I recently had a wonderful conversation with a member of HVC after our first service last Sunday. Following the conversation, I received this email. I hope it inspires you like it inspired me.
Pastor Dan,
I’m so excited to tell you that I have really enjoyed your sermons on grace in Romans. I read Romans years ago and it was my favorite book. I didn’t truly understand the message of grace as I do today but I get it now.
At the time I was trying to live holy but found myself repeating some of the same old patterns of sin. At one point I said what’s the use. I can’t do this and quit trying. I went to church but mostly out of habit because that’s all I have known since… well forever. I felt defeated so I gave up.
I am thankful that I didn’t quit going to church because I continued to hear God’s Word and he continued to tug at my heart. As I shared with you this morning Beth Moore is teaching some of the same principals in her Believing God Bible study series. I have grown immensely! She said that we have a difficult time believing that we are the righteousness of God because we don’t always behave like it. Due to unbelief, we struggle with this principal but we are who God says we are. We just need to believe that.
Now wouldn’t Satan just faint if we all began to believe that we are who God says we are and acted accordingly. I wonder what mighty things we could accomplish for the Kingdom of God if we all just simply took God at his Word. What if we believed God instead of just believing in God? What if we believed that he was able to do more than the small things we ask for? Maybe we would be like Joshua and ask him to stop the sun so he could win the battle.
As Beth Moore says, God is waiting for us to ask for huge things and believe so he can show himself strong to us and the world. A verse that she used in our study is: Habakkuk 3:2 Lord I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.
I pray that He renews His great deeds in our time!
Here are five statements of faith that Beth Moore emphasizes that we as God’s people believe:
- God is who He says He is.
- God can do what He says He can do.
- I am who God says I am.
- I can do all things through Christ
- God’s Word is alive and active in me.
And God’s people said, “AMEN!”