Perseverance- Steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement;continue steadfastly. Hebrews 6:9-12 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that …

The prophet spoke to the people of Judah in a time of tremendous transition. They had had to get used to the notion that their homeland was no more; Judah had been taken, Jerusalem had been destroyed, the Temple had been pulled down, and they were going to have to live in exile in Babylon. It was not a happy time. They were tempted to sit down and …

Experts say that when the time has come for a young eaglet to learn to fly, the parent bird at first tries to coax the youngster into flight. If this method fails, the mother then resorts to what seems to be much harsher treatment. The mother bird will force her offspring off the nest out into the air. By this discipline of disturbance, she accompl…

In this story Jesus left the Jewish area of Galilee for the seaport of Tyre, a pagan Gentile area. This was a very un-Jewish and un-rabbinical thing to do, but He knew there was a desperate mother there. Notice the verbs describing her: she heard about Him, came, fell at his feet, and begged His help. Yet Jesus answered her not a word. Her response…

I wonder how many people we turn off to the gospel by arguing about religious concepts rather than sharing the truth of Jesus Christ’s love and mercy to save us from the wrath we deserve. I wonder how many people got ready for church without so much as a thought of who they were coming to worship. Mark 2:18–3:6 highlights the difference between rel…

Surveys continually show that education is among the issues of most concern to Americans. We want well-educated children in quality learning environments. Jesus, the “Master Teacher,” wants to develop us to our full potential, and He masterfully uses whatever learning environment is available at any given time. The Greek text of the Gospel calls Je…

Using a common everyday plant pot and some soil to help draw a parallel to how our faith should be growing.

Most people live their lives in obscurity. Few become famous during their lifetime, and fewer remain famous after they are gone. After all, God has called us to be faithful, not famous. After Nehemiah rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem, his next task was to convince people to move inside the walls, into the “inner city.” What took place in Nehemiah …

Conflict Happens Christians can Wound each other If . . . ? It’s fairly sure you’ll be hurt eventually, We’re not immune from hurt in Church, in marriage, family, or friendships either. It hurts more to be hurt by ones you love, These stings hurt most and longest, These hurts go the deepest Hurts Break relationships. Our response to pain is to with…

Clay in the Hand of God Jeremiah 18:1–6, "As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand. (nkjv)" God can take your messed-up life in His hand and say to you, “I want to give you another chance.” I thank God for a hand like that, because all of us have messed up at some point. All of us have ruined something in our lives. Maybe you’ve r…

Mark 6:46–52 Surviving Deep Waters and Dark Nights All of us go through stormy weather, and we sometimes endure dark nights. The Bible gives us a wonderful story for such times, one of Scripture’s favorite and most vivid accounts.

Do you ever feel that life is one challenge after another? Perhaps you are one of thousands who struggles to keep your home, feed your family, or stay employed. Or maybe your battle involves your health, your marriage, or a rebellious child. Whatever form it takes, hardship comes to every life sooner or later. You and I live in a fallen world. Even…

Just after World War II, a Methodist leader in London named William Sangster contracted a disease that gradually paralyzed him. Eventually even his vocal cords were paralyzed. On Easter Sunday—his last Easter on earth—his daughter came to visit. Using stiffened fingers, he scribbled a message: “How terrible to wake up on Easter and have no voice wi…

In the book of Proverbs—we find God’s wisdom in small doses. A great number of these deal with our words. Many of our problems in life occur because we say the wrong thing, or we say it at the wrong time, or we say it in the wrong way. A 20-second tirade can damage a twenty-year career, a twenty-year marriage, or twenty years of reputation. As he w…

We are going to discover Paul’s four secrets for maintaining your joy in spite of adverse circumstances, difficult people, and insurmountable loss. Joy is not a feeling, it is a choice a choice to be grateful for God’s blessings, a choice to be confident in God’s plan, a choice to connect yourself to other Christians in a church, and a choice to li…

When we board an airliner, we’re asked to show a photo ID. For security reasons, the airlines don’t take us at our word. They want proof that we’re who we claim to be. Jesus’ critics demanded proof of His identity, thus He showed them His “photo ID.” He told them His portrait was on every page of the Old Testament. “If you believed Moses, you would…

Why are we not winning more of our friends, relatives, and associates to Christ? Why are we not better witnesses? According to surveys by George Barna, only about half (53 percent) of born again Christians feel a sense of responsibility to tell others about their faith. In other words, nearly half of us don’t think it’s our personal responsibility …

U. S. News and World Report said “In the United States, 27 million adults and 7.5 million children have a diagnosable mental disorder—more than the combined number of people with cancer, heart disease, and lung disorders.” For many, that mental disorder is anxiety, worry. The man in today’s story was in the grips of an understandable anxiety attack…

Good Friday Service from March 25, 2016.

Who sets the pace of your life as you follow Christ? Do you obey Him only when life is acceptable to you? Do you obey when it’s convenient? Do you ever reconsider whether you want to follow Him? Jesus warns us against this, so what is the Cost of Discipleship.

Someone suggested the top ten lies told in America: 10) Your table will be ready in a minute. 9) One size fits all. 8) This will hurt me more than it hurts you. 7) I’m sorry I’m late; I got stuck in traffic. 6) The check is in the mail. 5) This offer is limited to the first 50 callers. 4) It’s not the money; it’s the principle of the thing. 3) I ne…

Is your life in constant motion, moving from place to place, from school to school, or from career to career? Or do you realize that God is at work in you, changing you through these circumstances? As we observe Jacob’s journey, we see not only a geographic journey, but a journey from Jacob to Israel—a pilgrimage from selfishness to God-centerednes…

Failure Is Not Fatal if – We Recognize that Everyone Fails! We Remember that God’s Love and Forgiveness Is not Dependent On Our Success! We Learn and Grow From Our Failures! We Put Our Failures Behind Us and Go On!

Have you ever felt like throwing in the towel and quitting? Have you ever come to the end of your rope? Are you there now, ready to give up? In 2 Kings chapter 4, we find a scene of misery, impoverishment, and despair. As the story progresses, however, this widow finds hope and a way out of a hopeless situation. Whether you are facing the death of …

From the ashes of Saul’s old life arose the noblest and most useful man of God the church has ever known. God not only transformed Saul’s life but used him in the transformation of countless others. Every believer should follow Saul’s example in discovering and obeying God’s call on his or her life. Not all of us are called to be preachers or missi…

Paul’s favorite name for believers was brethren. He used it at least sixty times in his letters; and in the two Thessalonian Epistles, he used it twenty-seven times. Paul saw the local church as a family. Each member was born again by the Spirit of God and possessed God’s nature (1 Peter 1:22–25; 2 Peter 1:3–4). They all were part of God’s family. …

Discouragement is an occupational hazard of living today. Its easy to become down in the dumps, stuck in the blues, carrying the weight of the world, cast down. The wind goes out of our sails, it rains on our parade, and our bubble bursts. One of the best ways to overcome discouragement is to focus on others. Who can you encourage this week?…

Anyone who has children knows what partial obedience is. We can send our children to clean their rooms and they come out after a couple of minutes and say it’s all done. When we check, we find they’ve taken all the toys off the floor and thrown them into the closet; and that’s their idea of cleaning. The Lord gives us commands to obey. We think tha…

When you look at little babies, you could almost get the idea that being a mother is the easiest, happiest, most exciting job in the world. The truth is—being a mother may be the most demanding, self-sacrificing, draining, unrelenting, and thankless job in the world. No one can deny the joys that motherhood brings to a woman. But there are a lot of…

Recorded October 23, 2016 in Ware, Massachusetts at Ware Community Church Story of Elijah at a low point in his life and how the Lord met Him at his point of need. Not with condemnation or judgment as most view the God of the Old Testament but with a question? Listen to a story of how God met Elijah when he was down and doubting and how God lifted …