Pastor Christian Fricke
Dig Deep – Building a Strong Life on the Rock
Matthew 7:24-29
Luke 6:46-49
Internationale Jesus Gemeinde (Church)
Erlangen / Fürth / Nürnberg Metropolitan Region
https://www.ijg-erlangen.de/
Bilingual Services (English / Deutsch)
every Sunday @ 10:30 AM
Tennenloher Straße 47, 91058 Erlangen
Online | https://www.ijg-erlangen.de/live/
Contact | office(at)ijg-erlangen.de
Prayer | gebet(at)ijg-erlangen.de
Donations | https://www.ijg-erlangen.de/de/spenden/
Impressum nach dem Telemediengesetz:
Internationale Jesus Gemeinde e.V., Langen (Hessen),
Rheinstrasse 32
63225 Langen
Telefon: 061035095981
E-Mail: office@ijg-langen.de
Vertreten durch:
Christian Fricke (1. Vorsitzender)
Joshua Gilliland (2.Vorsitzender)
Florian Leuschner (Schatzmeister)
Registereintrag:
Eingetragen im Vereinsregister.
Registergericht: Offenbach am Main
Registernummer: 3325
IJG Zweigstelle Erlangen
Tennenloher Strasse 47
91058 Erlangen
Hardy good morning I hope you’re doing well you all look amazing a big welcome to all of you who are here for the first time at IGG but of course we’re happy about everybody who gets here every Sunday it’s so good as children of God to get together and just celebrate God in
Church maybe you can just take a look around and see who’s there and um think about who you might want to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with Later and so we can just focus on God right now so I’d just like to read out of the Psalms for you praise and worship can come to the front already I will be reading from Psalm 66 I stumbled or he stumbled AC crosses this morning and it’s quite fitting verses 1 to
N Shout with joy to God all the Earth sing the glory of his name make his praise glorious say to God how awesome are your Deeds so great is your power that your enemies cringe before you all the Earth bows down to you they sing praise to you they sing praise to your
Name come and see what God has done how awesome his Works in man’s behalf he turned the sea into dry land they passed through the waters on foot come let us rejoice in him he rules Forever by his power his eyes watch the Nations let not the rebellious rise up against
Him praise our God o peoples let the sound of his praise be heard he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping let’s stand up and pray for the service Jesus we thank thank you that you are our life that we have life in
You that we not only have life in you but that you have so much more for us Lord we want to thank you and just give you the all the glory and honor you are everything Lord we want to give everything back we want to praise you so that you
Are heard in this world we want to sing out of our hearts we want to give you all our attention all our worship help us Lord and Lord meet us the way that you’d like to meet us this morning Holy Spirit just work Among Us and let each one of us receive what
You prepared for us we love you Jesus and we give everything to you bless Lord Jesus amen Amen who as commands all the host of Heaven who else could make every king bow down who has can whisper and darkness trembles only a holy God what are the beauty Dem such Praises what are the Splendor out shines the Sun what are the Majesty rules with Justice only a holy God come then Behold Him the one and the only cry out sing Holy forever a holy God come and worship the holy God what are the glory consumes like fire what are the power can raise the dead what other the name remains UND defeated only a holy
God come and behold him the one and the only cry out sing Holy forever a holy God come and worship the holy God come then Behold Him the one and the only cry out sing Holy forever a holy God come and worship the Holy Ghost who who has could resue me from my
Failing who has could offer his only son who else invites me to call him father only a holy God yes only a holy God come and behold him the one the only cry out singly forever a holy God come and worship the holy God come then Behold Him the one and the only
Cry sing Holy forever a holy God come and worship the Holy Ghost Unended din has are coming do Of In The The Forend amen Of Am They H For him Yourest the Corner For For cl To To for Cor for just Of I For For for The body fruit the [Laughter] Year it was my cross you bore so I could live in the freedom you died for and now my life is yours and I will sing of your goodness forever more Worthy is your name Jesus you deserve the praise worthy is your name Worthy is your name Jesus you deserve the
Praise worthy is your name and now my shame is God I stand amaz In Your Love undeniable Your Grace goes on and on and I will sing of your goodness forever more Worthy is your name Jus you deserve the bra is your name Worthy is your name Jesus you deserve the
Praise worthy is your name Worthy is your name Jesus you deserve the praise worthy is your name Worthy is your name Jesus you deserve the praise worthy is your name be exalted now in the heavens as your glory fills this place you alone deserve our praise the name above all
Nam be exalted now in the heavens as your glory fills this place you alone deserve Our Praise you’re the name above all names be exalted now in the heavens as your glory this place you alone deserve Our Praise you’re the name above all name be exalted now in the heavens as your glory
FS this place you alone deserve our praise the name above our names be exalted now in the heaven as your glory F this place you alone deserve our praise the name of our Worthy is your name Jesus you deserve the praise worthy is your name Worthy is your name Jesus you deserve the
Praise worthy is your name Worthy is your name Jesus you deserve the praise worthy is your name Worthy is your name Jesus you deserve the praise worthy is your name be exalted now in the heavens Your Glory FS this place you alone deserve Our Praise you’re the name above all
Name be exalted now in the heavens as your glory FS this place you alone deserve Our Praise you’re the name above all names be exalted now in the heavens as your glory FS this place you alone deserve our praise the name Worthy is your name Jesus you deserve the praise worthy is your
Name Worthy is your name Jesus you deserve the praise worthy is your name Worthy is your name Jesus you deserve the praise worthy is your name Worthy is your name Jesus you deserve the praise worthy is your Name Lord you have my heart and I will search for yours Jesus take my life and Lead Me On Lord you have my heart and I will sech for your yours let me be to you a Sacrifice and I will praise you Lord will praise you will sing of love come down I will sing of love come down as You and I will search [Applause] for Jesus take my life and Lead be on Lord you have my heart and I will search for you let me be to you a sacrifice and I will praise you Lord will praise you Lord I will sing of love come down I
Will sing of love come down you show your your face we will see your glory and I will praise you will praise you and I will sing of love come I will sing of love come down you show your face your face we will see your glory Here as as we were singing In Worship the last two songs I’ll just ask you to stay up here for a moment um two verses God showed me yesterday out of Isaiah please remain standing and back when yiah was written it wasn’t separated in chapters and verses
God revealed to me Isaiah 40 and 41 belong together and I’d like to read this to you and just close your eyes and if God is speaking to you just accepted Isaiah Isaiah sorry Isaiah 40 we’ll start with 28 and read up to 41 verse one and just
Listen do you not know have you not heard the Lord is the Everlasting God the creator of the ends of the Earth he will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one can fathom he gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the
Weak even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall St but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength they will soar on wings like eagles they will run not grow weary they will walk and not be faint be silent before me you Islands
Let the Nations renew their strength let them come forward and speak let us meet together at the place of judgment and I feel like God is saying to all of us you might be weak you might be hearing voices that are telling you you can’t you won’t there’s no
Way and listen to God say be silent to all those voices and just renew your strength and as all our eyes are closed I’m just going to ask those of you who are feeling Weak and Powerless and feeling like I can’t I I know I’m praising God but I feel like I just
Can’t get there just raise your hands and Pastor Christian will pray for you so just raise your hands up high and we’ll pray thank you yeah than than thank you for thank thank you Lord for your word it’s true your word is true and everyone who is feeling weak
Does not need to feel weak because you will give new strength and I speak into your lives those voices that I’ve been speaking to you the Lord is moving them aside and he says the weak will be made strong and he will make you strong at this
Moment you will get new wings that you’ll be able to spread you will raise up a new strength and you will get new feathers that will just allow you to rise and soore and you’ll be able to walk and you will not grow tired and you see your weakness right now
And you say Lord I keep falling here the Lord is speaking to you you will have the strength to walk in that weakness because you’re coming to me right now as it’s written take all your Courage and to bring everything to the Lord name your weakness and tell the Lord and He will give you strength in that in the name of Jes and he’ll make you courageous in the name of Jesus why because his word says it because you trust in him amen amen
Could we just sing the chorus one more time and let’s sing it one more time and just reach out in the weakness that’s being turned to strength amen amen yeah let’s sing I will praise you Lord you I will sing of Love sing of strength come down to show your show Your wece Your Glory Hallelujah so be it amen amen please take a seat Hallelujah Hallelujah um I’d like to pray right now that the Lord prepares our hearts because I’d like to give some time for testimonies and especially in those moments where you’ve recognized I was very weak and you recognize God did
Something and made me strong L let’s pray Lord I Thank You for Your word because it is true Lord Lord I pray that it is not us who are speaking but that every person sees you behind these words and that you speak personally to each one us
Do Lord that you bring seed into the hearts that you bring the change it doesn’t have to State it is you bring newness Lord I just pray that you touch each one with the right words at the right time Lord I pray that you help us to be your vessels
The message comes from you that’s behind in the name of Jesus and we pray for preparation of hearts for testimonies and that we hear how Full of Life your word is amen amen amen hallelujah hallelujah when so if the Lord speaks to you um during the sermon and and nudges you and
Gives you that pounding heart um be ready to give and I’ve recognized wherever the the church is reaching out for the Lord and those areas where we want to reach and and experience more with him I see a number of areas in the church where there’s also a
Tax and just imagine as the pastor you you get so many more stories and I hope that we as pastors can be people of trust that you can just feel free to come talk to the pastor and we have many people within the church who aren’t pastors who are
Very trustworthy that I also Trust but we’ve recognize all kinds of things that are going on amongst our brothers and sisters in the church and beyond that and it can be sometimes it can be very overwhelming there’s problems everywhere but we’re so thankful and happy that we’ve got such a good God
Christian can’t solve all the problems of everybody I wish I could and I wish somebody would come and I could just say okay now we solved it done but I can’t impossible but I can give you the promises out of the word of God and what God wants to do in your
Liv and then we come trusting him and we get closer to him we lay it before his throne We Trust we give him our faith and we wait for him to his thing amen amen that’s what we can do but sometimes we can also practically help and that’s why the church
Is and that’s why the church is there that we can encourage one another in our faith challeng because we’ve had so many har when people were sick and jish best [Laughter] yeah because there’s so many challenges we really need the Lord I’d like to read a place in Scripture
That everybody knows and most children know off by heart and it’s always a challenge for me to those verses that everybody knows that we actually use them in our spiritual and I just wish that all those 50 stories we all know know from scriptures that would’ actually do them
And and practice them in our Liv and I’m so thankful for all our preachers I just want to Men I’m so thankful for the last weeks in the last two weeks that Pastor Stefan shared the the story of Gideon that we built God an altar and
Then we say God I really need you here in my life and if we worship wrong things and have made false altars that destroy them called it dig deep before I go to the word I brought another tool along okay last time it was an axe this
Time it’s a spade I can’t wait for the chainsaw Sermon Just Kidding all right sorry so okay let’s read this together um can we read this together okayl is for therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on
The rock the rain came down the streams Rose and the winds blew and beat against that house yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the Rock but everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house
On sand the rain came down the streams Rose and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell with a great crash when Jesus had finished saying these things the crowds were amazed at his teaching because he taught as one who had Authority and not as their teachers of the law
Amen just like to to ask to say something to one another face you can say it say to your neighbor I’m building my house on the rock say it to your neighbor House of FS I’m building my house on the rock yeah amen amen amen I think every time when we pray
We’re building our house on the rock every time when we look to Jesus we’re building our house on the rock every time when we trust God we’re building our house on the rock every time you come to church and you listen to the word of of God you’re building your house on the
Rock every time you hear the word of God you’re building your house on the rock when you read the word and you build your life on the word you’re building your life on the rock every time you start or I start to do what it says in the word of God I’m
Building my house on the rock I think everybody has heard this concept even if you didn’t grow up in that church that if you’re building something you build it on a substantial foundation on the rock not in the sound we see that Jesus is using this
Parable and and we see that he’s doing this this sermon this teaching at the end of The Sermon on the Mount And he says to the people if you have a blessed in life he talks about killing and he talks about forgiving there’s so many aspects that he talks about in
That and people there was there was a lot in that sermon but the people said there’s Authority in that and they just had to listen and we just read it he was teaching in authority and what he was saying move the people often fail spout and he says it
At the very end of the sermon and he says those of you who’ heard this and actually do it are like a person who builds his house on the rock in it’s interesting that in both um examples that that the the wind will come it will rain very very hard the floods will
Come and the storm comes as well and really shakes the house yeah it happens three times he could have just said only the storm but three things were raised and he just he’s really saying storms will come and I think that’s for all of us yes I’ve had many storms in my
Life and I think there’s many people sitting here who have had many more storms and and I and I know people are very very ill and I can’t really relate and I’m just I I appreciate it and I’m thankful that I don’t have that kind of storm in
My and and our brothers and sisters in Russia and the Ukraine have got War we don’t really know what that’s like unless some of you maybe come from country where there is war and civil unrest and then there’s family situations that are very difficult for us could be very
Difficult and while you’re studying sometimes you’re thinking will I make it you don’t know if you’ll have enough finances for next month and maybe your relationship isn’t working and and you’re wondering will it ever be good again one of your children maybe you’re wondering will my child walk with the
Lord and you ask yourself what did I do wrong what can I do right and unexpected situations that just drop seemingly Paul also had those kinds of experience yes he was persecuted and stoned because of his fa sh is and there was you know he was
On the ship and the storm came and the and the ship fell apart yeah and the the apostles describe it in Acts and they encourage the church to stay in the faith we must go through many hardships and they say we must go through many hardships we have to go through these
Attacks into the kingdom of the Lord amen amen amen I just want to encourage you that we stand firm in our faith and if something comes into our lives and we come into this this cycle of saying oh God how am I going to manage and we start circling around
These ideas I won’t make it happen maybe I don’t let anybody know or share with anybody but I question how am I but I believe that God will make you strong if you hold on God will strengthen and I’ve seen it in my own life and in situations of many of the
Brothers and sisters here when they’re going through very difficult times and I know my deepest part and I can say to them hold on tightly God will carry you it’s not your end He will carry you through I’ve got so many examples and I would like some Tes he will really carry you
Through if we look to Jesus it’s about the Rock I think you know on Sand you can build very quickly just put a like a a platform right on the sand and within a day maybe and we all know if a storm comes it’ll just swipe it all
Over and we see it on the news when we see that you know there’s there’s storms that coming in certain countri they haven’t built with that kind of a foundation the storm comes and these houses get swept away and I’m thinking about atal where the water came and it just pulled so
Many things some years ago in Germany what is that rock and Jesus says the one who hears my word and practice it who does it but who is The Rock the word of God is Jesus Christ at the beginning was the word and the Word was with God Jesus is the
Word and of course the Bible that the lord gave us it is the revelation of his word to us that every one of us and I’m so thankful that we can read it freely here other people are thankful when they just have one page and that one page gives them the
Faith Allelujah that they can survive Jesus is the word of God and in the Bible we can recognize him and in in the Bible it says in and Isaiah as well he is the rock of all times he he will be forever right into eternity and we can stand secure in
Him and I like Psalm 18 because David expresses it at least twice that God is his Rock the Lord lives and blessed be my rock and exalted be the god of my salvation and David seems to be looking back to life and everything’s in a new light for him all of a
Sudden when the storms come and just like the disciples we get panicked and I think it’s amazing Jesus can walk on water in the midst of a storm even and he stands over all that he’s the rock he walks across the stormy water and comes directly towards
You I’m not sure what the name of the storm in your life is right now but look to Jesus he’s walking towards he’s walking right in the storm and we we see how Peter gets out of the boat and we notice that he starts sinking because he’s not looking at Jesus
Directly he’s not looking to the Rock and later Jesus says to Simon that you will be Peter The Rock and I will build my church on you because he stands firmly on Jesus he is The Rock and if we build our house we build it on the Rock that’s founded on
Jesus and many storms will come in our lives and it’s so easy to build quickly and I think it’s interesting that we spend our whole lives actually building on this house every day we keep building until and making sure that we come to the foundation of Jesus in all the
Aspects just imagine there’s sand here and it’s easy to build in it there’s so many things in it but we recognize we don’t really have any foundation we can’t really stay solid if we don’t go deeper yeah and when I’m working in the garden I have to go a bit deeper
Recognize and when I’m you know I’m turning the soil in in in the garden I lose my breath pretty quickly I think I Think Jesus was very he knew what he was doing when he talked about all these aspects of life and it went very deeply and all these people
Were probably saying wow where do we start with all this and I think it’s overwhelming if you start thinking of all aspects of your life and they’ve got to be solid on their Ro that’s why we have Jesus as our solid foundation and then we can say just from
The beginning I want to stand on this Foundation I’d like to look at the parallel passage with you yeah in Luke 6 and Jesus starts by saying why do you call me Lord Lord if you’re not doing what I’m telling you to do whoever comes to me whoever to that rock
As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice I will show you what they are like and he says they are like a man building a house who dug down deep and laid the foundation on the Rock I want to encourage you dig Deep dig deep so you can build your life on that Solid Ground now we want to look at a few aspects of life as to how you can actually get this solid how can I get this kind of a foundation in my life how can
I I think you all know what what makes a really strong house I think you can all imagine a really good house built out of rock but what is a a strong life a good maybe we can’t imagine it as easily but Jesus wants to show us this
A solid life only is revealed when the storms actually come and sometimes from the outside it could look like a solid rock built house but if it’s not on built on that Foundation the storm comes even that big solid house will fall and I love these huge highrises like in
Frankfurt which are small compared to some cities where often times the highrises are going deep over 60 meters there’s the you know the highrise it’s over K High I’d be curious to know how deep it maybe there’s a formula that also shows How Deeply to build it also depends on
The foundation of the building if you have a good foundation it will be okay above the storms will show it and sometimes they’re easy things that overwhelm us Jesus has a whole list of things in in The Sermon on the Mount and and the enemy also knows where your weaknesses
Are um and there’s some eras where you know you’re strong but the enemy knows ah let’s see how good you are in this other area with a little storm and the most important thing of how we can react to say no I want to be standing on the
Rock and that you identify these things I’d like to go deeper there not in your carp yeah get in trouble with nichlas but in those weak spots you say Lord I’d like to have a solid found foundation in my life and it says here who du down who
Dug down deep and laid the foundation on a rock and there are some areas in your life where you maybe need to just dig deeper because you recognize you’re staying standing on wobbly ground it can be patterns in life that keep coming over and over again in your life
And you recognize there’s there’s a spot where I keep getting attacked in that area of my life and Jesus you can say I need you and I want to know what your word says about that and Lord I want to stand on your rock I don’t want to just be saying Lord Lord
I don’t want to be somebody who every Sunday says Lord Lord and then I go home and everything’s forgotten again and that’s why it’s so important to hear and we’ve got so many good um preachers that have so many different ways of revealing what’s in the world
Word best we can read the word and the word will speak for itself and it’s so good to hear from many people in the church how God is actually doing something in each of their lives and how they transferred into their lives and make it applicable and everybody’s had different
Storms um in their lives and can apply differently and it’s not important for Jesus that we just say oh Lord but then we start just allowing the word to work in our lives and last week there’s a situation I got some news and I thought oh I know what
This kind of situation will be like and it’s just not going to go well probably just be not good and the scenarios started playing like a film in my head of what I’d be saying and how I have to deal with it I said and I said stop God God help me
Stop stop my thoughts I’ve heard this now and I’d like to just stand on your word and do what your word says and not listen to my thoughts Stu and as I was thinking and listening to God the the place in where God says to to Joshua be courageous and
Strong and I sure didn’t feel like but I stood on this verse in the word of and it doesn’t matter what impression I’m going to make and it doesn’t matter what I somebody can think I’m the biggest loser but I’m standing on your rock and I’m
Going to trust what it says I’m going to trust you I’m standing here no matter which impression I and I could have chosen to walk on the sand and be be thrown back and forth but I decided I would stand on the Rock and stand
Here because the Lord my God is with me amen amen often we make we worry ourselves just making sure that the house looks good on the outside above the ground and I pray that all your houses look beautiful I also want to look but more importantly is that it
Comes from the inside out because I’m standing on the solid rock everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them we hear many things here in the church as well and sometimes it’s okay also say today it really didn’t speak to me I wish the preacher would have gone deeper more
Depth and the depth comes when we actually start doing what the word says that’s real dep when we start working and acting the word in our lives is when we get the depth that’s why I love these these children because they try to just do the most simple things in their lives
Of course we go deeper we’ve understood more and have more on our plates but all that all those things come when we stand firmly on the foundation that’s why it’s still so important that when we hear something you know when the a dripping um a drip
Goes and it starts carving a hole in the rock yeah and sometimes the Lord through this constant dripping is trying to just reach your heart and he’s saying to you are you hearing what I’m saying to you and then you’ve prepared your beautiful offering and it’s on the
Altar and we’re singing fully out of our hearts and just like in the sermon the mount God says just leave that offering there for a moment and put your life back in order with those who have hurt you and you’ve hurt others but it’s just so nice to sing Lord I love
You and he’s challenging us Lord I want to stand on your rock and I want to be obedient to your word give me strength for that that I go and bring everything back in order yeah such an easy word it’s just one small aspect of the whole Sermon on the
Mount and don’t make that mistake that sit here and just keep building on the sand let’s take the thing in our hands and say Jesus thank you for your word at the moment it’s not so easy and a little bit dirty but help me to go deep
Where are the things in your life where you have to start getting to the Rock to move the sand away holy spirit it’s been moved me for so long but I’ve been pushing it ahead show me your truth and I’d like to start acting on it
It starts and the thing is it’s really about what is happening under theground under the sand are all my emotions my will um the way that I think I have to dig all through that stuff first I really don’t feel like it Lord what will other people start saying about
Me I want to keep going deeper and get to that rock and be standing securely and at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount he talks about blessed are those and your life gets new Strength um Charles Stanley Dr Charles Stanley yeah out of a a book from
Charles Stanley yeah building a strong life building a strong life means trusting in Jesus as our savior I Trust You Lord I want to trust you like I said Jesus I want to stand on you on your rock and be courageous many things I don’t
Understand I want to be led by the Holy Spirit I won’t go through all the points for each one of them it would be worth us take time in prayer it’s often difficult for many people to pray alone yeah the church somehow it’s easier we have one
Another sometimes it’s hard to go into the closet and just turn everything off and say Jesus here I am’s my life and I’d like to pray for you that you get the strength to start building there uh to get to the Rock it’s become so important in my life that I become completely
Honest and you know Adam and even they hid they tried hiding from God when they recognize what had happened and there were times in my life when I tried hiding myself and this one thing Lord i’ prefer you didn’t actually see it it’s kind of like God said to me
Christian I see you anyway why are you hiding you see my thoughts you know exactly what’s happening I’d like to get to your foundation I’d like to get rid of the sand I’d like to go deeper um you see I’m doing this kind of stuff because I think somehow it’s
Easier or I just can’t get freed from it or just I build it as like just to take the place of now just tell the Lord how it is I tell him directly and I experien miracles in doing that it’s kind of like the Holy Spirit just revealed things to me
Yeah and if and I’m still in the learning process and it’s a lifelong process to build that we want to be founded on the word of God and to to to use it I’m so thankful when somebody explains the word of God and I recognize
It’s the truth and I know how to use it and I want to see more of it in my life and I want to consistently trust in him and not just say Lord Lord but that he is the ruler of my life is Jesus your the ruler of your
Life and what he wants is that what you want as well and I can stand on this rock more and more and Paul had gone through many things gone through many storms but I think by the end of his life there was nothing anymore and he makes a list said I’ve
Been stoned there and I’ve been stoned there and been persecuted there and I think there’s some of you here who can also say all the things that you’ve been through of them fs and you’re standing firmly on the rock um Jesus recognized Jesus as the source of my
Strength we can often stand here at front and hope that people won’t fall asleep even in the book of Acts somebody fell asleep I get Comfort out of that story but I’m just praying that it really goes deep it’s not about being a great sermon being a great charismatic
Creature but that which we are hearing gets application in your life if somebody says that was a great sermon that’s nice but my real hope is that somebody says I found application for that sermon in my life I know my weaknesses and I pray Jesus give me an inspired
Talk even if I’m not the most charismatic speaker I want whatever’s coming to come from you Lord be ins we still want time for the many things for example a disciplined life and we have many things our soul and our body and it often is revealed in the way that we are
Disciplined to lay everything before the Lord the way that I eat um the habits of my day-to-day life the way that I deal with other people and even there we recognize sometimes when we’ve taken so much sand with us that we realize the way that we’re dealing with other
People um aren’t working so well and you recognize I I again messed up another relationship but the Holy Spirit wants to help you because he’s showing to Jesus bring it all to him today and then we’d like to pray for you the storms of life there’s so much that could be said
Withstanding the storms of life and learning from them saying you’ve help me through the storm and you will do it again so have the courage like I had last week it’s you Jesus and to stay optimistic and at work most people are saying I can’t wait for Friday but you’re not living for
Friday and it’s sad if your whole life is just living towards the weekend the will of God is that you live with him each day at work outside of work everywhere you go it would be so sad if we say I’m only living for the weekend we haven’t understood much
Then God would like us to live with him every day and to have the courage every day and in the morning to say here I am Holy Spirit Guide my my path hallelujah amen few there’s much more okay that we start serving the lord and I just love serving you Jesus
I’d like to get to the rock that I just love to serve you and be quick to forgive and to have an inner peace um and I’ve had situations where I’ve been totally overwhelmed and I thought oh and Jesus gave me peace all of a
Sudden and I knew Jesus you were there I will do this with you I thought it can’t really be right now but it can with him amen hallelujah let us dig deep in all the areas of life remove the sand and stand on the the secure wall where do I
Start with Jesus Jesus is the rock Jesus is The Rock The Rock on which I and from that point on my it’s a good spot where I’m standing Hallelujah J and I’d like to keep building here with my brothers and go deeply in all areas of my life changed more like
You who’s got a testimony to just testify I’m standing solidly or I’m in the middle of it but I trust him yeah please come Mike come Mike thank you than wow here I stand again I hate getting up here um yeah I think uh it’s kind of
Nice in in at least one sense to be uh one of the older people in the in the church I have a good uh piece of uh life behind me many years and uh one of the things that I’ve noticed uh especially in listening to Christian’s Ser uh sermon is that before
I became a Christian Life was wonderful in all actuality at least I believed it was you know I was a young guy I had had a wonderful wife young kids uh healthy everyone was healthy uh and then all of a sudden um when I became a Christian I was 45 years
Old um my my wife got a kind of a bad diagnosis uh and about 10 years after that she passed away uh and well before that happened actually the Lord came into my life and took 37 years of smoking and took it away from one day to the
Next and uh also before that happened my uh grandchild my uh grandson son Mikey came to to the world Mike uh and today he’s 13 years old he has Down syndrome at that time it seemed kind of a a really Downer for us for all of us
Initially but over the over the years you could see more and more and more how he became a blessing to the family so basically what I’m trying to say is that life never works the way you think it’s going to work uh but all the way from the point
Where I became a Christian I never felt Not For a Moment even though I had long periods of time where I felt like I was in the desert had to but all of the ups and downs and the ins and outs of Life came and some of them really hurt a
Lot uh but the the ups were really the most the greatest blessings of that I could ever hope or and and in the meantime I’m um it’s been in January eight years since my wife passed away and I’ve been you know over probably the last five years or so
Always wondering Lord what do you have in store for me will there be another woman in my life or what you know he Yeah you young people are laughing I see that I can see what’s going on but you know uh I I I it’s it’s difficult you know uh it’s difficult to understand what it is when you’re 63 years old and you’re trying to find someone that relatively fits to you and you’re not really
Willing to go along with God’s plan you always want what you want you’re looking for that what uh what what you think and what you feel in your heart and and uh but yesterday evening uh I was on uh as an old 63 year
Old uh but uh I’ve uh I met a young woman and I thought my goodness uh and I just started writing this letter like I was going crazy and I was like this is not me you know and I send this letter off and uh and I was like okay see what happens
You and I was really thinking before I went to bed last night this this this woman is never gonna write me back these and I extra gave her my email address because I had bad experiences with chis I woke up this morning and what a long wonderful letter I received from
This woman said been I was like Lord wow you know I I was beside myself you know eight8 years long time wondering what’s going on and I don’t know if this is really truly the one but with all that I’ve lived through in the past even if this is isn’t the
One I will never really lose my faith and trust that God is always going to be there to lift me up to bring me on to the next level and if I’m alone for the rest of my life then it’s for the Lord you know amen amen Mike is yeah Mike is definitely
Courageous just curious did you wake up at 5: to check your emails no I’m [Laughter] just standing on the Rock and see what the Lord has got another testimony give all the honor to God what he’s doing in our lives hello she’s a little bit nervous but I’d like to just share what
God has done for me on the 18th of August two years ago I um turned myself into the clinic because I had a problem with alcohol it got better and better over time and then I went to another clinic and I was there for a half a year with my daughter
And the doctor said to me if I wasn’t stopping now at this point within a year I probably would have needed a new liver my friend Michelle and the whole family bordon and they were all praying for me that I could find the Lord and improve my life
And since this day my life has been improving every day and through all these prayers I no longer have any problems with Alcohol and I can sit beside people who are drinking or see people drinking I can smell it and I’ve got no desire any more to drink Again and my relationship with my future husband has also been getting better and next week will be at that point and we’ll be getting married in April will be getting married as well before God in the church and if I think back to August 22 and I’d be standing here I could never
Have imagined and that I’m so happy and thankful and if I think about the last two years I think I would need hours just to share all the good things God has done and I just want to share all those things that I’ve prayed for have have been
Answered and the nicest thing was when the trains Were Striking I went to my future husband in Austria and I never had to wait and I was always driving in the right direction and I was there sooner than I thought I would be that’s all I knew that God is the one
That is showing me the way I’m on the right path and he’s showing it to me and I’m so thankful I’m no longer there where I once was that I can keep going where where God wants me to go and that I can stop building my house on the sand but now
Build it on the rock thank you sh thank you somebody else um my name is Anette my name’s Anette mine Hat’s cloved my heart is beating uh I got to know my father in ways that um was just amazing I got to know him step by step God is good God is good
In April last year I was sitting in church and I had the impression I should be going to Uganda I’ve been there um been there in Holiday um but never alone I borrowed a suitcase um my the clothes Etc there was an acquaintance of mine who God provided who help me to book
Everything and after some time um I had this huge piece and when I was able to talk about about it that my path would be going to Uganda there was many opinions but I knew that that’s what I needed to do and then the the trip started nberg um
Istanbul Istanbul was a challenge on its own and then from istan to Thena where there was another small airport and good and I came Toba and I thought I’m at home was just being there and arriving I was there but my suitcases weren’t there they came three days
Later there I knew there was peace there and also I should also share that I didn’t have the finances to do all this but it was all there for the trip and for for the lodging I could join in the Safari I also went drafting on the
Nile my challenge was English I’m not that good at English so what what really hit me while I was getting ready to raft on the Nile I realized it’s okay whether I go rafting or I don’t go rafting it’s okay um and then I thought you know it’s okay to be at home in Germany or to be in Uganda
And then it was like God spoke to me and said it’s okay wherever you are as long as you’re at home with me God speaking to and it what really touched me is that God saw me that I was seen by him and I’m so thankful that God took me
By the hand and through this whole process to get me to Uganda and back and I realized he’s continuing to do this and I just wish that for all of you that you can experience God in the same way God is good God is good amen [Applause]
Amen be here at home even if you’re in Germany right now good afternoon everyone let me hear you praise the Lord come on give God some praise in the house this after [Applause] afternoon I want to tell you this afternoon that God is good I have experienced God in so many
Areas of my life and before I I go into my testimony I want to share something with you guys I have been going through a lot of challenges I mean I’ve been coming under attacks upon attacks upon attacks but God is good God is good this morning when I woke
Up I was saying should I go to church or should I not go because I was feeling spiritually drain tired and then my husband said to me aren’t you getting up to go to church this morning so I I woke up and I said yes I’m going I’m
Going so while I was there getting ready to come to church the Lord said to me while I was looking in the mirror getting myself ready and so he said I want you to encourage someone this morning and I said Lord I’m not going to go to pastor and
Said that I want to encourage someone this so I said okay whatever it is God knows what he’s doing and when I came here this morning and I saw that team dig deeper and Pastor was there preaching and so on and so forth I was said Lord deeper I said Lord You’re indeed
Amazing and the pastor asked for Testimony this morning yeah so now I have the privilege to share my testimony with someone well I’m sharing my testimony I would like to encourage someone also this morning last year I had some challenges uh with my health let’s I was in the
Hospital you all know that I’m a nurse I don’t know if anyone knows I’m working as a nurse yes so it was that I was feeling some pain in my right side like for like two weeks and I was like I’m not going to the doctor I’m just going to take medication
Because I know what to take but the pain was getting more intense so I went to the doctor and and when I went to the doctor the doctor said immediately I’m going to send you to the hospital but you have to decide which hospital do you want to go
Do you want to go where you working or do you want to go to the other hospital so I said to the doctor I rather to go where I am working because there I feel a little more safer so when I went there uh the doctors they came and they checked me
And they were suspecting all sort of stuff and I was just sitting there and I was like I’m going to trust God I’m going to trust my God because I know that he’s able and while I was there um one doctor said to me one thing I know for sure
You’re going to spend the night so be prepared so I said okay no problem so I called my husband and I told him that I will be spending the night so let’s see what’s going to go on from there yes so they admitted me on my uh station where I will be
Staying and yeah I was there and and they did some tests and they were saying that oh we have to do v test because they don’t know what’s really going on because every test they did they’re not finding anything but I’m still having the pain so the next day I spend the night
And the next day um they had to do some other test where they have to check my uh pubic are and so on and so forth and to see what’s really going on there so while I was there I got prepared for the exam to be
Done and while I was um lying on the bed that they were planning to push me inside of this MRT uh machine to check what’s going on I never had panic attack like that in my life before I was getting so nervous my body was shivering like oh my God what’s really going
On so when they administer the medication that will be uh that they uh did in order for them to proceed the the the examination they place this airphone on my head so that I you know just hear music alone and they push me underneath the machine and while I was
There I was so nervous I was like should I press the red button for them to stop or should I continue so the voice whispered to me close your eyes so I I I obeyed and I Clos my eyes and when I close my eyes the spirit said to me be
Still and know that I am God God and tears were just falling from my eyes and I I just going to explain what was going on but I was still shivering and then while I was still there nervous and everything then this voice came to my spirit and I was
There I say of the Lord for that he is my refuge in him will I put all of my trust he’s taking me daily from glory to glory in him will I trust in him will I Trust cuz some trus in chariots and some trus in hores but I will remember the name of my God he a warrior and yes he is my might Y in him will I TR in him will light r that was the song I was singing in my
Spirit and uh the examination the exam was finished then for and I went back to my room and while I was there the attack came again again I start to get nervous and I was sorry and I was thinking all sort of stuff the the in my mind it was saying
Oh Anisha maybe you have cancer and I was like God whatever it is it’s all in your hands I’m going to trust you through the process just like how I encourage others that they should trust you now is the time time for me to trust you and to prove the God that I
Served and while I was there in the room I was alone in the room I think the door was open at the time if I remembered correctly and a coworker of a cowork of mine she was passing by and she saw me and she came inside the room and she
Was like Nisha what are you doing here what’s going on with you and then uh I start you know opening up to her because I’m a type of person like this I don’t you know I don’t like to share my problem with others I like
To um you know talk to God about it just place it before him and just say Lord have your own sweet way and when I start um telling her what was going on with me and so on and so forth she said Nisha come let us pray and she prayed she prayed she
Prayed for me and I was I was like yes God thank you thank you thank you that you sent someone to encourage me at the time when I feel when I felt so low when I feel like oh my God what’s going on am I going to have cancer what is going
On and after she prayed then my phone rangone and my aunt she was on the phone and she said Nisha let us pray and after after she prayed she said Nisha I want you to get up and I want you to get a cup of water and drink
It and I did what she said and I start and I started to feel a little bit you know relief I start to feel that calmness in my spirit and I was saying yes Lord thank you thank you thank you so I was still there waiting for my result to come
And when when the doctor came they came around like uh 5:00 in the evening and the doctor said FR It is Well the doctor said it is well it is not what we thought and I said Lord I Thank you so I was uh dismissed from the hospital the day
After the pain was still there but it was very light and I said I’m going to go and fasting and I went on three day three days fasting and I was healed God did it for me I don’t know what was going on but I know that God
Did what what he says he will do so uh during those time my mom she had a surgery and I was supposed to travel to Jamaica in December Jamaica and when I was dismissed from the hospital I said at least I have the privilege to go and see my mother
So after she did her surgery the surgery was successful thanks to God I got the privilege to see her and while I was in Jamaica on uh on New Year’s Day my grandmother she’s living in America then um she had an heart attack we were there on our family group
Talking about God giving God praise giving God thanks and we noticed that something wasn’t right with her so we my aunt uh in America they iMed immediately rush her to the hospital we thought she wouldn’t make it but we went in prayer and fasting for her and God did it
Again so why I’m sharing that to tell someone this morning that no matter what your situation may looks like it doesn’t matter what storm that are coming be still and know that we serve a God that will never fail us I want to tell you that through these process that I’ve been
Through God has given me strength like no other God has been doing some things in my life even though I know that need to do more for him and I pray that as I I made a commitment to God that I will I promised him that I will do more for
2024 I told him that no matter what may comes my way no matter what lives may throw at me whichever way the enemy you uses to distract me I’m not going to give up because my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and his righteousness I want to let you know
That you don’t have to be perfect for God to use you you just have to trust him and it takes faith it takes a faith Journey walk to go with God sometimes we are praying and asking God to do some stuff for us and maybe it doesn’t happen in the
Moment that you wish or desire maybe it doesn’t happen a year or two years after but I want to tell you that God plans for your life is the best he knows when and how to come through we just need to trust him greater is he that is in him than he
That is in this world I’m telling you that God is going to do Mighty things in this church he’s going to rise up some great warriors here in this church but you have to open your heart and let him in and let him have his own sweet
Way I pray for each and every one of us here this morning that you will experience the goodness of God in your life it takes a oneon-one relationship with him spend time with God spend time in his presence Feast upon his word and watch God work things out for
You God did it for me and he’s doing he’s going to do even greater things but let us continue to hold on let us continue to trust him God is able God can God bless you all and have a wonderful Sunday amen maybe we’ll continue next week with
Testimonies we’ve got a bit of time I opened up a verse last uh last night Romans 8:31 I just want to share a few Thoughts with you um and it says if God is for us who can be against us and we see that Paul was writing this in in times of difficulty
And I wrote something else in my Bible and I wrote If God is for me then I can also not be against myself and I really wanted to share it so I just showing my [Applause] hands and I think all of us can identify with this somehow and you feel like you’re working
Against yourself Somehow that you can’t love yourself and I just want to share with you you are accepted by him and you can make the decision that you will no longer be against yourself just imagine you’ve got scales in front of you one of those old kind of
Scales if you put something on the one side the things that God is saying and you put the things that other people have said on on the other side or what you’ve been saying about yourself what is heavier just imagine and we’re often so critical against ourselves more critical to ourselves than to
Others we carry our mistakes and and things that we’ve done wrong longer than anybody else does and you’re allowed to just give it up and you can forgive yourself because God has forgiven you amen [Applause] amen yeah right to the to the Rock at golgatha where Jesus died for maybe there’s people amongst
Us that there’s people people amongst us who would like to be standing on this rock but aren’t standing there and you are allowed to give your life to Jesus today and if Jesus is Calling you give him your life um let’s just close our eyes and if you’re recognizing that your
Whole life is on sand and it’s all running and you’d like to get to and if you’d like to make that decision just lift your hand and and pray pray your hand right now that you want to be on that rock Jesus Christ Lord Jesus Christ Christ we come to
You you see my life and I’d like to have a new life I’d like to be standing securely on that rock forgive me my sins Jesus all everything that I’ve been building on sand I want a New Life in you I’d like to be standing on that
Rock Jesus come in my life clean up go through each room in my house and help that all the sand flies out let me stand securely on you the F minus the rock of my salvation amen amen amen um amen amen um Hallelujah I think we need to do it more
Often to have testimonies okay we have um one member that we want to take into church and then Nicholas will come up and we’ll do the offering I think it’s just so great in church that we can also have an expression that we are committed to one another give an appla for
Gabri I say something say something no okay next time it’s so important for us some of us are only here for a short time in Germany but you can still express your commitment to the church by saying this is my church and my family here commitment and as a movement we we’ve
Got this this commitment to one another that we say the word of God is our guidance in our life and that we interpret it according to the Holy Spirit and that we want to live according to It and that’s the whole purpose of Our Lives that we doing together it’s so great that you’re Gabriel we’ve seen a lot and heard a lot and that he can continue serving with his gifts yeah thank Gabriel here thank you Lord for Gabriel and we thank you Lord and just
Humbles us that you’re building your kingdom all over the world that we can be part of all of this thank you that Gabriel has come here we pray that you continue blessing him and filling him with your holy spirit that you make him one with us in this in this
Community that he stands firmly on your word that he can be a testimony here in Germany that he has brothers and sisters here that encourage him and he can encourage guide him each new day let us write history together here in this church in Jesus name amen amen [Applause] amen Hallelujah
Okay getting to the offering we’ll keep it short we might need a new carpet let’s pray for the offering and they will start Lord I Thank you that you’re so good to us and you keep providing for us that we can also stand firmly in you even
Financially your word tells us we don’t need to worry you will provide for us and so Lord we just want to give back what what already belongs to you and also worship you with our money and our finances Lord I pray that you bless each one who’s giving today
And help us as a church to use it wisely and to build your kingdom I thank you amen amen okay a few announcements not many and right after the service shortly after one there’ll be a course for membership and for all of you that would like to do this the same step that
Gabriel just did to show your commitment and to to to show this commitment with the church or if you just like to get to know the church better just be welcome into one of the rooms downstairs be one of the rooms downstairs for sure so look for pastor Christian and that’s
Room where it’ll be and he’ll go through a few points with you and we’ve got a baby dedication that’s coming up if you’ve got a child either newborn a bit older I’d like it to be blessed and dedicated in and by the church please talk to one of the
Pastors and we’ll make it possible and we’ll pray and Bless the Child yes next Sunday is the 25th we’ve got a a lunch for all those involved in the children’s ministry and especially for those who would still like to get involved and you’re invited to enjoy lunch next week and also get some
Information and as always after the service there’s prayer offered here if you’ve got anything where you’d like prayer just feel to stay and come and get some prayer and of course there’s coffee and tea downstairs and some fellowship and everybody’s invited so let’s get up and bless one
Another you all know this I’m sure um if you’re if you’re new please read along let’s bless one another May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and The Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all amen [Applause] amen