Pastor Mac Hammond | June 26, 2022

Recap:
Pastor Mac came back early from vacation to remind us that lack doesn’t need to defeat us. Lack is an attempt of the enemy to get us to give up our faith, but we don’t need to let that pull us away from our belief in God’s Word. Whether we’re facing life-threatening lack or lack that is keeping us from God’s more-than-enough blessings, God’s promises are bigger and greater. We can keep our thoughts focused on God and His Word, and eventually, the negative circumstances will leave.

If the economy has got you worried about your finances, this is a message you can have on repeat! It will lift up your spirit and remind you to guard your thoughts. 

Dive Deeper:
How do you deal with lack? That’s the question Pastor Mac answered this past weekend. He reminded us that the enemy is going to do whatever he can to get you to back away from knowing the truth that God is more than enough, and one of the first places he will start to work is in your mind. He will do everything he can to manipulate negative circumstances in your life. 

Our job is to avoid focusing on the negative things that are taking place and focus instead on the Word of God. As Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6, we can focus on the truth that God takes care of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. He will also take care of us.  

Too often we let worry run rampant through our thoughts without care. As a result, we live life stressed and under constant pressure because we are concerned about negative circumstances becoming a reality. We don’t have to let our mind stay focused on lack. We can live in a place of faith. 

Remember the enemy is a defeated foe who wants you to live in a place of fear. He will do everything he can to get you to believe that negative circumstances are more a reality that God’s Word. If he can’t deceive you, however, he can’t defeat you! 

When you come face-to-face with lack in any area of your life, you don’t need to focus on those negative circumstances. You don’t need to be uptight and concerned. You don’t have allow lack to have a seat at the table in your life. You can put aside thoughts of lack and embrace faith in God’s Word. 

Read About It: 
Mathew 6:25–34 KJV
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Discussion Questions: 
1. What Scriptures can you turn your attention to instead of lack-based adversity?
2. How does God provide for us when the world is going in a negative direction?
3. What is your story of God’s provision for you in the middle of difficult circumstances?

Rewatch or catch up on the full sermon with the link below!

Recent Sermon Notes

Grace Unveiled: “Baptized Into His Death” | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim presented the 21st installment to his series on the book of Romans entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” By now, having gone through Romans chapters 1 through 5, we should all have an understanding of what it means to be justified. Once you ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you receive the gift of righteousness. That means you are able to stand before God the Father without a sense of guilt or inferiority. This is the New Testament covenant we have with God, made possible through Jesus Christ. Now that we have a firm understanding of what it means to be justified through grace, Pastor Jim began to teach on the subject of sanctification.

GRACE UNVEILED 19 The Throne of Grace | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim gave the 20th installment of his series on the book of Romans entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” His subtitle was “The Spirit Is Greater Than Flesh.” He finished up his examination of Galatians 5, where it listed the works of the flesh. This examination revealed that a lot of us have been sinning and we didn’t even realize it! Nonetheless, because of our New Testament Covenant, through grace, our sins are forgiven and we are made righteous before our God!

Upper Midwest Faith Explosion 24 | Terri Savelle Foy, Kenneth Copeland, and Jesse Duplantis

“Ignite a fresh fire in our hearts, Lord,” was the heart cry of Pastor Mac at the annual Upper Midwest Faith Explosion. Passion to fulfill the Lord’s mandate to make disciples of all nations was the driving force of these special meetings. Though each of our guest speakers—Terri Savelle Foy, Kenneth Copeland, and Jesse Duplantis— preached unique messages, their messages converged into a united flow, acknowledging the time is short. It’s time for the body of Christ to push beyond the limits of the Christian experience, uniting together to make disciples of all nations. “And that,” said Pastor Mac, “is how we will change the face of the globe!”

GRACE UNVEILED 19 The Throne of Grace | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim taught the 19th installment on his series on the book of Romans entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” Romans tells us we have the ability to go to God without a sense of guilt or inferiority. That’s the work of grace in our lives. We are able to go to the throne of grace with boldness! What is the throne of grace? It is the throne of God’s unmerited favor. Because of that, when we fail, we can approach His throne without fear, without guilt, and with great confidence in His grace!

THY KINGDOM COME, #3, Transformation | Mac Hammond

Pastor Jim gave the 17th installment of his series on the book of Romans, entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” Subtitled “Matters of the Heart,” the text for the message was Romans 5:20, “Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” When the law was given, it exposed the many sins of the people. The law’s effect is that the more clearly they saw what was right, the more things they discovered that were wrong. The more we see our sins, the more aware we become of the penalty from which God has saved us. But thanks be to God, those who put their faith and trust in Christ receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life!