Tonight we’re going to be kicking off a series entitled Stand Strong. I am very much indebted to Francis Chan for the theme of this series; much of its direction comes from a teaching series he did called Courageous. The key verse for this series come from Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” We have to take courage, because as believers, we live in a hostile land. That’s why the Bible tells us that we’re called and exiles in the land. Despite claims that this country is 80% Christian, living out Christian principles in South Africa is like being the only English speaker in a Chinese school. It’s uncomfortable, difficult to communicate wit

Uncovering Happiness: Finding Happiness in a Messed Up World – 3. Meekness and Righteousness Matthew 5:5-6 New International Version (NIV) 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. So we are in the third week of our series; “Uncovering Happiness”. We have been asking the question if it is at all possible for us to actually be happy in this world? And we discovered in the beatitudes that the answer is yes; however, it is not found in what you do, but whose you are? If you belong to the right King then you are part of the blessed. This word blessed that Jesus uses here means fulfilled delight,

First Things First – How the World Came to Be 15. But God Remembered Noah: Hope for Those Who Feel Forgotten Genesis 8: 1 It’s hard to imagine any “action” greater than a worldwide flood. These details are placed in the Bible for a reason. The Lord wants us to know what happened and how it happened, step by step. Here’s a brief summary of those details: · Noah entered the ark when he was 600 years 2 months and 10 days old · 7 days later the rain began to fall · The rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights · The floodwaters spread across the entire earth, covering the mountains to a depth of 7m · All living creatures on dry land were wiped out · The flood covered the earth for 150 days. · As the f

Uncovering Happiness 2. Poverty and mourning Matthew 5:1-12 Matthew 5:1-12New International Version (NIV) Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount 5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. The Beatitudes He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

First Things First – How the World Came to Be 14. Noah's Ark: A Picture of Salvation (2) Genesis 6: 14 - 22 A growing number of scientists believe that geological evidence indicates our world has undergone a catastrophic flood. This is causing them to question whether or not the biblical account of Noah’s ark could be true. Many people are rereading the Biblical description of the Ark to see if such a vessel could fulfill its designated purpose in light of present day knowledge of both zoology and shipbuilding. There is nothing mystical here. The text reads like an historical account of what actually happened. This is not a fantasy story made up simply to teach a moral. If we take Genesis 6

Uncovering Happiness – Finding Happiness in a messed up world –Understanding happiness Matthew 5:3-12 Matthew 5:3-12New International Version (NIV) 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of

First Things First – How the World Came to Be 13. Noah's Ark: A Picture of Salvation (1) Genesis 6: 9 – 13, 22 The story of Noah and the Ark is more popular than ever before. Even people who don’t know the Bible and never come to church know about Noah, his big boat, and all those animals coming in 2 by 2. 2 giraffes. 2 lions. 2 snails inching forward slowly. 2 rabbits. 2 parrots. Even 2 skunks! Most people know about the great flood and how the boat floated until the waters receded. Then the animals departed 2 by 2 by 2. Finally the rainbow appeared and God gave his promise never again to send a great flood that would cover the entire earth. Learning the Right Lessons There are 2 ways to ap