EZ Sermons Online

Who is Your Thomas?

2026-04-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

We are one week removed from the celebration of our risen savior Jesus. It was a wonderful celebration, not just for our church but also for the global church as a whole. Easter Sunday is a great representation of what the disciples got to celebrate when they encountered Jesus 2000 years ago. The only difference is that the disciples actually knew Jesus, lived with Him, dined with Him, walked with Him, talked with Him, witnessed Him perform miracles and other things. And in an instant He was gone.

I believe that the encounter the disciples had with Jesus meant so much more than we can ever realize. Its not just about what took place on that Easter Sunday, it is also because of what happened eight days later.

Let’s dive into the text.

Jesus has risen from the grave that Sunday morning. Jesus revealed Himself to Mary Magdalene, Mary (mother of James), Salome, and other women, and to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus. These were all special encounters that gave hope and life to each disciple that saw Him. Each encounter ends with worship and amazement.

That evening, the rest of the disciples (minus Thomas) were locked in a room in a home in Jerusalem. Many scholars believed it was the same upper room they were in with Jesus the last time they were together with Him. Not sure, but it makes sense:

• They already knew the location

• The room was large enough to hold everyone

• It had also become a familiar meeting place

So just imagine, they are all together (the core disciples and the other followers who were with them) upstairs in a private home. The doors are shut tight, locked, windows likely covered and carefully watched. They were all here because they were afraid, confused, and uncertain. They were all trying to make sense of everything.

• Women said the tomb was empty

• Mary said she saw Jesus

• Peter claimed to have had his own encounter with Him

• Two disciples just came back from Emmaus saying that they saw Him

However, while some believed others still doubted. Some of them are confused, some are trying to connect the dots. There in a room full of fear, questions, and wondering of what comes next. In that room were differing levels of faith. There were some who had seen Jesus (Mary, Peter, Emmaus disciples), some who only heard the reports, and those who were still unsure and possibly doubted.

It was in that moment that Jesus showed up…

John 20:19-22

“19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

In the midst of all that was happening, Jesus showed up! In the midst of everything they were going through, Jesus came in at the right time. Jesus wasn’t waiting for them to be full of faith and doing all of the right things. He showed up in the middle of their fear and doubt. That is encouraging!

Jesus doesn’t just wait for you to have it all together to meet you where you are at. He meets you in the middle of your discouragement, if you will allow Him.

When Jesus showed up, He gave them three things:

1. Peace
v19 — “Peace be with you…”
Jesus gave them peace in the middle of their fear and doubt. He silenced all the confusion and brought clarity to their mind and their hearts.

2. Proof
v20 — “When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”
Jesus reassured them that He indeed was alive and that He had risen from the grave. He vindicated those who saw Him and encouraged those who were still doubting.

3. Purpose
v21-22 — “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus commissioned them to be His witnesses. Jesus:

‣ Sends them — As the Father sent Him

‣ Empowers them — with the Holy Spirit

‣ Gives them Authority — of His own

So, imagine the scene… All of the disciples have seen Jesus first hand. They have inspected the wounds and have seen that He is truly risen. They are filled with joy and excitement. Jesus gives them peace, proof, and purpose. All is going well! However, one thing is off— Thomas its not present.

Every believer there was just like Thomas: scared, confused, and uncertain. The difference is that they still gathered together. It was when they were altogether that Jesus showed up. They were elated and filled with joy and certainty. However, their friend was still struggling. So they did what any born-again friend should do, they reached out to him!

They linked up with Thomas and told him all that happened.

John 20:24-25 — “24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,[d] was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

The other disciples saw the Lord! They knew He was risen and they all had a life changing encounter with Him. While this was true, they didn’t just keep it to themselves. No, they reached out to their friend and told him what happened. They were fulfilling their Christian duty to share with Thomas what had happened.

Like these disciples, we too have a Christian responsibility to share with our friends what Jesus has done in our life. We too have seen that Jesus is risen and have a personal testimony of how He has encountered our lives. It is our duty to share it with others!

Thomas did not and would not believe them. No matter what they said, he refused to believe their report. Thomas was adamant about staying in his position due to his hurt and disappointment. What I love about this is that the disciples didn’t just give up. Quite the opposite— they took him up on his offer when he said that he would only believe if he saw Jesus for himself. So they did what only made sense, they brought him where they knew Jesus would show up again, in the gathering of believers; they brought him to church! (Sunday)

One of the best things we can do is to invite someone who is struggling to believe to church with us. Why? Because Jesus shows up.

And that is exactly what happened when Thomas was invited that next Sunday:

John 20:26-28

“26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!””

Wow! Thomas when from a doubting skeptic to a professing believer, all in one moment: when Jesus showed up. Thomas truly believed! Not only did he believe, Thomas was with the disciples when Jesus commissioned them again,. Thomas was there when the Holy Spirit fell upon all of the disciples. Not only that, but Thomas went on to be an incredible witness for Jesus as a missionary to India, allegedly being the first person to evangelize the people of India with the gospel. That is amazing! But that all happened because of his friends.

1. They told him about Jesus when he didn’t believe

2. They didn’t give up on him when he doubted

3. They stayed connected to him the entire time

4. They got him to the place where Jesus would show up

Because they did all of that, they also got to witness his breakthrough. They were there when Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” What a reward it was for them to be there in that moment. But it all happened because they refused to give up on a friend.

Let me encourage you, don’t give up on people too soon. Stay consistent with them and keep believing for them. Even when it seems like they aren’t going to change their position, they might be one moment away from encountering Jesus just like you did.

What would have happened if the disciples would have moved on? What would have happened if they had never reached out to Thomas? What would have happened if they had given up on him because he refused to believe in that moment? We don’t know the answer to that question, but we do know that he believed because his Christian friends refused to give up on him.

Let us too refuse to give up on our friends and family and continue to reach out to them, stay connected to them, and continue to believe for them.

TAKEAWAYS

I. Stay in the room—even when you don’t understand

‣ The disciples where scared, confused, and uncertain

‣ However, they still gathered together

‣ Don’t disappear when life gets hard

‣ Don’t isolate yourself when your faith feels weak

‣ Stay connected to your fellow believers

II. Tell people about Jesus—even when they don’t believe

‣ The disciples told Thomas “We have seen the Lord!”

‣ Thomas didn’t believe them, but it didn’t stop them from sharing

‣ The disciple’s testimony was still powerful even though Thomas doubted

‣ Keep sharing what God has done in your life

‣ Don’t let someone’s response silence your witness

‣ Your testimony is still powerful even when its not immediately received

III. Don’t give up on people who are struggling to believe

‣ Thomas pushed back and he pushed back hard

‣ However, they did not give up on Thomas— they stayed consistent

‣ Don’t write people off as “they will never believe”

‣ Don’t label people by where their current season

‣ Keep loving on them, keep reaching out to them, keep believing for them
A doubter today might become a disciple tomorrow

IV. Your role is not to change them—but to get them in front of Jesus

‣ They couldn’t convince Thomas no matter how hard they tried

‣ But they could bring them back to where Jesus would show up

‣ Invite them

‣ Bring them

‣ Sit with them

‣ Let Jesus do what He can only do

Here is my question to you this morning…

Who is your Thomas?

Who is it God that God has put on your heart to believe for? To pray for? To reach out to?

Resurrection Day

2026-04-04T18:52:00.000-05:00

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Mark 16 NLT

9 ¶ After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons.

· Sunday – the new day of rest.

· Those who have been forgiven much, love much. (Luke 7:47)

· Why did Jesus appear first to Mary Magdalene? Because she was there.

o If we wish to be a part of Jesus doing miracles, we need to be present at the place where miracles are happening.

o If we want a paycheck, we need to show up at work.

· Jesus didn’t come to Mary … Mary went to Him!

o She didn’t give up on her dream of serving Him.

o She was committed to serve Him in life and in death, in the good days and in the difficult times.

10 She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened.

· Everyone handles grief differently.

· I am often sad about a circumstance or situation, but I have learned to not allow myself to be worried, become afraid, or get depressed.

· The disciples were worried, afraid, and dysfunctional.

· While Mary was working, the disciples were weeping.

· While Mary was going, the disciples were grieving.

11 But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.

· This event is a picture of what world evangelism is like.

· It is repeated over and again each day

· People sent like Mary was to go and tell … they go and tell the lost and hurting, the fearful and worried … and often people refuse to believe.

· So, what does Jesus do? He just keeps sending more witnesses …

12 Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country.

· According to Luke (Chapter 24) these two followers were aware of Mary’s story and how she claimed to have seen Jesus alive … but they didn’t believe her.

· Jesus is not going to stop trying to get through to you at the first no.

· Jesus appeared to these two men personally … He walked with them and talked with them … and finally they believed.

· What was the first thing they wanted to do?

13 They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.

· The 11 disciples were determined to wallow in their misery and no amount of encouragement from friends was going to make things better.

· “Pray for me.” “Quote scriptures to me.” “Tell me the testimony of how God helped you in your time of need.” And try hard to make me feel better … but I’m not going to let go of my pain, my worry and disappointment. “My dream died!” (Yep … and one day you are going to die too … get over it! Get up and get back into the game.)

· The disciples still didn’t believe … “no one believed them.”

· But guess what … Jesus is not going to stop at the second “no” either.

14 ¶ Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.

· Misery loves company … “they were eating together” … Be careful when you’re hurt, sad, or fearful that you don’t surround yourself with hurt, sad, and fearful people.

· Notice – they weren’t too sad to eat …

· Jesus appeared to them and He wasn’t all that happy.

· When I see Jesus, I hope the first thing He does is hug me with a smile on His face instead of rebuke me for being hard hearted and stubborn.

· They finally saw past their sorrows when they saw Jesus.

John 20:29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

The resurrection of Jesus sets Him apart from every other religious martyr people have claimed to be their God. Jesus is alive. We have the written records and sworn testimonies of several eyewitnesses. This well-documented historical fact has completely changed the world in the past 2000 years.

The life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the most told story in every generation since. And the Bible is the most sold, the most read, the most quoted, and the most followed book ever in the history of the world.

I’ve been to the Garden Tomb, and I am here to tell you He is not there, Jesus is alive! I believe the witness of Mary and the story of the two men on the road to Emmaus, and the accounts of the disciples. Plus, I’ve experienced the life change that comes from knowing Jesus as my personal Savior and Lord.

You can know Him today by simply inviting Him into your heart. He will hear your prayer and forgive you of your sins and save your soul. Everything begins to change, just like it did for the disciples, when you believe. For the lost and hurting today; for the worried and fearful today; for the disappointed and depressed today:

“Believe upon the name of the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved!” (Acts 16:31)

For those who have already believed … Jesus has a personal word for you today. It’s the same word He spoke to those who believed in Him on that first Resurrection Day.

Mark 16:15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”

Tell the Good News everywhere you go this week. Jesus is alive!

Let’s pray …

The Emptiness of Easter

2026-04-04T08:29:00.003-05:00

Today we are going to talk about the power of emptiness. That may sound funny because empty things are usually void of power. Not only that, we typically don’t celebrate things that are empty.

• Empty gas tank = stress

• Empty bank account = worry

• Empty house = loneliness

• Empty toilet paper roll = bad timing

All jokes aside, emptiness usually means that something is missing. However, Easter completely flips that notion. What was empty on that Easter Sunday is exactly what changed everything.

Today we are going to talk about 4 things that we left empty on Easter in order that you and I would experience fullness.

1. The Empty Cross

The reason there was an empty cross was because Jesus had died. World scholars unanimously agree and do not dispute the two facts that Jesus really lived and that Jesus really died.

Jesus was beaten, whipped to the bone (His flesh torn off of Him), mocked, scorned, crucified, and hung left to die. Jesus was dead within 6 hours. His death was confirmed when both blood and water exited His side after a guard pierced Him with his Roman spear. Separation of blood from serum is one of the strongest legal medical proofs of death.

Upon knowing that His death was near, Jesus was thirsty. A guard gave Him a sip of sour wine through a dirty sponge. After taking His last sips, He shared His final words…

John 19:30 — “It is finished…”

Now why would Jesus say that? Because His work on the cross had been complete. The cross was empty because Jesus finished the work.

Luke 23:52-53 — “52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid.”

They took Him down from the cross; that is the body that carried your sin and the body that bore your punishment, it was removed. Why? Because Jesus had paid the price for our sin.

That price was death.

The cross is no longer occupied!

• He didn’t partially save you

• He didn’t almost save you

• Your salvation was totally and completely PAID IN FULL

• The work of salvation is complete.

• The cross was left empty because your debt was paid in full.

But how many of you know that if the story ended there, we wouldn’t be here today.

2. The Empty Tomb

When Jesus was laid in His tomb, there were women who followed to find out where Jesus was laid. On Easter Sunday, they brought spices to where Jesus was at and found the tomb empty. Jesus was nowhere to be found. The text says that these ladies were “perplexed” as to why Jesus’ body was no longer there.

It was at about this two angels appeared before these women and said:

Luke 24:5-6 — “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”

The tomb was empty, not because Jesus went missing, but because Jesus was alive! Jesus had been raised from the dead.

This is important!! Because it is upon this event that 12 men surrendered their lives to spreading the truth of the gospel all around the known world. Not only did they surrender their lives to the telling of the gospel, but even died a grueling death…based upon what they had seen. That is the dead Christ risen from the dead.

It also means that Jesus has proven that He has defeated sin and death. There were other people who were raised back to life from the dead. Lazarus was raised from the dead (John 11:1-44). Jairus’ daughter was raised from the dead (Mark 5:35-43). The widow’s son was raised from the dead (Luke 7:11-17). However, their resurrection was different from Jesus’ resurrection.

• When these people were raised from the dead, they died again.

• When Jesus raised from the dead, He was raised in newness of life.

• Therefore, if you believe in Jesus, the resurrection gives us the promise that:

1. We too will have eternal life

2. We can walk in new life with Christ today
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you can experience true transformation from the inside out.

• What that means is that you cannot find true life in:

• Good behavior

• Career achievements

• 401K

• Material possessions

• Personal relationships

• These are all good things. However, none of these have the power to change us or give us true life.

So that question still echoes today:

• “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”

True life is found in Jesus, who is risen from the dead.

3. The Empty Grave Clothes

After their encounter with the angel, Mary Magdalene ran back and told Peter and John that the tomb was empty. Peter and John ran back to the scene to see for themselves.

John 20:6-7 — “6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.”

When Jesus rose from the dead, he left the grave clothes behind.

Grave clothes represent the old life that we used to live.

• Old habits

• Old desires

• Old things we used to do

• All of those things were left behind

• Colossians 3:1-3
“1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

If you have placed your faith in Jesus, your new life is no longer found here on this earth. Your life is now found in Christ and in the things of God. The resurrected life that we are called to live here on earth is not just about Jesus getting up, its also about what you’re willing to lay down.

4. The Empty Space (in our heart)

The cross was left empty.
The grave was left empty.
The grave clothes were left empty.

And you know what else was left empty? The space in your heart.

We all know what that emptiness feels like:

• You can be surrounded by people and still feel alone

• You can be successful and still feel unsatisfied

• You can stay busy and still feel unfulfilled

• We go through life and we try to fill that space in our heart with stuff that we think we make us happy, and yet we are still left feeling empty.

• Why is that?

Ecclesiastes 3:11 — “He has put eternity into man's heart…”

• That emptiness that we fill is by design. Our hearts are like a glove that is meant for the hand of God. The problem is that we try to fill a God-sized space with temporary things that just don’t fit. The only thing meant to fit is the hand of God.

• That is the emptiness of Easter; it is an invitation by God Himself to meet you right where you are.

• Revelation 3:20 — “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

• Jesus is standing at the door of our heart, knocking. The emptiness you feel inside of you is the sound of Jesus knocking. He is asking for you to let Him in to your heart.

Will you let Him?

Takeaways:

Because Jesus is risen from the dead…

1. Your debt has been paid

2. Death has been defeated

3. Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart

Palm Sunday

2026-03-28T20:05:00.000-05:00

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Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12 all give a Holy Spirit inspired account of the last 5 days of Jesus’ life leading up to the cross. This “Countdown to the Cross” is considered to be the most Holy Week in history. Prophecies were fulfilled, promises were given, and principles were affirmed by Jesus in this brief but powerful moment in time.

It had been about 550 years since the prophet Zechariah stood in Jerusalem to encourage the rebuilding of the Temple. Everyone in Jerusalem was familiar with the hope of Zechariah’s prophecy as recorded in:

Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

There was a stir in Jerusalem that spring like never before. It was only 5 days until the Passover that year. Gentiles and Jews from all over the known world had gathered for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Many followers of Jesus believed He was the Messiah and the religious leaders of that day were desperate to arrest and execute Him.

What had once been an annual gathering in remembrance of God delivering Israel from Egypt was now nothing more than a political rally aimed at keeping the ruling party in power. If those in charge did not do something to stop Jesus of Nazareth, they feared the whole world would run after Him and make Him their King. (John 12:19; Luke 19:47-48)

It was on a Sunday, just 5 days before the cross, when we join the account as recorded by the Apostle Matthew who was an eye witness and a participant to these events. Let’s read from his inspired testimony and I’ll supply commentary along the way.

Matthew 21 NKJV

1 ¶ Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

· This is not the only time we see God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the Church send people out in pairs. (Luke 10:1)

· Ecclesiastes says two are better than one and from creation is has not been the best practice that people be alone. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.

· Of all the Gospel accounts, Matthew is the only one who mentions that the mother donkey was involved in the story.

· God has a special place in His heart for mothers. Seems like God paid respect to her and her position in this young colt’s life and calling.

3 “And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

· No doubt the Holy Spirit and angels on assignment were not only guiding the two disciples but also moving on the hearts and minds of the guardians of these two donkeys.

· One word from Jesus removes suspicions, answers questions, quiets concerns, opens hearts, and makes resources available for His use. “The Lord has need of them …”

· I can’t tell you the number of times I have released resources into the hands of men and women in response to the leading of the Holy Spirit. All of my questions answered in a moment when I feel the Lord.

4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

· The nation had been waiting for over 500 years to see this day. Generation after generation read and heard and hoped they would see their King riding into Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

· This was their sign! No wonder they were cheering and shouting …

6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.

7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.

· Some of the disciples could have felt slighted asking the question: “Why are we not carrying Jesus on our shoulders?”

· But they didn’t. They realized the choice Jesus makes is the best choice.

· They put their garments, their discipleship garments, on this colt indicating agreement and support both for Jesus and this young unproven, never-before-ridden donkey.

8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

· People do what they see the leaders do.

· If you’re happy and you know it and you’re not ashamed to show it; If you’re happy and you know it say amen!

· Don’t be afraid or ashamed to show your support for those young colts chosen by God.

9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Hosanna in the highest!”

· “Hosanna” means “Save Now!”

· Son of David = Messiah

· “Blessed is He …” comes from Psalm 118:25&26. Everyone who went to Temple knew this. They were identifying Jesus as the One!

10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

· The Bible says when people see you following Jesus, they will ask you to tell them why. It’s something you can count on.

· It moves people, even a whole city, when they see you worshipping Jesus.

11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

This is what Palm Sunday is all about … Correctly identifying the Messiah of the Jews and Savior of the World. It is Jesus! He is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace! He is Lord and Savior, Redeemer and Friend. He is the Son of David, the Son of Man, and the Son of God. “This is Jesus!” He’s my King!

Passover for the nation of Israel begins sundown this coming Wednesday, April 1^st. Next Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Invite someone you love and care about to come with you to hear the greatest story ever told. Consider picking up some invitation cards on your way out and give them to friends or place them where others can see and come.

Don’t say no to Jesus for someone else! Happy Palm Sunday …

THE KING IS HERE Palm Sunday

2026-03-28T08:31:00.001-05:00

Today is Palm Sunday! Today is the day that marked the beginning of Jesus’ last week here on earth. It is the beginning of Passion Week. Now there is a lot that takes place during Passion week that we are all quite aware of:

• Cleansing of the temple

• Parables of Wedding Banquet, Ten Virgins, Talents, etc.

• Silent Wednesday (Judas agrees to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver)

• The Last Supper

• Jesus arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane

• Jesus crucified

• The resurrection (Easter Sunday)

Among the many popular events of Jesus that are found in Passion Week, Palm Sunday is the event that kicks off all of it. However, not everyone knows what Palm Sunday is. Most people have heard of Palm Sunday and know that it's connected to Easter Sunday. However, they couldn’t really tell you much about what Palm Sunday is.

So what is Palm Sunday? Why is Palm Sunday important? Why is it important to you?

Let’s talk about it!

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to Passover just like everyone else. He had recently raised Lazarus from the dead in Bethany not too long before this. So a lot of people heard about Jesus and what He did. There was a stir taking place among the people of Jerusalem.

With that said, let’s read:

Matthew 21:1-2

“Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.”

Two of His disciples go to fetch the donkey and they do exactly as Jesus asked.

Matthew 21:6-9

“6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!””

Now, this account may not have all the ooh’s and aah’s like some of the other accounts found in the gospels. However, there is tremendous significance in what we just read.

There is significance in what:

1. Jesus Claims

2. Jesus Does

3. Jesus Receives

I. Jesus Claimed to be the Messiah

Matthew 21:3 — “If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

What is important to keep in mind here is that Jesus spent much of His ministry telling people not to say anything to anyone after performing miracles for them.

• Healing of the Leper — “See that you say nothing to anyone…” (Mark 1:44)

• Healing of the Two Blind Men — See that no one knows about this…” (Matthew 9:30)

• Raising of Jairus’ Daughter — “He gave strict orders that no one should know about this…” (Mark 5:43)

• Jesus spent a lot of time telling people not to say anything. Why? Because His time had not come yet. However, this time in the text Jesus told them to tell the owner of the donkey that “the Lord needs him.” Jesus was saying that the time is now. His time has finally come.

Jesus was claiming that He was the Messiah. He was claiming that He was God.

• He was making the claim that He was the one that Israel had been waiting for all of these years. He was claiming to be the one that the Old Testament was speaking about. He was claiming to be the one and only King.

This is important because while Jesus was making the announcement “the King is here” on Palm Sunday, Jesus is also reminding us that He is the king of our life today as well. The King is here today. He is here in this room. He knows what you are going through. He sees what you have battled through. Jesus is saying that He is here for you today.

II. Jesus Sat on the Donkey

Matthew 21:6-7 — “6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.”

Now this may not seem like a big deal here. But we have to be aware of something. Anytime you read about Jesus in the Gospels, He is never riding anything. He is always walking. Jesus walked everywhere! However, here He chose to ride a donkey into Jerusalem. Now, Jesus could have walked in just like every other time He did. However, Jesus was making a statement. He was making the statement that He was the King that His people had been waiting so long for.

Zechariah 9:9 — “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.”

Jesus was fulfilling scripture from 500 years before this moment when He was riding in on that donkey. He was fulfilling a promise by God from long ago. Jesus was telling them that the King is here.

Jesus is also coming to fulfill His promises in your life as well.

III. Jesus Received the Praise

Matthew 21:8-9
“8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!””

Palm Branches = Symbol of Celebration and Victory

Luke records that there were pharisees that were there in the crowd and were telling Jesus to get them to rebuke his disciples and get them to stop saying these things. But Jesus responded by telling them that if they didn’t say it, the rocks would cry out and say it. Jesus was not only receiving the praise, He was encouraging the praise!

Now, the real question is, why were the pharisees so upset about what the phrase the people were saying about Jesus?

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

1) Son of David

• Jesus was not the literal son of David; He was the son of Joseph. However, the OT discusses how the king and savior of the world would come through the lineage of David. Psalm 89 is a specific text that continuously refers to the future King as the Son of David.

The Pharisees knew exactly what they were saying. They were so upset because they knew they were calling Him the Messiah, and Jesus was encouraging it…

Matthew 1:1

• 2) Hosanna = Save Us

• Jesus received the praise of the people as they shouted to Him “Come save us, Messiah, the one who comes in the name of the Lord.” Jesus knew what He was doing! Jesus was saying that the King is here!

The King came, and He is coming back again!

The King is also here today, here in this room.

TAKEAWAYS

1. You can trust Jesus as your Messiah

2. You can trust Jesus as your Lord

3. You can trust Jesus for the victory

Angels

2026-03-25T13:23:00.004-05:00

Gtcotr/ws032526

Where do we begin? Why not begin near the end … perhaps close to the time in which we live.

Revelation 12 NKJV

7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,

8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.

9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

12 ¶ “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

Angels at war; cleansing the heavens; readying the day of judgement which is to come upon all creation. Who are, what are these angels?

The word angel(s) appears 283 times in the KJV, one fourth of those, (72 times), in the book of Revelation alone. This does not account for the references to God’s messengers, holy servants, and other mentions of angelic beings.

Angels were very active players mentioned in many of the greatest stories of the Bible. From appearing and talking with Abraham to King David, and from the prophet Daniel to Joseph the husband of Mary, angels play vital roles in the plan of God for every generation. Why would we imagine God has retired them from their duties in our day?

We see angels intervening in the New Testament account of the Apostle Peter when he was in prison facing execution in the book of Acts.

Acts 12 NKJV

7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.

8 Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.”

9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

I wonder if it was the same angel who had previously delivered the Apostles from prison in Jerusalem.

Acts 5

19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said,

20 “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”

The Apostle Paul experienced angelic intervention several times. One when he was in the middle of a storm at sea.

Acts 27 NKJV

23 “For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,

24 “saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

25 “Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.

Personal testimony:

· Reubel and the motorcycle.

· The Jerusalem angel at Ramadan.

· Traveling Angel

Angels are created beings, they were not pre-existent as were God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. God created angels and relegated them to serve Him and His will within the limits He prescribed.

· Angels fulfill the roles they are assigned by God as messengers, warriors, worshippers, servants, workers, guardians, and guides just to name a few.

· Angels are of a higher order or creation for this time in which we live. They are not subject to the physical laws of nature as we know them and they excel in strength and wisdom.

· There are good angels of God and there are evil angels loyal to Satan.

· There are rebellious angels bound in chains in prison awaiting final judgment.

· Some angels have wings and some don’t.

· Angels can appear as humans without notice and walk among us.

· There is an army of angels ready to come back with Jesus when the trumpet sounds.

· Angels are on assignment, listening for the word of God just waiting to help His children.

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

Since our future on planet earth and beyond heavily involves angels and their interventions surrounding the plan of God for our lives, I believe taking a closer look at angels and their activities might be in order. Let’s begin with an overview of the book of Psalms.

The word angel(s) is mentioned 10 times in the Psalms and gives us a varied look at angels. (Added commentary for each verse.)

Psalms 8:5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

Psalms 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.

Psalms 35:5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, And let the angel of the LORD chase them.

Psalms 35:6 Let their way be dark and slippery, And let the angel of the LORD pursue them.

Psalms 78:25 Men ate angels’ food; He sent them food to the full.

Psalms 78:49 He cast on them the fierceness of His anger, Wrath, indignation, and trouble, By sending angels of destruction among them.

Psalms 91:11 For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.

Psalms 103:20 Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word.

Psalms 104:4 Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.

Psalms 148:2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!

Unsuitable Mixtures

2026-03-21T21:31:00.000-05:00

Gtcotr/ss032226

Sometimes the unexpected is just the unexpected to the unsuspecting.

The Bible, and indeed the entire world, along with life in general is filled with unsuitable mixtures. What do I mean by unsuitable mixtures? Common elements of life, each valuable in their own right, however when mixed together produce toxicity or some corrosive result.

Just because something is true, (always has been and always will be), does not mean you know it.

Romans 10, verses 14 and 15, says people will not know the truth if someone doesn’t tell them. So allow me to tell you the truth this morning, assuming someone listening may not know it … even though it has always been true.

You probably know vinegar and bleach are in most homes, and both are used in various household cleaning applications. What you may not know is that mixing these together produces chlorine gas which is both toxic and corrosive.

Vinegar + Bleach (produces) = Chlorine Gas

Chlorine gas is a dangerous substance which can cause trouble breathing and if continued, lung damage can result.

So – according to the AI overview of incompatible chemicals, vinegar and bleach are unsuitable mixtures. And by the way, there is a whole list of unsuitable mixtures in life, some you already know about and others you may not.

This leads us to our text for today. Turn in your Bibles with me to the 5^th Book of the Bible, the Book of Deuteronomy. I’ll be reading from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible this morning, specifically from Deuteronomy 22.

Deuteronomy 22: 10 Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

Let’s talk just a moment about the inherent differences between oxen and asses. I am somewhat of an authority on the subject having personally owned, raised, and worked with cattle and donkeys for several years of my life. As well I am currently a licensed auctioneer with the TDLR, and have more than 20 years experience selling farm and ranch animals on a weekly basis. Plus, as you will understand in a minute, for the past 45 years I have witnessed what can happen with an ox and an ass when they are yoked together.

The Bible paints the picture of oxen as dependable, hard-working, obedient servants. They might make a mess now and then but that’s nothing compared to the benefit they supply. Thank God for the oxen in our lives.

Proverbs 14:4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

On the other hand the Bible paints a picture of the donkey as a stubborn, undisciplined, and selfish beast. The donkey is an unacceptable sacrifice to God, even under the Old Testament law of the firstborn.

Exodus 13:13 And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck …

The Bible likens some people to donkeys:

· Genesis 49:14 Issachar is a strong ass crouching between two burdens …

· Genesis 16:12 (ASV) Likens Ishmael to a wild ass among men. (The NIV says “wild donkey” of a man.)

Let me tell you what happens when you yoke an ox and an ass together.

According to Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary on the Whole Bible

· When yoked together, Asses continually attempt to bite oxen … it’s their nature.

· Unlike Oxen, Asses will feed on poisonous weeds that produce toxic breath.

· Oxen yoked together with Asses tend to turn their heads away from the toxic breath and continual biting.

· When the Ox turns his head, his shoulders twist, putting only one shoulder against the load he is pulling.

· When the Ox twist in the harness, the harness is stretched and the Ass is loosed from the weight of the load.

· An Ass that is not pulling a load will begin to wander, drag his feet, pull back and eventually balk.

· An Ox yoked with an Ass has to pull the whole load with only half of his strength, combating the foul and biting mouth of the wandering, balking Ass while he drags the Ass along with the load.

· The Ox that is left yoked with an Ass, smelling the toxic breath, will become sick, weak and if left in the yoke, will eventually die.

I don’t believe God was teaching this principle purely for the sake of the oxen and asses of that time.

How does this principle play into our lives today? Some truths are timeless and even though we may not plow our own fields, nonetheless this truth applies to us today. We find it written in its New Testament form by the Apostle Paul in his 2^nd letter to the Church at Corinth.

The Corinthian Church of Paul’s day was undoubtedly the worldliest congregation in the Bible. Gentiles from all walks and ways of life had gotten saved in this cosmopolitan city and were just learning how to live the Christian life. These people had been world class sinners and Paul loved them dearly. The Church of today can take a lot of personal advice from the words Paul wrote to the Believers in Corinth. One of the truths he told them we find in:

2 Corinthians 6 NKJV

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”

17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”

18 “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.”

As we heard earlier: Just because something is true, (always has been and always will be), does not mean you know it. And just because you didn’t see it coming doesn’t mean God didn’t.

There are some unsuitable mixtures in life. How will you know if someone doesn’t tell you?

Well … now you know. Save yourself some trouble and if you’re a child of God, don’t get hooked up with an ass – it’s an unsuitable mixture.

And … if you’re an ass – the Lamb of God has given His life for you … so … give your life to Him and become a new creation in Christ Jesus!

Good news!!! You don’t have to be an ass anymore.

Let’s pray!

One of you is going to raise the question. “What should a person do if they are already yoked to an ass?” The Bible has an answer tailor-made just for you. Until you get your prescription from God, just don’t make it worse.

Addendum:

What Never to Mix with Bleach: www.turi.org

· Ammonia: Creates toxic chloramine gas, causing severe respiratory damage and chest pain. Found in some window cleaners, glass cleaners, and urine.

· Acids (Vinegar, Drain Cleaners, Rust Removers): Produces toxic chlorine gas, causing breathing problems, coughing, and eye irritation. This includes vinegar, toilet bowl cleaners, and some lemon-based cleaners.

· Hydrogen Peroxide:Can cause a violent chemical reaction, releasing oxygen gas and potentially resulting in an explosion.

· Rubbing Alcohol (Isopropyl Alcohol): Creates chloroform, a toxic substance.

· Other Cleaning Products: Never mix bleach with other disinfectants or detergents, as it can reduce effectiveness and produce dangerous fumes.

ROCK SOLID CONVICTIONS Part 2 — The Bible

2026-03-21T08:43:00.001-05:00

Review

Part 1: Our Convictions about God

• What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

• God is supreme (there is no one like God)

• God is good (in all that He is and does)

• God is sovereign (He reigns over all)

• Because these are true, then God is worth trusting

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever tried to put something together without reading the instructions? You open the box, dump everything out, look at all the pieces, and think, “I got this.” So you start building. At first, it feels like it’s working. You’re making progress, it looks right, it seems right. But then something doesn’t fit. Now you’re forcing pieces together. Something’s missing. It’s unstable. And now you’re frustrated. So what do you finally do? You go back to the instructions. Not because the instructions changed, but because you ignored them.

That’s how a lot of people treat the Bible. We don’t reject it, we just don’t follow it. We hear it, we know it, but when it comes to real life, we lean on what feels right instead. And then when things don’t work, we wonder why.

Last week we settled who God is. God is supreme, God is good, God is sovereign, and God is worthy of our trust. So if that’s true, then the next question is simple: what place does His Word have in my life? Because everyone is building their life on something. But as believers, we build our lives on the Word of God. So today we settle this conviction: God’s Word is true—and it is my final authority.

THE BIBLE = GOD’S WORD

Before we get into our convictions, lets talk about the Bible as God’s Word. Why do we talk about the Bible as God’s Word? Its because the Bible is more than just a book. It’s more than just history, poetry, letters, and stories that were written long ago. The Bible is called the Word of God because the Bible itself claims to be the Word of God— meaning that it is God speaking.

2 Timothy 3:16 — “All Scripture is God-breathed.”

That means that scripture is more than just man’s idea. While it was written and compiled be different people at different times, they were writing exactly what God intended for them to write. So when you are reading the Bible, you are reading the very words of God. That is why we call it the Word of God.

So when it comes to the Bible, we must realize that we are talking about more than a book, we are talking about the very words of God. It’s upon His Word that we build our lives.

So with that said, lets talk about the convictions that we as Christians should hold concerning the Bible.

ROCK SOLID CONVICTIONS ABOUT THE BIBLE

1. God’s Word Is the Truth

John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

We all have opinions about a lot of things. However, God’s Word is not an opinion. It is not a suggestion, it is not advice, and it is not a perspective that I can take or leave. It is the truth. Not “a truth,” not “my truth,” not “your truth,” but “the truth.”

As Christians, we hold fast to the conviction that God’s Word is true. This is important! Because if we don’t believe that God’s Word is the truth, then we will never fully submit to it.

There is a difference between relative truth and absolute truth.

Relative Truth — Truth that changes based on the person, situation, or perspective

• That may be true for you, but not for me…

• I have my truth, you have yours…

• Etc

Absolute Truth — Truth that is always true for all people, in all places, at all times

• God’s Word is true regardless of feelings, opinions or circumstances…

• God determines what is right…

2. God’s Word Has Authority (Over My Life)

2 Timothy 3:16 — “All Scripture is God-breathed.”

Not only is God’s Word true, but it also has to have authority in my life. That means that the Bible does not submit to me, and my ideas, and my opinions. Instead, I submit to His Word. Submitting to God’s Word means that I am allowing scripture to shape my life.

At some point, there is going to be something that you and God do not agree on. There may be something that you don’t want to do that God commands you to do in the Bible. That is when you as a Christian must take a back seat to give God the final say on what you do.

When God has authority over your life, then He has the final say in your work life, financial life, private life, etc. It means that you care more about what God thinks and less about what culture or other people have to say.

So before the moment comes, we must ask ourself: am I are holding on to what I want, or surrendering to what God has said? Because you can know what the truth is and still not surrender to it. As Christians, we give the Bible elite authority in our life.

3. God’s Word Is Sufficient

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

God’s Word has everything needed to lead me and guide me in the direction I need to go. God

Many times people find themselves looking for greener grass on the other side, only to find out that its not. We imagine there’s something better, something easier, etc.

It’s important for us to realize that God’s Word is enough. Notice that it says “Your word is a lamp to my feet…” — A lamp doesn’t show you the whole path, it gives you enough light for the next step.

4. God’s Word Is Trustworthy

Psalm 119:160 — “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”

God’s Word is also trustworthy— you can trust His Word. Its trustworthy because it comes from a God who cannot lie. There are a lot of things that can go wrong in life, but God does not.

Trusting God’s Word is simply trusting God Himself. For example, that when you read a promise from God in the Bible, when you trust in that promise you are trusting in God.

Matthew 28:20 — “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Now that’s a promise to us from Jesus, and we read that promise (we hear that promise) in words, in human language. And when we hear those words and trust in those words, we are trusting in Jesus himself. He stands behind his words. They are the living activity of him. That is the case for the entire Bible…

5. God’s Word Must Be Lived

James 1:22 says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”

It is possible to know Scripture and still not live it. It’s possible to read verses, hear the preaching of the Word, and know what it says and still be unchanged by it. Why? Because knowledge does not produce real transformation in our life.

But conviction is proven in how I live. If God’s Word is truly my authority, it will shape my actions, not just my thoughts. Conviction moves from hearing to doing. It takes what I know and turns it into how I live every single day.

TAKEAWAYS

I. I will build my life on God’s Word

II. I will give God’s Word the final say in my life

III. I will trust that God’s Word is enough

IV. I will trust God’s Word even when it challenges me

Walking by the Spirit

2026-03-15T08:43:00.010-05:00

As believers in Jesus Christ, we all have the desire to draw closer to God and to please Him with our lives. It doesn’t matter who you are — whether you’ve been following Jesus your whole life or you just started your journey with Christ — we are all called to walk in the Spirit. You never outgrow the need or the command to walk according to the Spirit. As born-again Christians, the Bible says that the Spirit of God is living on the inside of us. Praise God!

However, have you ever said something, and later wished you could take it back? Have you ever done something and later thought, “why did I do that?” Spoiler alert, we all have! But there is a reason. Its because of the tension happening within each and every one of us.

There is a tension taking place within us. There is a part of us that wants to honor God, and there is another part of us that still struggles with sin. We are going to talk about this very thing today. We have to walk by the Spirit!

But what does that mean? Why is it important? How do we walk according to the Spirit? Today we are going to dive into it.

Book of Galatians Background

We are going to be in the book of Galatians. This book was written to a group of churches in the Roman Province of Galatia in what is now modern day Turkey. A man by the name of Paul the Apostle (whose story is found in the book of Acts) planted these churches on the first of his three missionary journeys. You can read about it in Acts 13-14. The churches he was writing to were mainly Gentile believers (non-jewish) who had recently come to faith in Christ.

Paul was writing this letter to the Galatian church because false teachers had come into the church after he left and began teaching things that were not in agreement with the gospel. They were teaching that while faith in Jesus was good, it wasn’t good enough. They taught that they needed to do more in order to validate their faith in Christ. Paul the apostle combatted this notion and taught that faith in Jesus alone is what saves.

Let me state this for the record: Jesus and Jesus alone guarantees our salvation.

Paul was concerned that they were drifting away from the true gospel of grace. So he decided to write this letter.

The heart of this letter is found in Galatians chapter 3

Galatians 3:3 — “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

Although they were born-again Christians through the Spirit of God, they were trying to mature as believers through the their own human effort (the flesh).

• Rule keeping

• Religious efforts

• Legalism

Paul was saying that this was backwards. In the same way that they have been saved by the spirit, they must walk by the spirit.

The Spirit vs The Flesh

To understand walking by the Spirit, we have to understand a few things:

Every person has been born into sin. Because of this, we have a sin nature on the inside of us. That sin nature is called the “flesh.” This is the part of us that wants to sin.

However, if you received Christ as your Lord and savior, then you are born again (through the spirit of God). Because of this, you were made new!

2 Corinthians 5:17— “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

As new people, the spirit of God was placed on the inside of us. Therefore, we now have a new nature on the inside of us. That is the Holy Spirit.

So as believers, we have two natures within us: the flesh and the spirit.

Galatians 5:17 — “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”

So as followers of Jesus, we have two natures that are at odds with one another. The spirit craves the things of God, and the flesh craves the things of this world. There is a hunger for the things of God on the inside of you. As a Christian, you want to please God! You want to do what honors Him. However, the devil wants you to forget that there is another nature at war with the Spirit. There is also a hunger for the things of this world, and that is from the flesh.

They are both hungry. But what you feed most is what will become bigger and stronger in your life. If we are constantly feeding our flesh with stuff that satisfies the flesh, its going to be hard to resist temptation when the time comes, its going to be hard to obey God at times because the flesh is what is dominant in your life. However, if we are feeding our spirit with the things of God, you will find it easier to obey God and resist temptation when the time comes. Why? Because the Spirit of God has been more dominant in your life.

Whatever you feed grows stronger:

• If you feed the flesh, sin becomes easier.

• If you feed the Spirit, obedience becomes easier.

Romans 8:5 — “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”

Your mind determines what you feed.

The direction of your Christian walk will be determined by what you feed the most.

So how do we ensure that we are feeding the Spirit and not the flesh?

Walk by the Spirit

Galatians 5:16 — “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

The Bible says that if we walk by the Spirit, then we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. The key to feeding the Spirit is by walking by the Spirit.

So what does that mean?

Walk = (Peripateō) = To conduct your daily life, follow a path step by step

The word “walk” here in scripture is a metaphor for “practical daily living.” The idea is that the Christian life is a journey that we are called to live out. We are to continuously move forward in this journey to the end goal that is Christ.

In other words, walking in the Spirit means to live out our everyday life under the influence of the Holy Spirit. It is a lifestyle of yielding to His control, and following His leading.

Walking with the Spirit = Being led by the Spirit

If we are following the leading of the Holy Spirit, then we are not able to gratify the desires of our flesh. Why?

Galatians 5:17 — “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh…

The Galatians, who were born-again through the Spirit of God, were trying to draw closer to God through the flesh. All they were doing were drawing themselves away from God. They were attempting to get closer to God by “trying harder” and “doing more.”

We often find ourselves struggling to overcome sin in our life because we are simply “trying harder” in our own power rather than leaning on the Holy Spirit. Without us realizing it, we are walking in the flesh by doing so. Why? Because we are relying on our own strength, rather than the power of the Holy Spirit! According to Romans 12, you and I only have the power to conform. The Spirit of God has the power to transform. Therefore, we must lean on the power of the Holy Spirit! We do this by walking with Him.

Truths Behind Walking in the Spirit

You may say, I can’t do that. But that is not the truth is that through Him you can! Here’s why:

Truth #1 — The Holy Spirit Lives in You

1 Corinthians 6:9 — “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?”

This is such a powerful truth that can be overlooked so easily.

In the Old Testament, the presence of God was located in a specific place. First it was the tabernacle, later it was the temple in Jerusalem. People would have to travel long distances to in order to come near to the presence of God.

But when Jesus came, everything changed. When He died on the cross and rose from the grave, the Spirit of God was poured out at Pentecost. From that moment on, the presence of God was no longer confined to a building or a location. Now the presence of God lives within His people! Incredible!

That means, if you belong to Christ, then the Spirit of God lives within you! Not sometimes, not just when you are worshipping at church, not just when you feel spiritual, but permanently!

The same power that:

• Rose Jesus from the grave

• Empowered the apostles

• Moved throughout the early church

That power now lives within every believer!

What that means is that walking in the Spirit is not about inviting God into your life on occasion. Instead, it is about learning to live in step with the Holy Spirit who already lives inside of you.

Truth #2 — The Spirit Gives Power to Obey

Ezekiel 36:26-27

“26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you… 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my [decrees].”

Important to note here that God says that He will give us more than just rules, He will give us a new heart. Before salvation, our hearts are drawn naturally to sin (heart of stone). But when we are born again, God performs a spiritual surgery in which He transplants that heart of stone for a new heart that is alive toward God! Through this transformation, He changes the desires of our heart and gives us His Spirit who leads us toward obedience to God.

The Christian life is not about behavior modification, it is about the transformation of the heart. This only comes through the power of the Holy Spirit who transforms us from the inside out.

Philippians 2:12-13

“12 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Through the Holy Spirit, God is giving you both the desire and the ability to obey and please Him.

How to Walk in the Spirit

So how do we do this? How do we walk with the Spirit in our everyday life?

1. Feed Your Spirit
Matthew 4:4 — “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

• Just like your physical body needs nourishment to stay healthy, your spirit needs nourishment — The spirit in you is your inner person that has been made alive by the Holy Spirit

• We feed our spirit-man through the Word of God

• The word of God not only feeds our spirit but it also renews our mind

• If you only open your Bible once a week on Sunday morning, your spirit is going to be spiritually undernourished.

• But when we spend regular time in God’s Word, it nourishes us and changes us:

‣ Our thoughts

‣ Our perspective

‣ Our desires

• You strengthen your spirit as you spend time in His Word

• Anything you consistently feed becomes stronger…

2. Stay in Prayer
Jude 20 — “Build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit”

• Prayer is not just a religious routine, it is communion with God.

• Prayer is the place where we seek God and allow Him to conform our hearts to His.

• Prayer also helps us to become more sensitive to the leading of the Spirit.

• When we neglect prayer, our spiritual sensitivity to the Holy Spirit fades.

• When we regularly spend time in prayer, we become more aware of the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our life.

3. Follow the Spirit’s Leading
John 16:13 — “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.”

• One of the primary ways we walk in the Spirit is by learning to follow the Spirit’s leadership in our lives.

• He is actively working in our life to:

‣ Guide us

‣ Convict us

‣ Shape us

‣ Make us more like Christ

• Therefore we must be aware of when the Holy Spirit is leading us.

• He often is leading us through gentle prompts of the heart:

‣ “You should apologize…”

‣ “You shouldn’t say that…”

‣ “You should reach out to this person…”

‣ “You need to forgive them…”

• Its important that we respond when the Holy Spirit speaks to us

• We have a choice every time the Spirit leads us:
Obey the Spirit, or
Obey the flesh

• The more we follow His leading, the clearer His guidance becomes

4. Crucify the Flesh
Galatians 5:24 — “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

• Crucifying the flesh simply means to remove things that strengthen sinful desires.

• If we want to walk in the Spirit, then we have to identify the things in our life that feeding our flesh and tell ourselves, “this is not helping my spiritual life.”

• That includes:

‣ What you watch

‣ What you listen to

‣ What environments you place yourself in

‣ What you allow yourself to think about

• That means we’ve got to get rid of things in our life that fuels our flesh!

• Begin taking inventory of your routines and habits and ask yourself, is this feeding my spirit or my flesh?

• Begin to change your routine and give the Holy Spirit more room to operate in your life.

What is winning in your life right now?

What has been getting the most attention?

What has been getting the most room?

What has been getting fed the most?

Because whatever you feed grows stronger.

If you feed the flesh, the flesh will lead your life.

If you feed the Spirit, the Spirit will lead your life.

Maybe today the Holy Spirit is putting His finger on something in your life.

What is it?

Today is the day to surrender that to God.

Words in the Wind

2026-03-07T15:19:00.001-06:00

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Job 32:9 Great men are not always wise, Nor do the aged always understand justice.

I was 24 years old when I walked the aisle of Calvary Baptist Church in Simms, Texas, and took the outstretched hand of Pastor Harold Churchill. I told him I felt the Lord was calling me to preach. He smiled an encouraging smile and then informed the congregation before leading them all in prayer for me.

This set things in motion and before long I became the pastor of a new Church about 4 miles down the highway. Fortunately the Lord had been preparing me, even without me knowing it. However, except for the children, I was the youngest member of the Church.

Being younger than the group you are trying to influence can have its particular challenges. For people to trust you, you must first trust yourself. If you don’t think you know what you’re talking about, no one else will either. All of your counsel will be just like words in the wind.

If what you are saying doesn’t move you, it won’t move others. If what you teach does not burn in you, it won’t burn in anyone who hears you. It can be difficult to convince others when you’re not confident yourself. And, being the youngest player on the team, even when you’re the captain of the team, can make it harder.

After that first day, I did not wrestle with my calling, but my calling did not make me smart. Over and over I found myself to be the youngest and least experienced person in the room and yet, I was the one everybody was looking to for leadership. This is most often when God steps in.

One of my favorite prophets in the Bible is Jeremiah. Jeremiah had similar feelings about himself as did I and several other men and women God has used dynamically in the past. Jeremiah was a contemporary prophet with Ezekiel and Daniel. Jeremiah was prophesying in Jerusalem when Ezekiel and Daniel were taken captive to Babylon. Daniel read and was inspired by the words of Jeremiah. (Daniel 9)

One of the best decisions I ever made was early on in my walk with God. I decided I was going to read the Bible and know the characters so that I could tell the stories to my children and my children’s children. The Bible is filled with such wonderful stories, and they teach so many powerful principles for life. Reading the Bible and telling the stories is still one of my favorite pastimes and as I said, Jeremiah is one of my favorite prophets.

The best I can figure from my studies is that Jeremiah was 21 years old he began to publicly prophesy and protest against the sins of the nation. At that time the current King, Josiah, had already been ruling for 13 years and presumably knew a whole lot more than the seemingly young religious idealists Jeremiah.

Let me tell you from experience, both mine and Noah’s, and even Jesus’: It’s not easy, nor is it popular, to try and tell a group of people they are wrong and they need to get right with God. Many who were just trying to help have been beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and killed for simply preaching the Good News which sets the captives free.

The prophet Jeremiah spent his whole life being persecuted and he was only trying to help. Where did he get the strength to stand up and keep going under such pressure? Let’s read the introduction to the book of:

Jeremiah 1 NKJV

1 ¶ The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,

2 to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

4 ¶ Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

6 Then said I: “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”

7 But the LORD said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak.

8 Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD.

9 Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.”

This word from God came directly to Jeremiah and it inspired him and gave him the strength he needed in difficult times of stress, pressure, and indecision. God strengthened and encouraged Jeremiah but then God went a step further and told Jeremiah to write these words down so that others in the future could also benefit from hearing the Word of the Lord.

There is no doubt some of the young men God was thinking about included Daniel, along with the three Hebrew children named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. (Daniel 3)

These same words must have been on the Apostle Paul’s mind when he told a young boy named Timothy:

1 Timothy 4

12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

You are never too young or inexperienced to be used by God. You can know the next decision to make and the direction to take … it is already in you! As well, you can know what you should say to others to encourage them to get right with God.

Do not say I can’t. How will others trust you if you don’t trust the voice of God in you. God will put His words in your mouth. If the counsel you are giving doesn’t move you, it won’t move those who hear you. And, even if others don’t change, you will have given them their best chance and that is all God is asking you to do.

Like Jeremiah – Get up, go forward, and keep going … God’s got this! He won’t let you down.

Find Me A Man

2026-02-21T21:08:00.000-06:00

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About 600 years before Christ, God called a prophet named Jeremiah to warn the people of Jerusalem concerning the consequences of their sin. In fact, God called Jeremiah to be a prophet before Jeremiah was even born. (Jeremiah 1:5) Jeremiah’s message however was not very popular, and his insistence on publishing his prophecies finally led to his arrest and ultimately landed him in jail, beaten and in stocks.

Jeremiah was really trying to help but people weren’t all that interested in changing their ways. It seemed like the poor and uneducated people just didn’t know any better and the rich were making a lot of money sinning. Still God was fed up with all the injustice and the immorality of the day.

Several times God had tried to get through to the people but somehow, they managed to sidestep real change and so, Jeremiah was born and became the weeping prophet of God. Let’s read some excerpts from Jeremiah 5: (Again – this is about the year 605 to 600BC. Jeremiah is in his 40’s.) This is the prophet speaking for the Lord to anyone who will listen:

Jeremiah 5 NKJV

1 ¶ “Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem; See now and know; And seek in her open places If you can find a man, If there is anyone who executes judgment, Who seeks the truth, And I will pardon her.

· If you can find a man … Find Me a man!

· Someone righteous, someone true … and I will pardon My people.

2 Though they say, ‘As the LORD lives,’ Surely they swear falsely.”

· Although they claim to be godly and they say they are doing God’s will … they are liars.

3 O LORD, are not Your eyes on the truth? You have stricken them, But they have not grieved; You have consumed them, But they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to return.

· God tried to get their attention, but their faces are harder than rock.

· They refuse to repent.

4 Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the LORD, The judgment of their God.

· Jeremiah first thought people were just poor and stupid.

· He imagined they just didn’t know right from wrong.

· So Jeremiah decided to go to the wealthy and educated people …

· Jeremiah even went to the rulers of the Temple …

5 I will go to the great men and speak to them, For they have known the way of the LORD, The judgment of their God.” But these have altogether broken the yoke And burst the bonds.”

· It didn’t work any better …

· The rich and educated just sidestepped repentance and kept going.

I’d encourage you to read the whole chapter but for the sake of time here, allow me to skip down to verse 25 and then on to the end.

25 ¶ Your iniquities have turned these things away, And your sins have withheld good from you.

· God wants to bless his people with money and with things money can never buy … however

· Your own sins and iniquities have turned and withheld these blessings from you.

· What’s God saying? – Basically … it’s your own fault … please repent before something worse happens to you and to the nation.

God is not talking about every single person but about a collective people. These are representative of the whole nation, and indeed the majority sentiment did cast a shadow over the nation.

26 ‘For among My people are found wicked men; They lie in wait as one who sets snares; They set a trap; They catch men.

27 As a cage is full of birds, So their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become great and grown rich.

28 They have grown fat, they are sleek; Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the fatherless; Yet they prosper, And the right of the needy they do not defend.

29 Shall I not punish them for these things?’ says the LORD. ‘Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?’

30 “An astonishing and horrible thing Has been committed in the land:

31 The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?

· You may be prospering now,

· You may have titles and positions of profound influence,

· But what will you do in the end?

Perhaps 3 or 4 years after Jeremiah wrote this, in the year 597BC, Jerusalem was overrun and many were taken captive. One of the captives taken from Jerusalem was a man named Ezekiel who was also a prophet of God. Ezekiel prophesied to the captives in Babylon. Guess what Ezekiel said:

Ezekiel 22:30 “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”

· God said, “I sought for a man!”

· Find Me a man to stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land!

· And I will pardon My people.

Later Jeremiah wrote a letter to the captives in Babylon. You can read it beginning in Jeremiah 29. The prophet Daniel, who was taken captive from Jerusalem read the writings of Jeremiah and believed them. It was these same prophecies of Jeremiah that inspired Daniel to believe in the deliverance God planned for those whom He loved. (Daniel 9:2)

God was searching for a man … and finally 600 years later, He found one!

At the final trial of Jesus under Pontius Pilate, the last effort Pilate made to set Jesus free is found in John 19. Let’s read …

John 19:5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”

God found a Man!!! His name is Jesus.

What does this mean for us? Jesus preached His first sermon about this very thing.

Luke 4

16 So Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.

17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

Let me read it … it reads so much better than it preaches … Jesus just read it for His first recorded sermon:

Isaiah 61 NKJV

1 ¶ “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,

3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

Luke 4

20 Then Jesus closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.

21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

What will you do in the end? Nothing … God found a Man; His name is Jesus. He did it, and a pardon is waiting for you today.

Now all who call upon His name shall be saved.

You will never be too poor or too foolish to miss it, too rich or too educated to discount it. We can’t claim we didn’t know … we all need Jesus, and we need Him every day.

The prophecies of the Old Testament continue to be fulfilled in our day. Do not imagine God is dead or that He has grown tired of being a Father to the rich and poor alike. The New Testament teaches the unfolding plan of God since the foundation of the world. Have you considered: What will you do in the end?

Call upon the name of the Lord and He will save you. Isaiah 61:10 He will clothe you with the garment of salvation and wrap you in the robe of righteousness. Because, He found a Man …

Call upon that Man now … His name is Jesus.

Rock Solid Convictions Part 1: God

2026-02-21T09:08:00.012-06:00

Have you ever walked through one of those funhouse mirror rooms at a carnival or fair? You step in front of one mirror and suddenly you’re tall and stretched out. You move to the next one and now you’re short and wide. Another one makes your head look enormous and your legs look tiny. It’s fun because we all know something important: the mirror isn’t telling the truth. It’s reflecting you, but it’s a distorted image of who you really are. The image looks real, but it’s not accurate. And the only reason you know that is because you already have a clear understanding of what you actually look like.

The same is true when it comes to how we view God. There are many distorted views of God. Some are shaped by culture. Some by experience. Some by pain. Some by how we were raised. And if we don’t have a proper understanding of who God truly is, we will accept the distortion as reality. We will believe something about God that feels good, but isn’t true. That’s why its so important that we view God through the proper lens; through the lens that He has revealed about Himself in Scripture.

When you think about God… what do you think about?

Who is God to you?

Is He distant?

Is He strict?

Is He soft?

Is He disappointed?

Is He proud?

Is He involved?

Is He passive?

Is He watching?

Everyone in this room has a view of God. Some of that view has been shaped by Scripture, but some of it has been shaped by upbringing, by personal experiences, by moments of hurt, and by the culture we live in. Whether we realize it or not, we all carry a picture of God in our minds, and that picture influences the way we live every single day.

The truth is, your view of God will shape your life more than you think. What you believe about God will determine how you respond to big and small moment in you life. It impacts hoe you handle success, how you approach obedience, how you deal with sin, how you treat others, how you pray, and even how you worship. A.W. Tozer once said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

Here’s the danger: it is possible to believe in God and still believe the wrong things about Him. It is possible to carry around a version of God in your mind that does not match the God of Scripture. And if our view of God does not match the truth of who He really is, our convictions will never be rock solid.

So before we talk about any other topic, we must settle who God is. Not who culture says He is. Not what He feels like. Not who we think He is. Not who we would prefer Him to be. But who He has revealed Himself to be.

1. God Is Supreme

Exodus 20:3 — “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Supreme means no rival, no equal, no competitor, no substitute.

When we say God is supreme, we mean He stands alone. There is no one beside Him and no one above Him. He does not share authority. He does not co-rule. God alone sits at the top, not because we voted Him there, not because culture agreed on it, but because that is who He is by nature.

God is Uncreated
Psalm 90:2 reminds us, “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” Everything has a beginning. Everything has been formed. Everything was brought into existence. Everything, but God. He was not shaped, assembled, nor did he have a beginning. He does not evolve or develop over time. He simply is.

God is Infinite
God has no limits. No boundaries contain Him. No measurement defines Him. He is not confined by time, space, or human understanding. He does not grow in knowledge or increase in power. He is not improving. He is not declining. He is complete in Himself. His wisdom is limitless. His power is limitless. His presence is limitless. That is what makes Him supreme — there is nothing beyond Him and nothing outside of Him.

He is Unchanging
Malachi 3:6 says, “I the Lord do not change.” Culture shifts. Opinions evolve. Generations reinterpret. But God does not adapt to trends. He does not shift with public opinion. He does not adjust Himself to make Himself more acceptable. His character is steady. His holiness is steady. His love is steady. His truth is steady. What He was yesterday, He is today. What He is today, He will be tomorrow. That stability is part of His supremacy.

He is Righteous
God does not look outside Himself to determine what is right. He is the standard. He defines goodness. He defines justice. He defines truth. Morality does not shape Him — He shapes morality. We do not evaluate Him by our standards; our standards are evaluated by Him. When God speaks, right and wrong are not up for debate. His nature is the measure of what is righteous.

2. God Is Good

Psalm 34:8 — “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.”

It’s one thing to say God is supreme — that He sits on the throne and answers to no one. But it is another thing to know that the One who sits on that throne is good. Authority without goodness would be terrifying. Power without goodness would make us afraid. But the God who reigns is not harsh, unstable, or cruel. His rule is not reckless. His leadership is not unpredictable. His heart is not cold. His goodness means that His authority is safe.

He is Holy

Isaiah 6:3 — “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.”

God’s holiness means He is perfectly pure. There is no corruption in Him. No darkness. No moral flaw. He is completely set apart from sin. Because He is holy, He hates sin — not because He is mean, but because He is pure. Sin is destructive. Sin distorts what He created. Sin separates and wounds and corrupts. God opposes sin because He is perfectly righteous. His hatred of sin flows from His holiness, not from cruelty. It is the response of a perfectly pure God to what destroys His creation.

He is Loving

1 John 4:8 — “God is love.”

This love is not sentimental. It is not shallow. It is not conditional. It is sacrificial. God’s love moved Him toward us when we were far from Him. His love sent Christ. His love absorbs cost. His love pursues the wandering and restores the broken. God does not love because we are worthy; He loves because it is His nature. His goodness is not passive kindness — it is active, pursuing, redeeming love.

He is Just

Deuteronomy 32:4 — “All His ways are justice.”

God does not ignore evil. He does not look the other way when wrong is done. He does not compromise righteousness to make life easier. Justice is not something He occasionally exercises; it flows from who He is. He will make all things right. He will judge perfectly. He will never act unfairly. His justice assures us that evil does not have the final word.

God’s goodness is not weakness. It is moral perfection. It means that everything He does flows from a character that is holy, loving, and just at the same time.

So when life is confusing, when obedience costs something, when prayers feel unanswered, when circumstances don’t make sense — you settle this: God is still good.

Not because everything feels good. Not because everything is easy. But because His character has not changed. And if His character is good, then even when you don’t understand His ways, you can trust His heart.

3. God Is Sovereign

Isaiah 46:9–10 — “I am God, and there is no other… declaring the end from the beginning.”

God is sovereign. That means He rules. He governs. He is not reacting to history — He is directing it. He does not respond in panic. He does not adjust in surprise. He declares the end from the beginning. Before anything unfolds, He already sees it clearly. Sovereignty means that nothing ultimately escapes His authority.

And He can rule because of who He is.

He is All-Powerful
Jeremiah 32:17 reminds us, “Nothing is too hard for You.”

There is no force stronger than Him. No storm overwhelms Him. No enemy intimidates Him. No circumstance limits Him. He is not trying His best — He is limitless in power. Once God puts something into motion, nothing or no one can prevent it. God is not theoretically sovereign, He infinitely sovereign.

He is All-Knowing
Psalm 147:5 says, “His understanding is infinite.”

God does not guess. He does not learn. He does not gather information. He is never caught off guard. He sees every detail — every motive, every event, every outcome. He knows your past fully. He knows your present completely. He knows your future perfectly. His sovereignty is not blind control; it is wise and informed rule.

He is All-Present
Psalm 139:7–10 declares that there is nowhere we can go to escape His presence.

You cannot outrun Him.
You cannot hide from Him.
You cannot escape His presence.

He is present in the valley and on the mountain. He is present in the waiting and in the breakthrough. He is present in suffering and in celebration. His sovereignty is not distant oversight; it is near involvement. He is not ruling from afar — He is present within the story.

That means something incredibly important.

Nothing in your life is hidden from God.
Nothing catches Him off guard.

No time in your life where God is not with you.
He is always with you.
He will never leave you.

God is sovereign.

4. God Is Worth Trusting

When you combine everything we’ve just said — uncreated, infinite, unchanging, righteous, holy, loving, just, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present — you are left with a God whose character cannot fail. Every attribute supports the others. His power is guided by His holiness. His justice is shaped by His love. His sovereignty is grounded in His wisdom. There is no flaw in Him, no instability in Him, no weakness in Him.

Proverbs 3:5 — “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.”

God is worthy of your trust in Him. God commands us to trust in Him with all of our heart. There is not another person nor any other thing that is more worthy of our trust than Him. You can search the entire world for eternity long and find, that there is none like the Lord.

While He is worthy of your praise, the question is have you trusted Him with your whole life? God wants more than your Sundays and Wednesdays, He wants more than your bedight and before a meal prayers. God wants your heart.

Does my view of God match the God of scripture?

Let us stand rock solid in our convictions when it comes to the one true God.

Accessing the Peace of God

2026-02-15T07:16:00.007-06:00

We are living in a day and age that is more informed and connected than ever before, and yet it seems like we are amongst the most worrisome days as well.

• Global conflicts

• Rapid rise of AI

• Inflation

• Political divisions

• Retirement concerns

• Personal diagnoses

• Marriage strains

• The kind of world our kids are growing up in

• The fear of uncertainty

Here is the truth, people are looking for peace. The world is desperate for it. And you and I can use a little more of it in our life.

Illustration:

I once heard a story of a man. There was a man named Thomas. Thomas grew up poor. Not only was he poor financially, but also mentally conditioned to survive. He worked two jobs his entire life. Budgeted every dollar. Never expected help from anyone. He had an uncle he wasn’t very close to. He was wealthy, successful, but was quiet about it. When his uncle passed away, Thomas attended the funeral out of respect. A few weeks later, he received a certified letter in the mail from a law office. It said he had been named in the will.

He assumed it was sentimental. Maybe a watch, maybe a small check. But when he went to the attorney’s office, he was told that his uncle had left him a substantial inheritance; millions.

More than enough to eliminate debt.
More than enough to change his family’s future.
More than enough to live differently.

The attorney handed him the paperwork and explained the account information. Everything had already been deposited. It was legally his. However, there was only one problem: Thomas didn’t believe it. He left the office stunned. He put the documents in a drawer at home and he told no one.

He kept working two jobs.
Kept stressing about bills.
Kept arguing with his wife about money.
Kept living as if nothing had changed.

After months went by, one day his wife found the paperwork while cleaning. She couldn’t believe it. She marched into the bank with the documents and met with a financial advisor. She found out that it was real. The money had been sitting there the entire time.

They had been struggling… while they were wealthy.
They had been anxious… while they were secure.
They had been living broke… while provision was already theirs.

You see, the inheritance wasn’t the problem, “access” was.

Similarly, you and I have been given an inheritance of peace. That peace is available to us, but we must access it. Jesus talks about this peace in our the scripture we are going to read today.

In John 14, Jesus is hours away from being arrested and taken to trial. He is speaking with His disciples trying to tell them what was about to happen. Jesus knew that His disciples were about to go through the hardest moment in their life. They were going to witness Jesus be arrested and some see him be beaten, mocked, and crucified. All of them would abandon Him. Jesus knew what was coming. And it was in that vein that Jesus shared these words…

John 14:27 — “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Jesus said that in the most difficult moment of their life, He was leaving them with peace. So before we go any further we must ask the question, what exactly is this peace that Jesus is referring to?

In the new testament, the word peace is used primarily in two different ways:

Peace with God — Position of Peace

Romans 5:1 — “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you have peace with God. If you have not yet received the free gift of salvation in your life, then the Bible says that you are at enmity with God.

• Before I received Christ, I was at enmity with God. Because of sin, there was a massive rift in between us and God.

• There was nothing you or I could do to close that gap on our own. There is not enough good we could do to earn our way back to God. Before Christ, you and I had no shot at getting right with God.

• But thanks be to God for Jesus Christ for coming for one reason and one reason only, to take your place by dying on the cross. By doing so He paid the debt that we owed and exchanged our sin for His righteousness.

• And now every person who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved! That is the truth!

• Peace with God is the most important peace that you and I could have.

• If you have not accepted Jesus, my prayer is that today would be your day.

The Peace of God — Condition of Peace

This is the peace that Jesus was referring to.

Peace of God = An inward calm and confidence in knowing who God is; regardless of the surrounding circumstances.

Jesus says that He was leaving peace with His disciples; not just any peace, but His peace. This is the same peace that allowed Him to sleep during a storm, stand silent before His accusers, and walk toward the cross with boldness. That same peace He was leaving with His disciples.

This was different from the peace the world gives. The world offers to give us peace that provides a moment of distraction or a chance to escape the worries and stresses of life. It is momentary and fragile at best.

However, Jesus said that He was leaving “His” peace. This is the same peace that has been left to you and I. He was leaving it to us like a legacy. There is a peace available to you and I that resided in Jesus. Let’s dive into it some more.

Peace = (Eirēnē) = Tranquility of the soul; to be free from disturbance

Now it would be nice to be free from problems, free from circumstances, and free from the consequences they bring. But that is not what this is referring to. It is an inner peace that is undisturbed from the circumstances surrounding it.

This is good, but to really understand what this is implying we have to go to the Hebrew.

Peace = (Shalom) = Completeness; Wholeness; Total inward peace

This is a heavenly kind of peace, one that the world knows nothing about. This is peace that only comes from God.

So the question is, how do I find this peace? How do I find peace when…

• Things are stressful at work

• The doctor gives you a bad diagnosis

• Trying to make ends meet financially

• Feeling overwhelmed and anxious everyday

How do we find this peace?

Isaiah 26:3 — “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Perfect peace here is actually written as “peace peace.” That is a double peace, a double portion of peace. It says that you will be kept in perfect and heavenly peace when your mind and your thoughts are stayed (fixed) on God.

In other words, peace in our life is determined by our thoughts. There is a battle for peace in our life, and that battle is fought and won in our mind. In fact, just about any battle we face in life is fought and won in our mind.

The Bible says that we are in a spiritual war. This war is a battle of truth. God wants all people to come to know the truth in Jesus Christ. Satan wants to do everything he can to deceive us from the truth, and pull us away from God. One of the pieces of spiritual armor that Ephesians 6 tells us to put on is the helmet of salvation. Why? Because while our soul is saved our mind is not. The one area the enemy wants to gain ground in is your mind. If he can gain control of your mind, then he can gain control of your life.

What we think about the most, consumes us the most. What consumes us the most will control our life. Therefore, it is important that pay attention to what we fix our minds on.

We find peace in our life when we fix our mind on God. That word “fix” means to “lean fully” or to “rest completely.” In other words, to fix our mind on God means for us to rest our minds on the truth of God’s word and lean fully one Him. It means to rest completely on the promises that He has made available to you and I.

So the question is, what are you fixing your mind on? Is your mind fixed on what’s happening in the world around us? Is your mind fixed on the problems you are currently facing? Is your mind fixed on the worst case scenario? If our mind us fixed on these things then we will never experience peace. We must fix our mind on God!

Philippians 4:8-9 NLT

“8 Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise… Then the God of peace will be with you.”

When you fix your mind and rest your thoughts on the things of God, then the God of peace will be with you!

How do we fix our thoughts on God?

So how do we access this peace in our life? It is found a couple of verses earlier in Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4:6-7

“6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

1. Don’t worry about anything

• Refuse to allow anxiety to rule your life

• Refuse to allow yourself to be consumed by the problems around you

• Don’t allow yourself to be drowned out by all the worries of life

• Choose to trust in God instead

• Don’t make worrying your master, trust in God!

2. Pray about everything

• Replace your worries with prayer

• Don’t ignore the problem, but redirect it to God in prayer

• Don’t rehearse the situation over and over, but release it to God

• Worrying is meditation on the problem, prayer is meditation with God about the problem

• If it’s big enough to worry about, its big enough to pray about

3. Tell God what you need

• Supplication literally means “earnest, specific, heartfelt requests”

• In other words, get specific with God

• Instead of worrying about the problem, tell God exactly what you need

• Match the level of detail in your prayer to the level of detail in your worry

• Whatever you are replaying in your mind specifically, pray about it specifically

4. Thank God for what He has done

• Give it to God

• Begin to thank God for who he is and all that He has done

• Gratitude is not based on the results but on the character of God

• Thanksgiving recalibrates our mind (what has God brought me through?)

• Thanksgiving builds faith while you wait on God (if He did it before…)

• Thanksgiving is an act of surrender (trusting God with the outcome).

5. Peace of God will guard your heart and mind

• When we do these things, we experience the peace of God

• God’s peace surpassing our ability to understand

• His peace guards and protects our heart and mind from worry and fear

• This is the peace that Jesus has given us!

Let me encourage you to receive what Jesus has already given you, His peace. We don’t need more control, we don’t need more information, and we don’t need more distraction. What we need is more of the peace of God in our life. Let’s win the battle of peace by fixing out thoughts on God. Let us stop worrying and start handing the problem over to God in prayer. In exchange, we will receive His peace that guards our heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Life Lessons The Curse of Balaam

2026-02-07T21:36:00.003-06:00

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Superbowl Sunday – Superbowl LX – Seahawks verses Patriots

According to the National Chicken Council (NationalChickenCounsel.org) Americans are projected to eat 1.48 billion chicken wings today. I wonder if those are like the whole wing or like the wing cut into two pieces. Can you believe commercially oriented marketers have convinced Americans to accept that half a wing is a wing? At any rate, it takes a lot of chickens to make up 1.48 billion wings of any sort.

1.48 billion wings divided by the near 350 million people who live in the USA today equals like 4.22 chicken wings for every man, woman, child, and baby. This means I will need to let you out early today so you and the family can get started early. Some of us are going to have to eat more than our share.

On a retail note: The National Retail Federation (nrf.com) has forecasted, and even made a neat little chart, that 213.1 million adults plan to watch the Superbowl today. They will spend a total of 20.2 Billion Dollars on food, clothing, new TV’s, decorations, and other furniture. That equals $94.77 per viewer.

America is a great place to live, if you can afford it … everyone wants to live in America – unless you’re a chicken I suppose.

Are you ready for the Word?

Before we get to our text today, I’d like to invite Jeff Phillips, one of the Elders of our Church, to read Psalms 8, which is our Psalm for this week.

We have been reviewing the story of The Prophet Balaam which began in Numbers 22 when the King of Moab hired him to curse the Israelites. Evidently The King of Moab and all the Elders of Midian believed the Prophet Balaam had the power to bless and the power to curse. They were willing to pay a very large sum of money if Balaam would proclaim a curse on Moses and the Children of God. (The Prophet Balaam represents you; the king of Moab represents the devil; and the Children of Israel represents all the people on earth the Lord is trying to save.)

Numbers 22:6 “Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

Not only did the Moabites and the Midianites believe what Balaam said had power, but God and His Angel also believed it.

Numbers 23 NKJV

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!”

12 So he answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak what the LORD has put in my mouth?”

The whole account was made a matter of Biblical record so we would realize how powerful our words are and how important it is to God that we bless people and not curse them. In fact, every Born-Again Believer has the Holy Spirit living in their heart and their words are much more powerful and impacting than any of the Old Testament prophets could imagine.

Jesus said there was never a greater prophet than John the Baptist but the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he. (Matthew 11:11; Luke 7:28)

For this reason, the New Testament continues to admonish us as Believers to watch what we say and to make sure we do not idly or willfully curse people. God is trying to save them! Furthermore the scriptures give us several keys to controlling what we think, what we say, and what we do.

Romans 12

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and

acceptable and perfect will of God.

Thoughts produce words – better said – Words come from thoughts. We may not be able to fully harness our words unless we can first control our thoughts. Jesus said it this way:

Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

James 3: 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

We should all strive to be perfect and to exercise a reasonable amount of self-control. Self-control is a greater asset than one might realize. Self-control, it turns out, might just be a byproduct of filling our mind with the right stuff!

At any rate, people end up saying what they think – maybe not to everyone but certainly to themselves and eventually to someone else.

Problem is, when we think in terms of curses, we tend to curse.

Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Curses are real! God would not have given us instructions to not curse people unless He believed our cursing actually had power to harm them.

God gave strict instructions to Balaam to not curse the Israelites. In fact, an angel of the Lord stood ready to kill the prophet because he did not want any curse words coming from the prophet spoken against those God wanted to save. Evidently curse words hurt … even when we speak them about ourselves!

Proverbs 4

20 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth, From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Numbers 14:28 "Say to them, ’As I live,’ says the LORD, ’just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you:”

It’s not only what we say about ourselves, but also what others may be saying about us. Verbally denounce and condemn the curses others have spoken over your life, family, finances, and future.

Isaiah 54:17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the LORD.

Remember – It will please God if you will quit cursing others!

How can you do this?

· Fill your mind with the good Word of God! (Proverbs 4:23)
· Think on the best you can imagine God can do. (Philippians 4:8)
· Speak that which is good. (Ephesians 4:29)
· Renew your mind and it will renew your life! (Romans 12:1-2)

Rock Solid Convictions Intro: What are Convictions

2026-02-07T20:43:00.002-06:00

Convictions. They’re something we never really talk about. But it is something we all have in some way or another. And while we do have them, how often do we actually think about that our convictions are? The question is, what are the convictions that we are holding on to?

What convictions do you have that you will not change?

• You will not compromise…
• You will not deny…
• You will not surrender…

Convictions are given by God to protect you and to help you love a godly life. So if someone asked you what your convictions were, what would you tell them? Have you thought about what your convictions are? These are all important questions.

Why?

Because convictions define who you are.

• They influence how you think.
• They define choices you make.
• They set the direction you are going in life.
• They influence how you spend your money.
• They impact how you treat others.
• They shape your character over time.

You convictions are a major part of your life and they make up who you are.

What are your convictions? What will you not compromise under any circumstance? What convictions are influencing your thoughts, choices, direction, spending, how you treat others, character?

We have to make sure that we are on the same page when we discuss the term conviction.

Definitions of Conviction

1. To be formally determined as guilty
2. A firmly held belief
3. Convictions impressed by the Holy Spirit

Convictions are the beliefs that we hold firmly to. These the things we believe that no one or nothing can change our mind on.

As believers in Jesus Christ, our convictions must be shaped by God’s Word. If a conviction is not rooted in Scripture then it is just a strong opinion. We must be careful that we are not just holding firmly to strong opinions.

CONVICTIONS	PREFERENCES
Do not change	Do change
Rooted in God’s Word	Shaped by culture, upbringing, and personality
Faith based	Opinion based
Non-negotiable	Situational
You believe no matter the situation you face	You believe now but can be convinced there is something better.

So what are convictions? How would you define a conviction?

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 revealed in the face of adversity and consequences.

Characteristics of a person with Convictions

Story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.

- Three Jews who were absorbed into the Babylonian kingdom
- They were commanded to bow down to the golden image, and if they didn’t then they would be thrown into a fiery furnace
- This went against their convictions as the people of God
- So when everyone bowed down to the golden image, these three men were resolute in their decision not to bow down to the idol
- This led to them being brought before King Nebuchadnezzar and were threatened

Daniel 3:12,16-18

12 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.”

“16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.””

In the midst of adversity and serious consequences, these three men stood firm in their convictions. I believe that we can learn something from these men. I want to talk about the characteristics of someone who lives by convictions.

1. Convictions are settled before a Crisis
v12 — “They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image”

• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t get together when the music started playing to figure out what they were going to do.
• They had already decided what they were going to do before anyone was commanded to bow. They were resolute.
• As Christians, we don’t decide our convictions when we are under pressure. We must decide ahead of time.
• The golden image didn’t decide their convictions, it revealed them.
• Similarly, the pressure moments you face in life will not decide your convictions…they reveal them.

2. Convictions are rooted in a fear of God
v16 — “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.”

• These three men knew that they ultimately did not answer to the king. They knew that they had to answer God.
• They were unshakeable in their response because they feared God.
• They feared God more than they feared man or feared consequences.

• As believers, our convictions come from a fear of God, not from a fear of consequences
Matthew 10:28 — “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

3. Convictions refuse to bow, even when others do
v18 — “nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

• Everyone had bowed down; an entire nation had complied.
• However, these three men refused to bow even when everyone else did
• As Christians, we live for obedience to God, not acceptance of others
• When people around you are cursing, drinking, gossiping, don’t worry about offending them; worry about offending God.
• Choose obedience over acceptance

4. Convictions are lived out publicly

• They simply stood when everyone else bowed— everyone saw it
• When you stand for Jesus, people will notice
• Conviction isn’t about being seen, but real convictions will be seen.
• Don’t be afraid to speak up when someone says something negative about Jesus. Don’t be afraid to stand up against what is wrong when everyone else says that its okay. Don’t be ashamed to talk about Jesus at your workplace or with your friends.

5. Convictions trust in God
v17 — “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.
18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods”

• Their obedience was not tethered to how things might’ve turned out. They were going to trust God regardless of what happened.
• They chose to obey God, and then left the results to Him.
• As christians, we obey God without guarantees of what might happen.
• We must trust God for the outcome rather than ourselves.

6. Convictions produce courage when challenged
v18 — “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

• Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had the courage to stand up and obey God in the face of serious consequences.
• That courage came when they chose to make a stand in faith.
• We too receive courage and boldness when we choose to obey God.
• That courage comes after we have made the decision.

In this series we will be going over 5 Rock-Solid Convictions that you as a Christian should hold firmly to:

Rock-Solid Conviction Topics

1. God — God Alone Is Supreme
2. The Bible — God’s Word Is the Authority
3. Money — God’s Blueprint: Stewardship
4. Prayer — Our Dependence on God
5. Eternity — Living With the End in Mind

Life Lessons The Donkey Knows

2026-02-01T09:14:00.000-06:00

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Isaiah 1:3 “The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.”

After a person gives their life to Jesus Christ and becomes a child of God, one of the most important things they can do is to remember what He did for them. All throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, we are admonished to not forget what God has done for us.

Remembering and reminding ourselves and others about what God has done gives Him the credit for our blessings. Another word for credit is glory. We give God glory when we remember His blessings.

The one thing Jesus asks of us concerning communion is that we receive the bread and the cup in remembrance of Him and the way He gave His life for us. He said: “This do in remembrance of Me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24)

Just after the Balaam incident and the plague that came upon the Israelites because of their sin, God had Moses write the Book of Deuteronomy to give instructions to His children concerning what God expected of them.

Seven times in the book of Deuteronomy God told the Children of Israel that when they arrived and were settled in the Promise Land and were comfortable in their new houses, safe from their enemies, and prosperous in their fields, to not forget what He had done for them and where their blessings came from.

Deuteronomy 8 NKJV

11 “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today,

12 “lest — when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them;

13 “and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied;

14 “when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;

15 “who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock;

16 “who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end —

17 “then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’

18 “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

God has a reason for blessing us … and God will not forget His covenant.

Deuteronomy 4:31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God, He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.

God made a covenant with Abraham concerning Isaac, Jacob, and their children. God changed Jacob’s name to Israel, and the Children of Israel are the descendants of Abraham. God’s covenant was with Abraham and sealed by the blood of a bull, goat, ram, turtledove, and pigeon (Genesis 12:1-4; 15:8-18). The Children of Israel were the beneficiaries of that covenant. And, God promised that He would not forget that covenant.

Psalm 89:34 My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing which has gone out of my lips.

The Abrahamic covenant promised:

1. God would multiply his descendants.
2. He would bless their bread and water.
3. He would bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey.
4. He would be their God and be a friend to their friends and an enemy to their enemies.

Today, God’s covenant is with Jesus. It is a covenant built on better promises and sealed by the blood of Jesus. The Covenant of Christ promises:

1. All who call upon the name of Jesus will be saved.
2. Sin, sickness, poverty, and fear will have no dominion over the Born-Again Christian.
3. Every Believer will be an heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus.
4. God will hear and answer their prayers.
5. The Holy Spirit will be their personal teacher and guide.
6. The saved will never taste death.
7. They will reign as Kings and Priests with Jesus throughout eternity.

If you believe God sent His Son to personally pay the price for your sin and if you have subsequently invited Jesus into your heart, you are saved and have entered into the covenant God promised us through His Son. This covenant is sure and secure and is based on the blood of Jesus.

If you have not yet asked Jesus into your heart, you can do that right now. It is free and simple yet the most important and powerful thing you will ever do. Call on the name of the Lord with me right now. Turn your life over to Jesus. He loves you and has a plan for your life.

Once you are saved … remember what God has done for you and give Him the glory. He is the One who has saved you, healed you, and prospered you. He hears your prayers and will teach and guide you in every decision. Honor Him.

Like the prophet Isaiah said:

Isaiah 1:3 “The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; …”

Acknowledge your God … you didn’t do it by yourself.

Deuteronomy 8:18 “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

There is a reason why you have been and will be blessed!

Life Lessons The Progression of Sin

2026-01-24T21:19:00.000-06:00

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This morning we are continuing our Life Lessons from the Bible, picking up where we left off in the life of an Old Testament prophet named Balaam. In Part 1 we established a few things about this prophet from the account in the book of Numbers chapter 22. Namely:

· Balaam loved money.

· Just because God tolerates something does not mean He appreciates it.

· If you cannot say no to yourself and to others, you will fail in life.

The story of Balaam intrigues me. For those just joining the story, allow me to give the quick overview of Balaam’s situation.

Balaam was a prophet of Jehovah living in what is now Syria during the Exodus of the Children of Israel with Moses. The Israelites were so numerous that they filled the land with their tents as they moved through Midian on the eastern side of the Dead Sea and on up the Jordan River Valley across from Jericho.

The King of Midian, named Balak, was afraid of the Israelites but knew he could not defeat them in a direct attack. He had heard about their God and how He protected them against their enemies. So King Balak hatched a plan. He decided to hire a prophet of the God of Israel and pay that prophet to pronounce a curse on the Israelites.

King Balak offered the prophet Balaam a lot of money to curse Israel. Balaam inquired of God and God told Balaam to not go. When Balak the king heard this, he immediately offered Balaam a lot more money, power, and position. Balaam loved money so he went back to try and convince God to let him do it.

Finally God told Balaam, go ahead … but do not say anything I don’t tell you to say. So Balaam saddled his trusted donkey and went.

He wasn’t far down the road before an Angel of the Lord stood in the way with his sword drawn to kill Balaam. Balaam didn’t see the angel, but his donkey did. Just before the angel struck, the donkey veered off the trail and into a field, saving Balaam’s life. Balaam got mad at the donkey and beat her until she got back up on the road.

This happened two more times until God opened the mouth of the donkey to speak to Balaam and then God opened Balaam’s eyes to see the angel.

This whole account begs the question: If God was against Balaam going to Midian, why did He tell him to go head?

Ezekiel 14 tells us that if a person sets up an idol in his own heart and then inquires of God concerning a matter while worshipping that idol, God will allow the idol to answer them. Even a prophet will be deceived by the idol they set up to worship. The voice of the Lord will sound like the voice of their idol. God will confirm their delusion. The Psalmists said:

Psalm 81:12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels.

Idolatry is sin. Balaam worshipped money. Money was his god. Money told Balaam what to think, feel, and do. Money, in and of itself, is nothing, until you idolize it. Money is not evil … it’s the love of money … and …

It doesn’t have to be money to be an idol. Anything, even another person, can become an idol.

Sin begins so small. But > Sin will:

· Take you farther than you wanted to go.

· Keep you longer than you expected to stay.

· Cost you more than you were willing to pay.

Sin begins as a mistake in judgment or an impulse driven act or a single bad decision. This is no doubt what happened to Balaam. Sin began small, like a seed, just an error, and it grew. This is:

The Progression of Sin

1. The Error of Balaam

Jude 1:11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

· An Error is a mistake, a sin, but often a single bad decision.

· Repent of bad decisions before they become a habit or a way.

2. The Way of Balaam

2 Peter 2:15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.

· An error left unchecked, unchallenged and unchanged becomes a way of life.

· That’s just the way I am … so sad but so true.

3. The Doctrine of Balaam

Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

· The word doctrine means teaching.

· Balaam knew he could not curse the Israelites but he could teach king Balak how to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel so that they would, in essence, curse themselves.

· He told Balak to move Midianite prostitutes in tents close to the camp of Israel and entice them to consort, intermingle, and intermarry. Then further tempt them to set up idols to worship and thereby anger God.

· It worked …

Numbers 31:16 These caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam to commit trespass against the Lord … and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.

Joshua 13:22 – The Children of Israel, under the leadership of Joshua, killed Balaam with the sword once they entered the Promise Land.

Conclusion: How Do I Defeat The Curse of Balaam In My Life?

1. Confess and forsake your sin.

Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

2. Flee sin … Run Away!

1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee sexual immorality …

3. Make no provision for sin …

Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Breaking the Cycle of Toxic Thinking

2026-01-24T08:00:00.002-06:00

Any body here talk to themselves? I definitely talk to myself, maybe a little too much. But talking to yourself is normal, and it is a good thing. With that said, here is my question to you:

What do you say to yourself, when you talk to yourself? I’m not referring to on-going narration you say to yourself as you get ready to leave the house or when you forget how you got to a destination. I am also not referring to the constant reminders you give yourself or work toward completing your tasks.

What I’m referring to is the on-going self-talk that you repeatedly say to yourself over and over again in your mind. What do you say when you talk to yourself? If you are like most people, there are times when you get stuck in a negative loop. You find yourself thinking about things that are not helpful and at times can be harmful.

Some of those thoughts can sound like this:

• I always mess things up

• I never get things right

• This is a disaster

• They probably think I am stupid

• Or, I am so stupid

• I am a failure

• I am just so bad with money

• Why can’t I just be like them?

• This is never going to change

• God must be disappointed in me

What you say to yourself matters… What you say to the people around you matters. What you say to your children matters. What you say to God matters.

But what you say to yourself may matter more than what you say to others.

Proverbs 23:7 — “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

We must be careful how we think, because how we think shapes who we become. That’s powerful! What you think about yourself and how you talk to yourself in your thoughts have the power to shape who you are becoming.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in psychology explains it like this:

• Your thoughts impact (help to form) what you believe

• Your beliefs impact what you feel

• Your feelings often impact what you do

In other words, our lives move in the direction of our strongest and deepest thoughts. The question is, what are you thinking about the most? What are you saying to yourself the most? Even better, what are you allowing your “self” to say to yourself?

Your thoughts have extraordinary power.

Through Christ, you have extraordinary power over your thoughts.

You are not a victim of your thoughts. Through the power of God you can choose what you think about and what you say to yourself. However, it is a matter of CHOICE.

Romans 8:6

“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

If we find ourselves struggling with negative and destructive thoughts, could it be that out mind is set on the things of this world rather than the things of God? It says that when we set our mind on the things of God that it leads to life and peace.

Here is the truth:

Toxic thinking not only impacts you, but also those around you.

Psalms 4:23 — “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Whatever is in your inner world eventually becomes a stream to the outer world. In other words, if toxic thinking is flowing inside of us, it will show up in our:

• Tone (how we speak to people)

• Attitude (how we react to people)

• Patience (how we treat people)

We have to break out of this cycle. Why? Because how we speak to ourself matters! It impacts not just ourselves, but the people around us. So, when we find ourselves constantly surrounded by negativity, toxic thinking, and negative thoughts patterns, what should we do?

Here are four things we can do remedy negative thinking:

1. Guard what you allow in your mind
Psalms 4:23 — “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

• Don’t let negativity run unchecked in your life

• We don’t have to sit listen to our self speak negatively

• Not every thought is worth thinking about

• You can’t always control every thought that enters your mind, but you can control what stays.

2. Replace negative thoughts with truth
2 Corinthians 10:5 — “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

• We guard what we allow in our mind, and then we replace those thoughts that do make it through.

• Your thoughts are not in charge, Christ is

• You don’t have to sit and listen to your self speak negatively to ourself

• You can interrupt those negative thought patterns and replace them with the truth

• When a thought comes your way,
1) — Don’t ignore it
2) — Ask yourself, is this true? (does it line up with scripture)
3) — What does God’s Word say?
4) — Declare God’s truth over yourself

• Romans 12:2 — “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

3. Fix your mind on God

• The mind that is set on the flesh is death, but the mind that is set on the Spirit is life and peace!

• If we want more life giving thoughts, peaceful thoughts, encouraging thoughts, joyful thoughts, loving thoughts, then we have to set our mind on the things of God.

Colossians 3:2 — “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

• To “set your mind” means to intentionally place it somewhere. It is a choice you are making. You must choose that you are going to think about the things of God.

• You have to avoid setting your mind on gossip, constant bad news, what people think about you, your past failures and mistakes.

• Your thoughts are incredibly powerful!

• However, through Christ you have incredible power over your thoughts

• Through the power of God, you can choose to set your mind on God

‣ Remind yourself who God is

‣ Remind yourself of His promises

‣ Remind yourself of where your hope comes from

• Isaiah 26:3 — “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”

4. Encourage yourself in the Lord

• When you find yourself in a moment when you are surrounded by negativity, do what David did and encourage yourself in the Lord.

Psalm 42:5 — “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him…”

• Notice what David did:

‣ He acknowledged his discouragement

‣ He did not allow it to consume him

‣ He was speaking the truth to himself

• Encouraging yourself means reminding yourself:

‣ God is good

‣ God is faithful

‣ God is with you

‣ God is at work

‣ The season you are in is not the end

• 1 Samuel 30:6 — “David found strength in the Lord his God."

• Encourage yourself in the Lord!

• Remind yourself that you can

‣ Trust in the Lord

‣ You are not alone

‣ Your hope is in the Lord

2026-01-21T14:08:00.000-06:00

Gtcotr/ws012126

Exodus 23 NKJV

20 ¶ “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared."

Numerous times in the Old Testament accounts, the appearance of what is called, “The Angel of the LORD”, is not a reference to a created angelic being or human messenger but rather an appearance of Jesus Christ Himself.

I believe, as do many scholars, the Angel referred to in this account is none other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

He shall keep you and bring you into what I have prepared for you.

This evening, I want to present a New Testament overlay of this Old Covenant Word of God. In other words: What does this story mean for us today?

Exodus 23

21 “Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him.

22 “But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

23 “For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off.

These six enemies were natural enemies who were designed by God to parallel the six major spiritual enemies we face today. Who or what do these enemies represent in our lives and how do we defeat them?

Here is a recap of these Six Enemies of the Soul – Each enemy provides a formidable temptation. The goal of the enemy is to keep us out of the Promise Land. You can find these enemies listed in Exodus 3:8 and 23:23.

1. The Canaanite – Compromise

a. We cannot live a victorious life with one foot in the kingdom and one foot in the world

b. The Church should not mimic the world but the Kingdom.

2. The Hittite – Dismayed

a. To be terrorized and paralyzed

b. Unsettled, confused

c. To lose it and go to pieces

3. The Amorite – Opinion Driven

a. Stubbornly Opinionated

b. Be unwilling to go to war with family and friends

4. The Perizzite – Anything Goes

a. Without walls; no standards; no boundaries

b. There is a point, beyond which, tolerance ceases to be a virtue.

c. You must be born again!

5. The Hivite – Selfishness

a. Blaming others for the pressure or problem

b. It doesn’t have to be a bad heart to be a bad habit.

6. The Jebusite – Threshing Place

a. To be beaten down

b. Rejected

c. Lowly Esteemed

d. Trampled under foot

e. Tempted to feel worthless, discarded and of no value

Again … how do we defeat these enemies and what happens when we do? God will do His part - He will cut them off … but what is our part in this?

Exodus 23 NKJV

24 “You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars.

25 “So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.

26 “No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.

27 “I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.

28 “And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you.

29 “I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beast of the field become too numerous for you.

30 “Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.

31 “And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, and from the desert to the River. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.

32 “You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.

33 “They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

God expects us to correctly identify these enemies who are trying to keep us from entering the eternity God has prepared for us. This is an underlay of our eternity … a picture of our future.

The implication is: If we obey Jesus and do what He said, He will save us and He will be an enemy to our enemies and a friend to our friends. As well, God will prepare a place for us to live without these enemies. So …

Don’t bow down to them …

Don’t be like them or do what they do …

Overthrow them!

Destroy their strongholds/pillars.

Serve the Lord your God.

Give God time to drive out the enemies from before you.

A Pattern of Trouble

2026-01-19T08:37:00.003-06:00

There's a famous Bible story that has intrigued children and adults for thousands of years. It's a story of trouble and sin, but it's also a story of zeal and finally triumph. Our hero in today's story led a pattern of sin lead to his demise. The lesson for us is, if we allow secret sins to remain in our lives, cracking our character, we may not be able to say precisely when we'll fall, but it will happen. We can be certain eventually it will happen.

When we violate God's standards, we can be sure we're not going to get away with it in the end. When we break God's laws, if we do not repent, we will eventually have to pay the consequences. This is the story of putting every sin, even what may seem the smallest of all, out of our lives completely so that cracks of unrighteousness do not take root. So, let’s turn to Song of Solomon chapter 2 verse 15.

Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in blossom.”

Sin always takes you further than you want to go, longer than you want to stay, and costs more than we can pay. And we miss it a lot because the details are so small. Now, why did we read that scripture because if you know your bible then you know Solomon is the wisest man who has ever lived. The son of King David. He says catch all the foxes the little foxes because it’s the little things that ruin the most. It’s the small foxes that ruin the vine and take you somewhere you never intended to go. It’s the small things that sometimes have the biggest impact. Remember this The enemy loves to use the smallest things to wreck our lives in the biggest ways. He wants us to just think it’s so small, it’s so

small what harm can it do. Let’s be real if the enemy just came up to you and straight up told you what he wants to do in your life then you wouldn’t let him do it. The devil is real and he is very smart. I’m not here to glorify the enemy I’m here to expose him.

The enemy doesn’t bring us chains he brings us a choice. With some of us our chain started with a link. Things start as a small seemingly thing but what the enemy doesn’t tell you is that leads to a full invasion of your life. It’s not just one choice because one choice leads to another and another. It’s never just one time. What a shame it is to live heaven-ready but hell on earth. When I die I’m going to heaven but until then I might as well make it hell on earth for myself. Jesus took care of the eternal consequences but it didn’t take care of the temporal consequences. There are natural consequences for our decisions. Let me tell you God did not do it to you. What happened because you did something is not God’s fault. He did not give it to you because of what you did. You did it yourself. There are natural consequences for our choices in life. If you keep avoiding him you are going to keep running into them. After a few choices, it becomes a habit. Once it becomes a habit it becomes automatic. It started as something to help me but now it is me. After its automatic, it becomes your identity. It becomes who you are or who you believe you are. Once it’s our identity it becomes natural. If sin feels natural to your you are in chains. We are not here to pick on people in chains. I have been in chains. We are here to break them off. We wonder why for some many circumstances in life and it’s simply because we are in chains. Today’s choices become tomorrow’s chains. I understand that some of us have chains for years and you’ve tried to get free. What you put into your body doesn’t trump the blood of Jesus AMEN.

Deuteronomy 30:19

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

I’m praying you will choose life. Your decisions are way bigger than just you. They never affect just you. It’s you choosing life around you and those coming after you. There is nobody this shows up more in than Sampson. The story of Samson gives us a window into the deception of sin and how it can take over a person's life. I've titled this message very simply A Pattern of Trouble.

And as you'll quickly see, the example of Samson is generally not a very good one, but there's triumph at the end of the story. So this true story, one of the most well-known in all the Bible, especially by children perhaps, because who doesn't like the story of the Superman, provides an important insight into deception and sin.

Samson's a striking biblical example of a man who suffered a moral slide. And his all too familiar story is told in the book of Judges. He's a man who had it all going for him. He was young, strong, handsome, influential, a natural-born leader. And so his story is one made for children's story books. He came from a good family and enjoyed all the advantages of a solid upbringing. He was the church kid of his day, yet in the end, his life was ruined.

Why? Of course, it didn't just happen. In fact, Samson's demise was preceded by years of little problems, a pattern of trouble, ongoing indiscretions that began so insignificant. We might be tempted to think there was hardly anything to them. But in fact, these indiscretions ran their course for a period of 20 years, cracking his character beneath the surface. So what was it that really caused Samson's failure?

Of course, many who know the story will be quick to exclaim Delilah. Samson was undone by that conniving woman, Delilah. But this is the story of Samson before Delilah. We tend to make a big deal about Delilah. Hollywood likes to make a big deal about Delilah. Almost everything written about Samson today and his ultimate failure centers on her. And we're all quick to think that she was his greatest fault, the root of his downfall. But in reality, some 20 years before Delilah, secret problems began to run their course through the character of his life.

She just happened to be there at the end. It's easy to slip into habits and sinful habits, moral compromises, ethical lapses, spiritual accommodations, things that we might rationalize away as insignificant or unimportant if we're not careful.

Today I have four points of how we can avoid sin that Samson just didn’t get.

Our first point today is Avoid the Situation That Precedes the Sin. If you know you've got a problem, avoid the situation that will lead you to that problem. So, Samson was particularly advantaged. We are told he was a Nazirite from his mother's womb. A Nazirite was someone specially set apart for the work of God, and he was distinguished in holiness by three vows he was to keep.

First, he vowed to never drink wine or eat grapes or raisins, or anything from the vine. Second, he vowed to never touch a dead person because he was to live a separate holy life, unblemished by the curse of death. And third, he vowed never to cut his hair. And you can read all about these Nazirite vows in Numbers 6 if you want to.

Now each of these vows outwardly represented an inward commitment to holiness and righteousness. And when men and women saw a Nazirite walking down the street, they immediately recognized him as a man of commitment, a man of resolve. But sadly, Samson trivialized his Nazirite vows even early on in his life. A pattern of moral shortcomings began. So look at chapter 14.

Judges 14:1 Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines

Now remember, our point is avoid the situation that might cause you to sin. So he saw a woman in Timnah and she was a Philistine girl. The Philistines were pagans. They were the very oppressors God had raised Samson up to defeat. And according to the verse, he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. So right then and there he was smitten.

God warned the Israelites about marrying outside of their faith. Samson especially was to be different, holy, a Nazirite, representing God's way of doing things. And so here was one of his first mistakes. He should have avoided the situation that could lead him to sin.

Was Samson avoiding a situation that could cause him to slip into sin by having a relationship with a pagan woman? Woman of a different religion? Was Samson following God's advice on marital relationships? We too must put God first in our life. We must avoid situations that may cause us to fall short of the mark—anything that comes between us and God. Samson was where he should not have been, down there at Timna, down there with the godless people, down there among the Philistines. He was not avoiding a situation that could cause him to fall short of his calling.

So as we proceed, you'll see the cracks in Samson's character, which at first seem to be minor issues, but they show an ongoing pattern of trouble. Our second point is Replace wrong actions with righteous actions. If you've got a lot of emptiness in your life, you may just do the wrong thing. Fill your life with righteousness to push out the unrighteousness. So replace wrong actions with righteous actions. So we get to about halfway through verse 5 and verse 6 in Judges 14 where we see a lion attacked Samson while he was in the vineyards of Timna.

Judges 14:5–6

“To his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand”

He did not tell his father or mother what he had done. He went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.

So here we see Samson's newly found famous superhuman strength coming into play. But sin has consequences. We may be ingenious in our efforts to avoid those consequences, as Samson was when he faced the lion in the vineyard. God protected him. But he really should have stayed clear of the vineyard to begin with.

One compromise leads to the next. Samson very nearly met with disaster because he was where he should not have been, doing what he should not have been doing, with someone he shouldn't have been with. It's all compounding now. It's almost as if he was winking at danger and sin, and there was no righteous behavior to counteract it.

So Samson returned to the vineyard. When he did, he revisited his narrow escape from the lion. And he returned to the carcass of an unclean animal—which a Nazarite would avoid. Maybe this is why he omitted telling his parents where the honey came from. Despite such promising beginnings, Samson showed himself susceptible to being foolishly enticed, and he's not replacing questionable actions with righteous actions.

Samson, bit by bit, was not fulfilling his life with righteousness, but rather with wrong actions. Our third point is Stay close to God.

Judges 15 tells the story of the demise of Samson's relationship with the woman from Timna, which is actually a very tragic story.

Samson's Philistine wife from Timna was given to a friend by her father. So Samson burned down vast amounts of Philistine crops. So what had happened was, Samson had used his superhuman strength to catch 300 foxes, lit torches between all their tails, burned down vast amounts of Philistine grain—including vineyards and olive groves...

So they answered, "Who has done this?" Samson has done this—the son-in-law of the Timnite. So Samson's marriage ended in tragedy. In retribution, the Philistines then killed Samson's father-in-law and wife by burning them alive.

Now remember, all these events we've read about so far—we've skipped over a lot of them—occurred some twenty years before Samson ever met Delilah. This is all Samson before Delilah. In the book of Judges here, there are many more stories of Samson using his superhuman strength to antagonize the Philistines. And we won't cover them all here today. But it appears he thought he could get away with not treating his Nazarite vows seriously. And carried along by passions of the moment, he forgot that actions always have consequences. The consequences may not be immediate—they may not be for twenty more years, right? But they are sure and certain nonetheless. Because it was two decades before Samson was finally entirely undone. But the stage was set in those vineyards of Timna.

And so twenty years later, Samson met Delilah. And then came the final blow. And his life ended in ruin.

And so it can be with us. Marriage doesn't just fall apart. It's slowly undermined over a span of time. Ethical violations in the workplace begin with small indiscretions. And then we get demoted, or lose our job completely. We must stay close to God to avoid sin and its consequences. And if we don't stay close to God and avoid the warning signs of sin, we will eventually fall.

Most people don't wake up in the morning and think, "I think I'm going to have an affair today." No, it happens gradually in stages—one lapse leading to another in a chain reaction. So it's vital that we stay close to God.

Remember James 4, verses 7 and 8 "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded"

A very important passage in James about staying close to God in order to resist sin. So you would think that somewhere along the way, Samson would have learned his lesson. Sadly, though, his disappointing experiences with the Philistines only deepened the pattern of rebellion in his life, exacerbating the cracks in his character. He claimed belief in God. He had the outward appearance of a Nazarite. But he didn't act like it. He wasn't close to God, and he wasn't living a holy life. His actions had already made a mockery of his confession as a Nazarite. And before long then, his life was to be reduced to ruin.

By the time he had his infamous encounter with the temptress Delilah, he had reinforced his bad habits for many years. And during that time, Samson's character become damaged—so weakened by secret sins that he was eventually unable to stop himself, even in the face of obvious danger. He became a slave to his sins. And you can read about some of those sins in the intervening chapters of Judges, chapters 15 and 16, if you want to read the whole story and some of the other things he did. Some of these include prostitution, touching more dead animals—unclean animals—and generally relying on himself instead of recognizing his superhuman strength actually came from God. Samson physically wasn't any different than any other person. His superhuman strength came from God.

This leads up to our fourth point Don't become enticed by sin.

Don't become enticed. That leads us to Judges chapter 16 here. We skipped over a few stories.

Judges 16:4-6:

"Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, 'Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and every one of us will give you eleven hundred pieces of silver. So Delilah said to Samson, 'Please tell me where your great strength lies, and with what you may be bound to afflict you'"

So up to this time, Samson had been a thorn to the dreaded Philistines. He disrupted their reign of terror among the people of Israel and became a champion of freedom. But now they saw an opportunity to exploit his obvious weakness for beautiful women. So apparently Samson still had some of his wits about him, so he lied to her. Delilah, intent on her betrayal, proceeded to do what he said and bound him while he slept. But when his attackers came out from behind the curtains in the bedchamber to pounce on him, Samson surprised them all—tearing off the bowstrings—and then furiously beat them.

Strangely, Samson failed to learn from this betrayal and narrow escape. He was so smitten by his attraction to Delilah that he remained captive to her affections. And in a very real sense here, as we read the rest of the story, Samson went from dumb to dumber—without a doubt. Just as we can do when we become captive to temptation.

So undeterred, Delilah pressed her ploy further. And even though Samson knew he was toying with disaster, he kept his wits about him and deceived his lover. And once again, Delilah called the Philistines out of hiding. And once again, Samson defeated them decisively.

Then next, notice verse 13:

"Delilah said to Samson, 'Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me what you may be bound with.' And he said to her, 'If you weave the seven locks of my head into the web of the loom'"

So Samson here is weakened. On this third attempt, he came so close to telling her the truth about his hair. He'd become so overconfident that he thought he could just about get away with anything. This is what ongoing sin does to us. We think there won't be consequences.

So verse 15:

"Then she said to him, 'How can you say, "I love you," when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and have not told me where your great strength lies'"

And of course, that's one of the oldest clichés in the book, right? "How can you say I love you and then do this to me?" And so like many men before, and so many since, Samson fell for it. Delilah pestered until finally his resistance was worn down, and he relented. And it's remarkable that in spite of knowing what Delilah was up to, Samson actually told her the truth.

Judges 16:16-17 "It came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him so that his soul was vexed to death, that he told her all his heart, and said to her, 'No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazarite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man'"

So here now, even in the midst of his collapse, Samson could still articulate the truth. He still understood the essence and significance of his calling—even though he had squandered it, actually, throughout his life. He could still speak the truth. But that night, he was made to look like a fool.

And I suppose many of us can speak the truth, but we also have to live it, right? So that night, Delilah cut away his long Nazarite braids, and the final remnant of his righteous commitment as a Nazarite was gone from his life. Samson was not close to God. He disrespected his Nazarite vows, and now he finally—twenty years later—paid the penalty for it. The Philistines took him. They put out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison.

Overpowered and blinded by the Philistines, he was forced to grind wheat. Some Bible scholars say he was harnessed to a grinding stone like an animal, as a beast of burden. For years, he had flaunted his power over his enemies. And now his enemies flaunted their power over him. While he was forced to live out his final days like an ox—like an animal—his humiliation was complete. And for their parties, the Philistines would bring him out and mock his God. "Where is your God now, Samson?"

Samson lost his strength. He lost his sight. He lost his freedom. He lost his usefulness. He lost his reputation as a Nazarite. He lost everything.

But it didn't just suddenly happen. It was preceded by years of moral failings—a pattern of sin and trouble.

There is always a sacrifice before the promise. Timnah. Timnah was a philistine occupied territory. Samson made all the wrong moves but the spirit of God was still with him. This disaster of Samson’s life was a process over 20 years. It was one after another after another that led to his downfall. Samson couldn’t get his sin under control so it became in control of his life.

Judges 16:20-22

Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the LORD had left him. So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison. But before long, his hair began to grow back.

His choices became his chains. You may be able to get away with it for a while but eventually, your sin will find you out. If you are here and you realize you are in chains and you feel helpless. Remember this isn’t the end of his story. IT’S GROWING AGAIN! God will renew you. You know what it is. I want to make it right. You are Samson in the story but you are not Samson in the moment. It’s not on you to shake yourself free but to trust the one who put his arms out for you! Jesus accomplished more in His than you could in a million lifetimes. Do not waste your life trying to accomplish what His death already did for you. Freedom is yours, liberty is yours. God didn’t send a condemner he sent a Savior. Don’t let your choices become your chains.

Four ways we can avoid sin.

1. Avoid the situation that precedes the sin
2. Replace wrong actions with righteous actions
3. Stay close to God
4. Don't become enticed by sin

Making Room for God

2026-01-18T09:08:00.001-06:00

2 Kings 4:8-11

Introduction

There are many things we make room for in our life. And usually, we make room for the things that matter most to us.

When it comes to:

Work

• Overtime, shutdowns, fundraisers
• Extra shifts, side-hustles, work after hours
• We make room…

Family

• Recitals, school programs, games
• Vacations, practices, birthdays
• Doctor appointments, parent meetings, etc
• We make room…

Finances

• Budgeting, bills, deadlines
• Savings, 401K, retirement plan
• We make room…

This is something that we do intentionally. We intentionally rearrange things in our life. We intentionally move things around. We intentionally adjust our schedules. We intentionally say no to some things so we can say yes to others.

Whatever we truly value, we intentionally create space for.

Before we go any further, I believe it is important to define what we mean when we talk about making room for God. What does that mean?

Make Room for God = Intentionally creating space in your life for His presence, power, and His voice to be at work in us.

It is intentionally moving things around for God instead of expecting Him to fit into whatever space we have left over in our life.

So with that said, we are going to be in the book of 2 Kings. We will be in chapter 4. We are reading about a prophet named Elisha. A prophet was someone who God chose to speak on His behalf to represent Him to the people.

2 Kings 4:8-11

“8 One day Elisha went on to Shunem, where a wealthy woman lived, who urged him to eat some food. So whenever he passed that way, he would turn in there to eat food. 9 And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way. 10 Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there.” 11 One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there.”

Key definitions for this message:

Elisha = Presence and Power of God

Shunammite Woman = You

Shunammite Woman’s Home = Your Life

1. The Shunammite woman noticed Elisha passing her home

9 And she said to her husband, “Behold now, I know that this is a holy man of God who is continually passing our way.

The prophet Elisha was regularly passing by the Shunammite woman’s home. As he passed, she noticed him walking by. Why was he walking by her home so often? We don’t know. But we know that we passed by continually (often, regularly).

Elisha represented the spirit of God and the power of God at this time. In this day and age, God spoke to His people through His prophets. And when He wanted to do something great, He did it through His prophets. Not all prophets were good prophets, not all prophets were good people. But Elisha was a good prophet. In fact, he was a great prophet. Out of the prophets in the old testament, Elisha was one of the most highly regarded prophets in Israel’s history.

Not only is Elisha highly respected throughout biblical history, he was also held in high regard in his own day.

Elisha was well known across Israel:
- Kings sought his counsel before making decisions
- People recognized the power of God at work through his life
- His reputation spread through repeated acts of miracles

Therefore, it was no guarantee that people would have automatically recognized Elisha right away.
- He dressed simply
- He embedded himself amongst ordinary people
- He traveled constantly

So when the Shunammite woman saw him, she knew who he was. But it wasn’t just because he was well known, it was also due to her spiritual insight. She called him a “holy man of God.” Not only did she know that he was a prophet, she also knew that he represented the presence of God and the power of God in her life. She could tell that the Lord was passing by her home.

It’s important for us to recognize and pay attention to what the Lord is doing around us. Let me tell you that the God is here in this room right now, the presence of the Lord is here with right now in this room. We must recognize it like this Shunammite woman did.

While we must recognize Him when He is passing by our life, that is only the beginning. The Shunammite did not merely notice that Elisha was passing by…
2. She decided to make room for Elisha in her life

10 Let us make a small room on the roof with walls and put there for him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp, so that whenever he comes to us, he can go in there.”

The shunammite woman noticed when Elisha was passing by her home. She was aware of when the presence of God and the power of God were continually passing by her home. She realized that the power of God was available to her! When she realized this, she made room for Him. She made room for the presence and the power of God in Elisha by building a literal

room for him on the top of her house. She had her husband build a room with walls and a ceiling and then had him furnish it for Elisha as well. She didn’t just simply notice the presence and the power of God passing her by each day, she made room for Him in her life.

In 2026, if we are wanting to see more of God in our life then we are going to need to make room for Him. We will need to recognize that the presence and the power of God is passing us by regularly, and then we will need to do something about it. We will need to be proactive in creating a place for God to move in our life.

We will need to make room in our private life, our family, our marriage, in our career, our finances, etc. Whatever part of our life that we are expecting for God to move, we have to make room for Him to do so.

While we do need to make room for God by carving out consistent time to be in church, we can’t just wait around until the next church service in order to encounter God. We have to create that space in our own life as well.

That is what the Shunammite woman did. And because she made the space for Him in her life, look at what happened…
3. Elisha turned in and dwelled in the Shunammite woman’s home

11 One day he came there, and he turned into the chamber and rested there.

Because the Shunammite woman made room for the man of God, he came in and stayed in her home. In the past he was continually passing by the house, but since room was made for him, he turned into her house and stayed in the room that was made available to him. Before he was passing by, now he was dwelling with them.

Remember that Elisha represented the presence and the power of God during this time. So you can also say that God dwelt among them in their home. Through Elisha, the Lord was passing by the home of the Shunammite woman regularly. She took it upon herself to create room for the presence of God to dwell with her in her home.

God is constantly passing by us—He is passing by our family, finances, marriage, difficult situations in life, etc. However, just because He is passing by doesn’t guarantee that He is going to move on our behalf.

Imagine how many people Jesus walked by day in and day out. Jesus walked by many many people, until someone stopped and reached out to Him. Imagine the amount of people Jesus passed by until the woman with the issue of blood reached out to Jesus to grab a hold of His garment. Jesus passed by many people, but only one of them made room for Jesus in her heart when she reached out for Him.

If we want God to stop and dwell among us, we have to make room for Him. If we want Him to do a miracle in our life, we have to do something to create space for Him to work. When we make room for Him, He will not pass us by.

And when Elisha dwelled with the Shunammite woman and her husband, God began to work a miracle in her life.

Now, I believe that God wants to do more in our life. He does!

God wants to:

• Do more FOR you

- God wants to bless you, protect you, provide for you, etc.
- He has your good will in mind
- Not only does God want to do more FOR you, but He also wants to…

• Do more IN you

- God is looking to work in you and to shape you
- He is looking to transform you inside out into the image of His son
- He is wanting to produce more love, peace, joy, patience, etc.

Not only does God want to do more FOR you, but He also wants to do more IN you, so that He can…

• Do more THROUGH you

- God wants to work through you to reach more people this year
- God wants to see you operate in your calling
- He is shaping you and molding you into the person He has called you to be

But to do so, we have to be willing to make room in our life for Him to be able to operate.

HOW TO MAKE ROOM FOR GOD

1. Realize that God is near

He is as close as the mention of His name
2. Identify what you need from the Lord

• What is it that you are believing for this year?
• Where are you hoping to see transformation at?

3. Create a space for God to dwell

• Creating space requires for us to rearrange, organize, or get rid of things
• There are times when we have to get rid of things in order to make space
•

- We can’t expect God to move in our life and then in turn tell God that we are too busy to do what He needs us to do
- We’ve got to make room in our schedule for:

✦ Prayer
✦ Reading scripture
✦ Spending time with God

- We have to get rid of

✦ Bitterness
✦ Unforgiveness
✦ Self-reliance
✦ Distractions
✦ Sin habits

4. Respond to God in faith

• Faith is not just belief— faith is action
• The Bible consistently shows that faith is revealed through action
• It is taking the next step God wants you to take in obedience
• Taking a step of faith means being obedient before you see any results

Life Lessons Time For A Checkup

2026-01-10T20:02:00.002-06:00

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Church can be likened to a primary school. Church is where we are taught life lessons according to the Bible. These life lessons include teachings on:

· Growing relationships
· Managing finances
· Serving others
· Becoming more like Jesus

o In what we think
o In what we say
o In what we do

The Bible is our manual, our guide, our textbook and it contains the correct answers to all the questions we will encounter in life. God’s hope is that we will study the book and be prepared for every test before it comes.

In Ephesians 6:16, the Apostle Paul likens our trust in God’s Word to a shield. Shields are meant to keep the dangerous darts of the enemy from getting through to us. Faith in God’s Word is designed to keep us safe like a shield. However, many times we see people trying to use faith as a pair of tweezers to remove the problem instead of using it as a shield to keep the problem from getting to them in the first place.

In other words, The Bible can help us avoid problems and not just fix them once they occur. Like a well-check visit to the doctor …

The best medicine is preventive medicine. How long has it been since you’ve had a checkup?

The sermon series we are beginning today is designed to be just that – a spiritual checkup. In this series we are going to use stories from the Bible to highlight some of the basic principles critical to the Christian life.

God’s Word calls us:

· Overcomers
· More than conquerors

· Kings and Priests
· Co-workers with Christ

God sees something in you, and He believes in you more than you believe in yourself. Now, let’s begin the checkup.

This morning we will be reading a passage from Numbers 22. This chapter is about a man named Balaam who lived in the time of Moses. Although Balaam was a prophet of God, he was also a greedy man. Balaam loved money and he didn’t mind stretching his moral and ethical standards if it benefited him financially. It is always good for a person to understand what motivates them. According to the Ron Hammonds well researched encyclopedia of experience:

The Top 5 Motivations are:

1. Love
2. Sex
3. Money
4. Power
5. Position

It’s also an advantage to know what motivates your friends and enemies alike. Back to Balaam …

Balaam is mentioned 59 times in the Bible, all the way from the book of Numbers to the book of Revelation. Peter and John both wrote about Balaam. The Bible has a lot to say about this man and the choices he made.

Well, one day during the Exodus, the king of Midian sent messengers to Balaam hoping to hire him to come and curse Moses and the Israelites. The king of Midian offered Balaam a lot of money. Balaam wanted to go but knew he first needed to ask God. Balaam was not as concerned about pleasing God as much as he was afraid to displease Him. Balaam was not the kind of person who wanted to please God … rather he was the kind of person who wanted to do whatever he imagined he could get away with if it paid. So Balaam went to pray and ask God if he could go and curse Moses and the Israelites.

God answered Balaam and told him no. God said, “don’t go!” So, regrettably, Balaam told the messengers no. When the king of Midian heard he had been turned down he sent more noble emissaries and offered Balaam a lot more money hoping to entice him. Now Balaam really wanted to go. So Balaam decided he would see if he could get God to change His mind.

As Balaam continued to petition the Lord, God finally said “Go with them. But only say what I tell you to say.” This is where we glean a great life lesson from this story:

Just because God tolerates or allows something does not mean He appreciates or approves of it.

We join the story in verse 22 just after God tells Balaam – “Go ahead.”

Numbers 22 NKJV

22 ¶ Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the LORD took His stand in the way as an adversary against Balaam. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

23 Now the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.

· Note: the donkey is a female servant of Balaam.
· He was a prophet motivated by money and the Bible shows that she was a lot more spiritual than he was.

24 Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again.

· You know, I love donkeys. When I pioneered my first Church in 1980, I bought a few donkeys and raised some from birth.
· They are the best helpers. Stubborn – whew … but once they like you, they are so dependable and trustworthy.
· BTW – you can’t get them to give you their best by beating them.

26 Then the Angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

28 Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”

· Have you ever noticed that abusers often feel like they are the ones being abused?
· Balaam was so focused on the thought he might get rich he couldn’t see the danger or those around him trying to help him.

30 So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.”

31 Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.

32 And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me.

33 “The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

· The angel credits the donkey, and Balaam listens but he never said, “I’m sorry; I was wrong; You were right; Thank you; Forgive me.”
· For Balaam, it was all about him … even though he had a talking donkey and an angelic visitation. He was only worried about his own safety and how he could keep from being hurt.

34 And Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”

35 Then the Angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

Pleasing God should not merely be about what God will allow but more about what God wants. Both God and the angel knew what Balaam was capable of and where his weaknesses lay. His ways were perverse. And indeed, even though Balaam did not curse the Israelites with his mouth, he nonetheless caused their defeat. Later on, the Children of Israel killed Balaam after they came into the Promise Land with Joshua.

One might ask: “Why did God allow Balaam to go?” When the real question should be: “Why did Balaam keep asking?”

We will discover more about Balaam in the coming weeks as we continue this sermon series. In closing today allow me to share:

Our Life Lessons For Today

1. If God cannot say no to you, you will fall into sin.
2. If you can’t say no to yourself and no to others, you will fail in life.
3. If God closes a door, it’s best left shut.

The Next Step

2026-01-10T07:32:00.018-06:00

Introduction

Every one of us wants our life to move in the right direction. We all want to make good decisions, feel confident about where we’re headed, and know that the steps we’re taking actually matter.

And especially at the start of a new year, many of us begin thinking about plans — plans for our families, our finances, our work, and our future. The good news is that God cares about these things as well.

God cares about your marriage. He cares about your family. He cares about your finances. He cares about the decisions you’re facing right now. And the reason God cares is because He has a plan for your life.

But we don’t walk out God’s plan all at once — we walk it out step by step. Most of the time, God doesn’t reveal the whole picture. He invites us to trust Him with the next step. In fact, the best way to walk in God’s plan is to trust Him with your next step.

Today, I want us to look at what that looks like for our lives — how to walk out God’s plan, one step at a time.

Proverbs 16:9 — “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

1. Have a Plan

“The heart of man plans his way…”

One of the first things this verse tells us is that planning is normal. Planning is expected. Scripture assumes that we will plan. Throughout Proverbs, we see planning presented as wisdom, not a lack of faith.

Proverbs 21:5 — “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance…”

Proverbs 20:18 — “Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance.”

Proverbs 24:7 — “Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.”

Scripture consistently affirms that planning is wise.

You should have a plan for your life. You should have a plan for this year. You should have a plan for your family, your marriage, your finances, and your time. Plans help us move forward. Without a plan, we tend to drift. We react instead of respond, and we stay stuck instead of growing.

Planning doesn’t mean you’re trying to control everything. It simply means you’re being intentional with what God has given you. Plans help give direction. They help us take the next step instead of standing still.

You don’t have to rush it, and you don’t have to have it all figured out today. But you shouldn’t be afraid to plan. Take time to pray, think it through, and write it down — then begin moving in that direction.

Plans give shape to the vision and dreams God has placed in our hearts. They turn good intentions into purposeful steps. Scripture encourages us to plan, but it also reminds us that we don’t walk alone. While we plan the way, God is the one who establishes our steps.

2. Commit Your Ways to the Lord

Proverbs 16:3 — “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

To commit something means to place it into someone else’s care. It’s the idea of entrusting what matters to you into reliable hands.

In the Hebrew, the word commit comes from the word gālal, which carries the picture of rolling something onto something stronger. It literally means to roll a burden onto someone else.

When we commit our plans to the Lord, we are taking the weight of what we’ve been carrying and placing it onto God — not just the plan itself, but the right to have the final say in how that plan unfolds. So when we commit our plans to the Lord, we’re saying, “God, this is what I’m thinking — but I trust You more than my own understanding. I’ve prayed about this, thought it through, and now I’m placing it in Your hands.”

This is where prayer becomes part of the process. We don’t just ask God to bless what we’ve already decided. We invite Him into our planning. We ask for wisdom, clarity, and peace as we move forward.

Committing our ways to God means we stay open — open to His leadership, open to His guidance, open to His correction, and open to His timing.

3. God Directs Our Steps

“…but the Lord establishes his steps.”

This verse gives us a beautiful picture of the partnership between our responsibility and God’s guidance. We plan the way, we commit it to the Lord, and as we move forward, God establishes our steps.

The word steps doesn’t refer to the entire journey — it refers to individual steps, one foot in front of the other. God isn’t always focused on giving us the whole map. He’s focused on where our foot is about to land.

The word establishes means to make firm, to set in place, or to make secure. In other words, as we move forward, God steadies the ground beneath us. Before you set your foot down, God establishes that step exactly where it needs to go.

That’s encouraging, because it means God guides us while we’re moving, not only when we’re standing still. When we commit our way to Him through prayer, trust, and surrender, God aligns our direction. He confirms, adjusts, and strengthens us as we go.

Sometimes God affirms the plan and gives peace. Sometimes He gently redirects us. Sometimes He slows us down or opens a door we didn’t expect. But in every case, God is involved in the steps of those who trust Him.

This is why planning and movement matter. When we stay frozen, there are no steps to establish. But when we plan, pray, and move forward in faith, God is faithful to guide where our feet go. You don’t have to see the whole path — you just have to trust God with the step you’re about to take.

4. Trust God With Your Next Step

One of the greatest sources of anxiety in life is trying to see the whole picture. We want to know how everything will turn out. We want to know the end result before we take the first step. But God rarely works that way.

Most of the time, God doesn’t show us the whole plan. He shows us the step we’re on right now, and He asks us to trust Him with that. You don’t have to worry about ten steps down the road, and you don’t have to figure out how everything will come together. God hasn’t asked you to carry that weight.

Your responsibility is the next step.

God’s responsibility is the direction.

When the time comes for the next step after that, God will be faithful to guide you. Until then, we trust Him where we are.

Scripture reminds us of God’s heart in this process:

Proverbs 3:5–6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”

God doesn’t promise to explain everything — He promises to lead us. When we trust Him and acknowledge Him, He directs the path. And we can trust Him because God has our best interest in mind.

Jeremiah 29:11 — “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope”

That doesn’t mean every step will be easy, but it does mean every step is purposeful. You may not see the whole picture, but you can trust the God who does.

When we plan, commit our ways to the Lord, trust Him to guide our steps, and take the next step in faith, we place ourselves exactly where God wants us.

Takeaways

1. Have a plan

• Decide where in your life you want to see change or growth
• Define what that growth or change looks like (spending more time with your spouse, saving more, beginning to tithe, reading your Bible, etc.)
• Choose 1 or 2 small doable steps
• Write it down

2. Commit your plans to the Lord

• Pray over your plans and place them in God’s hands.
• Invite God into your plans

3. Allow God to guide your steps

• Move forward in faith and trust God to direct where your feet go

4. Trust God with your next step

• You don’t need the whole picture — just take the step God has in front of you

2026 The New Testament Tabernacle

2026-01-03T22:00:00.000-06:00

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Over and over again the New Testament confirms that our bodies are the temple of the tabernacle of God. In other words, God has chosen to live on earth in us and accomplish His will on earth through us. We are His body: His hands, His feet, and His voice in the earth. He lives in us.

John 2:21 But when Jesus said “this temple,” He meant His own body.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?

2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that when this earthly tabernacle we live in is taken down, we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.

You are the Tabernacle of God.

In the Old Testament, the Tabernacle was everything. The Bible provides details as to how God led the Children of Israel during the Exodus and the instructions He gave them concerning the Tabernacle. These accounts are pillars of truth meant to guide us on our journey through the wilderness of this world.

Jesus came down from heaven to deliver us from the devil’s clutches just like God sent Moses down into Egypt to make Pharoah let His people go. And we are on our way to the Promise Land. Every day we are being guided by the Holy Spirit and protected by angels as we follow Jesus. The stories of the Old Testament are natural snapshots of our spiritual lives.

No account and not one set of instructions given by God in the Old Testament is without parallel in our lives today. God said nothing and did nothing in the Bible without purpose. There are no coincidences in the Word of God. The Bible is not meant to be just an historical record but also The Bible is a blueprint for our lives.

The written record of God is a roadmap for us so that we might make life applications through the spiritual truths we find. With this in mind, let’s read from our text today found in the book of Exodus, chapter 40. Remember: You are the Tabernacle …

Exodus 40 NLT

1 ¶ Then the LORD said to Moses,

2 “Set up the Tabernacle on the first day of the new year.”

One of the truths we learn from reading the Bible is that God is a God of special days and special seasons. God likes and chooses special days to begin something; special days to end something; special days to remember something; and special days to celebrate something. God is very particular about setting aside specific days. As I said, there are no coincidences in the Word of God. Every facet and each detail carry special meanings.

The fact that God instructed Moses to set up the Tabernacle on the first day of the new year has a parallel purpose in our life. We are all familiar with the concept of “New Year’s Resolutions.” They are quiet common and offer a chance to drive a stake in the ground, make a declaration, and change our lives from that moment forward. People use them for good.

I’ve made some New Year commitments and some New Year re-commitments this year myself. In Exodus 40, God chose the first day of the New Year that year as a new beginning for His Children. He told Moses: “Set up the Tabernacle …”

· To “set up” means to “set in order” so that everything is in its place and working together in concert as He intended.

Has your life ever gotten out of order? Perhaps priorities got mixed up or maybe you had too many commitments or slipped into undisciplined habits … life out of order can leave you living out of the pile? (You know, that’s when you go to the pile of clothes on the floor to find something to wear instead of going to the closet. You have to smell them to see if you can wear them; maybe throw them in the dryer to soften the wrinkles.)

It doesn’t just happen with clothes and coffee cups … it happens with life - prayer, Bible reading, family time, work, and building a future. Out of order is out of order. Today is your chance to set your life in order.

When God told Moses to set the Tabernacle in order, He was very specific. Let’s continue reading … the next verse says:

Exodus 40 NLT

3 Place the Ark of the Covenant inside …

· Remember: You are the New Testament Tabernacle …
· The Ark contained the presence, the power, and the glory of God.
· Placing the Ark in your heart is the first priority …
· There were three things in the Ark of the Covenant: (Hebrews 9:4)

o God’s Word – The 10 Commandments
o God’s Provision – Manna from heaven
o God’s Authority – Aaron’s staff

· You have an opportunity today to make sure God is where He should be and what He should be in your life.

3 Place the Ark of the Covenant inside, and install the inner curtain to enclose the Ark within the Most Holy Place.

· Each one of us needs a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. (Enclosing; receiving; accepting; protecting; embracing)
· There is no substitute for having that secret place where you can go with your own private thoughts and prayers to be with Jesus.
· God wants you to have a Most Holy Place in your life where you meet with Him. A place where you can talk with God about everything and a place where His mercy covers and His grace forgives.
· This can begin a new year for you … it’s how you start your new day.

4 Then bring in the table, and arrange the utensils on it. And bring in the lampstand, and set up the lamps.

God continued detailing all the furnishings that would be used to accomplish the ministry in the Tabernacle. Then He told Moses:

Exodus 40:9 “Take the anointing oil and anoint the Tabernacle and all its furnishings to consecrate them and make them holy.”

God wants to anoint us and all the instruments of ministry in our lives for His use.

· Our hands; our feet; our voices …
· Our thoughts; our hopes; our prayers …
· Our relationships; our character; our influence

Exodus 40:13 Dress Aaron with the sacred garments and anoint him, consecrating him to serve me as a priest.

Wouldn’t you prefer a God anointed pastor to serve you and your family?

God also told Moses to anoint all of the ministers who serve in the House of the Lord. Dedication, consecration, and sanctification are all powerful.

So what is today about? Your Dedication and Consecration to God. Today I am asking for the sake of:

· Your Family
· Our Church
· The Nation

Set your life in order and begin 2026 as a new day. Dedicate your thoughts, words, hands, feet, job, home, family, finances, and future to the Lord. Anoint yourself as dwelling place of the Lord. I believe we will see miracles this year … miracles that will astound us.

The earth is ripe for signs, wonders, and miracles. I want to be a part of what God wants to do in this season and make every day a special day.

I am asking you to join me each First Monday and fast one meal that day. Take the few minutes you would have spent eating and pray for your family, our church and the nation. Then at 6:30pm, meet together with me for 30 minutes of corporate praise, worship, and prayer.

Let’s set our lives, our families, our Church, and the nation in order and let it begin today.

Now, let’s pray for our Church staff and elders together. Pray with me now.

What Would It Take?

2025-12-27T20:09:00.000-06:00

Gtcotr/ss122825

This morning we will be reading from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16.

There are currently no trillionaires in the world. However, last month just over 75% of the Tesla shareholders approved a pay package totaling 1 trillion dollars for it’s CEO, Elon Musk. His current net worth is estimated to be only about 700 billion. Soon he may become the world’s first trillionaire.

Mathematically speaking, a trillion dollars is a lot of money. If you had a trillion dollars, you could spend one million dollars every day and it would still take you 2700 years to spend it all. Can you imagine what it would be like to be that rich? What would you do?

I bet I know … Jesus said you’d do pretty much the same thing you’re currently do with the $5 you have in your pocket.

What we do with what we have is what we will do with more. (Luke 16:10) This principle doesn’t only apply to money, it applies to our time, our talents, and the opportunities we are given.

About 1000 years before Christ, that’s approximately 3000 years ago, the richest and wisest man in the world did something unexpected. Instead of simply enjoying his wealth and trusting his own wisdom, King Solomon humbled himself, lifted his voice, and declared his dependence on the God of creation.

As well, King Solomon asked God to hear the prayers of everyone who sincerely called on Him; forgive their sins; and heal them. You can read Solomon’s prayer of dedication in 2 Chronicles, chapter 6.

When King Solomon finished praying, God answered him by sending fire down from heaven and consuming the sacrifices. Those in attendance were overwhelmed by the presence of God and began proclaiming the mercies of God. It’s hard to find someone God has not helped and blessed at some point in their lives.

You see these ladies … they all have children … and without clean water them and their children will get sick and some of them will die?

God supplied this life-giving water to them yesterday in the name of Jesus … they too have a testimony about the goodness and mercy of God.

These aren’t just nameless, faceless people … they are moms and dads, sons and daughters, real people with real lives living in a real world with real problems and real opportunities. When they give their lives to Jesus, their sins are forgiven and they are just as saved as just as welcome into heaven as you are. Every person has the potential to hurt and to be happy just like you do.

Money does not exempt us from problems and the lack of it does not mean God cares less.

Something unexplainable happens when an individual, rich or poor, humbles themselves and turns things they cannot manage over and into the hands of God. And, something tragic happens when they don’t.

God answered Solomon’s prayer that day and the word God spoke at that time is still one hundred percent true today. God told Solomon:

2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

This word is truth and truth knows no time barrier. This truth is just as true today as it was 3000 years ago. Jesus made a point of this truth by giving an account of two men in:

Luke 16 NLT

19 ¶ Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury.

20 At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores.

21 As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

· The poor man’s problem is not the rich man’s fault. Don’t read what is not said – this is observation … Jesus is communicating a greater truth.

· Jesus does not say the rich man was a bad man, only that the rich man did not feel the need to trust God.

· Spoiler alert – they both die!

22 “Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried,

23 and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

24 “The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

25 “But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.

26 And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

· This is observation, not causation - causation will come in a moment.

· Eternal decisions must be made before we die …

27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home.

28 For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

29 “But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’

30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’

· That’s what the rich man knew – repentance and turning to God while on earth is the key to eternal peace and comfort.

31 “But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

What is the difference between these two men?

In the eyes of men it was the wealth, station or status of life, but in the eyes of God it had nothing to do with money, power or position.

Notice the rich man was not charged with ill will or criminal activity through which he gained his wealth. Jesus didn’t charge him with anything untoward. Yet upon his death the rich man went to a place of eternal torment … not for what he had done, but because of what he had failed to do. Simply put, the rich man failed to acknowledge and include God in his life. He left God out.

Late in the conversation between the rich man and Father Abraham, we find the reason he went to the place of torment.

Luke 16:30 “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ ”

Repentance requires humility. It’s humbling to admit we have been wrong or that we need forgiveness or help, especially when we seemingly have everything we need or all we want. Elon Musk’s wealth cannot purchase him one moment with God or one second of eternal comfort … why? Because it’s free to all, even Elon. Just let something we cannot manage come along and see how quickly we realize we need help.

The rich man wanted his brothers to know they needed to acknowledge and embrace God. Perhaps the rich man was concerned because maybe they were also wealthy and men of pride, power, and position.

Some of us are destined and fortunate to be rich in this life, while others will live poorly. It may not be your fault but there may be something you can do about it.

I have seen good people suffer injustice and unjust men go free. I have seen rich men in prison and poor men on juries. Both experience joy and pain.

The lesson I take away from this account is that I cannot depend on the wealth of this life to sustain me in the next. God resists the proud but He gives grace to the humble.

Humility is an attitude of the heart. Humility is not weakness and it is not just being quiet or refraining from being braggadocios.

Humility is recognizing and accepting one’s dependence on God – in this life and in the life to come. When we do that, it is easy to repent and turn to Him.

What would it take for you to humble yourself and pray? What would it take for you to seek God’s face and turn from depending on your own wisdom and resources to depending on Him? What would it take for you to repent and turn to God?

Jesus said: “If they won’t listen to the Bible, (Moses and the prophets), they would not listen if someone was to come back from the dead.” Of course He was talking about Himself and His future resurrection.

I want to invite you to participate with me and our Church family in a humbling experience in 2026 based on 2 Chronicles 7:14.

I am going to encourage us all year to pray instead of complaining. Complaining is unfruitful and annoying to others. Cursing the darkness does nothing, we must light a lamp.

It is my hope that when you first have that thought or first hear yourself begin to complain about someone or something, you will instead hear a still small voice reminding you to pray first. Then if you just have to say it – say it but end the sentence with, “and I prayed for them …” lol

Then - - - I want to invite you to:

First Monday Prayer, Fasting, and Praise

· Fast one meal on the 1^st Monday of each month in 2026

· Take those few minutes and humble yourself in prayer

o Your Family

o Our Church

o The Nation

· Join me at 6:30pm on campus or online for 30 minutes of Praise, Worship and Prayer