Sunday Recap @ da Chapel
Reverend Fred Knox
2 Corinthians 4:7-18 (NLT)
“Don’t Give Up on God”
When you witness, tell people about what Christ has done in you, and not about your abilities and accomplishments. You may think that you are at the end of the rope, but you are never at the end of hope. It’s easy to focus on your troubles rather than your ultimate goal. There is a purpose in your suffering. God allows you to go through to keep you humble, to remember all good and perfect gifts, come from God. See your trouble as opportunities, on your Christian journey look at it as an adventure. Stay strong in your faith. If you want to experience victory over the mountains, trials, and troubles in your life you’ll have to learn to hold fast to the confidence of your faith and don’t give up. Don’t give up on God and don’t give up on yourself.
*Don’t give up on God. It really matters how you use your faith; faith is not child’s play. It also matters who you’re putting your faith in, you’re not putting your faith in the right people, therefore you’re not seeing answers to your prayers. That doesn’t have to be the case, God wants to move the mountains in your life. God wants you to place your trust in him because God is willing and able to do something. He’s ready to turn your situation around by faith. You can trust God to make good on his word, he promised to never fail, leave, or forsake you. Wherever you are on your Christian journey, whatever you have to go through you can call upon his name. When you have an important decision to make you sometimes feel like you can’t trust anyone, not even God, but God knows what is best for you. He is a better judge of what you need than you are. You must trust him completely in every choice that you make. Regardless of how big or small the problem is, God is able to deliver you. There are times and seasons for everything under the sun, there is a reason you are going through the challenges that you’re experiencing in this season of your life. God is about to do a new thing, but in order to ready you for what’s coming, he must test your faith to show you the areas in your walk that you must surrender to him. In order for God to release the things he has planned for you in this new year, you have to get some things in order, both collectively and individually. Don’t give up on God, be strong and courageous. God knows everything and sees everything, and you are not alone. God wants you to know that the waiting period is almost over, and all you have to do is reaffirm your faith in him. Refocus, stand firm, and stand on his word like never before. It’s easy to lose heart and quit.
*Hold on tightly to Jesus. With everything that is going on in the world today, you need to hold on tightly to Jesus. You are faced with extreme tragedy from this devastating pandemic that is killing millions around the world, to the unprecedented natural disasters caused by global warming, and the horrendous and corrupt acts of violence caused by human beings, demons, and Satan himself. Your heart is failing you because of fear. Hold tightly to Jesus, because he is the only one that can save you past, present, and future. You are tempted to doubt God’s ability to rescue you, that is not the time to abandon ship. You can have unmovable, unshakable, unrestricted confidence that he will steady you, strengthen you, and calm every storm. He will be your anchor, your steadfast hope on the rolling tides and crashing waves. He will see you safely through the storm and guide you to your destination every single time.
*God’s word will not fail. God’s word will not fail you if you refuse to give up. Don’t settle for doubt, don’t quit, your faith will see you through if you won’t give up and quit. Keep standing on God’s promises they won’t let you down. Don’t give up on God because he won’t give up on you. Don’t be surprised if God is using tough times in your life, your ministry, your relationships, or your church to test your faithfulness. Faithful people keep on keeping on when other people want to give up. Faithful people are diligent, determined, and persistent. Don’t look at the temporary problem, look at the long-term rewards. Don’t look at the temporary pain, look at the long-term gain. Don’t look at it with the short-term view of what is happening to you right now but look at the character you’re building because you haven’t given up. God is more interested in what you are becoming than what you can accomplish. Sometimes when people go through something for a long time, they tend to lean to the idea that things will always be that way. God is still on the throne, and he hasn’t given up on you, so don’t give up on him. Doesn’t matter how long you’ve had the problem; the power of God is still able to turn it around. Nothing is impossible with God, so don’t give up on God and don’t give up on yourself.