Monday Morning Commentary

This weekend we began our new two part series, Found Favor.  My husband's message was so helpful and encouraging to many.

He started out reading from Exodus 33:12-16 where Moses asks God for favor.  He went on to remind us of many of the biblical characters who found favor with God... Abraham (Gen. 18), Noah (Gen. 6:8), Joseph (Gen 39:4), Ruth (Ruth2:10), Samuel (1Sam. 2:26), Gideon (Judges 6), Nehemiah (Neh. 1), Daniel (Dan 1:9), Mary (Luke 1:6), Jesus (Luke 2:52), and Paul (1Cor. 16:9).  Whew, that was not even all of them.

He talked about some false ideas about favor...
    -it is not a magic formula
    -equating favor with God as getting favors from God
    -favor does not make your life more comfortable
    -you don't have to feel favored to find favor
    -favor cannot be forced, it follows me as I follow Jesus
    -favor isn't fair, it is a byproduct of God's grace

He gave us a working definition of favor... The guarantee of His presence and the provision of His power to accomplish His special purpose in and through my life.

My favorite thing that he taught today is that favor does not make your life more comfortable, it requires more faith!  Favor is not for my convenience, it is for His purpose and His glory.  Think about Mary, the mother of Jesus.  The scripture says she was "blessed and highly favored" but in that blessing she became pregnant out of wedlock and had to give birth to that baby in a barn.

God's favor requires extra faith on my part, but the payoff is that His glory is revealed.

I cannot wait to hear the second part of this series.  You can watch the message at the Elevation Experience this week every hour on the hour or later in our archives.

Have a great Monday!

Comments

[TJ]

So far, I've listened to this sermon twice...and it's only Monday!

I think I'm going to teach it to our youth group in a couple of weeks. I took notes, but yours will help, too...so thanks! =)

I love what God is doing at Elevation! I live out in southern California, but I watch each week online. Thanks for letting me into your story as it unfolds! I can't wait to see what God will do for you guys next!