2023 Ep. 236 Jesus, Friend of Sinners: Invitations Matter

Time is tricky. In some seasons, it moves too fast, and in other seasons, it moves too slowly. In the hard seasons, we might accidentally believe we are wasting our time. 

In week one of Timing: Don’t Miss Your Opportunity, we will examine Joshua's life and learn how to use the time God has given us and how timing is even more important than time. Get ready to learn how to catch the waves of God’s activity. His waves will take us further and faster than we could ever go in our own strength. 

In the eighth message of this series, we look at the famous passage from Ezekiel 37 about the valley of dry bones. This chapter is an amazing picture of the promised fulfilled of the restoration of God’s people to Israel.

The exiled people were dead in their idolatry. Here’s the amazing thing about the dead people; dead people can’t help dead people not be dead. They were completely helpless and hopeless apart from God’s intervention. 

Once again in this chapter we see God’s amazing commitment to restoring His holy name and holy promises. However, it is important for us to remember that we’re the recipient of His commitment. God never quits. His character won’t allow Him to quit or give up on His love because He is love. He can’t stop being who He is. 

When you listen to this message, please prioritize the following questions:

·      What do you do as you were commanded?
·      Where do you obey without compromise?
·      What is the last prompting of the Spirit you obeyed?
·      What is the last prompting of the Spirit you delayed?
·      What looks alive in your life but isn’t truly alive?
·      Where are you going through the motions?
·      What do you do with your God ideas?

God’s people have a dire history of crying out to the Lord, being rescued, lapsing into sin, and falling back into punishment. But what if God had a solution that broke the pattern? What if we didn’t have to live doomed to repeat our own history of unfaithfulness? In this message, William explores all of the promises of Ezekiel 36, and the one pivotal promise that trumps them all. This message will not only challenge your view of God’s behavior, it will call you to a higher level of living only possible through the faithfulness of our loving Father. 

In the sixth message of this series, we look at God’s extraordinary promises. Here’s the interesting thing with this chapter, it starts with great disappointment and judgment because the people were defiling God’s name. Most of the time we don’t associate disobedience to God, with extraordinary promises from God.

However, we learn in this chapter that God is committed to His holy name. In this context, God acts based upon His mercy and grace, not based upon our obedience or disobedience. There comes a point in time when God judges, but there’s also a point in time when God moves us toward repentance with His kindness. 

 Consider these questions:

·      What if God is great at restoration?

·      What if God doesn’t restrain His goodness and generosity?

·      What if God doesn’t restrain His joy?

Regardless of disobedience, God is committed to our best and still has amazing promises for us. If you need to be encouraged and believe again about God’s promises and plans, then this message is a timely message for you. 

In the fifth message of this series, we look at the issue of leadership. In many respects the job description of a Shepherd was determined by the weaknesses of sheep. Leadership is many things, but in a bottom line kind of way, leadership is problem solving. 

In Ezekiel 34, there was an abundance of problems with the Shepherds. Most of the time when you have a problem with followers; there’s a problem with leadership. God uses Ezekiel to address this problem and announce His provision of a new Shepherd who will usher in a new covenant. 

Learn what it means to receive and live into the fullness of God's promised peace. The Hebrew word for peace is Shalom and it is one of the richest and most important words throughout Scripture. Peace is much more than the absence of problems; peace begins with and is sustained by an abiding relationship with the Prince of Peace. 

In the fourth message of this series, we look at this statement, “But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned.” This statement is repeated four times in this chapter and many times throughout scripture. 

More times than not, we see history repeat itself because sin remains the same throughout history. Unfortunately, sin is accelerating and multiplying today at warp speed. Given our condition, what is your confidence in the ability of God’s people to return? 

I’ve got bad news and good news. The bad news is that my confidence in God’s people and His church is low at times; however, the good news is that my confidence level is high in God acting for the sake of His holy name. 

Our confidence is that God will secure His own honor. Jesus never quits on us nor on His purpose and plan for us. Our first response must be gratitude, but our second response should be a new commitment to live for His name. Listen and learn the secrets to living for His glory and goodness. 

Today, we look at judgment, and all the ways people misrepresent who God is, how He judges, and why He judges. Unfortunately, most people respond to God in extremes instead of understanding God’s balance of love and justice. This message is designed to help respect and honor who God is as the Judge so that we’ll heed the warnings and not experience the consequences. 

This message is especially important and unpopular today given the  culture’s emphasis on tolerance. It’s important for us to understand what tolerance is from God’s perspective and definition. He is merciful and gracious in countless ways, but He does not tolerate sin. 

Why? He hates what hurts us. He’s against sin because our sin separates us from the One who is love and gives us the ability to love. Listen and learn to walk the tightrope of elevating holiness and respecting justice, so that we will live a lifestyle of repentance.

This series is a study through the book of Ezekiel. It’s all about the importance of receiving a New Heart with a New Spirit. There’s nothing more important in life than the health of one’s heart. When one’s heart is healthy; it is easier for everything else to be healthy. However, when one’s heart is unhealthy; it is harder for everything else to be healthy. 
In the second message of this series, we look at the importance of warnings. Most people view warnings from a negative perspective, but from God’s perspective warnings are an expression of love. This message will analyze why we resist warning and what we need to do to receive warnings. 
Lastly, it’s important to understand the timing dynamics of warnings. Warnings aren’t immediate judgments with the immediate onset of consequences; but rather warnings are opportunities to repent. God wants the warning to be heeded and thus fulfill its purpose. Nothing breaks God’s heart more than a warning that came into fulfillment. Listen to this message to learn more about protecting yourself, your family, and your friends. 

In the first message of this series, we address the "Top Ten Problems in Life". In a fallen and broken world, problems are normal, but solutions are divine. Listen and discover what the chief competitors are for the affection of your heart. Ultimately, God commands us to focus our heart by eliminating all detestable idols and distractions. You’ll never regret giving God all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind, and all of your strength. 
The heart is never neutral. The heart either works for us or against us. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

This message is designed help people finish and start strong. All of us want to live a blessed life, but few of us truly know and understand what it means to be blessed and to be a blessing. This message will define the term and help us see if from God’s perspective. A blessing is so much more than a nice greeting or salutation. 
Tune into this message and learn the heart behind Numbers 6:22-27. Most of us have end this blessing at the end of a service, but have you ever walked through it line by line:

The LORD bless you and keep you.
The LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 

There’s more but you need to listen to receive the blessing and become a blessing. Do you want 2024 to be a blessed year? Do you want to be a blessing in 2024? God is still in the business of blessing people, but He loves it even more when we make ourselves available to be blessing. 
Lastly, blessings aren’t free. They are costly, but they are also priceless. You’ll never regret applying the truths of this message.