Introduction
 I remember, with much embarrassment, when I was a young child, I would dress up and pretend I was one of the members in the rock group ‘Kiss’.  I used to paint my face (like the members of the band did), set up a miniature stage in the family dining room, get out my guitar (a Wilson tennis racket) and spend hours in front of the record player and speakers pretending I playing to thousands of screaming fans in my house. 
 
I didn’t realize it at the time that I was playing a hypocrite at such a young age.  The Greek word for Hypocrite, in ancient Grecian times, meant an interpreter from underneath and referred to actors or stage players.  Hypocrites weremen in plays who acted a part or pretended to be someone they were not.  They were counterfeit, and men who assumed and spoke and acted under a feigned character, usually by disguising themselves by wearing a mask.  Over the centuries this word has been used to describe people who acted morally upright, pious, and good on the outside but were just the opposite.  
  
I’m sure many, if not all of you, have heard someone say, “Christians are a bunch of hypocrites!”  Maybe you havebeen called one yourself.  I remember vividly in Junior College hearing that all the time.  As a Christian in a secular college, I would hear this phrase from students with cigarettes hanging out of their mouths and belching out secondhand smoke into the while wearing a Take Care of Mother Earth...Stop Pollution T-shirt (talk about hypocrisy) .  
 
In the many conversations I had with people I would never deny that Christianity was full of hypocrites and hypocrisy.  I would respond, “Yes, there are a bunch of hypocrites in Christianity, but many of us acknowledge it and try to do something to make this change.”   I would also hear some Christians become defensive by responding, “Well the whole world is also full of hypocrites, not just Christians.”  This is true, but this truth does not justify or give us the license to be hypocrites as well.  The Christian attitude should never be since the world is full of hypocrites so I can be one as well.  No, our attitude should be one of genuiness, authenticity, and uprightness.  We should strive to live as people who breaks the cycle of hypocrisy in Christianity and live by the power of the Spirit an authentic Christian life.  
 
Matthew 23:13 – 36
 
Jesus uses the word hypocrite seven times in this passage and not once does he use the word in a positive manner, nor does He anywhere else in the Gospels.  Jesus used the word “hypocrite” to describe the inconsistent and sinful lifestyles of the religious leaders of His time.  In this passage Jesus says, “Do not listen to these leaders and whatever you do, do not do as they do.”  This is a harsh and bold statement made against the leaders of his time and as you can guess was not received so well by the leaders.  In verses 25 - 28 Jesus compares the Pharisee’s to a cup and a bowl that are clean on the outside and filthy on the inside.  These leaders acted religious, pious, and said the right words in public but inside they were sinful, decrepit, and dead.  They had no relationship with God, and they didn’t intend on having one. Pharisee was their “job” it was not their calling.  

Unfortunately, in the past 2,000 years things have not changed much.  Christians and the Church are still battling hypocrisy in their midst. This should not be the case.  Jesus calls his followers to a different life.  He calls us to a life of authenticity and not hypocrisy.  I believe one of the ways we can start to live authentic lives is by identifying the areas where we are failing in our hypocrisy.  I have identified Five ways the church practices hypocrisy, and by identifying these practices we can commit to reversing this downward trend and start being genuine followers of Jesus Christ.
 
5 Ways the Church Practices Hypocrisy

1. Being only hearers of the Word and not doers
   1. James warns in his Epistle that it is not enough to only know the Word of God we must put it into practice. Can you imagine what Christianity would look like if we would practice loving God, loving others, and making disciples instead of just talking about it? Our failure to practice what we preach is unfortunately one of the biggest reasons why Christians are known as hypocrites. If we only preached about forgiveness, judgmentalism, and love and not practice them then we would be one sorry bunch of followers of Jesus.  Unfortunately, this is a common practice. God didn’t speak to Moses and the Prophets to write down His Words so we could have a nice book of rules to read and learn from intellectually. Jesus did not come to the so we could reflect on his wisdom and tell people how they should live all the while not living the way the word tells us. 

No!   says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Do you hear those words? The Bible is LIVING and it is ACTIVE. The Bible we read, love, and know is intended to be lived out.
The NET Bible translates  “But the one who peers into the perfect law of liberty and fixes his attention there, and does not become a forgetful listener but one who lives it out – he will be blessed in what he does.” I love how it reads… “The one who peers… and fixes his attention… does not become a forgetful listener BUT one who lives it out.” I believe this is precisely what God desires from his followers. The one who hears the Word of God, applies it to his life and lives his life according to it will be blessed in all he does.

1. Always doing and never being
   1. On the other hand, many Christians put much of their hope and holiness in what they do.  There are many who devote their whole lives to doing good deeds, going to church regularly, and living a moralistic lifestyle but have zero commitment to Jesus.  
   2. They may believe they are committed to Jesus because they are always doing good things, but they have never become a committed follower of Jesus Christ.  
   3. Mary and Martha.  One sister was busy doing (cleaning, preparing, cooking), while the other was being (sitting at the feet of the savior worshiping).  We are called to be doers of the Word, but our doing is a result of our being.  When we are fully committed believers in Jesus Christ, we will first put our energy and efforts into being a person of Christ and this will ultimately affect and/or dictate what we do in response.
2. Preaching love and mercy and not showing it
   1. One of Jesus’ primary messages was love…  John 13:35… He says that in loving each other with a sacrificial and self-less love people will know you belong to Him
   2. Ironic that one of the characteristics the world identifies Christians with is their animosity, anger, and hatred.
   3. We have become known for what we are against and not who we are for.
   4. 1 John 4:19 - We love because first loved us.

 

1. Judging others while teaching not to judge others
   1. Harry Talked about judgmentalism last week
   2. Church should be safe place for people to not feel judged.
   3. We are all sinners
   4. Should not tolerate sin but shouldn’t condemn because of sin.
   5. Only God has the right judge

 

1. Changing theological convictions to fit our political convictions
   1. We are Christians first and foremost.
   2. Our political convictions should never define our theological position.
   3. Our theological or Biblical positions should determine our political positions.
   4. Jesus was neither democrat nor republican… He was not American.
   5. We treat all people with respect and dignity no matter what their political position, social status, race, ethnicity, etc.  

 
Christians all over the world today are sitting in their pews and standing behind the pulpits with a nice smile face and an “everything is alright” look to them.  When on the inside they are festering with anger, jealousy, pride, lust etc.  They have on, what I like to call, their Church face.   What God wants from us is to come into His presence with our true faces on no matter what is going on in our lives.  We must bring our problems and burdens in with us and leave them at the altar so we may leave the building free from our bondage or weakness.     
 
Conclusion
 
Now is the time to check your own heart.  Do you feel like a cup or bowl that is clean on the outside, but dirty on the inside?  Do you feel as though you are living a life of hypocrisy?  I know I do sometimes.  I put my Church face on and act as though everything is just great!  But in fact, it is not.    
 
How can we live an authentic, genuine Christian life?  We need to be honest with God and with ourselves.  Nobody has his life completely together.  This is the truth plain and simple.  We all need help, and our help comes from God.  Psalms 33:20 states, “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.”  It’s time to get real with God.  Quit living the life of a hypocrite and start living out your faith as an authentic Christian.
            
 
 

 
Introduction
According to Thom Rainer, Founder and CEO of  Church answers, these are 25 Things Church Members Fight Over.

1. Argument over the appropriate length of the worship pastor’s beard
2. Fight over whether or not to build a children’s playground or to use the land for a cemetery.
3. A deacon accusing another deacon of sending an anonymous letter, and deciding to settle the matter in the parking lot.
4. A church dispute of whether or not to install restroom stall dividers in the women’s restroom 
5. A church argument and vote to decide if a clock in the worship center should be removed 
6. A 45-minute heated argument over the type of filing cabinet to purchase: black or brown; 2, 3, or 4 drawers 
7. A fight over which picture of Jesus to put in the foyer 
8. A petition to have all church staff clean shaven 
9. A dispute over whether the worship leader should have his shoes on during the service.
10. A big church argument over the discovery that the church budget was off $0.10. Someone finally gave a dime to settle the issue.
11. A dispute in the church because the Lord’s Supper had cran/grape juice instead of grape juice.
12. Business meeting arguments about whether the church should purchase a weed eater or not. It took two business meetings to resolve.
13. Arguments over what type of green beans the church should serve 
14. Two different churches reported fights over the type of coffee. In one of the churches, they moved from Folgers to a stronger Starbucks brand. In the other church, they simply moved to a stronger blend. Members left the church in the latter example.
15. Major conflict when the youth borrowed a crockpot that had not been used for years.
16. An argument on whether the church should allow deviled eggs at the church meal.
17. An argument over who has the authority to buy postage stamps for the church.
18. A disagreement over using the term “potluck” instead of “pot blessing”
19.  because she brought vanilla syrup to the coffee server. It looked too much like liquor. 
20. An argument in church over who has access to the copy machine.
21. Some church members left the church because one church member hid the vacuum cleaner from them. It resulted in a major fight and split.
22. An argument over whether to have gluten-free communion bread or not.
23. A dispute over whether the church should allow people to wear black t-shirts, since black is the color of the devil.
24. A fight over whether or not to sing “Happy Birthday” each week.
25. An argument over whether the fake, dusty plants should be removed from the podium.

No matter how ridiculous these may seem, there is truth behind them.  Church splits and divisions are, unfortunately, far too common today and have been throughout history.  Some of them are for good and legitimate reasons and some are not.  I personally know of churches that have split over buildings, location, music, leadership, and stubbornness.  I know of one church that split that ended with two churches forming and, in the process, both churches divided everything in half… Each church received EXACTLY half the chairs, desks, office staff, and other assets.  
However, there are some appropriate reasons for church splits (i.e., heresy, unresolved sin issues of the pastor or leadership, a denomination is not holding to biblical truths, and so on).  One thing for sure is, church splits or even inner church conflicts end in a healthy manner, they are almost like a divorce.  
 
James 4:1 - 3
 
Quarrels and Fights
Verses 1- 3:  There were struggles in this church community, there were people sowing discord among the congregations.  They were starting fights and causing divisions for their selfish reasons without concern for how many congregants they hurt in the process.  This was a problem, so James addresses the topic, and he asks the question, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?”  Unhealthy disunity, conflict, or division, especially in a church, is almost always birthed out of selfish desire and disregard for others.  Just look at some churches and ministries today, there are conflicts and division over all kinds of issues, but I find it ironic that one of the most common causes for strife in the church is due to the styles of music played for worship.  Congregations argue, fight, and split over something that is designed to draw believers together and into the presence of God.  Some churches divide over communion, placement of the pulpit, or even if there should be a pulpit at all?  
 
Douglas Moo writes, “The seventeenth-century Jewish philosopher Spinoza observed: ‘I have often wondered that persons make boast of professing the Christian religion – namely love, joy, peace, temperance, and charity to all men – should quarrel with such rancorous animosity and display daily towards one another such bitter hatred, that this, rather than the virtues which they profess, is the readiest criteria of their faith.’  Some battles to be sure, need to be fought.  But even they must be fought without sacrificing Christian principles and virtues.”[1]
 
The source of these quarrels comes from one place… The selfish desires that war within us.  Maybe the individuals James was writing to felt justified in their fights?  Maybe they thought they were noble in their efforts or zeal for something to happen or for change but apparently, they were not honoring God.  
 
Now, in the second verse James expands on the nature of these sinful desires and he uses some strong language to describe their actions like envy, kill, and covet. It is uncertain as to whether these people were killing one another out of selfish desire (which isn’t entirely improbable) but we can safely assume that he is using an analogy as he described a person as a murderer or as one who hates his/her brother or sister in Christ.  A person who holds animosity in his heart towards another is just as guilty as the person who commits murder.  This is most likely what James is suggesting.  
 
All this arguing essentially is fruitless because as they are seeking God’s counsel in all of this they are asking with wrong motives.  They were not seeking God’s will, instead they were seeking God to bless what they were doing.  They were asking for God’s stamp of approval on their selfish motives.
 
The Problem: Frenemies
Verse 4 – 10: “You adulterous people!”  Some versions say, “Adulteresses!”  These are strong words, and they have deep implications for the body of Christ.  If you recall up to this point James has referred to this group, he is writing with affection by calling them “brothers” and “my dear brothers”.  Now he speaks harshly to them because in all their escapades of warring and fighting with each other they are acting like the rest of the Godless world around them. 
Christians and especially the Church, are called to be unique from the world because of our love towards one another.  Instead of loving one another they are embracing the world’s ways of doing things thus committing spiritual adultery with the world.  Spiritual adultery always ends with those involved in an adulterous affair with the world becoming an enemy of God.  Being an enemy of God not only shows God’s hostility toward someone but also shows hostility of someone towards God.  
 
 The recipients of this letter have been living worldly lives up to this point.  They have been showing partiality to the rich, neglecting the poor, speaking negatively to others, and starting fights in the body to fulfill their selfish desires.  When the church start living as the world lives we are showing where our allegiance truly lies and God will not take a backseat to anything.  
 
In verse 5 James cites a portion of Scripture that is not known to be a verse in the Bible.  According to theologian D.A. Carson, (James) must either be citing the general sense of Scripture, or else a book he knows about, but which is now lost.[2]  This is a particularly difficult passage to translate and understand because it could have two possible ways of reading it.  In a nutshell, one reading (the NIV) may refer to the human spirit and its tendency to be envious, which is true.  However, the second way of looking at it (the ESV) seems to refer to God’s jealousy for his people.  God has given each of us a spirit and he jealously longs for our pure worship in return.
 
The Solution: Repentance
God is always willing to give grace to those who humble themselves before him, but He is opposes those who are prideful and self-dependent.  God will pour out as much grace needed to those who humble themselves and submit to Him.  This is called repentance, and repentance is what James calls his readers to do and it is what God desires from us.  

1. “Submit yourselves therefore to God.”  Submission is the first humble act of repentance; it is acknowledgement that we are dependent on Jesus.   The act of submission consists of a person humbling himself and resigning to or yielding to someone else.  As believers we must acknowledge and believe that we are not in control… God is.  The sooner we submit ourselves fully to God the sooner we will see that when we do, things are on the way to how they should be. However, submission can be difficult because we are putting aside our pride of self-dependence and giving control of our lives over to God and we don’t like to to do this because we like to think that we are in control.  
   
2. James says, “resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  This can only be done in the power of the Spirit and in complete submission to God.  In repentance, it is not enough to just say, “I am done sinning now let’s move one.”  Repentance means stopping what you are doing and then doing the complete opposite.  Resistance is key and it is ongoing.  Just as taming the tongue cannot be done by humans alone, resisting sin and the desires of the flesh cannot be done by human will alone.  We need the power of the Spirit dwelling in and through us to resist.  
3. Lastly, James says, “draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”  Godliness is not attained by association.  Hanging around godly people does not make one godly.  Once we have submitted to God, allow the Spirit to dwell in us so we can resist sin, desire, and temptation; we can then draw near to God, and when we do this He will draw near to us.  What does draw near to God look like?  There is no standard formula or mold to help us draw near to him; there is however a surefire way to drawing near and that is through submission, allowing the Spirit to dwell in and through us, and through continual communication (i.e., prayer, reading the Bible, Christian fellowship, church, etc.). 

 
When we follow the words of James, we see that fellowship or friendship can be restored between a person and God.  We must note that this portion of scripture is not a method for salvation because some key components are missing (i.e., faith in Jesus and public confession of sins) this is intended for restoring fellowship with God.
 
Skipping down to verse 10 James returns to the act of humbling oneself before God.  When we recognize our spiritual deficiency without God is when we truly can stand in humility before Him.  When we can stand humbly before God in spiritual poverty then and only then will God lift us up and exalt us thus victorious Christian living.
            
Conclusion
There is a lot packed into these 10 verses and I have merely scratched the surface, but these are very practical applications to us in these modern (or post-modern) times.  We know that church fights, splits, and disunity happen.  It has happened since the beginning of the Church age.  Unfortunately, it will continue throughout time.  However, we have the key right in front of us in knowing how to avoid disunity happening in our midst.  It is important for us as a church to seek unity in Christ together, to not be divisive in our words, slanderous in our talk, and not be hypocritical in our worship.  We should not seek friendship with the world, instead we should be single-minded in our devotion to God.  We must submit to Him and his will (not our selfish desires), be Spirit-driven so we can resist the devil in his attacks, draw near to God in our time of worship and in our private times with Him and then be humble before the Great and Mighty King knowing our place before him.  In doing this He will lift us up and bless us both individually and as a congregation.


[1] Moo, p. 181

[2] Carson, D. A. (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed.) (Jas 4:1–10). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press.

 
Introduction
According to an old story, St. Francis of Assisi longed to see his brothers. They agreed to meet in a remote monastery in the Umbrian mountains of central Italy. After arriving and enjoying their reunion, each reported what he had experienced on the road.
 
One Franciscan brother who had traveled on muleback said: “God protected me in a miraculous way. When I was crossing a narrow bridge over a deep mountain gorge, the mule jumped. I fell and narrowly escaped falling over the wall of the bridge into the gorge. God by his love saved my life.”
 
A second brother said: “I had to cross a river and I slipped and fell. The waters carried me down the river. But God in his grace provided a tree which had fallen across the river. I could grasp a branch of that tree and pull myself ashore, thanks to God’s miraculous mercy.”
 
Then St. Francis said: “Let us thank God for his wonderful works. I did experience the greatest miracle of all on my way. I had the smoothest, most pleasant, completely uneventful trip.”[1]
 
How often do we take for granted the small blessings that God bestows upon us and neglect to give him proper credit, praise, and thanksgiving for these blessings?  When was the last time that you thanked God for the air you breathe, the ability to talk, or showing his grace by giving you another day on this earth?  I am guilty of this neglect.  God has blessed us abundantly and I believe it is important to choose to live our lives with an attitude of gratitude.  
 
We are continuing in our series titled Respectable Sins.  The sermon topics are based around sins that many would not consider the “BIG” sins or even the ones that even though we may feel as though yes, they are sins but not really ones that are all that bad.  God certainly will turn a blind eye to these sins… right?  Two weeks ago, Cooper Wyatt spoke about Anxiety, last week Harry talked about loyalty and disloyalty, and today I want to talk about unthankfulness.  However, I am approaching today’s topic a little differently, instead of looking at what the sin of unthankfulness looks like, I desire to talk more about what true thankfulness looks like.
 
A few years ago, when we lived in Spring Valley, Wisconsin, we had a wall in our house that was painted with black chalkboard paint and often each family member would write something they thankful for every day.  This was a great way to reflect on the big and small blessings God gave to us regularly.  It helped me keep in perspective that my family and I have so much to be thankful for.  I loved reading what my wife and kids were thankful for (sometimes it was silly like “I am thankful for pickles” or other times it was thanking God for providing for us during a particularly difficult time in life.  I also I loved taking the time to reflect on the things that I am thankful for as well.  Giving thanks is something that Christians should do often because we have a God who has blessed us abundantly.
 
Psalm 138 (original intent)
The Psalms are filled with poems and prayers of praise and thanksgiving to God.  Our text for today is Psalm 138 and it is a Psalm of David that it gives us a glimpse of the heart of a man who had dedicated his life to living in continual praise and thanksgiving to God. Psalm 138 is broken down into three divisions: 

1.  Praising God for past blessings (vv. 1–3)
2. Anticipation that one day all Kings will praise God (vv. 4–6)
3. Assurance of divine protection (vv. 7–8)

This is a Psalm of public praise to God for his faithfulness in making and keeping His promises and for answered prayer.  It is directed as a prayer of offering of thanks to God for his constant care.  It is also a Psalm of heartfelt worship and humble gratitude towards a God who is everlasting, compassionate, and faithful in keeping his promises.  In this expression of his gratitude, he has left us all a worthy example of how we should respond to God’s wonderful deliverances.    
 
Vs 1a: “I will give you thanks with my whole heart” – David publicly and unreservedly proclaims that he gives God thanks with his whole heart.  
 
Whole heart – inner part, inner man, mind, will soul… his whole being.  David is not only giving ordinary or mundane gratitude; he is not just giving lip service (empty or vain words) to God.  According to John Calvin, David’s heart is, “one that is sincere and not double.”  It is a genuine heartfelt thankfulness.  
 
Vs 1b: “before the gods” – These gods refer to mythological “lesser gods” in a pantheon. However, In the OT, this designation either refers to heavenly servant beings (Angels) or judges and governors appointed by God as political leaders.  This is not an acknowledgment that other gods exist, it is a declaration that David makes saying he will praise His God amid those who claim other gods.  David’s God is the one true God, and He will be worshiped above all things.
                        
Vs. 2b: “I give thanks for…” – Three things David gives thanks to God for.

1. His name – God’s reputation, fame, and glory.  His name is who He is; He is the eternal one, the One who was and is and always has been.
2. His steadfast love – One version of the Bible calls it God’s loyal love.  God continually shows His people his great loving kindness.  
3. His faithfulness (His Word) – God has made promises and He is trustworthy to keep these promises.  

 
Above all God “exalts” or lifts on high his name (who He is) and his word (His promises).  It is important for God to put above all else His reputation and His promises since the two go hand in hand.  The meaning seems to be that He has not only done what He said He would do but He has done much more.  More than we can ever imagine.
 
Vs. 3: “On the day I called you answered…” – David praises God for answered prayer.  The result of answered prayer is his faith and spirit were strengthened in God.  Aren’t we all encouraged or strengthened in faith when we experience an answer to prayer?  When what we have prayed for comes to pass it certainly builds our faith and encourages us.
 
Vs 4 – 5:  One day the kings of the earth and all the nations will join in singing David’s song of thanksgiving.  (Psalm 22:27 – 28)
 
Vs 6: “For the Lord is high, he regards the low…”  These are words of comfort and encouragement to David and should be for us as well.  As great, magnificent, awesome, amazing, and awe-inspiring God still cares for the common person.  He is a God who is for the broken, humiliated, lowly, and repentant.  
 
We see this in Psalm 51 where David writes, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broke and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Those who are humble and know their place before the Almighty God; He will remain close to and give regard to.  
 
Vs 7 – 8: “Though I walk in the midst of trouble…”  David speaks of God’s protective hand in preserving him in times of tribulation, danger, and trouble.  Even though his life is endangered by his enemies God has remained faithful in providing protection for him with his “right hand of power” – God’s almighty and divine power in physical and spiritual salvation.  It is only God who saves.
 
Psalm 138 (For us today)
When I reflect on my life and the blessings, protection and promises God has given me I can do nothing but respond with the same amount of gratitude and praise towards God as David did.  When I think back to when the Holy Spirit called me from the self-centered sin infested life I was living, and He invited to become an adopted son of the Almighty God how can I not thank God with my whole being?  A casual “thanks” is not enough to express my heartfelt gratitude towards the God who reached down and calls me his child.  It is not enough for me to give him lip service.  I respond to God by giving him my whole being. I devote my life to serving Him as an act of thanksgiving and gratitude.  
 
Application/Conclusion
So, if God has been faithful even when we have not what should our response to Him be?  Here are three ways we can show our gratitude and thankfulness for His faithfulness that are taken from this Psalm 

1. Give God thanks for his faithfulness.  Praise him for his steadfast love, patience, and mercy.  Praise Him for who He is and what His name represents.  Give thanks that he has call us to humility.  We must accept and acknowledge that we are not self-sufficient, we must be dependent on Him for our every needs.  James 4:6 “And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
   
2. Give God thanks for answered prayer.  When we pray God hears us.  No prayer goes unanswered.  We may feel at times that He does not answer, but in those times, we must understand that He may be silent for a reason or that His answer is not one that we necessarily like.  God answers prayer… Sometimes he responds quickly, other times he may say, “Wait” or He may answer, “no”.  Regardless, we should thank God for always hearing and responding to our prayers.
   
3. Give God thanks for His divine protection.  God is active and involved in both the spiritual and physical realm.  God is watching over his people and protecting his children.  Jesus says to Peter in Luke 22:31, 32, ““Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” And Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:8, 9, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”  We may not always see God’s divine hand of protection physically, but we do know there is a spiritual battle going on, one we cannot see, and the Holy Spirit makes is intercession for us and protects us from the evil one who desires to sift us like wheat and pounce like a roaring lion.

God is faithful.  He has not failed me in any way in my life.  Sure, there were times when things did not go the way I had planned or hoped; but He has been faithful in fulfilling His purpose in my life.  As followers of Christ, I believe we have the responsibility and pleasure of living lives of gratitude and humility.  We can never say, “Thank you” to God enough and we can never be too dependent on Him.  The things God has done for us are amazing and what He has in store for you and this church is just as astonishing; so, give him thanks for what He has done AND for what He is going to do.  We serve a mighty God who can and will do more than we can ever imagine.  
 


[1] Morgan, R. J. (2000). Nelson’s complete book of stories, illustrations, and quotes (electronic ed., p. 738). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.