The angels sang of peace the night Jesus was born. That was 2000 years ago, years full of war, sin, and strife. This is the tension we face, singing, "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear." What happens, when faith meets disappointment?
Nehemiah prays 4 months, preparing to build a wall that gets built in 52 days. Why does the praying take longer than the work? It doesn't. The praying is the work. Praying is not the least you can do. It's the most you can do.
The devil thinks you'll turn away if he can make you feel ridiculous for following Jesus. He makes the world laugh at you. You feel stupid, on the wrong side, uncool. This is how the devil fights. Are you going to follow Jesus? Prepare to be mocked. And worse.
Most people skip Nehemiah Chapter 3. It's a lot of names, regular people doing regular things on regular days. We don't know or care about them. But God knows and cares about them. Just like he knows and cares about you.
Praying requires waiting. God doesn't jump when you say jump. To pray is to surrender to God's will and God's timing. But be honest, in your life with God, he spends a lot more time waiting on you than you spend waiting on him.
Nehemiah was doing well in his high position in the court of a Persian king, then he heard bad news from Jerusalem, 900 miles away. Their problem wasn't his problem. Until God burdens his heart. When's the last time your heart broke for the things that break God's great heart?
There are always preachers and big-time evangelists who pack stadiums and preach Jesus to the masses. But most people come to Christ through the everyday witness of someone they know personally. A Christian friend who is real and unembarrassed. Somebody like you.
This Sermon is from the3rd and final session of Daytime Revival 2023 (10/20/23). Pastor Tim preaches from Jonah 3:1-10
This is the sermon from the second day of our Daytime Revival 2023 (10/19/23). Pastor Tim Preaches from 1 Samuel 7:1-17.
This is the sermon from day one of our Daytime Revival on October 18, 2023. Pastor Tim preaches from Exodus 32 and 33.
People are focused on Israel and this war the world can see, a flesh-and-blood fight. But believers know the brutal reality of another war, far greater, a fight in the realm of things you can't see. We're in a war for souls. And souls are worth the fight.
Ask a farmer to tell you about harvest time. You need workers. It's an enormous amount of work and a short amount of time. Jesus says our mission is like a great harvest, only there's nearly nobody who wants to work. Pray for more workers. Then let's get to work.
How does an ordinary church like ours even start to impact the world for Christ? Start at home. Start on your knees.
The shortest verse in the Bible is "Jesus wept." Beside the grave of his friend, Jesus weeps because he's human. He weeps because he's God. And of all the sad and broken hearts, it turns out God's own heart is the biggest most broken of all.
The whole nighttime excursion was Jesus' idea, and when the storm comes, the disciples find him asleep in the boat. "Jesus , don't you care?" they shout. He sleeps, not because he is unconcerned but because he's unafraid. You don't have to be afraid either.
A miracle is when God intervenes, radically inserting his own will and power. Miracles bring change, and while lots of folks say they want a miracle, they don't necessarily want to change. Maybe that's why we don't see more miracles.
The disciples face a hungry crowd and Jesus says, Feed them." It's an impossible situation. It'd take a miracle. And that's when miracles happen. It starts when you show up in frustration and ends when Jesus shows up in power.
The world needs a miracle. This country needs a miracle. I need a miracle, and so do you. Is Jesus still in the miracle working business? You better believe it!
Close your eyes. Picture heaven. If what you see is winged babies with harps on fluffy clouds, come back to the Bible. Our final home won't be off in the clouds. Heaven comes down to a renewed earth. God makes his eternal home with us.
You've heard of the great battle of Armageddon, but have you actually read what the Bible says about it? The armies of the world come together. But there's no war. They're fighting CHRIST. He flattens them with a single word from his mouth. And it's over.
In the end what matters is faithfulness to Christ. Faithfulness unto death. So pray as if they're already coming for you. Read the Bible like they're about to tear it out of your hands. You'll never live for Jesus until you realize he's worth dying for.
Revelation begins with 7 report cards given to each of 7 local churches. Each church continues to bear Jesus' light in the world, even the lukewarm one, even the dead one. What kind of report card would Jesus issue to our church?
The final book of the Bible is meant to show you Jesus. If you read Revelation and come away more impressed by the Antichrist than the Christ , you read it wrong. Let's read Revelation together and look for Jesus, starting Sunday!
The preacher's gonna talk about money on Sunday. Why? Because money issues are heart issues. It's a rival god. And anything you can't talk about assumes even more controlling power in your life.
No matter how cool you are, your kids are going to think you're weird. Luckily, your job isn't to be the cool dad or the fun mom. Your job is to gradually transfer their dependence away from yourself, so they grow to depend solely upon God.
Heaven knows, our church has a 156-year history and many reasons to celebrate. And heaven knows, there is one single unchanging thing to celebrate most: when the lost gets found.