Bay City Wesleyan Church

I cannot change the entire worldwide church and guarantee there will be no more hypocrites. I cannot change the Wesleyan denomination and drive out all the church people who are behaving badly. I cannot change this congregation making us all perfect. I cannot even change myself. Only God can make individuals and the church holy like Jesus. I cannot change anything or anyone, BUT I CAN PRAY, "Change my heart, oh God."

We need not face the future with fear, anxiety or worry. We belong to the God of miracles. Just as surely as he raised Jesus from the dead, he can lift us out of the pits we fall into.

The point of the sermon is to show how believers may want to see God working in their lives, but without a substantial, deep hearted, life-changing shift in the way we think, act, and treat others, then God will not hear us.

The Top Ten Reasons to believe the Bible is more than a dusty old book.

How can Christians say Jesus is the only way to God? That's not 'tolerant.' But there are reasons to determine that Jesus is your way to God, the sacrifice for your sins, your King and Lord.

Some Christians avoid talking to others about Jesus because they are afraid the topic of hell will come up. But we need a healthy fear of living forever without God -- to spend eternity alone filled with grief and regret.

God's moral laws are written on our hearts so we know what is right and wrong.

God came into this world as one of us to experience and to overcome pain and evil. He will never leave us even though it may feel as though he has. We can trust him to never forsake us.

In a universe that exists simply because it can, humans have no purpose, no freedom and no value. I cannot accept that idea. I believe God gives us purpose, freedom and value.

This practical message draws heavily from one by Rick Warren about following God's financial plan.

In tough economic times, we often strive to hold onto all we can grasp. However, as managers of God's resources we need to keep on giving the tithe and acting with generosity. When we do, God can restore our fortunes.

Too many people face life alone. Their theme song is "I Did It My Way." But we cannot accomplish anything of eternal importance in life without Jesus and other Christians. We need each other to become and to do all God planned for us.

Every person struggles to beleive God can make a difference through his or her actions. We have all kinds of reasons to avoid working with Jesus to build God's Kingdom. However, we are created and called to serve God and His people. We can make a difference because God will work through us.

Too often we face the future with white-knuckled fear. We do not know what tomorrow will bring but we expect the worst. God has better things in mind for us. We can grasp the future with gratitude because each day, whether good or bad, is part of God's plan to help us thrive in His Kingdom.

Jesus calls us to make cross carrying commitments. These are not resolutions that can be broken and forgotten in a matter of days. When a person picks up a cross, it's a one-way trip. No one expects to come back.

We tend to underestimate God. We fail to appreciate his divinity and his humanity. We need to keep these realities in balance. Jesus is the infinite, immortal, invisible Immanuel.

The problem is that we want Jesus' peace without recognizing Jesus' authority in our lives. We want to live our way and escape the negative consequences. We need to surrender to the Prince of Peace in order to experience his blessings.

Some of us are trying to earn God's love and acceptance. Some of us are afraid he's angry with us. Some of us wonder if he even exists. But Jesus comes to each of us this Christmas assuring us of God's unconditional love, his wonderful care and his constant presence. We need to relax in our Eternal Father's love, care and everlasting arms.

We all are very independent individuals. Some of our first words, perhaps even our first sentence, expressed that self-reliance. "I can do it myself." This is healthy when we're dressing and cleaning up. It becomes unhealthy when we try to control others and to make decisions for them. We need to release our lives and others into Jesus' care and to receive the peace he gives. He is the Mighty God who can fight all our battles and overcome all our troubles.

Many people don't do what their doctors or counselors suggest. It's a terrible mistake to treat Jesus in the same way. Whenever he gives advice it is for our healing. From now on we need to listen and do what our Wonderful Counselor says.