We believe to have a lasting impact and reach this next generation is to see the light of the church be combined with the heart of the family. We desire to continually grow as a ministry in our partnership with parents. There is great power in a parent who raises up a child spiritually, and we want you to know you don’t have to do it alone. The Parent Cue is one way to come alongside your teen in what they are learning.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Series: WHEN GOD (May 3rd - May 10th)


 

What do you do...
When God feels distant?
When God doesn't cooperate?
When God seems late?

We all face times when it feels like God is far away. Our prayers seem unanswered and our circumstances go from bad to worse. During these times, God doesn't just seem distant; he seems distracted. These are many of the reasons why people stop praying, stop believing prayer works, or even stop believing that God exists.

In these times people tell us to pray more but it seems useless. So how do we keep our connection to God through prayer while not becoming discouraged? In this series, we will the lives of three men from the New Testament, each loved by God, but whose circumstances seemed to tell a different story.

When God is Inattentive
Is God's silence a sign of his absence? Or does it mean something else? In this message, we recount the story of a man Jesus said was the greatest who ever lived. And yet, even this man struggled with God's inattentiveness. How do we handle it when we ask God for something but it seems he is being inattentive? How do we keep praying when it seems that God has lost sight of our struggles and circumstances? The message Jesus sends him in the middle of his doubt contains a secret reassurance for us 2,000 years later.

Has there been a time when God seemed inattentive when you prayed to him? Did it rattle your faith?
Is God actually inattentive to our prayer or is there something else going on?

When God is Uncooperative
We've all seen athletes point to heaven after touchdowns or home runs. And we've heard actors thank God during their acceptance speeches. How come other people seem to have so much success while we pray and seem to never get what we want? How do we keep going when God seems to be saying, "No"? Does a “no” from God mean that he doesn’t love us or that we have done something wrong? What is the point of praying if God always seemingly says “No?”

Imagine a God you could control. What would you like or dislike about him?
Is there value to prayer even if you don’t get the results you are asking for? What is the value?

When God is Late
Why didn't God do something? Sometimes, despite our most fervent prayers, God doesn't show up the way we want him to. The cancer isn't cured. The company fails. The foreclosure goes through. In this message, we will discover what to look for when it feels like God forgot to show up.

How might the idea that God leverages your pain for his glory give you hope during a difficult
circumstance?