Teen Movie Night – Saturday, March 10@ 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary.  More details to come.

Looking for info and upcoming events for the Youth Group Chosen Generation?  Try their Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/158465944240038/?notif_t=group_r2j

 ”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”                       2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Years ago, my wife and I went through a major trial that lasted for years.  This trial concerned a loved one that made the situation emotional and extremely painful.  We tried repeatedly to find someone who had gone through a similar trial hoping to get some encouragement and direction but this was to no avail.  Therefore, we had to continually go to the Lord and pour our hearts and tears out to him.

I would search the Scriptures daily looking for answers.  I remember finding the verses above from 2 Corinthians that opened my eyes to perhaps a purpose for my trial.  Because I was searching for words of comfort, these verses were especially appealing.  I wanted God’s comforting words.  I wanted the Lord to tell me that it was going to be all right.

He made me see instead of taking away the tribulation, He would comfort me so that I would be able to endure it.  Moreover, He made me to understand that He wanted to equip me in such a way that, someday, I could be used to comfort others who would be going through a similar situation.  At that point, my wife and I got on our knees and reaffirmed our commitment to the Lord by offering our lives to Him for this purpose.  At the time, I did not know that what He had in mind was to make me a pastor so He could fulfill this verse many times over.

Looking back, I know that had I not been allowed by God to experience those years of distress, I would not be serving the Lord in this manner today.  During that prolonged time, God, through His word, purged the many years of fleshly living and began filling me with His Spirit.  Trials, especially severe ones, are never pleasant.  But seeing the outcome and purpose of God, I have to say I would go through another one again.

I have since come to understand that God primarily expresses His love through His chosen vessels.  Before He can do that, He must have complete possession of those vessels in such a way that they are holy and habitable for His Holy Spirit.  God is looking for people who want to follow Jesus so He can inhabit them and pour His love and life through them to touch others.  May the Lord fill you with His grace and love so that you too will have this desire to be used by Him.

www.GrowingThruGrace.com

Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.  Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”  And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”  So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.”

Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.  And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them.  Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”     Nehemiah 4:9-14

God does not desire for any of us to walk in confusion or fear, which are tactics Satan uses against God’s people.  We see these tactics employed throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Sanballat and Tobiah, enemies of God and His people, attempted to slow down the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem – or stop it altogether – by causing confusion and fear among the workers.  They hoped that confusion would lead to a decrease in productivity, and that fear would deflate the morale of God’s people in order to make them unable to finish the work at all.

Maybe today you feel that your life is marked by confusion.  Things are not making sense, not falling into place, and you feel paralyzed by confusion. Let me encourage you; any confusion you are experiencing is not from the hand of God, “for God is not the author of confusion but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).  No, confusion is a scheme of the devil that is intended to keep you from God’s peace and interfere with His plan for your life.

And maybe today you feel fearful about an upcoming change, a decision you face, or the unknown in general.  Let me again encourage you from Scripture.

“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.     2 Timothy 1:7

The Lord doesn’t want us to be afraid.  Through His Son, He has given us perfect love, which casts out all fear. 

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.   1 John 4:18

Discipleship Class II – Continuing Sunday, January 8th at 8:45 a.m. John Haney will be teaching Class II—Grow starting in September.  Class II will be held in a room TBD.  Please see John if you would like to sign-up and to get your book.

“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  Exodus 33:14

You don’t need a license or a diploma to become a father, yet the job description is one of the toughest imaginable.  According to Scripture, a father encourages and comforts his children, urging them to “live lives worthy of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12).  He is charged with the instruction (Proverbs 1:8-9) and discipline (Hebrews 12:10) of his offspring.  He is expected to provide “good gifts” for his children (Matthew 7:9-11).  Harder still, a father must not “exasperate” his children as he does these things.  Instead – and most important of all -  he is to “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

In the face of these enormous responsibilities, you may feel like a high school dropout interviewing for a job as a nuclear physicist – you know that your resume doesn’t measure up!  But don’t be discouraged.  Scripture tells us that our heavenly Father will assist us in each of life’s heavy responsibilities:  “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs” (Isaiah 58:11).  You can depend on almighty God, the Father of all fathers, for strength in every parenting challenge – no matter what your qualifications might be.