Last Sunday on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 we talked about how to respond to evil and suffering. As Jesus hung on the cross experiencing the equivalency of hell for us he cried out, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” It is not wrong for us to ask why when we are confronted by evil. But the question that enabled Jesus to endure the cross was not why but what.

In Hebrews 12:2 it says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”(NIV) The question that gave Jesus peace, strength and hope on the cross was the question, “To what end is God working here?” Likewise, when we find ourselves confronted by evil and suffering it is best to concentrate on the question, “God, to what end are you wanting to work this situation out for your glory and for my good?” Listening for God’s answer to this question is where the peace to endure is found.

Last Sunday we talked about ideas for growing with Jesus between now and next summer. One of the most challenging parts of this growth process is learning to live with an ongoing awareness of God and his presence. Here’s some things that I’ve been learning and attempting to implement to help me grow in this way. First, I try to follow the example of the psalmist when he writes, “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”(5:3)

Try starting each day by praying something like, “Good Morning God, I’m so glad I don’t have to face this new day alone. I’m grateful You love me and will be with me throughout the day. I’m glad you’re a strong, capable God and that You’re going to help me handle whatever life throws at me today.” Then talk with God for a few minutes about what’s on your schedule that day. Take five minutes and concentrate on a little section of Scripture before beginning your work.

As you start your work tell yourself, “I’m going to keep my dialogue with God going while I work because He’s here with me.” As you do this you will find yourself building an awareness of God into your life. Then, when it’s dinner time pause to pray and read a couple verses of Scripture with your family. You can still watch TV and do the other things you like to do in the evening, but take a moment first to connect with God.

Then, when you come to the end of your day thank God for being with you throughout the day. Pause to recognize that you did the day with God, that you were aware of His presence and that you had this ongoing dialogue going on with Him. This is where the faith adventure of following Jesus and growing with Him happens. Happy growing!

Last Sunday we talked about how key groups are in following Christ with full devotion. In John chapter 6 we read about a time in Jesus’ ministry where he challenges the crowd that had been following him to surrender themselves fully over to him. It’s an aggressive, difficult message. Afterward, many turn away and no longer follow him. Jesus asks his group of twelve if they want to leave him too. Peter speaks for group and says, “Lord, we’re not going anywhere. You have the words of eternal life.”

When it feels like everybody is walking out on you and abandoning you, that’s when you want to be able to turn to your group and hear them say, “We’re not going anywhere, we’re in this together.” We’re commanded in Galatians 6:2 to “share each other’s troubles and problems.” Being there for one other in the painful moments of life to bear each other’s burdens is an irreplaceable experience in becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus.

I hope you’re in a group. If not, we’ve got dozens of them getting started over the next couple of weeks. Our fall semester for groups runs from mid September to mid December. Join in as we support and guide each other toward full devotion to Christ.

In 1 Chronicles 29:11 we find these words, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.”(NLT) This verse reminds us that God is the owner of all things and therefore has control ultimately over everything.

At the root of a complaining spirit is a refusal to trust in God’s authority and goodness. A complaining spirit says, “Either God does not have my best interest at heart or he is not really in control. I’m going to be bitter and angry about what has happened to me because I don’t think God knows what he’s doing in allowing this to occur.”

Joseph had an incredibly persistent faith in God’s authority and goodness. He waited year after year after year and nothing seemed to go right. But even when he didn’t understand he choose to trust God. He could have said, “Where did my dream get me? Into slavery. Where did my integrity get me? Into prison. Where did my helping others get me? No where. But instead of complaining and grumbling, he fulfilled his responsibilities as best he could while maintaining his integrity. And, we see him trusting in God’s authority. By his actions Joseph says, “I believe God has a plan for my life, a good plan. And, I am going to continue to believe that he is ultimately in control.”  Don’t complain, instead trust that God is both good and sovereign.

In 2 Timothy 4 Paul writes these words, “At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.”(4:16,17) Paul says, “There was no one there for me when I most needed someone.” In this instance not even his closest friends came through for him. But then he says, “That’s okay, I got through it because God stood by me. God came through for me giving me the strength I needed.”

Paul shows his maturity here by saying, “May it not be held against them.” How could he say that? He could say it because he had learned that even though he wanted his closest earthly friends standing beside him in this difficult time, he didn’t have to have them there to survive. Through these types of experiences Paul had discovered that he could count on God to show up and meet his deepest needs for strength and support. This is the wonderful hope that walking by faith provides when the focus of our faith is the God of hope.

When it comes to pursuing significance often in my life the problem is not knowing what to do but staying motivated. In those times I’ve found verses like Romans 12:1 to be real helpful. Paul writes, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.” Paul says, in view of God’s grace in your life, in view of Christ’s blood-stained cross, in view of the fact that God has made a way for you to be a part of his family forever, present your body as a living sacrifice.

People who have a long track record of significance have been able to stay the course because of the motivation provided by the indescribable mercy of God. The ultimate thing that fuels them is not how good it makes them feel when they serve God, although it does feel good to serve. Their ultimate motivation is not the affirmation and appreciation of others, though that feels good too. The ultimate motivation for people who live lives of service and significance comes from their sensitivity to the overwhelming grace and goodness God has shown them, it’s a very personal thing.

Life-long servants live each day with the kind of awareness that the psalmist expresses when he writes, “How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?” (Psalm 116:12)

When it comes to breaking free from something that has you in its grip the first and often most difficult step is to honestly and humbly admit that you need help. What is the word for when you’ve got a problem that you can’t control but you won’t admit it? It’s D-E-N-I-A-L. Denial is when your spending is out of control or you’re obsessed with your work. Denial is when you’re using food, alcohol, drugs or sex to try and cope with life. And instead of admitting it we say, “I’m fine, I can break this habit whenever I want. I can control this, I can stop any time.”

Often the only anecdote for denial is pain. You finally reach a point where you lose something or you’re about to lose something that you’re not prepared to live without. It’s the arrest for driving under the influence. It’s the threat of divorce or bankruptcy. The pain becomes so overwhelming that it finally eats through your denial.

There’s a time in King David’s life when he was trying to convince himself that he didn’t have a problem. In Psalm 32:3 he writes, “There was a time when I wouldn’t admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration.”(TLB)  This type of pain has been the tool God has used to humble me and many others at different times. When necessary He uses pain to get us to face up to out-of-control behavior and attitudes.

Have you reached a point where you’re willing to admit that you can’t break free from something in your own strength? James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”(NIV) When it comes to breaking free, honesty, humility and hope are inseparable.

When life gets discouraging many of us are tempted to isolate ourselves, I know that’s true about me. Don’t do it. In Galatians 6:2 we are told to “carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  The “law of Christ” is the command Jesus gave us to love one another as he has first loved us. When you feel discouraged you will probably never desire community less, and you will never need community more.

People who live with a strong sense of community are less vulnerable to lose their hope when troubles and problems come along. If you are not connected to a group of believers I challenge you to get connected as soon as you can. You were made for community and the time to develop friendships is before discouragement strikes so that you’re ready when it comes. If you want to live a hope-filled, optimistic life you’re going to need to connect yourself with a group of people who love Jesus and as result will also be eager to love you.

In John 16:24 Jesus says, “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” One of the reasons God invites you to pray to him is so that your joy will be complete. God wants you to pray because he wants you to be happy. I love to grant the requests of my children. Even if I know they don’t need something I still like to give it to them if I can and if it won’t harm them.

When you pray everyone gets blessed. God gets blessed because it gives him the opportunity to show his nature as a giver. You get blessed because you get an answer to your prayer from a God who is wise, loving and powerful. And the world gets blessed because now you’ve got a testimony. One of the great things about answered prayer is, now we have something that we can share with others that encourages them to pray and grow in their faith.

Corrie Ten Boom once asked, “Is prayer your spare tire or your steering wheel?” How would you answer that question?

Last Sunday we talked about how the foundation of hope is found in embracing the kingdom of God right here and right now. This is the Good News that Jesus brought with him from heaven to earth. The kingdom of God is the realm in which whatever God wants done is done. Of course we will not experience the kingdom of God in all its fullness until we reach heaven. But listen to how Jesus taught us to pray while still here on earth, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Mt.6:9-10)

Jesus’ message is about the reality of God’s kingdom and how this kingdom is now available for human beings to experience. In Matthew chapter 13 Jesus describes God’s kingdom as being like treasure hidden in a field. About this treasure Jesus said, “When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”(v.44)  Imagine that you discover gold or oil on some property for sale and no one else knows about it. Can you see yourself being all sad and down because you’ll have to gather up all of your resources and sacrifice them in order to buy this property? Hardly, you’d be ecstatic! This is what it’s like to choose Christ and then seek his will and kingdom each day.