. I pray about situations, but I continue carrying the same fear and pressure afterward.

5. I trust God more easily when His plan agrees with mine.

• If you scored high on this test, don’t feel condemned. This test is simply meant to reveal where we need to trust God a little more in our life.

3. Surrender what you cannot control

When we recognize that God is in control and trust in Him to lead us and guide us, that leads us to surrender. Surrender is releasing worry over the outcome and entrusting it to God. It means faithfully doing what God has called you to do and then trusting Him with what only He can do.

Surrender is not giving up or being passive. It’s not throwing our hands up in the air and saying, “whatever happens, happens!” Instead, surrender is taking 100% responsibility for your input while giving God 100% ownership of the outcome.

There are things that only we can control:

• Our choices

• Our attitude

• Our obedience

• How we treat others

• Prayer and trusting God

• There are things we were never meant to control

• What people do

• How others respond

• Results

• Timing

• Opportunities & the future

• We must surrender these things to God and allow Him to do what He does best

Matthew 26:39 — “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.””

Jesus shows us what surrender looks like:

• Jesus asked God for what he desired

• Yet in the end He trusted God’s providence over His humanly understanding.

Surrender is not a loss, it is a trade. You are trading

• Your fear and anxiety for God’s peace.

• You trade your limited strength for God’s unlimited power.

• You are trading the exhaustion of you trying to figure it out for trusting God to work it out.

How to Surrender your problems to God

1. Identify It — Name what you are trying to control

• You can’t surrender what you refuse to acknowledge.

• Identify the situation (relationships, finances, diagnosis, future, etc).

• I am trying to control this, I am not in control.

2. Release It — Hand the outcome over to God

• Release is the active decision to take your hands off the steering wheel.

• In prayer, explicitly give God ownership of the result.

• It’s saying to God, “I am giving up my right to dictate how this gets resolved.”

• It is trusting God’s way over your own.

3. Leave It — Refuse to pick it back up

• Surrender falls apart when we pray on Sunday and start worrying again on Monday. This is the real battle.

• Leaving it means that you refuse to pick back up what you just gave to God.

• When temptation comes to try to control and obsess over outcomes again, you make a conscious decision to say: “No, I already handed this over to God. That is no longer my burden to carry.”

• Surrender is a daily practice, not a one time event

• Resist the urge to micro-manage God — give Him room to work without you continually trying to make sure that He’s doing it your way.

• Trade your worry for worship — When you want to it back up and worry again, turn that anxiety in for praise and remind yourself who God is.

TAKEAWAYS

I. Control Is an Illusion; God Is Already in Control
You don't consciously control the stars, the earth's orbit, or even your own heartbeat—God is already sustaining your life without your permission. Surrender isn't losing control; it's waking up to the reality that you were never driving in the first place.

II. Anxiety Begins Where Trust Ends
Pressing an imaginary brake from the passenger seat only wears you out. When you try to guarantee outcomes that only God can determine, you carry a weight you were never created to bear. True peace begins the moment you stop reaching for the steering wheel.

III. Surrender Means Doing Your Job and Letting God Do His
Surrender isn't giving up or being passive—it's active stewardship. You are responsible for your choices, your attitude, and your obedience; God is responsible for the timing, the people, and the outcome.

What Did Jesus Do?

2026-07-25T20:54:45.854-05:00

Gtcotr/ss072626

Let’s go back to the year AD29, give or take a year or so. It was one of the most wonderful and powerful times in the history of man. Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, was about 31 years old and had gained a lot of fame and recognition as a religious Teacher among the Jews. His popularity was such that it irritated the established religious and political leaders of the day. I am referring to the Pharisees and the Sadducees. They hated Jesus and wanted to do whatever they could to diminish His popularity and get Him permanently out of the way.

In a moment we will be reading from the Gospel of John, chapter 8. Allow me to set the scene before we read.

It is a mid-autumn morning in the city of Jerusalem.

The Feast of Tabernacles had just concluded the evening before.

The controversy concerning Jesus had been brewing all week and the religious leaders felt they were losing control of the people.

Many people believed Jesus was the Messiah or at least a Prophet sent by God.They had never heard anyone teach this way before.

But the religious leaders could not understand why Jesus had not been arrested yet … something had to be done about Him.

They decided to entrap Him. They knew He was kind, gracious, merciful, and forgiving – maybe they could use that against Him.

John 8

2 Now early in the morning Jesus came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.

3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,

4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.

5 “Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”

6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”

8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

There are four possible places to stand in this story. One place is a place of observation and the other three are places reserved for participants.

First is the group of people who gathered to listen to Jesus. The innocent by-standers who were The Congregation of Christ. They are observing all that is going on, watching and listening to the arguments and waiting to see what Jesus would do. Perhaps some stayed and maybe some left as soon as the trouble started. Maybe they had their own opinion but for the most part they remain silent.

Second is The woman who is being publicly accused . Evidently, she is forced to stand,looking guilty, and it is reasonable to assume that she was. But no doubt she was tricked and trapped in this scheme. Guilty, exposed, embarrassed, she was unable to defend herself.

Third were The Accusers. They saw the woman’s sin clearly but apparently had difficulty seeing their own. This was a group of men who cared nothing for the law or for the lives they were ruining. This was more about them. The nature of an accuser must lend every accusation to suspicion. It is reasonable to ask yourself some questions: what is their goal and what do they have to gain?

Then last is Jesus … this is who I’d want to be in the story.

Jesus did not allow the accuser’s determination to dictate His response. Passion is persuasive but it does not justify purpose.

Jesus did not react but rather took His time and considered His response. He was conscious of everyone in the situation, including you this morning, and the lessons each would learn.

Also of note: Jesus did not condemn the woman for her sin, and neither did He reveal the accuser’s sins. Jesus is not in the condemnation or accusation business. Be watchful of those who are!

Sometimes the people who learn the most from how we handle a difficult situation aren’t the people involved in it – they’re the people standing by, watching and learning – from the disciples to the innocent, uninvolved bystanders. And most of the time that’s who we are …

What can we learn from this account?

Jesus does not condone sin or condemn sinners.

What the Law could not do, Grace did(Romans 8).

Grace separates the sin from the sinner. Grace forgives, encourages, and sets back on track.

Beware of accusers.

It appears that all the men who accused the woman were sinners. What did they have to gain?

Remember, Joseph did not publicly accuse Mary, even though he could have (Matthew 1:19).

People who talk bad about others to you, will talk bad to others about you.

The Bible calls Satan “the accuser” (Revelation 12:10).

Don’t do Satan’s work … repent and stop condemning yourself.

Then go and sin no more. There is nothing else you can do.

Think before you speak.

How can you make it better? WDJD?

Remember – those innocent bystanders, the ones who aren’t involved? They might be the ones who stand to benefit the most. And, the prisoners are always listening. (Acts 16)

This message is not meant to make you feel justified when you’re accused but rather to make you think twice before accusing someone else … even when you know they were wrong.

Very few times in life will you find yourself as the accused or the accuser, most of life will be spent as an uninvolved observer, trying to decide what did Jesus do?

Be A Difference Maker

2026-07-25T07:02:00.000-05:00

I want to take a moment for us to think about our lives. Think about where you started, and think about where you are now. You are not here today purely from your own ability. It wasn’t just because of you that you are where you are today. Somewhere along the way, someone stepped in to your life and gave you a hand.

I want us to think about that person (people) for a moment. Maybe it was a parent, teacher, coach, grandparent, pastor, friend, etc. Someone saw you. Someone believed in you. Someone invested in you. Someone made a sacrifice for you.

The truth is that none of us got where we are today on our own. Every one of us have been shaped by people who made an investment in us. They opened doors we couldn’t open ourselves. They walked with us through difficult seasons. They spoke life into us when we needed it most. Ultimately, they changed the direction of our lives.

These people were a gift. They were sent by God to make the investment God knew you needed in order to put you on the track that led you straight for His plan for your life. These people were difference makers in your life, and praise God for them.

So what is a difference maker?

Difference Maker — Someone who steps into another person’s story and helps them get where they could never get on their own.

A difference maker is a God-given trait. The Bible is full of people who became a person who changed the course of another person’s life due to the investment they made. However there is one particular story that comes to mind.

Mark 2:2-5

“And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2  And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3  And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4  And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5  And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.””

Let’s talk about what a difference maker does according to the account written in the gospel of Mark:

A difference maker notices a need
v2 — “And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.”

The paralytic couldn’t get to Jesus on his own. He was completely dependent on someone else to help him.

While others may have walked past his condition or assumed someone else would help, these four men noticed his need and chose to respond.

A difference maker sees a need because they see a person and their value through the eyes of Jesus

A difference maker takes responsibility
v3 — “And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.”

The man’s paralytic condition was not their problem. However, they still made it their mission.

Difference makers don’t wait for someone else to do something about it.

Instead they take responsibility by doing what they can.

A difference maker is willing to carry the weight

Carrying a grown paralyzed man on a mat is not an easy task. Yet, they did it anyways.
A difference maker is willing to make an investment and is willing to pay for it. Somebody paid a price for you, they were a difference maker.

A difference maker doesn’t quit when obstacles appear
v4 — “And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.”

When they got the paralytic to the house, it was full! There was no way in to the house since the house was packed.

They could have given up and said they tried. However, they did something drastic: They brought him into the house through the roof!

Difference makers don’t quit at the first sign of trouble, they continue to find a way.

A difference maker brings people to Jesus
v5 — “And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.””

These four men could not heal their friend. They could not forgive his sins. They couldn’t even do anything to transform his life. Only Jesus was able to do those things.

They were not trying to fix the paralytic, they were simply trying to get him to Jesus. That is what difference makers do.

Last week when I was in Kenya, I got to see first hand of what a difference maker looks like. That is the power of a sponsorship.

Kids are clean, fed, well kept, etc

Parents are doing much better

Lives are changed

All of these things are true because someone chose to make an investment.

Someone:

Saw the need

Took responsibility

Carried the weight (paid the price)

Went the extra mile

Made a difference

By doing these things, you are ministering to the heart of Jesus.

That is the heart of the gospel! Jesus…

Saw our need

Took responsibility for our sin

Carried the weight of our sin on the cross

Did not quit on the road of suffering and death

Made a way for us to come to the father.

Realize that the greatest investment you can make is in the people who are in need all around you. Stocks, 401K, and other things are good investments. However, people are the only thing that truly will last forever. It is true that you may never know the full impact of one conversation, one act of generosity, one invitation to church, one prayer, one sponsorship, or one moment of encouragement. But God does.

One day in heaven, you will meet people whose lives were changed because of the investment you made in their lives; because you chose to become a difference maker.

TAKEAWAYS

This week, be a difference maker…

Look for a need

Step in to meet that need

Make an investment

Bring them to Jesus

The Purpose of Prayer

2026-07-23T09:43:08.443-05:00

Gtcotr/ws072226

The elementary principles of prayer are seen being exercised by men and women of faith throughout the Bible.

Prayer is both communication and transformation. It has been rightly said that “Prayer changes things.” That truth is evident. However, the things prayer is primarily designed to change may not be so evident.

We have often heard that the Bible tells only one story and no one passage tells the whole story. Each scripture fits perfectly in its place to reveal the truth. If we pass over or leave out one verse, we may never arrive at the correct interpretation of the Word. The Word of God is only the Word of God when it is the Word of God. What I am saying is simply this: God knew what He meant when He said what He said, and until we know what He meant, we do not know His Word or His will. Communication is designed to assist in that process.

God’s Word is perfect and powerful and works every time according to what He intends. There is no argument or emotion a person can use to force God to act outside of His will. Contrary to some doctrines, humans do not always know what is best for them or others. God, however, knows the end from the beginning.

Matthew 6 NKJV

5 ¶ “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

6 “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

7 “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

If my loving Heavenly Father knows my wants, anticipates my wishes, understands my needs, and intends to bless me before I ask, what is the purpose of prayer? The Primary Purpose of Prayer is not designed or intended to change God but rather intended to change us. As we said earlier, “Prayer is both communication and transformation.”

Prayer often acts on us instead of acting on God. More understanding on this truth can be found in the account of Jesus in His Garden of Gethsemane prayer experience. Let’s read from the fourteenth chapter of Mark.

Mark 14 NKJV

32 ¶ Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.

· Jesus is anxious, and stressed.

· He is exceedingly sad and consumed with worrisome thoughts.

34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”

· Have you ever been so sad you had rather be dead?

35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.

· Fell on the ground – like pulling the covers over your head …

36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?

38 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.

40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

41 Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

42 “Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

This prayer did not change how God felt, prayer changed how Jesus felt. An honest conversation with God will do that. The disciples weren’t feeling the stress … they weren’t sad, they were sleepy and unafraid. Sometime your closest friends aren’t going through what you’re going through, and it seems like they could care less – even if what you are burdened with is actually intended to benefit them.

Prayer is where we pour all anxiety out into the bosom of God.

Philippians 4 NLT

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

1. Don’t worry about anything.

2. Pray about everything.

3. Tell God what you need.

4. Thank Him for all He has done.

5. Then you will experience God’s peace.

The Cost of Freedom

2026-07-04T19:11:49.168-05:00

Gtcotr/ss070526

Happy Birthday America! Yesterday our nation celebrated the 250^th Anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. In the weeks leading up to July 4, 1776, 56 men signed the document pledging their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honors to the cause. And for the past two and a half centuries the United States of America has stood as the symbol of freedom and liberty. May the Lord of all glory, Jesus the Christ, continue to shine on and shine through our beloved nation. God bless America and may His truth keep marching on!

This morning we're going to reflect on two types of freedom, both of which are equally important.

The first freedom we will consider is Personal Freedom for Ourselves. Personal freedom is the decision to leave a bondage, a burden, or a situation that God never intended us to live under. This is important, and there are times when pursuing personal freedom is the only right choice.

When it comes to personal freedom the question is: “What am I willing to do to free myself from this bondage?” Am I willing to:

· End a relationship
· Change jobs
· Enter rehab
· Apologize to someone
· Confess my sin
· Go to Church
· Run Away! (1 Corinthians 6:18 – “Flee sexual immorality!”)

· Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is leave.

o Leave the party.

o Leave the bar.

o Leave sickness and the sin that so easily besets you behind.

o Just leave … (Hebrews 12:1)

What are you willing to do to be free from the hell of this life? Leaving this world is not the answer, rather overcoming in this world is the answer.

The second type of freedom we will consider this morning is Purchased Freedom for Others. This type of freedom asks a different question: “What am I willing to pay so that someone else can be free?”

The difference can be simply stated:

Personal freedom often chooses to escape the pain.
Freedom for others often requires that we endure the pain.

The Bible gives us two powerful examples of this principle.

1. Love Considers Others

When the Apostle Paul was in prison in Rome in about the year AD61, he wrote a letter to the Philippian Church. In the letter, Paul describes a difficult choice he was facing in his life. The choice centered around who to choose … “Do I choose myself and escape this pain or do I choose others and endure this pain?”

Philippians 1 NKJV

21 ¶ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.

23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

25 And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith.

Love willingly sets aside personal preference for someone else's spiritual benefit.

Love asks, "What do others need?" before deciding, "What do I want?"

2. Love Often Endures What It Could Escape

To learn this we have but to consider what Jesus said the night He was arrested in the Garden.

Matthew 26 NKJV

50 But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

51 And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

· According to the Gospel of John, Peter was the one who pulled his sword. But what was Peter doing with a sword? (John 18:10-11)

· The other writers of the Gospels wrote in a time when Peter was still alive and so they no doubt protected his identity, most likely in efforts to keep Peter from being connected to this crime.

· John wrote his Gospel about 15 to 20 years after Peter’s death and so his identity needs no longer be concealed.

52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

· Luke 22:38 tells us the disciples had two swords with them on the road.

· Luke 10 talks about the Good Samaritan and the thieves along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.

· Evidently the disciples were always armed for various reasons.

53 “Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?

· Jesus could have escaped and gained His personal freedom but …

· Jesus chose to endure the cross for others.

56 “But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

· The disciples fled and chose personal freedom … just as they should have done.

· Jesus did not call them to die with Him at that moment … their cross would come later.

· Sometimes choosing personal freedom is the will of God for us.

· But Jesus stayed because our freedom required Him to endure the cross.

I know it’s difficult to imagine but according to Hebrews 12:2, Jesus didn’t just endure the cross, He embraced it and, some could reason, He had an inner peace and joy that extended beyond the cross.

We are not always measured by what we can avoid but rather by what we are willing to endure, like a football player who doesn’t just sidestep the opposition but chooses to plow through them … he embraces the moment. Much the same, life is a choice.

Freedom Always Has a Cost

At the end of the story, everyone made a choice.

The disciples fled.

Jesus remained.

The disciples preserved their own freedom.

Jesus surrendered His freedom so that ours could be secured.

Personal freedom seeks relief from suffering.

Redemptive love accepts suffering when it brings freedom to others.

Every freedom comes with a cost.

The question is not whether we will pay a price.

The question is whose freedom are we willing to pay for?

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Jesus paid the price for our eternal freedom.

Jesus calls His followers to love others with that same sacrificial spirit.

Conclusion

Most of us will never be asked to die for someone else.

But every day we are given opportunities to sacrifice a little of our comfort, our time, our convenience, and our preferences so that others can know Christ, grow in their faith, and experience His freedom.

Personal freedom asks, "How can I escape this?"

Christlike love asks, "What am I willing to endure so that someone else may be blessed?"

That is the cost of freedom.

God bless America, land of the free and home of the brave.

The Revelation of Jesus

2026-06-27T17:03:24.367-05:00

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“You always were what you are going to be, it just hasn’t happened yet.” (P2P)

John 1 NKJV

1 ¶ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

34 “And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

John 3

16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 4:42 (And) … “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”

John 19:19 ¶ Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Jesus always was what He is going to be, it just hasn’t happened yet.

Revelation 21:2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 19:9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

The Holy Bible goes into great detail concerning the unfolding revelation of Jesus Christ. In other words, God revealed Jesus to mankind through the Holy Scriptures, one step at a time. Allow me to conclude:

In the beginning, Jesus was The Word.
He was always with God.

At His birth in Nazareth, the Word became flesh, and The Only Begotten Son of God was born.

During His earthly life, Jesus showed us the Father.
He said, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.”

At His death on the cross, Jesus became The Savior of the World.

At the resurrection, Jesus became the King of Glory.

After the rapture of the Church, in heaven, Jesus will marry His Bride, and He will be our Beloved Husband.

The Word; The Only Begotten Son; The Savior of the World; The King of Glory; and My Beloved …

That’s what He has always been … “I am my beloved’s and He is mine. His desire is towards me and His banner over me is love!” (Song of Solomon)

Why does this matter, because today He is our King, Lord, and Master, and we need to respect who He is today. He has given us orders as our King:

Matthew 28 NKJV

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

“I’ve been promoted!”

My new authority is out of this world …

Now here are my orders …

19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

What does it mean to go and make disciples of all nations? It’s called the Great Commission. We will be talking about this all week with our children and the workers who come to VBS.

But for now …

Do you know Jesus or do you only know about Him?

You can know Him personally … He wants to be your Savior and King.

He has invited you to be His Bride; there is a wedding invitation with your name on it … you can RSVP today.

Say yes to Jesus!

He will keep His covenant and love you forever.

Jesus is Real

2026-06-27T07:21:00.000-05:00

Jesus is real! I’m not sure if you heard or not, but Jesus is real!! Many people say He was a good man, some say He was a prophet, some say He never existed. But I say that Jesus is real!! Jesus is not just some good man, He is the man that came down from heaven, born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died a sinners death, rose from the grave, and ascended into heaven. That is who my Jesus is! He died to save my soul, and I am thankful for Him! But what I came here to tell you today is that…

JESUS IS REAL!!

But don’t take my word for it. Take it from the man who saw Him with his own two eyes. The man I am referring to is none other than the Apostle John. This is the same apostle John who was a disciple of Christ.

Who Was John?

One of the 12 original apostles who were personally chosen by Jesus.

He was a fisherman of Galilee

Son of Zebedee and Salome

Brother of James

Business partners with Peter and Andrew.

One day while he was mending his nets on the shore, Jesus walked up to him and called John to follow him to become a fisher of men. At that moment, John dropped everything and followed after Jesus.

Although there were 12 disciples who were chosen by Jesus, there were only 3 disciples who were very close to Him: Peter, James, and John. Because of this, John saw things that some of the other disciples never did:

The raising of Jairus’ daughter

The transfiguration

Jesus in Gethsemane

Not only that, but he also referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. I believe what John was trying to get across here is that he knew that Jesus loved him and he never got over it. It was something that he still held onto. Because Jesus meant everything to him. John was also close to Jesus. So close that he reclined at the table next to Him during the Last Supper. That means that He heard every conversation and that he spend intimate time with him as well.

John was at the cross during His final minutes and ultimately when He died. Jesus left John I’m charge to care for His mother. Of all the people, Jesus chose John to look after her. That goes to show the relationship they had and the trust Jesus had in him.

He was also there when Jesus rose from the dead. In fact, John 20:8 says that on the morning Jesus resurrected, John outran Peter to the tomb. He saw the empty tomb with his own two eyes. Not only did he see the empty tomb, but he saw Jesus actually resurrected from the dead as well! John was so convinced of what he saw concerning the risen Jesus that he suffered persecution and was exiled for his faith and testimony of Jesus.

Knowing all of these things about John gives his words tremendous weight. John can talk about a lot of things and it may or mat not matter. But when it comes to the topic of Jesus, it matters. His testimony of Jesus might be more convincing of anybody else in the New Testament.

So with all of that said, what does John have to say about Jesus?

1 John 1:1-4

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2  the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3  that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4  And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

John was saying that Jesus is real. He was saying that Jesus was not a myth, nor was He just a philosophical figure. John is saying that Jesus was a real person that he really knew personally.

Now this is important because he was writing to a group of believers who were battling false teaching in their day called Gnosticism. They claimed to have a special spiritual knowledge that believers in Jesus Christ did not have.

They believed:

Jesus did not really become human (only appeared)

God didn’t become flesh

Salvation comes through a special knowledge

But John attacked all of these misconceptions in just the first 4 verses of 1 John chapter one. And while he wrote these things almost 2000 years ago, they still apply to us today. This is because while we don’t hear the word “Gnosticism” any longer, the ideas are still prominent.

The world believes:

Jesus was a good teacher (but not God)

My truth is enough (I don’t need Jesus)

You don’t need Jesus to be spiritual

It doesn’t matter how you live (as long as I am a good person)

Jesus isn’t the only way

Jesus really is real 1 John 1:1 — “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life”

Jesus really is God — “That which was from the beginning…”

Jesus was a real person — “…which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands…”

We do not believe in a myth, we believe in the way, the truth, and the life

Jesus really did come1 John 1:1 — “the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us”

Manifest = To make visible what was previously unseen; to appear

John saw it for himself — he saw and was convinced that Jesus was God who had always existed and stepped into humanity. He believed that Jesus was God in the flesh.

Jesus is not just a mere man, He is God.

Jesus really does change lives 1 John 1:3 — “That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

John really wanted his readers to know that he knew Jesus, saw Jesus, heard Jesus, walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, dined with Jesus, etc. He wanted them to know this because his desire was that they would get to know Jesus like he did.

John’s life changed when he met Jesus. Peter’s life changed. Paul’s life changed. The early church changed. And people are still being changed by Jesus as they meet Him as well.

Their lives were changed because they had fellowship with Him. The only thing that can change our life is by meeting, encountering, and fellowshipping with Jesus.

Jesus really is enough 1 John 1:4 — “And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”

At the end of the day, you can have everything in the world and it not mean anything. Why? Because Jesus is enough.

If you had nothing else in life but Jesus, that would be enough.

If you never accomplished all of your dreams but you have Jesus, that would be enough.

If you lost everything in a flood and had nothing else but Jesus, that would be enough.Why?

Because Jesus is enough

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

True joy comes from true fellowship with Christ. And because Jesus is real, Jesus really came, Jesus is enough.

Jesus is really coming back. 1 John 3:2 — “Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

This is the promise that you and I have in Jesus! One day, Jesus is coming back to redeem His people back to Himself.

As the Apostle John says, “when He appears…” Jesus will appear again and we will be made like Him.

TAKEAWAYS

Because Jesus is real, you can trust Him completely

Because Jesus is real, you should Go and share Him boldly

Great Fathers

2026-06-20T22:16:05.602-05:00

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Men, you can be a great father – a biological father, an adoptive father, stepfather, foster father, or spiritual father … it’s innate … it’s in your genetic makeup. You can tap into it. It’s best done on purpose. If you weren’t coached, coach yourself. Here are some tips. Recognize that:

The one thing God wants more than anything else is to be your Father.

When God could have portrayed Himself as anything … He chose to reveal Himself in the image of a Father.

If there is one thing the devil could do away with, it would be the father.

Hordes of hell are assigned to minimize the role, the relationship, and the responsibilities of fatherhood by lying to fathers and to families.

The devil wants to minimize and trivialize fathers in society.

I believe this one problem figures into the whole problem with everything in the world.First to make you think God isn’t important and next to make you believe fathers aren’t important – like they don’t care about you.

Being a good father is the most like God any man will ever get the chance to be.

Being a Father means at some point you will be responsible for fixing something you did not break.

Many times that means fixing relationships. That was God’s first and biggest move as a Father.

Fathers, you’ve already heard a great message this morning. There are only two things I want to share that will help you be a good father.

Embrace Fatherhood

Fatherhood is more than being an observer.

Don’t just take the path of least resistance.

Fatherhood is more than leading, it’s mentoring.

Genesis 18:19 “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

Don’t present concerns with anger.

Many times fathers are afraid, and they don’t know how to deal with the concern that a child is about to make the same mistakes they made.

Other times fathers are hurt because they aren’t respected.

In these times they often present themselves as angry and they make things worse.

Ephesians 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Make sure you don’t react and attack your children. If you want to attack someone, attack the devil … train and encourage your children in the Lord.

I know we can do better because we know when we have done it the wrong way … let’s ask for forgiveness and then thank God for giving us a chance, or perhaps a second chance to be a great father.

An Ungodly Message

2026-06-13T19:33:20.681-05:00

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2 Peter 2:5 God did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, and brought in the flood on the world of the ungodly.

Several thoughts come to mind when I read this verse. The one we are going to focus on this morning is the characterization of Noah. Peter calls Noah, a preacher of righteousness.

The best I can figure from the scriptures and from the writings of Bible scholars through the centuries is that from the time Noah was given instructions to “build a boat” and the actual time the first rains came was over 100 years (120 years, Genesis 6:3). In all that time Noah was preparing and building the ark according to the divine blueprint given him by God. Noah was also tasked by God to preach only one message. The message was simple … “Get right with God!” It was a message for the ungodly: those who were not like God. However, no one outside of Noah’s wife, his 3 sons and their wives believed the message and therefore no one else repented and was allowed on the ark. Eight people in all.

Being right with God requires we believe Him. He set this as the one door through which we can step and be made to be right with Him.

Allow me to ask you a question … don’t answer … this is only for demonstration purposes.

Do you believe what Johnny Kildare said?

I suppose before you can truthfully answer that question you would reasonably need to know 2 important points:

Who is Johnny Kildare?

What did he say?

These are the same challenges we face about believing God. Before we can truthfully believe, we must first answer these two simple questions:

Who is God?

What did He say?

The first question can only be answered from your heart. The spirit of a man is his eternal conscious. We cannot accept an intellectual acknowledging of the probability of an existent God as our answer to this question.

If all we have is a preponderance of scholarly evidence that there is an intelligence beyond our understanding who was involved in creation and who may or may not be watching and judging our actions, then we have no real faith. The Holy Spirit does not offer intellectual evidence as a proof of the existence of God. As I said, Faith is a matter of the heart, not the head. Belief in God is an acknowledgement of what is in our heart, despite the questions of our head and the desires of our flesh.

“They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them … So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (Romans 1:19-20 NLT)

The verse just above in this passage, verse 18, reveals how people “suppress the truth” with their unrighteous behavior. The unrighteous often cover God with unrighteous acts; acts that belie their belief in God. Wickedness is not necessarily an issue of not believing in God but rather it lies with the behavior side of our lives when people choose to enjoy the pleasures of sin instead of living life to please Jesus.

The big difference in people who got on the ark and those who perished in Noah’s day was not a belief in God, but rather an unwillingness to do what it takes to get right with Him. The message of righteousness is an ungodly message. In other words: It’s a message to those who are not living right with God.

God does not hate or want to hurt the unrighteous or the wicked, God wants to save them. However, they need to repent like the people of Nineveh in the days of Jonah or else face the consequences like in the days of Noah. According to Romans 1, choosing to continue in unrighteous, wicked, or ungodly behavior can result in a seared conscience, a hard heart, or a confused mind. (Romans 1:21 & 28)

Are you right with God? My questions for you this morning are:

Who is God to you?

Do you know what He has said?

Do you believe Him?

3 Supporting Scriptures for Today

Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Galatians 3:6 Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

James 2:23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.

Good News! You have a chance right now to ask God to cleanse your heart and mind from any darkness or confusion. Just because you may not feel God right now doesn’t mean He does not exist. It might be other things in your life confusing you about who He is or what He expects.

What would it hurt to pray with me right now? Let’s pray.

Let It Go

2026-06-07T06:47:20.012-05:00

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Let it go! Just let it go. As a decision of your mind and by an act of your will … let it go. That’s what Jesus said to one of His disciples during the last few days of His earthly life and ministry.

Whatever you have been holding on to and rehearsing in your mind against the family member or close friend (brother or sister) who hurt you, or the mistake you made, or the opportunity you missed … let it go, let it all go.

There is no future without forgiveness, You have no future without forgiveness.

When we let go of resentment, it eases emotional burdens, promotes healing, and helps us move forward with greater peace. Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting or excusing behavior, but it does keep us from being trapped in the past.

Unforgiveness can withhold blessings from God in our lives. In fact, there is sufficient evidence in the Bible to make me believe that unforgiveness will also erode the blessings we have already received.

Jesus gives us a glimpse into how the Kingdom of Heaven operates and reveals the truth about the power of forgiveness in Matthew 18. In this passage Simon Peter, a commercial fisherman by trade with a straight-forward approach to life, asked Jesus a direct question.

Matthew 18

21 ¶ Then Peter came to Jesus and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

In the original language, the definition for the Greek word translated “forgive” in this verse means “let it go” … “leave it behind” … “drop it!”

What Simon Peter is asking Jesus is simple: If my brother (family & close friends) offends me, hurts me, does me wrong, how many times do I let it go before I refuse to forgive?

Jesus’ hope was to reveal the Father to us and encourage us to be more like Him.

22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.

24 “And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

25 “But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.

26 “The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’

27 “Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

29 “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’

30 “And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

31 “So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done.

32 “Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

33 ‘Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’

34 “And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

This parable was used by Jesus to show us how God feels when He has forgiven us, and we refuse to forgive others. The lesson also teaches us about the grace of God and His expectation for us to work hard and try to be more like Him. God knows it will take time and that forgiveness can be a heavy burden to bear.

Neither of these men asked for forgiveness, they only asked for patience. It’s like saying “Excuse me, I’m sorry, is there anything I can do?”

Forgiveness is a Gift

Forgiveness can be requested.

Forgiveness cannot be demanded.

Forgiveness is an Art

It is something we refine over time as an evolving practice hoping to become skillful with blending empathy and understanding, knowing we too stand in need of this grace.

Forgiveness is a Discipline

It requires deliberate effort and practice, even when it’s hard.

It is a deliberate commitment.

Forgiveness is a Responsibility

Forgiveness is a moral duty which benefits us and others.

Only you can forgive those who trespass against you.

Forgiveness is an Opportunity

It opens doors to growth, healing, and stronger relationships.

Forgiveness is the first step towards restoration.

Forgiveness is a Necessity

It is essential for freeing the soul from resentment.

It is vital for emotional healing and sustained health.

If we do not forgive ourselves and others, we will not be right with God.

Blessings are hindered.

Spiritual strength erodes.

We experience limited results in our spiritual pursuits.

Forgiveness is what is best for God, for you, and for others. Forgiveness does not mean I agree with you or even want to be your friend.

Forgiveness means:

I am not going to appoint myself to be your judge, jury, or executioner.

I am not going to bring the situation back up to:

God, in an attempt to get Him to judge or punish you.

The person, in efforts to criticize them or make them feel bad.

Myself, to nurse my hurt, anger, or disappointment.

Others, hoping to make them take my side and not like the other person.

I am going to give it to God, 70 times 7 times each day if I have to.

I am going to keep telling myself – “Let it go!”

Matthew 6

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

We have time this morning, I saved time especially for this moment. I’d like to offer each one of you on campus and those online an opportunity to connect with your Heavenly Father and ask Him to forgive you of your failures, wrongs, debts, trespasses, mistakes, bad decisions or whatever else you might comfortably call the sins you have allowed in your life … especially the sin of unforgiveness.

As well, some of you need to forgive others who have wronged you. Remember, forgiveness is a key to a better future.

Perhaps you’ve been disappointed by parents, hurt by your spouse, betrayed by your friend, or been unfairly treated by your employer. Whatever the pain, whoever it was that hurt you … even if it’s you … give them to God and LET IT GO!

Lift it up and let it go through prayer.

Toys & Candy

2026-05-30T19:08:07.131-05:00

Gtcotr/ss053126

Through the years when I am leaving a home or some gathering where children are present, I will announce my leaving by saying: “Bye now. I’m going to get some toys and candy!” When I’d say those words, everything would get quiet and all eyes would focus on me. All of the sudden, I’d become very popular. They would all want to go with me. Lots of times they would say, “I want to go.” I have presented some pretty big challenges for parents and some pretty great imaginations for the kids. Parents don’t appreciate it … but the kids often do. Can you imagine as a kid getting to go to the toy store or buy candy anytime you want? How exciting is that!

On some special occasions, like birthdays and such, I have taken a child to a toy store or to Walmart and told them they can have everything they can carry in their arms in one trip to the register. If you want to have some fun and enjoy making a kid happy, try that sometime. Just beware it can get expensive in a hurry. One of my favorite memories was watching my niece, Shelby, Jeff and Teena’s oldest daughter, do this on one of her birthdays. The determined look on her face as she held it all together and finally made it to the register was priceless. She loaded herself up and we were cheering her on.

Children are so wonderful. There is no greater joy than the joy a child can bring to the world (3 John 1:4). Childhood is the most precious time of life, innocent, loving, vulnerable, trusting and so full of potential and possibilities. No wonder everyone is born a child … what a gift, and no wonder God continues to see all of us as His dear children (Ephesians 5:1). As I said, there is something so wonderful about children.

When Jesus was on the last long walk of His life, as He headed from the Galilee through Jericho and on towards Jerusalem for the last Passover, there were several families traveling the road along with Him and His disciples. Not too far North of Jericho, on the eastern side of the Jordan River (Mark 10:1), the group stopped to rest. The almost 100-mile journey took about 3 days to walk. A hundred miles on foot was tiring even for Jesus. This trip would end up at the cross. There were so many things Jesus still wanted to tell His disciples. All along the way people were asking questions (Mark 10:2) and Jesus was continually teaching them. Now it was time for a break, time to rest, and the disciples wanted to protect Jesus from being further bothered. We join this account in:

Mark 10

13 ¶ Then families brought their little children to Jesus, that He might touch them; but the disciples scolded those who brought them.

14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

15 “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”

16 And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.

What makes children so special? We all know, it’s the innocence of their hearts.

Children are inherently:

1. Trusting

o They believe what they are told.

o Nothing is too fantastic for them.

o Faith seems so easy and they aren’t always trying to disprove what they’ve learned.

o This is why it is so important we teach them the truth that will last them a lifetime.

2. Teachable

o Soak up what they are taught.

o Hungry to learn and willing to try.

o They quickly learn from what they observe.

o Train up a child in the way they should go and when they get old, they will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6).

3. Submissive

o They are prone to obey and do what they are taught or told.

4. Forgiving

o Quick to forget.

o Willing to re-engage.

5. Loving

o Nothing beats the hugs of a child.

o We often forget how they first come to us.

6. Dependent

o They are satisfied with needing and appreciate help.

o They stop complaining when you meet their needs.

o They know from whom their dinner comes.

7. Joyful

o Have you heard the sounds at a playground during recess or a park in the summer, or in a class without a teacher?

o The joyful sounds of children light the home with laughter.

o Kids just want to have fun.

Matthew 18 NKJV

1 ¶ At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,

3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

6 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”

Childlike love, faith, joy, and forgiveness … that’s what God wants from us.

Who is the greatest in the eyes of God? Whoever humbles themselves as a child. Challenge yourself this week to tap into your childlike faith, be teachable, gentle, loving, forgiving, yield yourself to God’s way, and let the joy of the Lord be your strength. After all, a Merry Heart does good like a medicine for whatever ails you (Proverbs 17:22).

Now: It’s Family Sunday … lets go get some toys and candy!

Seeds & Needs

2026-05-27T11:49:27.275-05:00

Motivations of the Heart

Gtcotr/ws052726

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

How did God help? He gave ! Why did He give? Because He saw the need … What would motivate you to give? Many people stop short of realizing how much it cost God to meet our need. They imagine it was easy. That is not the truth.

Sometimes there is just no other way that a need can be met unless someone gives what they have to meet that need. In fact, there are three basic biblical motivations for Christians to give. These three reasons are plainly detailed in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments.

I am going to teach these three reasons in such a way I hope they will be easy for us to remember. The three Bible reasons Believers are motivated to give are to:

1. Meet the Need

2. Sow a Seed

3. Follow the Lead

First let’s talk about being motivated to ‘Meet the Need’.

Again, based on the first principle of salvation, God was so motivated by love that He looked down upon a world of lost humanity in need of a Savior and decided to do something about it. God realized that He had in His possession what it would take to meet man’s need. Sure, it would cost Him and cost Him greatly … nonetheless God was moved to give out of what He had to meet the need. And remember:

God did not give His extra Son, but His Only Son!

But the giving didn’t stop there. Truly God gave His Only Son but Mary was also moved by the leadership of the Holy Spirit to give her Firstborn!

You see, sometimes we could be tempted to think that God, Who sees all needs and loves all people, will surely do something to meet the needs of those who cannot help themselves. That is a correct assumption, but it does not go far enough into the equation. God will certainly meet real needs but, He will do it through some person who is also willing to give and meet that need. God works and even loves through others.

That’s what the scripture in 1 John means:

1 John 3:17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

This is exactly what Zacchaeus did in Luke 19:8. He was motivated by love to give and meet the needs of the poor. Only one chapter prior to this, in Luke 18, we find Jesus taking time to explain to His disciples why a different wealthy man refused to give anything to meet the needs of others. This man, Jesus explained, never came to know the true riches God was willing to give to him because He would not give to others. We cannot bypass people and rightly imagine we have somehow given to God. God gives to people, through people.

This speaks to one of life’s basic principles in that:

God will seldom continue to give to you what He cannot give through you.

A second Biblical motivation to give is to ‘Sow a Seed’.

Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

Such was the case of the widow in 1 Kings 17. Also to note is the story of Isaac who sowed in the land of famine and in that same year received a hundredfold increase. You can read about his faith in Genesis 26.

Money behaves like seed. This is one of the laws of God.
As well, remember God loves a cheerful giver and:

2 Corinthians 9:6 He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

The third motivation to give is to: ‘Follow the Lead’.

The Apostle Paul provides several platforms for us to understand that it is scriptural for church leadership to request offerings for special projects which require funding from time to time. One of the accounts of such a request to give is found in 1 Corinthians 16.

The history leading to this moment shows Paul was much occupied with raising financial relief for the poor and persecuted Believers back in Jerusalem. He evidently received a commitment from the Corinth Church while he was with them in person, however, as of his writing his first letter to the Corinthian Church, they had not been forthcoming with their offerings. Pledges and intentions are great but there is nothing quite as helpful as someone who actually follows through.

It seems that the Churches in Macedonia and Galatia had already sent some relief and so Paul once again encourages the Believers in the Church at Rome and Corinth to do likewise. This would not be the last time Paul mentions this offering to the Corinthian congregation.

Now, after setting forth the Church doctrine, which he concluded with the close of Chapter 15, the Apostle Paul directs his attention to encouraging the Church to put a plan in place which would assist them in receiving this collection for the saints. Paul begins:

1 Corinthians 16
1 ¶ Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:
2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.
3 And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.
4 But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.

Pleas from leadership which contain encouragements to give to a particular project or vision were not uncommon in Paul’s day and even in earlier times.

We see Moses making requests for the Children of Israel to bring their gold and silver to him so that the tabernacle in the wilderness could be constructed and furnished for worship. Listen to what Moses said when he needed money to do what he believed God told him to do.

Exodus 35
4 And Moses spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying:
5 Take from among you an offering to the LORD. Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it as an offering to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze…”

What were the results?

Exodus 35
21 Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the LORD’S offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments.
22 They came, both men and women, as many as had a willing heart, and brought earrings and nose rings, rings and necklaces, all jewelry of gold, that is, every man who made an offering of gold to the LORD.

This offering was in direct response to Moses’ plea. Those who trusted Moses and believed he was hearing from God, were motivated to participate. Many hearts were stirred and everyone who was of a willing spirit followed Moses’ lead and brought the offerings he requested.

The response was so great that:

Exodus 36
6 So Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, "Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the sanctuary." And the people were restrained from bringing,
7 for the material they had was sufficient for all the work to be done—indeed too much.

So, let me say it once again: The three major motivations to give are:

1. To meet the need

2. To sow a seed

3. To follow the lead

I hope this encourages you to connect your giving to God. I pray it motivates you to be a cheerful and liberal giver to God’s work on the earth.

May He give not only to you but also through you! Ask yourself: What would motivate me to give?

Beyond the Sacrifice

2026-05-23T12:51:30.041-05:00

Gtcotr/052426

This is Memorial Day Weekend in the United States. Memorial Day encourages all Americans to remember the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who gave their lives in defense of our nation. Since 1775, our best and our brightest men and women have been donning the uniform, saluting the flag, and standing on the front lines of conflicts and wars both on our soil and abroad fighting for justice and freedom. Without the sacrifice of these fallen heroes, our way of life would not exist.

History has a way of repeating itself and life imitates truth. The Bible doesn’t make sense because we are Christians … rather, we follow Christ because the Bible makes sense. Truths such as war, sacrifice, justice, and freedom, along with standing up for what you believe did not originate with man. We have a Heavenly Father who has instilled His values and His virtues in each one of us. Sacrifice is a duty we were born to and created for. Knowing how, when, and where to lay down our lives is a challenge faced by all. Such as:

The sacrifice of a parent for their own children.

The sacrifice of a teacher for their students.

The sacrifice of a first responder for their community.

We all sacrifice to protect our own.

Jesus, however, gave His life for sinners and for the ungodly.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we do not ask if we should give. The only questions we have are when, where, and how much should we give. King David said:

2 Samuel 24:22b “I will not give to the LORD my God that which costs me nothing.”

Sacrifice is expected to cost something. Unfortunately the price demanded can often exceed our mortal ability and at other times the cost will break our hearts. Hopes grow in our heart, as they should, and many dreams come to life, and we get to enjoy them for years. Yet some hopes and dreams die prematurely, and we are left with an empty heart where nothing grows for a while. King David faced just such a time as this.

Let’s look at the account of the death of David’s best friend, Johnathan, who sacrificed his life for a noble and worthy cause. My hope today is that we can both honor the sacrifice and see beyond the sacrifice to the opportunities it afforded others for which the sacrifice was made.

When we read about sacrifices in the Bible they all have the same end goal. Something of value is offered in such a way that it will be accepted as a payment for the past and positioning for the future. Sacrifices are meant to close one door while opening another. The blood of bulls and goats, for example, dealt with sins of the past while also offering an opportunity to step into a future free from guilt.

The blood of Jesus did the very same thing, only in a much greater and lasting way. Jesus’ sacrifice paid for the past and gave Born-Again Believers a chance to live a righteous life. The perfect sacrifice of Christ closed the door on death and opened a door to eternal life for all who believe and received Him and His sacrifice.

His sacrifice did not just close a door … it did not just end a bad thing … it was more than just His death. Sacrifices are meant to offer the chance of a better future. It may cost someone their life so others can live. War is hell and people die. Memorial Day is the day we remember and offer our thanks to those who paid the ultimate price. May we never forget!

2 Samuel 1 NLT

As we review the account of this fierce battle at Mount Gilboa where King Saul and his son Jonathan were fighting the Philistines, we note Johnathan, although at odds with his father Saul, was nonetheless standing shoulder to shoulder alongside him in this fight. Saul was David’s king and Johnathan was David’s best friend. Their relationships had been stressed and strained, but their covenant and their hearts were still intact.

It was hard to for David to imagine; both Saul and Johnathan were killed in this battle. When David heard the news, he tore his clothes and wept and fasted. David then wrote a song to help himself express and process his grief. (Note: Read the passage below with brief commentary.)

2 Samuel 1

17 ¶ Then David composed a funeral song for Saul and Jonathan,

18 and he commanded that it be taught to the people of Judah. It is known as the Song of the Bow, and it is recorded in The Book of Jashar.

19 Your pride and joy, O Israel, lies dead on the hills! Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen!

20 Don’t announce the news in Gath, don’t proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon, or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice and the pagans will laugh in triumph.

21 O mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew or rain upon you, nor fruitful fields producing offerings of grain. For there the shield of the mighty heroes was defiled; the shield of Saul will no longer be anointed with oil.

22 The bow of Jonathan was powerful, and the sword of Saul did its mighty work. They shed the blood of their enemies and pierced the bodies of mighty heroes.

23 How beloved and gracious were Saul and Jonathan! They were together in life and in death. They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.

24 O women of Israel, weep for Saul, for he dressed you in luxurious scarlet clothing, in garments decorated with gold.

25 Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies dead on the hills.

26 How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan! Oh, how much I loved you! And your love for me was deep, deeper than the love of women!

27 Oh, how the mighty heroes have fallen! Stripped of their weapons, they lie dead.

After mourning with his family and friends, David knew what he must do.

2 Samuel 2

1 ¶ After this, David asked the LORD, “Should I move back to one of the towns of Judah?” “Yes,” the LORD replied. Then David asked, “Which town should I go to?” “To Hebron,” the LORD answered.

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen … Lord, what should I do now?” Life goes on, never the same, but on it goes and we must continue with the plan of God for our lives. David knew, the living must live so the dead did not die in vain.

After the sacrifices, after the shock and the pain of loss, after the unthinkable has happened … is there anything beyond? Yes! God always has a plan beyond the sacrifice.

Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Not only do we remember the ultimate sacrifice many made so that others can experience the peace and safety of living in a free and just America, but we also remember their sacrifice made a difference in our lives.

The freedom to speak and address our grievances in the public square;

The freedom to worship our God according to our convictions;

The freedom of the press;

The freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness;

The freedom to be judged by a fair and impartial jury in a time and manner prescribed by law;

The freedom from unlawful search and seizures;

The freedom to vote for the candidate of our choice …

All of these are the result of others laying down their lives for us

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

I will never forget those who gave their lives in defense of our nations’ decided best interests.

And, I will never forget the perfect sacrifice made for my soul by our Lord and Savior Jesus. He did it so that we could have life and have it more abundantly. God accepted His sacrifice … have you?

Have you received the sacrifice of Christ as your personal gift from God yet? If not, why not? He did it for you … pray and receive Him now.

Jesus Our Advocate

2026-05-17T07:05:43.905-05:00

One of the greatest truths in all of scripture is the fact that God is for us. He loves us, He cares about us, and He is on our side. He really is on your side! That is encouraging! Imagine the peace in our life that we would experience if we simply walked in this truth. That is the promise we have as believers.

This is so important! Knowing that Jesus is our advocate is vital to our belief. What you believe about God and what you believe about yourself is very important. Why? Because right belief leads to right living. Believing the right things leads to living the right way.

Not everyone sees you the way that God sees you. Not everyone talks about you the way that God talks about you. It is important that we are listening to the voice of our advocate and not the voice of the accuser.

But more on that later! For now, let’s jump into our text for today.

The apostle John, the same John who wrote the gospel of John, is writing to his readers about living rightly before God. The main idea is that true fellowship with God is found in the person of Jesus Christ and that the evidence of fellowship with Him is found in a transformed life.

In chapter one he establishes his authority as a true eyewitness of Jesus risen from the dead. He was adamant about God being perfect as light and that no one can be living in darkness and claim to be in God. He also is adamant that anyone claiming to be without sinning is lying and is not born again.

Then in chapter two John continues his thought. Let’s pick up in verse one:

1 John 2:1-2 — “1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

Here the Bible says that we as believers have an “advocate” with the Father.

Our Advocate = Jesus Christ (the Righteous One)

What is an Advocate?

Advocate (Parakletos) = One who stands on your behalf; Defends your case

A “Parakletos” was someone who voluntarily stepped forward in a court of law to defend an accused person, represent them, and urge the judge for a favorable verdict. John is saying that Jesus is that person for us!

There are a few things that we have to understand in order for all of this to make sense.

1. The Law Reveals Our Guilt
The truth is that God is holy, just, and righteous. God is perfect! When God created the world, it was perfect as well. But when Adam disobeyed God, sin entered the world. Through Moses, God gave the Law to Israel and to us (Torah). The whole point of the law was to reveal that we have all sinned and that we have all fallen short. It’s purpose was to reveal our guilt.

When you break the law here in America, there are consequences. When you break the law of God, there are consequences as well. When you break the law in America, your penalty is a fine, jail time, prison time, potentially even life in prison. However, when you break the law of God, the consequence is eternal separation from God.

Every single one of us has fallen short, every single one of us has sinned. Therefore we are all guilty of breaking the law. If you had to stand before God based on your own righteousness, you would have no defense. The evidence against you in overwhelming!

No amount of good works, church attendance, apologizing could erase our guilt. We needed someone to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. That someone is Jesus Christ!

2. Jesus Paid Our Debt
Jesus came to this earth born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, was falsely accused, nailed to a wooden cross, and then died a sinner’s death. When Jesus died, He took our punishment upon Himself for us. His blood was shed for us so that we could be forgiven, set free, and could be in right standing before God. (Oh precious is the flow…)

In the Old Testament, there was mediator between God and man; the high priest. The role of the high priest was to represent man before God (Note: A prophet represented God to the people).

Hebrews 5:1 — “For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.”

His job was to represent the people by offering a consecrated sacrifice to God on behalf of the people for their forgiveness.

Jesus Himself is the Ultimate High Priest! He was taken from us (born of a virgin), and appointed for us, in order to represent us to God. His death was the perfect sacrifice made unto God once and for all for the forgiveness of our sins. His death paid the debt we owed and took on our penalty for us.

3. Jesus is Defending Our Case
Jesus is no longer in the grave — He is in heaven right now making intercession for you. What does that mean? He is defending your case. He is being an advocate on your behalf. Why? Because while you do have an advocate that is on your side, you also have an accuser; that is the devil himself.

The Bible says that the devil is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10). It says that he accuses us before God day and night. All day long, he goes before God to make accusations against you. He points out the wrong you have done, the sins you have committed, and the mistakes you have made. He is constantly pointing our your guilt.

But this is where Jesus as our advocate really comes into play. While the devil continues to hurl accusations against you, Jesus stands before God as our lawyer/defender and points to His righteousness that has been applied to us through His blood that was shed for us. He points to His sacrificial death on the cross that completely paid for our sin. Jesus stands before God on your behalf and says “he is mine, she is mine, I paid for him/her!”

Jesus is making intercession for you right now!!

So 1 John 2:1 portrays a heavenly courtroom:

• God is the judge

• You as the defendant

• The devil as the accuser (prosecutor) pointing out what you did wrong

• Jesus as the defense attorney on your behalf

Jesus is interceding on your behalf before God RIGHT NOW!!

Notice what it says at the end of 1 John 2:1

“But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”

Jesus is qualified to be an advocate on our behalf because He is the perfect and righteous one!

This is the truth! This is so important for us to know and understand. Why you may ask? Because the accuser is not only making accusations about you before God, he is also making accusations to you as well. He tells you all the bad things you’ve done. He points out all your failures. He tries to condemn you by whispering lies to you:

• You are a failure

• You’re not a good parent

• It’s your fault

• You are never going to change

• God is disappointed in you

• You ruined your calling

• You’re not worthy

• God can’t use you, look at your mistakes

If we are not careful, we will begin to agree with accusations that God never spoke over us. We can find ourselves imprisoned by and accusations and condemnation (lies) when the truth is actually quite the opposite.

The devil wants you to focus on yourself and your own shortcomings. Why? Because he knows that if you begin to lift your eyes to Jesus, then you will see the truth, that you are forgiven, that you have been covered, and that you have had an advocate on your side the entire time.

The devil knows the truth, he just wants to keep you from seeing it. Why? Because he wants to keep you on the sideline. He wants to keep you from being effective for the kingdom of God. His weapon of choice are accusations and condemnation. But we must remember that our advocate has paid the price for us and is defending us before God the Father day and night!

So let us take our eyes off ourselves and our own failures and shortcomings and let us put them on Jesus! Who is the Author and Finisher of our faith. It is because of Him that we are considered the righteousness of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:21 — “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

You are no longer identified by your sin. You are now identified by His righteousness.

TAKEAWAYS

I. Stop agreeing with accusations that God never spoke over you
We have to be careful not to agree with the attacks on our heart from the enemy when he accuses us. We must recognize that as the voice of the enemy.

We have to recognize the difference between conviction and condemnation. Condemnation is from the enemy. He constantly accuses, condemns, and reminds you of your shortcomings.

However, conviction comes from the Holy Spirit inspired to lead us to repentance and restoration. Conviction leads you back to God, condemnation leads you away from God.

Do not build your identity around what the accuser says about you. Instead, build your identity around what your advocate says about you.

II. Keep your eyes on Jesus instead of your failures
The devil wants you to focus on yourself and all of your mistakes because as long as you stare at yourself, you will keep staying defeated. He wants to keep you from lifting your eyes to Jesus at all costs. Why? Because freedom comes when you lift your eyes and see the truth that Jesus has been defending the entire time.

Your salvation was never based on your perfection, it was based on His.
And you are not being defended by your righteousness, but by His.

III. Remember that Jesus is still interceding for you right now
Although Jesus paid for your salvation 2000 years ago, He is actively advocating for you in heaven right now! The devil is hurling accusations about you before God, but Jesus your advocate is standing in the gap interceding on your behalf. You don’t have to fight for God’s love or acceptance, you already have it in Christ!

And since Jesus is advocating on your behalf day and night, let us…

IV. Live confidently knowing that God is for you
Because Jesus is your advocate, you do not have to live defeated, ashamed, or condemned. If you sin, repent (not apologize) and ask for God’s help to redeem you from your struggles.

The enemy wants to keep you on the sideline through guilt and shame. However, Jesus paid for your sin so that you could walk in freedom and purpose.

Romans 8:31 — “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

GOD IS FOR YOU!!

God is on your side and He will never give up on you.

Rock Solid Convictions Prayer: Our Dependence on God

2026-05-16T08:46:00.000-05:00

Series Review:

Intro: What are Convictions?

• Conviction — Something you are so thoroughly convinced is absolutely true that you are willing to take a stand for it regardless of the consequences

• Convictions are settled before a crisis

• Convictions refuse to bow even others do

• If you don’t decide what you believe, something else will decide for you

• A shaky belief system leads to a shaky life

Part 1: Convictions about God

• God is supreme — (uncreated, infinite, unchanging)

• God is good — (holy, loving, just)

• God is sovereign — (all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present

• God is worth trusting

Part 2: Convictions about the Bible

• God’s Word is the ultimate authority — not culture, opinions, or feelings (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

• God’s Word is truth, not suggestion — it defines reality, not just advice for life (John 17:17)

• God’s Word must be applied, not just heard — transformation comes through obedience (James 1:22)

• God’s Word is the foundation for a stable life — it anchors you when everything else shifts (Matthew 7:24–25)

•

Part 3: Convictions about Money

• God owns everything — everything belongs to God, we are simply stewards of what He has given to us (Psalm 24:1)

• Money is a tool — God is not opposed to us having more money, He is opposed to money having more of us (1 Timothy 6:10)

• God is my Provider — my paycheck is not my provider, but God is
(Philippians 4:19)

• Money is temporary — Do not accumulate riches here on earth, but accumulate riches in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20)

• Being blessed is a responsibility — God blesses us with the intent of us being a blessing to others (Genesis 12:2)

Today we are talking about rock solid convictions that we as Christians should believe when it comes to prayer. There are a lot of things I could have chosen for us to discuss when it comes to this series, but I chose prayer. Why? Because if there is one area the enemy constantly attacks in believers, it is their prayer life.

Most believers believe prayer matters, but many believers struggle to pray consistently. Prayer often becomes:

• Occasional

• Reactive

• Rushed

• Emergency-only communication with God

We pray when:

• Life falls apart

• Bills stack up

• Relationships strain

• Diagnoses come

• Anxiety rises

• Difficulty hits

But prayer was never meant to be our last resort.

Prayer was always supposed to be our daily connection with God.

And what’s amazing is that the disciples walked with Jesus every single day. They heard Him teach, they watched Him heal people, they saw miracles, they watched Him lead crowds of people.

Yet, what was the one thing they asked Jesus to teach them? Prayer.

Luke 11:1 — “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray.

So out of all the things they could of asked Jesus to teach them, why did they ask Him to pray? There must have been a reason… I believe it is because they recognized something powerful about the life of Jesus: His power flowed from His connection with the Father.

And if we are going to build rock-solid convictions, we must settle this truth:

I cannot live the life God has called me to live apart from prayer.

So lets look at 5 rock solid convictions that we should believe about prayer:

1. Prayer is relationship, not a performance
Matthew 6:7–8 — “7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Jesus teaches that prayer is not about performance or empty repetition. God is not impressed by fancy words, long speeches, or spiritual sounding language. Prayer is not about trying to impress God or to impress people. Prayer is about a communal relationship with God.

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He started with the words “Our Father…” — That matters because it shows that prayer is personal.

Some people struggle with prayer because they think:

• I don’t know how to pray…

• I’m not spiritual enough…

• I don’t sound good when I pray…

But prayer is not about how well we can perform it in front of others; it is simply communication with God.

The power of prayer is not found in perfect words. The power of prayer is found in the God we are praying to.

Conviction:

• God desires connection more than performance

• Prayer is about relationship, not religious routine

2. Prayer Reveals Dependence
John 15:5 — “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Prayer is an act of dependence. Every time we pray, we are acknowledging “God I need you.” In fact, one of the reasons prayer can be difficult is because our flesh likes independence. We like:

• Control

• Self-sufficiency

• Feeling capable

• Handling things ourselves

But prayer humbles us. Prayer reminds us that we cannot do life apart from God. A life without prayer is a self-dependent life.

Even Jesus consistently prayed:

• Before major decisions

• Before miracles

• In the Garden

• Before the cross

If Jesus prioritized prayer, how much more should we?

Illustration: Prayer is to the spirit what breathing is to the body. You can survive a little while holding your breath, but eventually weakness sets in. The same thing happens spiritually when believers disconnect from prayer.

Without prayer:

• Discernment weakens

• Peace weakens

• Spiritual strength weakens

• Sensitivity to God weakens

Prayer is a declaration of dependance on God: we were never designed to live independently from God.

3. Prayer invites God into every area of our life
Philippians 4:6-7 — “6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Notice that it says “pray about everything.” That means that prayer is not just for a crisis, tragedies, emergencies, or major life moments. Prayer belongs in the everyday moments of life:

• Parenting

• Marriage

• Finances

• Ministry

• School

• Relationships

• Work

• Emotions

• Stress

• Decisions

Sometimes we think, “God doesn’t care about something this small.” But if it matters to you, it matters to Him. God does not just want access to part of your life, He wants involvement in every area of your life.

Prayer should be a part of everyday life: nothing is too small to bring before God

4. Prayer changes us before it changes our circumstances
One of the hardest parts about prayer is waiting. Sometimes we pray and situations do not immediately change. If we are not careful, discouragement can settle in.

But prayer is not only about changing circumstances. Prayer is about changing us. Prayer changes:

• Our perspective

• Our trust

• Our peace

• Our surrender

• Our dependence on God

Look at Jesus in Gethsemane.

Luke 22:42 — “Not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Jesus entered prayer burdened, but He left prayer surrendered. The cross was not removed, but strength came through prayer. Many times prayer does not immediately remove the battle, but prayer strengthens us in the middle of it.

As believers many of you know exactly what that feels like:

• The situation remained difficult

• The pressure did not instantly disappear

• The answer did not come immediately

But somehow:

• Peace came

• Strength came

• Grace came

• Endurance came

Prayer often strengthens us before the circumstances ever change

5. A prayer-less life is a dangerous life
One of the most dangerous things spiritually is looking alive outwardly while slowly disconnecting inwardly. It is possible to attend church, serve faithfully, know Scripture, look spiritually mature, and still lose intimacy with God.

Because activity is not intimacy.

The enemy understands the importance of prayer. That is why one of his greatest strategies is distraction. If he cannot destroy your faith, he will try to distract your focus. He knows that if he can disconnect us from God, then we will grow to be weak spiritually

But when we build consistent prayer lives, we grow in:

• Peace

• Wisdom

• Discernment

• Intimacy with God

TAKEAWAYS

I. Spend intentional daily time in prayer

II. Bring everything to God, not just emergencies

III. Allow God to shape you through prayer

IV. Prioritize your connection with God over religious routine

Mother’s Day

2026-05-09T17:44:00.000-05:00

Gtcotr/ss051026

In recognition of our mothers today, let’s honor and celebrate them with a prayer of thanksgiving to God. Mothers are a gift from heaven’s own hand and without yours, you would never have known life. There is no way, not a chance, you could have a different mother and still be you. Without your mother, you would never exist. Let’s pray … (Prayer of Thanksgiving)

To moms, stepmoms, adoptive moms, assumptive moms, foster moms, spiritual moms, and moms of necessity – we want to say a very special Happy Mother’s Day! We love and appreciate you all.

Let’s open our Bibles to the New Testament Book of 2 Timothy, chapter 1.

I believe 2 Timothy contains the last words we have from the Apostle Paul. I believe Paul was about 62 years old and was in prison in Rome when he wrote this letter. He knew from the Holy Spirit that he was nearing the end of his earthly life and his departure to heaven was close at hand.

Several places in the Bible where we read the last words of our mothers and fathers of faith seem to hold concentrated truths meant to somehow carry greater weight in our lives. I can tell you for sure, the last words spoken to me by my father and my mother have sustained me in some of my greatest times of testing and trials in life.

2 Timothy 1 NKJV

1 ¶ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

2 To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

· Paul calls Timothy his beloved son. Not a biological reality, and not because Paul had led Timothy to faith in Jesus.

· Paul claims Timothy as his son solely based on the demonstrated fact that Paul had adopted Timothy into his spiritual family and as such took on the responsibility of raising him as a son in the faith.

· This verse serves to prove we may embrace and experience more than one level of parenthood in our lives.

· One thing a godly parent does is to declare blessings over the lives of their children.

o “Grace, mercy, and peace from God …”

3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day,

· Another mark of a godly parent is that they serve God for their children’s sake.

· Samson’s mother (Judges 13:7&14) was told to alter her lifestyle to fit the rules her son was destined to follow.

· A godly parent is committed to pray for their children night and day. Just because you didn’t have one, doesn’t mean you can’t be one.

4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy,

· A godly parent longs for and enjoys the company of their children.

· They know their welfare.

· And they applaud their faithfulness.

· “That I may be filled with joy …”

5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.

· 3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear my children walk in truth.

· Paul credited Timothy’s faith and faithfulness to what he had learned from his mother Eunice, who first learned it from her mother Lois.

The name Lois in the Greek means agreeable. Do you know what a blessing it is to have an agreeable mother, more so than having a disagreeable mother? The support of a godly mother sets us up for success. And that’s exactly what the name Eunice means, prosperity and victory … in other words - success!

Allow me to give you the backstory to Lois, Eunice, and Timothy. Lois, the grandmother, was Jewish, evidently married to a Jewish man. They had a daughter named Eunice. At some point, Eunice decided to marry a Gentile man who lived in the city of Lystra, in what is now the country of Turkey. Timothy’s father did not believe in God as did Timothy’s mother and therefore the family did not practice the religious customs or keep the law. Nonetheless Timothy’s mother taught him to believe the Word of God.

2 Timothy 3:15 And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

No doubt this was taxing for Lois, the grandmother. Nonetheless, she evidently supported her daughter Eunice and taught her to trust God.

Acts 16

1 ¶ Then Paul came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek.

2 He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.

3 Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.

Timothy did not have a father who taught him to believe in Jesus or serve the Lord. Thankfully it was not so with his mother. Eunice was a believer in Jesus, and her son Timothy also believed, and he gained a good reputation amongst the other Believers in that area.

Timothy must have also inherited some spiritual DNA, or was otherwise greatly influenced by his grandmother’s agreeable spirit seeing Timothy submitted himself to Paul and even to circumcision before going with him to the mission field.

If you have a daughter, you are raising a potential Eunice. Your godly, motherly support and your faith in Jesus can help her become prosperous and successful, even in the face of difficulties and bad decisions. If you have a son, you’re potentially raising a Timothy. Teach him the Word.

It’s easy to imagine Timothy wasn’t raised in a perfect world. However, his mother taught him the Holy Scriptures that led him to Jesus. I challenge each mom today, be a Lois or a Eunice and be a blessing to your children.