Today is the fourth Sunday of the New Year. Has it gone that fast? This means we are on our fourth sermon of our series, “Control: Cans and Cants.” Today’s sermon is “Setting our Goals Aligned with God’s Will.” Here is a critical question for each of us: Are we aligning our goals with God’s will, or are we independently chasing dreams but then trying to fit God into them afterward? This question cuts to the core of our spiritual lives. Many of us, including myself, have experienced times when we pursued our own desires, occasionally remembering to include God in our plans. However, this approach often leads to a difficult and disappointing path. The true challenge we face is … Read More
The Power of our Words
At the beginning of the year, we started a new sermon series titled “Control: Can’s and Can’ts.” Each sermon in this series explores different aspects of control: our thoughts, actions, speech, goals, and responses to challenges. Today, I want to discuss an often-overlooked aspect of personal growth and relationship building: the power of our words, specifically the art of controlling our tongues. It is fascinating, yet alarming, how the uncontrolled words we speak, whether in anger, frustration, or even in jest, can significantly impede our progress in life and strain the very fabric of our relationships. Have you experienced this? Have you been set back in life for things you said in a moment of anger? Have you lost relationships, … Read More
Letting Go of the Past and Future
Last week, on the first Sunday of the year, we started a new sermon series titled “Control: Can’s and Can’ts.” Each sermon in this series will explore different aspects of control: our thoughts, actions, speech, goals, and responses to challenges. For example, we learned about the balance between human effort and God’s will in the context of control. We heard that while we can plan and strategize, the final outcomes are aligned with God’s purpose. The main lesson was the importance of accepting things beyond our control and changing what we can, knowing the difference between the two to align our goals with God’s will by accepting our limitations and surrendering to God. Today’s sermon is about “Letting Go of … Read More
Control: Can’s and Can’ts
Welcome to the first sermon of our New Year’s “Control: Can’s and Can’ts.” Each sermon in this series will explore different aspects of control: our thoughts, actions, speech, goals, and responses to challenges. I thought about this subject because as we start a new year, many of us probably reflect on our lives and set goals for the year ahead. However, one of the most critical questions we need to consider is how much of our life’s path can we steer on our own, and where must we yield to God? Today, we start the series with the subject of “Understanding Control: What’s in Our Hands.” To explore this, let’s turn to the wisdom of Proverbs 19:21, which captures the … Read More
Gratitude and Hope
This year, we have all had moments of laughter that filled our hearts with joy, just as we have faced times of sorrow that brought us to tears. Think about your own life: the joy you felt at a friend’s wedding, the grief of losing someone close, or the satisfaction of overcoming a personal challenge. These are not just abstract ideas but real moments we all experience. They are not just random events; they shape who we are, teach us important lessons, and remind us that life is always changing. As we reflect on these ever-changing seasons of life, our thoughts naturally turn to how we respond to them. As we stand at the threshold of a new year, let’s … Read More