Focus for Effect: Love | Mac Hammond
 
Recap
 
Pastor Mac taught the third installment of his series entitled, “Focus on Effect,” based upon 2nd Corinthians 4:17, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The apostle Paul said the hardships in our lives can be light and momentary. It all depends on what we place our focus upon. Paul says we are to focus our attention on what is eternal, rather than what is temporal. There are three things that are eternal: faith, hope, and love. We are to focus on that.
 
Dive Deeper
 
We are not to focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen, on that which is eternal.
 
When something is in focus, we gain a clarity that enables us to better understand.
 
Clarity only comes by what you give your attention to. And that is a battle over our attention: what you hear, what you renew your mind to, and what you think upon.
 
The challenge is to keep your attention where it belongs. There are many things in this world that want our attention. It can be information overload for the purpose of distracting our attention. Some things are good; however, these things should not be our life’s focus.
 
The one thing that should be our focus is the Word of God. You’re an eternal spiritual being, but you live in this world and how to live it successfully is important.
 
Living in this world as a spiritually alive human being, things aren’t always in focus. The Word says we see as though through a glass darkly right now. The temporal realm often contradicts the Word, which makes things “fuzzy.”
 
Seeing things as though through a glass darkly will often generate questions: “Well, why isn’t this working? Why have I prayed so many times and nothing’s happened? Why did I get hands laid on and nothing’s gone down yet?”
 
When you get a question, don’t dwell on it. Questions that are “dwelled upon” become a seed of unbelief which will separate you completely from the promise of God. You can’t let that occur.
 
Faith, Hope, and Love are eternal truths…
 
1st Cor. 13:12, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” (KJV)
 
The New Living Translation puts it this way: “…three things will last forever: faith, hope, and love.”
 
Now we see as though through a glass darkly, “but” there are three things that last forever and that are eternal: faith, hope, and love. And God is saying this is where your focus needs to be given.
 
When you are engaged in trying not to pay too much attention to something going on in the temporal realm, shift your focus to faith, hope, or love: these three of which love is the greatest.
 
You are to be cognizant more of the spiritual realm than you are the natural realm.
 
The Lord has placed before us the choice of “life and blessing,” or “death and cursing.” It’s our choice on which to embrace. Every decision you make is going to be for either life and blessing or death and cursing.
When you take your attention off what the seen realm says about your life and place it on what God says, whatever hardships come your way, they’ll be light and momentary. They’ll be less intense because you’re looking at the realm of truth that changes the temporal realm when you give it enough attention.
Read About It
 
2nd Cor. 4:17, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
 
1st Cor. 13:12–13, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
 
Discussion Questions
 
If you were to describe what it means to think on things on the seen realm, what would that sound like?
Conversely, if you were to describe what it means to think on things in the unseen realm, what would that sound like?
God has placed before us the choice of life and blessing or death and cursing. Describe what kind of life choices you would place in these two categories. What are choices for life and blessing? What are choices for death and cursing?

Recent Sermon Notes

A Faith-Building Weekend With Nancy Dufresne

What a weekend we had with guest minister Nancy Dufresne. She shared on the power of faith and reminded us that God and the Holy Spirit should always remain our focus. That means when we face difficulty, listening to the Holy Spirit, our guide on the inside, is the best thing that we can do. You can walk in faith toward your miracle!

GRACE UNVEILED: “All Under Sin,” #7 | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim delivered his seventh installment in his series on the book of Romans, entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” The first three chapters of Romans focuses explicitly on the definition of sin. “Because,” as Pastor Jim says, “if you don’t understand what sin is, you will not understand the solution to the sin problem.” Paul wanted them to understand that all of mankind has a sin problem, and no matter who you are, you will never, ever be able to achieve righteousness through your own merit. If doesn’t matter if you’re a secular pagan who worships Zeus or a religious Jew who strictly follows the law, God will never see you as righteous through your own effort. Pastor Jim has much more to say in this message subtitled, “All Under Sin.”

They Brought | Mac Hammond

Last Sunday, Pastor Mac taught a message entitled, “They Brought.” He said, “If you’re in a relationship with the Lord, you’re in a covenant with Him. And that covenant is one of blessing.” Yet, many covenant believers do not seem to walk in the level of blessing the Bible promises. Why is that? Pastor Mac said walking fully in the provision and purpose of God begins by understanding what the definition of a covenant actually is.

Focus for Effect #4: The Resurrection of Christ | Pastor Mac Hammond

What a wonderful Easter weekend we had as we celebrated Jesus! His resurrection is the focal point for our faith, for it bridges the gap between the seen realm and the unseen realm. As you go through your day today, remember that the resurrection power of Jesus has the ability to raise your circumstances high above anything you can imagine. The touch of death does not need to destroy your life! God’s resurrection power is at work in you and through you to touch this world for Him.

Grace Unveiled: Everyone Is Guilty (Rom. 2:1–9)  | Jim Hammond

Pastor Jim gave the fifth installment of his series entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” The first three chapters of Romans can be summed up by saying people who rely on their own righteousness, their own ability, their own self-effort will not escape the judgment of God. It is only through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ can any man escape His judgment. In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul defines New Testament righteousness as the ability to stand before God without a sense of guilt or inferiority.