Sunday, August 26, 2007

Beau's Sunday Sermon - The Example of Job

"And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before." (Job 42:10 NKJV) Prayers of "Lord, I will..if..." is self-centered, and rebellious against God. And, if it is an attempt at getting right with God, it misses the whole point of what God has done for us. You cannot make yourself right with God or make yourself perfect. You cannot save yourself. God has already done that through His grace and through the sacrifice of His son, Jesus. The question becomes am I humble enough to accept this gift and fully believe in it. It is an insult to God, an act of disbelief if we ask Him to do what He has already done for us. The second part of this is if we are not fully getting this and not receiving His gift ten times more, then we need to take time to pray. A good starting point is praying for our friends, family, and those we meet on the street. We are to strive to become like Him. and Jesus was our intercessor. When we pray for others we become an intercessor for them, asking God to grant them the same kind of saving grace He has shown us. Therefore, it may come to be in others like it has in us. It was only after Job prayed for his friends, not himself, that things began to change for him. So, pray for the people in your lives and those you meet. Pray now!! Love, Beau

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Beau's Sunday Sermon -- Repentance

"So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm." (Joel 2:13 NKJV) God forgives our sins if we truly repent. God wants our repentance to come from within and come from the heart, and not just be an outward, showy act. If we were to just "rend our garments" it would be a vain, and in vain, act. To be truly repentful one must take that rending to the core of one's being and THEN truly show outward signs of repentance. If we do that God is just and kind and will forgive our sins. And, He will show us grace and mercy! Praise God!! Love, Beau

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Beau's Sunday Sermon -- Seize Today

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiates 3:11 NKJV) Everything and everyone God has made is beautiful. We cannot imporve on what God has already, and is doing. What we must do is allow Him to work through us. He put eternity in our hearts so that we focus on our final destination and stay connected to Him. Yet, we may often feel that the tasks that He gives us do to are small, trivial, unimportant, and nothing compared to the big picture. We feel we “see in a glass darkly.” God wants to keep His works a mystery to us for now. He doesn’t want us to focus on the big picture, but rather concentrate on the present task at hand that He gives us. He doesn’t want us to focus on the past or the future, just today. And, since He doesn’t reveal His plans to us in advance there is nothing left to do but trust in Him and just concentrate on the present. After all, isn’t concentrating on getting the most out of the exact moment you’re in the best way to live anyway?! Yeah, God ways truly ARE the best! Seize the day! Love, Beau

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Beau's Sunday Sermon - Our Refuge and Strength

"God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is" (Psalm 46:1-3; Mark 13:32 NKJV) A very horrible and tragic thing happened this week. A bridge collapsed during rush hour hurting many people and killing some. Although some will say this is coincidence, God had His hand in it that it just happened to collapse at a time when there is a drought, and, according to experts, the water depths were much lower and the current was one-third the speed it normally is; cars were at a stand still instead of moving so there was no lunging forward but just dropping straight down; and even that particular bridge structure was life-saving. Even the local fire chief said "it was something of a miracle." Yes, God was there to catch people in the palm of His hand when the bridge gave way, and keep the conditions from being worse. And God was there in the people who voluntarily rushed to the scene and put their own lives at risk without a thought (and still do). God is there in the way people have come together to comfort and support each other, and do whatever the can. We never know when it is our time for God to take us home, it usually comes "in the blink of an eye," but we will trust in God and not be afraid. He is always there and in control. Love, Beau