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God’s Wisdom Moves Us From Darkness to Light :: ADVENT

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 12/05/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

Who are the Wise Men?

They are curious. They scanned the heavens looking for anything unusual, and God gave them a sign.

They are from the East, and they are wise as they pursued wisdom.

What does it look like to pursue wisdom? It is a journey of trust, worship and transformation.

Questions to ask yourself as you pursue God’s wisdom. Am I trusting God’s mercy? Am I worshiping in a sacrificial way? Am I cooperating with changes He is bringing to my heart?

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God’s Promises Move Us From Darkness To Light :: ADVENT

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 11/28/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

Advent Season is upon us. Listen as Pastor Steve details how God’s promises move us from darkness to light.

Sometimes God’s promises are misrepresented by others which can injure your soul. But you can trust God’s promises.

God’s promises bring light to our souls. There is no more gloom because Christ is the Great Light. With Him there is relief from oppression. The Peace He brings ends conflict.

The essence of the promise is the Christ child. Christ is for us, He will lead us in peace, and He will act with zeal.

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Thankfulness

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 11/21/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

During this Thanksgiving season, let’s look at Colossians 2:6-15 to see the reasons Christ gives us to be thankful.

Christ gives us life. He makes us stronger. Our faith has substance in Him. Christ has power over all. Christ changes us, and He has removed our guilt and shame.

When you are thankful, you are made aware of what God has done. By reviewing the blessings God has given you, you can be thankful. And you can trust that God will be with you whatever is ahead.

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You Shall Not Covet :: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – BIBLE STORIES

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 11/14/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

We have made it to the 10th commandment. You shall not Covet.

Coveting is a deep concept. Coveting is a hunger gone wrong, a desire that is misdirected, out of bounds in terms of intensity, lacks regard for others and misses the point of living.

Coveting happens every day. Coveting is natural, but it is not okay! And it can happen with anything we desire.

Coveting is bigger than we think. It usually deprives another, and is connected to greed. Coveting often reveals misguided values, and it can indicate a dissatisfaction with God.

How do we break free from covetousness? By being joyful when others are blessed. Resist the lie that more is better. Redefine what brings meaning to your life.

By investing your energy in finding satisfaction in God, you can dismiss the lie that more is better, find meaning in something better – in God, and redefine the meaning of being alive!

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No False Testimony :: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – BIBLE STORIES

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 11/07/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

This commandment applies broadly. Like the other commandments, they are about our common experiences.

False testimony is words without worth or said another way, they are worthless words.

What are the characteristics of worthless words? The words are often untrue, often lack justice, shameful and damaging to relationships.

How do we rid ourselves of worthless words?

Ephesians 4:29 speaks directly to us on how to rid our words of worthlessness. We need to ask these questions before we speak. Is it wholesome? Does it build up? Does it need to be said? Does it add value?

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Do Not Steal :: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – BIBLE STORIES

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 10/31/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

When you think of the commandment do not steal, you think automatically of taking something that doesn’t belong to you. But is there more to this commandment than that?

The Bible says that stealing is outright taking what does not belong to you. However, the Bible also says stealing is tricking someone out of something, depriving someone of something that is theirs, or kidnapping someone.

There are spiritual roots of stealing. The deeply rooted spiritual damage in theft includes creating mistrust, damaging reputation and not reflecting the image of God.

Stealing is a matter of the heart. Frequently, stealing is the result of small faith, and is born of greed. Stealing is an outgrowth of selfishness.

How do we counter these natural impulses? We trust God, honor God and imitate Him.

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Do Not Commit Adultery :: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – BIBLE STORIES

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 10/24/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

The commandment to not commit adultery is about honoring marriage.

Marriage is a honored when we choose to respect marital intimacy. Marriage is honored when we choose to respect the marital promise, and when we choose to honor the marital purpose.

When we choose to honor marriage there are blessing we receive. Honoring marriage brings satisfaction, strengthens relationships and keeps your heart healthy.

Keep in mind to never let the sinful behavior of another person to define you. Let God define you as a man, a woman, a human and look to His faithfulness.

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Do Not Murder :: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – BIBLE STORIES

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 10/11/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

Do not murder. Why is murder wrong?

Because God said so!

Because of the Golden Rule. If you don’t want to be murdered, then don’t murder.

Because human life is uniquely sacred.

Because murder destroys what God values.

Seems like an easy command to follow, but is there more to the command than just not killing someone?

Jesus says in Matthew 5:21-22 that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgement.

So how do we turn our hearts toward life? We keep a cool head. We leave the revenge to God. We choose to love and note hate.

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Honor Your Father and Mother :: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – BIBLE STORIES

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 10/10/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

Is it really important to honor your Father and Mother?

It makes God’s top ten list! Family is the building block of society. It is so easy to fail at honoring parents.

What does honor entail? Honor is respect. Respect and honor are a choice. Honor means heeding their Godly advice. Honor is the opposite of disrespecting them.

We honor our parents when we show them gratitude. A thank you goes a long way! We communicate with them. We care for them. We seek their advice. We encourage them. We also forgive them.

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Remember The Sabbath :: THE TEN COMMANDMENTS-BIBLE STORIES

Presented at Curwensville Alliance on 10/03/21 by Pastor Steve Shields.

Why do we need to remember the Sabbath?

When we don’t, there can be signs in our life that show the need for Sabbath. If you notice you smile less, struggle to find joy, sleep patterns have changed, feel disconnected, irritable, anxious or emotional stability eludes you, then you may need to examine how you remember the Sabbath.

We need time to rest and relax. We need time to reflect and rejoice in God. We need time to replenish and to refill. All these reasons are why we nee Sabbath!

In order to have a good Sabbath you need to discipline yourself to get all your work done in the other six days. You need to recall the week’s blessings. You need to use the Sabbath to rest!

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