4-23-23 Setlist: Breakthrough I'm Listening It Is Well With My Soul Firm Foundation (He Won't) Sermon Notes: Key Passage: Jesus called His twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! Matthew 10:1,7b-8 Key Verse: The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. Psalm 34:17a God answers our prayers in one of four ways. 1. Go 2. Slow 3. Grow 4. No We need to understand that God is not a button to be pushed but a relationship to be pursued. The purpose of prayer is for us to know Him and do His will. Key Verse: This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1 John 5:14 Promises God gives to those who don’t get what they prayed for: 1. He is with you. Key Passage: “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are Mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. Isaiah 43:1b-2 Promises God gives to those who don’t get what they prayed for: 2. He loves you. Key Passage: Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35, 37-39 Promises God gives to those who don’t get what they prayed for: 3. God is still working. Key Verse: But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” John 5:17 Key Verse: And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 Promises God gives to those who don’t get what they prayed for: 4. God will bring an end to all pain. Key Verse: He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. Revelation 21:4 Key Passage: But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control. Philippians 3:20-21 Promises God gives to those who don’t get what they prayed for: 5. He will use what you are going through for His glory. Key Passage: …I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 Discussion Questions: 1. What do you feel like God is saying to you through this message? 2. What prayers do you need to look back at and see how God answered them? 3. What can you learn from Little James and apply it to your life? 4. Which point really spoke to you during this message? How can you apply it to your life?