Temptation is a challenge we face every single day. It greets us when we wake up in the morning, it finds us as we travel to work and school, and it even waits for us to come home! The reality is that temptation is not going away, so we musGt learn how to handle it. There are a few things we need to understand about temptation. First, although God will help us and lead us through times of temptation, he will never tempt us to do evil! James tells us that when each person is tempted, it is because of his own desires and that “no one should say, ‘I am being tempted by God...for he himself tempts no one’” (1:13-14). Second, we must realize that the devil will use our weakness to tempt us! We must rejoice when we are tempted and begin looking at it as a “training exercise.” Many times, if something is tempting you, you are weak in that area and need to be strengthened. Jesus was tempted after 40 days with no food! He was weakened and hungry...a perfect time for Satan to tempt the Son of od. When you realize you are being temped, think about why it is tempting you. We must also understand that Satan takes scriptures and twists them to serve our desires. Sometimes a passage is not saying what you (or somebody else) is trying to make it say.
We need to realize that temptation is a part of life. Only by understanding temptation and relying on God can we overcome our desires and fully serve God! One of the best ways to overcome temptation is to open God’s Word when you are being tempted and meditate upon it. Talking with God will give you the strength you need to overcome. Remember, God did not promise it wasn’t going to be really hard sometimes...but He did promise that He would never allow the temptation to exceed what He knows you can handle. If you find yourself being tempted, remind yourself that God knows you can handle it and He’s eagerly awaiting your victory over this temptation! Jesus Christ also knows what you are going through. You’re not alone! “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in ever respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
What is tempting you in life? What do you need to change in order to overcome your temptations?
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
FORGIVENESS
“Forgive and forget” is a lot easier said than done. In fact, most of the time we either forgive and can’t forget or we attempt to forget yet we don’t forgive. If you
consistently bring an old matter up, you have not truly forgiven the one who hurt you. You know, forgiveness is one of the hardest disciplines to practice. We are so bent on justice that we forget we are to forgive others and let God take control of the situation. It makes sense to us to “get back” at whoever has hurt us. In fact, it may not even be as healthy as you think to “forgive and forget!” Forgiving somebody does not mean you have to forget that it happened. Many times it’s impossible to forget what happened. But if one does not truly forgive an individual, we plan to strike back at them.
There is a story told of two men named Paul and John. One day, Paul sawed down a tree which adjoined their two properties. The tree fell and smashed John’s lounge windows. John stormed out of his house and hollered at Paul. Paul hollered at John and soon they each had each other by the clothes. Finally, John threw Paul to the ground. After Paul got up and brushed himself off, he said to John, “Now look here, John, it’s high time one of us acted like a Christian!” He paused for a moment, then glared at his neighbor and said, “So, why don’t you turn your left cheek and let me punch you!?”
As comical as this is, we have all felt this way before. We have all been so angry that we would rather knock somebody out then forgive them. This, however, is not the attitude of a follower of Christ. Hebrews 12:14-15 tells us: “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Paul is warning us to not allow bitterness to come betweens us in anyway because it is like poison and will lead to destruction. Allowing bitterness in your life (and in this congregation) can and will destroy our joy, peace, and relationship with Christ Jesus. In fact, Christ says that if we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us! I hope you think about the forgiveness you have received and the forgiveness you are to give others as we spend time in worship this morning. Are you the forgiving follower of Christ that you are called to be?
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
consistently bring an old matter up, you have not truly forgiven the one who hurt you. You know, forgiveness is one of the hardest disciplines to practice. We are so bent on justice that we forget we are to forgive others and let God take control of the situation. It makes sense to us to “get back” at whoever has hurt us. In fact, it may not even be as healthy as you think to “forgive and forget!” Forgiving somebody does not mean you have to forget that it happened. Many times it’s impossible to forget what happened. But if one does not truly forgive an individual, we plan to strike back at them.
There is a story told of two men named Paul and John. One day, Paul sawed down a tree which adjoined their two properties. The tree fell and smashed John’s lounge windows. John stormed out of his house and hollered at Paul. Paul hollered at John and soon they each had each other by the clothes. Finally, John threw Paul to the ground. After Paul got up and brushed himself off, he said to John, “Now look here, John, it’s high time one of us acted like a Christian!” He paused for a moment, then glared at his neighbor and said, “So, why don’t you turn your left cheek and let me punch you!?”
As comical as this is, we have all felt this way before. We have all been so angry that we would rather knock somebody out then forgive them. This, however, is not the attitude of a follower of Christ. Hebrews 12:14-15 tells us: “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” Paul is warning us to not allow bitterness to come betweens us in anyway because it is like poison and will lead to destruction. Allowing bitterness in your life (and in this congregation) can and will destroy our joy, peace, and relationship with Christ Jesus. In fact, Christ says that if we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us! I hope you think about the forgiveness you have received and the forgiveness you are to give others as we spend time in worship this morning. Are you the forgiving follower of Christ that you are called to be?
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
Sunday, February 8, 2009
ANTI-SCRIPTURAL VS. UN-SCRIPTURAL
In my opinion, one of the greatest journeys taken by men is the journey of restoring the New Testament Church. Throughout the history of the church, one learns of countless numbers of people who tried to reform and even restore the church to what God’s intention was for His body. Although people like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Alexander Campbell were imperfect in their theology (as are all of us), they truly are some of the stepping stones for the movement to return to the followers God intended. Whether we agree with the philosophy and theology of those who have gone before us or not, we must realize that they played a large part in where we are today. I pray you have had the blessing of studying about these great men of faith and their challenging examples!
A common phrase heard throughout the Restoration plea was “speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent.” This wonderful phrase has, at times, been taken out of its original context and meaning. It was never intended to be a “letter of the law” rule, but an idea. It was intended to rally people behind God’s Word and learn the difference between human tradition (or church created tradition) and God’s teaching (although it is VERY important to seek God’s intentions of each matter). Along with this idea of discerning God’s Will for His people, we must understand the difference between “un-scriptural” and “anti-scriptural.” The first question many go to on a matter is “is this un-scriptural?” This, however, is the wrong question to be asking. As we discussed in the Wisdom Literature, the correct question to ask is “Is this wise to do?” The question will then be answered by whether it is anti-scriptural (or against Christ’s teachings). We do many “un-scriptural” things such as purchasing a building, using multiple cups during the Lord’s Supper, and using song books/PowerPoint. Although these are “un-scriptural” I’m sure we all agree that they are not “anti-scriptural.” Infant baptism, claims that Jesus is not the Messiah, and lying are only a few examples of things that are “anti-scriptural.” However, it is important to realize that the ultimate question (after asking what God has to say about it and so forth) is “Is this the WISE thing to do?” Sometimes it may not be anti-scriptural but it may also not be the wise choice. For example, burning a bush on stage to illustrate Moses’ encounter with God is not un-scriptural but I think we would all agree it is not the WISE thing to do.
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
A common phrase heard throughout the Restoration plea was “speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent.” This wonderful phrase has, at times, been taken out of its original context and meaning. It was never intended to be a “letter of the law” rule, but an idea. It was intended to rally people behind God’s Word and learn the difference between human tradition (or church created tradition) and God’s teaching (although it is VERY important to seek God’s intentions of each matter). Along with this idea of discerning God’s Will for His people, we must understand the difference between “un-scriptural” and “anti-scriptural.” The first question many go to on a matter is “is this un-scriptural?” This, however, is the wrong question to be asking. As we discussed in the Wisdom Literature, the correct question to ask is “Is this wise to do?” The question will then be answered by whether it is anti-scriptural (or against Christ’s teachings). We do many “un-scriptural” things such as purchasing a building, using multiple cups during the Lord’s Supper, and using song books/PowerPoint. Although these are “un-scriptural” I’m sure we all agree that they are not “anti-scriptural.” Infant baptism, claims that Jesus is not the Messiah, and lying are only a few examples of things that are “anti-scriptural.” However, it is important to realize that the ultimate question (after asking what God has to say about it and so forth) is “Is this the WISE thing to do?” Sometimes it may not be anti-scriptural but it may also not be the wise choice. For example, burning a bush on stage to illustrate Moses’ encounter with God is not un-scriptural but I think we would all agree it is not the WISE thing to do.
—Josh
“Try great things for God and expect great things from Him!”
Sunday, February 1, 2009
HONDURAS 2009 PROMO
**note: there is sound in this presentation so you may want to check your audio if you wish to hear it**
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