
Pastor Mac Hammond | June 26, 2022
Pastor Mac Hammond | June 26, 2022
Recent Sermon Notes
Last weekend, Pastor Jim gave the 29th installment to his teaching series on the book of Romans entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” In this chapter, Paul talks about his own personal struggle as to why he keeps doing carnal things that he doesn’t want to do, yet he keeps doing them. This portion of scripture has to do with believers who are alive in their spirit man but are walking out their lives in spiritual defeat because they’re trying to obey the law with all of its rules and regulations in their own self-effort, their own strength. Thus, the subtitle of this message is “Ever Doing the Things I Don’t Want to Do.”
Pastor Mac presented the third installment of his new series entitled, “The Impossible Dream.” He said it was important that we have a clear understanding of what is the impossible dream. It’s not enough simply to dream. You need to go out on a limb and dream an impossible dream. What is an “impossible” dream? It’s a dream that can’t be fulfilled without God’s ability and power! Pastor Mac said, “God has called us to be dreamers.”
Pastor Jim continued with his series on the book of Romans entitled, “Grace Unveiled.” His focus was the passage in Romans 7:13–14: “Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.” Pastor Jim taught on the Apostle Paul’s own personal struggle with trying to live his Christianity with an Old Covenant mindset… how it was impossible to do and something that would only bring about failure. In spite of Paul’s warning, many Christians try to live their Christian lives with an Old Covenant mindset.
Pastor Jim gave the 27th installment of his series on the book of Romans called, “Grace Unveiled.” We’re in the seventh chapter, nicknamed by scholars as “Law School.” Romans chapter six tells us that sin has no more dominion over you. The reason is because you’re not under the law; instead, you’re under grace. Yet, many believers are living as though they are under Old Covenant law. How does that happen? Their mentality is Old Covenant, not New Covenant. Pastor Jim explains how that happens.
Pastor Jim gave the next installment to his teaching series on the book of Romans: “Grace Unveiled.” In this 26th message, he taught on Romans chapter 7, which he subtitled, “School of Law.” In this chapter, the Apostle Paul used an allegory of the marriage relationship to compare the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. Even though Christians are under the New Covenant, they very often slip into the mindset of someone that lived under the Old Covenant.
Recap:
Pastor Mac came back early from vacation to remind us that lack doesn’t need to defeat us. Lack is an attempt of the enemy to get us to give up our faith, but we don’t need to let that pull us away from our belief in God’s Word. Whether we’re facing life-threatening lack or lack that is keeping us from God’s more-than-enough blessings, God’s promises are bigger and greater. We can keep our thoughts focused on God and His Word, and eventually, the negative circumstances will leave.
If the economy has got you worried about your finances, this is a message you can have on repeat! It will lift up your spirit and remind you to guard your thoughts.
Dive Deeper:
How do you deal with lack? That’s the question Pastor Mac answered this past weekend. He reminded us that the enemy is going to do whatever he can to get you to back away from knowing the truth that God is more than enough, and one of the first places he will start to work is in your mind. He will do everything he can to manipulate negative circumstances in your life.
Our job is to avoid focusing on the negative things that are taking place and focus instead on the Word of God. As Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6, we can focus on the truth that God takes care of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. He will also take care of us.
Too often we let worry run rampant through our thoughts without care. As a result, we live life stressed and under constant pressure because we are concerned about negative circumstances becoming a reality. We don’t have to let our mind stay focused on lack. We can live in a place of faith.
Remember the enemy is a defeated foe who wants you to live in a place of fear. He will do everything he can to get you to believe that negative circumstances are more a reality that God’s Word. If he can’t deceive you, however, he can’t defeat you!
When you come face-to-face with lack in any area of your life, you don’t need to focus on those negative circumstances. You don’t need to be uptight and concerned. You don’t have allow lack to have a seat at the table in your life. You can put aside thoughts of lack and embrace faith in God’s Word.
Read About It:
Mathew 6:25–34 KJV
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Discussion Questions:
1. What Scriptures can you turn your attention to instead of lack-based adversity?
2. How does God provide for us when the world is going in a negative direction?
3. What is your story of God’s provision for you in the middle of difficult circumstances?