Grace Community Church: Painted Post, Corning

God’s blessing is over our lives but that doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges. Nothing clogs up the heart and stops up the well faster than bitterness, unforgiveness and resentment.

Weeping is real. The weeping of Christmas was real. It’s a part of life and God uses it. But Jesus came so that weeping isn’t the last word, joy is. Jesus is good news of great joy.

A big part of patience is being able to wait when we don’t want to wait. To live under the burden that waiting presses on our soul and trust that God knows best.

Overcome is a fighting word. Love hates evil, therefore love fights against evil. When we can fight against an evil, we should do so. If we can stand up for someone who is being bullied, or wronged, we should do it. When we can speak up for those who can’t speak up for themselves, we should have the courage (rooted in love) to speak up.

Once again we stand in view of God’s mercy. We love because he first loved us. And because he loved us so freely we are free to love others, no strings attached. Let your love be genuine

A part of God’s will for our lives is that we use the gifts and talents He gave us for His purposes. To build up His church. To help those who don’t know Christ find Christ. ?

As we live life as an act of worship, being transformed by the Spirit into the likeness of Christ, we will know through His word and in our spirits that we are in God’s will. We will be able to test and approve – that is we will know – that God is increasingly the center of our lives.

Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That’s making God the center of all we do and as we do that everything else falls into order. We start to live more for God and His will than for ourselves and our will.

Put up a little sail. Lift up that need, but not just with words. Hoist some sail. Pray with faith. Ask with fervor. Don’t give up. And don’t focus your faith on what you want, don’t focus your faith on your faith, focus your faith on Jesus. The Author and Finisher of our faith.

Sometimes we turn our faith away from Jesus and towards the problem. I know something bad is going to happen. I know I’ll never be free from this snare. That’s faith, but wrong kind of faith. Look to Jesus and start confessing a different kind of faith: Jesus can set me free, Jesus has set me free.

Your past, as a church, with all of its struggles shapes us into who you are today. Which brings us to the present and informs us of our future.

Great serving doesn’t have to be big serving, just meet a need in Jesus’ name. Let God take it from there.

How is God using you? How might God want to use you? Maybe sharing Jesus with a co-worker or inviting a friend to church. Maybe leading a ministry or serving behind the scenes.

To belong to the Lord is as simple as believing in Christ as your Lord and Savior. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved – you and your household. (Acts 16:31). All those who trust in Christ are saved. All those who don’t aren’t. Salvation belongs to the Lord.

We are in a spiritual fight whether we like it or not. The Bible says we don’t fight against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers – that is demonic powers, evil forces in the heavenlies.

Why does the church seem so powerless today? Here's the biggest reason.

Here's a truth: Jesus said he didn’t come to judge the world but to save it. I think there’s too much judging going on in the church. We need less judging and more coming alongside. Not to coddle the sin.

There’s so much anger and contention out there. We see it on social media, we see it on cable news, we see it on the streets. I’ve seen people burn relational bridges simply because someone disagrees with them. Christians aren’t meant to fight that way and it’s sad when Christians add gasoline to that fire.

When we have sinned against God and devastated lives around us, repentance is the road to restoration. Repentance is getting honest with God. It’s turning away from the hardening effect that sin has on our hearts and turning towards a soft heart. A broken heart. A broken and contrite heart God will not despise.