2026 Wk 8
Altered LIFE • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Intro
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Generosity
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the best part of everything you produce.
10 Then he will fill your barns with grain,
and your vats will overflow with good wine.
Update
Vianne’s Celebration of Life at 3pm and Ice Cream Social afterwards with desserts
Midweek Life Group 630p
Cell phones — thank you!
Lesson
“Show me why You are contending with me.” — Book of Job 10:2
I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me;
Show me why You contend with me.
Could it be that God is using this season to grow you?
Are our hearts weary? Yes!
Hear the PROMISE again…
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
So listen up weary hearts:
hear these words from Charles Spurgeon ALL WEEK LONG…
Some parts of your faith would never show up if life were always easy.
Faith doesn’t shine brightest in calm, sunny days—it stands out in the middle of storms.
Love often glows most clearly when everything around it feels dark.
Hope is like a star—you don’t see it at noon, but at night it lights up the sky.
Hard seasons are often the backdrop God uses to display the beauty He’s building in you.
ARE YOU IN A HARD SEASON?
Write it on your paper
Own it
Write:
God is using me
The star of Hope is rising up in me
God is strengthening my faith
He takes a lump of clay and shapes it into a beautiful vase or
He finds a thorn infested hillside and cleans it, sets the footing, and builds a home with a view that will take your breath
Have you been doubting God recently?
Maybe you prayed,
“Lord, I’m not even sure my faith is real. Help me know that it is.”
But how can faith be proven unless it’s tested?
When pressure comes, what’s real rises to the surface.
God sometimes allows trials so you can see that His work in you is genuine.
— If we are just breathing in the the air of our culture today…
Being passive to the Authority of God’s Word
Not valuing Gods Word as THE Infallible Rule and Principle to live by
Choosing the urgent to manipulate your day away from time spent with Father
I need to say, if that is us we are being deceived
Gods Word must be our foundation our bedrock
Knowing the Scripture is one thing, applying it to our lives is another
Knowing God’s address is good to know, but going there and making time for Him is another thing altogether different.
TRIALS & TEMPTATION it’s not just about revealing your faith—it’s about strengthening it.
2 Dear brothers and sisters,* when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.
13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
God doesn’t grow strong believers in comfort and ease.
He trains us in real-life conditions.
Last Tuesday,
I read a proclamation honoring the Longtime Okmulgee football Coach, Dan Sulivant and his team as they celebrated 50 year reunion of winning State in 1975…here is what he said,
“Playing the game was easy it was working out in the field house was where it was hard.”
He went on to say that the winter time practices in the field house were brutal— running stadium steps were hard— the training for the game took commitment and physical sacrifice, “the game was easy!”
Like soldiers who become resilient through long marches and difficult terrain, we grow through challenges, not luxury.
The very things you wish would go away may be shaping endurance, humility, and deeper trust in you.
So could it be that this struggle isn’t God fighting AGAINST you—but fighting *FOR* you?
God is Helping bring out what He’s planted IN YOU?
Growing IN YOU in ways comfort never could?
Trials make God’s promises sweeter.
Trials breathe new life into prayer.
Trials bring us to His feet—
and keep us there.
Trials keep us plugged into the Alter.
THE ALTERED LIFE IS GEARED IN KEEPING US SURRENDERED TO FATHER
WASHED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS and
EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
PRAYER…
Will you plug in this week?
Will you be ready for the fiery trials ahead?
Are you invested in just showing some faith or are you ready to strengthening your faith?
Amen.
PtL
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2-15-26 AM
“To Him be glory both now and forever.” — 2 Peter 3:18
Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.
Heaven will resound with endless praise to Jesus. Eternity will stretch on without end, years beyond counting, and still the song will continue: all glory belongs to Him.
He is our eternal High Priest, like Melchizedek—His ministry never ends. He is the everlasting King—the King of kings and Lord of lords. His rule will never fade, and His praise will never stop.
What He purchased with His own blood deserves everlasting honor. The glory of the cross must never be forgotten. The power of the empty tomb must never grow dim. Jesus will be praised as long as heaven stands and as long as God’s throne endures. Forever and ever, the glory belongs to Him.
Believer, one day you will join the saints in heaven and give Him perfect praise. But what about today? The verse says, “To Him be glory both now and forever.” Not just someday—but now.
Why not make this your prayer today?
“Lord, help me to bring You glory. If I am struggling financially, help me honor You by being content. If I am sick, help me honor You with patience. If I have abilities, help me use them for You. If I have time, help me spend it wisely in serving You. I have a heart—let it love You above all else. I have a mind—help me think thoughts that honor You. You placed me in this world for a purpose; show me what it is and help me live it out.
I may not have much, but like the widow who gave her two small coins—everything she had—I give You all of myself. My time, my gifts, my future—everything belongs to You. Take me and help me glorify You now, in what I say, in what I do, and in all that I am.”
Forever we will give Him glory. But today is our opportunity to begin.
2-16-26 AM
“I have learned to be content whatever my circumstances.” — Philippians 4:11
Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.
These words remind us that contentment does not come naturally. Left to ourselves, we tend toward complaining, craving more, and feeling dissatisfied. Just as weeds grow without effort, grumbling and discontent spring up easily in the human heart. No one has to teach us how to complain—we do that quite well on our own.
But good things require cultivation. If you want a harvest, you have to plant and tend the field. If you want a garden full of flowers, you must care for it intentionally. Contentment is like that—it’s a flower from heaven. It does not grow naturally in us. It must be planted and nurtured by God.
Paul says, “I have learned to be content.” That tells us he wasn’t always content. It took time. It took struggle. It took experience. Perhaps he thought he had learned it at times, only to discover he still had more to grow. Contentment was something he developed slowly, through many trials.
When he finally wrote those words, he was an older man, sitting in a prison cell in Rome under Nero’s rule. He wasn’t writing from comfort or success, but from hardship. And yet he could honestly say he had learned the secret of being content in any situation.
We might be willing to endure hardship too, if it meant gaining that kind of steady, peaceful heart.
Don’t assume contentment will simply appear on its own. It cannot be downloaded instantly or switched on at will. It is not automatic—it is learned. It requires discipline, trust, and ongoing surrender to God.
So when you feel the urge to complain—even though it feels natural—pause. Quiet the murmuring spirit. Stay teachable. Remain a committed student in what we might call “the school of contentment.” Over time, God will grow in you what does not grow naturally.
ME 2-17-26 AM
“Isaac settled near the well called Lahai-roi.” — Genesis 25:11
After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who settled near Beer-lahai-roi in the Negev.
Years earlier, Hagar had experienced God’s rescue at that very place. Ishmael had drunk from water God graciously provided—the God who sees and cares for every person. But for Hagar, it was a moment of crisis. She turned to God when she desperately needed help. Many people do the same: they pray when life falls apart, but once things improve, they drift away.
Isaac was different. He didn’t just visit the well in an emergency—he chose to live there. The well of the living, all-seeing God became his steady source of life and strength. Where a person chooses to “live” spiritually—what fills their ordinary days—reveals the true condition of their heart.
Maybe Isaac remembered how God had met Hagar there and felt a deep respect for the place. The name of the well—”the Living One who sees me”—must have meant something powerful to him. Perhaps he often sat beside it in the quiet evenings, reflecting. It was there that he met Rebekah, and that memory surely made it dear to him. But more than anything else, it was there that he enjoyed fellowship with the living God. That is why he made it his home.
We should learn to live every day aware of God’s presence. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us remember, today and always, “You are the God who sees me.”
May the Lord be like a well to us—refreshing, comforting, never running dry, bubbling up with life that lasts forever. Everything else we depend on eventually fails. Human strength runs out. Earthly comforts crack and dry up. But God never does. Blessed is the person who stays close to Him and draws daily from His endless supply.
God has proven Himself faithful again and again. He is Shaddai—God Almighty, the All-sufficient One. Our hearts have known the joy of walking with Him. Through Him we have come to know our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him we live and breathe and exist.
So let us remain close to Him. Lord, hold us near. Don’t let us wander. Keep us living beside the well of the living God.
2-18-26 PM
“Father, I have sinned.” — Gospel of Luke 15:18
I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you,
If you belong to Christ, you don’t come to God as a criminal standing before a judge. Jesus has already taken your guilt. Because of Him, you are forgiven, accepted, and no longer under condemnation.
But you are also a child.
And children still need to say, “Father, I was wrong.”
There’s a difference between confessing as someone on trial and confessing as someone who is loved. As believers, we’re not trying to avoid punishment — that’s already been settled at the cross. Instead, we’re restoring closeness.
Think about any healthy family. When a child disobeys, the relationship isn’t erased — but fellowship is strained. Distance creeps in. Silence grows. The child may start to avoid eye contact or hesitate to speak.
The same thing happens in our relationship with God.
When we ignore our daily sins — our pride, our impatience, our coldness, our selfishness — we begin to feel distant. We may start to question His love. Prayer feels harder. Joy fades. Not because He has rejected us, but because unconfessed sin clouds our sense of His nearness.
But when we come honestly — with the humility of a child, not the fear of a criminal — everything changes.
When we say, “Father, I’ve sinned,” and bring it into the light, we rediscover His warmth. We experience fresh peace. We remember that we are still loved, still His, still secure.
We were cleansed once and for all through Jesus.
But as we walk through this world, our feet still get dusty.
Daily confession doesn’t save us again — it restores our joy.
It doesn’t earn love — it brings us back to the comfort of it.
The safest place for honest repentance is not a courtroom.
It’s a Father’s embrace.
2-19-26 AM
“This is what the Lord says: I will let my people ask me for these things, and I will do it for them.” — Book of Ezekiel 36:37
“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am ready to hear Israel’s prayers and to increase their numbers like a flock.
Prayer comes before breakthrough.
When you look through Scripture, you’ll notice something powerful: major moves of God are almost always preceded by someone praying. Before mercy shows up, someone is calling out to Him. Before restoration comes, someone has been seeking Him.
You’ve probably seen this in your own life.
Yes, God has surprised you with blessings you didn’t even think to ask for. But when you think about your biggest spiritual moments — the ones that changed you — weren’t they born in prayer?
When you first found peace at the cross, you likely spent time wrestling with doubt, asking God to calm your fears. And when peace finally came, it didn’t feel random — it felt like an answer.
When you’ve experienced deep joy, unexpected strength, or rescue in a hard season, you could say with confidence, “I prayed — and God answered.”
Prayer is the doorway God often chooses to use before He pours out blessing. It prepares your heart. It deepens your trust. It teaches you to depend on Him.
If blessings just showed up without prayer, we might treat them as ordinary. But when you’ve cried out for something — when you’ve waited and trusted — the answer feels priceless. Prayer makes mercy personal.
When you find yourself praying often and deeply, take heart. Your prayers may be the shadow cast by blessings that are already on the way.
Prayer clears the storm clouds.
Prayer strengthens faith and love.
Prayer reaches upward —
and brings heaven’s help down into real life.
Keep praying.
ME 2-21-26 AM
“He has said.” — Hebrews 13:5
Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.”*
If we truly take those words to heart—*He has said*—we hold an unstoppable weapon. What doubt can survive when God has spoken? What fear can stand when we answer it with His promise?
Life will bring pressure. Death will bring sorrow. We struggle with weakness inside and face traps outside. There are trials we don’t understand and temptations we wish would disappear. But when we stand on what God has said, these troubles shrink. They don’t vanish—but they lose their power to control us.
Whether we need peace in calm seasons or strength in hard battles, our first move should always be the same: go back to what He has said.
That’s why searching the Bible matters so much. Somewhere in its pages may be a promise that fits your situation perfectly—but if you don’t know it’s there, you can’t draw comfort from it. It’s like sitting in a locked cell while the key hangs within reach. Freedom is close—but you have to look for it.
Scripture is also like a cabinet full of medicine. There’s healing truth for anxiety, guilt, grief, confusion, and fear. But if you never open the cabinet, you can’t benefit from what’s inside.
We memorize quotes from famous leaders. We remember lyrics from songs. We repeat lines from movies. Shouldn’t we also fill our minds with the words God has spoken—so when doubt rises, we can answer it? When fear whispers, we can reply with truth?
Because what *He has said* is the source of wisdom and the wellspring of comfort. Let His promises live in you—deep and steady—like a spring that never runs dry. Then your faith will grow resilient. Your heart will grow strong. And your life will be rooted in a joy that lasts.
ME 2-22-26 AM
“His bow remained steady, and his arms were strengthened by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob.” — Genesis 49:24
But his bow remained taut,
and his arms were strengthened
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.
The strength God gives to His “Josephs” is real strength. It’s not fake confidence or empty talk that fades when life gets hard. It’s not hype. It’s true, divine power.
Why was Joseph able to resist temptation? Because God helped him. On our own, we don’t have what it takes. Any strength that truly lasts comes from “the Mighty God of Jacob.”
Notice how personal this is. It says Joseph’s arms “were strengthened by the hands” of God. It’s a picture of God placing His hands over Joseph’s hands, His arms over Joseph’s arms—like a father guiding a child as he learns. God doesn’t just shout instructions from heaven. He comes close. He supports. He steadies. He empowers.
What amazing humility! The Almighty, eternal, all-powerful God bends down from His throne and puts His hand over the hand of His child. He strengthens Joseph by sharing His own strength.
And this strength is covenant strength. It comes from “the Mighty God of Jacob.” Whenever Scripture speaks of the God of Jacob, it reminds us of His covenant—His faithful promises. Everything we receive—grace, mercy, comfort, blessing, endurance—flows from that covenant love. Without it, we would collapse. All grace streams to us from that source, just as light and warmth stream from the sun.
Remember Jacob’s ladder, reaching from earth to heaven, with God standing at the top? Every blessing travels down that covenant pathway. Nothing reaches us apart from it.
Maybe you feel like Joseph today—under attack, wounded by sharp words, harsh circumstances, or relentless pressures.
The archers may have aimed at you and struck you. But your bow can still remain steady. Not because you are strong, but because God’s hands are on yours.
So when you stand firm—when you endure—when you overcome—give all the glory to the Mighty God of Jacob.
The strength was never yours alone.
