Pastor Mac Hammond | February 20, 2022

Recap:
Disappointment can be deadly. That’s why Pastor Mac took time away from his current series to preach a message entitled “Managing the Deadly Force of Disappointment.” Too many people allow disappointment to steal their faith. They know that God can heal, but when experience doesn’t align with what they believe, they are disappointed—and if they don’t deal with that disappointment well, they will slide toward discouragement and eventually despair. That’s one reason why we must learn to keep our focus more on God’s Word than on outward circumstances.

Dive Deeper:
The enemy is after your faith. He will do whatever he can to get you to waver from your belief in God and His Word. That means if he can’t get you to stop reading the Word, he will work to ensure that disappointment is ever-present in your life. He will make sure that you are disappointed through people and negative circumstances time and again.

He knows that repeated disappointment that is left unmanaged will eventually become negative expectation. Negative expectation that is not properly dealt with will become discouragement and soulish weariness. Discouragement unmanaged will become hopelessness and despair.

You can, however, change this slide. When disappointment comes your way, don’t focus on it. Turn your attention back to the Word. Keep focused on who you are in Christ and what the Word says about the circumstance you are facing.

Do as the apostle Paul recommended in Philippians chapter 3: forget those things that are behind and press forward to what lies ahead. When you keep God as your focus and delight, He will give you desires that align with His will in your life. He will lay out for you His high calling on your life. Make maximum sustainable effort in that direction.

Know that you can’t do this on your own. Stay connected with the church family that God has placed you with, for encouragement is vital as we leave disappointment behind and stir our faith in Jesus!

Read More:
Hebrews 11:1 KJV
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Proverbs 23:18 KJV
For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

Philippians 3:13–14 KJV
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 10:24–25 Amp.
And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.

Discussion Questions:
1. Have you ever had your expectation frustrated?
2. When you are weary, what do you do to stir up your faith?
3. How does redirecting our attention to the Word of God stir up positive expectation?
4. Why is church so important?
5. What is your favorite thing about church?

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

Recent Sermon Notes

FOCUS FOR EFFECT: Love | Mac Hammond

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.

FOCUS FOR EFFECT: Hope | Mac Hammond

This series is all about focus, meaning where do you give your attention. This is important because whatever you give your attention to will determine how hard or difficult your life will be. And conversely, it will determine how easy and carefree it will be. Teaching on 1st Corinthians 13:13, Pastor Mac says you can gain the clarity you need to succeed in your life by focusing on matters of faith, hope, and love.

Focus on Effect | Mac Hammond

Pastor Mac began a new series entitled, “Focus on Effect.” He started off by telling us the topic of the new series is something we probably think we already know about, but in fact, we don’t know enough about it as we probably should. The scriptural reference was 2nd Corinthians 4:17–18: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Though Pastor Mac has taught on this passage before, he said he’s “gotten a glimpse of a different side of this mountain. And I’m seeing it from a perspective that has really impacted me in a positive way.” He added, “And I want it to be that way for you all as well.”

Are We in the Days of Noah? | Jim Hammond

Jesus’ disciples asked Him what the signs will be of His coming. Jesus said it will be like it was in the days of Noah: “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Fellow believers, we are in the days of Noah. All they thought about in the days of Noah was eating and drinking and the like. They were not thinking about the flood that was coming. So it is today!

A Deception of Palestine | Jim Hammond

This past weekend, Pastor Jim ministered a special God-directed message for the congregation entitled, “A Deception of Palestine.” He talked about how there is a division in the body of Christ worldwide, where believers are allowing themselves to become deceived when it comes to the present and ongoing deception regarding the Jewish people and Israel. It’s important that Christians do not allow themselves to be persuaded by worldly and ungodly leaders and news systems. It’s important they know what the Word of God says and exalt it as God’s truth.