CHRISTIANS: It’s Time To Shout! By Pastor Steve Smothermon


 Last June, I posted an article entitled Is Silence the New Sin? Why Christians MUST Stand Up and Speak Out NOW! and in that piece I noted that it was time for Christians to stop being silent, rise into action, and speak the truth publicly about the message of Jesus Christ and the state of society as a whole.


This past week, Pastor Steve Smothermon of Legacy Church preached a spirit-filled sermon on this very subject. In the sermon, Smothermon states that the only way for the message of Christ to be heard is for it to be louder than the world's message of sin and self-gratification, which is being screamed at us every day through social media, entertainment, and from the mouths of politicians.

 

 We cannot be silent! We need to be loud and proclaim the truth!

I also want to include this sermon from Pastor James W. Greer from Journey Church here in Louisiana.

Why Aren’t More Couples Happy?


Here are the notes from that sermon:

You forget what it was like to be alone. (Genesis 2:18-25, NKJV)

If we are not careful, we forget what it was like before God sent us our mates. Forgetting our mate is God’s second greatest gift. You did not get married out of obligation, but opportunity. (Hebrews 13:4, NKJV)
Marriage is much harder than you thought or ever imagined. (Genesis 2:21-25, NKJV)

You are both selfish and will have to fight selfishness for the rest of your life. Selfishness is the #1 problem in marriage.

The truth about how the two become one:

Something hard and stubborn + something hard and stubborn = ouch, that hurts.
Ouch, that hurts + time + turning it to God = something incredible.

It takes longer to get there than you thought, and it isn’t painless. It hurts when you realize that you can’t spend your time the way you used to, and compromises have to be made. A happy marriage takes a lot of work that does not end.

The two become one, until death do you part.

Marriage is a long-term commitment and covenant. Today, most people are short-term-minded. If you want to be successful in life, remember, it’s what you do after you make the decision that greatly determines your success, not simply the decision you made. You will reap, have times of harvest, and have joy. Those incredible times will only come to those who don’t give up. (Galatians 6:9-10, NKJV) God’s Word says let’s especially do good to those closest to us.

Homework: Look for ways to do good to your mate or for your mate.
Easy accessibility to drugs and alcohol.

Drugs and alcohol are destroying lives and marriages more than ever before. Acting like there’s not a problem is not the answer. Confessing and praying is the starting place. (James 5:16, NKJV)
Too much social and false media.

Most people are taking in too much of the wrong information and not enough of the right information. (Matthew 4:4, NKJV) In order to really live, make the right decisions, and to avoid discouragement and depression, you need to be taking in God’s Word. Many times, people are talking to the wrong people. (Job 31:1-2, NKJV; TLB) The only answer to lust is surrender. (Proverbs 15:3, NKJV)



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