Prayer, Evangelism and Worship

God allows 'life pauses' where moments that we are stopped dead on our tracks while he accomplishes His will.  It's not a comfortable place, but yet necessary.    There are many examples of this in the Bible, but it is one that we do not enjoy.  One key reason for this moment is God's expression of "tough love" (Prov. 3:11-12, Hebrews 12:4-11).    The Divided Kingdom of Israel and Judah sinned against God and they went to the place of no return (Isaiah 28-33; 2 Kings 17:16-20).  As a result, the Divided Kingdoms were shattered.   The Northern Kingdom Israel was dispersed by the Assyrian in 722 B.C. and the Southern Kingdom Judah was exiled by the Babylonians in 587 B.C.    In the midst of Israel's and Judah's life pause, God encourages three things:    Come back to God and renew your relationships with him.   Endure and thrive in the time of your exile. Look forward to the hope that is in Jesus.   DIDISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1.       Define in your own word

Lessons from the Old Testament Survey Class.   Today's lesson is about learning to understand that God has better plans for our lives.  That sometimes, our plans, no matter how good they are, are no better than God's plan.   Isaiah 55:8-9 says,  Let's consider three eras in our study today.  ERA # 1:  Disoriented People This was during the days of judges when God raised deliverers or judges in order to save His people.  The problem is that they kept on disobeying God and God was teaching them a lesson to trust Him.   The cycle of sin and repentance were lessonsyou will find in the book of Judges.   Another problem is that God's people were never content.  They wanted a king like the rest of the world.   This leads us to the next Era.   ERA # 2:  United Kingdom God granted Israel's request for a King despite His warning.  There were three kings that ruled one after the other and their lives are a lesson for us to follow:  King Saul was rebellious, King David was repe

We begin the next four weeks to look at the history of the Old Testament.   This lesson begins from Creation (Genesis)  until the Promised Land (Deuteronomy).  The theme we emphasize is "God uses the place of our lives where we are in."   Read Ephesians 2:7-10.   The three places God used for His children were:  I.  The Garden of Eden - It is a Place of Beginning To enjoy God's place of beginnings means:  (1) I must cultivate the land;  (2) I must be aware of temptations and (3) I must remain obedient and follow His holy path.   II.  The Wilderness - It is a Place of Cleansing I must learn to accept that this place of wilderness ...(1) is the safest route; (2) is the cleansing route; (3) it is a learning route.   III.  Canaan - It is a Place of Rest The place of rest is important because... (1) it is a place of promise - the Lord promised rest; (2) it is a place flowing with milk and honey; (3)  it is a place of abundant harvest; (4) it is a place where Messiah Jesus woul

What a glorious resurrection Sunday celebration we just had.   Beyond the message, music, presentations, food, and fellowship, your presence made all the difference.  Because of people like you, our churches broke the attendance barrier.  It only makes sense to thank you.   In John 20:19-29, the disciples of Jesus gathered after Easter and one of their friends missed the gathering.  The others made an effort to encourage him to come.  He responded,  “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. ”  Kudos to these disciples, this man attended the next week's gathering, and guess who showed up?  Jesus!  Jesus asked him,   “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." He knelt down and confessed, "My Lord and My God!"   This is why, for ages,  this man has been called doubting Thomas.    A few things here,  It's a goo

Text: Matthew 28:1-10  In a court hearing, a witness is someone who gives and corroborates a truth.  In the process, they establish truth.  Today, we will look at the witnesses of the Resurrection and investigate this historical record.   So many people, look away from the story to prove or disprove the empty tomb.  The sensible approach is to look within the story.  Here is what we find on how we know Jesus is alive.    The women discovered it (v.1-4) The angels declared it (v.5-7) The disciples confirmed it (v.8-10) Conclusion: These are just some of the many witnesses that corroborates the tomb was empty.  In 1 Cor. 15:5-9, Paul the apostle enumerates other than those mentioned above who were witnesses that Jesus is alive.  Our faith in the gospel is challenged in many ways, and today we tried to strengthen your faith in the Gospel.   Questions to ponder upon   What have you heard why people don't believe in the resurrection of Christ?   In what way does this historical record s