Growing Pains

We are currently in a series of messages called "Growing Pains." This message series compares the stages of physical life the Children of Israel went through with our stages of spiritual development. We began this series with Stage 1 infancy and this past week I preached Stage 2 the Battle Years.

I wanted to blog about this subject, Growing Pains, because our church is truly experiencing some growing pains. We are rapidly out growing our current building. This is a great problem, it means that God is doing something. I have been in almost constant prayer that God will give us a vision for the future of the Porter Church. He has begun to do just that and I can now see that vision that He put in me catching hold of others in our congregation. I also know this, when God gives a vision He also gives the provision.

Sometimes when we are going through personal growing pains we see them as just problems. God often uses these types of issues to give us opportunities to learn to trust Him a little more. Joseph said to his brothers, you meant it for evil but God meant it for good. Don't you find it amazing that Joseph was able to find good in being sold into slavery and then falsely accused and thrown in to prison? I wonder how long he had to stay in that prison to let go and trust God?

I have noticed that many Christians live in a prison oppressed by the devil's schemes. All the while God is calling out let, Me help you! Let Me carry those burdens. We continue to struggle trying to find our own answers and satan continues to win. We have been given power and authority over him and his tricks. Just as the Children of Israel looked at a land and saw giants, God saw their opportunity for blessing. They saw a river that looked uncrossable, God saw dry ground that they could walk through. They saw giants and struggles, God saw the fearful inhabitants that already knew they were defeated. God gave some the vision and when Caleb and Joshua trusted Him they were given the provision to possess THEIR land.

I wonder how many times we have stood on the brink of victory only to see the troubles on the other side and faint with fear. The Bible says God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and a sound mind. To sum it all up it is time we grow up and allow those Growing Pains to mature us to the victorious people God wants us to be. Below you will see part 2 of this series of sermons click to listen and let the Word of God encourage you.

Pastor Larry