Pastor Mac Hammond | August 17–22, 2021
Recap:
What we feed on a daily basis is what thrives in our lives. When we feed our spirits, our spirits grow stronger. When we feed our flesh, our flesh gains momentum. If left unchecked, our flesh will grow by default; therefore, we must be deliberate to grow our faith. We need to hear the Word over and over, for that is what helps us better understand who God is and who He wants us to be. That’s one reason why we have the Upper Midwest Faith Explosion meetings every year: to grow our faith!
Dive Deeper:
A life of faith is characterized by faithfulness, perseverance, and consistency in choosing to follow God in our daily lives. This past Tuesday night, Dr. Jerry Savelle reminded us that we are to always look to the One who is greater than our adversity. Adversity will try to stop us from fulfilling our dreams, but God wants to fulfill all He has planned for us. We can take our dreams out of the closet and believe God will make them happen!
Wednesday, Dr. Savelle talked about firsts. He said that 2021 would be a year of firsts. It would be a year of abundant overflow and an unprecedented outpouring of the goodness of God. Are you ready to plug into it? When God does something in our lives for the first time, it marks us. Expect that this will be a year where God will break barriers and help each one of us live an extraordinary, exceptional life.
Thursday, Brother Copeland reminded us that God is good and God is love. His love isn’t based on feelings. It is unconditional. Our love for others shouldn’t be based on feelings either. Understanding the depths of the God-kind of love will strengthen our faith in ways we can never dream.
Friday, Brother Copeland talked about the little things that make a difference in our lives. Little acts of goodness, care, and love can make for a beautiful life, but little steps of dishonor and disrespect matter to God and should matter to us. Taking care of the people around us and living a life of good character is part of a life lived well before God.
Saturday, Brother Jesse reminded us that asking God for what we want is part of the process of receiving from Him. God wants to answer our prayers, but our blessing is limited by our capacity to receive. Let’s keep our hands lifted toward heaven and put the pressure on God’s covenant with us. Then stick with what God has called each one of us to do, for persistency in asking never fails to open the floodgates of God’s power to us.
Sunday, Brother Jesse had two messages, both of which were talking about the power of faith in our lives. “Have faith” was a command of Jesus to His disciples; in fact, it was the “Command of Commands,” and it is a command we should still follow today. Faith is an act of the will, and God values those who act in faith. Fear and faith can’t live together—so why not choose to have faith in a God who is more than able to take care of us and provide for us immeasurably and beyond anything we can ask or imagine?
Read More:
Ephesians 6:10-13 KJV
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Psalm 77:11 KJV
I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.
1 John 4:7-13 KJV
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 KJV
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
John 13:34-35 KJV
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Ephesians 5:1-2 KJV
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
2 Kings 4:1-2 KJV
Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.
Isaiah 1:19 KJV
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
Matthew 17:20 KJV
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Mark 4:35-41 KJV
On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
Discussion Questions:
1. Is fear present in your life? How can you increase your faith so it can overcome your fear?
2. How does it affect your faith when you hear faith-filled messages and read the Word?
3. What can you do today to choose persistent faith?
4. How does persistent, consistent faith in God make life better?
Rewatch or catch up on the full sermon with the link below!