Speaker: Rev. Dr. Ginger Hertenstein

Do you ever feel when you read the Bible, “What great acts of faith! I could never be like that. I’m just an average person!” This week we begin a new series.

Does the testimony of other people’s lives encourage you? Has a friend told you about something that happened to them and how it changed them? What if they have experienced a particular problem or concern that you identify with and faith helped. Does hearing their story give you encouragement? Most of us would say, “Yes! Definitely!”

King David writes, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all of the days of my life.” Do you believe that? It is a fact of Scripture which is repeated again and again. What about today, though? Are those ancient words relevant? If so, how might we experience them?

Does the title above seem odd? Can you think of a time when we are told to pray against evil in the New Testament?

This week begins a four-week series on the prophet Habakkuk. Habakkuk’s nation was struggling with threats and division. The socio-political pressure was so great that it caused Habakkuk to say, “Where are you God? When are you going to do something about this?” Do you seek the Lord in our own troubling times?

Sometimes God does something wonderful, even in terrible times. For Peter and the disciples who now had a new mission, life got tough. Great opposition to their message was a regular occurrence.

God blesses us because God honors us with the power of His name. God blesses us because we are His and we believe in Jesus. Therefore, we reach out to others with that blessing in our hands. What a blessing to be a blessing!

How do we manage to love God wholeheartedly? It all begins with a command:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”

Our nation was established with these words:  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” ~ Declaration of Independence.