Bay City Wesleyan Church

Jesus' sacrifice purchased our pardon but we must accept it in order to enjoy the benenfits of being pardoned.

Life and death are hard but the Shepherd comforts us with His presence.

God can give us enough peace (release from our guilt and shame) that we can forgive even while we are being attacked.

God invites you to receive Jesus so you can become a new creation filled with His presence. He wants you to enjoy his presence. He longs to share his love with you. Will you accept his invitation?

Like the disciples we want peace FROM the storms of our lives because we feel like they will destroy us. But Jesus will give, us peace IN our storms because when he is with us they cannot destroy us. We want to think that if we are in the center of God's will we'll have smooth sailing - but sometimes storms of fear hit even in the center of God's will. We want to measure God's love for us by how comfortable we feel - but we need to remember that even when He seems to be asleep that we are safe. We want to escape difficult and scary circumstances - but God wants to give us peace in our storms.

We dare not settle for mere forgiveness of our sins when Jesus died and rose to totally transform our lives.

Is there a haunting echo in your life? Is there a sight, sound or smell that reminds you of some failure? Is there something that repeatedly floods your heart with shame? Then this is the time and place to turn all that over to Jesus. From now on the very things that condemned you, can remind you of Jesus' love and forgiveness. Inspired by a sermon entitled "Barnyard Echoes" by Robert Holland who was Pastor of Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (c) 1987 Preaching Today.

When we realize we've been wrong in our thinking and behavior we need to turn around.

Pentecost draws a bold line and calls you to make a decision this morning. Now that God's Spirit has come, you can face life in one of two ways: like a bump on a log, or a lump of coal. A bump on a log does nothing and is good for nothing. A lump of coal is ready to burn. It is ready to receive power. Citation: adapted from the Sermon for the Feast of Pentecost - 6/4/2006 by The Rev. Michael E. Blewett (www.wikiletics.com)

The only way we can have a healthy self-image is to tell ourselves the truth about ourselves. The truth is found in the Bible.

Jesus is to our spirits what bread is to our bodies. Our bodies cannot live more than a few weeks without food. Our life expectancy without fluids to drink is only a few days. Jesus is the Bread of Life who connects our spirits to God. He is not an option we can take or leave. Jesus is absolutely vital to our spiritual health.

We all need love but we look for it in all the wrong places and persons. No human being or activity can fill our hearts with love -- only God can.

Jesus is not detached, indifferent or separated from us. Instead, he identified with us, so now he can sympathize with us and help us to conquer our pains too. We can trust him completely.

You cannot follow Jesus and continue with the same old behaviors. Like all other relationships, your relationship with Jesus will transform your life focus and desires. As a result, you will begin to act more like Jesus. Your behavior will change. If it doesn't, there is a problem.

To a follower of Jesus, giving is far more important than getting.

People who are dying recognize what we often forget, that we are standing on the brink of another world. (William Law)

How to Know You're Going to Heaven

You can move from fear to freedom in our efforts to talk to others about Jesus because you are not the one responsible for convincing them to receive His love. The Holy Spirit carries that task. You are free just to tell them what He has done in your life.

God wants to use us, outside the walls of this church building, to be people who will lovingly interact with men and women who have not experienced His love firsthand, and to invest ourselves in relationships with them.

"If it is to be it is up to me" does not apply to our efforts to share Jesus' love. If it is to be, it is up to me to pray, to plant and to water BUT God must give the increase.