Grace Baptist Church; Pampa Texas

How we'd choose to mature in our Christian faith and how God chooses to mature us are usually completely opposite. Please listen to this short, but powerful message on how God grows us in our faith in Him.

Joseph, in great love, helped his brothers forgive themselves when they had wronged him. How many have wronged us and we want them to feel the full weight of their actions? We should be helping them forgive themselves. It is hard. it is needed.

The closing verse of the story of Jonah is an odd ending for such an amazing story. It leaves readers wondering whatever happened to Jonah. The uncertainty reminds that how a persons story closes is every bit as important as the life they live and the stories they could tell.

Sometimes, we do right because we know it is right and we want to do right. There are other times that we do right, not because we "want" to do right, but because we are afraid of the consequences for doing wrong. Such a motivating factor is not bad. There are times, if for no other reason, we need to do right because we are fearful of what the consequence may be.

Joseph could either control his emotions or his emotions could control him. The same is true today, for us. Who controls what? It's a question every person needs to answer.

As Jonah grew angry at God because He spared Nineveh, he rejoiced in a gourd that gave him shade for a day. It's interesting to see what thrilled Jonah and what he had no passion for. Are you passionate about the temporal or the eternal?

Scripture records that judgment is coming. The question is: "What will that day look like, for us?". Will we be able to withstand the all seeing eye of God? Are we ready for such a moment?

Joseph deliberately and intentionally created the experience his brothers had with him when they met after 20 years. Today, Christians need to be just as deliberate in creating a persons experience with us. Listen and consider the simple, yet very important truth.

As Joseph interacted with his brothers, he showed a wonderful blend of grace and authority in their lives. Without such a blend, we create a mess. Sadly, we tend to favor one or the other and when this happens, things never turn out right. The proper blend creates a beautiful masterpiece in our lives; as well as the lives of others.

When God didn't do what Jonah thought he should, Jonah became angry with God. While the attitude and actions of Jonah are amazing, they are not uncommon. Many people grow angry at God when things don't go the way they want them to. Such a response is foolish and reveals great spiritual immaturity.

So much can be said with the simplest of statements. Such is the case with this simple statement about the ungodly. Listen and consider what scripture has to say about the ungodly. It is very revealing.

Sometimes obedience to God's will seems as difficult as the consequence of rebelling against God's word. When faced with this type of situation, it is best to obey; no matter the inner struggle.

Just like any other area of life, visible results of a life lived for God are possible. Four tangible areas of spiritual results are given in this one simple verse. If these things cannot be said of a believer, you really should wonder how serious the individual is.

What an insult to doubt the character of God; yet, we do it on a regular basis. God has never failed us, yet we doubt him. Tonight's passage reminds us of the faithfulness of God and it should be an encouragement to us all.

Jonah reveals why he ran from God. He listened to the empty lies of Satan. Many, today, still run from God's will for their lives. Why? Because they listen to Satan's lies and it makes their life miserable. Listen and learn from Jonah's mistake. You'll be glad you did.

Question: How do you feel about God's word? Your honest answer has great impact on whether or not you know and experience God's blessings in your life. Our actions indicate our true feelings. Listen and consider whether or not you delight in God's law.

Joseph knew affliction...he knew toil...he knew hard days. In spite of all this, with God's help, he chose not to dwell on the things of his past. Today, many people allow their past to be their crutch in life. That does not have to be the case. We have a life. We need to move on. With God's help, we can if we want.

After Jonah's rebellion, he eventually cried out to God. Amazingly, God heard the cry of Jonah and was willing to forgive him and restore him. There's a great truth to be reminded of in this passage: No matter how far we've run, if we will cry out to God, in humility, God will hear our prayer, forgive us, and restore us.

When we want something, we must make choices. If we want to be blessed, that also requires choices. Tonight's message reveals certain choices we must be willing to make if we want to be blessed by God.

For 13 years Joseph endured slavery and bondage. How easy it could have been for him to quit following God and quit caring. However, he "stuck with it" and God blessed in His time. We have become a culture of quitters and then wonder why things never go right. It would do us good to look at Joseph's example and "stick with it"; even when times are hard.

It took Jonah three days to cry out to God from the belly of the whale! It's hard to believe he could be so proud and stubborn; however, he was. Sadly, we see that same spirit of pride in the stubbornness in the lives of many. Their lives are miserable, yet they will not cry out to God. Is it time for you to cry out to God for His deliverance?

It's hard to admit limitations, but sometimes it must be done. Joseph was willing to admit he could not help Pharaoh, but knew God could give an answer to his questions. In life, if we want to be a help to others, we must be willing to admit that we are not able. The only way we can be a help/blessing to others is if God does the work through us. Is this hard to admit? YES. But to try to be a...

When Jonah was thrown over the side of the ship, God had a great fish prepared to swallow Jonah. This was not God's effort to destroy Jonah; rather it was His last effort to get Jonah's attention. Whether we realize it or not, God still goes through great effort to get our attention when we run from His will. Listen and give consideration to the truth of this passage.

The story of Peter shows a man who was up and down in his walk with the Lord. There was, often, little consistency in faith. As such, his testimony was hindered. Today, while the specifics are different, the same problem persist. People are up and down in their walk with the Lord. They have no consistency in their walk and it damages their testimony. Listen and see if you can relate to Peter.

There's "selfish" and then...there's "selfish". Jonah displayed a level of selfishness that is painful to witness. Sadly, many people still display this same level of selfishness in their lives. Listen and be challenged by this mornings message.