What If I fail...

Fear of failure can cause each of us to be frozen in time. Each of us carry in our vivid memory of times, situation, and circumstances when we have failed at something, messed things up, or really goofed. Successes, accomplishments, or goals completed can not erase those mistakes we have made. Doesn’t really matter our intentions, we have all at sometime in our lives failed. Our failure or fear of failure can keep us from trying again or acting. The damage of a bad relationship can hinder us from loving or trusting another person. Negative words about a dish we have cooked and created can cause us to never make it again. Pain from an injury can cause us to never play the sport again, even if we are physically able. The concept is universal as it makes no difference if we are talking about our relationships, finances, business decisions, health, hobbies, or vocation; we have all failed at least once. We have all sinned and we all keep track of those failures and sins.
So how does God through Jesus Christ set us free of our failures? Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. He gave us a pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it's now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

“The What Ifs?”

When we are full of fear, a million questions pop up, what if this happens, what if that happens, what is going to happen to me when I don’t have much hope for the future. Our society in which we live is ever changing. The hope for the future seems to be dwindling each and every day with each news report. Security is an uncommon commodity in the times in which we exist. It is in times like these we desperately need to turn to God for hope.
This Sunday we will begin a new sermon series on the “What If’s.” We will explore the “What if’s” of our: future, commitment, failure, God, and death. We will seek God’s guidance as we explore what if the future is not what we intended. We will seek a deeper understanding of what if I fail. We will discover spiritual direction as we ask what if I can not commit. We will worship God and search for reasoning if we ask: what if I fear God. As we worship as a faith community we will end our series address the fear in what if I die.
A sermon series provides a tremendous opportunity for us to turn to God in times of fear. It provides for us an avenue for our faith to become relevant in the life we live each and every day. This series opens an avenue to invite someone to share in this awesome experience. Even if you know they attend another congregation regularly, invite them to join you for one service or the entire series. It will provide healing for them if you know they are struggling on one of the “what if’s” we are addressing. They can then return to their home congregation with a clear sense of renewed hope. This series gives an occasion for God to restore hope into their lives. Give someone you know a call and invite them to join us as together, in the presences of God, as we explore the “what if’s” in our lives. Call, drop a note, or email to friends, family, neighbors and strangers as we tackle “the what if’s”.

Until we meet again, take care of yourself and one another..

Shalom,

Tommy