Thank you for taking the time to view some of our Bible Lessons!  Below is a sampling of the teaching that is provided during our Worship Services and Bible Studies.  All lessons are Bible-based and are designed to edify and strengthen your Christian walk.

THE POWER TO FORGIVE

In the last few months, I’ve been focusing an extraordinary amount of attention on spiritual growth.  My sermons have detailed how we should grow, how we should walk, and other “formulas” that will take us to a place of spiritual wholeness in Christ.  They have also contained messages on pushing past hurts and other negatives that hinder us from going forward, and reaching for spiritual success and forgiveness.  In this month’s article, I wanted to give more authority to the power of forgiveness by explaining how freeing it can be. 

Let’s face it—Everyone at some point or another has been hurt by someone else.  Whether it be a hurtful words to your face, nasty gossip behind your back, embarrassment (intentional or unintentional), the breakup of a marriage or another close-type relationship, unfair treatment at the hands of others, painful experiences from your childhood or past, etc.—it all hurts.  What we do with that hurt; however, will determine how successful we become in living life.

Unfortunately, many people choose to allow their flesh to take over and let negative experiences be a springboard to hatred and bitterness, and a whole lot of things that prolong their hurting experience.  My wife shared a quote with me recently from a book she was reading on spiritual greatness that said, “hurting people hurt other people.”  That saying is profound because it really makes sense and we should help hurting people become loving people.  People who are happy usually don’t go around looking for opportunities to cause unhappiness and turmoil.  They are usually the first to help things get right when it looks like it may be going off track so that everyone can remain happy.  On the flip side of that, unforgiving and embittered people just can’t seem to let go of that “thing” that bothers them; therefore, they continue to hurt because “misery loves company.”  Hurting people usually are miserable and it continually shows.

My advice to the hurting is to “let it go!” and forgive.  As simple as that sounds, it can be done just that simply with a made up mind to push past your pain.  Unforgiveness is the biggest hindrance in moving forward!  Continuing as a negative vessel will slowly kill you spiritually and naturally, so “Choose Life!” and give your all to the Lord.  God has a purpose for you and the enemy is trying to choke it out.  Be smart enough to recognize this and turn your ways back to God.  Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit to help you get back on track.  Pray Psalms 51:10 and ask the Lord to create in you a clean heart and a right spirit.  God is faithful and just and can do just what He says.

Even if you aren’t hurting and you’re walking in a place of righteousness in this area, you still have a responsibility to love those who are hurting.  Not necessarily to tolerate their negativity, but to respond to them in Godly love.  This is how the hurting are directed to the Ultimate Healer, Jesus Christ, who will help them get to a place of wholeness.  Jesus commanded that we should, “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you” (Matthew 5:44).  Those are some hard things to do in your flesh, but in the Spirit it can be done.  If we all followed these principles, the world would be a better place.  Remember: Happiness and forgiveness belongs to you.  It is within your power to live abundantly blessed!

GIVING OUR ALL FOR GOD 

In Proverbs 21:2, it states: “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.”  What would God see if He saw our hearts today?  Would he see a people walking in His word and striving to be without spot or wrinkle, or would he see a person making excuses for his or her actions, in the name of the Lord.  My message this month is simple: Let us not become content with just being saved and getting our weekly doses of God and going back to status quo after Sunday and Wednesday, but let us do Philippians 3:14 and “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

In order to be effective Christians, we must decrease to self (flesh) daily, pray always, lift each other up, live peaceably with all men, and love one another, all the while having our hearts filled with love, compassion, kindness, peace, forgiveness, and truth.  By being saved and in the church, each year we ought to be better people and have fruit to show for it.  The Holy Spirit should be operating in our lives and guiding our every move. 

Although we are a young church, I want this church to be fully matured in the things of the Spirit and completely operating in a manner that pleases God.  Don’t get it confused--it’s all about Jesus; therefore, youth is not an excuse to straddle the fence.  It’s time to sell out for the Lord and go deeper church.  God did not call us just to make sure these four walls are filled each Sunday.  We can’t become content with being “Church Christians” but we have to be soldiers on the battlefield for our Lord! There’s a great work to do to reach those who are lost and need the message of salvation.

Let us pray like never before and do the work of the Lord like never before.  Let’s do all we can to build the kingdom of God and make Restoration & Praise a holy place of refuge for the lost; that beacon of light that shines out in the midst of darkness!