A message from the series "Defining Moments." Genesis 39 Joseph’s Defining Moment
Titus 3:3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions & pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
Winning the War Against Temptation: 1 Cor 10:13
Temptation is not a sin. You can choose your sin, but you cannot choose the consequences.
1. Surrender your life completely to Jesus. (Matt4:19; Lk 9:23-24; Rom 12:1-2; Gal 2:20) Start at the Cross.
2. Identify your weak spots. (Jer 17:9; 1 Cor 10:12; Phil 4:19) Self-examination - every day. Talk to people about your struggles.
3. Act in the face of temptation.
Stand firm ( 1 Pet 5;8-9; Eph 6:10-18; James 4:7)
Flee: Run towards God! (Proverbs 22:3; 2 Tim 2:22)
4. Repent when you give in to temptation. (1 John 1:9)

A message from the series "Defining Moments." Forgiveness is a defining moment that frees us from bitterness and aligns our hearts with God’s grace.
Unforgiveness traps us in the past, while forgiveness frees us for the future. To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was yourself. Living with unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.
Joseph’s Defining Moment (Genesis 50)
Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling. (Col 3:13) (Titus 3:3-5a)
Forgiveness is a releasing (better), not excusing (bitter).
Forgiveness and Reconciliation
What if God forgave you like you forgive others?
Reconciliation and Healthy Boundaries
What stops you from forgiving others?
THE GUIDE TO GODLY FORGIVENESS
When I need to be forgiven:
1. Face it
2. Own it.
3. Ask for it.
When I need to forgive:
1. Face it.
2. Point it.
3. Release it.

A message from the series "Defining Moments." Genesis 12 Abram’s Defining Moment
When faced with the defining moment of the unknown, trust God’s promises and walk in obedience.
God called Abram to step into the unknown. (Gen 12:1)
Abram was chosen by God, not because of who Abram was, but because of who God is.
God gave Abram a command, “Go”, and a promise.
Abram’s response was to surrender to God’s call. (Heb 11:8)
1. Trust requires surrender
2. Trust holds onto God’s promises (Rom 8:28; Matt. 28:19-20)
Blessing follows obedience (Luke 11:28; James 1:22)
When faced with the unknown?
What is God calling you to let go of to embrace Him and His plan?
What step of faith do you need to take even when you don’t see the outcome?
What promises has God given you that you need to trust in by living according to them?

A message from the series "Words of Worship." “To shout, to commend, to triumphantly declare. It’s praise that is loud, confident, and contagious.”
David’s SHABACH - Psalm 145
Psalm 145:3 The Lord is great and greatly (HALAL) to be praised, His greatness is searchable.
Psalm 145:4 One generation will declare Your works (SHABACH) to the next, and shall declare Your mighty acts.
“What we do in life echoes in eternity.”
Jericho Joy! - Joshua 6
God wants our worship FIRST, before everything else!
SHABACH is bold praise.
SHABACH is obedient praise.
SHABACH is faith-filled praise.
SHABACH is public praise.
What might it look like for you to SHABACH in your circumstances?
PRAISE LOUDER THAN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES!

A message from the series "Words of Worship." BARAK - The posture of praise; “to kneel, to bless, to bow in reverence”
Worship isn’t just for the good days…
The Example of Job - Job Chapters 1-2
Job 1:21 “The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the Name of the LORD”
Psalm 34:12; Habakkuk 3:18; Job 2:10
How do we respond to God in the face of adversity?
On the worst day of your life, will you praise God?
God is honored not just by the volume of our worship - but by the depth of our trust in Him.

What might it look like for you to BARAK in your circumstances?

A message from the series "Words of Worship." “An extension of the hand in thanksgiving; a sacrifice of praise offered in faith - often before the outcome is seen.”
Do you praise and thank God from the darkness? Are you grateful for the darkness?
See Psalm 56: 10-12
JONAH & TOWDAH - Jonah 2
Even in the midst of Jonah’s disobedience, God leveraged the circumstances for His glory. As a result, Jonah repented and cried out to God from the pit of his despair.
God is always worthy of our praise and trust, even in our darkest times when things are at their absolute worst.
What might it look like for you to TOWDAH in your circumstances?
Psalm 50:23 “Whoever offers a thanksgiving sacrifice honors me, and whoever orders his conduct, I will show him the salvation of God.”

A message from the series "Words of Worship." HALAL: “An exuberant expression of celebration, a word that connotes boasting, raving, or celebrating.”
HALAL is the primary Hebrew word for praise, from which we get the word: “Halleu” = praise and “yah” = YAHWEH. Literally, it means “Praise God”.
Read 2 Samuel 6
Is there a desperation in our hearts for the LORD?
1. We’re more framed by culture than we are by Christ. Passion follows formation.
2. We treat God as familiar instead of Holy.
3. We underestimate what we’ve been saved from. A low view of sin leads to a low view of grace.
4. We want a God who serves us, not a God whom we serve. We talk a lot ABOUT God, but do we KNOW God?
5. We’ve forgotten that worship is Spiritual warfare. When we look at how we live, do we conclude that we actually need God?
We need to slow down and just spend time in God’ presence. Psalm 46: 10 “Be still and know that I am God”.
God is not looking for us to perform for Him, He’s looking for us to surrender ourselves to Him in our worship.

A message from the series "Words of Worship." Words of Worship | YADAH
Worship is not about the position of your body, it’s about the posture of your heart.
YADAH: “ To revere or worship with extended hands. To hold out the hands. To throw a stone around arrow.”
YADAH is about a posture of trust.
When is the last time you praised God for the thing He hasn’t given you yet?
What battle are you facing right now? What situation feels overwhelming or impossible right now that, instead of fighting in your own strength you can surrender in YADAH?
What if it isn’t about fighting harder, but about surrendering more?
“…we do not know what do do, but our eyes are on You.” 2 Chronicles 20:12b - see also 2 Chronicles 20: 15b, 21b, 22

A message from the series "New Testament Challenge." Revelation 21:3 “Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: ‘Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His peoples, and God Himself will be with them and will be their God’. “
Responding to the Gospel involves:
Genuine confession (Rom 3:23, 6:23).
Genuine repentance
Genuine faith (Hebrews 11)
Genuine obedience ( 1John 1:6; Rom 10:9)
Four discoveries about our future that will change the way we live today:
1. We’re going to receive new, imperishable bodies (1 For 15:52, 58; Col 3:1-4)
2. Our final destination isn’t up there, it’s down here (Rev 21:1; Gen 1:1, Gen 1:31a)
3. God is coming to live with us! (Rev 21:3-4)
4. God will form a new city beyond our imagination ( Rev 21:2; Rev 22:1-5)

A message from the series "New Testament Challenge." John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live…”.
God’s perfect timing fulfills His purpose for His glory and reveals His love for us.
What we expect God to do is not always what God actually does.
Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life - John 11
Every difficulty is an opportunity
The difficulties may not be something we would choose, but they are something God will use.
God’s purposes for His glory were fulfilled because Jesus showed up late.
Don’t miss the lesson that God is trying to teach you through the waiting.
Ultimately, when there’s a gap between what I think God should do, and what He actually does, I need to (by His power) trust.
1. Know that he knows; God will use your pain to draw you closer to Himself.
2. Know that He cares; God cares more about your holiness than He cares about your happiness.
3. Trust Him in the process; Your timetable and God’s timetable are probably not the same.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.