“Trust in the goodness of the Giver, despite what you see in the gift.”
That’s easier said than done, but that’s what God’s goodness is all about. It’s about trusting His definition of good more than my own. And that was our topic in Part 3 of Unshakeable.
Enjoy the message!
Read More“At all times and in all circumstances, my life is fully in the Hand of God.”
That’s our key takeaway from week 2 of Unshakeable. We looked at the SOVEREIGNTY of God and the implications of His sovereignty on our lives. Nothing is ever outside of His control, no matter what the circumstance may be.
And if you’re looking for a verse to remind of this, look no further than Lamentations 3:37: “Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it? “
Read More“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)
We’re in Part 2 of our series HAPPY and this week’s topic is a hard one to grasp. That’s because - according to Jesus (pretty reliable source) - we discovered that MOURNING can actually be a pathway to HAPPINESS. Who knew?
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Below is a blog post that I originally wrote almost five years ago. I wrote it at a time when it seemed like a lot of people were going through "a hard time" and I found myself struggling with what to say and how to guide them. Below is what I came up with.
I feel that we might be in another one of those seasons now - where many are going through difficult times and struggling with questions like "what do I do now?" and "where do I go from here?"
Because of that, I am reposting my three-step strategy of what to do when there's nothing you can do... and where to go when you've got nowhere to go.
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Today's heart-warming guest post comes from Madona Lawindy - a close friend of mine and an original founding member of St. Timothy & St. Athanaisus church who has guest posted on my blog before.
There’s a phrase that I have been repeating absentmindedly since my first days of attending Sunday School. “He did it because He loved us.” This is of course referring to Jesus when He came to earth and was crucified on our behalf. I always got it but I never really got it. That is, until this past month, which led to one of the most horrible weeks of my life.
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Is it possible to grow if you’re never challenged?
Think before you answer. Is it possible to become stronger if your muscles are never challenged? Is it possible to become smarter if your mind is never challenged? Is it possible to run farther if your physical conditioning is never challenged?
Is it possible to grow if you’re never challenged? The undeniable answer is NO.
Whether it’s physical strength or intellectual prowess or long distance running, I will never grow unless I challenge myself and push myself beyond my current capability – aka, “what I can handle.”
All agree so far? (Here comes the part you probably won’t like.)
Read MoreIt's time for the maestro to walk onto the stage. And when He does, the INVISIBLE hand of God turns into the INVINCIBLE hand of God!
Don't miss the finale of the series, The Invisible Hand of God, and find out what God does when there's no solution in sight (hint: He solves it anyway).
Also, at the end of the message, there's a song that I reference called "Death Was Arrested". Definitely worth the 5 minutes to check it out.
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"To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us...Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace... Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.” Thomas Merton
Read MoreLook who's back! After a four week hiatus, I am back to doing what I love to do...PREACHING ABOUT THE GREATNESS OF GOD!
We kicked off a new series yesterday titled THE INVISIBLE HAND OF GOD: A Look at Esther. In it, we're talking about a subject which I am sooooooo passionate about and I think if you watch the message, you will be too.
Read MoreIt's once again that time of year where I take my annual hiatus from preaching. Every year we plan a fun guest speaker series at The Well and judging from part 1 yesterday, this year's series is going to be a good one!
It's called MEETING (again) FOR THE FIRST TIME. It's a follow up to our last series where we discussed some of the common myths about who God is. Each week, we'll look at one "false god" and try to figure out what the truth really is.
Week One: BODYGUARD GOD - isn't God supposed to protect from evil and harm?
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Don’t answer too quickly. Of course we all know the “right” answer. We all know that God’s plan is better than our plan and that His ways are higher than ours, yadda yadda yadda. We know the right answer in our head, but let’s be honest – it’s not always easy to believe it, is it?
What happens when your plans get changed against your wishes? When the thing you planned for doesn’t happen the way you want it to or in the timing you need? What happens when your "perfect plan" is turned upside down against your wishes and the only one to blame is God? What then?
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Today's guest post comes from Youssef Iskander - a high school student living just outside Toronto, who has guest posted before. Despite being young in age, Youssef displays quite a bit of maturity as he writes about our need to embrace not just our strengths in life, but also our weaknesses. If you too are interested in guest posting on my blog, please visit my Guest Post guidelines for more info.
"And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10
I find that we constantly lament our weaknesses when we compare ourselves to others. "I wish I was that good at…." "I wish I was as smart as…."
In short, we despise our weaknesses.
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There is a genuine and real joy in trials.
Genuine because it is an experience that involves the whole of your being - spirit, soul, and body. It is holistic, not partial. Full, not empty.
Joy - for the simple fact that there are myriad of gifts ready to be given, to those who endure to the end. There are revelations that He desires to reveal in the depth of your soul. About His Person, about who you are, and about your neighbor. To those who wait on the Lord and have there strength renewed.
It intensifies the intimacy between you and the bridegroom of your soul.
But many of us fail to discern this. If your eyes were opened to the working of our good God, you will begin to realize, as Father, He desires to continually give. Pour out. Think about it. If the Father of the Beloved has given us His Beloved, to be incarnate, die, rise, and ascend for you and me.
Read MoreWe hear it all the time, but is it actually true? Did Jesus ever actually say it? Isn't it in the Bible somewhere? Or did we just make it up?
Week 2 of Things Jesus Never Said and this week we talked about a phrase that hear (and probably say) all the time: GOD WILL NEVER GIVE YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE.
In this message, we talk about why God does allow us to endure trials and what the purpose of those trials might be. More importantly, we talk also talk about what our response to them should be. Enjoy!
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because,having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! Hope you had a great holiday week and are ready to get back into the normalcy/routine of life (I know I am!).
We got back into the swing of things at STSA by going back In The Waiting Room. This week our message focused around God's purpose for our trials. We all know we're waiting for something, but what? What is the intended outcome that God is trying to achieve from this? What exactly am I "waiting" for anyway?
The answer may surprise you. Make sure you check out this week's message to find out for yourself.
And as a special bonus, somewhere in the middle of the message I made my first "BOLD PREDICTION" for 2015. I guarantee you'll be interested in finding out what that's all about...
“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” Philippians 4:12
Is that really possible? Can I really be "content" in every situation? Can I really find peace inside when there's chaos and turmoil and upheaval all around me? Is that possible and if so, how do I get there?
That's the topic of week 3 In The Waiting Room as we discuss the "secret of contentment". You may not believe it but St. Paul gives us a formula to unlock this mystery in our own lives. What is that formula? You have to listen to the message to see. But I'll give you a hint...
I CAN'T, HE CAN.
It's week 2 in our latest series, IN THE WAITING ROOM, and we're still trying to answer the question: what do you do when there's nothing you can do?
We all know someone who's done it - someone who's made it through the waiting room (those unchangeable/unalterable circumstances of life) and come out stronger than when they entered. How do they do it? What's their secret? What am I doing or not doing that stops me from reaching that point of peace/trust in my waiting room?
It all comes down to one decision - one choice that you can make in your waiting room - that will unleash God's power and grace/ in your waiting room in extraordinary ways.
What do you do when there's nothing you can do?
When you're waiting for solutions that don't seem to be coming? When the problems just won't seem to get any better? When the more you try to fix them, the worse they get? What do you do when there's nothing you can do?
That's goal of our newest series at The Well called IN THE WAITING ROOM. What do you do when you're in the "waiting room" seasons of life - waiting for an answer that doesn't seem to be coming?
If you (or someone you know) is going through one of those waiting room seasons of life, check out the video above. I won't say that it'll solve all your problems; but hopefully it will help you find hope within them.
For most of you, the journey to Christmas will be a cold one. I’ve been reading that parts of the USA have been received immense amounts of snow, much earlier than usual. Also, throughout Europe, it’s been a cold and wet winter so far as well.
But that isn’t a problem for me. That’s because I live in Sydney, Australia. And especially with the "climate change" that everyone’s talking about, it’s even hotter this year than usual. So all we can do is dream of having a “white Christmas.”
But here’s the thing: even though it doesn’t look like Christmas or feel like Christmas, it’s still Christmas.
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Have you ever been so down and frustrated that you knew you were angry, but you weren’t quite sure who you were angry at? Just sort of angry at ‘life’ in general? I know I’ve felt that way before – especially during the time I was admitted to the ICU.
I felt hopeless and tired. I remember how weak I was; how pathetic I felt. I felt frustrated with life and wanted it to end. I didn't know if God was ever going to get me out alive, and at times, I actually didn't want to be alive. I was angry with myself. But more so, I was angry that life had been so harsh on me. I didn't understand why this was happening. All I knew was that this was the 'last straw'. I was breaking down, losing hope, and losing faith.
During that time, my parents would often comfort me and support me with three quotes from the late Pope Shenouda III (1923-2012). I’ll never forget those three statements that my family always said when they came to see me: “'this too will end soon”, “God is here”, and “all is for the good”.
Three short statements, but the power and hope they instilled within me was incredible.
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