June 28th, 2015

Sunday's message was not the one Pastor Nathan originally had planned, but when God speaks, it's so reassuring to know we have a pastor who is ready to listen and change the plan. 

We are living in crazy times. In television media, social media, and print media its difficult to view without seeing what a desperate state our world is in. 

But here is what you need to know.

You need to know that the supreme court's ruling doesn't change anything. God's word is still God's word. We are still commanded to speak truth and speak life and love one another. Love didn't win last week. Love won 2,000 years ago on the Cross on Calvary. 

People are so afraid of being politically incorrect that they refuse to take a stand (and by taking a stand, I don't mean spouting out your opinion on your Facebook wall). 

It's OK to believe in God's word, and it's OK to have a different opinion than the rest of the world. Jesus spent time with sinners. Does this mean he agreed with what they were doing or how they lived their lives? No. I don't imagine Jesus being homophobic, and I can't imagine sinners wanting to spend time with him if all he did was tell them they were going to Hell. 

Jesus loved people, and in loving people when given the opportunity, corrected people in love. 

So, what can you do? Pray for your nation. Pray for your lost friends and family. Repent of your sins. Stand firm on God's word.

“Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.” Rick warren 

Race Day Week 1

Avoiding wrecks

We have all heard the phrase "When you fail to plan, you plan to fail". Now obviously, life has a way of throwing things at us when we least expect it and when we are the least prepared, but there are things that we can do to avoid some of the wrecks of life, so to speak.

Sunday's sermon was packed with so many good spiritual lessons, but one thing that really stuck with me personally was point 3 of the sermon "Make Adjustments". (You can always go over the sermon notes by downloading the Victory Hill App to your smart phone).

Life doesn't always turn out exactly how we planned... who am I kidding, life rarely turns out exactly how we planned. Those are the times when we have to be prepared to allow God to lead us to where He would have have us go.

It makes me think of the song Oceans by Hillsong United, "Spirit lead me where my trust is without boarders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever You would call me."

You woke up this morning. If you have a pulse, you have a purpose. Life may not be going exactly your way, and you may have hit some bumps along the road, but you have to believe that God still has a plan for your life. You are here for a reason. God has a plan for you. And sometimes, that plan isn't our plan, and we have to be willing to make adjustments and allow God to lead us.

As Christians we are never promised that life will be easier. We are however promised that in the end, the journey will be worth our end reward.

Philippians 3:14 "I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."

Missions Sunday

Send Me

I think it is difficult to sit through a Sunday morning service like this past one and not feel compelled to jump on a airplane and preach the gospel to all the world. But the thing is, that isn't necessarily an option for everyone. 

Some people have medical conditions that prevent them from being able to travel abroad for foreign missions, some people are unable to get the time off work to make that trip... there are many reasons why right now in your life, foreign missions may not be something you are able to do. 

The Bible however, is very clear about our role in the mission field. 

Mark 16:15 "And He said to then, Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." 

Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations..." 

It doesn't say if you feel like it or if you are able, it simply says GO! 

But maybe you can't just take off and go right now. However I believe there are other ways you can GO without ever leaving home. 

One way is to Adopt a Child. We had a booth set up on Sunday, and we were able to adopt nearly all of the 50 children that we had names for. It is only $30 a month, and provides so much to a child in need. These children are provided medical care, are able to attend bible classes, and are trained to become leaders within their communities. However if you missed out on this opportunity, you can follow the link below to Sponsor a child.

http://www.adopt-a-child.com/home/sponsor-a-child

Another way is to give monetarily to those who are able to go on these trips. Our church has two trips scheduled for 2016, a youth trip and an adult trip. Our mission team always works very hard to raise the funds needed for this trip. What if you made the decision to donate now? What if you set aside $5 or $10 every week to put in the offering plate in addition to your tithe? What Kind of impact could that money make on the missions field? 

Maybe you are reading this and you feel a deep desire to to further God's Kingdom on the mission field. A youth trip is scheduled for sometime in the summer of 2016 and the adults trip will be in the fall of 2016 (we will not know exact dates until closer to time). Applications for both of these trips can be found at the link below and you can email your completed application to mharper@victoryhill.us
You can also pick up an application at the connect center.
victoryhillchurch.com/events

You don't have to be a super hero to make a difference in the world, all you have do is go.,. 

Isaiah 6:8 "The I heard the Lord asking 'Whom should I send as a messenger to these people? Who will go for us?' I said, 'Here I am, Send me". 

Pray 1st Week 2

A Lifestyle of Prayer

Is prayer my desire, or is prayer my obligation? As we learned in the message on Sunday, it seems that an astronomical amount of Christians don't actually enjoy prayer, but rather do it out of duty. Is God pleased with my "have to" prayers, or does he desire something more?

In this message, we learned ways to make prayer a lifestyle, rather than simply a chore. 

The priority of prayer (Pray 1st!)

The place of prayer (find your special place to get alone with God)

The plan of prayer (make an appointment with God, and make a list of things and people to pray for)

The persons of prayer (who are you praying to; Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit)

For many of us, life as a Christian becomes about being good enough for God. We feel as if to receive his love and his blessings there are certain things we have to be or achieve. Maybe we feel as if our past failures keep us from receiving God's blessings. You will never be good enough on your own, that is the beauty of salvation. The blood of Jesus makes you good enough, it makes you worthy. 

The bible tells us in Mathew 7 that your Heavenly Father desires to give good things to His children who ask.

It doesn't say we have to jump through hoops, it says we simply need to ask. 

God desires to have a conversation with us. Not because we feel we have to and not simply to try and get what we want. Prayer should become our first response. Prayer should become a lifestyle. Imagine how things in your life could start to change when prayer is truly a priority. 

1 Chronicles 16:11 "Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually."  

Teach us to Pray week 1

Prayer should be at the forefront of priorities in our lives, but what does prayer really mean to us? Is it when we ask God to bless our food, say a quick prayer before a test or job interview, or when we come to God when our lives are falling apart? Too many times in our lives, these scenarios become our main focus of prayer. It is most certainly not wrong to pray on these occasions, but prayer is supposed to be a much greater part of our lives.

In Sunday’s message, Pastor Nathan presented us with two challenges when it comes to prayer. The first challenge was to pray first. Before we worry, before we weigh the pros and cons, before we act out of impulse, our first response to every situation should be to pray. More than we trust in our own instincts and more than we depend on any other source, we should depend on God for everything. When situations arise, make an effort to look to God first!

The second challenge was to spend at least 15 minutes in prayer every single day. You can do this in the shower, while you drink your coffee, or even on your commute to work. God desires for us to spend time with him, not just on Sundays. Tell God your desires, your struggles, and even your frustrations. How can we consider ourselves a friend of God, if we don’t even speak with him consistently? Prayer helps to build your relationship with Christ, helps to give you clarity and confidence in difficult situations. Prayer brings you closer to your Creator.

God desires to hear from you today. You are His creation. You are His beloved. Make prayer a priority in your life.

2 Corinthians 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”