Month: March 2022

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The Fires of Insecurity :: BIBLE STORIES

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 3/27/22 by Pastor Steve Shields.

What role does security and insecurity play in our lives?

Insecurity is volatile. It is the kindling for fires of evil. Insecurity can make you turn against others.

Trust extinguishes the burn of insecurity. We are secure when we trust God, and we trust God because of love.

What fire are you facing, and what is the fire doing to you? Are you scheming? Are you burning? Are you fearfully conniving or manipulating perhaps?

You can prepare for the fire by looking to the cross, recalling God’s call in your life and recounting God’s deliverance from the fires of the past.

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It’s Not About Us

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 3/20/22 by Reverend Bernie Knefley.

Only thinking about ourselves is an old issue. We can look back to Adam and Eve and see that Eve was only thinking about herself, and not the consequences that would still be in effect today.

What you choose to do effects others. Doing the things of God are not necessarily easy to do. We can look to Esther to see that her decision put her in harms way. John the Baptist lost his head for speaking out about God.

Joseph understood that the choices of others were actually fulfilling the plan of God. So rather than enacting judgement against his brothers, he blessed them.

As odd as it may seem, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. Maybe the troubles are happening in your life so you can show Jesus to others.

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It’s Not About You!!

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 3/13/22 by Reverend Bernie Knefley.

The world tells us that it is all about you, but God says to pursue His kingdom.

The Lord told Abram to leave and go. Was the command about Abraham or God?

When we look at how our life is laid out, we see it is laid out for our purpose, and we fail to see that our life is for God’s purpose.

I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. Proverbs 1:24

Life can be so busy seeking fame, fortune, significance, worth, and value, but do we seek God’s call? God wants our willingness to serve Him.

What would happen if the church lived the way God called them to live? What is that suppose to look like in daily life?

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Jonah :: BIBLE STORIES

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 3/6/22 by Pastor Steve Shields.

God wants to confront Nineveh’s evil, and He wants to use Jonah to do it. But Jonah wants nothing to do with the mission, and tries to run away. That results in him being swallowed by a great fish, and causes Jonah to change his mind. Jonah delivers the message to Nineveh, and they turn from their wicked ways. This should have pleased Jonah, but instead it made him angry.

Anger is a problem! God pursues us when we are angry just as he pursued Jonah in his anger.

It is hard to let go of our anger, and we look for ways to justify our anger.

God seems to do His best work when we are at our worst! God turned Jonah’s attention toward his own heart.

God lifts Jonah’s head to help him see a world in need.

God directs Jonah to trust Him!

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