Pastor Stephen Dedman

Category: Encouragement

Not Ashamed

Encouragement, Faith, Trust

Not Ashamed

But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
2 Timothy 1:12

Confidence and Boldness

Paul is in prison and awaiting death.  He is recounting the cause for Christ that has led him to persecution and distress and now imprisonment.  He is writing to a young preacher named Timothy who was a close brother and friend to Paul.  Paul writes him to instruct and encourage the young preacher as he too may face persecution for the faith.

Paul was hated by the Jews for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles.  Even though he suffered persecution and waiting execution, Paul considers his calling to preach the gospel a worthy cause.  He never backed down from telling the truth of the gospel and never avoided speaking when he had a chance to share the Word of God with anyone.  His confidence in the Lord produced a boldness that glorified God.  His faith and hope in Christ fueled his efforts of winning souls and building the Kingdom of Heaven.

Paul’s knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ strengthened him daily but God’s grace is what kept him striving to endure the hardships he faced. Our knowledge of God’s Word and our strong faith in Jesus allows us the same opportunities to share the gospel with boldness. Never shy away from telling the lost about the good news of Jesus and always be ready to give an answer for your faith.  It is during times of persecution and trials that people either coward down or boldly step up.  Be prepared today to speak words of comfort to those who are suffering or lost.

Prayer

Ask the Lord to give you boldness to speak the truth of the gospel to everyone everywhere.

Teach Me To Do Your Will

Encouragement, Faith, Trust

Teach Me To Do Your Will

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God! Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground!
Psalm 143:10

God’s Will and God’s Way

Learning something new can be challenging at times.  But once you discover how to do something new it can be rewarding and great.  Learning to do God’s will can be challenging but the reward is worth it all.

In Psalm 143 David is crying out to God for assistance.  It’s a desperate cry for help indeed.  But right in the middle of this song, David seeks to know the will of God because he knows it is the best thing.  He knows that God is in control of all things but he wants God to reveal His will to him.  Obviously he knows he is going through this storm for a reason but he wants God to show him what he needs to learn from it.  This is the best attitude to have when we face difficult and trying times.  Instead of praying for God to remove our trials we should face them with a perspective that God is trying to teach us something.

Just think about all of the challenges that David faced during his life.  He was the youngest and smallest of his brothers but still knew he had a purpose.  He took on the biggest and strongest giant and experienced victory.  He committed many sins but found forgiveness through God’s love and grace.  He lost a child who was only a few days old but knew the child was with God in Heaven.  The list can go on and on but David was always aware that God was deepening his faith and increasing his spiritual strength.  That is how we need to look at our own life.

Prayer

As you seek to learn God’s will and way for your life, count it all joy when you suffer for the cause of Christ.

They Glorified God

Encouragement, Trust

They Glorified God

Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭7:16‬

Touching People

In Luke 7:11-17 Jesus stops a funeral procession when He saw a widowed woman who was just moments away from laying her only son to rest. This woman had lost her husband and now has lost all hope of any future because her only son has died. But Jesus saw her and had compassion for her. He touched the casket and told the dead man to get up. Immediately the man sat up and began speaking. The large crowd was amazed at what they saw but most importantly verse 16 says they glorified God because they knew Jesus was God.

This passage of Scripture gives us a perfect a portrait of how a church is to minister to people.

We must realize that the church is who represents Jesus in today’s society. We must do as Jesus did and see the needs of others and reach out and touch them with compassion and love. When the lost are touched with the love of Jesus, they come alive, spiritually. A church will glorify God when they are on mission and ministering to His people. We can’t miss any opportunities of serving people because we lose focus of the mission.

An encouraged church congregation is required to fulfill its mission. A discouraged church is not effective. Every church needs faithful members using their God-given gifts. Members who are not using their gifts are wasting them. Compassion brings people together and to the cross of Jesus. If a church is not loving people it’s not a real church.

Prayer

Pray and ask God how you can be the hands and feet of Jesus.