Tri-County Christian Center

“Hope For Hard Times” Part4

“Hope For Hard Times” Part4 – “Trust does not need to see first” – RECAP of Ruth 1 * Elimelech, Naomi, 2 sons, Mahlon & Chilion – Bethlehem * Severe famine – head to land of Moab * Elimelech dies * Sons marry Moabite women – 10 yrs. & die too * 2 OUT OF 3 Widows – Naomi, Ruth [Orpah] * Famine Ends – Return to Bethlehem/Judah Naomi & Ruth - Trust does not need to see first - Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. - Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount - Mathew 7:7-8 NKJV - "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (8) For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. - Mystery and Victory - 1Corinthians. 15:58 AMP Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].

“Hope For Hard Times” Part3

“Hope For Hard Times” Part3 – “The Necessity and Primacy of Hope!” – We have Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. - Theme Verse: Rom 15:13 NIV84 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” * Ruth 1:16-17 Ruth's Declaration of Faith * Prov. 3:5-6 Trust Does Need to See First * Heb. 3:13 We Need One Another * Lev. 23:22 God's Welfare System - The Lord goes before us as He walks beside us as we trust in Him.

“Hope For Hard Times” Part2

“Hope For Hard Times” Part2 – “We Have the Promises of God!” – We have the Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. * Ruth's Loyalty to Naomi: Ruth 1:16-22 - Sorrow and grief comes into our lives and teaches us and reminds us that we are not God. * James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. - Even in our failure, if we can take it to Jesus, it can make things better. As a believer, we need to know that God’s good and will help us. Keep trusting and walking in Him.

“Hope For Hard Times” Part1

“Hope For Hard Times” Part 1 – “God hears your groaning in times of helplessness" - Theme Verse: Rom 15:13 NIV84 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” - Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. * We’re the only hope because of the power Jesus has deposited in us. We will be His witnesses. * Fear, intimidation and lies are the lies enemies’ lies. *Our God has defeated the devil. - Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. - Cement our relationship with God right now. - The story of Ruth 1:1-22 Naomi Widowed, Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi, Naomi and Ruth Return.

“2-Verses-That-Guided-My-Mnistry”

“2-Verses-That-Guided-My-Mnistry” – “The two Greats” - * The Great Commission, Matthew 28:19 * The Great Commandment, Matthew 22:38 What does it mean to love? - * Love is used all over the place. * There is a difference between loving a sports team vs Loving God. * The highest form of love is what we should use when we say we love God. - Heart / Soul / Mind – The Spirit is something implanted in us by God. It is uniquely planted in us. It is more than biology. * 2 Corinthians 5:5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

“Priesting The Holy Spirit”

“Priesting The Holy Spirit” – “Are you prepared to steward the presence of God?” – * Exodus 19:1-6 God’s people experience the presence of God. * Isaiah 61:6 And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. - The Ministry of Reconciliation; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21 - Sacrifices Pleasing to God; Let us offer, through Jesus, a continual sacrifice of praise to God. - * Hebrews 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. - Are you prepared to steward the presence of Go? * “Live in such a way that people who know you but don’t know God, will come to know God because they know you”

“An Appeal to Heaven”

“An Appeal to Heaven” – “Liberty Tree, an appeal to God” - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. - Scriptures for Going Forward * The Whole Armor of God. - Ephesians 6:10-13 * I looked for a man. - Ezekiel 22:30-31 *By all this we are encouraged. - 2 Corinthians 7:13-15

“His Way In The Whirlwind“

“His Way In The Whirlwind“ – “No fear, keep your eyes on Me.” - Nahum 1:3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. * Our best posture is to not be afraid of them, seek fist His Kingdom. * Keep your focus on God. The storm is coming but He has His way in the storm.

“Watchmen On The Wall”

“Watchmen On The Wall” – “The Black Robe Regiment” *The Church as the Conscience of the Nation. * The Declaration of Independence is a Religious Document - The Black Robe Regiment: The Pastor-Patriots of the Revolution * Leaders Of Their Congregations * The Moral Motivators Of the People * The Spiritual Shepherds Of the Flock of God In This New Land. - Many of the government leaders were also leaders in the churches. - What Are We to Do – To Be? - Ephesians 5:8-11 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (9) (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) (10) and find out what pleases the Lord. (11) Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. - Reveal The Reason For The Trouble - Isaiah 59:1-4 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. (2) But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. (3) For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. (4) No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.

“Find The Light Switch”

“Find The Light Switch” – “Overwhelmed by the Darkness Because We underestimate the Light.” – There is no such thing as darkness. Darkness is the Absence of Light. - Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. - 2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. - The Book of the Law Found - 2 Chronicles 34:18-19 Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. * Don’t be overwhelmed by the Darkness. * We need something to move the Heart of God. - Isaiah 1:26 I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City."