Sermon Central
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I Think God Gives Us Opportunities Like That To ...
Contributed by Sean Harder on Dec 4, 2009 (message contributor)
I think God gives us opportunities like that to help us build our trust in Him. I used to go hiking and camping a lot by myself in the wilderness (not a good idea I know). But I remember getting lost once, and this was before I was even a Christian. I had literally no idea how to get back, and I knew that they say to stay where you are, but nobody knew where I was, so I needed to get out myself.
I remember sitting down and crying, and basically giving up, and it was at that point, where I started to feel peaceful instead of anxious. So I got up and started walking again, and I don’t even remember thinking, just walking. But what I do remember is that certain things in the scenery began to stand out, some even seemed to be almost glowing, a certain bush or rock would just catch my attention.
And there was a certain sense of confidence about following these markers. Anyway, I just kept walking and moving toward these markers, until eventually I stumbled onto a dirt logging road which I followed down the mountain and it spit me out right beside the parking lot. I had no idea this road existed and it was probably only about three hundred yards from where I gave up. Sometimes God just wants us to give up, and let Him.
Now I didn’t necessarily worship when I got to the parking lot, but I sure celebrated, and knew that something was going on to help me get out of there. I believe Noah was probably in a similar situation where he likely wanted to follow his thoughts, his desires, but something inside Him knew that doing that would lead to problems. But he seemed to know that waiting for instructions from the Lord, who sent him on this trip in the first place, and had so far been faithful, was the best course of action. Waiting is definitely a type of surrender. Whether waiting in a bank line, or waiting for a loved one to pass away, or waiting for God to answer a prayer.
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A Newly Appointed Young Preacher Was Contacted By ...
Contributed by Craig West on Dec 10, 2004
A newly appointed young preacher was contacted by the local funeral director to hold a graveside committal service at a small country cemetery in Iowa. There was to be no funeral, just the committal, because sadly, the deceased had no family or friends left in Iowa. The young pastor started ...read more
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T.w. Hunt Said In His Book "The Doctrine Of ... PRO
Contributed by Jeff Simms on Jul 11, 2004
T.W. Hunt said in his book “The Doctrine of Prayer” “Selfishness brings into our experience a danger so great that God knows He cannot coddle us with answers hostile to the very thing He is working to achieve in us. I would not give a murderer a knife to pamper one of his whims. God will not ...read more
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City Slickers
Contributed by Sam Peters on Mar 1, 2007
(If available, use the clip illustrated here) In the movie City Slickers, Mitch (Billy Crystal) is on a Baby Boomer cattle drive in search of the real meaning of life. In one scene he is out riding with the gritty trail boss, Curly (Jack Palance). Curly realizes why Mitch is on the trip and ...read more
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Caspar Ten Boon PRO
Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Jan 7, 2004
Caspar ten Boon In her famous book and film, “The Hiding Place” Corrie ten Boom tells the story of a Dutch Christian family, her family, who had a heart for the Jewish people Her grandfather Wilhelm started a weekly prayer group in 1844 in the city of Haarlem, near Amsterdam for the ...read more
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Let Me Tell You A Story About A Christian Just ... PRO
Contributed by Thomas Black on Feb 2, 2005
Let me tell you a story about a Christian just like you and I. Let’s call him George for no good reason. George woke up Monday morning after a remarkable Weekend. Family time was well spent and The church services were excellent. He’d had testimonies of answered prayer in his own life and the ...read more
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