God Loves Us More Than He Hates Our Sins

God is the perfect Father! He Cares. He is Patient. He is Forgiving. He is Gentle. He is Gracious. He is Merciful. He is snail slow to anger, but lightning speed to love.

God loves us for who we are, not for what we do. His grace isn’t conditioned on our perfection, but rather on his love for us. God wants our best all the time. He desires our faithfulness. He expects our honesty, godly character and spiritual morality. 

 

In our pursuit of living a godly life, we fail a lot. God never calls us to live perfectly, but he does call us to live righteously. We cannot make excuses as to why we can’t live godly; nor should we ever sugarcoat the importance of righteous living. 

 

The good news for imperfect people is that God is perfect. So, how can the perfect God be willing to have anything to do with imperfect people? Simple…he loves us more than he dislikes our imperfection. When John said, God so loved the world that he gave us his son….” he wanted us to know that God’s love is big, really big! 

 

God’s love is so big it became sacrificial. The Apostle Paul said, “But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.” Romans 5:8

 

If you ever doubt God’s love, stop and re-read John 3:16 that says, “God so loved the world that he gave US His Son…” God’s love for us was not only giving his Son, but also eternal life through His Son. Jesus became the bridge builder for us to be saved. 

 

God’s love is so big that he forgives us. I John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.”

 

Forgiveness is not always our way, but it is always God’s way. The Prophet Isaiah said, “But I wipe away your sins because of who I am. And so, I will forget the wrongs you have done.” Isaiah 43:25 God never holds a grudge or brings up our past after we have asked for forgiveness. 

 

Does God want your best? Yes! Does God love us more than he hates our sins? Yes! So, will you give God your best? Will you love God more than you love anyone or anything else? 

 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

 

Brian

The Blessings and Difficulties of Being a Minister

Sharing Jesus’ story and helping others focus on living in truth and guiding a church to be spiritually connected with God and encouraging men and women who have committed to living the Jesus life not to slack up and loving the critics, the unfaithful, the troublemakers and the lackluster Christian is a tremendous task for a minister to take on day in and day out. 

 

I know for a fact that God created me to be a minister.  I knew and felt the calling when I was 9 or 10.  What I didn’t know is the burden that calling of being a minister would have on me mentally, emotionally and physically. 

 

I love being a minister.  I enjoy preaching and teaching.  I am thrilled when one surrenders their life to Jesus.  I am overjoyed when the church is thriving and connected to the community.  I am excited when babies are dedicated to God and children’s classrooms are filled with noisy kids and when those same kids are running around the church house laughing and playing. 

 

However, there is a deep burden within me to ensure the church is always spiritually healthy.  I struggle internally when the church community doesn’t seem to care about their own spirituality, much less, their neighbors, co-workers or family members.  I know that I can’t make someone take ownership of his or her spiritual walk with Christ; but it troubles my heart. 

 

My life isn’t perfect.  I am flawed.  Lack consistency.  Disappoint God and others.  Negative.  Slow to forgiving, but quick to judge and anger at times.  And, my internal struggle shuts the door to self-control and opens the door to overeating and anxiousness. 

 

Ephesians 4:11-12 speaks loudly to me, “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.”  The calling to teach and evangelize (disciple) and to spiritually lead is huge.  They are not meaningless task, but rather, the spiritual fire starter and the fan to flame the longevity of ones spiritual relationship that he or she committed to living out daily.  Being a catalyst isn’t a Sunday morning job; rather, it is daily. 

 

Leading people spiritually who work 10 to 12 hours a day who have family responsibilities that include sports, dance recitals, band or choir concerts, and drama plays and a host of other obligations is difficult.  Helping people balance and navigate the spiritual disciplines that will enable them to be spiritually strong is challenging, but rewarding.

 

I take the calling God gave me seriously.  While I am burdened, I am also grateful that God chose me to be an ambassador for Christ.  I love preaching and teaching and spiritually leading other.  I love experiencing the blessings, for they outweigh any negativity by far. 

 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

 

Brian

I’m in Room 108, Can You Help Me

Hello, Brian speaking:  His voice was calm, but a little shaken.  “Hi, my name is Terry.  I have just gotten out of the hospital and am trying to get back to L.A.”  He continues, “I am a Christian and have turned my life around.  You see, I went to Baltimore to try to make amends with my family, but it didn’t work out.”  His voice softens and more timid, but he continues, “I have HIV, full blown aids.  I have about five months to live.  I turned my life over to God about six months ago and have never felt freer in all my life.  I have learned about the grace and mercy of God from my new spiritual family.  I thought that if I went to Baltimore, I would get the same treatment from them.  It wasn’t the same.  My dad walked out of the room and never said another word to me.  I left the house and caught a ride with a person who was traveling to your town.”  He paused and let out a sigh.  “I’m in room 108, can you help me?  A friend of mine in L.A. is sending me a bus ticket by mail and it will arrive tomorrow.  I need a place to stay for another night and some food to eat.  Can you help me?” 

My first thought was about my brother, Keith.  He died several years ago with full-blown aids.  Terry’s voice was heart wrenching to my soul.  His story brought back memories of my own brother.  The way Terry’s father and my own father treated each son, was drastically different.  Terry will die alone.  No mom or dad at his bedside.  No brothers or sisters praying.  No family member to hold his hand or to sit with him in his last days.

 

I thought how our Heavenly Father responded to Terry when he surrendered his life to him.  With compassion?  YES!  With mercy?  YES!  With grace?  Yes!   Yes, yes, yes!  So, I decided to do something.  I told Terry that I would meet him at the motel.  He said, “I am in room 108.”  When I arrived and opened his motel door, I found a man whose face was mangled hard living and HIV.  His body is frail.  His voice is weak.  His days are numbered.  I saw my brother all over again.  What do I do?  What can I do?  What would Jesus do?

 

I sat in a chair next to the door while Terry sat on the end of his bed.  He said, “I lived a rough life of drugs and sex. I hooked up with a man who never told me that he was HIV positive.  Now, I have it too.  Five months is all the doctor is giving me.  I gave my life to Christ and now I am preparing to die…alone.  Can you help me?”

 

What would Jesus do?  Jesus said in Matthew 25 “that when we give food, water, or clothing to the least…you have also done it unto me.”  I thought, “food, water, and clothing is the easy part, but what about being alone, who is going to be there for him?”  King David said in Psalm 23 that God leads us.  Restores us.  Guides us.  Walks with us.  Comforts us. Prepares for us.   Anoints us.  And, dwells with us. 

 

Terry will never be alone.  God is right there with him through life, death, and life again.  I left the motel room knowing that God is truly leading the way for Terry just like he does for all of us!

 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

 

Brian

God Turns Loneliness into Companionship

 There are people in life that captures our heart.  Their presence is an incredible blessing and it penetrates deep into the core of our soul.  There is no other feeling as powerful than the one who makes our heart feel sensational, calm and joyful. 

 

God never does anything halfheartedly, nor does he make mistakes in placing that one person in our lives who makes all the difference in the world.   God knows exactly what we need even before we know it.  He knows how to make the best connections, the best conversationalists, the best spiritual partners, the best listeners, the best friends and the best caregivers.   Never question God’s timing because he doesn’t view time as we do.  Never underestimate God’s ability to maneuverer his way through our lives in order to unite the very person who needs to be there! Never doubt God’s decisions, for they are the perfect ones. 

 

God has his radar on each of us.  He feels our pain.  He hears our cry.  He sees our brokenness.  He cares.  He holds.  He helps.  He leads.  He gives.  There is not a second of a day that God turns himself off to us.  There is never a moment when God says he is too busy.  God is always connected to us. 

 

There are a countless people who fight loneliness every day.  There are individuals who go through life never believing that God is on the scene providing exactly what is needed.  Many reject the people God places at their door due to fear or outright disbelief or the person at the door isn’t the right one or others convince them that there is someone better; you need more time.  God holds the time card of our lives, no one else. 

 

When we become vulnerable before God and surrender our imperfections, our lack of faith, our opinions, our judgmental attitudes and our rejections of the person God sends to us, it is in that moment we will experience calmness and be able to rest our minds that there is someone who will walk life with us. 

 

God is in the business of shielding us.  Psalm 3:3-4, 8 “But you, God, shield me on all sides;
you ground my feet, you lift my head high; with all my might I shout up to God, His answers thunder from the holy mountain.  Real help comes from God. Your blessing clothes your people!”  If you really want to feel safe, then trust God.  If you really want that one person in your life that makes a difference, then accept whom God places at your door.  If you want to experience a life with someone, then be open to God’s timing.

 

Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want anyone to be alone or feel rejected.  The Scriptures declare that God “…will never leave us....” God is always in the middle of whatever is going on with us.  He is our forever Father and friend.  Trust God.  Be happy for those whom God gifts with that special someone in order to make their lives better.  Never take matters into your own hands.  Never fight with God because of the choices he made for you or someone else, you will lose every time. 

 

God is forever in love with you.  Trust. 

 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

 

Brian

Brian's Sermons

 

                                                                                      

                                    

Our Hope is in the Eternal Life

Holding on to Integrity 

The Boneyard

Love Matters 

The Future is Full of Hope

Jesus Sacrificed 

God's Abilities

Temptation Are Not From God

 Have you heard the expression:  “God won’t give you more than you can bear?”  The truth is, God won’t, but it does not have anything to do with trials or hardships or loss of job or sickness or bad relationships. 

 

The misquoted expression comes from 1^st Corinthians 10:13 which says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

 

The truth is; God will not allow us to be so overwhelmed by any temptation that we will ultimately destroy our relationship with him due to no alleyway to escape temptation’s grip.

 

Temptation is real and we must never think we have it conquered it.  The Apostle Paul made it crystal clear that arrogance about “spiritually arrived” is dangerous when he said, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.” 1^st Corinthians 10:12.   Satan is always looking for the backdoor entrance into our soul.  He scouts out our weaknesses and works overtime to infiltrate the vulnerabilities that are exposed.  Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy….” John 10:10  And, the Apostle Peter warned us to “Be self-controlled and alert, your enemy the devil prowls around like an roaring lion looking for someone to devour….”1^st Peter 5:8

 

God doesn’t leave us stranded on “temptation island” to fend for ourselves while Satan is attacking us from every angle. God provides the most powerful arsenal to intercept the attacks.  God equips us with his Spirit to squelch any “gratifying desire that is sinful.” Galatians 5:16 and the Sprit will instill “self-control” over desires that has the potential to lead us to sin.

 

There are three important factors to know when dealing with temptation: 

 

#1.  Temptations do not come from God; rather, they come from Satan – “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’  For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone….”  James 1:13

 

#2.  God gives us his Spirit as a gift to lead us spiritually –  “…You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38

 

#3.  If you stifle the Spirit, it loses its power to be effective in protecting us from Satan’s attacks – “Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.” 1^st Thessalonians 5:19

 

 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

 

Brian