"Sunday Evening" Tagged Sermons (Page 26)

Some people love to make detailed plans for the future …. marriage, children, career moves, houses, overseas holidays, retirement etc. But how do we cope when the unexpected happens? In today’s message we explore the unexpected circumstances which took Jacob and his family from Canaan down to Egypt, and how God used this detour in a positive way to actually bless this family and their descendants. Ultimately this plan included us through Jacob’s son, Judah. God uses the “detours” of life for our good when we trust Him. Where does God fit into your plans? Much more important than our plans is God’s plan, which is to use all the circumstances of our lives to point us to Jesus Christ, the royal descendant of Judah. Jesus still reigns as King over those who place their hope and trust in Him. Are your plans leading you more and more to Him?

Life is never as straight forward as we would like it to be. For some people it can be really tough. This was certainly the case for Joseph as a young man – sold as a slave by his brothers, falsely accused by his master’s wife, then thrown into prison. For 13 long years life was a battle and seemed so unfair. But “the Lord was with him” throughout this phase of his life, and though he didn’t realize it at the time, God was training Joseph for what lay ahead. One day, literally, his life was totally turned around as God used him to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. At 30 years of age he became the second most important man in all of Egypt, the man who not only saved the nation from starvation, but many other nations, including his very own family in Israel. Joseph trusted God, and His ways, and His timing, and God was able to use him in a wonderful way. Will we trust God and stand for Him in our day?