November 11, 2007

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Stand Firm

Guest Preacher: Michelle Brown

God chose you from the time you were created.  He knew you first.  He chose you knowing you would fall, but He would be there to pick you up.  He has never left you.  You may have thought He left.  You may have even pushed Him away but He stayed by you.  He loves you.  He gives you so many blessings, and you don’t realize it.  Faith is believing in what can’t be seen.  God is here among us, next to us, but because we don’t see Him, we don’t realize it.  Stand firm and hold on to your faith.  If you have faith like a child, you have salvation.  God’s grace is for everyone who believes.  Everyone He has chosen.  You think you chose Him but He chose you first.  You possess the glory of Christ.  You show it and share it with every hug, every Hello, every I Love You and every Thank You.  You hold the power with every good deed and word you do and say.  That is Christ like.  That is Jesus shining through you.  To have faith like a child is Christ like.  I remember one Winnie The Pooh Friendship Camp we went outside and one camper said “God hugged me, I felt it in the wind.” Then the other camper said “God kissed me on the cheek, I felt it in the sun.  Though there is so much evil in the world, God will protect you.  He will guide you.  And only He will judge.  Trust Him as much as He trust you.  Thank Him as much as he does for you.  Without faith we have nothing.  With faith we receive hugs from God through the wind.  We receive kisses from God through the sun.  All He wants from us is to stand firm, trust in Him, and tell everyone Jesus Loves You.  Share your joy don’t hide it.  Jesus is the treasure of our Hearts.  What good is a treasure if you keep it hidden and to yourself.  Can you see God saying “Look at what I possess and I’m not going to share.” God’s Grace give us the chance to show the world true Love.  Keep your faith because it is so hard to reteach yourself, Ok this is the way it is.  Sure temptation comes Well if your God is so powerful make him move something across the room.  God does not want to be tested.  As a child we test our parents but it did work.  And it won’t work with God.  Stand firm, keep your faith and grow with it.  You know the saying you may be one person in the world but you may also mean the world to one person.  You all mean the world to me.  You have all blessed me in some way.  You must have done something to me because I am up here.  And yes I am scared to death but I feel God holding my hand.  He is here and among us.  We must let Him shine through us.  We must share Him with the World. 

 

Copyright 2007 -- Michelle Brown

Franklin Circle Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

1688 Fulton Rd., Cleveland, OH 44113-3096