The Gospel

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Gospel – Greek = euaggelion (evangelion) meaning “God’s Spell” or “God’s Good News” concerning intelligent salvation. A Good News message that was designed and is intended to be communicated in an intelligent way so as to educate the minds, motivate the hearts and transform the souls of mankind. 

The first time this Gospel is mentioned in the New Testament it is referred to as the Gospel of the Kingdom and we find Jesus preaching it everywhere He went. 

Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

• The Gospel of the Kingdom

• The Gospel of Christ

Romans 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

• The Gospel of the Grace of God

Acts 20:24  "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

• The Gospel of Peace

Ephesians 6:15  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

• The Glorious Gospel

2 Corinthians 4

3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

5  For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

• The Everlasting Gospel

Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth — to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people — 

• The Gospel of Your Salvation

Ephesians 1:13  In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

The original Greek word for Gospel is evangelion and a person who tells others about this Gospel is called an evangelist and when an evangelist shares the evangel they are said to be evangelizing. Allow me to communicate this a little better … follow this: In the Greek dictionary of the New Testament there are three words in alphabetical order:

1. euaggelizo = evangelize = to share the message of the Gospel

2. euaggelion = evangelion = the message of the Gospel

3. euaggelistes = evangelist = the one who shares the message of the Gospel

• The Gospel is the Good News

• An Evangelist is an Announcer of Good News

• To Evangelize is the act of Announcing that Good News

• The Good News is “Jesus, the Promised Messiah, the Son of God and Savior of all mankind is here with you right now and will forgive your sins right now and save your soul right now if you will only believe on Him right now!”

• When we tell others about this Good News we are Evangelizing them.

• Anyone who shares the Good News is doing the work of an Evangelist.

For Example:

• When Gabriel visited Zacharias the Priests, the soon to be father of John the Baptist, the angel was evangelizing Zacharias.

Luke 1:19  And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.

• When the angel visited the shepherds in the fields at Bethlehem he was sent from heaven to evangelize them.

Luke 2:10  Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy  which will be to all people.

• When John the Baptist preached repentance he was evangelizing …

Luke 3:18  And with many other exhortations he preached  to the people.

• When Jesus spoke of His calling by quoting the prophet Isaiah …

Luke 4:18  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to theblind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

We could go on and on this morning and cover another 150 scriptures in the New Testament concerning sharing the Gospel. Paul said that the Gospel of the Kingdom is not in word only but also in power and in demonstration of the spirit. 

1 Timothy 4:5 “… Do the work of an Evangelist …”

The Bible clearly and firmly instructs each born again believer to not be ashamed of the Gospel but do the work of an evangelists. 

When we tell others the Good News of the Gospel message, lives are changed forever … remember – it is an everlasting Gospel!

What exactly is this Good News we are supposed to share with our friends, our family and the whole world?

• John 3: 16  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

• John 3:17  "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

• Romans 10:13  For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

Romans 10

14  How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

15  And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace , Who bring glad tidings of good things!"

God is so grateful and so pleased with you when you take time to evangelize others by simply sharing this Good News with them. God has designed it so that the power of conviction and desire to repent is released with every kind and loving word of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit works with you when you tell others about our loving God and His only Son Jesus. 

He is here with you right now to forgive you of your sins right now and to save your soul right now if you will believe right now! This is Good News!!!

Sunday Circles - Faith Based Counseling

Sunday Circles

        Building Your Family With Friends

Church On The Rock

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Prayer

Hymn: Micah 6:7-8/Majesty

Memory Verse: Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.

Lesson: Faith Based Counseling

Pastor remarks and intro of first principle

First Principle: You think what you think, feel what you feel, and want what you want because you believe what you believe.

Scripture Reference: Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.

Every person has a filter through which information is received and perspectives are gained.

What we believe dynamically affects what we think, how we feel, and what we want.

Unless we believe the right things, we cannot hope to want the right things.

Question: What is the source of truth for your life? Is it what you think? What you feel? What you want? Or God’s Word?

Follow Up Question: Do you believe because you feel or do you feel because you believe?

Conclusion: What we believe determines our perspective through which we view life and perspective is everything. Life events are filtered through our outlook on life whether negative, positive, or rightly based on the truth of God’s Word. Therefore, it is vitally important that we believe the right things about God, about us, and about others. If we can change what we believe, that change will change what we think, what we feel, and what we want.

Pastor remarks and intro of second principle

Second Principle: You do what you do and get what you get because you choose what you choose.

Scripture Reference: Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

Much of life is the result of our choices.

God is pro choice.

There will be consequences for us and those whom our choices effect.

Question: What are some ways our choices, both good and bad, can affect others?

Follow Up Question: Some people feel like they have no choices. What are some reasons why some people might feel powerless to choose?

Conclusion: When life is a choice we need to pay attention and realize that our choices affect not only us but also many others we love. Achan did not perish in his iniquity alone. (Joshua 22:20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.)

Pastor remarks and intro of third principle

Third Principle: What you think can change your mind, what you believe can change your heart, but only what you do can change your life and world.

Scripture Reference: James 2:20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?  

No one changes their world without doing something.

Rahab, Noah, Moses' mother and Mary's husband, Joseph, all acted by faith and changed their world.

Question: How did Jesus prove this principle? 

Follow Up Question: How can we prove it? 

Conclusion: If we will but decide to believe God's Word as truth and choose to do what God’s Word commands, it will ultimately change what we think, feel, want, do, and get. 

Pastor closing remarks

·        Connect Cards; Offering and Prayer

·        Memory Verse

·        Pre-Praise & Worship Prayer will be hosted in the Sanctuary Studio. Worship will begin in just a few minutes.

Check Please ...

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Tech Moment:

        We have spent a quarter century gathering Christian life resources and making them easily available to others around the world.

·        Church Online

·        My Online TV Network

·        Podcasts

o   Today’s Podcast was step 22 of 30 Steps to Success – it encouraged us to be “Attentive” to those things around us so as not to miss opportunities God brings our way.  Nothing takes the place of paying attention!

o   Our daily podcast is accessible virtually around the world but it is aimed at the English speaking audience or those who wish to learn or brush up on their English and want to know how to become a success in life.

·        Daily Devotional

o   Translated into 7 languages thus far, including English (360 million native speakers):

§  Arabic           295 million native speakers

§  Hindi             310 million native speakers

§  Swahili            26 million native speakers

§  Russian         155 million native speakers

§  Thai                56 million native speakers

§  Nepali             17 million native speakers

o   And it is currently being translated in two more which will offer the potential of reaching an additional 1.5B …

§  Mandarin Chinese – 955 million native speakers

§  Urdu – 66 million native speakers

o   As well, we have just begun to look for a Spanish translator which will add another 405 million Hispanics who are native speakers of Spanish to those numbers.

§  source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers

o   In all we are providing Christ centered daily outreach and growth oriented daily devotionals to near 3 billion people to access freely in their native languages.

o   If we were to count those who speak second and third languages, which is much if not most of the world, we are reaching out to virtually the whole world every day with the Gospel of Christ in a language they understand.

o   Today’s Devotion is centered on the truth:

Unchecked and Unchallenged is often Unchanged

(Production Note: I want to access and read today’s devotion from the website @ RonHammonds.com)

·        Life Shape Prayer and Discipleship

·        Sunday Circles

·        Live Online Leadership Mentoring Sessions

·        Southeast Texas Bible College and Seminary

These are just some of the tech ministries we make possible to our community and to the whole world on a daily basis from our Church right here where you sit today. This is GTCOTR – This is us working for God!

On top of these tech heavy ministries which can be accessed online there are also daily outreaches from our Church family reaching out to help feed the hungry, care for orphans, bring water to thirsty humanity, provide medical needs to the sick, ministering to our active duty military and veterans with the never changing Word of Almighty God in a powerful and life changing way, helping to establish Churches from 7 miles away to 7000 miles away from the chair you are sitting in right now.

Together we make a difference here and around the world every minute of every day with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are seeing souls saved, whole families baptized, people filled with the Holy Spirit, lives changed and relationships restored all in the name of Jesus to the glory of God.

Don’t lose sight of what we have done, are doing and will yet accomplish together because of our commitment to the Great Commission of Matthew 28 in the name of Jesus by the grace of God, the power of the Holy Spirit and through your prayers and support.

Just last Saturday our High School Youth ministry saw 69 High School football players from Port Arthur accept a Shield of Strength with Joshua 1:9 on it and then pray to receive Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of their lives. Together we are making a difference … an eternal difference.

The Word of God for us today is: Don’t let yourself get too tired!

One might ask, “What do you mean by ‘too tired’?” Allow me to explain. You see, a person can know God and love God and be a part of God’s family plan and stop being effective because they let themselves get too tired to continue being the light of God to their world. Sometimes people get tired and quit shining. One of the major sources of this type of mental and emotional exhaustion comes from the bombardment of the unrighteous conversation and conduct we hear and see in the world around us and even from our friends.

This is what happened to a man and his family some years ago. We can read the historical account in the Bible in the Book of Genesis chapter 19. The man’s name was Lot … Lot was tormented, oppressed, he became depressed and sorely vexed and Lot got confused and stopped shinning. Let’s review the story, find out what the Apostle Peter had to say about this account and discover a truth today which will help each one of us to Check, Challenge and Change ourselves when needed.

(Give the account of the story of Lot and his family being visited by angels and delivered from Sodom before its destruction. Genesis 19:1-26)

2 Peter 2

6  God Who turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;

7  and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked

8  (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)  — 

9  the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

Verses 7 and 8 say that Lot was oppressed by the filthy conversation of the wicked and his soul was tormented because of their conduct. The King James version says Lot’s righteous soul was vexed because of the conversation and conduct of those with whom he had surrounded himself. This simply means that they finally wore him down and tired him out and he no longer had the mental or emotional strength to combat their unrighteousness behavior. He was tormented, too tired and was confused.

The Apostle Paul put it this way …

1 Corinthians 15:33  Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."

A modern translation of this scripture simply says: “Don’t be fooled, bad company corrupts good manners.”

Our Daily Devotional was written using the “Many Point Sermon” notes I catalogued from the sermons I have preached over the past 3 decades. This many point sermon has more than 700 points now and in preparation for this sermon I thought it would be advantageous to review three of the points in support of the message God wants us to be reminded of today.

Point #13:  Who you allow in your inner circle can limit you.

Point #14:  Who you connect yourself to will determine your future.

·        Those married daughters of Lot ???

Point #345:  Those with whom you surround yourself will serve to define you and will ultimately determine your effectiveness and overall success. 

We are called to love and lead our family, friends and even our enemies to the truth of God’s Word and to a relationship with Him through faith in His Son, Jesus of Nazareth. Check, challenge and change when needed.

We are not called to simply sit and soak in this world or to allow those around us to drag us down and wear us out with their filthy and unrighteous conversation and conduct. What can we do to insure we don’t get too tired with the continual unrighteous bombardment of this world?

Surround yourself with those who will lift you up and lead to out instead of drag you down and pull you deeper into this world. Surround yourself with people who love God and are committed to His will for your life. 

Sunday Circles - Life Lessons

Sunday Circles

        Building Your Family With Friends

Church On The Rock

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Prayer

Hymn: Micah 6:7-8/Majesty

Memory Verse: Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.

Lesson: Life Lessons

Character: Leah

                Pastor remarks and intro of first principle

First Principle: What seems like a surprise to us is often a plan to God.

Scripture Reference: Genesis 29:25 So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?”

We don’t always know the plan of God nor do we always understand the way God leads us.

God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.

God is not obligated to first seek our permission before He upsets our plans.

Question: Have you ever been surprised about something that worked out to your benefit later?

Follow Up Question: What should we do when life takes an unexpected turn?  

Conclusion: Even though man may ponder his path and plan his future, God is the one who directs our steps. When life surprises us, we should rest secure in the fact that we will never catch God unprepared for whatever comes our way. If we will but acknowledge Him, He will direct our path.  

Pastor remarks and intro of second principle

Second Principle: Life should be a script that only God can write.

Scripture Reference:  James 4:13-15 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

Neither Leah nor Jacob were masters of their own destiny.

Only God sees the end from the beginning and we should pray not my will but thine be done.

The greatest adventure known to man is to realize that your name has been written into God’s plan.

Question: Discuss this principle and what it means to you.   

Follow Up Question: Share an example from your life experiences.

Conclusion: Our lives follow predictable patterns which only God can predict. The Bible says that God is both the author and finisher of our faith. We are not in control, nor should we be. God has a plan, He will succeed, and all along the way God gives us chances to participate. Don’t be surprised when God surprises you.

Pastor remarks and intro of third principle

Third Principle: It may not always be all about you.

Scripture Reference:  Genesis 35:23 the sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun;

Although Leah was not loved by Jacob nor appreciated by her sister Rachel, and perhaps not even valued by her family, nonetheless she was God’s choice for Jacob.

Leah is the mother of Judah and therefore she, not Rachael, is the great grandmother of Jesus.

Leah’s life was filled with hardship, hurt, disappointment, and pain yet she fulfilled God’s will.

Evidently it was not all about her!

Question: What should we do when we realize something is adversely effecting us but is probably not all about us?

Follow Up Question: Name some other things that could fall into this category.

Conclusion: Just because something effects us does not mean it is all about us. Our Christian maturity demands that we yield ourselves to the will of God and allow Him to use us to the benefit of others.  

Pastor closing remarks

·        Connect Cards; Offering and Prayer

·        Memory Verse

·        Pre-Praise & Worship Prayer will be hosted in the Sanctuary Studio. Worship will begin in just a few minutes.

The Winning Edge

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The life and times of Joshua were some of the most exciting but clearly some the most challenging times for the Nation of Israel as well. Joshua was the man whom God chose to lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. Moses was their deliverer however it was Joshua who led them to their inheritance.

The history of the Jewish people reveals their undeniable victories over enemies who were much larger in numbers, more experienced in battle and better equipped to fight. Under Joshua’s leadership the young soldiers in the army of Israel went against fortified cities and fought battle hardened warriors, some of whom were giants that others feared to combat.  

What made Joshua able to successfully lead these Chosen Children of God against these seemingly insurmountable forces? When facing enemies who are bigger and more powerful than you it would be good to remember what gave Joshua his winning edge.

On top of being a child of God and called by God … Joshua also received some winning edge instructions which ended up giving him the upper hand in battle. Today we are going to take a critical look at the three commands God gave to Joshua that gave him the edge he needed against his enemies. These three facts of life will give you the upper hand as well.

Joshua 1:5  "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.

Here God is saying to Joshua, I will not fail you … now don’t you go failing me! In other words, “I will do My part – you do yours!”

6  "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

Be strong!  The Hebrew word translated into the English word “strong” in this verse is found 290 times in the Old Testament and denotes action. The first time this word is used it is in connection with the two angels God sent to Sodom and Gomorrah.

Genesis 19:16  And while Lot lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

These angels weren’t playing around … they “took hold” of Lot and his family and carried or dragged them out of the city before the fire came down. The same Hebrew word translated “hold” in Genesis 19 is the same word translated “strong” in Joshua 1:6.

Many of you might be familiar with a common Christian quote from the Bible, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” It’s also part of a Charismatic Christian song. It is taken from a verse in the Book of Nehemiah at the dedication of the Temple of Ezra and the public reading of God’s Word.

Nehemiah 8:10  Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

You see that word strength in Nehemiah 8:10 – well it’s not translated from the same Hebrew word as the one in Joshua 1 or Genesis 19. This word strength is referring to a refuge or a safe hiding place … somewhere to retreat and find protection in times of trouble. Thank God for the joy that is our refuge in times of trouble but if we are going to win in all out war against the enemies of the cross we must be willing to advance instead of retreat.

God told Joshua that he could win against the seemingly insurmountable odds of the enemies entrenched against him by taking an aggressive posture and advancing against them.

You’ve heard it said:  “Sometimes the best defense is a great offense …” Instead of looking for a place to run backwards, we run towards the fight.

The second element God required of Joshua in order to gain each victory needed to inherit the promises was that of Courage. Three times in these 4 verses we will study today the Lord God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous. 

The Hebrew word God chose to speak when commanding Joshua was a familiar word to Joshua. In his language and in his day this word encompassed the concept of bravery. Broken down today we would say that God told Joshua to:

·        Stay alert

·        Be determined

·        Remain persistent

In other words, be courageous! Courage, at least this type of courage, is not the absence of fear but rather what a person does in the face of fear.

In order for God to work with Joshua to take the Children of Israel into the Promise Land as He had worked with Moses to bring the Children of Israel out bondage, Joshua was going to have to:

·        Stay alert

·        Be determined

·        Remain persistent

·        Advance against the enemy

Verse 6 tells us that God wanted Joshua to be strong and courageous so that he could help others obtain the blessings God wanted them to have.

Joshua 1:7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

In verse 7 God encourages Joshua to be strong and courageous so that he also might inherit the blessings of God himself and become a prosperous man. How was Joshua going to be able to accomplish this tall order and develop the winning edge? Next verse …

Joshua 1:8  This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

God wants us to be strong and courageous, not only for ourselves but also for others. The way we can strengthen ourselves and find courage to be brave against the enemies that want to defeat us is to do exactly what God told Joshua to do:

“Stick to the Word of God!”

·        Think about it

·        Talk about it

·        Live it

For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success!

We close this morning with the next verse, perhaps one of the many most quoted verses in the entire world:

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

It went from a conversation to a command … and now God is commanding each one of us … Be strong and courageous … don’t allow this world to intimidate you, make you afraid, confuse or discourage you …

The LORD your God is with you wherever you go!

·        Stay alert

·        Be determined

·        Remain persistent

·        Advance against the enemy

(Note: What is the enemy? Anything that stands between God and the blessings He has promised to His Children)

·        Stick to the Word of God

Sunday Circles - Life Lessons

Sunday Circles

        Building Your Family With Friends

Church On The Rock

Gtcotr/sc081615

Prayer

Hymn: Micah 6:7-8/Majesty

Memory Verse: Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.

Lesson: Life Lessons

Pastor remarks and intro of first principle

First Principle: What you say will be said.  

Scripture Reference: Ecclesiastes 10:20 Do not curse the king, even in your thought; Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; For a bird of the air may carry your voice, And a bird in flight may tell the matter.

People talk … everyone talks to someone.

We must be careful to not say things we don’t want repeated.

Question: How would it change your conversation if you knew that everything you said was going to be repeated to others?

People don’t always repeat things correctly.

Voice inflections and emphasis on certain words can alter the meaning.

Perhaps you have been misquoted or correctly quoted and yet misunderstood.

Follow Up Question: How should we react when we hear that someone else has said something negative about us?

Conclusion: Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse you. For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.

Pastor remarks and intro of second principle

Second Principle: What you do will be found out.  

Scripture Reference:  Luke 12:2-3 For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Discuss.

Question: What are some things people do and try to hide?   

Follow Up Question: What can we do to ensure that we live our lives free from the fear of being found out?

Conclusion: When we consider the scandals which have rocked the world and destroyed people’s lives through the years, “we ask the question why did they do it.” Without regard as to why, the fact remains that if they had known they would have been found out, most likely they would not have done it. The scriptures say that some people’s sin is revealed on earth while others, hidden on earth, are made known later. But, suffice it to say, what you do runs a high probability of being found out. 

Pastor remarks and intro of third principle

Third Principle: What you believe will be tested.   

Scripture Reference:  Mark 4:17 And they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.

Temptations, tests, and trials come to us in efforts to discount and discredit the word of God.

Every time we learn something, we leave that moment headed for a test.

Question: Can you share a time when what you believed was tested?

Sometimes what we believe fails us because we were not believing the truth.

The truth, however, never fails.

Follow Up Question: What is the truth?

Conclusion: The Bible shares many truths concerning both our eternal life and the life we now live on earth. When we hear God’s Word, it acts like a seed and if cultivated in our heart and mind it will produce a harvest as promised. The devil and this world’s system want to rob us of the seeds sown in our lives. For this reason, when we hear the Word of God temptation comes for that word’s sake.

Pastor closing remarks

·        Connect Cards; Offering and Prayer

·        Memory Verse

·        Pre-Praise & Worship Prayer will be hosted in the Sanctuary Studio. Worship will begin in just a few minutes.