Trusting God in the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Sermon audio for Luke 18:31-34, “Trusting God in the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” can be found by hovering your mouse HERE.

Let the little children come / The Rich young ruler – Luke 18:15-30 – sermon on-line

You can find audio to “The Faith of a Child, the Pride of an Adult” a sermon on Luke 18:15-30 by hovering or clicking your mouse HERE

Pharisee and Tax Collector – Luke 18 – sermon audio on-line

You can find “Looking up or Looking down?” – our sermon from Luke 18 by hovering or clicking your mouse HERE

When You Are Done Wrong – Sermon audio online

Sermon audio from Luke 18:1-8, “When You Are Done Wrong” is available online by hovering your mouse HERE

Ready for the End – Sermon Audio on-line – Luke 17:20-37

You can find sermon audio for Luke 17:20-37 on-line here (hover your mouse).  The sermon title is “Ready for the End.”

Griping, Gratitude, and God – Sermon Audio on-line

You can find the sermon from Luke 17 (the account of the 10 lepers), “Griping, Gratitude, and God” by hovering your mouse HERE

Faith to Do the HARD Things – Sermon Audio on-line

You can find sermon audio for “Faith to Do the HARD Things” from Luke 17:1-10 by hovering or clicking here!

A solid rock under the feet of mothers – Mother’s Day sermon

You can find “A Solid Rock Under the Feet of Mothers” – HERE.  (hover to play the audio now – click to download)

More to This Life – Sermon Audio online

You can find audio for the sermon “More to This Life” (Luke chapter 16 – the parables of the unfaithful steward and the rich man and Lazarus) at the following link… (click to download, hover to play immediately)

HERE’S THE LINK

Feelings – Facts – and Foolish Behavior

I’ve recently been getting an updated lesson in the danger of allowing your good judgment to be overridden by your emotions.  It’s not just that people make impulsive or irrational decisions when that’s the case… (though it’s very true)… It’s also that otherwise Biblically-centered Christians willingly deny the clear teachings of scripture when emotional motivations get involved.  One example may be helpful (two sides to the same coin)…

• I can’t tell you the number of people who REFUSE to go to someone they know is offended by them, in spite of the teachings of Matthew 5.  It’s just too hard, too stressful, too whatever…
• In like manner, a ton of folks will not go to someone who has somehow sinned against them – contrary to Matthew 18.  Again, too much at risk emotionally to walk out on that limb…

In both scenarios it’s important to note that Jesus Himself is the One Who gave the instructions… and He never said we should gauge our willingness to obey His words by how we feel – no, it’s a matter of faith (trusting  Him to honor our willingness to obey what He says).  When we step into the fray IN SPITE of our emotions to the contrary, we are putting the conflict/situation squarely in HIS lap… putting ourselves in a position where HE has to come through if anything beneficial is going to happen.  That’s living by faith…

Could it be that the enemy of our souls has done a very good job at conditioning us (our culture) to react emotionally so that we’ll be unwilling to respond Biblically?

Could it be that if we followed Jesus’ commands in this realm, we’d have less conflict and more opportunity to live at peace with others?

Could it be that were we to practice such things, we’d actually have LESS emotional hang-ups because we have been able to have many of our emotional hurts resolved in short order?

Could it be?