In chapter 12, Moses tells the people to go in and clean house.  They must  tear down all the altars and to remove all idols.  He told the people that their worship of the true living God was essential for their survival and that any false God, teaching, or misplaced passion would prevent that.  He exhorted the people  to "clean house" before they could truly worship in His church.

This week, Moses continues to clean house this in chapter 13 as he tells the Israelites that people who distract us from worship have to go as well! Chapter 13 is a hard chapter for many people to tackle. Don't get me wrong, it's hard to remove idols and burn down altars to false gods in our life, but to remove people feels much harder.

Much like last week's text, Moses doesn't hold back on just how serious this issue is and the lengths we are supposed to go to ensure that our life is ready to worship God. Moses tells the people that if anyone, and he means anyone, stands in your way or distracts you from worship, remove them! If someone who carries the title of "prophet" or teacher and teaches in a way that points towards other gods, remove them!  If a person from your own home entices you to worship other gods, remove them! If a friend tempts you in sin that hinders your worship, remove them! Moses even goes so far to tell them that if they hear rumors that strangers in other communities are leading people astray, remove them as well!

Chapter 13 gives us an even clearer picture of just how important it is to worship God.  The Scripture is very clear about man's desperate need of praise and worship towards the True and Living God.  Moses tells the people this week that if anything stands in their way, "it has to go." Understand though, he is not calling us to divorce or to not show kindness/grace to others, but a more serious pursuit of worship by the removal of stumbling blocks that hinder us.

This is hard for us today in so many ways.  Many of the people who distract our worship are close to our heart.  The ones that lead us astray are often family and friends that say they love us and people who we have walked with for years.  To remove such people from our lives is such a hard thing to do. We see this all throughout the Scripture, that a believer in God and follower of Christ can be a lonely walk.  As one gets older in faith, their island often becomes smaller and smaller.

Once again, this is just another reason for the church! Paul would speak about this call and truth throughout his letters in the New Testament.  As he grew in obedience and faith, he lost so many past relationships.  However, he gained new ones.  Even stronger ones! As we follow Jesus, our circle should get smaller, but stronger.  Moses knows this.  He is speaking to the people about having quality, faith-founded, and strong relationships that spur us on to greater obedience and worship.  Chapter 13 is not just simply about shedding weight of "bad friends".  It's the gift of new ones!

In the new life that God gives us in salvation, we need worship (chapter 12) and we need faithful people to worship with (chapter 13). This has always been God's plan for the church.
Much like the Bible and His Spirit, God's church is a blessing to His people that was meant to feed and strengthen His people.

Thank God for faithful churches!

Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

 Read chapter 12 of Matthew as Jesus speaks about the "new family" salvation brings.

In this week's chapter, Moses tells the people to "clean house"!  That the first thing they need to do when they enter their new residence is to tell the old tenants to leave! Now don't forget that the promised land is not uninhabited land.  This was the home of the Canaanites, amongst other people groups that lived in the land of milk and honey before the people of God did. Also remember that God was working in many ways through the Israelites entering this land of blessings.  God was blessing His people but also punishing others for their worship of false gods (Deut 9:4-6).  God was blessing some, while punishing others through the same event in history.

The people who currently resided in the promised land of God were people that did not worship Him.  These are people that worshipped false gods and bowed to false religions. These idols and false doctrines corrupted the land's people and would corrupt the people of God too if they don't clean house day one! Moses knew that the people would fall quickly if they were surrounded by such sin.  Moses also knows that such sin will prevent the people from worshipping and giving God the glory in the way He desires His people to do.  Such sin would take what was meant to be a blessing and quickly turn it into a curse for the people.

"To start new, the old had to go!"

Take notice; most of the chapter is about how to worship once the people establish their new home.  Moses even gives the people fine print details on the when and where God desires their gathering and worship service to take place and how it should look. Recognize though that the call to worship takes place after the people clean house of the sin that inhabits their land.

God knows that a house of sin cannot be a house of worship.

This is a wonderful reminder to us today.  I believe many of us desire to live with God and receive His blessings, but also do so in the same environment we lived without Him in.  Or we desire God to follow us into environments that are obviously void of His presence.  So, we continue walking with fools and spending time with idols and sit confused why blessing aren't being poured out. We live in sinful environments, surrounded by false truths, and are weighed down by unrepentant hearts.

Moses tells the people that before they enter this new land, that new life comes with new death.  So go in and destroy all that will prevent, hinder, and be a stumbling block to the new life that God has given you. This call is often times a scary call to change or loneliness. A call to true life change is a new call for most people.  It was for these people. This is why God tells the people that He walks before them!  

To not fear.
 
To trust Him.

That He is a good God and is faithful to all those who place their faith in Him.


Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

Read Romans 6 as Paul speaks about being dead to sin.

Personally speaking, I love the simple things of the Bible.  The simplicity of scripture is what pieced my heart and saved my soul:  God is real, I am a sinner, and Jesus came to save me!

I remember hearing for the first time Matthew 7 when Jesus said, "Not everyone what says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of Heaven."  I remember hearing that simple truth, and it served as a mirror that allowed me to see my sin and a desperate need of a savior. I can give a hundred more examples of just black and white simple truths, that when I read them, they felt like a million pounds on my heart or a hug around my neck.  The power of the Gospel and the destruction of sin is made simple for man to see and understand.  Not all will understand, but God did not make His saving gospel through the story of His Son rocket science.  God did not make sin hard to detect.  Unlike the cure for cancer or biochemistry, what matters most to God was made simple.  God never wanted to hide these truths from His children or have them spend hours upon hours trying to figure them out. If anything, the Bible is on repeat of these truths and warnings all throughout the scriptures because of His desire for the world to understand.  

Moses acts in much of the same way all throughout his last book written before his death and their entry into the promise land.  As we spoke about last week in the message, out of deep love for his people, Moses doesn't mind repeating himself.  Each week Moses tells the people the same thing, just through different past stories and future warnings. Everything he speaks on centers around man's sin, God's goodness, and the call to faith and obedience. Each week Moses teaches, he begs, he pleads, and prays for the people to listen!

"God is good and He is worth trusting in!"

In this week's scripture, Moses tells the people that each one will at some point have to decide if they will listen. In verses 26-28, Moses tells them, “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. Talk about simple truths and teaching that all men need to face sooner rather than later.

Reality is, we can pray, plead, teach, and beg all day, but each person will be accountable for themselves when they stand before the Lord one day.  The truths that each one of us has heard will either bless or curse us depending on how we heard them and how we respond to them.  

Yes or No?

This world needs to stop making faith so complicated and just answer the simple questions the scriptures give us today........

Is God real and is Jesus the way?
Is obedience to God's Word greater than the desires of sin?
Will you repent of your sin that God has revealed to you?
Will you follow Jesus no matter where He leads you and no matter what it costs?

Now, will you choose blessings or curses?

God never wanted faith to be misunderstood or complicated.  He wants His children to understand His commandments and to find hope in His Son.  He also wants us to not be confused by the consequences that follow when we choose the world over Him.  The Bible does not hide the destruction that man has invited, and God has promised to those who run after the things of this world over the love of His Son.

With each verse, chapter, and book, God has told us such things.

So......

Blessings or Curses?


Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

Read Matthew 7 on the simple truths of God's goodness and man's sin.

In this week's text, Moses continues to tell the people all that God had done, is doing, and promises to do in their lives.  If you have been with us since the beginning, this is a common theme in every one of the chapters so far in our study.  Each and every week, Moses goes in out of the past while speaking on the present and future times, all centered around on how good God is.  In Deuteronomy, Moses never tires of the message of God's perfection in the light of our imperfection.

In chapters 9 and 10, Moses recalls God's grace after all the foolishness the people displayed during the 10 commandments and how God did not destroy the people when destruction was what the people deserved.

So "therefore"...

In chapter 10, Moses uses Gods goodness in an attempt to encourage the people towards a stronger obedience and faith.  He tells them that because of all God has done, stop being so difficult! In the same vein in which we spoke about last week, the Gospel (the good news) is our only hope.  Not only in salvation, but in faithful behavior.  Worldly motivation to act better, even for believers, is hopeless without our eyes being fixated on the good news of Jesus and the kindness of God!

Paul tells us in Hebrews 12, "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Truth is, we need less lecturing and man's motivation and more attention on God's truth and Jesus's salvation!  Like them, we are stiff-necked people.  We are difficult, filled with contention, and suborn people.  This is not going to change without our attention on the kindness of God.  We were created in His image, saved by His grace, and chosen for Heaven! God gave His one Son so that we could experience true life!

So "therefore".......

Let us all fixate our eyes, our attention on how good God has been to us.  Let us marvel on how Jesus gave His life for us.  Let us be wrecked over His forgiveness and His promises.
Let the truth of who He is change the brokenness of who we are.

Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

 Read Colossians 3 (entire chapter) as this chapter are wonderful truths to fix your eyes on!

This week's scripture in chapter 9 is not just a normal chapter in our story, but it is a pillar of the entire Bible!  The truth we read in chapter 9 is a founding truth of salvation!  That all good things come from God, and God alone. Moses makes sure to clarify to the people the reason why they are such blessed people.  He tells them that everything they have is either because God gave it, or allowed them to have it.  That nothing came to them based off of their "good behavior."

So far in our time in Deuteronomy, everything has been centered around the people not wasting the blessings of the Promised Land.  That God had chosen these people to experience such amazing blessings, and it was their job to not squander those gifts.  
Each week the message has centered around this cry from Moses, while never really asking "why" these people deserve such blessings? Ask yourself this question; what have these people done to deserve such kindness from God?  If anything, these people are very undeserving based off their attitudes and disobedience.  So why do they get the promise land?

Moses answers the question of what the people have done to deserve such blessings with one word, "Nothing." Chapter 9 is a Gospel centered wakeup call that is meant to drive the people to true worship of God by shedding light on the unworthiness of man.  That man was created, saved, and blessed only through God's grace and God's goodness.  Those blessings come from God's love, not man's behavior.  All of Moses's words in this week's scripture are not meant to belittle the people but to drive them to a humility that would push them further into worship.

Today, many profess to believe, and even love God, but do not truly worship Him.  One of the main reasons for the lack of true worship in their life comes from the belief that they deserve either what they have or more than what they have been given.  So churches are filled with believers who truly are not wrecked by the reality that everything they have comes from God.  That if they were to receive what they deserve, they would be broken and destined for Hell.

Remember what Moses has been doing since chapter 1.  He has been guiding the people to obedience. "Please do not make the same mistakes your parents have made." In chapter 9, Moses expresses that the key to obedience comes through a heart of thanksgiving and thanksgiving comes from understanding man's sin and God's grace.
A person who has been crushed by their sin and saved by His grace is more likely to obey God.  Much more than a person who believes in God but lives a life believing that they deserve all that they have.

This is a wonderful word for all of us to remember as well. I pray we all recognize that we are hopeless without the saving grace of God through the sacrifice of His son Jesus on the cross!  That our salvation was not deserved or earned, but all from God's love of His children. Let us live in a wrecked place of faith in the remembrance that God's grace covers what we actually deserve and His blessings are undeserved.

Praise God for Jesus and His salvation!

Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 as we see this week's lesson summed up by Paul in the New Testament.

For the last few weeks and since the beginning of Deuteronomy, Moses has been telling the people to walk in the remembrance of who God is and what He has done for them. Moses calls the people to never forget their slavery, nor their wilderness.  He says that their future depends on the lessons learned and appreciated from their past.  Starting in chapter 8 this week, Moses changes gears in what he wants the people to remember.  He calls them to not simply remember what God has done, but why He was doing it.  Moses tells the people that the 40 years in the wilderness was not by accident or by chance, but God's sovereign plan to humble, test, and prepare His people for a greater faith.

Chapter 8 in Deuteronomy holds a true secret of life.  The questions that all of us ask concerning why certain events are happening or the reason for struggle in life are answered clearly in this week's chapter.  We read that God is growing, maturing, and pruning, in man, attributes that are not yet perfected.  God is growing His children for a greater relationship with Himself.

In our story, the people were not ready for the land of milk and honey.  They were not ready for the Promise Land. The people could not go from slavery to bliss; they needed the wilderness.  The people of God needed to be humbled and to become desperate for Him or they would forget Him once lavished in His blessings. They needed to be tested to increase their faith and trust.  They also needed to be prepared to worship in blessings, not take credit for them. The wilderness was not by accident! It was intentional, perfect parenting by the Creator.

Many will spend their entire lives wondering "why God would allow or cause" without looking at "why they would need" such circumstances and events.  The hard reality is, God is after something in us that has to be grown, not already perfected.  We might not want the wilderness, but true life depends on it!

God's word calls us to remember the true "why" in what is happening in our lives today.  To remember that He loves us too much to leave us in our sin.  That He did not send His Son to die on a cross so that we could live our lives in continued shallow brokenness.  God loves us enough to starve us, just so that He can feed us what we truly need.

Trust the Father that He knows best.  Begin asking "why I need" vs "why He would cause".  
Have faith that the wilderness is not only needed, but preparing you for the promise.

Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

 Read James 1 that goes alongside our story in this week's text.

The world around us is constantly changing, but God’s Word and His calling for His people has never changed. From Moses in Deuteronomy 7 to Peter in 1 Peter 2, separated by nearly 1,500 years, we hear the same message from the same unchanging God. God first calls His people to remember. Israel was not chosen because they were the strongest or most deserving nation, but because God loved them and remained faithful to His promises.

In the same way, everyone who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ belongs to God not because of what we have done, but because of His grace. Showing our identity is found in Him. God also calls His people to remove anything that competes for their devotion. Just as Israel was warned not to adopt the worship of the surrounding nations, believers today are called to turn away from anything that pulls their hearts away from Christ. God calls his people to reflect His character. We are set apart to live in a way that points others to Him through our faith, love, and obedience.

For 3,500 years, God’s instructions have remained the same. In a constantly changing world, we can confidently trust His unchanging character and His perfect plan. The same God who led Israel continues to lead His people today, calling us to remember who we are, live faithfully, and to glorify Him in every season of life.

Deuteronomy 7:1-11 and 1 Peter 2:1-11
Reflect on how God has remained faithful throughout your own life and thank Him for His unchanging character.

Looking back on this week, what influenced you more: God’s unchanging truth or the ever-changing world around you?

There are times when we all make life way more complicated than it's supposed to be.  Life is in fact hard, but it was never meant to be complicated.   Hard and complicated are two different things.  Life is hard in the ways that we all experience: tragedies, hardships, and disappoints, most coming at times that are unexpected. Life is hard, but God never meant for it to be complicated.

In this week's scripture, Moses doubles down on the message he has been pouring into the children of the wilderness since chapter one, "Choose Life!" Don't make life so complicated. Love God and obey His commandments and it bless not only you, but everyone around you.

Deuteronomy 5:25, "Why should we die?"

If only we could love God in such a way and not fight against His word, if we just simply looked at each day as the choice of picking life and death in all that we do.  If we woke up and just thought, "I am going to run after life today" vs chasing the things in life that hurt us. God tell us that we would experience life!

In this specific moment for the people of God, this is the conclusion the people came to after hearing the first sermon of Moses, "Why should we die?" Today, we should desire such a clarity!  We should spend our entire life learning each and every word of God's scriptures. Diving into the depths of the hard-to-understand theology, seeking that we stretch our minds with the depths of who God is. All the while, living in the simplicity of choosing life each day. In our marriages, parenting, money, and relationships, chose life! The most profound, life changing truths given by God, are not found in the weeds, but the truths that are right in front us.  

Choose Life!

Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

 Read Deuteronomy 30 as Moses speaks on the same thoughts near the end of his of time with the people.

This Sunday we will study one of the most familiar passages in all of scripture: the Ten Commandments. For many of us, the Ten Commandments are simply viewed as a list of rules. But before God gave Israel His commandments, He first reminded them of who He was and what He had already done for them. (Read Deuteronomy 4:41-49)

God rescued Israel from slavery before He ever gave them the Law. That is important. The commandments were never meant to help Israel earn God’s love. God gave them the commandments because they already belonged to Him. Their obedience was meant to be a response to His love and grace, not a way to earn them.

For followers of Christ, the same thought applies today. We are not saved by following a list of rules. We obey because of our faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross. The commandments are not a means of earning salvation but a guide for living in a loving relationship with our Lord after we have been saved.

In Matthew 22:34–40, Jesus sums up all the commandments into two main thoughts: love God and love others. He shows us that the commandments are less about following a list of rules and more about living in a relationship with God and with those around us.
This week, ask God to prepare your heart to hear His Word with fresh ears.

Stay faithful church,
Pastor Drake Whitworth

Read the following passages before worship this week:
· Deuteronomy 4:41-49
· Deuteronomy 5:1–22
· Matthew 22:34–40

To prepare for our study, consider this question:
Why do you think God gave Israel these commandments after He had already rescued them?

Last week Moses told the children of the wilderness to "take heed" of their walk.  He 'preached to the choir' to pay close attention to their faith.  The scriptures warned us that as sinners we are vulnerable to fall to many different sins if we do not pay close attention; that many of us will fall to addictions, lust, and even the worship of other Gods through idolatry. Such sins are worthy of death and a separation of God.  So "take heed" of yourselves!
 
In the closing of chapter 4, Moses gives both discouraging and encouraging words to the people concerning their walk with God.  First, Moses tells the people that even while being intentional, they will probably fall at some point. He says, "when you fall", not "if you fall"; this is what you do. Moses is exposing a hard truth that many of us don't want to hear, but we all know is true.  He tells the people that no matter how close attention you pay towards your walk, falling is going to be inevitable.  Moses is not excusing sin or downplaying God's desire for perfection.  No, he is just exposing the fact that no man has ever been able to live perfectly and that these young teenagers would not be the first to do so. So, Moses teaches the people how to walk, but also how to respond when they fall.

What we see in this week's text is echoed all throughout the Bible.  God's word not only shines light on how to live perfectly in the eyes of God, but how to faithfully respond when you don't! In Deuteronomy 4:29, God's word tells us, "But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul." Perfection is impossible for man, but repentance is not.  God knows that outside of His son Jesus, no man or woman will ever walk this earth perfectly.  No matter how kind, sweet, or gifted, perfection will be impossible for man to ever achieve.  We will all fall.  However, to repent (turn from our sins) and to seek God's forgiveness and grace is very much possible.

Millions died in the wilderness, not because of their imperfections to God's law, but out of an unrepentant heart after their falling.  God's word tells us this week that when we all ultimately fall in our journey; God will still be there if we seek Him.  That for those who repent, seek forgiveness, and keep walking in faith after their failure, God will show grace.

This is such good news to us today!

For all of us who read this; we are the fallen.  We are the ones that have fallen short and don't deserve the promise land.  The good news through Christ is that even though we are the fallen, through Jesus and our faith in repentance, God still walks with us!

The message of "don't sin", is no more important of a message than, "don't stay in your sin!"

I pray this week that we not only seek obedience, but also repentance.  God will be with you in both places in your life.

Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

Read 1 John 1 & 2 as these chapters are great gospel truths concerning God's goodness and forgiveness.  

Moses continues his warning from last week's text, "God is not going to smile upon your sin." Moses tells the people, "Watch yourselves" when it comes to their walk with the Lord. The message of "pay close attention" is not just an Old Testament warning, but a sermon that has been preached since the beginning of time.  From Noah to Paul, faithful men and women have been pleading with the world to not take their eyes off God.  Also, warning them of the grave consequences if they do!

Mankind has heard the message loud and clear.  However, man has not always been good at listening. This week's Scripture tells us that when we don't pay close attention to our faith, our obedience and worship will shift towards other things.  Often times, things that we can tangibly see.  Remember, Moses has forty years of experience of watching God's people chase things that aren't the true and living God. When people are weak and unfocused, they become vulnerable to sin.  When vulnerable, they will run towards things outside of God for help.   These "other things" are what the Bible calls idols.

Idols can be anything in our life.  Idols can be other people, ideologies, passions, and even callings.  Anything we place before God in our heart, mind, or behavior is an idol in our life.  Moses tells the children of the wilderness this week that time with idols is adultery against God and will result in hardship.

So "pay close attention"!

In Moses's wisdom, he doesn't try and scare them into faith or beat them over the heads with a thousand lectures, he reminds them of God's goodness in their life. Moses reminds them, "But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace..."

What Moses is doing here is what today's church needs more of! We need hard words of truth, nurtured in the saving words of the Gospel.  We need to stare hell in the face while being reminded that Jesus came to rescue us from what we deserve.  As believers, we were once separated from God, slaves in our Egypt.  "But God who is rich in mercy....."
 
In this week's scripture, Moses isn't just using past lessons that were learned from mom and dad, but past realities that must shake us.  The reality that we were broken, lost, and without a home and God rescued us! How could we ever walk away from the One who saved us?

Allow the word of God to ask us the same question this week.

I pray that what even gods we are flirting with or chasing, we leave them.  I pray we run towards God in worship, filled with thanksgiving!


Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

Read Ephesians 2 this week in our remembrance of God's goodness to us.

Chapter 4 is Moses's transition from the past to the present moment with the children of Israel.  Remember, the first three chapters of Deuteronomy consist of Moses using the past to pave a more faithful road to the future.  He used stories of the past so that the people of the present had a greater understanding of God as well as their own responsibilities in following Him. Starting in chapter 4, Moses preaches to the people about the character of God in the present age so that they can be more faithful than their parents were. Moses begins the chapter by explaining that obedience to God's way is the key to life.  Moses explains that obedience to God and His way is not just knowing the law but acting faithfully in it!  Following it through our actions!

This message would be echoed all throughout the Bible, most notably when James tells us, "Do not be just hearers of the Word, but doers." The young people on the outskirts of the land of milk and honey are told that without acting on the desires of God, blessings will never come.

Moses tells the people that the formula of life is to learn God's perfect Word and obey what it says and, as a result, God will bless.  Moses goes as far as to say that the reason the people are there with him and alive is only because of their obedience and God's goodness to those who are faithful. He tells them, "But all of you who held fast to the Lord your God are still alive today."

Starting in chapter 4, Moses is relaying the message that faith and obedience does not just honor God but blesses their walk with Him!  Obedience was directly connected to even the air they breathed!

Today, the world needs the same sermon!  God nor His Scriptures have changed from the days of Moses and the Promised Land; obedience blesses and disobedience doesn't.  It's a very simple and straightforward sermon that we all need to live by!  We need to hear and say these words daily to ourselves and others.

However, this foundational aspect of faith has always caused problems for man.  Since the beginning of time, professing believers have picked and chosen what to follow while adding and taking away from God's Word to best fit their lifestyle. This has caused humans to excuse sin so that they can continue acting in their own selfish desires.  This type of disobedience has plagued not only the lost, but also believers.  

From a man who is a living example of the consequences of disobedience, Moses tells the people that their disobedience will kill them if they choose to not listen!  He reminds them that they will waste the promised land blessings and never truly experience all that God has instore for them if they don't hold tight to the commands of God.

If you know the scriptures, you know how the story goes and you are aware that the people fall later down the road, much like their parents.  No matter how beautiful the promise is, mankind seems to keep choosing disobedience.

Much like the people of this time, I pray that we are listening.  I pray that we don't have to keep choosing pain and death in our disobedience to God's way. I pray that in our struggle and war against sin; we cling to Jesus and hold tight to His word.  I pray that we fall on the church and lean close to other brothers and sisters that are fighting the same fight.

If you chose to obey God, it will be a hard and challenging road, but a road that is well worth it.  It will be a road filled with a closeness to God and blessings that will be experienced in this life and the life to come.  

Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

Read John 14:19-24 as this text will be referenced in the message this and goes along with this week's scripture.

In my opinion, these 9 verses are some of the heaviest verses in the entire book.  For me, personally, these are some of the heaviest verses in all of the Old Testament.  I read these 9 verses and a thousand sermons flood my mind.  So many emotions come to my mind, illustrations to use, and questions to ask. These 9 verses are loaded with theological truths woven through worldly questions centered around, "Why couldn't God just let Moses in?"

As I said, I have struggled with this text. I know the biblical answers of why God did not let Moses into the Promised Land.  I know the theological reasons all the scholars use to explain this part of the story.  However, my heart still struggles thinking that God's decision seems a little harsh for a man who penned Genesis and carried the 10 Commandments down a mountain on fire.  I've read all the commentaries, and my mind still goes toward, "God, it's Moses, just let him in."

I've come to the conclusion that the struggle in God's holiness, man's sin, and the tension between God's will and our desire is exactly where God wants us as readers.  God knows we are rooting for Moses and that him watching from a distance seems disappointing.  Maybe that's the message?

You see, God saves the lost through His son's sacrifice and man's faith in that truth. However, He doesn't promise that He will excuse every sin from consequence or answer every prayer in the way we hope.  There are times when God says "No." Honestly, the fact that this part of the story is so painful to read just shows our hearts towards the selfish moments we don't get our way.  The scriptures are clear; Moses sinned against God numerous times throughout his life.  Moses showed a lack of faith, trust, and obedience countless times. Moses didn't deserve anything good in the presence of an all-perfect God.

"I know, but it's Moses God, come on..."

How we as fallen humans struggle through this story; mirrors the struggle we have in our own narrative with our personal walk with God. How many times have we struggled with God because God did not answer a prayer in the way we wanted when His will did not mirror our want?

"God, come on, it's me!"

I see a thousand sermons in this week's text, but the sermon of trusting in God's sovereign Will in the light of our unworthiness might be the one that God preaches most often to believers that struggle with His way. Today, much like during the times of Moses, God calls us to pray to Him about everything on our heart.  The scriptures are clear as they tell us to bring all supplications and pleas to the altar. However, the scriptures are also clear that we are to fully trust the Will of His way in our life.

Even though God told Moses "No," Moses still received undeserving grace.  God allowed Moses to see the Promised Land, even though He was not able to enter it.  Moses did not even deserve that!  Let's not forget that Moses still was given eternity in Heaven through the blood that wasn't his own!

In life, there will be many times when circumstances don't seem fair.  During those times, remind yourself that as a follower of Jesus, "fair" is not something we want.  Fair would be Hell.  Fair would be cut off from God. Grace is what we have been given, and grace is all we need.

Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

 Read Numbers 20 for the moment Moses is referencing in this week's text.

This week our sermon text will cover Deuteronomy Chapter 2.  As we saw last week, a central focus for the Israelites was for them to learn to trust God and not to fear when it comes to obeying the true and living God.  The theme of “do not fear” continues as we find the Israelites being led by God.  In this chapter, Moses is recounting Israel’s journey to the next generation before entering the Promised Land.
 
As God leads them, we are reminded that God rules all nations, not just Israel.  He tells them not to attack Edom, Moah, or Ammon because he has sovereignly given those lands to others.  God is sovereign over history, governments, borders, and all earthly kingdoms.  We also see that while in their wandering and disobedience that the Lord was still with them.  Deut 2:7 says “these forty years the Lord your God has been with you.  You have lacked nothing”
 
In this passage, we also find a difficult thing to think through.  Although they were told not to attack some, God displayed his divine judgement as they totally destroyed Sihon.  These events are often hard for people to fathom and create many questions in our minds.  As we think Biblically about events such as this, we must remember that it is God alone who has authority over life and death, God had been patient with wicked nations for generations, divine judgement is not random, and although Israel was not morally superior among the nations, God is holy and faithful to keep his covenant promises.
 
Continue trusting the true and living God and I’ll see you Sunday!
 
Brent

Genesis 15:14-16, Romans 9, and Joshua 24:6-8

This week is a call to faith over fear. For believers who are faced with fear, we are called to respond in faith rooted in our belief.  Our belief that God is good, that He is sovereign, and that He will provide all that’s needed. We are called to look back at all His goodness to give us hope in the prayers of the current goodness needed.
 
“If God was good to me then, why wouldn’t He be good to me now?”

“If God is truly sovereign, then what do we have to fear?”
 
We are to constantly ask ourselves such questions and remind others when they are faced with such fears.  Point out all of God’s past victories and speak hope to others and ourselves when plague with doubt and fear. God is good, He is sovereign, and He will provide all that is needed.
 
In this week’s text, Moses attempts to pour these truths into the Israelites through a story of fear, faith, and failure.  Much like last week, Moses uses the past in hopes to better guide their future. The children of the exodus were fearful to take the blessings of God out of the fear of worldly struggles.  The promise land was filled with giants and heavily guarded.  The fact that God had delivered them from slavery wasn’t enough to give them confidence in the next battle they faced.  Even though God walked before them, the people needed even more assurance to overcome their fear. This type of lack of faith is what would lead the people into never reaching the blessings God had in store for them.
 
Today, many of us never reach God’s blessings out of the fear of worldly fears.  We forget that God has walked before us and already won so many wars in our past. How many seas has God parted or giants has God slayed in our lives just to be forgotten in midst of the newest fear we face.
 
When fear is greater than faith, we always miss blessings.
 
God’s word tells us that not only does God walk before us, but that He will fight for us! These promises and truths have to be our rooted beliefs that give us confidence to press forward in wherever God has called us to! Let us not be like the Israelites who needed more proof, but like Daniel who faced lions or David who slayed giants.  Let us look back to gain assurance to move forward in faith!  
 
God is good, He is sovereign, and He will provide all that is needed.
 
Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

 Read Numbers 13 & 14 this week as it will better give background to the story this week.

Growth is exciting, but growth can also be extremely stressful.
Just compare Abram’s excitement, counting the stars to Moses’ stress dealing with them. Most of us want to grow.  We want to grow physically, financially, in our careers, and in our families.  Many of us will spend our entire lives trying to grow whatever it is that means the most to you in the moment that we are in. Amen to this!
 
Growth doesn’t always mean greed.  Growth can be a beautiful blessing from God. How amazing it is when a husband and wife grow up their family with little children to love and disciple all the days of their life.  How fun is it to see a business or an idea grow through hard work and a strong vision! Even something as potentially dangerous as money, can be a great thing to see grow through discipline, giving, and savings. Growth can be wonderful!
 
Moses speaks of this excitement and responsibility in this week’s text.  Deuteronomy 1:11, “May the Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous that you are, and bless you as He has promised you!” Even though the people were hard to lead and at times hard to put up with, Moses knew that growth was good.
 
I pray for all of us to have such a zeal for growth in the healthy spaces in our lives.  I pray growth blesses you personally, in your family, and your spiritual walk. If you are a part of our church, you have seen the blessings of growth.  You have seen God take a small church hanging on by a thread and God multiply us in endless ways! How fun it has been to witness such blessings!
 
However, in your life and in the life of Moses, you have also seen that growth comes with a greater need for wisdom and intentionality. In our text this week, Moses speaks to a younger generation from the vantage point of someone who has lived through the ups and downs of growth; through ups and downs in leadership. Moses has made some wonderful as well as some poor decisions when it comes to leadership.  Moses comes to us in Deuteronomy with 40 years of leadership experience! Experience that we need to hear and apply.
 
In this week’s scripture, Moses speaks on the importance of growth, alongside the call of delegating responsibilities, humility, and learning from our past mistakes. In this week’s text, Moses was speaking to those he had walked ahead of.  Younger people who had not experienced all that he had been through.  He spoke to them hoping that they would listen.
 
God’s word does the same to us this week in the text. I pray that we all read the text this week and learn from a faithful man who was faithful, but who also often fell.
 
Open ears and open hearts this week church.  
 
Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

 Read Exodus 18 as this week’s text mirrors Moss’s experience early in leadership. 

Let me begin by letting you all know how excited I am for our study in Deuteronomy! Taking a book of the Bible and teaching through each chapter is something that our church loves to do and has been dedicated to doing for the last decade. Deuteronomy makes the 24th book that we have taught through faithfully during the last 13 years of my ministry! As we take the next year to grow together, I hope that you read in advance each week, are disciplined in the weekly devotions, and are faithfully present in the church, if you can join us. I can’t promise many things, but I can promise that dedicating yourself to learning God’s word alongside other believers will bless you in tremendous ways.
 
So let us now begin…..

Deuteronomy is the 5th book of the Bible and last book written by Moses.  The first five books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch or the Torah and traditionally viewed as the foundation of the Old Testament.  All five books of the Pentateuch were written by Moses and consists of God’s story of creation, man’s fall, and God’s deliverance. The first five books of the Bible are an amazing, adventurous story filled with peaks and valleys that have shaped our world and Christian faith today.  Not only are these five books foundational to our beliefs, but they also all point towards the true Cornerstone of our faith.
 
Each one of the books written by Moses aggressively pushes us towards the story of and the need for Jesus! Each book is a foreshadow of the Gospel. After sin entered the world, man became enslaved to this world, much like the Israelites were in Egypt in the book of Exodus.  We see God’s goodness and grace in His rescue and freedom in Exodus much like we do in the story of Christ coming to save the lost. The wilderness represents our struggling journey in this world while the books of Leviticus and Numbers symbolize God’s never abandoning love for His children.  These two books show God’s law as a symbol of His care for us, but also to draw us to a deeper appreciation for and need of the finished work of Jesus!

In Moses’s last book, the book of Deuteronomy, we see the picture of Glory through His promises of the Holy Land!  We see the journey from slavery to true freedom in peace and amazement! The people could stop wandering in all their struggle and experience the glory of God in new life! However, even though we see the symbol of Glory in the promises of the land of milk and honey, we also come to see that the promised land is not Heaven and man is still sinful. The book of Deuteronomy is filled with God’s goodness, but also a story of man’s continued war against sin and his need of a savior.
 
I can’t wait until Sunday and pray you are able to join us.
 
Stay faithful church,
Pastor Hunter

Read Genesis 12:4-7, Genesis 15:18, Genesis 26:3, Genesis 28:13-15, and Exodus 3:8.  These verses will give you a wonderful background to God’s promises of the Promise Land.

As we come to our last week in Acts, let me personally thank everyone who studied alongside me, Nikki Cunningham for all the technical work in posting the devotions each week, and all those who came to church and followed the sermon series.  I have thoroughly enjoyed our time in this study and have seen the growth in our people during our time together.  Let our time in Acts drive you to study other books in the Bible in the same manner.  Dig into each verse and pray over what God is speaking to you through what you learn.  

As we come to a close, how fitting is it that God would sum up what's been spoken each week for the last 9 months in just one verse.  Verse 24 says, "And some were persuaded by the things which we spoken, and some disbelieved."

"Some will be cut to the heart, and some will pick up stones to kill."

Acts is a wonderful picture of God's sovereignty and man's sanctification.  Also, Acts is just simply a picture of the realities of life through a daily walk in faith.  What the people of this time experienced, we experience today.  We saw that in what happened with Charlie Kirk during our study and also the people slaughtered in Africa for their faith during our time in Acts.  Today might look different culturally, but it's the exact same in what we are called to and how the world will respond.

Remember the message early on and throughout our study....

"The road is hard, God is with you, and Jesus is the way."

Nothing has changed,

Stay faithful church.  

Read the book of Romans to continue the story of Paul.  

"Man is not born strong, he is built strong."

The book of Acts is amazing scripture that showcases bold and persevering faith by Paul and other followers of Jesus in their adventurous pursuit of the Great Commission.  
However, Acts is much more about God's plan and His love for man than it is man's strength and faith in Him.  Honestly, man is not the main character of the book, even though it's easy for one to be focused on the story of faithfulness in Paul. From the surface, one could read Acts and be amazed at how much Peter had grown since the gospels, Stephen's fearlessness as he faced death, and then Paul's faith in the later chapters is like nothing we have ever seen.  

Remember through, men are not born strong, bold, or faithful, they are built. When you dig past the surface of man's adventure in the Great Commission, you will find God's great goodness in building man to everything man could ever dream of being!

God's tells us in Isaiah 64, "O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we all are the work of Your hand."

In Acts 27 we see this truth come to life! Near the end of our story, the world throws everything it can at Paul to prevent him in getting to Rome.  Storm, after storm, after storm to stop him.  The literal storms would quickly become mental and physical storms in the life of anyone who sailed with Paul.  They would run out of food, supplies, and hope as it seemed as almost a sure promise that they would die in the waters they sailed in.  And when all hope was lost, Paul stood and spoke faithfully to encourage the men that God would provide and that no man would lose their life!  He was the loud voice of faith needed in a storm that was unimaginable. Don't lose sight though church, Paul was not born with this faith, God gave and built it for such moments.  

In verse 23, "For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, do not be afraid." Don't miss it, Paul was scared, but God made him bold and faithful.  God sent an angel to protect Paul and to give him the assurance to pour into the others who were on the ship.

Acts 27 is not about man's fearlessness, but God's rescue and goodness! All that Paul had gone through prepared him for this exact moment and moments like it! Paul is a messenger, not the author of the story.

My life and yours is played out in the exact same way.  We are messengers, witnesses of God's great work.  We are not the main character of even our own story. God has given us all we need and provided for all that we are.

Stay faithful church.  

Read Matthew 14:22-33 as we see another story of Faithfulness and the lack there of in the presence of God.  

I have so loved the last few chapters of where we have been in our study of the book of Acts! Since the moment Paul knew he was leaving Ephesus, each and every verse has been life as we know it for those that commit to following Jesus and doing the work of the Lord.  The tug from friends and foes to not go out in faith, persecution, struggles in ministry, and God's grace and provisions can all be seen in the last four chapters in our study.  
If anyone desires to follow Christ and be faithful to the ministry, expect versions of what Paul has experienced.

In this week's text, Paul's time of waiting is over and now Festus has a decision to make on what to do with Paul. We start the chapter with Paul once again speaking for himself, sharing his testimony, and pleading with the people to hear the need of God through his story.  As I stated earlier though, if you are going to follow Jesus, how the world responded to Paul in this week's text is how the world will respond to us as well.

Festus hears Paul's testimony and plea and responds with a plea to Paul as well. Festus pleads with Paul to come to his senses!  To stop this foolish new lifestyle that seems to have only gotten him in trouble.

If you are a born again follow of Jesus, you have probably received such a response from those in your life much like Paul did in Acts 26. For you and I today, we must learn from what Paul is experiencing in chapter 26.  Not only will the world hate what God loves, but the world will also question our sanity, motives, and character when we live radically for Jesus. But keep reading church and learn from not only what Paul experiences, but also how he responds. With his life on the line and so much at stake, Paul stands his ground for the gospel to be proclaimed!

Learn from the faithful men and women that have walked before us, lean on the Spirit for strength, and praise God in the midst of trials!

Stay faithful church.

Read Romans 1 this week as many believe that Paul wrote Romans during the time of Acts 20-24.  Knowing what you know from our Acts study, shines much light on how he writes to the people of Rome.

God told Paul, "Be of good cheer, it's time to go to Rome."  However, God never told Paul that he would be leaving tomorrow, or better yet when they would be leaving at all. This week's scripture is a call to perseverance, but also faith in God's timing.  A call to trust God and be patient.

As Paul has been given new orders to leave, he is now called to a personal journey in trusting in God's timing during a two-year period in prison.  From the time he was told that God wanted him in Rome to the time he leaves prison, it is more than a two-year time span. Imagine all the doubt, worry, or confusion one would feel during that time of waiting.  The questions you would ask, "God you have called me to Rome, why am I still in Jerusalem?"
 
Timing is one of the hardest parts of a believer's journey.  For most people, having faith in God's timing could be just as hard as placing faith in His call.  The "when" could be easily harder that the "what or how" for most people. When we look at the basic principles of faith, time is a major thread throughout all of God's promises and believing in who He is.  From creation to revelation, to be a follower of Christ means that you are placing your faith in not only God's existence and Jesus's salvation, but also God's timing.  Faith in God's timing goes hand in hand with having faith in His existence!

As Christians, we are called to place our trust in God's timing in how the world was formed, how man was created, when sin entered the world, salvation through Christ, and the promise of Jesus's return.  God's timing is a part of His promises. Now, if we are called to place our trust in all of the promises of the scriptures concerning His timing, we must also place our trust in the timing He works in our day-to-day lives.

Paul's two-year faith in prison was no different than his faith in that God was real or that Jesus would return one day.  Paul's trust in God's timing gave him confidence in what he read in the scriptures, while giving him comfort to persevere in the struggles that he was personally experiencing. There is so much we can learn from this week's text.  Paul's perseverance came from his trust, which was born out of his faith.  A faith that believed that God was good and sovereign! Paul believed that he would get to Rome, no matter how long it took!  He believed this because he trusted in the One who said it.  

I pray that we let the truth of the scriptures grow our faith in the same way.  Let us trust God through each and every struggle in the same way we trust that each verse of the Bible is true!  Let us remember that God's timing is not of this world and ultimately, He has a bigger, greater plan than anything we could imagine and hope for.

Be patient and trust in the Lord, God's is never early or late to what He has promised to be true.

Stay faithful church.  

 Read Psalms 27 for an encouraging word on faithfully waiting on God.

"Where God calls you, God can take you."

However, that does not mean there won't be people who try and stop you. In the week's text, Paul stands before Governor Felix awaiting the verdict that holds either freedom or death for his future.  Paul is being accused of defiling the temple by bringing in a Gentile man with him to worship.  During this time, this was against the law and could result in a death sentence. Remember, during this time the Jews and Gentiles did not worship together because the Gentiles were believed to be less than in the eyes of God.  Even though Paul would fight for such a man to worship in the temple, he did not do what they accused him of doing (read Acts 21:27-28). Now Paul, called by God to go to Rome, has to have faith that God will deliver him out of the mess he is in in Jerusalem.  At this point in the story, Paul is sitting in the midst of a long list of lies against him, desperately needing the truth to be seen.

Like how the enemy attacked Paul, the enemy still attacks believers today.  The lost world, loves to fight, lie, and frame believers in their hope to discredit God's goodness and existence. The enemy through a lost and broken world will create false narratives and try and ruin reputations of those who are faithful ambassadors for Christ.  If the truth sets people free, the enemy will work in the midst of lies!

Praise God that He knows the hearts of man and is sovereign over all things!
Even though the mob was after Paul and looking to do whatever it took to kill him, God provided all that Paul would need to be set free.  We saw this truth last week as God provided twice as many soldiers to protect Paul as the mob had to kill him.  This week, God provided those in power that could see through the lies.  

For you and me today, none of us should be surprised when those in the world create lies and try and bring our reputations down.  The greatest way to quiet someone's witness is to bring down their character.  The enemy knows this and will work through the mob of gossips and backbiters to either draw you into battle or have you retreat into hiding. Starting in the moment Paul got to Jerusalem, the lost world has tried to provoke as well as lie to quiet Paul.

This week's text is a wonderful reminder to stand confident and strong, knowing that God knows the truth and will provide all that you need to have the truth be seen by others in due time. Remember, Paul is going to Rome, all he has to do is remain faithful that God will get him there. In your faithful journey of following Jesus, the mob will try the exact same attempts on you.  They will whisper discouraging things behind your back, create lies about your character, and stir up conflict in hopes of quieting your calling.  

Do not be surprised by this!

It will not be fun to go through but remain steadfast and faithful that God will provide all that is needed to get to where you are called to go!                                                                                


Stay faithful church.  

Read Psalms 58 for God's promise to those who come against His people.

The hard road of faith has been a theme throughout most of our 8 months in the book of Acts.  "The road is hard" has been said in almost every sermon since the church was scattered in chapter 8.  The hard road of faith is a worthy message and reminder because the challenges of faith are not only seen all throughout scripture but also promised to believers today.  It is good for followers today to see the struggles of spiritual pioneers of the past which can better prepare us to remain faithful in our own battles today.  Case in point, the death of Charlie Kirk went hand in hand with what we were reading in Acts.  Our studies of scriptures and understanding of promised struggles helped us as a church better respond in faith to what we were witnessing in 2025.

However, let not the promise of hard times or struggles in this world ever be louder than the promises and goodness of God! God is good!  God is sovereign!  God loves those that He calls His! In this week's text, God's goodness shines much brighter than Paul's struggles. Paul is beaten, discouraged, and waiting in a holding cell.  Let's not forget the 40 men conspiring to murder him in cold blood!  One could ask how could anything be louder than those types of struggles?

In this week's text, we see that the world's attempt to prevent God's plan is a ridiculous and futile attempt. Praise God, for His goodness is so much greater than man's evil! Just like the numerous times the world threw Peter in prison, the Lord always saw that the jail cell couldn't hold him.  They would throw Peter in prison, and the Lord would set him free.  They could surround his prison with over 100 guards, and Peter would soon find freedom! Why? Because God had plans for Peter and nothing could thwart His hand on his life and calling.

We see the same with Paul this week.  The Lord said to Paul, "Go to Rome and testify in my name."  When we saw that God told Paul what to do, we need to rest assured that Paul was going to have a road to do just that. God's word is clear, "If God is for me, who can be against me?" This verse is not a verse about man, but more the power and promises of God.  "If God has called me, then He will lead me, and if He leads me, nothing can stop me!"

The road is and will remain hard for Paul but praise the Lord for His good and sovereign hand.  In later chapters, Paul gets to Rome just like God called Him to.  Let this be a message of peace and confidence over your soul.  "If God calls me, He will provide for me."
                                                                                                                                                          This week, take time and pray for clarity in God's calling in your life. "God, where would you have me go, say, and do for your glory?" Now, no matter how hard the road is, remember that God never calls someone to a place where He won't deliver them to.                                                                                                                                                                                         God's goodness is greater than the world's hard road!                                                                                            

Stay faithful church.  

 Read Isaiah 41:9-13 for more encouraging truths about God's hand in the life of His children.

According to the plans and hope of Paul, things do not seem to be going in the way he had wished in Jerusalem. Remember, he was told and warned not to go but still chose to be faithful to the calling God had placed on his heart.  Paul went to Jerusalem not because he personally wanted to, but out of spiritual worth.  Obedience to God was worth more than his want.  His love for his lost brothers was worth more than what he wanted. So, Paul went to Jerusalem, led by worth, but experienced what he did not want!

Last week we saw Paul beaten, lied on, and dragged towards death.  We also witnessed a plea for salvation not go the way he had hoped (verse 22:22). Sadly, this week's text piles on more bad news for Paul's missionary hopes and dreams.  His experience with the people he went to minister to goes from bad to worse very quickly.

Have you ever done more damage in an attempt to bring healing?  Caused more harm in an attempt to bring help? In this week's story, Paul loses his temper and now finds himself apologizing and explaining his actions instead of sharing the saving news of the Gospel.  Now Paul finds himself in the midst of an angry mob, lies, confusion, and now a blurred view of his own character.  

If you have tried to minister to anyone in your life, you have probably found yourself in Paul's shoes.  Many have thought, not only did the person I am trying to minister not want to be open to what I was sharing, I didn't even share what I hoped to share with them.  Many of us have brought more confusion in our attempt to make clear or we've brought fear when we desire to bring hope.  If you have been in ministry of any kind, most likely you have experienced failure.

For all those who have failed in their attempt to minister, we see the goodness of God in verse 11, "Be of good cheer Paul...." For every parent who is discouraged, teacher who has confused, or a friend who feels like they "struck out" in their attempt to help, verse 11 is such encouraging news.  Like a loving and caring father, you can almost hear God tell Paul, "Don't beat yourself up bud, you tried."

In ministry, God has not called us to perfection, He has called us to faithfulness. That doesn't mean we should not want to lead and love well through grace and correct theology each and every time.  It just means that God knows we will not be able to live out the great commission in the perfect light in which Jesus did.

Don't miss the heaviness of this verse church! The entire world told Paul not to go.  Paul went and experienced the promised pain his loved ones warned him of.  When given the chance to help, he added gasoline to the fire.  Now sitting in prison, God says, "Be of good cheer."

Christ is perfect, we were called to be faithful.

Faithfulness will be filled with honor, grace, salvation moments, pain, heartache, and failure.

But God tells us, be of good cheer!







Stay faithful church.

 Read 2Corinthians 4 for more encouragement from God on staying faithful.

Well, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that God's word is always true and what the Holy Spirit showed Paul and the other prophets came to be exactly what was seen. The bad news is that what Paul and the other prophets saw was exactly what came to be experienced.

In this week's text, we see that Paul is going to experience everything that his loved ones warned him about.  Paul would be arrested, beaten, and imprisoned for his faith in Jesus.  Paul experienced an outcome that he was not hoping for or wanted, but nevertheless an outcome that was worth his pain.

Remember the message from last week; "God's calling is more about worth than it is want." This is a true saying that Paul lived out in Acts 21 and 22.  Paul did not want to be beaten or imprisoned.  Paul did not want to have his life placed in jeopardy.  I am sure that Paul would have loved to have given his testimony (Acts 22:1-21) and everyone turn to Jesus and spend the day breaking bread and singing hymns. This was not Paul's outcome that I am sure he would have desired. However, Paul's "worth" was greater than his "want."
Paul being faithful to God's calling was worth chains given by man.  Paul's faithfulness was worth the beatings he received.  Even unto death, Paul's faith was worth everything!

We also see that Paul's love for fellow man was worth the death he would one day receive from them. Like we see in the story of Jesus, Paul wanted to share the freeing gospel who those he came in contact with.  Not only was God worth his calling, but the lost were as well!  

"For God so loved the world......"

All who read the story of the gospel should be crushed by the weight of the good news! That the death of Jesus was worth the salvation of man!

Praise God for sending Jesus!

Praise Jesus for the cross!

He is our Savior, hope, Way, and redeemer.

Stay faithful church.  

 Read John 19 for a picture of the goodness of Jesus in His calling to the cross.