What Happens When You Get On The Wrong Boat?
Stinkin Thinkin
November 22, 2015 • Dr. Danny Lovett
Jonah has been running on empty and has lost the will to live. If he can't get his own way, he would rather die. Jonah has spoken what is on his mind and now God has a few things to say to him. By word and deed, God will try to bring Jonah to his senses. It seems that Jonah has a bad case of Stinkin' Thinkin'. He has a rotten attitude that renders him useless in God's service. The same thing can happen to us if we are not careful. Don't miss this challenging ending to the book of Jonah as we learn from Jonah's mistakes.
Running on Fumes
November 8, 2015 • Dr. Danny Lovett
We all like happy endings to our stories and books. Chapter three of Jonah ends with repentance, mercy, and spiritual victory in Nineveh. God wins. But the book doesn't end there, chapter four deals with anger and jealousy, despair, discouragement, and depression. Though the book does not end the way we would like, we can be thankful it doesn't end with the third chapter. We would miss the vital lessons God still has for us to learn. The record of Jonah's weaknesses underscores the fact that the Bible is a divine book. Don't miss Sunday's message about Jonah Running on Fumes.
Turning back to God
November 1, 2015 • Dr. Danny Lovett
The writer of Hebrews reminds us in chapter 3 that when we hear God's voice, we should respond "Today" and not put it off until tomorrow. Promptness is one of the great attitudes of obedience. Immediate obedience is an important key to growing spiritually and keeps us from being detoured in our walk with God. God is primarily interested in our response to His Word, not with how many things we can do to impress men. This Sunday we will look at how we can respond to God's word when we are called to be obedient to Him.
The God of 2nd Chances
October 25, 2015 • Dr. Danny Lovett
The God of Second Chances. This week in our study about Jonah, we are reminded that God is a merciful God. Jonah's detour of disobedience is about to end. God is preparing Jonah to return to the course of blessing, usefulness, effectiveness, and service, if Jonah is willing. Can you relate to Jonah? You may have messed up, and think God can't use you again. But that is Satan's great lie! God is the faithful potter who can remake the clay again in a shape that pleases him. We just have to stay on the potter's wheel and let Him mold us. Jonah was used again in a great way, even after he had disobeyed God and tried to run away from God. Remember, God is a God of the Second Chance. Don't miss this life changing truth, this Sunday at CCW. God has a great plan for your life!
Twenty Thousand Leagues under the sea
October 18, 2015 • Dr. Danny Lovett
The book of Jonah has been used of the Lord to work on all of us! This week as the saga continues, the conduct of Jonah begins to improve. From open rebellion to the call of God as we saw him belligerently and unashamedly running away from obedience to God, to being the only soul on board the storm-tossed ship not praying during a time of life and death crisis, we eventually see his conduct change for the better when he instructed the sailors to throw him overboard in order to calm the storm. In chapter two, we'll see a different attitude in Jonah. We'll hear him pray from twenty thousand leagues under the sea! Finally, he agrees with God, submits to God, and honors God. I can't wait to preach to you what God has been showing me!
The Greatest Fish Story ever told
October 11, 2015 • Dr. Danny Lovett
The title of the message this week is "The Greatest Fish Story Ever Told". The greatest fish story of all times is the story of Jonah and the big fish! Unlike many fish stories, this one is absolutely true! Because this story is so extraordinary, it makes the book of Jonah a prime target for those who refuse to believe the Word of God. The book of Jonah, more than any other portion of scripture in the Old Testament, has been the talking point of scoffers. Disbelief describes the attitude of many regarding the book of Jonah. While unbelief is failure to admit a truth, disbelief is a outright rejection of the truth. This week we will examine the evidence to show that while it's an amazing story, the story of Jonah is in fact credible.
The Results for Running from God
October 4, 2015 • Dr. Danny Lovett
No one lives unto himself. The guilt of one man can endanger the lives of many. The misconduct of a President can scar a nation. The impurity of a Pastor can devastate a church. The sin of a Christian can affect the entire church family. The crime of one person can burden a city with millions of dollars of expenses from law suits. The greed of Achan cost the lives of many in Israel's army. Jonah's sin upset the Sovereign, the sea, the ship, the sailors, the shipmaster, and the sleeper Jonah. This Sunday we will take a hard look at the disturbances that come from disobedience in our lives.
Running from God
September 27, 2015 • Dr. Danny Lovett
The book of Jonah has much to say about our responsibility and duty as a Christian. Throughout the book, God calls Jonah to do a job for him. He even calls a big fish to do a specific job. How we respond to the call of God is the subject of the book. We are warned about the consequences of disobedience and encouraged to be obedient to God. People today are not necessarily interested in the subject of responsibility or duty. They are more interested in their rights, rather than God's right to rule in their lives. God, however, places a high priority on duty. We will begin our study in the book of Jonah by looking at the story of the man of God who tries to run away from his responsibility to obey the call of God.
Introduction to Jonah
September 20, 2015 • Pastor Danny Lovett
The book of Jonah is one of the most incredible books in the Bible. It is filled with mystery and intrigue. And yet it is a book that has taken a great deal of abuse. Perhaps no other book in the Bible has suffered at the hands of critics like Jonah has. Why has this happened? Simply because the events recorded in it are unfamiliar to us. There have been no recent news reports of a man being swallowed by a whale and living to tell about it. But how about those who lived closer to Jonah's day? Did they believe that Jonah was an actual historical figure and that his story as portrayed in the Old Testament was accurate? And would we not grant more credibility to them to modern skeptics? The answer is yes on both counts. This Sunday we will be starting our new series on Jonah - What Happens when We Get on the Wrong Boat.