Church Of The Lost Sheep

" So we have no reason to despair. Despite the fact that our outer humanity is falling apart and decaying, our inner humanity is breathing in new life every day. You see, the short-lived pains of this life are creating for us an eternal glory that does not compare to anything we know here. So we do not set our sights on the things we can see  with our eyes . All of that is fleeting;  it will eventually fade away.  Instead, we focus on the things we cannot see, which live on and on." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 in the Voice Bible Version [This is the 9th and last lesson of this series] Image Credit: idisciple.org We will try to end this mini series within a series on a high note, and by saying that there is no other way we can find real peace, real hope and real joy other than with God. Apart from God, it is just not possible, especially not in a broken and fallen world. Imagine The singer John Lennon, who once declared he was more famous than Jesus, sang his famous song entit

"Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up  and  lose heart," Luke 18:1 in the Amplified Version [This is the  6th  message in this  series ] If there is anything this world needs more of, it is by far this thing we call hope. And hope that is not like what the world peddles, not that fake or false kind or hope that only lasts for a little while, but real hope.  I used to own and manage a business which dealt with essentially bringing hope. It was a great business venture and we helped a lot of people. But that business enterprise ended, like everything else in this world. Real Hope There is one real and lasting hope and one that is not transient but eternal. In this world we will have trouble and this we are certain of. But  only God has the kind of hope that humankind needs to make it through this world and into the next. We can only do so much and we can only hitch a ride on a limited number

" Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." -Apostle Paul writing to the 1st church in Rome, 1st century Romans 15:13 in the Berean Study Bible Edition [This is the  26th  message in this series] The end of the old year and the start of the new year is always a great time to look back on both our mistakes and our triumphs. It is also the time to thank God for His faithfulness. And to pause to bask in this surreal moment. It was another difficult year of course. It has been for billions of people around the world. We are not alone.  It has actually been two straight challenging years for most. But through it all, we can still sense that God was working behind the scenes. God has brought us through what some might consider their most trying times. And at this moment in time it is important to receive God's joy and peace. The world's joy and the world's pe

Faith Brings Joy "Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." Romans 5:1-5 In the first part of this message, we talked about joy, in the second part we talked about peace, on this third part as we continue to touch on both, we will talk about hope. All three are gifts of the Holy Spirit. Apart from whom, no one can have real joy, p