JanBeek

Do you live in trust?
Are you feeling terrified?
We all have a choice.

Today at Madison Valley Presbyterian Church,
in Ennis, Montana,
our pastor, Rev. Steve Hundley, began his sermon
by telling us he had scrapped
the sermon he originally planned.
“It just didn’t seem to fit,” he explained
to the sparsely attended congregation.

With this Coronavirus Pandemic spreading like wildfire around the world, and the first four cases being tested positive in Montana just yesterday, Pastor Steve felt God nudging him to speak to that topic.

So, here are my sermon notes from today’s message:

Terror or Trust?

We must always trust in God
In the face of everyday life.
We must turn to Him when
We’re faced with terrifying strife.

We must trust the Mighty Fortress
In the midst of Pandemic Fear.
We must trust He is with us.
We’re not abandoned; He is here.

Even when we learn that things
Will get worse before they’re better,
We still must trust the Lord.
We must read His Word; believe every letter.

In Psalm 46, the Bible says
The Lord All Powerful is right here.
Especially in the midst of disasters,
He tells us, “Do not fear!”

To really know God and believe
In His love and care every single day,
Takes a lifetime of faithful living
With consistent prayer and walking His Way.

There will be days when we doubt
Because God seems so far away.
It’s days like that when we gather
Together, listening to what God has to say.

We hear His Word and are reminded
Of God’s faithful love and care.
We believe in God’s good character
And see His goodness everywhere.

We must know that God expects us
To be His character witnesses today.
Witness to the love of Christ,
And spread it with what you do and say.

In our state of dread and insecurities,
We are invited to live in the HOPE
That only God can give to us.
Will I become frozen in fear? NOPE!

Not only did Steve’s sermon encourage us to live in Trust (not terror), but his Prayer of Confession (printed in our bulletin) further inspired us to look deep within and examine whether or not we are:

• more apathetic than active
• more isolated than involved
• more callous than compassionate
• more obstinate than obedient
• more legalistic than loving
  

Our Prayer of Confession continued,
“Gracious Lord, have mercy upon us and forgive our sins. Remove the obstacles preventing us from being Your representatives to a broken world. Awaken our hearts to the promised gift of Your indwelling Spirit.
Amen“

Psalm 46

God Is Our Fortress
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear …
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

God Bless You!
Bee safe – Bee well – Bee a Blessing
TRUST and KNOW: God is with you.

What is
one small act
you can do
to change
Terror to Trust
in someone’s heart today?

See ya tomorrow.