Faith In The Valley

This message was preached at Wakefield Valley Bible Church of New Windsor, Maryland on March 27, 2022.

There are two children’s stories that are alike but different. I want to tell you both and point out the morals of each One is Chicken Little. In Chicken Little, a young chick is struck on the head by a falling acorn. Confused and very upset the young chick begins to tell the other animals that the sky is falling. Paranoia and mass hysteria set in because all the animals believe the world is coming to an end. The farm animals, all upset, decided they needed an answer to the question, Is the world about to end? So they set out to find the king animal who could answer that question. They found a fox and assumed he was the king. The fox assured them he was and would be glad to hear their concern, they only needed to go with him into his den. They did so and the fox killed all the animals and ate them. What’s the moral of Chicken Little? Don’t believe everything you are told. The other story that’s similar but different is the Boy Who Cried Wolf. In this story, a shepherd boy, bored with his job, decides to cry “

George Orwell once said, "There are some ideas so stupid that only intellectuals believe them." I am not an intellectual and it's my belief that you are not one either. So when we are confronted with a new idea we need to evaluate them. We need to see if they have merit, see if they are true or false. We finished the first section of our series How to Survive in a Post-Christian World. We learned that God has appointed our leaders and for that reason, we are to subject ourselves to their leadership except when they ask us to disobey God. We learned that we are to love our neighbors even when they hate us and persecute us. And we learned that in these last days we need to wake up, put off the deeds of darkness, and put on the armor of light. Today we will begin our new section with a question. It is a True or False question. I will ask this question in just a moment, but I want you to refrain from shouting out your answer. I want you to keep your answer to the question to yourself. And a little later we will

To kick off this message I want to ask you a few questions. In fact, grab a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Now on the front of that paper, I want you to write down the answer to question number one. Here it is. If you could instantly change anything about anyone who would you change and what would you change? Turn the page over and let’s answer question number two. So question number one was on the front and question number two will be on the back. If you could instantly change anything about yourself what would you change? Now I have a third question, but you don’t need to write anything down. Which of these changes – Changing someone else or changing yourself – is more likely to happen? So hold those thoughts and I will come back to it later. We have been in a series titled How to Survive in a Post-Christian World. Over the last few episodes we have learned: That God places leaders over us – Kings, Queens, Prime Ministers, Presidents – and for that reason we are to subject ourselves to them. The

At the start of 2021, we began a study on How to Survive in a Post-Christian World.  The influence of Christianity, especially in the western world, is on the decline. With this decline comes a change in how people respond to Christians. More and more we will find ourselves out of sorts with our community, even with people we know well and love. We will begin to experience persecution. For that reason, I am preparing my church to handle the coming persecution. Over the past three messages, we have studied how we should respond to our leaders, especially the government. Today we will begin to look at our responsibility to our community or to our neighbors. Today you will learn that no matter how people in your community might behave or think you must love them. And at the end of this message, I will share with you a piece of Scripture that I have intentionally held back these past three weeks. Let’s pray. Open your Bibles to Romans 13. We will read verses 8-10. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the contin

Two messages back we learned that our first responsibility to our leaders is to pray for them and to give thanks to God for them. I hope this week you prayed for the president of your prime minister, or whatever leader God has placed over you. I hope that you also thanked God for them. For some of you this teaching – to pray and to give thanks – is a tough pill to swallow. Maybe you did not vote for this particular leader. Possibly he or she does not represent your values. Or this leader is corrupt. Whatever, God expects it of us. Prayer is our first and most important calling toward our leaders. So please pray for your leaders regardless of their politics. In the last message, we learned that God appoints human leaders over us. And for that reason, we are to subject ourselves to their leadership as long as their leading is not in conflict with God’s Bible. When the Bible disagrees with our human leaders we are to obey God and be willing to suffer the consequences. We looked at the Apostles in Acts 5. The apo

Surviving in a Post-Christian America Message Three – To Obey or Not Obey On January 20th, our country went through a change of leadership. President Biden became our 46th president of the United States. I watched a good deal of the Inauguration. Lady Gaga did a fabulous job singing the National Anthem. Recently I heard Amanda Gorman, our Youth Poet Laureate, recite one of her poems; so I was interested to hear her read her new poem The Hill We Climb. I sang along with Garth Brooks as he performed Amazing Grace. And as I listened to President Biden’s speech, I shared his hope for unity. Every 4-8 years we go through this. We welcome a new government into power. The republic created 243 years ago still stands. So now what? What do we as Christians do with respect to this new government? Do we honor and respect President Biden and Vice President Harris or do we stand against them?  Do we subject ourselves to these leaders for the next four years or do we rebel? Two weeks back you learned that your first respons

This past Wednesday, I was horrified as I watched on TV US citizens storming the capitol. These individuals destroyed and stole property, attacked authorities, broke onto the senate and house floors, and occupied offices. I thought to myself, “I can’t believe what I am seeing!” I never thought I would see the day when citizens of this country would storm the US Capitol to try and stop a lawful procedure. Something in this country has changed. There has been a shift. Then I noticed something else. At first, I looked past it. But then I say it. The flags. The flags and banners came to the forefront of my view. The rioters carried flags and banners. Many of the flags were the US flag hung upside down. Others carried flags that featured President Trump’s name and image. But in this crowd of rioters, there were several who carried flags that bore another name. And that name was Jesus. The name of Jesus was on Capitol steps. The name of Jesus was climbing over the barricade. The name of Jesus was knocking down the

I told the church last week that Mayberry is gone and it’s not coming back. The little town and its lifestyle featured in the Andy Griffith Show is gone forever. In fact, The America of Mayberry has been gone for a long time. America didn’t change last November when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the election. American has been in a state of change for generations. This change has brought to the US the decline of Christianity and the reality of persecution. For that reason, I want to take 2021 and prepare our church for this coming persecution. So for the next several months, we will study: Our Responsibility to One Another and our Responsibility to our community Our Responsibility to Our Government How to Test the Spirits How to Endure Hardship, Suffering, and Persecution How to Evangelize and Disciple When We are Not Permitted The Things We Must Die For In today’s lesson, we will set an important foundation for this series. We will establish a base upon which all the other messages must be built. And I w

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Sometimes bitterness overwhelms us. But God has a way of taking your bitterness and turning it into something better.

What is the solution to our broken culture? There are many things that can be done, but there is the ultimate answer.

God sees you and God listens to you! We are always heard and seen when we spend time with God.

Adam Hussey of Action International Ministries (AIM Shares the message from Romans 8.

If God exists why do people suffer? And why, especially, do believers suffer? This episode of Faith in the Valley will answer these questions.

Dr. David Jeremiah, in his book I Never Thought I Would See the Day! identifies three types of atheists. Atheists due to Circumstances. People are atheists by circumstances because they were raised apart from the gospel. Ephesians 2:12 and Acts 17:22-23 are examples of such. Atheists by Choice. They know the truth but choose to reject it. Psalm 14:1; 53:1 and Romans 1:18-20 Atheists by Lifestyle. These are God-believers who their life as if there is no God. 1 Corinthian 2:10-3:3 How To Respond Voddie Baucham in Expository Apologetics says: Be biblical Be easy to remember (and understand) Be conversational John 4 Always relate to people. Jesus didn’t let barriers stop Him you from relating. Verses 7,9 Introduce God or faith. In verse 10, Jesus introduces God. Make Jesus the solution to the problem. In verses 13-14 Jesus makes Himself the solution. Point out their problem. In John 4:16-18 Jesus introduces the problem—the woman’s sin. Do not let them take you off track. In verses 21-24 Jesus does not let the

Edmund Burke said, "Evil prevails when good men do nothing." That is the sad story of Eli in 1 Samuel. And it is our story today. Check out this episode as we look at the contrast between the sons of Eli and Samuel. And we ask ourselves, Now that we know about it, what are we going to do about it?

Who is Your Hero? Hannah's Hero 1 Samuel 2:1-2 Hannah had prayed with a bitter heart. Now her heart expresses joy. Joy is lasting but happiness is fleeting. Hannah’s joy comes from her position “in the Lord.” “My horn” is in reference to power. Hannah’s power comes from her position “in the Lord.” The greatest power over people is sin. But those that are in Christ have power over sin. Romans 6:5-14 She can smile at her enemies because the Lord has saved her. Nothing and no one can take that from her. Romans 8:31-39 God is Unique 1 Samuel 2:3-8 If it is unfit for others to hear it is unfit to say. Everything you do and say must be done knowing that the Lord is the God of knowledge. God is the hero of those who need heroes. See also Matthew 5:3-6 and James 4:6 Christ is Empowered 1 Samuel 2:9-10 How the Lord blessed Hannah: The Lord gave Hannah the power to go home without Samuel. 1 Samuel 2:11. The Lord gave her an opportunity to visit her son on a regular basis. 1 Samuel 2:18-20 The Lord blessed Hannah with