Psalm 118:8-9

The Chapel Fort Wayne

Psalm 118:8-9

A Better Way

March 26, 2024 • Pastor Mike Fanning • Psalm 118:8–9

Everyone has trust. The ultimate question is this, what or who are you trusting in? What or who is the object of your trust? Religious people who believe they can put God into their debt through their attempts at “salvation by works” are really trusting in themselves. They say in their hearts, “Can I create an impressive enough resume to present to God so He will grant me entrance into heaven?” Never gonna happen!! Friend, abandon all thoughts of self-salvation and take refuge from God’s judgment against sin in God’s loving provision of His Son! (Because Christ on the cross already bore your sin and took your punishment!) Thank You Jesus! You alone are my refuge!

PASSAGE: Psalm 118:8-9 - "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes."

PAUSE: Easter is ultimately about taking refuge in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Jesus Christ rescues us from sin, death, and the power of the evil one. If you haven’t trusted Jesus Christ for salvation, may today be the day!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I take refuge in you. Help me realize that it is always better to trust in you than my friends, family, country, or myself.

Luke 24:32

April 5, 2024 • Pastor Josh Lewis • Luke 24:32

I don’t know about you, but for me, this series exploring the “Easter Eggs” hidden throughout the Old Testament has been so rewarding! I can relate to these men who walked along the road to Emmaus with Jesus, recalling stories that they thought they knew so well, but now they were seeing the details clearly for the first time--realizing that this Gospel message has been weaved all throughout the Old Testament and pointed perfectly to Jesus Christ. We should continue to seek wisdom and clarity through God's word. May we never become puffed up with knowledge, but rather seek to understand who God is and what He has done for us. Lord, help us to understand your whole gospel message clearly so that we may go and tell others, and may your love burn in the hearts of all who hear of you. PASSAGE: Luke 24:32 - “They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” PAUSE: One of the goals of this series was to help you embrace Scripture and appreciate the blending of the old with the new. The early disciples described this experience as “burning within their hearts.” Ask the Lord to burn within your own heart as you read, meditate, and apply the Scriptures to your life. PRAYER: Heavenly Father, open my eyes to see and to understand Scripture better. Help me to burn within my own soul as a read and meditate on you!

1 Corinthians 15:58

April 4, 2024 • Pastor Josh Lewis • 1 Corinthians 15:58

What motivates you to keep working when things get hard? It probably depends on the situation, and if we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes it can be easy to quit if we don’t have a strong motivator to keep us going. If you are ever feeling tempted to give up on work that the Lord has called you to, don’t get discouraged. You’re not alone. The reason Paul writes this to his audience is because there can be a very real temptation to give up or lose our purpose. Paul’s encouragement is to remember our focus on Christ. This whole chapter focuses on the victory that has been secured because of Christ’s resurrection, and that same victory is assured for us through Christ. Let that assurance be your motivation to never give up. Keep serving the Lord in whatever capacity He has called you to! PASSAGE: 1 Corinthians 15:58 - "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." PAUSE: The resurrection changes everything! It changes our perspective as followers of Christ. As the church, it changes our purpose! The resurrection invites us to be steadfast in continuing the work of the Lord. Moving forward, our purpose should never be about ourselves but rather to serve the Lord. PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for being short-sided and desiring to quit. Give me a steadfast heart; allow me to do the work of the Lord today!

1 Corinthians 15:57

April 3, 2024 • Pastor Mike Fanning • 1 Corinthians 15:57

Without the gospel of Jesus Christ, death and all of death’s devastation wins daily victory and final victory over everyone! But through the gospel, God reverses the curse and sting of death. And He replaces death with LIFE! Because Christ is Life and we are in Christ! On this side of heaven God gives purpose to our suffering and gives us the spiritual power to grow in victory over sin in our lives. And because of the gospel, those who are in Christ no longer live in fear of death because our eternal destiny with God has been set, and guaranteed! And so, the victory we have in this life through Jesus Christ will give way to ultimate victory in the New Heavens and New Earth where sin and death are completely removed altogether. New life with new bodies, living face to face with our Savior forever and ever! This is our victory in Jesus! It starts the moment we trust in Christ and it never ends! Never! PASSAGE: 1 Corinthians 15:57 - "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." PAUSE: Paul concludes the resurrection chapter with a shout of victory! Throughout this Holy Week, have you paused and thanked Jesus? Have you thanked him for the cross? Have you thanked him for the forgiveness of sins? Let us take a moment, pause, and thank our Heavenly Father for our victory! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I sing a victory song today. Because of Christ, I am now forgiven of all my past, present, and future sins. Thank you, Jesus!