Viewing entries tagged
courage
A religious leader named Joseph watched Jesus from a distance and secretly trusted in Him. But it wasn’t until he saw Jesus on the cross that he found the courage to follow Him. This message looks at how the events of Good Friday can change us if we let them.
Mark 15: 42-47
When God feels absent in our trials, we face different kinds of temptations. Anger, doubt, and despair come easily to us. This message looks at how to deal with the silence of God and why we can trust Him when it feels like He’s not there.
We live at a time when Christianity is facing increasing criticism and dissenting from our culture’s values brings consequences. Stephen’s martyrdom provides principles that dispel the myths that we have about how to cope when opposition looms.
Do you ever feel discouraged from starting something because you fear you won’t be able to finish it? Do you worry that you’re not faithful enough or strong enough to deal with the trials and temptations that may come? The vision of the sealed in Revelation 7 was given to provide you courage and hope when times are tough.
We all have times in our lives when we feel like we don’t measure up. In the life of Solomon, he realized as a young king that the shoes of his father David were just too big to fill on his own. This message looks at what we need to do in these moments, the importance of humility before God, and what true wisdom looks like when it is applied.
The words we leave our children have a profound influence on what they believe and how they will live. And yet we often spend too little time reflecting on those words or choosing them wisely. This message looks at David’s final words to his son Solomon and what we can learn from them to better impact those who will come after us.
1 Kings 2:1-12 // [outline]
Many people wonder about Jesus’ death. ‘Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,’ people say. ‘Maybe Jesus wasn’t as innocent as Christians like to suggest. Understanding why Jesus was crucified is crucial to understanding the message of Good Friday. It teaches us something about ourselves. And it teaches us something about Jesus. Join us for a reflection on His death and what it means for us today.
There’s so much in this world that can discourage us. We long to make a difference but struggle to understand how. This message looks at Philip’s encounter with an Ethiopian eunuch and shows us how God can use you as a force for good in our world today.
We imagine ourselves to be rational people who take precautions in responding to warnings, but the Bible makes it clear that there are many things that keep us from the truth. This message looks at the last days before the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem and the reasons people ignored the warnings and the courage one man showed in responding to them.
We need courage for many things in life, but perhaps nowhere more than in the area of parenting. It takes courage to trust God’s wisdom for our children, especially when others are steering us in other directions. But it’s that wisdom that can lead them into a life of blessing.
Most of us have things we would like to accomplish but find ourselves held back by fear. But God is at work in our lives to move us to trust Him and follow where He leads. As we lay hold of His promises and trust in His victory, we find the courage to step out in confidence.
So often we pursue public victories, but they seldom come before we face our private battles. God’s grace gives us the courage to face our demons and deal with issues that would otherwise keep us from effectiveness.
Judges 6:25-32 // [outline]
When we experience a series of losses and things don’t seem to go our way, it’s easy for self-pity to take over. But an encounter with God can move us to hope and courage as we see what is possible with God’s strength working despite our weakness.
Judges 6:11-24 // [outline]
The church has often been criticized for hypocrisy. But surely no one’s immune from having their life fall short of their words. This message looks at the help God gives to deal with our blind spots and resist hypocrisy.
