RISK-TAKERS-THE ADVENTURE OF WALKING BY FAITH: Noah: A Faith that Pleases God (YOU-Sum’25, Study 1, Session 1)
There is a song that the late Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson sang. It was titled “Be Right”. A part of the song says, “When you see me walking along, I just want to be right!” When others look at your demeanor, what is their perception of you? We all know that a person’s perception may not be reality. But what if many are saying the same thing? Lamentations 3:40 tells us to test and examine our ways. Ultimately, Christians ought to be a reflection of Christ’s nature. He is righteous, so we must be, too. He knows your heart. You may be able to fool me or others, but God can never be fooled. He created you, and he knows everything about you (Ps. 139:1-4).
Noah found favor with the Lord. What a testament of his life to be declared righteous before God. Just as God responded to Noah with grace, which is unmerited favor, let us also desire that. Let us to emulate the righteousness of Christ by faith.
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32:12
ELISHA-SEEING THE HAND OF GOD AT WORK: God’s Hand in Facing Opposition (YOU-Spr’25, Study 2, Session 5)
When I was a teenager, I played on our church basketball team. Doyle was our center. Our arch-rival was an inner-city church. During the game, the center for the opposing team fouled out and blamed Doyle. When he walked to the bench, he pointed a finger at Doyle and said, “I’ll be waiting for you in the parking lot.” He was a lot bigger than Doyle and the threat had Doyle shook up.
After the game ended, our team decided we weren’t going to let Doyle face the other guy alone. So, as we left the gym and walked out to the parking lot, we were one big group huddled up together with Doyle in the middle.
As believers, the opposition we face isn’t always as apparent as in this story, but it is real nonetheless. Every believer engages in some level of spiritual warfare against Satan and his schemes. Thankfully, we don’t stand alone. God Himself stands with us whenever we face opposition.
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23:33
ELISHA-SEEING THE HAND OF GOD AT WORK: God’s Hand in Restoring Lives (YOU-Spr’25, Study 2, Session 4)
Contestant number 43,212 walked onto the stage to audition for Britain’s Got Talent. She stood in sharp contrast to previous performers. Unkempt curly hair and a less than flattering dress suggested a frumpy housewife. Simon Cowell interviewed her briefly and her admission that she was 47 years old caused raised eyebrows and scattered laughter from the audience. Her awkward verbal responses added to the anticipation that her performance would be cut short quickly. Expectations hit rock bottom when she revealed the ambitious choice to sing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Misérables.
But when contestant number 43,212 finished singing just the first phrase, “I dreamed a dream in time gone by” the audience had begun to cheer and applaud while each judge wore a look of amazement and disbelief. Her voice was beautiful and strong. She finished the song to a standing ovation, and Susan Boyle was on her way. Simon Cowell said later she was the textbook example of “never judge a book by its cover.”
Sometimes God surprises us in the same way, working in ways and through people we might not expect.
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20:25
ELISHA-SEEING THE HAND OF GOD AT WORK: God’s Hand in Meeting Others’ Needs (YOU-Spr’25, Study 2, Session 3)
My call to the ministry came later in life. At 32 years of age, I was attending seminary full-time, working two part-time jobs, and my wife worked full-time. We were doing our best to take care of three small children and ourselves. Money was tight. A man from my home church knew of our financial stress and handed me a check for a large amount of money. Immediately my pride took over and I said, “Thanks but we’ll get by.” After his insistence that I take the money, I refused again. In response, this man said something I’ve never forgotten. He said, “If you don’t take this money, you’ll take away the joy and blessing I have from giving it.” Initially I thought his statement was simply trying to convince me to take the money, but as I’ve grown in my walk with the Lord, I understand now what he meant. For believers there’s a joy and blessing that comes as we let God work through us for the sake of others. Meeting the needs of others can reveal God’s hand at work.
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18:00
ELISHA-SEEING THE HAND OF GOD AT WORK: God’s Hand in Meeting Our Needs (YOU-Spr’25, Study 2, Session 2)
We need God’s help, especially in times of uncertainty or distress. The question isn’t, “Will God respond?” More often the question is, “Will we respond to God’s help in faith and obedience?”
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