09 29 Luke 16.19-31 The story of the rich man and Lazarus reminds us that what benefits or blessings we enjoy in this life, may not be what we enjoy in heaven and neither does the pain we experience now equate to eternal punishment. It also reminds us of the urgency of heeding Scripture now in relation to our eternal destiny. After we die it will be too late. Hell is a real place with real punishment and real pain. Oh, and it’s eternal, there will be no parole or pardon.
09 22 Genesis 22.1-18 Abraham was given another test of his faith. How do we know so? It says so in 22:1. This was the ultimate test of faith. Did he love God more than he loved his son of promise, Isaac? That’s a good question for us. We all have an Isaac. It could be a person like our spouse or child or grandchildren or some other relationship. It could be our job or hobby or home. Anything that we hold as valuable or precious to us can be an Isaac. Are we willing to give that to the Lord and say we love Him more than these?
09 15 Genesis 12-15.6 After his call to a life of faith we sometimes see a faith that falters and sometimes a faith that follows. Abram provides us with a great example of someone who learned from his lessons and grew in his faith. Along the way we see how God provided for him as he walked by faith. God kept His promises with Abram and will keep His promises with us. A walk of faith is always into the unknown in order to learn complete trust and dependence on God. God’s promises were conditioned on Abram’s obedience, for faith and obedience always go together. From Abram’s initial call to faith, we see a crisis of faith but in the end there is a change in his faith. Journey with him into a life of faith for as Hebrews 11:6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please God.”
Mr. Don Freeze spoke on Jeremiah’s call from Jeremiah 29 and the challenge that when it comes to God’s provisions, God has a plan for us. (Only audio is available for this message)
09 01 II Kings 4.1-7 What is your faith measured by? If you were told to go and get as many empty jars as possible from your friends, how many would you get? This widow and her sons demonstrate God’s provision through something she already had – a little oil. What a great reminder to us that God knows all about our need, He intimately cares about us and He has a plan for us. She not only had to have faith that God would provide for a debt beyond her ability to repay, but she was also required to do something in obedience. God not only met her need, He gave her more than she expected. What are you facing today that requires more faith and obedience from you?