http://www.pastordanwalker.org Truth from Life Church St Louis Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:02:10 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Truth from Life Church St Louis Pastor Dan's Blog no Truth from Life Church St Louis http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://www.pastordanwalker.org/category/church http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/why-go-to-church-2.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/why-go-to-church-2.htm#comments Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:04:46 +0000 Pastor Dan http://www.pastordanwalker.org/?p=601

A Church of Prayer

Connecting With A Church Family

St Louis Church Directory – A Tool For Finding A St Louis Church

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/why-go-to-church-2.htm/feed 0 community,message,purpose Life is getting busier and more hectic with each passing year. How many would agree with that? It seems as though the time in a day is shrinking every month. The night arrives before we have time to get everything done. (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/100926.jpg)Life is getting busier and more hectic with each passing year. How many would agree with that? It seems as though the time in a day is shrinking every month. The night arrives before we have time to get everything done. So it’s important that we spend the time that God has given us doing the most profitable things. One of the things that God has designed to help you be successful in life is church. Yet even in the days of the Bible, people had a problem with going to church. Hebrews 10:25 (NIV) Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. God’s Word tells us not to give up on going to church, because we need the encouragement that church brings us. And the Day of Christ’s return is closer now than ever. In America, 84% of adults claim to be Christians, yet only 20% of adults regularly attend church. The number one reason that people don’t regularly attend church is that they are too busy. What does it mean when someone says they are too busy to do something? It simply means that the thing you are too busy for has a low priority in your life. You don’t see much value or benefit in it. I really believe that’s why the vast majority of people in America do not regularly attend church. They see no real benefit to it, it’s just a waste of a Sunday morning. This morning, my message is entitled “Five Benefits of Church.” We’re going to look at the Bible together and see five main reasons to go to church. Knowing these five reasons will also help us make good use of our time in church. Knowing these five reasons will help you pick a healthy church family to be a part of to begin with. If the Bible says that being part of a church family is important, then there must be something to it. This morning we’re going to concentrate on one passage in the book of Acts. The book of Acts in the New Testament tells the story of how the church got started. It’s not just a lesson in history though, the model found for the church in Acts is one that God desires the church of the 21st century to follow as well. There are 28 chapters in the book of Acts. We want Life Church to be an Acts 29 church. An Acts 29 church is a church that is committed to extending what started in the first 28 chapters of Acts right into St Louis in 2010 in our own Acts 29 chapter. Acts 2:41-47 (NIV) Those who accepted his [Peter’s] message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. From this passage we’re going to discover five reasons why the church exists and why you should be a part of it. Listen to my September 26, 2010 message "Five Benefits of Church." [flashvideo file=http://www.lifechurchstlouis.org/images/stories/video/100926.mov stretching=fill /] Pastor Dan's Blog no 33:35 http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/how-to-pray-for-lost-loved-ones-part-2.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/how-to-pray-for-lost-loved-ones-part-2.htm#comments Mon, 20 Sep 2010 01:39:24 +0000 Pastor Dan http://www.pastordanwalker.org/?p=597

How To Pray For Lost Loved Ones – Part 1

A Church of Prayer

Advanced Prayer Disciplines

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/how-to-pray-for-lost-loved-ones-part-2.htm/feed 0 message,outreach,prayer We’ve been looking at the biblical principles that a believer needs to practice to pray powerful prayers. Our theme verse for the entire series has been James 5:16b (NIV) The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/100919.jpg)We’ve been looking at the biblical principles that a believer needs to practice to pray powerful prayers. Our theme verse for the entire series has been James 5:16b (NIV) The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Now this verse does not say that prayer by just anyone is powerful and effective. Only the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. A righteous person is a believer walking rightly before God, a believer that is not walking in any known sin. When you are living righteously, then you can be confident in your prayers being powerful. In this mini-series within our Power Prayer series, we’re looking at how we can pray powerfully and effective for those dear to us to be saved and walk with God. Last week, we began the discussion of why it is often not any easy task to seeing a loved one come to salvation. One of the first barriers is simply that most people think they are Christians already. 84% of adults in America think they are Christians. 88% say they feel accepted by God. Yet only 38% of adults actually believe they are saved by confessing their sins and accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Only 7% of adults have a correct understanding of 8 basic Christian beliefs. So, whereas the vast majority of people believe they are Christians, the true Christians are a distinct minority. Jesus came to save the lost, to set those in spiritual bondage free. Luke 4:18 (NIV) "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,” As a Bible-believing church, our mission is the same as Jesus, to set the lost free. Today we’re going to continue to talk about how to do that through prayer. Late one night, a woman named Chrissy was awakened as the phone rang. When she answered, it was her older brother on the line. He shouted. “Sis, I just invited Jesus into my life, I’m saved. The preacher said to tell someone immediately, so I called you because you’ve been praying for me for so long.” Chrissy was speechless. Her brother had screamed at her at their mother’s funeral when she tried to share Jesus with him. He had broken up a pastor’s home to marry his third wife. He had been antagonistic to the things of God for years and years. Yet somehow, her prayers had finally been answered. A captive had been set free. God wants to do the same for you, as you pray for your lost loved ones. So, let’s continue with the question, How can I pray for lost loved ones? Listen to my September 19, 2010 message "How to Pray for Lost Loved Ones - Part 2." [flashvideo file=http://www.lifechurchstlouis.org/images/stories/video/100919.mov stretching=fill /] Pastor Dan's Blog no 36:42 http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/how-to-pray-for-lost-loved-ones-part-1.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/how-to-pray-for-lost-loved-ones-part-1.htm#comments Mon, 13 Sep 2010 01:33:47 +0000 Pastor Dan http://www.pastordanwalker.org/?p=595

How to Pray for Lost Loved Ones – Part 2

Is Mormonism Christian? Part 2

The Lost Tomb Of Jesus?

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/how-to-pray-for-lost-loved-ones-part-1.htm/feed 0 message,outreach,prayer Prayer is one of the most important things you can do with your time. Now it’s not the only important thing, but it should have the priority in our lives. One of the reasons that prayer is so important is that it is one of the essential things that lea... (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/100912.jpg)Prayer is one of the most important things you can do with your time. Now it’s not the only important thing, but it should have the priority in our lives. One of the reasons that prayer is so important is that it is one of the essential things that leads people to become believers. So prayer affects the eternal destinies of people. A lost person is someone who has not believed in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They may or may not believe in God, they may or may not attend church, but they do not have a personal relationship with Jesus. Everyone in the world is in one of two categories, they are either a believer or an unbeliever, they are either saved or lost. Luke 19:10 (NIV) 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. The reason that Jesus came to this earth was to save the lost. He loved us so much that He came from heaven to die on the cross that our sins might be forgiven. Everyone who believes in Jesus has their sins forgiven and moves from being lost to being saved. Now, if this was Jesus’ purpose in life, shouldn’t this be our purpose as well? An executive hirer, or “head hunter” whose job is to hire corporate executives for large corporations, told this story. He said that when he tries to assess a potential executive, he tries to disarm them. He takes them out to dinner, takes off his coat and tie, talks about sports or family until they’re relaxed. Then he leans over, looks them square in the eye and asks, “What’s your purpose in life?” He said, that it’s amazing how many executives fall apart at that question. However, when he interviewed an executive named Bob, he asked him the question, “What’s your purpose in life, Bob?” Bob looked him squarely back in the eye and without hesitation answered, “To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can.” The headhunter was speechless. I think Bob had a great answer. I also want to go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can. How about you? For many of us, we especially want to make sure that our loved ones will be with us for eternity. Our spouses, parents, children, grandchildren, friends and whoever else is dear to our hearts. Yet, sometimes, these are the people that seem most resistant to the Gospel. Sometimes, it seems impossible that they will ever be saved. Prayer is the key to seeing a lost loved one saved and that’s what we’re going to talk about today. So keep in mind someone that you love that is far from God today. Listen to my September 12, 2010 message "How To Pray for Lost Loved Ones - Part 1." [flashvideo file=http://www.lifechurchstlouis.org/images/stories/video/100912.mov stretching=fill /] Pastor Dan's Blog no 34:27 http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/a-church-of-prayer.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/a-church-of-prayer.htm#comments Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:26:49 +0000 Pastor Dan http://www.pastordanwalker.org/?p=592

Advanced Prayer Disciplines

What Prayer Accomplishes

The Basics of Prayer

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/a-church-of-prayer.htm/feed 0 message,prayer In this message, I want to step back and look at the importance of prayer to our church as a whole. God's Word teaches us that when the people of God gather together to pray, great power is released. Matthew 18:20 (NIV) "For where two or three come to... (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/100905.jpg)In this message, I want to step back and look at the importance of prayer to our church as a whole. God's Word teaches us that when the people of God gather together to pray, great power is released. Matthew 18:20 (NIV) "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Jesus is present in a special way when believers come together in unity to pray. I believe that there are prayers you'll never see answered if you just pray them by yourself. There are loved ones that may never come to know Jesus if you pray alone. However, the prayer of agreement, when believers gather together has the power to overcome every obstacle. Acts 4:31 (NIV) After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. After the early church had a prayer meeting, the very building in which they met was shaken. That was some powerful prayer and their prayers were answered very quickly. There is great power released when the church prays together. Behind every great move of God when many people are saved, you'll find at least one group of people who met for prayer. Behind every great church that impacts a whole city, you'll find a serious prayer ministry where people pray together to see God move. Prayer is the fuel of our lives and of our church. Listen to what Jesus wants for His church, for our church here at Life Church. Mark 11:17 (NIV) And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'?" In this verse Jesus is saying that he wants His house, His church, to be a house of prayer. He wants the church to be known first and foremost as a place of prayer. Now Jesus was not talking about a building, He is speaking of the church as the people of God. God wants Life Church to be called a church of prayer, not just for ourselves, but a church of prayer for all nations. To better understand what Jesus is talking about in this verse, we're going to study the surrounding passage found in Mark 11:12-25 to answer the question, How can we become a church of prayer? A church of prayer is filled with people of prayer. Listen to my September 5, 2010 message "A Church of Prayer." [flashvideo file=http://www.lifechurchstlouis.org/images/stories/video/100905.mov stretching=fill /] Pastor Dan's Blog no 31:02 http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/08/hindrances-to-prayer.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/08/hindrances-to-prayer.htm#comments Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:01:39 +0000 Pastor Dan http://www.pastordanwalker.org/?p=573

Advanced Prayer Disciplines

Praying With The Bible

The Mystery of Unanswered Prayer – Part 1

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/08/hindrances-to-prayer.htm/feed 1 discipleship,prayer Let me start out by asking you the question "Does God answer your prayers?" What would you say? Does He answer all the time, usually, some of the time or never? We all would like God to answer our prayers all the time, (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/100815.jpg)Let me start out by asking you the question "Does God answer your prayers?" What would you say? Does He answer all the time, usually, some of the time or never? We all would like God to answer our prayers all the time, but that doesn't happen for many us. Why not? Unanswered prayer is a big topic and there are many reasons for unanswered prayer. One of the reasons for unanswered prayer is that the content of the prayer is not right. What you are praying for is not in line with God's will. However, even if your prayer is in line with God's will, you may not get an answer. Today, I'm going to look at one of the big reasons why even a good prayer will not get answered. It's a reason that I believe most believers are not aware of and so is a major cause of unanswered prayer. My message today is entitled "Hindrances to Prayer." Let me begin by reminding you that prayer is communication with God. Anything that hinders that communication with God may lead to unanswered prayer. So what could hinder your communication with God? Psalms 66:18 (NIV) If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; The Psalmist here says that if someone cherishes sin in the heart, God does not listen to their prayers. If God does not listen to your prayers, you certainly are not going to get an answer. What does it mean to cherish sin in your heart? Another translation of the verse says Psalms 66:18 (NLT) If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. To cherish sin in your heart is to love your sin more than God. To cherish sin in your heart is to love that sin so much that you don't want to confess it to God and stop doing it. Might be a big sin, might be a little sin in your own mind, but if you hang on to it, God will not listen to your prayers and they won't be answered. Disobedience or sin in one area of your life, can short circuit an answer to prayer in another area of your life. Today, we're going to look at how disobedience or obedience affects our lives and prayers. I'm going to look at a story from the life of David, one of the kings of Israel in the Old Testament. I'd encourage you to read the whole story this week, which is found in 2 Samuel 11-12. The story begins with David taking it easy in the palace while his army was out fighting an intense battle. One day David was walking around on the palace roof and his eyes wandered down to a beautiful married woman bathing on her rooftop. David had her brought to the palace, committed adultery with her and she became pregnant. The Bible calls that sin. So let's see what we can learn from what happened in David's life. Listen to my August 15, 2010 message "Hindrances to Prayer." Pastor Dan's Blog no http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/08/advanced-prayer.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/08/advanced-prayer.htm#comments Sun, 08 Aug 2010 21:55:56 +0000 Pastor Dan http://www.pastordanwalker.org/?p=571

The Basics of Prayer

What Prayer Accomplishes

A Church of Prayer

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/08/advanced-prayer.htm/feed 0 discipleship,message,prayer Currently, we’re in a message series called “Powerful Prayer.” God wants our prayers to be powerful and effective. Yet sometimes, we are not sure why we should pray at all. Why should we pray? There are a lot of good answers to that question. (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/100808.jpg)Currently, we’re in a message series called “Powerful Prayer.” God wants our prayers to be powerful and effective. Yet sometimes, we are not sure why we should pray at all. Why should we pray? There are a lot of good answers to that question. As a believer, you should pray because God commands it. You should pray because you love God and want to talk to Him. Believers should pray because they need God's wisdom. We could go on and on about good reasons to pray. This morning I want to answer the question "Why Pray?" by saying that you should pray because prayer has amazing power. Now your words by themselves have no power, but in prayer you communicate with the most powerful person in the universe, God Himself. The right kind of prayer releases the most powerful force that exists, the power of God. Matthew 21:22 (NIV) If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. That sounds pretty powerful to me. Last week, we talked about some of the basics of prayer. This week, my message is entitled “Advanced Prayer.” I believe that God has something to challenge each us today to pray more effectively. What kind of power does God want your prayers to release? We need look no further than the Lord's prayer to discover the answer. Matthew 6:10 (NIV) Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. God intends the church to bring the kingdom of God to this earth through prayer. The kingdom of God is the spiritual sphere in which God is obeyed as King. So the kingdom comes as more people become believers. The kingdom expands as God gets more control of believer's lives. God also intends for believers to bring about God's will on earth through prayer. Is there anything better than God's will in any situation? The answer is no. God's will is good, pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2). So let's look at the spheres in which prayer's power is meant to be released. The first sphere that the amazing power of prayer can be released is in your life. The power of prayer can bring God's kingdom and will into your life. Is there anything in your life or family that is not pleasing to God? Prayer can bring about change. The second sphere that the amazing power of prayer can be released is in your church. Prayer is not just to be for yourself, but we are to pray for one another. Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. As believers pray together for one another even greater power is released. Finally, the third sphere that prayer releases God's power is the world. The world is spiritual aspect around us that is in rebellion against God. The world includes all those who are not yet true believers, which is most of the people around you. Persistent prayer has the power to move those far from God to turn their hearts and lives over to Jesus. Prayer is joining hands with God to expand His kingdom in this earth. There's nothing more exciting to be part of. So let’s look at 3 principles of advanced prayer. Listen to my August 8, 2010 message "Advanced Prayer." Pastor Dan's Blog no http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/08/foundational-prayer.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/08/foundational-prayer.htm#comments Sun, 01 Aug 2010 21:40:47 +0000 Pastor Dan http://www.pastordanwalker.org/?p=568

Advanced Prayer Disciplines

A Church of Prayer

What Prayer Accomplishes

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/08/foundational-prayer.htm/feed 0 prayer I believe that God has great things in store for us here as we follow His leading in the Ballwin area. Our vision at Life Church is to reach out to people across the St Louis metro area and tell them about God’s great plan and purpose for their lives. (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/100801.jpg)I believe that God has great things in store for us here as we follow His leading in the Ballwin area. Our vision at Life Church is to reach out to people across the St Louis metro area and tell them about God’s great plan and purpose for their lives. Somebody reached out to each of us at one time, that’s why we’re here. Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give.” Now we must obey Jesus’ command and reach out to others and bring them into the family of God here at Life Church. That’s a huge task, isn’t it. Some would say it’s impossible and they’d be right. What God has asked us to do, to build a church to reach those far from God, can’t be done in our own power and strength. However, before you get discouraged, God has a source of power that can help us get the job done. That’s what our new message series is all about. Today we begin a new message series, "Powerful Prayer." I believe this is the most important message series that I will preach this year. My goal in this series is that each of us individually and the whole Life Church family can take a giant leap forward in powerful and effective prayer. James 5:16b (NIV) The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Powerful and effective prayer is what God wants for you and our church. That kind of prayer stems from a deep relationship with God. Prayer is communication with God, not simply saying words. When you communicate with God the way that God instructs, amazing things happen. That's what God wants for you, that's what God wants for Life Church. My message title today is “Foundational Prayer." What is a foundation? A foundation is “a part of a building, usually below the ground, that transfers and distributes the weight of the building onto the ground.” You can’t see a foundation, it’s below the ground. However, the foundation is the most important part of the building. It supports the entire structure. How big the building can be built depends on the strength of the foundation. In the same way, prayer is foundational to the life of the believer and to the growth of the church. You can’t tell by looking at another person how much they pray. However, when the storms of life come, when the ground of life starts shaking, then the people with a prayer foundation in their lives will stand firm. People with a weak foundation of prayer in their lives don’t fare so well. Why don’t we pray more? Why is the foundation of prayer in many believer’s life weak? Many believers don't seem to see many answers to their prayers and so they get discouraged and give up. Their faith is weak, so their prayer life is weak. But if your prayer life is weak, your faith will be weak. Each is important for the other. In order to build our faith so that we can lay a foundation of prayer in our lives, we need to understand what prayer is all about. I must believe that someone is listening when I pray and not just anyone. The one who hears when I pray early in the morning is the God who created the universe. Psalms 4:3 (NIV) Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him. Not only do the godly have a relationship with the Lord, they believe that the Lord hears when they call to Him. God promises to hear when we call out to Him. Not only does God hear when we pray, but He draws near to people who pray. Deuteronomy 4:7 (NIV) What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? Only the people of God have the Lord draw near when they pray to Him. I want God near to me all the time. I want God near to this church, all the time. So, we're going to learn a lot more about prayer in this series and put what we learn into practice. So what is God's heart for us in prayer, what does He want us to do? Listen to my August 1, 2010 message "Foundational Prayer." Pastor Dan's Blog no http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2009/10/looking-forward-with-faith.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2009/10/looking-forward-with-faith.htm#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:59:55 +0000 Pastor Dan http://www.pastordanwalker.org/?p=486

Faith Drives Away Worry

Faith That Wins

Grow Into A Woman Of Faith

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2009/10/looking-forward-with-faith.htm/feed 0 http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2009/10/looking-up-for-guidance.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2009/10/looking-up-for-guidance.htm#comments Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:58:30 +0000 Pastor Dan http://www.pastordanwalker.org/?p=483

Following God’s Guidance

Your Children And God

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2009/10/looking-up-for-guidance.htm/feed 0 discipleship,purpose Who knows what tomorrow holds? Not you, not me, no human being knows what tomorrow holds. Oh, people can make general predictions, but even those often turn out to be wrong. Virtually no one predicted the financial meltdown of 2008. Who knows what tomorrow holds? Not you, not me, no human being knows what tomorrow holds. Oh, people can make general predictions, but even those often turn out to be wrong. Virtually no one predicted the financial meltdown of 2008. Will 2010 be the end of the recession or the beginning of an even greater depression? No one knows. I believe the world is entering into a phase of every increasing changes and challenges. Daniel 12:4 (NLT) But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase. We are living in the time of the end. The pace of life will continue to increase, as will knowledge. Increases in knowledge lead to constant change. How can we navigate such uncertain times? A lot of people think if they just keep on doing what they’ve always done, everything will work out. Well, it’s not going to work out for them without the right guidance. Where can you go for guidance about future decisions? Only God knows the future, so we must look, not within, but up to receive guidance for the future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God knows the future and He has a plan for you to navigate successfully through that future. Each of us has important decisions to make about our future, about our finances, about our jobs. In order to receive God’s guidance, we need to hear God speak to us. Yes, God still speaks to people today. Jesus said … John 10:27 (NIV) My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. Every believer is able to listen to Jesus’ voice and follow His direction. Listen to my October 11, 2009 message "Looking Up For Guidance" ( (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/090906-message-notes.pdf)message notes (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/091011-message-notes.pdf)). Pastor Dan's Blog no http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2009/10/looking-back-with-thanksgiving.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2009/10/looking-back-with-thanksgiving.htm#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:52:56 +0000 Pastor Dan http://www.pastordanwalker.org/?p=481

Receiving God’s Encouragement

Bouncing Back From Failure

How To Get Your Life Back On Track

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2009/10/looking-back-with-thanksgiving.htm/feed 0 worship There are two basic ways to look at tomorrow. The first way to look at tomorrow is with worry and fear. We let our minds race over what possibly could go wrong in the future. When we look at tomorrow with worry and fear, There are two basic ways to look at tomorrow. The first way to look at tomorrow is with worry and fear. We let our minds race over what possibly could go wrong in the future. When we look at tomorrow with worry and fear, we are expecting tomorrow to be worse than today. God does not want us to look at tomorrow with worry and fear. The second way to look at tomorrow is hope and faith. Our minds think about the dreams we have for a good tomorrow, both for ourselves and our church family. Hope dreams of a tomorrow that is better than our todays. Faith looks for a tomorrow in which dreams are fulfilled. God wants you to look at tomorrow with hope. Which way are you looking at tomorrow, with worry or with hope? We’re going to see that paradoxically, the key to looking to the future with hope is looking to the past with thanksgiving. The difficulty in facing tomorrow is that tomorrow is full of challenges and the unknown. Unknown challenges can be scary. Will you be up to the challenge or will it be too big for you? How can you deal with the challenges of the future? We might call the challenges of the future the giants that we must face. When you are called on to face a giant, it’s easy to be terrified. However, God wants you to face giants and challenges with hope and faith. The message today can be applied to challenges that you may be facing in your own life and family. Likewise, the principles we’re going to talk about today can also be applied to the challenges that our church will face in the future. Let's look at a story from the Old Testament found in 1 Samuel 17. I’d encourage you to read the chapter this week. In this chapter, the army of Israel was facing the Philistine army when out of their ranks emerged a giant of a man named Goliath. He challenged anyone in the Israel army to fight him alone. Goliath was over 9 feet tall and a strong warrior. How would you like to face Goliath in hand to hand combat? 1 Samuel 17:11 (NIV) On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. However, there was one Israelite who was not dismayed or terrified at the thought of fighting Goliath. His name was David. Here’s what he said. 1 Samuel 17:32 (NIV) David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." King Saul replied to David. 1 Samuel 17:33 (NIV) Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." How could a boy have the courage to face a monumental challenge like Goliath without fear? How could David have the faith to face a fearful tomorrow? We’re going to look at how David thought about his challenge to learn how we can meet our own challenges. Listen to my October 4, 2009 message "Looking Back With Thanksgiving" (message notes (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/091004-message-notes.pdf)). Pastor Dan's Blog no