Graceland Christian Church

But If Not

But If Not
With the subject I want to talk about today, "if not" is implying that an alternative outcome will follow if the initial condition isn't met. In the Old Testament, man made promises to God that couldn't be kept, in the New Testament God made promises to man that He cannot break. We all pray prayers to God the best way we know how and sometimes those prayers are one sided, all about our desires and wants. What if God doesn't answer our prayers the way we think He should? The question is, can you or will you still trust Him? When we pray, "Lord Your will be done", we need to be willing to accept through faith that He knows what's best in every situation. Let's make a commitment through faith that we will trust God with our future no matter what. God has been searching for a generation of Christians who will trust Him and not on our terms but on His infallible Word!

Jesus - The Door

Jesus - The Door
A door has multi-purposes, it can let things in or it can keep things out. In John 10:9, Jesus said - "I am the door, if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture". Before any Christian can enjoy what the next verse says about abundant life we first must open wide the door of our heart and let Jesus in every area of our lives! The Door (Jesus) is the only path to salvation, which leads to spiritual opportunity, protection, and security. A door can symbolize transitions, new beginnings, from one place to another. Doors can mark the point where one crossed a threshold, leaving behind the old and entering the new. Today, as you hear the Word of God, I pray that we would not hesitate to go through doors (opportunities) that Jesus has set before us.You never know what's on the other side of the door unless you go through it!

Trust Me

Trust Me
Throughout the history of mankind, God has always been looking for people who would trust and obey Him. This is simply placing one's faith and reliance on God, being confident in His promises and plan for one's life. Everyday challenges test our faith in God and fear and anxiety have robbed many Christians of their faith. All the devil needs is a little fear, a little doubt, a little worry to feed on and he will begin to build a case against us as to why we cannot trust God. That's why the Scriptures repeatedly tells us to trust in the Lord with all our heart. Today I will give you some encouraging Scriptures and promises from His Word as to why we can totally trust in His faithfulness to all of us! Trusting God is not just quoting some Scripture, it's believing God's Word when we are put to the test. His Word has to go from statement to application. When applying God's Word to any situation there will be a response!

The Preparation Period

The Preparation Period
Preparation in the Bible generally refers to the process of getting oneself or something else ready for a specific purpose. Preparation is not a one time event but an ongoing process of growth, learning, and aligning our lives with God's will and Word. Today, I want to share with you and hopefully give you a better understanding of some tools God uses to prepare us for future ministry. Being prepared means that we keep ourselves ready for upcoming events. 2 Timothy 4:2 says - Be ready in season and out of season. This was a charge given to Timothy by his spiritual father Paul, instructing him to preach the Word of God and be prepared to do so at all times regardless of circumstances. In the times in which we live in, there are things happening that no one thought they would experience, tragedies that are shaking the world but they shouldn't be shaking God's church. Instead, we as the body of Christ must continue to let God work deep within us so that we can be a life line to those experiencing such grief and heart ache.

Don't Quit

Don't Quit
   In the Scriptures, the concept of "don't quit" is closely related to perseverance, endurance, and steadfastness in faith, especially during difficult times. Throughout Scripture we have tremendous examples of believers who in the natural had every reason to just quit trusting God's promises but they didn't and left us an example of hope, strength, and encouragement as we also will face challenges and difficult times. God's Word emphasized the importance of faith, perseverance, and reliance of God to overcome adversity and fulfill His purpose. There are a million reasons why we could quit running our race with Jesus but they would all be for something temporary. In order to endure to the end, we must value "eternal" life more than anything or anyone else! Nothing in this life is worth losing the abundant and eternal life Jesus paid for us to have. I pray that God's Word today renews your mind and will to reject every offer the devil sends your way. Christians must never let quitting even be an option, keep pressing in by faith and keep your eyes on the finish line!
 

Sanctification

Sanctification
 
Sanctification = The process of God's grace by which the believer is separated from sin and becomes dedicated to God's righteousness. When a person gets saved, their heart is instantly changed but not the flesh. We were born with a "sin nature" that we will live with til the moment we enter into eternity with Jesus. Only Jesus can cleanse us from the moral and spiritual filth we have allowed to pollute our hearts. Sanctification is for "ALL" Christians. Salvation and justification are talked about a lot within churches but not sanctification. I believe it's because salvation and justification are paid for at the cross but sanctification will cost the believer. A believer who allows sanctification in their lives is a person that their actions and lifestyle line up with God's Word. I pray we all return to God after today and let Him transform our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit. The result of sanctification brings upon the believer the glory of Christ.

A message from Bro. David

Thank you for joining us today!

Why Wouldn't He?

Why Wouldn't He?
 
The question today is.... Why wouldn't God exalt us to know His majesty and to live in His glory? God makes promises to "all" His children and cannot ever break them. The problem is that we christians put limits on God, we limit the time we spend with Him in prayer, the study of His Word and true christian fellowship and then we question God as to why we don't see His power working in our lies. I want to encourage you today through examples in the scriptures that when our lives line up with His Word that He will deliver us, empower us, sanctify us, and use us to show the world around us that there is nothing impossible with our God! So, we should never listen to the lies of the devil that God cannot get glory from our lives. It was in some of the darkest times in the disciples lives that God used them the greatest, so, if He did it through them, why wouldn't He do it through you and me? His promises endure forever to those who love and trust in Him. Be encouraged that God will do what He promised you!

A Message From Pastor Joshua West

Pastor Joshua West is ministering to us today. Thank you for joining us!

A Message From Bro. David

Thank you for joining us today. We pray that you have a blessed week!