November 3, 2021

Weekly Update

Scripture of the Week

John 1:14-18

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Sunday's Sermon

Weekly Encouragement

1. Make Jesus the Sovereign Lord of your life.  This goes beyond a salvation prayer.  This is the complete laying down of self before God and asking that His complete will be done in our lives.  Without a place of complete surrender to the will of God in every area of our lives, the enemy can twist a good thing into a bad thing.  The devil can create havoc as we pursue ambition in Jesus' name, all while being led by the whispers of the enemy. James 4:7-10
2. Ask God for correction in your thinking.  Test your thoughts out!  "God, I am willing to lay this desire down, and I only want what you have for me."  Deception stinks because it is... well, deceiving.  Most self-deception is never found because the truth is buried by our wounds, offenses, and lack of identity in Him.  Discerning people repent often, ask God for clarity, and are willing to let go of anything He asks them to.  Proverbs 3
3. Seek the Scriptures for a clean lens.  Too often we will seek the Word of God to back up what we want God to say.  This is beyond dangerous and is by far the strongest deception to break.  The Word is true, it is God's divine revelation.  There are many interpretations to most scriptures, and that is very healthy!  The reality of God's Word is that it will cut through your selfish thinking, and expose the areas that need correcting.  Come humbly to the scriptures and ask God to cleanse you. This will help you discern truth from error.  Hebrews 4:12-13
4. Find the fruit!  As you follow your discernment of situations, people, and even Scripture, look at the fruit that has been, or will be produced.  What a glorious list in Galatians 5 that tells us what the fruit of the Spirit is.  If your discernment and judgment of the Word of God, people, and situations is not producing Spirit fruit, you might have to clean the lens and upgrade your discernment.  Perhaps, though your intentions were good, your fruit proves that you are not seeing things clearly.  
5. Consider the timing.  Often when the flesh or the enemy is speaking, it can feel like God to us. If you feel disjointed or have unnecessary pressure around the timing, STOP!  God is not in a hurry.  He works all things together.  Often we make choices based on the pressure of circumstances and find no peace as we make decisions.  Jesus walked, and when he missed the appointment (Lazarus), He still shows up and does what He does best, making the impossible happen. John 11
6. Get another set of eyes on it.  This is a great sign of whether or not we are trusting God with what we are discerning, can you let someone you trust tell you it is not a God thing?  If you are unwilling to hear anything but a yes to what you are believing, it likely is tainted in the flesh, or a stronghold of the enemy.  These are great moments for character development and to grow in your faith as you walk out God's perfect will for your life.  
   Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 12:20, Proverbs 15:22, Proverbs 24:6

Prayer Needs and Updates:

• Pray for our mission organizations, their families, and their provision.  Celebrate Recovery Nicaragua, Freedom House, Helping Hands Healing Hearts, Idahope Families.
• Pray for those called to serve in this season with Youth and Kids Ministries.  We are praying for those that have a burden for the youth and a willingness to serve them. 
• Pray for those called to Leadership at HVWC.  We believe that God is raising up mighty men and women of God who will lead others in their pursuit of God.  We know that God is expanding our influence, and those who desire to play a part in the body through leadership should know they are called to it in this season.