“I’m going on a marriage retreat” Ha? It’s very interesting to see the look on people’s faces - especially non-believers - when they hear you’re going on a marriage retreat. The confused look on their face tells it all. It’s like they add up that you’ve been married 40+ years, somewhat wonder if there are problems (but are afraid to ask), and then just move on.

There’s certainly no confusion with your Pastors or our wives. Even though there is almost 100 years of combined marriage experience, your Pastors are sinners and always have areas of their marriage that need help. We are so grateful that our family of Churches - especially our regional leadership - all desire to help local Pastor’s build and maintain healthy marriages. We also never tire of giving thanks to God for all of you in our Church that desire to see healthy marriages in your Pastors and support us taking time to get out of town and focus on this important part of our lives.

It’s fascinating that in just 48 hours (Thurs around noon till Sat around noon) a Pastor and his wife can be so refreshed and challenged, and also have time to renew friendships with fellow Pastors in our region of Churches. Bob and Julie Kauflin - married for 47 years and in Pastoral ministry for 41 years - were our guest hosts. Bob led the teaching sessions and Julie testified to God’s grace and kindness in their marriage for almost five decades.

Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 2:1-2 “And I, when I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

Bob taught us that the gospel works in our marriages to change our identity, allow forgiveness, and bring real transformation. He also challenged us to see how the gospel changes everything for married couples. He picked 2 categories of growth to consider in each season of married life and that gave all of us plenty to consider. We also were able to have a session where the men and women met separately. In our final session on Saturday morning, we spent a few hours in smaller groups simply praying for couples in each of the three seasons of married life.

Our regional leader - Eric Turbedsky - builds in plenty of time for fellowship, meals, etc. It’s always encouraging to hear and catch up on how God is working throughout other local churches, whether that’s celebrating grace or empathizing with struggles. No Pastor is immune from getting so focused on your local Church that you forget that God is building Churches all around the world!

On behalf of your Pastors and wives, THANK YOU! All of us are so grateful to belong to a Church that prioritizes marriages! Thank you for your financial support and the prayers and text messages of encouragement. It makes a huge difference!

Have you ever been told you were crazy on account of your faith? If you live for Jesus, someone at some time will call you crazy, but true sanity can’t be defined by the world! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 25-26
TITLE: Crazy for Jesus
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. A Futile Mob
2. A Confused Governor
3. An Embarrassed King
4. A Victorious Evangelist

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”If you live for Jesus, someone at some time will call you crazy. And my prayer for us today is that when that happens, we would take courage in the Lord to look beyond what others think of us and testify to the transforming power and glory of Jesus with our words and actions.”

“Let’s be honest, it’s easier said than done. The crazy label from your neighbor can be a powerful paralyzer. Paul’s example today is a reminder that in Christ we are victorious and we have nothing to fear so living Crazy for Christ is the sanest thing we can do.”

“…in verse 7 we learn that for all the serious charges the Jews brought against Paul, they couldn’t prove any of them. None of their accusations would stick. How frustrated must these Jewish leaders be—Once again, their plan is proven futile.”

“This Paul situation was driving Festus crazy. He is confused. He couldn’t offload the problem to Jerusalem. He knows if he sends Paul to Caesar, he has to explain what and why the situation demands the Emperor's attention. You can’t just send problems up the ladder. Festus’ political career and legacy is at stake here. Then he remembers King Agrippa is in town so he thinks—Oh, maybe this guy can make my problem go away.”

“Ever been in an intimidating moment? For instance, the only one in group who believes abortion is an abomination to the Lord or Jesus is the ONLY way to God? If Paul was standing next to you, I think he would say, Take courage, don’t worry about what they think of you, live for Jesus right now and speak. That’s exactly what Paul does as he stands in the shadows of powerful people.”

“Paul’s mission is to bring the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles. His call was to call sinners like himself to repent and believe in a crucified and risen Jesus and live for his glory instead of their own. By the way, that mission hasn’t changed, has it. We get sidetracked by competing causes and personal ambitions, but the Christian life is about living for Jesus and telling others about him.”

“When people call you crazy because you live for Jesus, let Paul’s words comfort you—It’s God’s plan!”

“So often, this is what keeps people from embracing Jesus—What will others think?”

“An embarrassed king. A confused governor. A futile mob. None of them can thwart God’s plan for Paul to take Rome to the gospel. In all the power and pomp of our text, guess who turns out victorious? Paul!”

“The pomp and power and philosophies of this world are a powerful temptation. They are also fleeting and hollow. The praise and acceptance and approval of men are like king Agrippa and all his pomp, passing fantasies that are here today and gone tomorrow. But Paul’s gospel prevails today. The gospel is victorious throughout the ages. It is preached. It is believed. It radically transforms lives. The gospel stops people in their tracks, turns them around, and produces a life lived for Christ’s glory. It did that to Paul and it continues to do that today—you are exhibit A. Why? Because the gospel is not a philosophy. It’s not a theory. It’s not a religious idea—it is the power of God unto salvation.”

“THE GOSPEL is the good news that Jesus has come to set the helpless and hopeless sinner free. It is the good news that reveals God’s undeserved mercy. It is the good news that unlocks the mysteries of God’s eternal plan. It is the good news that brings great joy to your life everyday. It is the good news that transforms your life as you live in the good of it. It is the good news that reminds you true life awaits you when this life is over.”

“If you are in Christ, you are the sane one. You are the victorious one. So take courage and be crazy for Christ by living in all humility, with deep gratitude, and for no one’s glory but God’s!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 1:16

APPLICATION:
I bet everyone here could think of one area right now where you need much grace to live crazy for Christ instead of something else. Whatever it is, identify it right now, and together, let’s give it to God in prayer!

We are caught up in a life-and-death battle! Paul tells us so in his letter to the Ephesians. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:10-12 (ESV)

So, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:13  (ESV)

And then Paul instructs us to take up what C.H. Spurgeon called “The Master-Weapon: All-Prayer.” Battle readiness requires us to take up weapons, namely, the Shield of Faith, the Sword of the Spirit - The Word of God, and here in Ephesians 6:18, we see that one of our primary weapons is All-Prayer. Paul writes that we are to be “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication….” 

We have this weapon, prayer, but we must take it up and use it in the fight! Spurgeon added that “we should be greatly wise if we used [this master weapon of All-Prayer] more, and did so with a more specific purpose.” Imagine the enemy’s war machines pouring over the hillside! The enemy’s strength is mighty, and the sound of war is deafening. If we then refused to pick up THE most powerful weapon in our possession, we’d be devastated! So it is in the spiritual battle that rages on right now! We desperately need to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might!” Take up All-Prayer and wield it! All-Prayer, used by the Christian, “has great power as it is working” (James 5:16, ESV) because this weapon is deployed in the power of the Spirit making the Christian all the more “strong in the Lord.” Prayer is powerful because the object of our prayer is All-Powerful!

Finally, we pray for each other and for the advance of our cause, the Good News of Jesus. The battle that is going on rages against our King, Jesus, and those that belong to Him, the saints. It rages against the advance of His Gospel. And all of this is going on while we, his saints, suffer loss, fight temptation, and sin, facing accusation by the enemy, weariness, distractions, desertions, fear, worry, and anxiety. “To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.” Ephesians 6:18-19

Wield this Master-Weapon, and pray “in the strength of his might.” Ephesians 6:10 

- Tom

Tucked away in this story, in this drama, in this narrative is The Greater Story, The Grander Drama, The Redemption Narrative! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 24:1-27
TITLE: Before The Greater King
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: We can stand before the kings of this world because we are ruled by The Greater King - Jesus!

POINTS:
1. Before a Lesser King
2. Before a Greater King

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”The reality in this sinful kingdom is that the truly guilty (unrighteous) often are not held accountable before the kings of this world. The innocent (righteous) are the ones that are often deemed the guilty ones!”

“Tucked away in this story, in this drama, in this narrative is The Greater Story, The Grander Drama, The Redemptive Narrative! Verse 14-16 begins to reveal how it is possible that we can stand before the kings of this world! It is because we stand in THE Greater King, Christ the Lord!”

“While his cross looms over his head, Paul has his eyes fixed on another Greater Cross! Knowing THIS, his soul is at peace and joy.”

“The tension in the court is high! What is this king going to do? And a smile breaks over Paul’s soul as he remembers again Golgotha! He will not worry what this king might do to him because his soul is anchored in what His King Jesus has already done for him!”

“Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, with God at his right hand, preaches the Gospel to this king and now we see Felix, the lesser king has been brought before the Greater King, and he didn’t even know it… yet!”

“We all stand before the Righteous King of the Universe and His moral claim on our lives cannot be cast aside, dismissed, or suppressed! We ARE able to stand before the kings of this world… BUT we must remember at all times that we are standing before the Holy One of Israel, The Son of God Himself, The Son of Man who is high and lifted up in Majesty.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Luke 12:11-12
Luke 21:12-18

APPLICATION:
Q. Has your heart become dulled and the eyes of your soul become dim? Are you knowingly caught in sin but unwilling to repent? Is the reason now revealed?

Q. Are you putting repentance off?
Hebrews 6:7 “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
Don’t put it off any longer! God says in 2 Corinthians 6:2 - “...Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Q. If we are able to stand before even the lesser kings of this world because we can come before The Great King, then who is it that we are afraid of standing before?
Recommended Reading: “The Joy of Fearing God” - Jerry Bridges

Welcome to a new kind of post! Church Life Updates. There are many facets to our life as a church! Our hope is that these posts will enable you to plan, pray, and ultimately rejoice in what the Lord is doing at Sovereign Grace Church. 

Here are a few updates for you to do just that! 

A NEW COMMUNITY GROUP

Community Groups are a crucial part of our life together as a church and we have the joy of announcing the start of a brand-new one! Rick Baker and his wife Andrea will be leading this new group! The Bakers have been faithful servants in our church for years and we are eager to see all the Lord will do in and through their group! For more information about the Baker Community Group, you can contact Rick directly.

A (NOT SO) NEW WORSHIP LEADER

If you’ve ever been with us on a Sunday morning, you know what a gift our worship ministry is. Rick Baker has been the leader of our worship ministry for the last few years, but as he steps into his new role as Community Group Leader, Brett Overstreet will be taking his place as head of the team. Brett has led the worship ministry in the past so we are thankful for him and his eagerness to serve in this role again! Let’s commit to praying for him and the team. For any questions about our worship ministry, please contact Brett Overstreet.

EQUIPPED

Every year we have the opportunity to switch up our usual mid-week routines and come together as a church for teaching on the practical aspects of the Christian life. We call it EQUIPPED. This year’s title: “Nuts and Bolts of the Christian Life”. We’ll meet here at the church every Wednesday in February at 7:00 PM. For further details, please contact your Community Group leader or the church office.

Thank you for pausing to read about what the Lord is doing in your church! Stay tuned for future Church Life Updates!

Charles Spurgeon’s ministry was far-reaching. In his outstanding book, C.H. Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership, Steve Miller comments:

From 1861 to 1891 he preached to some 6,000 people every Sunday morning….Spurgeon organized and ran several evangelistic, educational, and social ministries, including the Pastors’ College, the Stockwell Orphanage, the Old Ladies Home, the Colportage Ministry, the Pastors’ Aid Society, and the Poor Ministers’ Clothing Society.

Add to the legendary list above traveling to preach and the many books he authored, and a hearty WHEW! is in order. While some may rightly wonder at the gifts and capabilities of Mr. Spurgeon, he knew exactly where the credit belonged:

I stand here to confess frankly that from my inmost heart I attribute the large prosperity which God has given to this church vastly more to the prayers of the people than to anything that God may have given me.

Spurgeon viewed the fruitfulness of His ministry through the power of prayer. And so should we. We can do nothing apart from Jesus (John 15:1-7). Even our prayers depend on the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26). We are utterly dependent on God for all things. But praise be to Jesus, who makes it possible for us to receive the free-flowing grace of God abundantly. How? Through prayer.

God truly wants to bless His people. He desires that we bear fruit in life and ministry. But we do not have because we do not ask (James 4:2-3). Prayer is the irreplaceable means by which God pours out His grace and power in our lives. And as Hebrews 4:14-16 says, God made prayer possible through Jesus, whose work as our high priest guarantees we can confidently draw near to the mercy seat of God in prayer.  

Do you long to be a more effective parent? Do you want to see greater fruitfulness in your ministry? Do you desire more closeness in your relationships? It’s not rocket science. Pray. Pray because prayer is God’s way of providing all you need for life and godliness.    

As I began considering how I would write this post, I prayed for God’s guidance. Sitting down to write this post, I prayed for God’s help. As I send out this post, I pray God will use it to produce fruit in your life. From beginning to end, I get the joy of praying; God gets all the glory in the prayers.   

-Derek

Peace instead of anxiety. Patience in adversity. Gratitude instead of bitterness. Perseverance through trials. Humility in prosperity. Contentment in poverty. Hopeful in the unknown. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 23:12-35
TITLE: Living Hopeful In A Hard World
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. Man’s Plan to Kill Paul
2. God’s Plan to Protect Paul

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Peace instead of anxiety. Patience in adversity. Gratitude instead of bitterness. Perseverance through trials. Humility in prosperity. Contentment in poverty. Hopeful in the unknown. Where do these come from? Ultimately, they are the fruit of the Spirit’s work in us. But the Spirit works through our faith, so we experience these blessings as we trust that our heavenly Father is sovereignly ruling over our lives, in all things, at all times.”

“It's called providence. It’s mysterious and mind-blowing. But believing God is in control and at work in all things to accomplish His redemptive plan, even though we don’t fully understand how that works, is foundational to Living Hopeful In a Hard World.”

“Today’s text is a wonderful illustration of God’s providence that I pray will result in a greater trust in God, no matter your lot in life right now.”

“The Greek word translated oath is anathema. It means curse. These guys want Paul dead so badly that they put themselves under a curse that goes like this—Let God do to us and more if we eat or drink anything before Paul is dead.”

“You want an apologetic for Sunday mornings, CG, and any other opportunity to gather with God’s people—Satan. Is he invincible?—No. Is he formidable—Yes. And our hearts, like sheep, are prone to wander from the flock to the fence line, are vulnerable to his schemes. Satan would like nothing more than to isolate you from God’s people and wreak havoc in your relationship with God.”

“Do a bible study on the 35 one another’s in Scripture. Reorient your personal and family calendar to church life. Find a place to serve. Understand your hospitality as an opportunity for sanctification. As you socialize (hang out) with one another, move into fellowship (Christ-centered conversation) as often as possible. It is a primary means of God’s grace to protect and grow His people. That’s why it always has been and always will be a priority at this church.”

“Psalm 147:5 describes God as being beyond measure. That’s what we mean when we describe Him as an infinite God. In his being and greatness, God has no limitations. And that includes the resources to bring about His sovereign will in your life. We never know HOW God is at work and we never know WHO He may work through.”

“This one young man who has no prior place and no future place in Scripture is at the heart of God’s plan to deliver Paul from his enemies and make sure he continues toward Rome with the gospel.”

“I don’t know if you have caught this yet, there is no mention of God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit in our text. Zero. Yet, the Lord was in the midst of it all, causing the events of Paul’s ordeal to fulfill His plans. The Invisible Hand of God faithfully protecting Paul and furthering His divine will.”

“Over and over, God has faithfully directed Paul’s steps, protecting and positioning him. And now, from an obscure nephew to a mighty Roman army, God is orchestrating it all, accomplishing His plan.  Whatever you are facing today—Take courage. The Lord who stood by Paul and said “take courage” is the same Lord who stands by you today.”

“I don’t know what God’s providence looks like in your life today. It may be bitter, sweet, or a little of both. But I know this: Before the Lord stands by you, he stood for you on the cross. He stood in your place at Calvary so you could have a place in his kingdom. Christ took courage in the face of divine wrath so you could receive divine love by faith. There is no greater act of God’s providence than your salvation. He orchestrated it all. And now He stands with you.”

“God’s spoken word to Paul is His written word to us. We may not understand God’s providence. We may not see it in the moment. But we can live mindful of it so that we will be encouraged by it. How? Preaching it to ourselves through his word.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
James 1:22
Psalm 147:5

QUOTES:
Derek Thomas - “A firm faith in the providence of God is the solution for all earthly problems.”

John Flavel - “The providence of God is like a Hebrew word—it can only be read backward.”

APPLICATION:
Memorize three passages that preach providence:
1. Proverbs 16:9
2. Matthew 10:29-31
3. Romans 8:28-39

Muse over them. Memorize them. Meditate on them. BASK in them. Preach them to yourself as often as you can.

Today begins a weekly series titled “A Passion for Prayer.” May this be more than a memorable title, and by the grace of God, serve to reveal how beautiful, powerful, and gracious Christ is! May the result be that our passionate prayer life leads us toward passionate worship of our Savior. He has graciously made a way for us (Hebrews 4:16) and called us to commune with Him. Through this series, may God’s Word encourage your hearts and challenge you toward growth, and lasting change in your prayer life. In the end, may it grant you hope and joy in the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ!

Keep On Praying

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 

What does “pray without ceasing” mean in Verse 17? At first glance, this would seem too daunting and maybe even strange to us. But, Paul is instructing us on something much better and very attainable. C. H. Spurgeon unpacks Paul’s meaning somewhat when says that we “...ought to be always in the spirit of prayer, always ready to pray. Like the old knights, always in warfare, not always on their horses…, but always wearing their weapons where they could readily reach them, and always ready to encounter wounds or death for the sake of the cause which they champion.” 

Let’s look at three things: first, we are to be always in the spirit of prayer, second, always ready to pray, and finally, keep on praying.

First, always be in the spirit of prayer. Verse 18 reminds us that praying without ceasing is “...the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” This is Gospel-fueled prayer! As we remind ourselves constantly of the Gospel, our passion for praying is always moved toward Him - praying in worship, and thankfulness, seeing our ongoing need for Him. We now have unhindered access to Him always in prayer because of the Cross. It is His will for us to pray, and we always can because of Christ.

Second, we are to be “always ready to pray.” Gospel-fueled passion for praying makes us ready to pray at any moment. The “old knights” were “always wearing their weapons where they could readily reach them, and always ready to encounter wounds or death for the sake of the cause which they champion.” In the Gospel, prayer has also been given to the believer as a primary means for their readiness for the “cause which they champion.” We are to be ready to pray at all times and for all things. Spurgeon told a friend, “I always feel it well, just to put a few words of prayer between everything I do.” What are you about to do? Pray. No matter what may come, be ready to pray. 

Third, keep on praying. Verse 17 is simple. It’s clear. Don’t stop praying! 

- Tom

Living in such a polarized culture, I pray the Lord convicts us here. In the heat of the moment—Be courageous. Stay calm. Remember your call. God is always with you, He is fully in control, and He has a redemptive purpose in your situation! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 21:27-23:11
TITLE: Take Courage
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. Viciously Slandered and Assaulted
2. Publicly Rejected for Speaking Truth
3. Violently Threatened by Leadership

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”’So many things are against us, but we know the Lord is at work.’ Have you ever felt that way—So many things are against me? Nothing is going as planned. Constant sickness. Relational turmoil. Cultural hostility. Financial drought. Church troubles. Your weary heart cries out—Lord, where are you? and your fragile faith privately wonders—Is it worth it?  This morning, I am giving you the answer right up front. As Christians, we live by faith in what is real, not what we feel. And regardless of how we feel, nothing is more real than the promise that anchors our text today.”

“In the previous passage, Paul got some disturbing news. Luke reveals in verse 21 there were some accusing him of being opposed to Jewish converts keeping some of their Jewish customs. This was a lie. What Paul was opposed to was anyone finding forgiveness or salvation through their customs.”

“Paul is at the Temple worshipping, and he is accused and attacked by a group of Jews. Their accusations are clear. First, they claimed Paul was teaching against the Jews, the law, and the Temple. They were wrong. It was gossip and slander.  This is not the primary point, but it’s a worthy point: As we are about to see, their gossip and slander of Paul was dangerous and destructive. As James 3 says—The tongue is a fire, full of deadly poison.”

“Paul is worshipping when suddenly he is viciously attacked, and drug out of the temple where the people tried to kill him. No one brings a Gentile into our temple and lives. That was their attitude. In verses 31-36 we find the interesting providence of God in that Paul’s life was spared only because he was arrested by a Roman commander, who, ironically was a Gentile.”

“After clearing his name with the tribune, Paul begs the officer to speak to them. When he does, he shares his gospel testimony in a way that connects with their Judaism. Once again, to the Jew Paul is being a Jew.”

“What changed Paul wasn’t theological enlightening. He didn’t change because he hit a ceiling as a Pharisee. Paul didn’t change because he was fed up with how the temple was run. He was changed by Jesus. Jesus came to him. Jesus revealed himself to him. Jesus saved him.”

“Not only can we relate to Paul here, we learn from him for our evangelism and Christian relationships. Paul isn’t afraid—he is courageous. He doesn’t excoriate his enemy—he is calm. He isn’t offended by them—he sticks to his call. Trusting in God’s providence, Paul knows he has been spared by the tribune (God’s doing) and he knows why He is there (preach Christ to the Gentiles).”

“But it wasn’t time for Paul to die. In verses 24-29 we learn that the tribune once again rescued him from the Jewish mob. This time they wanted to beat him to figure out what was really going on, but in the providence and common grace of God, Paul’s Roman citizenship spares him from the beating.”

“…One thing is clear, Paul can’t catch a break and he must be growing weary. Paul is not a robot, he’s a human being just like you and me. Some of the men on this council were his buddies at one time. Now they want to kill him. He came to Jerusalem to share Christ. Nothing has gone his way the last two days. Slandered. Attacked. Arrested. Rejected. Assaulted. Threatened. Everything seems to be against him. But Paul never gives up. He is mission-minded. And whatever his motivation in the moment, what he does next allows him to live another day to preach Christ.”

“The resurrection is central to the gospel because it is God’s stamp of approval that vindicates Christ as the Son of God and defeats death. No resurrection, no salvation. Paul makes this tense situation about what Jesus did, not his opinion on a set of rules.”

“Luke begins verse 12 with—When it was day, meaning, all that occurred in our text happened in 24-36 hrs. What a day for Paul. As he sat in the barracks under arrest, he must have been thinking to himself—Everything is against me. Paul was perplexed, wearied, and discouraged. How do we know 1) He was human like us. (Guard against sterilizing the people and situations of Scripture as if we can’t know without being explicitly told!) and 2) It’s implicit in verse 11.”

QUOTES:
Derek Thomas - “Paul was governed by greater concerns than his ethnic or racial background. He was now, first of all, a missionary to the Gentiles. God had given him a single purpose: to witness to Gentiles of the saving love of Jesus Christ for sinners and to call them to repentance and faith. The concerns of the gospel came before his natural concerns for his race or country. He had learned to put these things secondary to his primary concern to preach the gospel and make it known in the world.”

APPLICATION:
What an amazing moment for Paul! The Lord stands by him and says—Take courage, I have a plan! Take courage…Today, this promise belongs to us in Christ.

And our application of it can be described in one word—BASK. That’s right. BASK in VERSE 11. Synonyms and related phrases for BASKING: revel, luxuriate, wallow, delight, take pleasure, rejoice, glory, indulge oneself; enjoy, relish, savor, lap up; informal get a kick out of, get a thrill out of, get a charge from.

We all have moments, days, weeks, seasons where it seems everything and everyone is against us and the Lord is not with us. But take courage Christian, BASK in this promise—The Lord is at work. The Lord is with you and he will never leave you.

Where there is prayer, there is power because when we pray, the power of God is unleashed. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: James 5:13-18
TITLE: A Passion For Prayer
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: A prayerful church is a powerful church.

POINTS:
1. Prayer is Powerful
2. Prayer is Effective

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”As we begin the new year together, my goal is not to tell you HOW you should pray, WHEN you should pray, or WHAT you should pray for. My PRAYER as we begin the new year is that God would rekindle and refresh a fresh passion, perhaps for some a new passion, to be a person and a people of prayer. Whether your prayer life is robust as ever, on life-support, or non-existent, God wants to stir our hearts to more sweet communion with Him.”

“Everything in this text is connected to prayer. James is trying to persuade his readers that faith-filled prayer is always the truest and most powerful response in life.”

“The truth is, we are too weak not to pray. We are too needy not to pray. We are too busy not to pray. Whatever else we do, prayer is always the best response for a believer.”

“Let’s be honest, there is a mystery when it comes to prayer. Prayer is not magic. Prayer is useless apart from God’s power. It’s God who delivers. It's God who heals. It's God who is working all things according to His perfect purposes. The God of boundless and endless resources does not stand in need of our prayers. Yet, Scripture stresses repeatedly that the release and experience of God’s effective power comes through humble, faith-filled, God-centered prayer.”

“When we depend on God through prayer, we get what God can do!  We get the God who can do more than we can ask or imagine. We get the God of infinite mercy, and grace, and power who avails Himself to us in the most intimate, all-caring, all-powerful way.”

“In times of unanswered prayer we should not grow doubtful of or weary in prayer but continue to pray as we trust in the mercy of God and His promises that in Christ he will never forsake us and His mercies are new every day and His grace is always sufficient for every situation.”

“We should continue to pray knowing the God we pray to has made it clear His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). This means he may not answer our prayers the way we would like or in our timing.”

“This promise that our prayers are powerful and effective is for everyone who believes in Christ. What qualifies you as righteous is not what you do or how you do it. It’s who you know.”

“That’s the promise of Hebrews 4:16. We can draw near to God through prayer assured we will always find mercy and grace from God because we come in the name of Jesus who is our eternal high priest who has secure this promise and privilege of prayer for us.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Acts 4 - Under strict orders not to evangelize, the early church gathered to pray for boldness and they were immediately filled with the Spirit and continued to do the will of God which was to boldly preach the gospel under threat.
2 Chronicles 7 - The Lord said when my people humble themselves and pray, then I will work in their midst.
James 1:5 - Take something as practical as wisdom
When it seems as though we face so many unanswered prayers, we are in good company: 2 Samuel 12, 2 Corinthians 12, Luke 22
There is always mystery involved, but James gives us reasons for unanswered prayer:

• Absence of faith— James 1:5-8

• Prayer not in accord with God’s will—James 4:3

• Absence of humility— James 4:6

• God has a better plan—The life of Joseph

QUOTES:
Charles Spurgeon - “My own soul’s conviction is that prayer is the grandest power in the entire universe, that it has a more omnipotent force than electricity, attraction, gravitation, or any other of those secret forces which men have called by name, but which they do not understand.”

Robert Murray McCheyne - “O believing brethren!  What an instrument is this which God hath put into your hands!  Prayer moves Him that moves the universe.”

Charles Spurgeon - “Because God is the living God, He can hear; because He is a loving God, He will hear; because He is our covenant God, He has bound Himself to hear.”

J.A. Motyer - “That is part of the wonder of the way of prayer. Those who by grace have been given the status of righteousness in God’s sight have been brought into the realm where effective prayer operates and have been given the right to exercise a ministry of prayer.”

APPLICATION:
1. Create time to pray your way
2. Resolve to put a few words of prayer between you and whatever you do
3. Replace I will pray for you this week with Let me pray with you right now
4. Plan to pray with your church

• Pre-service prayer 9:30

• 5th Sunday Prayer/Worship nights a priority (Jan 29)

• Attend CG with a heart ready to pray

5. Grow your understanding of prayer—Blog series, A Passion for Prayer