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How You Deal With Adversity is Up to You

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Nobody Said It Would be Easy

Life is full of adversity. It comes in all shapes and sizes. We all deal with it differently.

The important thing to remember is that we don’t have to do it alone.

Most of us will never experience the amount of loss that Job in the Bible did. He was a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. He had seven sons and three daughters. He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.

One day, a messenger arrived at Job’s home with this news: “Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, when the Sabeans raided us. They stole all the animals and killed all the farmhands.”

While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “The fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the shepherds.”

While he was still speaking, a third messenger arrived with this news: “Three bands of Chaldean raiders have stolen your camels and killed your servants.”

While he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with this news: “Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead.”

Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then, he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. He said,

“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
    and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
    and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”

In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

This seems like a lot of adversity. Most of us have never experienced anything close to this. We can’t imagine what this would be like.

It can be hard to relate to Bible stories. They can feel like they are from so long ago and so far away that’s hard to relate.

Horatio Spafford’s story of loss is closer to our time in history than Job’s story.

Horatio Gates Spafford became well-known for his clear Christian testimony in Chicago. He and his wife Anna were active in their church. Their home was always open to visitors, including their friend Dwight L. Moody.

They were blessed with five children and considerable wealth. Horatio was a lawyer and owned a great deal of property in Chicago.

Tragedy came in great measure to this happy home. At four years old, their son, Horatio Jr., died suddenly of scarlet fever.

Then, only a year later in October 1871, a massive fire swept through downtown Chicago, devastating the city, including many properties owned by Horatio. Despite their substantial financial loss, the Spafford’s sought to demonstrate the love of Christ, by assisting those who were grief-stricken and in great need.

Two years later in 1873, Spafford decided his family should take a holiday in England, knowing that his friend, the evangelist D. L. Moody, would be preaching there in autumn.

Horatio was delayed because of business, so he sent his family ahead, his wife and their four remaining children: 11-year-old Anna, 9-year-old Margaret Lee, 5-year-old Elizabeth, and 2-year-old Tanetta.

On November 22, 1873, while crossing the Atlantic, their vessel was struck by an iron sailing ship.

All four of Horatio Spafford’s daughters perished, but remarkably Anna Spafford survived the tragedy. Those rescued were taken to Cardiff, South Wales. Upon arrival, Anna immediately sent a telegram to her husband, which included the words “Saved alone….”

Receiving Anna’s message, Horatio set off at once to be with his wife.

During the voyage, the captain pointed out the very spot where his daughters had died.

It is said that Spafford returned to his cabin and wrote the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” there and then. The first line is, “When peace like a river, attendeth my way…”

Obviously, the voyage was one of deep sorrow as well as inspiration. This is evident in the moving and well-loved hymn.

After Anna was rescued, Pastor Nathaniel Weiss, one of the ministers travelling with the surviving group, remembered hearing Anna say, “God gave me four daughters. Now they have been taken from me. Someday I will understand why.”

Naturally, Anna was utterly devastated, but she testified that in her grief and despair, she had been conscious of a soft voice speaking to her, “You were saved for a purpose!” She remembered something a friend had once said,

“It’s easy to be grateful and good when you have so much but take care that you are not a fair-weather friend to God.”

In August 1881, the Spafford’s left America with several other like-minded Christians and settled in Jerusalem. There they served the needy, helped the poor, cared for the sick, and took in homeless children. Their desire was to show those living around them the love of Jesus.

This week’s sermon was on Psalms 3. This Psalm is regarding the time when David’s own son was attempting to take over as king.

David dealt with a lot of losses throughout his life. He had a great many enemies, some of which were his own family. Even with all the mistakes he made, the one thing that David was consistent in, was giving it to God.

We will experience adversity. Hopefully it’s not to the level of Job, Horatio, or David. Whatever the size and extent of the difficulties we experience…

God is the only way we can really deal with adversity.

For Such a Time as This

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The Question is: What Are You Going to Do About It?

It’s Independence Day 2024. This is when we in America celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 

On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the 56 delegates who later became known as the nation’s founding fathers. This declaration explains to the world why the Thirteen Colonies regarded themselves as independent, sovereign states no longer subject to British rule. 

This Declaration has become one of the most circulated, reprinted, and influential documents in world history. It has proven an influential and globally impactful statement on human rights, particularly its second sentence:  

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”  

The signing of the Declaration came at a cost.

“And, for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” 

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the revolutionary army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died from wounds or hardships resulting from the Revolutionary War. 

Standing up for what’s right requires bravery and comes with risk. 

We see this same kind of bravery and risk in the Bible in the book of Esther. This book shows us how God works through people in a fallen world who are willing to step out bravely. 

Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, learns that Haman–King Xerxes second in command–plotted to kill all the Jews in Persia. This included Mordecai and Esther who is queen.  

Mordecai tells Esther that she needs to talk to the king about this. There’s a big risk to this. If she goes to the king without being invited, the king might have her killed. 

In Esther 4:10-14 Mordecai tells her: 

“Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. 

Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” 

Esther and Mordecai were both brave and took risks. Mordecai wouldn’t bow to Haman. Esther went to the king with her request. Both things worked out. Both Mordecai and Esther did things outside their comfort zones. 

We’re all called for such a time as this. 

Our callings may not be as big as the Founding Fathers, Mordecai, or Esther, but we’ve been called. It’s up to us to be aware of our calling and do something.  

The question is…what are you going to do about it? 

Have a great Independence Day! 

What Would We Do Without Dads?

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Nothing…Because We Wouldn’t Even Be Here

That’s right. We wouldn’t have been born without a father. But just being a father doesn’t mean we’re good at it.

Being a good father is a big job.

This past Sunday was Father’s Day, so it only makes sense that this was the focus of Pastor Lisa’s message.

So, what does it mean to be a father?

While it might seem obvious what “dad” means– a male parent– it’s often hard to define the role of a dad.

Dad can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. So, what do children need? After all, the definition is a male parent.

Children need many things from their parents, but let’s break it down into the main pieces. They need:

  • Necessities of life
  • Human interaction
  • Care and comfort
  • Warmth and love
  • Guidance and protection
  • To be important to someone

These relate to the different roles that dads (and moms) play.

Human parents are not perfect…some are quite bad at it. We’ve all known people who have bad fathers or don’t even know who their father was.

This is where mentoring comes in. Young men need good role models. These role models can come in the form of coaches, camp counselors, dads of friends, teachers, etc.

We all need people to look up to and try to be like. We should all try to be those people.

This is where my friend Shep’s book, Step into Your Legacy, can be helpful. His book is a guide for men, helping them strive to be people who inspire others through actions and words. Whether it’s the way we treat our families, the kindness we show to others, or the dedication at our workplace, every moment is an opportunity to make an impact.

Being a good dad requires knowing what it means to be a good dad and being intentional about doing it.

As Pastor Lisa has been taking us through the Old Testament, we have seen the kings go back and forth from good and following God to bad and not. This human condition is just that: human.

This is why we need to be aware and understand ourselves and our humanness. Then it’s up to us to be intentional in our actions and learn how to be better.

Often, we get into routines and habits and don’t realize what we’re doing. A good example of how this happens and what we can do about it is in 2 Chronicles 34:14-15; 29-33. In the Scripture, Hilkiah discovers the Book of the Law in the Temple. It is then shared with King Josiah who makes changes and promises to do what’s right.

The best example of how to be a good dad (or mom) is our Heavenly Father and we learn this by reading His Word.

Regardless of what our father here on earth is like, God is our Heavenly Dad. Sure, we wouldn’t have been born without an earthly father. But, the same is true for our Heavenly Father.

I hope you had a great Father’s Day. Going forward, I hope you strive to be more like our Heavenly Father.

VBS – What a Great Place to Share the Message of Salvation

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Salvation, What Does That Mean?

VBS is a common acronym used for Vacation Bible School. Many of us grew up going to VBS and have good memories from it.

Vacation Bible School can be traced back to Hopedale, Illinois in 1894. Sunday School teacher D. T. Miles was a public-school teacher. She felt limited by time constraints in teaching the Bible to children. So, she started a daily Bible school that taught children during the summer. The first Bible school enrolled 40 students and lasted four weeks. A local school was used for classes, while an adjoining park was used for recess.

While not under the title of Vacation Bible School, Dr. Abraham L. Latham, of the Third Presbyterian Church in Chester, Pennsylvania, initiated a five-week, four-hour day summer Bible school in 1912. While at its peak, it had 650–700 students. This was claimed to be the world’s first summer Bible school.

Today, many churches run their own Vacation Bible School programs. Some churches use themed curriculum programs from their respective denominations. Others use independent publishing houses which provide easy preparation and include marketing tools.

Our church had VBS last week. Thanks to everyone who made this possible.

What a great place to share the message of salvation.

So, what is salvation? Salvation is the act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, destruction, etc. It is a source, cause, or means of being saved or protected from harm, risk, etc. Deliverance from the power and penalty of sin; redemption.

In Romans 10:1-13, it says, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.’ Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’.”

Salvation comes at a cost, but the price has already been paid.

“Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:6-8)

It’s up to us to believe and accept this gift.

Sharing the message of salvation in VBS is great, but it shouldn’t stop there. All of us who believe need to be bold and share this message beyond VBS.

Choosing to believe is a decision that you have the power to make or not…it’s up to you.

Be Who God Made You To Be

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Don’t Be Afraid to Witness Boldly

God made each and every one of us exactly how He wanted us to be. We are unique and different and have skills that are specific to us. 

It’s up to us to be willing to use our skills the way they were intended. 

As a Christian, it can be scary to talk about our faith. We may not know what others believe and don’t want to impose our beliefs on them. This “kid glove” viewpoint seems to be more and more common.  

A recent article in The Washington Stand, written by Sara Holliday pointed out that 40% of British Christians prefer not to share their faith. According to a recent survey, British Christians seem to be going through a bit of a “self-confidence crisis”, as phrased by the researcher. 

“Authorized by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) and steered by Whitestone Insight, the survey, “Britain’s attitudes to faith in public life,” received responses from 2,064 U.K. adults between May 1 and 2 of 2024. Author Dr. Jake Scott emphasized, “Data were weighted to be representative of all U.K. adults.” Among several key findings, perhaps the most eye-opening was that roughly 40% of the Christian respondents prefer to keep their faith to themselves and out of “the workplace and politics.” 

Some other statistics include “49% of religious respondents” who were opposed to seeing more religion in the media, and 27% felt religion was not necessarily “a force for good in society.” This isn’t exactly encouraging news.”  

This doesn’t sound very bold. 

“However, there were two positives — maybe even encouraging — aspects to these results worth recognizing. 

First, there was a distinction between “exclusivist” Christians and “cultural” Christians — the former being “those who believe their religion is the only true faith,” and the latter being “those who were baptized but attend church infrequently and do not strongly identify with the Christian faith.”  

The exclusivists were far more willing to share their faith, as they are called to in Scripture. And we can’t be too surprised the cultural Christians, who don’t appear to take their faith seriously, don’t take intentionally sharing their faith seriously. 

The second encouraging point was the influence faith seems to have on younger generations such as Gen Z. As reported, “69% of respondents within the 18-24 year old bracket believe their faith significantly impacts their lives,” 72% “find faith helps them find purpose in life,” 78% “feel their faith has shaped their moral values,” and 53% “believe their faith to be the only true religion.” 

Reading about Christians intentionally keeping their faith to themselves and not having an optimistic view of their faith should motivate us to offer some encouragement. Moving forward, let’s not focus on these statistics.  

Scripture calls us to be bold, not timid. It calls us to share our faith, not purposefully keep it to ourselves. 

In Acts 4:1-13, Peter and John are arrested and taken before the rulers, elders, and teachers of the law because they healed a crippled man. Peter told them that the power that healed the man was Jesus, the man they killed.  

The members of the council were amazed at the boldness of Peter and John because they were just ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. But they were with Jesus. 

Being bold doesn’t mean we shout from a mountain top or get up in someone’s face. We can be bold by living our daily lives the way God made us. 

We are all ordinary. Made just the way God wanted us. It’s up to us to witness boldly the way He made us. 

We Should Pray Like Jabez

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And How Did He Pray?

As names in the Bible go, Jabez is not someone who we hear a lot about. He is mentioned in 1 Chronicles in middle of the genealogy of Judah. As you’re reading through the long list of names there in Chapter 4 Verse 9 and 10, Jabez pops up. 

Another thing that’s a little different is that rather than telling who his father, bothers, or sons were, it says… 

There was a man named Jabez who was more honorable than any of his brothers. His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful. He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request. 

And that’s how we should pray.  

Then in Verse 11, it goes right back to: so and so was the father of so and so and on and on. 

Other than the fact that Jabez’s prayer is stuck in the middle of this genealogical list of names, what makes it a good example of how we should pray? 

Prayer is our direct line of communication with God, our way of expressing our hopes, dreams, and desires. Among the countless prayers that have been uttered throughout history, this one stands out. 

This prayer resonates with those who long to move beyond the limitations of their current situation and experience God’s abundant provision. 

But what makes this prayer so different?  

It’s the simplicity of it. In a couple of short sentences, it recognizes our need for God’s power to transform our lives. It’s the boldness to ask for God’s favor, knowing that He delights in blessing His children. It’s the faith to believe that God can take us from the ordinary to the extraordinary, from the mundane to the miraculous. 

There are the four simple but powerful points to Jabez’s prayer –  

  1. First, Jabez asks God to bless him. - This is a recognition that all blessings come from God and that we are dependent on God’s favor and provision. Jabez desires God’s blessings in all areas of his life, both spiritually and materially. 
  2. Next, Jabez asks for an enlargement of his territory. - This can be understood as a request for God to expand our influence, impact, and opportunities. Jabez wants to make a greater difference in the world and fulfill his God-given purpose. 
  3. Then, Jabez asks for God’s hand to be with him. – This is a plea for God’s presence and guidance in his life. Jabez recognizes that he cannot accomplish anything without God’s help and desires to walk closely with Him. 
  4. Lastly, Jabez asks God to keep him from harm and free from pain. – This is a request for protection and deliverance from any form of evil or suffering. Jabez desires to live a life shielded from harm and filled with peace. 

And the last words of Verse 10… “And God granted him his request.”  

Too often we make prayer something too lofty and grand. Something that, as flawed and imperfect sinners, we have no right to tell God. After all, He made everything and can do anything.  

We need to stop kidding ourselves. God already knows our hearts and minds. He knows what we want before we do.  

This doesn’t mean that God isn’t all powerful and shouldn’t be honored. What it does mean is that there is a balance of honor and relationship.  

God wants a relationship with us.  

We are supposed to honor our earthly parents, but we’re also supposed to have a relationship with them.  

Jabez spoke to God honestly, openly, and respectfully and God heard him. 

If we align our desires with God’s, He will hear our prayers as well.

Life Happens…It’s What We Do When It Does That Matters

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It All Comes Down to Choice

We’re all faced with a lot of choices every day. When situations happen, we can choose this or that.

Choice is the most powerful weapon we have.

Too often we make the wrong choices. Sometimes we make what we think to be the right decisions based on what we know at the time, only to find out later it was the wrong one. Then we can make a different decision.

The important thing is that when making decisions, we’re making them for the right reasons with the right guidance.

We need to be clear on what makes a decision right.

In 2 Kings 18:1-5, Hezekiah became king of Judah. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestor David had done. He removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it.

 Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel.

He was 25 years old when he became king. I don’t know about you, but I made some bad decisions when I was 25.

King Sennacherib of Assyria came and began attacking the towns in Judah. After which Hezekiah offered to pay Sennacherib if he would withdraw his armies. The king of Assyria demanded a settlement of more than eleven tons of silver and one ton of gold. To gather this amount, King Hezekiah used all the silver stored in the Temple of the Lord and in the palace treasury. Hezekiah even stripped the gold from the doors of the Lord’s Temple and from the doorposts he had overlaid with gold, and he gave it all to the Assyrian king.

Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent his commander in chief, his field commander, and his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. They summoned King Hezekiah… (2 Kings 18:13-18)

Sennacherib offers Hezekiah another deal telling him that no other kings can help him, and neither can God. He tells them to give up and become his slaves. It would be better for them than staying and starving to death. (2 Kings 18:19-37)

After the king of Assyria sent the message, Isaiah the prophet replied, “This is what the Lord says: Do not be disturbed by this blasphemous speech against me from the Assyrian king’s messengers. Listen! I myself will move against him, and the king will receive a message that he is needed at home. So he will return to his land, where I will have him killed with a sword.” (2 Kings 19:5-7)

After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: “…You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.

“It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that You alone, O Lord, are God.” (2 Kings 19:14-19)

That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there.

One day while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with their swords. (2 Kings 19:35-37)

Life happened to Hezekiah, he asked God for deliverance, and they received it.

We need to remember to go to God when life happens to us.

Deliverance comes from God…discipleship is what we do.

Being Called Out for Our Mistakes Makes Us Better

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But Getting Better Requires Change

Some people like calling others out for their mistakes. Others, not so much. There are different reasons people do this. Some are good and can be helpful. Some are more for the person doing the calling out, rather than to help the person being called out.

These differences have to do with our different personalities.

There are several different personality tests, but my favorite is the DISC assessment. This is a simple self-assessment tool that categorizes individuals into four personality traits: dominance, influence, stability, and compliance.

Knowing these differences between ourselves and others can be helpful when working with people.

This difference became apparent to me years ago when I asked my wife for her input about something I wrote. Of course, I thought it was perfect. She on the other hand made some corrections and changes.

This crushed me…how could she be so mean?

This was about the time I took the DISC assessment. It was very enlightening. I found out that she was among the 10% of the people who are dominant. This does not mean that she was mean or that she was trying to hurt my feelings. It just meant that she was honest and direct.

I, on the other hand, was among the 25% who are compliant. I’m resistant to change and can be rigid.

Getting better requires change.

Then you have people who are stable. This is the largest group at 40%. These people are loyal followers and slow to act. And then there’s the final 25% who are the influencers. These people are artistic and are continually coming up with new and different ideas and are easily distracted.

Pastor Lisa’s message on Sunday was about the prophet Elijah calling out Ahab, the king of Israel, for his worshiping of Baal and not God. Elijah must have been in the 10% of the dominant, take-charge people. With 90% of the people being in the other three personalities, they were following whatever the king told them.

In 1 Kings 18:16-39, Elijah calls out Ahab and tells the king that he is leading the people in the wrong direction. Elijah shows the people God’s power and Baal’s lack of power with a demonstration involving altars.

The pagan priests go through an elaborate process with their offering to no avail. Then Elijah prepares an offering, soaks it in water, and then calls to show the people that God is Lord.

 Immediately, the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench!

And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

Too often we’re led astray by just following the crowd and not being aware. Then, because we are followers, we lead other people astray because they are followers too.

Don’t be a blind follower or blind leader. We need to recognize our mistakes and change our direction.

Can We Have Wisdom Like Solomon?

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Hopefully We’re Wiser Than He Was

Making decisions can be a hard thing. Should I do this, or should I do that? It’s easier when there’s a clear choice of good or bad.

It’s much harder when it’s deciding between good and good.

Wouldn’t it be nice if God would just tell us what to do?

The problem with this is that we would not have free will. We would be nothing more than puppets. We wouldn’t like that either.

We just need wisdom to help us make these choices.

Solomon is often associated with wisdom. In 1 Kings 3:5-15, God comes to Solomon in a dream and asks him what he wants.

Solomon was a young man and had become the leader of a huge nation. He asks God for, “…an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”

The Lord was pleased that Solomon asked for wisdom.

So, God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have!

And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!

And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”

Later, Solomon starts listening to the wrong voices…mainly his 1000 wives. (1 Kings 11:1-13)

“In Solomon’s old age they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the Lord his God, as his father, David had been. In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely.

The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord…”

Both David and Solomon received direction and blessings from God, but their lives ended up drastically different.

David made plenty of mistakes, but he repented and realigned with God. Solomon, on the other hand, did not. This resulted in consequences for Solomon’s family and the entire kingdom.

We need to constantly be in communication with God. This ongoing, nonstop connection is the only way that we can align our desires with His. Sure, we’ll make mistakes and wrong decisions. This is what happens in a fallen world.

But we also have the power of choice and can ask for forgiveness and repent of those mistakes. David chose this and Solomon didn’t.

We need to align what we ask from God with God.

Living a Good Life is Not as Hard as We Make it

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Learning to Live Life from the Bible

Over the past couple of weeks, we been looking forward to Easter through a series of messages about Peter’s relationship with Jesus.

The first week was about Peter’s introduction to Jesus (John 1:35-42) by his brother Andrew. This simple act of introduction changed not only Peter’s life but the lives of those he met, as well as people throughout history and even still today.

Being introduced to Jesus can have this same kind of impact on us today and others that are introduced to Him.

Last week was about Peter’s invitation from Jesus (Matthew 4:18-20, Luke 5:1-11). Jesus invited Peter to follow Him and fish for people rather than fish.

Jesus invites every one of us to join Him. He gives us the direction of where to go and how to do it…whatever our “it” is.

This week we learned about Peter’s instructions from Jesus. A big part of learning is instruction. We all need it, but too often think we have it all figured out. Peter was no different.

In Mark 8:31-9:1 Jesus tells His followers that He is going to suffer terrible things, ultimately going to be killed and then be raised from the dead. This is not the kind of king the people were expecting, and Peter reprimanded Jesus for saying it.

Jesus then told Peter, “Get behind me Satan. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Jesus went on to tell the crowd that if they wanted to be His followers that they needed to quit focusing on their worldly thoughts and focus first and foremost on what He was telling them.

Just like the people listening to Jesus then, we need to be open to His instruction in our lives today.

We can get His instruction today through daily reading of the Bible, being a part of a Bible-believing church, and communicating with Him regularly through prayer.

Invitation, introduction, and instruction…a good way to live life.