Endurance And Encouragement

October 8, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Faith, Trust

Endurance And Encouragement

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
‭‭Romans‬ ‭15:4‬ ‭

For Our Instruction

Reading and studying the Scriptures is not just to gain knowledge and wisdom. We engage ourselves with Scripture so that we may be encouraged as well. It must become a routine of our life in order to make a difference in how we live. As this verse says, it takes endurance.

The Word of God brings us hope. It is what connects us to the will of our Heavenly Father. It’s one thing to say that you are a Christian, it’s another to live as a Christian. God has given us His Word so that we may know what is expected of us as we live out our faith here and now. We are in the process of sanctification. Until we meet our Lord we are preparing for Heaven. How well are you preparing?

There are many things competing with the things of God. That is the reason why many today feel hopeless. The things of this world are not eternal and therefore will not sustain. The things which bring us hope are the things that are eternal. God’s love for example is eternal. God’s love brings us hope and sustains us even right now. God’s mercy and grace brings us hope. God’s patience brings us hope. The list can go on and on. But the fact of the matter is this; if we never dive into the Word of God for what it really is, then we may never really know lasting hope and contentment. Make God’s Word be part of your daily routine.

Prayer

Lord, I love Your Word. May it be my guide and way for living during these evil days. Speak to me today through it.

Are You The One

September 5, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Trust

Are You The One

And John calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭7:19‬

No Need To Doubt

In Luke 7:28 Jesus says, “there is none greater than John.” John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus who preached repentance of sin to prepare the way of the coming of the Messiah. When John baptized Jesus, he heard the audible voice of God and saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus like a dove. There was no doubt that John knew that Jesus was the Messiah.

After John was arrested and held in prison for a long period of time, he began to question if Jesus was really the Coming One. There are three notable reasons that caused him to doubt and these can create doubt in our minds as well. First, the circumstances he faced made him question if Jesus cared. John was in prison because he stated the truth of Herod’s sin. Sometimes the circumstances we endure make us wonder if Jesus really cares for us. Second, listening to outsiders can cause doubt. While in prison, John heard a report about Jesus and obviously it was in contrast to what he believed. We must be careful to who and what we listen to. If it’s not the truth, it can cause us to doubt. Third, since we don’t have full knowledge, we question how things will work out. Jesus was just the opposite of what everyone expected. He was a humble servant instead of coming as one who would be treated like the king of the Jews. Limited information causes us to doubt if all things will work out in our favor or not.

When John doubted, he searched for truth from Jesus. We too should turn to Jesus when we start to doubt. He will give us what we need.

Prayer

Search the Lord through the Word of God and ask Him to reveal the truths that you need to know.

Going Fishing

August 20, 2019 Pastor Stephen Dedman Encouragement, Faith

Going Fishing

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
John 21:3

Fishing For The Familiar

It’s amazing how quickly we can forget our mission and purpose in life. As Christians we are commanded by Christ to make disciples. But sometimes we lose focus of the big picture and lean toward seeking fulfillment of what we “want” to do. Especially when we face discouraging moments.

This was the case with Peter. Peter was facing a difficult time. On one hand he knew he was suppose to serve Christ and fulfill the mission of sharing the gospel with others. But on the other hand, he was dealing with guilt and shame because he denied Jesus. Peter started doing what he use to do. He went fishing because he lost his mission and vision of serving Christ.

For over three years Peter had followed Jesus close enough to know that he was a soul winner and no longer a fisherman. Jesus told him that he was the “Rock” that would build the church and the gates of Hell could not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18) But sadly, when Jesus was distant, Peter went back to fishing again as he did before he met Christ. It was the easy thing to do. When he started battling discouragement he gave up and retreated to something familiar. But notice they caught nothing all night. He wasn’t a fisherman, he was still a fisher of men.

Let’s stay focussed on what God has called us to do and keep making disciples.

Prayer

Lord, help me to focus on Your love and keep me in your loving arms.