Sunday, August 3, 2008

 

Announcements -- Corrie McClary
2 Tim 3:16-17  thoroughly equipped
Shamra's last  Sunday -- moving to Montana to be with her family
Ann Gulhorn - moved to Maryland

 

Baptisms -- Brittany Scurry; Jacob Via
2 Peter 1:3-8 and Mt 3:13-17

 

Communion -- Ernest and Tammy Osias
Tammy -- struggling in her relationship with God - trying to know God deeper
The Cross means freedom - freedom to believe, trust, make choices
Phil 4:11-13  
Tammy was diagnosed with second infertility
they have a four year old, they've been trying for three years
In Vitro is their only option -- is that trying to override God's will?
she is not suffering - she has a wonderful son, her best friend as her husband
whether she ever has another child or not, she has freedom because of Christ
Mark 4:35-40
Ernest:  the storms in life hit all of us
moving can be one of the stressful events after the death of a spouse and divorce
It can be positive, but always chaotic
Ernest & Tammy are moving to their condo, downsizing to a 2 bedroom
We feel like Jesus is asleep on us, in a boat.   Is he asleep in your life?   Why are you afraid?   Where is your faith?
Video -- look at all the lonely people / I'm on my way back home
in this world we will have trouble and pain  John 16:33

 

BRUNO -- Faith is All we Have Left
Sam & Bruno moving the end of the month.   They attended the International Campus ministry conference.
1 Kings 17:7-22  Elijah and the widow
Elijah and the widow faced impossible situations
How is your faith in impossible situations?
The physical evidence proves that the flour and oil will not last, but they did
As this point in the Bible, no one has raised the dead before.   Elijah had never seen it, but he prayed for it anyway. 
When is the last time you prayed for something impossible?   Something you've never seen before?
1 Cor 2:9   How come we don't always believe this?
How would our faith change if we had this faith?
What would have happened if Elijah hadn't had this faith?   He totally believed  God would do it, he begged God
Bruno has been praying that the campus would have 50 fired-up disciples, he's never seen it
It's easy for God to do this
We've got to believe
God's proved to us over and over again -- so why do we allow people & situations to destroy our faith?   our past stops us
God can use our past and so can Satan
Imagine if you were always successful in your past, you'd never failed, what would your faith be lie?

 

He's been faithful tooth and nail to strengthen his faith by his past, God let his past happen to strengthen him
Elijah's faith was set on God alone
Is you prayer life strong enough to overcome difficult and impossible situations in your life?
Do you allow Satan's lies to be stronger to you than your faith?
Heb 11:29-30  hall of fame 
put yourself in the situation of the Israelites, a million people sitting there, huge body of water ahead of you and Egyptian chariots behind you
Example of us in Sarasota, FL, the mafia behind us, crossing the bay on dry land to Texas
Moses had to step up on faith
We read the Bible and see what happens, but they didn't know what was going to happen
Because Moses had that faith, he saved all of Israel
What is God going to have to do to make you believe?
Is that you?   We require something from God?
What are the reasons we give God that we hesitate
We think God won't answer our prayers -- fears and insecurities get in the way.   What if I fail?
in the movie Invincible - "a man can only take so much failure"
Have you ever felt like you just can't take it anymore?
Your heart is damaged
Do you listen to the Spirit or to the fears?
God is going to do whatever he wants to do - but Bruno is going to pray
We have to step out
It's time for us to bring our faith to the next level
What do we need to sacrifice to get our faith where it's never been before?

 

Joshua 6:1-2, 3-5 (read 12-20)
the walls of Jericho had never been defeated before - it's an impossible situation
God promised Joshua victory -- would you believe him?
When faced with impossible situations - all you have left is your faith
It takes faith to believe that the wall is not going to fall on you
If we knew we could do something, where is you faith?    That doesn't require faith. 
Do we pray more or use the work of our hands more?
We don't pray enough to change
God is there, but our lack of faith is stopping us
Do you pray more than you confess sin or confess sin instead of praying?
are we buying shovels or trumpets to knock the walls down?
We believe God can do it, but we need to believe God will do it
He doesn't want us to take the credit, he wants us to know it was Him.   It's only God that is going to help us out in the situations in our lives. 
These tough situations are the keys to increasing our faith. 
God can do anything.
To God be the glory.