Bethel Community Church Orlando

God with Us: An Available God

Enoch faithfully walked with God for 300 years. The simplicity and shortness of Enoch’s story may cause us to miss how incredible it is. But we can learn from Enoch's faithful walks. Faith takes advantage of the outstretched hand of God. Immanuel means God is available to us. Enoch stands in contradiction to what the world had become in his time. Will you take God by the hand, walk with Him, and stand in contradiction to our world today?

God with Us in the Valley

Christians and non-Christians alike have used a form of the phrase, "God is with you." When things are going well, it can be easy to think that God is taking care of us. But what about during those times of desperation, when we are in a valley? Christians have the power and strength of God on their side. While we are going through the tragedies of the valley, we can still set our minds on the goodness and unfailing love of God. The road to the path of peace is often through the valley. We all will encounter valleys, but God promises that we won't be stuck there alone. God is with us!

Emotions: INGRATITUDE

A spirit of ingratitude can cause many negative emotions. Romans 1:21 shows us that the people Paul was speaking to knew God, but they did not give thanks to God. We tend to do the same thing. We have knowledge of God, but we ignore His providences and refuse to give Him thanks. Gratitude is a matter of our hearts. We are ungrateful because we take for granted the goodness of the Lord. Every good gift comes from God! So, be thankful to God for all the good things, even the common things, that He has given us.

Emotions: THE HEART

Pastor Robert has spent the last six weeks talking about different emotions. Where do our emotions originate? In the heart. However, from a young age, we are taught to monitor or change our behavior, not change our heart. The religious leaders in Jesus' day were certainly more concerned with managing behavior by following their laws rather than monitoring their hearts. Jesus called this to their attention in Matthew 15 when he told them what is in the heart comes out of the mouth, and that is what defiles a person. How is your heart?

Emotions: JEALOUSY

Although we tend to make light of jealousy, Proverbs 27:4 tells us that jealousy is more cruel and dangerous than anger. This is evident in the life in Joseph. His brothers were so jealous they plotted his murder. Joseph's life was spared, but he was sold into slavery, accused of wrongs he didn't do, and put in prison. By trusting God, Joseph was able to overcome each of these situations. The things Joseph suffered because of his brothers' jealousy should serve as a warning for all us. Jealousy is dangerous! This story has a happy ending though, because Joseph was able to forgive is brothers and restore his relationship with them.

Emotions: DEPRESSION

Why do so many of us carry the weight of depression? Our souls are weighed down with the heaviness of past hurt, the heaviness of present trouble, and the heaviness of an anxious future. Instead of feeling sad or hopeless about our troubles, we can look to God when we feel depressed. We can remember God's faithfulness, cry out to Him, and trust that He is powerful enough to handle the future. May you find rest in Jesus! Put your hope in Him.

Emotions: WORRY

So many of us have a restless soul. We are always searching but never finding the comfort we need. Our anxious and worried souls are never satisfied. The busyness and uncertainty of life exasperates us. The book of Psalms is filled with verses that give our weary souls the recipe for rest. Ultimately, our rest is in God. He alone is the answer to our worry.

Emotions: GUILT

Guilt. We've all experienced it. You may have asked for forgiveness or tried to right your wrongs, but from time to time, you still feel guilty for things from your past. Satan can use that guilt to make us feel condemned, hopeless, and unloved. However, God has the power to cleanse us, defend us, and remove our guilt through Jesus. 

Emotions: DISAPPOINTMENT

By any measure of success, Moses had it all. He was the prince of Egypt. But in a moment of rage, he lost it all. Moses probably felt as though there was no way to recover from the disappointment he had become. God was not finished with Moses though. God taught Moses through Moses' insecurity, insignificance, and isolation. Moses' failure and disappointment was not the end of his service. It actually became God's foundation for Moses' future success.

Emotions: ANGER

Anger is a word we often struggle to clearly define. While anger is not always sinful, it certainly can be. Even God was angry at times, but He never sinned. So, how can we deal with our anger whenever tempers are flaring? We can acknowledge when we are sinful, recognize God's sovereignty, pray that we grow in love, and learn to forgive. Ultimately, through the Holy Spirit, God enables us to replace our anger with forgiveness.