Last may I posted an article entitled It's Time For Christians To Join The Public Arena and in that piece I noted that it was time for Christians to stop being silent, rise into action, and speak the truth publicly about the message of Jesus Christ and the state of society as a whole.
This past week Pastor Steve Smothermon of Legacy Church preached a spirit filled sermon on this very subject. In the sermon Smothermon states that the only way for the message of Christ to be heard is that it needs to be louder than the world's message of sin and self gratification which is being screamed at us every day through social media, entertainment and from the mouths of politicians.
We cannot be silent! We need to be loud and proclaim the truth!
I also want to include this sermon from Pastor James W Greer from Journey Church here in Louisiana.
Here are the notes from that sermon:
If we are not careful, we forget what it was like before God sent us our mates. Forgetting our mate is God’s second greatest gift. You did not get married out of obligation, but opportunity. (Hebrews 13:4, NKJV)
Marriage is much harder than you thought or ever imagined. (Genesis 2:21-25, NKJV)
You are both selfish and will have to fight selfishness for the rest of your life. Selfishness is the #1 problem in marriage.
The truth about how the two become one:
Something hard and stubborn + something hard and stubborn = ouch, that hurts.
Ouch, that hurts + time + turning it to God = something incredible.
It takes longer to get there than you thought and it isn’t painless. It hurts when you realize that you can’t spend your time the way you used to and compromises have to be made. A happy marriage takes a lot of work that does not end.
The two become one, until death do you part.
Marriage is a long-term commitment and covenant. Today, most people are short-term-minded. If you want to be successful in life, remember, it’s what you do after you make the decision that greatly determines your success, not simply the decision you made. You will reap, have times harvest, and have joy. Those incredible times will only come to those who don’t give up. (Galatians 6:9-10, NKJV) God’s Word says let’s especially do goo to those closest to us.
Homework: Look for ways to do good to your mate or for your mate.
Easy accessibility to drugs and alcohol.
Drugs and alcohol are destroying lives and marriages than ever before. Acting like there’s not a problem is not the answer. Confessing and praying is the starting place. (James 5:16, NKJV)
Too much social and false media.
Most people are taking in too much of the wrong information and not enough of the right information. (Matthew 4:4, NKJV) In order to really live, make the right decisions, and to avoid discouragement and depression, you need to be taking in God’s Word. Many times, people are talking to the wrong people. (Job 31:1-2, NKJV; TLB) The only answer to lust is surrender. (Proverbs 15:3, NKJV)
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I wish Bro. James would preach about being bold and confident and shouting to the rooftops... :) He has preached this before about being bold and confident but I don't recall he having this same stance as Pastor Smothermon, which was very stern BUT did not make me feel uncomfortable but rather, PREACH IT, SIR!! PREACH IT!!!
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