Keela was unable to find purpose in this life. Keela had to take care of her mom from a very young age. Her dad was out of the picture until about age 7 and he turned out to be very abusive. Before age nine, Keela had already attempted suicide. Feeling ashamed, fearful and no purpose for living, the end for Keela seemed to be inevitable. But, then she was invited to a birthday party and her life was thrown into a tail-spin of change. So it was a surprise when a friend told me that I didn't have to be. Sitting criss-cross-apple-sauce on the ground, at a birthday party of all places, a beloved group of friends told me a story that changed my life, that so catastrophically wrecked my way of thinking that I rose up from the ashes as a new person. I asked them about heaven, more specifically if I would ever see my mom there. That got us talking, and all of a sudden, these nine-and-ten-year-old girls huddled around me and told me exactly what my heart had been longing to hear. They told me that God loves me. Like, really loves me. They told me that my sins had separated me from God (Isaiah 59:2) and that's why I felt trapped in a hopeless world, doing things that I knew were wrong. They told me that this sin kept me from God, who wanted me to be with Him. But then they told me that Jesus loved me so much that He died on a cross to take away the punishment for all the stupid crap that I had done (John 3:16). They told me that because of His death, I can have a relationship with the God of the universe and live with Him for all eternity in Heaven (John 14:6). They told me that God created me with a purpose, for a reason, to be His (1 Peter 2:9). They told me that He will never leave me (Hebrews 13:5). They told me that with Him, there is nothing to fear (Isaiah 41:10). Sitting there in that moment, I felt something in me that I had never felt before. A rightness. Hope. Hope. See her story on Instagram @keelahope

Heather's Friend told her about a nursing opportunity on a Mercy Ship. After a little research, Heather knew that she was meant for this mission. Mercy ships are floating hospitals that travel to locations where people are in dire need of medical care. Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Matthew 25:35-36 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Lawrence didn't know much about Elephants but he was determined to save them from being killed. This herd of elephants seemed to be a danger to the locals, but instead of having them killed, Lawrence made it his mission to keep that from happening. Lawrence had a passion for saving animals and he dedicated his life to doing so. He gave everything he had to fulfill his life's mission. His wife followed his dream and together they purchased a piece of land to be used as a refuge for wildlife. This is a great example for how Jesus wants us to not only be saved, but to lead others to salvation as well. As Christians, we should have a deep passion for reaching the lost without excuse. From the Bible: Now large crowds were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This person began to build, and was not able to finish!’ Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and requests terms of peace. So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭14‬:‭25‬-‭33‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Message by: Pastor Paul Karanick Several times before the death of Jesus, He had told his disciples that this will happen. There is a reference to this fact in Matthew 16. Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭NASB From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” The Women's Reaction Once the Realized the Tone was Empty Luke 24:1-7 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” Mark 16:6-8 But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’ ” And he *said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. John 20:1-2 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and *said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” The Disciples Responses On the Way to Emmaus Luke 24:28-31 And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. Thomas Has Some Demands John 20:26-29 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He *said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” Peter's Ego and Shame John 21:14-17 This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead. So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep. ' Stephen Enters Heaven Acts 7:54-56 'But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; Now when they heard this, they were infuriated, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” ' Peter is Flogged Acts 5:40-42 They followed his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and preaching the good news of Jesus as the Christ.

As we read the story of Jesus, His death and His resurrection, it is hard to understand why the religious leaders of that time did not realize that His life completely fulfilled all the prophesies of the Messiah. It is a shame that the Messiah was right in front of them and they could not recognize Him. Even after His death and resurrection, which was prophesied as well, and they still would not believe. If we lived in the time of Jesus, would we be like the religious people or the true followers of Jesus? Would we have crucified Jesus as well? From the Bible : Luke 22:14-23,31-34,39-62 When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing. “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.” And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” When those who were around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come against Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a robber? While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours.” Having arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.” A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

Message by Pastor Paul Karanick Story: Raven's pregnant ewe had been down for four days in pain during her pregnancy. It was pretty obvious that Lindy was probably not going to survive much longer. Raven was not going to give up on her and she researched all possible issues and remedies, but nothing provided much hope. She continued to pray and ask God for guidance, but even that prayer seem to go unnoticed. I believe we all have experienced time when it just seems like God isn't listening or at least responding the way we expect Him to respond. Once you listen to this story, I hope it help you to trust God even more than ever. John 10:25-30 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” ' Isaiah 40:11 'Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes. ' Isaiah 66:7-9 Before she travailed, she brought forth; Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons. Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery?” says the Lord . “Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb? ” says your God.

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Nathan, my 7 year old, is in first grade. His teacher asked for each student to write one thing that they fear.

Have you ever had one of those one-sided conversations where one person talks for the entire time and the other person cannot say a word? To make it worse is when they speak until they are finished and then finish by saying something like, "I gotta go, talk to you later". You may feel like you had so much to add to the conversation, but wasn't given a chance. When we pray to God, let's give Him a chance to be involved and give input; not just as a listener. This video message is about learning to speak and listen to God. Prayer is talking to God, but what is listening? How do you hear from God? Does God have a voice? How do you discern God's voice? Jesus says that people who believe in him will know His voice. That is very important to know that it is possible to hear from God. Bible verses about Prayer: Matthew 5:44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 1 John 5:14 -15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. John 17:15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. James 5:13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

[I actually took this out of one of my other sermons. I felt that this snippet says something that is important for people to hear. ] The Devil can really mess with our minds and get us depressed, feeling lonely, angry, hateful, irritated, and hopeless to say the least. As followers of Christ Jesus, the Bible tells us that we can take all of our concerns to Him. the Bible says that we can do this because He loves us and that He will give us rest. Many of us have struggled way too long with life’s battles, we need a Savior that truly loves us and will give us victory. Jesus is that Savior! From the Bible: 1 Peter 5:6-11 ‘Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. So resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brothers and sisters who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you. ‘ Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.”’