All for the Kingdom

Sermon Podcast

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God, Temptation Ben Smith God, Temptation Ben Smith

God is Good, James 1:12-18

Without a biblical worldview, there is no understanding of evil's real and present danger and the need to restrain it. When faced with evil, political leaders often prescribe legislative, regulatory, economic, or education remedies, believing that the undesired behavior can be overcome with better programs and laws. Or individuals speak of their own difficult situations and ascribe the blame or the responsibility to God when the cure is God, but the cause is not.

God has provided a way to be saved from this broken world. He desires your salvation and not your destruction. God has no part in sin.

From this passage, the Bible declares two fundamental truths that God does not tempt toward sin and that all that is good is from God.

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Kingdom of God, Victory Ben Smith Kingdom of God, Victory Ben Smith

Victory is the Lord's, Esther 7-10

In these final chapters of the book of Esther, we see how the Lord delivered His people from the murderous threats of Haman and provided for Esther and her cousin Mordecai. We see how God historically worked through the people and events of the day to bring about His will and provide for His people. This testimony gives us reason to rejoice in the present, knowing that God is equally working in our day. Evil is still present and dangerous, yet Christians do not fear, for we know that Jesus will return to once and for all defeat evil and perfectly establish His kingdom. These four chapters are not a perfect 1 to 1 testimony to what it will be like when Jesus returns, but they do bring us great encouragement. We can rejoice in the testimony that, like how God defeated the evil Haman and gave victory to the Jews over their enemies, so will God once and for all defeat evil when Jesus returns and gives His people perfect victory.

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Suffering, Endurance Ben Smith Suffering, Endurance Ben Smith

Parables: Pray and Persevere, Luke 18:1-8

What tempts you to give up? All of us have, at some point in our lives, been tempted to give up. Sometimes it happens in the context of sports. Sometimes it seems like you just cannot get a break. Other times it seems like your opponents are so far above you that you have no hope of being competitive. Sometimes it happens in the context of work.

Maybe you are struggling to keep up with the demands of your job. or maybe the stress of your job is overwhelming you. Sometimes the temptation to give up is even more heart-wrenching than normal difficulties. It could be that those in authority are not adjudicating righteousness. It could be that your boss is treating you unfairly. It could be that others are exploiting and taking unfair advantage of you. And all of this leads to the temptation to give up.

This temptation is present in our walk with the Lord as well. Many are tempted to give up and give in to the world's demands because of the hardships and sufferings that come with following Jesus.

In this parable, Jesus teaches us how we are to pray and not lose heart.

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