Maranatha Baptist Church Sermon Podcast Maranatha Baptist Church

When we find ourselves in trouble, we tend to look for help in all the wrong places. Even if we do look for God's help, we have our own imaginations about how He should help. Psalm 81 reminds us that while God is ready and able to do the "spectacular" for us, we actually get back on track simply by listening to His Word. God has spoken, and His instructions are the key to everything in this life.

We often find security and stability in all sorts of things without realizing it. But what happens when those things fail? In Psalm 80, Asaph laments the fall of the northern tribes to Assyria. As the nation falls apart, Asaph rightly turns to the Lord for salvation. He asks for God's face to shine on them. It's a poetic request for God's grace and favor to fall upon them and save them.

While sin causes destruction, it feels so much worse when it's the result of our own sin. We hurt others, ourselves, and Christ’s reputation. Psalm 79 laments Jerusalem’s destruction, the death of God's people, and the reproach of God's name. But the Psalmist is honest that they are at fault. Psalm 79 gives us direction in our own despair and the words to cry out to God for mercy and forgiveness.

Spring 2024 Equip Class: 1 & 2 Thessalonians

Download a copy of the class notes here.

In Acts 11, those who followed Jesus’ teachings were first called Christians. Have you ever thought about why those who follow Jesus are called Christians? The radically transformed lives of those who fully embraced the teachings of Jesus caught the attention of the rest of the world. In Titus 2, we see Titus challenging believers to live in such a way that matches and exalts the word of God.