September 24, 2023

Greetings my friends. It is Sunday September 24TH 2023, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.

I’m back in Homestead for the first of 2 Sundays in a row at my longtime home church of the past 8½ years. I’m looking forward to service and fellowship with my closest brothers and sisters of my church family and this fantastic journey.

Back home in Sebring I’ve been working on my next sermon on “Jude & Judgment” (based on Jude’s letter near the end of the New Testament). I hope to preach it to my Homestead church family at the end of November.

And now here on #SundayScripture it’s the continuation of the refresh, renew, and reboot of my sermon on “Pray & Believe” – originally preached on Sunday June 16TH 2019. Here’s Part 9:

[CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK]

There was an excellent movie in the theatres in early-2019. It did pretty good at the box office too. It made over 40 million dollars here in North America. That’s a lot of people seeing a faith-based movie at the theatres. It was called “Breakthrough”. It’s available at many stores – on DVD and Blu-Ray – and you can also stream it. It’s about a suburban mom who loved Christ and her family. She was a prayer warrior. She prayed often. She prayed intentionally.

Her 14-year-old son was playing with two friends on a frozen lake in mid-January during a milder-than-normal winter day. The kids were warned to get off the unsafe ice, but like typical teenagers – they brushed aside those warnings. They all fell through the ice. Two recovered safely back to the surface. One did not. He was underwater for 15 minutes before he was eventually rescued by a first-responder who refused to give up. Was the first responder led by an angel ?

After 15 minutes underwater the kid was lifeless. He was rushed to the hospital in a coma.

The movie was based on the real-life events that occurred in January of 2015 just outside of St. Louis Missouri. It made national headlines. The mom got an entire small town to pray for her son. Guess what she got ? She got miracles ! God hears our prayers. God responds with miracles.

It was a great movie. I shed tears several times, and I nearly wept out loud once or twice. And that’s OK to do – even for a guy in his 50s. I was also overwhelmed with joy. Watch this movie on DVD or online or on TV if you get the chance. Hollywood doesn’t make too many movies like this.

But that’s the power of prayer. Think about this. Who do you pray for ? Who do you pray for ? If all of your prayers today were answered by God tomorrow – then how many people – other than yourself – would experience life-changing miracles ? How ‘bout this. Would any of those people be complete strangers ?

But Pastor Chris – why would I pray for complete strangers ? I want God to answer the prayers for my loved ones – my family and my friends.

Yeah – same here. But God commanded us to love your neighbor as yourself, and everyone is your neighbor. If you see or hear another person – no matter where you are – then he or she is your neighbor. Love them. Pray for them.

[TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK]

If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !

Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:

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

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.