Be Thankful – Psalm 100

Friday, November 28, 2025

Be Thankful – Psalm 100 submitted by Kay Crumley

Thanksgiving has become a small pause in time between Halloween and Christmas commercially.  We see great displays of all the candy and decorations for the first big celebration of fall, not even a holiday, in all the store displays for Halloween.  Many spend time and money decorating their yards and homes with pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, skeletons, witches, etc.  Do we consider the origin of this event?  Are we trying to ward off the ghosts of the dead as the Celtics were doing when this tradition originated?  Might it be more fun to have those children perform a skit for us to earn the candy we freely hand out as was common in the 16^th century?  As soon as stores sell the last of the Halloween candy the Christmas decorations come out.  There are seldom any Thanksgiving decorations displayed.  So, what is Thanksgiving all about? 

Those who enjoy learning history know that the solely American holiday was first celebrated by the survivors of the Mayflower and American Natives to commemorate those brave Pilgrims surviving in the New World.  But that isn’t the only reason we need to pause and take time to be thankful.  As Christians, we are taught to be Thankful to the One who provides all we have and need.  Psalm 100 is a great example of one being thankful.            

¹Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth. 
²Serve the Lord with gladness; 
come before Him with joyful songs. 
³Acknowledge that Yahweh is God. 
He made us, and we are His — 
His people, the sheep of His pasture. 
⁴Enter His gates with thanksgiving 
and His courts with praise. 
Give thanks to Him and praise His name. 
⁵For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal; 
His faithfulness endures through all generations. 

As we examine these verses, I will list some of the ways and reasons we are to offer our thankfulness to Him. 

How should we thank Him: 

• Shout – just as we shout at sports events when our teams make a good play we should shout with joy and praise to the God of creation, all He does is good. 
• Serve Him – most people willingly serve, cater to, someone we respect or see as worthy of caring for.  God certainly fits that description, and we are to serve gladly, not grudgingly. 
• Sing joyful songs to Him – most listen to or sing the songs we enjoy.  Are those mostly songs exalting God or something or someone else? 
• Acknowledge He is God – when we put Him first and give Him the glory, we recognize that He is all we need.   

 

Why should we thank Him:  

• He made us – God is our creator, He created man and woman in His image.  He knows our thoughts and actions. 
• We are the sheep of His pasture – He created the earth and all that’s in or on it.  He provides our every need and protects us when we follow Him. 
• His love for us is eternal – never ending, not conditional, and without discrimination.  He loves all His creation.  We must accept the gift of His love.
• He is faithful – we never need to question what He promises.  He will always be true to His Word. 

I pray you’ve found reasons to be thankful to God.  He is the One and Only God, Creator, Sustainer, and Lover of our soul.  We are to be thankful every day of our lives to the One who gives life and provides an eternal home for those who accept His gift of salvation.    

Give Thanks to the Lord

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Happy Thanksgiving on behalf of the staff of North Side Baptist Church

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

His love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods.

His love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:

His love endures forever.

4 to him who alone does great wonders,

His love endures forever.

5 who by his understanding made the heavens,

His love endures forever.

6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,

His love endures forever.

7 who made the great lights—

His love endures forever.

8 the sun to govern the day,

His love endures forever.

9 the moon and stars to govern the night;

His love endures forever.

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt

His love endures forever.

11 and brought Israel out from among them

His love endures forever.

12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;

His love endures forever.

13 to him who divided the Red Sea[a] asunder

His love endures forever.

14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,

His love endures forever.

15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;

His love endures forever.

16 to him who led his people through the wilderness;

His love endures forever.

17 to him who struck down great kings,

His love endures forever.

18 and killed mighty kings—

His love endures forever.

19 Sihon king of the Amorites

His love endures forever.

20 and Og king of Bashan—

His love endures forever.

21 and gave their land as an inheritance,

His love endures forever.

22 an inheritance to his servant Israel.

His love endures forever.

23 He remembered us in our low estate

His love endures forever.

24 and freed us from our enemies.

His love endures forever.

25 He gives food to every creature.

His love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.

His love endures forever. 

                                                                     

Principles of Thanksgiving

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord! Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:1-2

Principles of Thanksgiving

Taking a quick look about it might be easy to see the world as becoming ungrateful and in a bad mood all the time.  Words like please and thank you seem to be heard less and less. However, it is not just the world at large that has become thankless...how about you and me? Is Thanksgiving just a holiday, or the way we live our lives? 

The psalmist speaks of the principles of thanksgiving.  Principles are eternal and therefore they never change with the culture or circumstances we might happen to find ourselves in. Regardless, God’s principles are to rule our voice and the way we live our lives before Him and others. 

Joyfully Thankful ... Let the whole earth shout triumphantly …

To make a joyful shout is more than yelling loudly or screaming.  The emphasis is on what we are shouting about.  The psalmist is speaking of making an open-air confession of God’s goodness and grace. In fact, the Hebrew word means "an extension of the hand."  It is as if the psalmist is saying to cup the hand to the mouth and speak out loud a very joyful confession to the Lord.  It could also reflect the lifting of the hands in praise to God.  A joyful shout can bring a joyful spirit.

Serving with Thankfulness ... Serve the Lord with gladness… 

When our lives are governed by a joyful heart that speaks words of thanksgiving to the Lord, our lives will naturally fall in line to become servants filled with glad works.  Worshipful service is the natural response of the heart and life of a believer filled with God’s love.  

Coming in Thankfulness ... Come before him with joyful songs …

As believers of God, we are to come into His presence with our hearts filled with the joy and gladness of knowing Him. We are to come singing with joyful voices of praise and thanksgiving. 

Shouting, serving and singing out of a heart of thankfulness brings joy to the heart of the Father.  The key is that whatever we do, we do it from a heart turned toward Him. 

Are you living a life of thanksgiving, pointing others to Jesus? 

Are you serving him with a joyful heart?

Are you giving thanks to him and praising him today and every day? 

God Has Been Good To You

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

I certainly believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14

God Has Been Good To You

It is Thanksgiving week. Hopefully as believers we are giving thanks continually for all God has done in our lives and in the lives of those around us. But this week we focus just a little harder on being thankful.  It seems every direction we look we can find so many wrong things in this world. Often, we let the wrong things dim the light of the goodness of God in our own lives.

One story of God’s goodness in my own life is when a friend casually reminded me that God has been good to me after the news of my son giving his life to Jesus. He had been away from church for around 10 years and gave his life to Christ in his little brother’s living room on the Saturday before Easter two years ago. It was such a blessing – and i was happily surprised! I had been praying specifically that God would bring him back to a relationship with him – and I was surprised when it happened. I should not have been surprised. I should have prayed expectantly and lived expectantly like I believed in the power of the God I was praying to. 

When he was saved and I was telling some friends about it, one of them turned as she was walking away and casually said over her shoulder “You know, God has been good to you.” It has been one of the most powerful statements anyone has ever said to me - and it is so basic and simple. Yes, God has been so good to me and her saying that to me reminds me every day to look at my life and give thanks for the things he has done. 

We do this a lot. We pray because we know as Christians that is what we are supposed to do but we may not actually believe that God is going to answer our prayers. In the verses above David encourages us to believe in seeing the goodness of the Lord and to patience for waiting is really short. We give up hope or we try to start fixing tidings ourselves, which usually ends disastrously.  The Bible tells us to wait patiently on the Lord, in strength and courage – and to believe. God is faithful and trustworthy. He will answer our prayers in the way that is best for our good and his glory. 

What/who are you waiting on or what/who have you given up on? 

How have you seen the goodness of the Lord in your life this past year?

No matter what we ae going through or how long we have been praying, we need to strand strong and courageous believing in the goodness of the Lord in our lives.  

Again, it’s Thanksgiving week – here is your reminder: God has been good to you. Stand strong and courageous in faith and wait expectantly for the things you are still praying about – and don’t stop praying. Examine your life every day and thank God for all he has done. It is overwhelming when we really look at our lives and see all he has done for us. We all have so much to be thankful for in our lives.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

 

For Yours Is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory Forever…

Monday, November 24, 2025

“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever.  Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.  Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.  And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. 1 Chronicles 29:10b-13 ESV

For Yours Is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory Forever…

Yesterday we came to the end of the sermon series on The Lord’s Prayer titled “Pray Like This.” The Lord’s prayer is a model Jesus gave us to help us pray in the right way – a way that will help us live and look more and more like him every day. Yesterday Pastor Jim wrapped up the series with the ending we are most familiar with, For yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. We have all likely heard and believe this phrase to be a verse included in the Lord’s Prayer. However, if you look it up in the Bible, most translations do not contain that phrase in the verses containing The Lord’s Prayer, so it can be a little confusing. Although earlier manuscripts of the Bible do not contain this phrase in the passage, some later manuscripts do, causing some scholars to believe that it was added as a doxology to create a more worshipful reading and ending of the passage.

This ending of The Lord’s Prayer reminds us that the right way to pray is to give God all the glory and honor, for all things because it’s all his!  It brings our focus back to the One who created all and is above all, and reminds us that he is great, all powerful, and worthy to receive all praise and glory. 

What specific characteristics describe God as having the ability to hear and respond to our prayers? 

Pastor Jim gave us three reasons as to why it is right to add this phrase to The Lord’s Prayer:

God is great – Yours, O Lord, is the greatness... God is sovereign over all people, dominions, kings, and authorities. He created all things, and he is king over all of life. 

Yours is the kingdom acknowles that God is the sovereign King and supreme over all. “The kingdom of God is the already (Jesus’ birth = The King has come), but not yet, (Jesus’ return = the kingdom of God to come), rule, or reign, of God over all of life.” 

The Kingdom of God has already come because Jesus has come. The kingdom of God will come because Jesus is coming back again. The Kingdom of God is here because Jesus is here. The Kingdom of God will go wherever believers take it, and God wants us to take it to the ends of the earth. Our God is great, and his gospel tells the story of who he is, what he did for us on the cross, and his love and mercy for all who come to him.  

God is powerful – and the power… God has ALL power, not just a little. We can trust him with our prayers because we know he is the God of all power, over all things. He has the power to do everything we need and when we go to him and ask him to move according to his will, and not ours, we trust in his sovereign wisdom and power over our lives.

Colossians 1:16 says  For by  him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

He is all powerful over all things created in heaven and on earth. Nothing has been created that he did not create. Not only did he create it all, but he holds it all together. Only in his power are the planets aligned and the stars in place. Only in his power does the sun shine at the right temperature to not burn up the earth. Nothing exists outside of his power. 

God is worthy - and the glory and the victory and the majesty… As we see his glory in our lives and in the world around us, the automatic response should be to praise and glorify him. God is worthy just because of who he is. He doesn’t have to prove his worthiness to us but when we look at our lives, we can see countless times he has moved, and countless things has done we see his glory shining bright. He is worthy because he is the king of kings and lord of lords. He is worthy because he is sovereign over all things in heaven and on earth. He is the creator and sustainer of all. 

Prayer gives us the opportunity to know God more, and to grow in a deeper relationship with him. The power of prayer is the power of the presence of God in our lives to do the work of the kingdom. Jesus’ example of how to pray in the right way is a model for us to embrace a deeper relationship with God through intentional, focused prayer times. We will begin to feel his transformative power in our hearts and minds and feel the power of his presence as we live out his purpose for us – doing his work. 

Because God is great and powerful and worthy we know we can trust him with the hurts, questions, and desires of our hearts. We know that he is trustworthy and will answer our prayers in his sovereign wisdom and in the very best way for us. He hears and he is the only one who has the power to answer our prayers. God’s power is manifest in our lives when we open our hearts to him and his will.

Have you surrendered your will to God and asked for his will to be done in your life instead? 

How have you seen God’s power in your life recently?  

Pray Like This... “For Yours…"

Pray Like This...
“For Yours…"
Matthew 6:9-13  (CSB)

 

- Prayer - “Prayer is a personal conversation with a holy and loving God that reorients our reality and makes all things possible.”

- Key Truth - “To pray like Jesus prayed is to see like Jesus saw, trust like Jesus trusted, and live like Jesus lived.”

Main Question: What specific characteristics describe God as having the ability to hear and respond to our prayers? 

1.        God is great. 

- Kingdom of God: “The already, but not yet, reign or rule of God over all of life. 

2.        God is powerful.

3.        God is worthy.

a.     Scripture speaks of God’s glory in light of His nature and character. 

b.     Scripture speaks of the glory given, or ascribed, to God.

 

After the Message: 
Participate in the NSBC 70 days of prayer. Download the NSBC App and turn on notifications to receive daily prayer prompts.

The Father of Lies

Friday, November 21, 2025

When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.  John 8:44b

 

This week we have been learning about the battle between good and evil and about Satan, his demons, and their tireless attempts to attack believers. We know there is a real war going on all around us at all times, not with earthly enemies, but between Satan and his demons and God and his church. We are walking into the battlefield every day and we must always be prepared.

 

Satan has many weapons that he tries to attack us with to knock us off course and take our focus off Jesus, but lying is one he uses the most. He uses it against believers to cause deception and separate people from God. He uses it to try to make believers doubt God’s love for them. He uses it to shake us, causing us to second guess and doubt ourselves. He uses it to steal our confidence and cause us to think God cannot use us. 

 

In the verse above Jesus says Satan is the “father of lies” because he is the original liar. He told the first lie in recorded history to Eve, in the Garden of Eden. He planted seeds of doubt in Eve’s mind with a question that lie. Lying is his primary weapon against us. He uses the tactic of deceit to separate people from each other and their heavenly Father. 

Satan is the “father of lies,” but Jesus is the Truth - Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6  It is Jesus who defeated death and the grave and will reign for all eternity as King of Kings. Satan may try to antagonize us, but he is an already defeated foe. 

 

As believers we know the truth, but we can still be messed up if we let Satan’s lies get into our head. We must fill our minds with the truth of God and turn to those truths when we feel the lies of Satan start to weigh heavy on us. Attacking our minds is a far greater danger than any physical attack we could ever endure. Reading our Bibles and praying will help protect us against this most dangerous tactic of our enemy. When we know it and stand firm on it, God’s truth will protect us from Satan’s lies and bring our focus back to him every time.  

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 

Dressing For Battle

Thursday, November 20, 2025

Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason, take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.  Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Ephesians 6:11-18

Dress Yourself for Battle  

 From Pastor Jim’s sermon this past Sunday we know that, as believers, we are in the middle of a spiritual battle every day. We must know and understand our enemy, Satan. We need to know how to guard ourselves against the attacks he throws our way. 

In Ephesians chapter 6 Paul tells us about something that we should put on every single day to help guard and protect ourselves against evil – The Full Armor of Guard. What is the armor of God and how does it protect us from evil?  

Dress for Spiritual Success – The Full Armor of God:

God gives us a full set of equipment, specially designed by him, providing everything we need for battle. Therefore, to protect ourselves from evil is to wear what God has given us to be victorious in battle. 

The Belt of Truth …Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist … Ephesians 6:14a Wearing a belt of truth around your waist means to be firmly established in the word of God.  God’s truth is the foundation our faith is built on. Reading the bible and meditating on the word allows it to become a part of your mind set.  Saturate your being with God’s truth and make it a fortress to keep out the lies of Satan. God’s word is truth and therefore makes it foundational to all other pieces of armor.  

The Armor Plate of Righteousness …righteousness like armor on your chest... Ephesians 6:14b - When a man is clothed in righteousness, he is impenetrable.  The life we live either fortifies us against Satan’s attacks or makes it easier for him to defeat us.  Satan is the accuser, but he cannot accuse the believer who is living a godly life in the power of the Spirit. When Satan attacks the Christian, it is the righteousness of Christ that assures the believer of his salvation. But our positional righteousness in Christ, without practical righteousness in the daily life, only gives Satan opportunity to attack us.  Be aware and stand guard. Allow Christ to work His life and will in you. Allow His Holy Spirit to give you the power to live above sin. Do this and you wear the breastplate of righteousness.  

Shoes of Peace - …feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace… Ephesians 6:15 - Just as a Roman soldier’s shoes protected his feet and helped him to firmly stand, peace from the Lord provides us with emotional and spiritual stability. If we are going to “stand” and “withstand” attacks from Satan, then we need the shoes of the Gospel.

Shield of Faith …shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one… The shields of the soldiers at that time were not the small round one, but the large, oblong shield that could protect the whole body. Enemies would shoot fiery darts in great numbers at the beginning of an attack. Satan hurls fiery darts at us, but with our shield of faith they ricochet off and bounce back to him.  

Helmet of Salvation – Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.  Satan loves for us to get discouraged. The truth we know from the Bible protects our minds – maybe the most vulnerable part of our whole being.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Sword of the Spirit - The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: God provides a sword for us, and that sword is the word of God. The Bible is full of wisdom, knowledge, and truth that we need to stand on in the battlefield. 

Prayer - Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request Prayer is our number one line of defense for all things. Pray for protection from Satan and his antics for yourself, your family, friends, and other Christians. Pray continually, even when it is hard and feels like your prayers are going nowhere. He is always there. He always sees. He is always with us. 

God has equipped us for battle, and he goes with us into battle. Putting on the armor of God will help us stand firm and protected against the fiery darts Satan shoots our way.

Good Vs Evil

Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.  Ephesians 6:10-13

The good guys and the bad guys, the cops and robbers, the cowboys and the Indians.  It seems that is always a theme in movies.  Light vs. Darkness.  The ultimate battle of good vs. evil is being waged inand aroundus every day.  

In Revelation the bible speaks of the battle to end all between Satan and Christ, but even now truth and light is under constant attack from deception and darkness.  We are all warriors in the front line of this battle, for the battlefield is our heart and our Commander in Chief is Christ.  It is a battle of Spiritual Warfare, requiring special weapons of Spiritual nature.  

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.  

 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 

The Bible depicts countless battles. From Genesis to Revelation, its pages reveal there are both physical and spiritual wars raging.  However, the primary focus of Scripture is the ongoing conflict between Christ and Satan. And like it or not, every single one of us is involved.  The battleground for this intense spiritual struggle is not some piece of earthly real estate; it is the human heart.  Both Jesus and the devil are supremely interested in winning possession of our minds and hearts.  For this reason, Christians are called to be more than peaceful spectators or mediators in this cataclysmic conflict.  We must be committed front-line commandos.

The Enemy is on the Prowl

We dare not underestimate our enemy, “who prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).From these words in 1 Peter, take it that Satan does not have false teeth. He not only desires to devour, he will devour those who do not take up the “whole armor of God.”

Satan’s schemes are many, and he attacks us at any point he considers vulnerable. Thus, our armor must be complete. We cannot pick and choose our armor, but rather we must put all of it on. We must be completely equipped, or we are vulnerable to his attacks.  This is where many Christians fail. They take some of the armor but forget one or two parts of the suit-and pay an eternal price for their neglect.  We must be vigilant and always be ready, geared up and protected for whatever comes our way. 

We have a real enemy… but he is NOT

Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

As Christians we need to be aware of the spiritual battle that is always going on between Satan and his demons and God and his church. As we learned Sunday in Pastor Jim’s sermon, we know that Satan is a real enemy. We need to know and understand who he is and how he operates so we don’t get caught off guard. Just as important as knowing who he is, is knowing who he is not. Sunday Pastor Jim gave us several things to remember about who Satan is not.

We have a real enemy… but he is NOT

He is not omniscient - This means that he is not all knowing. He does not know what we are thinking, feeling, or going to do next. 

He is not omnipresent - He cannot be everywhere at all times like God. He is limited. God can be everywhere at the same time. God is omnipresent

He is not omnipotent – He is not all powerful. He cannot do what he wants and does not have power or rule over all things. God is all powerful.  

He is not equal to Jesus -  He is not equal to Jesus in any way – not in power, presence, or knowledge, or in any other way. He is the created being who rebelled against God. 

He is not in charge of hell. Hell is Satan’s prison, not his playground. It is his prison. He is cast there to be held for all eternity 

He is already a defeated foe. Jesus has already won victory over him at the cross and through the empty tomb. 

Satan does not have the power that we sometimes think he does. Our focus and trust should be in what God can do in and through us and not what Satan could do to us. We are in a battle with him because we are believers. As believers we are invited to all God is doing and that means we are on the battlefield every day. We must know and understand our enemy, and never forget who he is not.   

Protection From Evil

Monday, November 17, 2025 

Deliver us from the evil one... Matthew 6:13

 

The Lord’s prayer is a model Jesus gave us to help us pray in the right way – a way that will help us live and look more and more like him every day. In the sermon series on the Lord’s Prayer, titled “Pray Like This,” two weeks ago we looked at Matthew 6:13, And do not bring us into temptation – a prayer for strength to stand against temptation. Yesterday Pastor Jim taught on the second part of verse 13, Deliver us from the evil one. This is to be a prayer for protection and empowerment against the evil forces (external forces) that battle to tempt us to sin.

What is a proper understanding of these external forces and how should we respond to their attacks on our faith and our lives?

 

We must realize we have a real (spiritual) enemy, and we are in a spiritual battle 
every day. 

 

As Christians we are called by God to spread the Gospel in the world. We are to be salt and light to a dark and lost world and we know that the darkness does not like the light. Satan does not want us to push against the darkness. He does not want the Gospel of Christ spread. He is the enemy of God and as believers, that makes us his enemy too. We do not have the power to resist the devil in our own power.  As children of God, we have been forgiven and the penalty for our sin has already been paid. But we are in a daily spiritual battle with our flesh and the devil. Our real enemy is not flesh and blood but instead it is powers of darkness which is Satan and his army of demons. 

 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. Ephesians 6:12

 

Yesterday Pastor Jim told us there is a daily spiritual battle going on between Satan and his forces and God his church. We must know and understand who this enemy is so we can see him coming and not mistake him for a friend. This enemy’s goal is to steal, kill and destroy, (John 10:10) and he does it by dressing up the things he wants to use to destroy us to look enticing.  The only chance we have against this is standing in the power and protection of God. 

 

We are in battle together – we are on the same side as God. We are not of this world and the spirit of God in us is greater than he that is in the world… which is Satan. You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. I John 4:4

 

God is on our side - There is no greater power than him and as his children no one can ever take our salvation away. Our salvation is secure and no one can ever separate us from his love, including Satan. 

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38 Because of this security we can stand in the power, wisdom, and strength of God.

God has equipped us                                       

 

Prayer is our number one line of defense for all things. Pray for protection from Satan and his antics for yourself, your family, friends, and other Christians. Pray continually, even when it is hard and feels like your prayers are going nowhere. He is always there. He always sees. He is always with us. 

For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Ephesians 6:13-18

Putting on the full armor of God will protect us from evil. We need to be drenched in the Holy Spirit, prayer, and every other weapon we have against evil - God's word, the gospel of peace, a shield to not just stop the flaming arrows but to extinguish them. They don't just bounce off of us - they are extinguished. Anything Satan ever hurls our way will be extinguished in the power and knowledge of God. We should wear this armor every day - wrapping ourselves in him, his word, his power, and his truth.

There is a battle and we are on the battlefield. We can stand against our enemy in the full armor of God and be protected from his attacks. Our God has already defeated him and as hard as he may try to get to us, we can stand secure and firm knowing that we are covered and protected by almighty God. Trust God and know that he will fight for you and with you, delivering you from the evil one.

What do yo do when you feel these forces waging war against your life?

Do you recognize the real enemy for who they really are - not flesh and blood?

Pray Like This... “Deliver Us From The Evil One"

Pray Like This...
“Deliver Us From The Evil One"
Matthew 6:9-13  (CSB)

 

- Prayer - “Prayer is a personal conversation with a holy and loving God that reorients our reality and makes all things possible.”

- Key Truth - “To pray like Jesus prayed is to see like Jesus saw, trust like Jesus trusted, and live like Jesus lived.”

Main Question: What is a proper understanding of these external forces and how should we respond to their attacks on our faith and our lives?

1.         We have a real enemy. 

Who Satan is not:

a.         He is not omniscient.

b.         He is not omnipresent.

c.         He is not omnipotent.

d.         He is not equal to Jesus.

e.         He is not in charge of hell. 

f.           He is already a defeated foe.

2.        We are in a spiritual battle.

3.        God has equipped us for the fight.

After the Message: 

Participate in the NSBC 70 days of prayer. Download the NSBC App and turn on notifications to receive daily prayer prompts. 

First, Live Worthy

 Friday, November 14, 2025

Instead, just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please people, but rather God, who examines our hearts. For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives - God is our witness - and we didn’t seek glory from people, either from you or from others. 1 Thessalonians 2:4-6 (ESV)

First, Live Worthy

In first and second Thessalonians we find another letter Paul has written to a church, this one in Thessalonica. Again, he is writing to them about living worthy as well as some other things. In the verses above he was talking to them about their Christian walk, warning them that if their walk was not right, their witness would suffer. 

The first thing we have to do as Christians is to make sure that our relationship to God is right and our walk is on target with His commands. If we don’t have our hearts right and our walk straight, then our witness for Him will not be very effective. 

God does want us to make disciples, but He wants us to get our heart right first. He cares about us and wants to know our hearts are only for Him. Being entrusted with the gospel is an honor and priviledge. Paul used the word “approved” because at that time, missionaries were tested before they were commissioned as God’s messeners. We may not be tested, but there is a level of responsibility that goes with representing God, His word, and His kingdom. 

He approves us to be entrusted with His gospel story so we speak for Him – for His glory, not to please people. And just as we have been entrusted with the gospel, we have been called to live worthy of this gospel – which has to happen before we can share it with others. 

We speak not to please people but to please God, who sees our hearts. Whatever we think we can make the world believe about us, God sees right into our hearts. The world will begin to see it after time as well. Our true motives will eventually shine through. We can use lots of flattery speech on social media, but what backs it up? What you say is not as important as what God sees in your heart. Flattery can cover up bitterness, anger, and all kinds of sin. So we need to be careful with our speech to make sure that it is not empty words, but filled with truth, and not everyone will like the truth of what God’s word says. It is not our job to make them comfortable, but to please God. 

We can get sucked into trying to please the world - or even think for a minute that we want to please the world. It can happen before we even realize it. But everything the world  promises is empty and delivers nothing but a void in our hearts. God deserves all the glory, from everything we do or say. As Christians seeking to go and make disciples, it is important that our walk is right and all the glory goes to Him. 

Hard Pressed On Every Side

Thursday, November 13, 2025 

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  2 Corinthians 4: 8-9 NIV

Paul wrote these verses to the church of Corinth to remind them that although they were trying to live right and do the will of God they would always have someone trying to destroy them. Even though Paul told the church that all of these negative things would happen, he assured them that if they made the best out of these bad situations then they would be victorious.  The same goes for you.

When you feel stuck...
Are you in a situation that you wish you weren’t in but you feel like it is the right thing to stay or that it would not be honoring to God to get out?  How do you live there?  How do you cope? Where do you find the strength to continue with the right spirit, attitude and still be content?  Well-meaning friends seem to see the answer so clearly and never understand why you just don’t do what they think you need to do!

Just because it seems hopeless and it seems like a bad situation, God is working on our behalf at that very moment.  What can you say to that?   If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 NIV

Hold on – for joy comes in the morning

To persevere in a hard situation, you must hold on to the promises of God that you know to be true, even if it doesn’t feel like God is anywhere near.  The promise or blessing is closer than you think or feel.    This is now, the present, not your future.  Your present situation does not determine your future!  There is light at the end of the tunnel and joy in the morning!

What if I become discontent?
If God is good, could He possibly want me to be unhappy?  The problem is that God also calls us to righteousness, and often that requires giving up our personal happiness for the greater good. This is referred to as sacrifice, and it's never easy, fun, or "happy."  As Christians we are even called to rejoice and be glad in our trials because troubles are valuable to our character and spiritual growth. Romans 5:3-5a says, "… We also exult [rejoice] in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint

God will use your trial for His purposes:  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.  Romans 8:28. 

·      First, God is conforming you to His image. Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24).

·      Second, God may be using these sufferings to bring you to deeper faith and repentance.

·      Third, this suffering can teach your children how to resolve conflict. God has given you the responsibility to exemplify a godly attitude to your children. 

·      Fourth, God will use you in the future to help someone else in the same situation.

God can use this time in my life to change me, but how do I keep a good attitude? 

Pour your love into others, even the ones that are hurting you so badly right now.  It not only helps others, it heals you. It brings purpose to a wandering, lost and hurting heart. It changes light to darkness and justice to injustice. It’s what Jesus came for – to love. To care about people no matter who they are.  Love poured out equals contentment. Love kept to yourself equals a life of discontentment and striving, looking, searching for the one thing that can fill your void.  

Choose to be content. Start finding the good in people and circumstances that. Start praying and asking God to fill you with His love.  Ask Him to help you pour out His love to others, taking the focus off your pain and discontentment. The choice is yours.