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

A Father to the Fatherless | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim celebrated fathers with his message entitled, “A Father to the Fatherless.” He hit us with some hard-hitting facts about fathers. Did you know children who feel close to their fathers are twice as likely to continue their education after high school and find stable employment as opposed to those who do not feel close to their fathers. Furthermore, they are 75% less likely to have a child in their teens… 80% less likely to spend time in jail… 50% less likely to experience multiple depression issues! He went on to expound on the importance fathers have in their ability to influence their children, molding them into healthy and productive human beings.

Grace Unveiled: For the Promise to Be Sure  #12 | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim gave his 12th installment on his series entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” The Old Testament law always produced the wrath of God as a consequence for disobedience. No one outside of Jesus Christ had the ability to keep Old Testament law! Yet there are many Christians that try to live their lives according to Old Testament law. And they are failing. Pastor Jim went on to explain why in his message subtitled, “For the Promise to Be Sure.”

Grace Unveiled: To Whom the Lord Will Not Impute Sin  #11 | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim continued his series on Romans entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” This 11th installment of the series entitled, “To Whom the Lord Will Not Impute sin” picks up at Romans 4:6: “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.” Pastor Jim carefully unfolded what it means for God to not impute your sin. Essentially, this scripture is saying, “Blessed is he who stepped over that line and the burden of what he should get for crossing that boundary is taken off of him.” That guy is blessed!

Light Be | Russ Kalenberg

This past Memorial Day weekend, the Living Word congregation was blessed to hear special guest minister Russ Kalenberg preach his message entitled, “Light Be.” In the beginning, Genesis says the world was a chaotic mess, a scene of disorder and confusion. Does that sound familiar? The world today is very much a chaotic mess, a scene of disorder and confusion. What is the answer? It’s the same as it was in the beginning! “Light be!”

Grace Unveiled, #10: Credited to Your Account | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim preached the 10th installment of his series entitled, “Grace Unveiled,” a study of the book of Romans. This message subtitled, “Credited to Your Account,” finishes up the study of the sin problem and then begins a study of the solution to man’s sin problem—which is Romans 3:21–22, “…faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.” Pastor Jim said, “The reason why Paul spent so much time talking about the sin problem is because you can’t understand the solution if you don’t understand the problem.”