August 28th Pastor Alex Hardt   Which Picture Do I Paint?
 
Pastor Alex used the scene of the feeding of the 5,000 as the background for his sermon. (John 6:1-15)  He drew attention to the little boy who had the lunch (5 loaves and 2 small fish) that Jesus multiplied to the amazement of the crowd of probably 15,000 or more.  As I listened to Pastor Alex’s sermon and the unfolding of his concept of ‘voice’, I began to ask myself “At what volume is my voice set?”  Alex defined voice as the part of me that represents who I am, where I belong and what my purpose is.  God wants to take who I am and give me a voice to be heard for Him.  He wants me to belong to Him and be in His family forever.  Since my creation, my purpose has been to glorify Him in all I say and do so God desires to use my voice, me, to reach out to others for my good and His glory.

So again, I asked myself “What is the current volume of my voice?”  Am I set on low so that only God and I can hear?  Am I set on medium so that my family and friends can hear my love and testimony for Jesus?  Or am I allowing God to set my voice on high, turned way up, so that He is heard through me wherever I go? 

Why would I not have my voice set on high all the time?  God gives life to my voice and will use me wherever I am.  Perhaps, you are turned on low because of low self-esteem, crushing circumstances, fear or feelings of unworthiness.  If this resonates with you, turn to Jesus and claim His truth of your worth.  He came and died so that you might live a full and abundant life in Him.  He loves you.  Remember the words of John 3:16 “For God so loved the world (you and me) that He gave his only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   God loves you and desires to hear your voice above the noise of the world.

Perhaps you are on medium because you fear the recrimination of those outside of your circle.  You fear their rebuke and hostility.  You are worried about the repercussions of speaking out for Jesus, the rejection and hatred of the hostile world.  Jesus told us that would be the case in John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” However, we have to trust Jesus and believe that He has indeed overcome the world and count the difficulties we encounter as trials.  I love what James says about the difficulties of life and being heard for Jesus.  James 1:2-4 “ Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.    We can be assured that Jesus will use it all to refine and grow us.  Through it all, our voice will become stronger for Him.

I pray Alex’s sermon caused you to think about how loud you are willing to let Jesus use your voice for Him.  Remember, He gives you voice, He welcomes it and will give infinite life to your voice when you turn it up and speak out for Him.  

May you spend a week on high volume resounding with His love and grace to all.
Linda

P.S.  Next week we are reading Psalm 121 and working to memorize this familiar encouraging psalm.  May you be blessed through His Word and may it add to your voice in a new way.

SERMON LINK
Painting a New Perspective | Which Picture Do I Paint?
Sermon Link

https://youtu.be/GnHbDUwId-4​

Sermon series, "Painting A New Perspective." Today Alex teaches from John 6:1-15

​If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.

Alex Hardt    August 21       Why am I Here?
Last Sunday Pastor Alex challenged us to examine our hearts.  His question was, what is keeping you from fully committing to God?  Scripture tells us that our purpose is to glorify God in all we say and do.  Our memory verse from Psalm 86:12 “I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart. I will glorify your name forever.”   The week before we had Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”   So if our purpose is to glorify God, what is keeping us from doing just that?  

​Alex points us to 3 things that are roadblocks to our achieving our God given purpose.  The first is pride.  Proverbs 16:18 in the Message “First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”  We all let our pride get in the way at times, but do we let it become such a problem that it is keeping us from doing what God wants us to do?  Are we trying to do things “my way” or “in my own power” so much that we are blocking out God?  As Americans I think we have more trouble with this than other cultures.  We are fiercely independent and want to show others we can stand on our own 2 feet and get it done.  However, Alex pointed out that God wants us vulnerable and open to His leading His way.  I am reminded of Cheryl Summer’s favorite verse in this regard, Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”   God wants us open and willing to follow His will not the ways of the world.

The second hindrance to realizing God’s purpose for our lives is control.  We do not want to relinquish control of our lives to anyone, even God. Giving up control involves trusting the guiding person, in this case God, to do what is best for us.  God’s Word tells us there are multiple blessings in store for the one who gives up that control and is obedient to God.  Luke 11:28 ““Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”  God promises blessing to those who hear His word and step out in obedience.   John 15:10-11 goes a bit farther in explaining the blessing “ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”  God promises that obeying Him will keep us in His love.  I love the proof of His keeping us in 1 John 3:24  “The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”  We will know He is with us because His Spirit is within us!  Later in 1 John 5:3-4 we are told “ In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”   Living a life of surrender, walking with Jesus and being filled with His Spirit will give us victory to overcome the world!  How great is that?

Alex listed the third thing that can keep us form realizing our purpose is fear.  This I can attest to personally.  In fact fear lead me to search scripture and write “Fearless Living’.   Fear can be devastating and debilitating and it leaves one floundering without direction.  Doesn’t that sound like what Satan wants for us?  He wants us sucked in by the world’s values and ineffective for God.  He cannot take away our salvation (John 10:29*), but he can render us powerless.  Fear is a major tool on his belt. Proverbs 29:25 tell us “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”   James 4:7-8 tells us “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.”   God promises us that if we resist Satan, he will flee from us and God will draw near.  We need to resist the fear and cling to Jesus.  I love Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  God promises to be with us always.  What have we to fear if God is with us?   1 John 4:4 “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”  Praise God!!
I pray that some of the above scriptures will help you to focus on the hindrances Satan is trying to erect in your life.  Reject them and claim your allegiance to God and seek to walk with Jesus each day.  Seek to be vulnerable before Him, surrendered to His leading and trusting in His ways.  Know without a shadow of a doubt that God does all things for His glory and our good!  He is a good Father and we can trust Him always.
Linda
 
*Once you belong to Jesus, you cannot be taken away. Depend upon His promise and claim it in your life.  Praise God!                                        
John 10:28 “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.                             
John 6:39-40  And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

SERMON LINK
Painting a New Perspective | Why Am I Here?
Sermon Link

https://youtu.be/8tZM_ykYpU8?t=2230

Sermon series, "Painting A New Perspective." Today Alex teaches from 1 Corinthians 3:5-9.

​If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.

August 15, 2022 following Alex Hardt’s sermon of August 14.
 
Where do I belong?
 
Pastor Alex challenged us to consider where we belong?  To what community do we identify with in our lives?   After denying Christ, Peter questioned where he belonged.  He felt he had betrayed his Lord and Savior and was unworthy to be identified with Him. Jesus felt otherwise as he called him to feed and tend his sheep repeatedly in John 21.  Jesus wanted Peter to know in spite of his sin and rejection, Jesus still loved him and had a place in His kingdom for the recommitted and repentant Peter.

How many times do we not try to join a group because we feel we don’t fit in?  Or we feel unworthy of being included?   Peter certainly felt that way but NOT Jesus!  Jesus wanted Peter because He loved him and knew what he could become through Him.  I am encouraged by Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”   God came to earth to save you and me knowing we were sinners.  He loves the Peter in all of us enough to come and offer His marvelous and complete salvation.  For our part, we need to believe and confess Him as Savior.  The result will be inclusion forever into the family of God!  We will belong and no one or nothing can remove us from His grasp.  A friend of mine has John 10:29 as her favorite verse,  “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”  No matter what, we belong to Him! 

Lastly, Pastor Alex emphasized “proximity leads to empathy and empathy leads to unity.”   Empathy is different from sympathy.  Empathy involves identifying with the feelings, situations, and the problems of another not just feeling sorry for them or pitying them.  Being near someone, being involved in their lives- not just as a bystander, leads you to connect with them in a real way.  This connection lead to being unified or supportive of one another so we can bear one another’s burdens.   Paul speaks of this connection in Ephesians 4:1-3 “ As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”    Having empathy, bearing one another’s burdens both physically and spiritually leads to unity of the Spirit and peace.  I also love Psalm 68:19-20 where we are reminded that Jesus continues to bear our burdens as we walk with Him each day.  This gives us hope and unity in the Spirit with Him! “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. 20 Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.”
​
Have a blessed week and you consider your place in God’s family and praise Him as He walks with you helping to bear your burdens.  May you seek to help others and connect with them in the name of Christ reflecting unity with Him.  Remembering always you Belong to Him now and forever!
Linda

SERMON LINK
Painting a New Perspective | Where Do I Belong?
Sermon Link

https://youtu.be/zCkzaotGvA8

Sermon series, "Painting A New Perspective." Today Alex teaches from John 21.

​If you are local, please join us for our weekly service. Our Sunday service is held at 11:00am. Come visit us at 5353 Concord Blvd, on the corner of Concord Blvd and Kirker Pass.