Sermons

Whoever devotes themselves to themselves will have nothing but themselves to show for themselves. But if you devote yourself to more than yourself, you will have more than yourself to show for yourself.

You have no idea what hangs in the balance of your decision to embrace the burden God has put in your heart.

“Follow Me” by Tracy Marsh, youth pastor. Luke 9:57-62

The world cannot take away what the world cannot give. The world cannot take away what it cannot give to us. The world cannot take away deep rich promises because the world cannot give deep rich promises. The world can’t take away your security, the world can’t take away your peace because the world cannot give security, and the world cannot give peace. It can’t take away this hope that serves as an anchor for our souls, because this world was never designed to give us hope. Not that kind of hope. The world can’t take away what the world can’t give. And you can’t lose what only Jesus gives. He gives life, you can’t lose it. Love, freedom, joy, salvation, you can’t lose it. He gives peace. He gives promises you can’t lose. He gives assurance you cannot lose. What Jesus gives Jesus, the Rescuer of His people, gives hope. The world can’t take that away. What the world can’t give, and you can’t lose only Jesus gives. This is the story of Christmas, the hope of Christmas. It’s not a feeling. It’s not a desire. Hope is a person. He is Jesus the Rescuer, the Savior of His people.

If you ever get fed up with you. And if you ever get fed up with something that seems to control you. If you ever get fed up with the self-destruction that you bring on yourself and the self-destructive habits that destroy the relationships that are most important to you. Christmas is a standing invitation from your Father in heaven. You have been invited into a relationship where sin no longer has to be your master, because you’re not under law, you’re under grace. You are a candidate for the gift of Christmas.

God staged a demonstration and documented it so the world would know. Because He knew we needed to see it to believe it. And it wasn’t enough to say it. He had to send His Son to pay the price that we owed in such a way that once we embraced the truth of the story, and once we embraced who Jesus was, we would never, ever, ever, ever doubt God’s love for us. He had to be with us so that we could know He was for us. We needed a demonstration.

Through Christmas, we are reminded in the most remarkable way imaginable that God is active, even when it seems like He’s not that God.

If God is all-powerful, then why does He allow evil and suffering? Is God concerned about us? Does He notice all the troubles that take place around us? Does God care?

The bottom line is … YOU WILL NEVER DO WHAT YOU DON’T THINK ABOUT FIRST.