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Covenant with God Series: Seven Simple SermonsSermon 1: God's Gift of Value
Bible Texts: Is. 43: 1-4, Ex. 19: 3-6, Ps 2: 7-11, Rom 8:12-17
Memory Verse God says: “You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.” (Isaiah 43:4) “Children of Promise: You are a Precious”1) God has given us the gift of VALUE
We are adopted as
children of God We receive their
instruction about how to respond to that special calling This verse reminds
the reader that kings were called the children of God—and those rulers We are also called the children of God, and we too must submit to God’s plan for us.
The prophet Isaiah
is reminding the people that God has already redeemed them. We too are invited to take part in that loving relationship and call God our father. You have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:13, 16) Paul reminds us that we are not called to a spirit of slavery, but we received a spirit of adoption. We are considered children of God and are led by the Spirit of God. When we cry out to God: “Abba, Father” we know
that the Spirit of God is bearing witness God Tells us in Throughout the Bible God tells us that we are very special to him: Exodus, Psalms, Isaiah, Romans. God talks to us in many ways to explain that we are God’s treasure and God wants a special, personal relationship—like a loving father and his child—with each of us. Our memory verse reminds us of how special we are to God: You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you.” (Isaiah 43: 4) All these
verses bear testimony that God considers each of us of great value.
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Hope,
happiness, creation, justice for oppressed, food for hungry | |
Sets
prisoners free, opens eyes of the blind, lifts up those who are
bowed down | |
Loves
the righteous, watches over strangers, upholds the orphan &
widow | |
Brings
the wicked to ruin | |
EXAMPLE—brought
Hebrew people to freedom from slavery in |
Note:
God’s deliverance does not return things to “the way they were.”
Giving up is both
easy and costly. God won’t allow beloved to give up | |
There
are health benefits to trusting God: “Depression, fear, | |
Trusting God brings
peace of mind. |
The most
natural, reasonable response to God’s loving, trustworthy
character
is to love and trust God in return.
Calm—peace of mind | |
We take comfort in God’s love and reliability and develop confidence | |
God provides courage and strength, wisdom | |
A positive outlook becomes possible | |
We become patient—the ability to wait calmly in hope |
Note: There is no easy way to follow God through all trials—but it is harder not to.
READ: November Notes
(below), a poem written during recovery from cancer in 1997.
From Season of Lovers by Mary
Carol Lewis © 2003
November
Notes
♥ Thank
you for
the woodland morning glories
the gentle murmur of waking birds
the sun’s radiance sweeping away the clouds
in the morning
sky
the tree that stands alone in the distant mist
the call of the migrating geese
the vast grassy field with dew on every blade
against the
golden harvest grain
the last summer song of the evening cricket
♥ Thank
you for
the vast, powerful, gray-green ocean
the ever-pounding surf
the raucous call of sea birds
the strong, salty wind
the mounds of shifting sand
the radiant clouds
the golden sun rising
♥ Thank
you for
shocking reality
the comfort of structure
invigorating freedom
the awareness of pain
the confrontation of anger
the path-altering terror of fear
challenging ideas
soul-searching questions
solid, vibrant answers
patience
time
The difficulties she faced made Mary Carol Lewis a poet.
>>Others
may not forgive you for the wrongs you have done toward them,
but you can live as if you have been forgiven—because God has forgiven
you.
And you can develop patience toward those who fail to forgive you.
God calls us to authority | |
God gives us power, freedom and strength |
>>We
can picture ourselves as God sees us: full of hope and trust.
Remember: God is good all the time.
God loves you. God provides for you. God gives you opportunities like coming today.
God gives you spirit. God gives you confidence.
God delivers you from evil—as we said in the Lord’s prayer today.
God has a plan for you. God provides discernment to guide you.
You can follow God’s way, or your own. You have a choice.
Thank you, God, for loving
me and redeeming me and preserving my life.
Thank you for making a plan for me and calling me to yourself.
Thank you for being holy and full of love.
Forgive me for failing you and failing others.
Forgive me for failing to love myself every day.
Open my heart to receive your love. Teach me to love myself.
Remind me that you are always good—regardless of my circumstances.
Remind me that Jesus died for me. Prepare me to live with you.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.
Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.
When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your
heart.”
Go in peace with hope.
Psalm 33:18-22
18 Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,
Romans 8:18-28
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing
Memory Verse
“Now hope that is seen is not
hope. For who hopes for what is seen?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with
patience.”
Romans 8:24-25
Click here to read the first sermon in the Covenant With God series: "God's Gift of Value"
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