Tag: Faith

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 12:1-4

On By BrianIn Hebrews HymnsLeave a comment

We must run with endurance this race
With faith in God and His promises
Trusting God daily, we’ll keep the pace
Resting each hour in His faithfulness

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

We must run this race with endurance
Looking ahead to the finish line
Laying aside ev’ry hinderance
Entangling sin that would slow, confine
(Repeat Chorus)

We must this race with endurance run
Gaze on the cross and His suffering
He looked to the future joy and won
We follow Him, our Savior and King
(Repeat Chorus)

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 11:29-40

On By BrianIn Hebrews HymnsLeave a comment

By faith, we are saved from all our sins
There is no longer judgment to fear
Through His death Jesus our pardon wins
Fully forgiven, we now draw near

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

By faith, we follow our Lord always
Trusting Him through the good and the bad
He is with us to help us each day
One day we’ll rise, be forever glad
(Repeat Chorus)

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

Fear and Great Joy

On By BrianIn PASSION Reflections

So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
(Matthw 28:8, ESV)

How should we respond to the resurrection of Jesus? The women who first visited the tomb suggest two ways:

First, fear! The woman departed quickly with fear. The soldiers earlier trembled with fear and became as dead men (v4). Fear was a common response to events of resurrection of Jesus. Here indeed is a fearful thing! An angel moves the stone to show an empty tomb and announces the resurrection. This is not the way the guards or the women expected that morning to go. It was just another assignment for the guards, just a visit to the tomb for the women, and suddenly it all goes sideways. Like if you went to a funeral, and the person in the casket suddenly got up and said “hello” and walked out. You would be afraid! Fear was a natural response to a fearful event. Our problem is that it is not our response. We don’t fear. The angel and Jesus both tell the women not to be afraid (v5, 10), but we do not need those words because we are not afraid. It has all become so familiar that we have lost sight of how earth-shattering, mind-boggling, crazy this is. The awesome power of God beyond anything we can imagine on display as He raised Jesus from dead naturally leads to fear!

Second, rejoice! The women departed with great joy! This Jesus whom they had followed, whom they had seen crucified and buried, was alive again! Imagine a beloved parent or child or sibling who has passed away suddenly alive again, and you begin to understand some of their joy. Do you love Jesus? Then His resurrection should bring you great joy! On top of that are the ramifications of His resurrection. Our sins defeated – the punishment paid, our shame and guilt removed. And death defeated – the hope of our own resurrection and the resurrection of those who have died in Christ. Here are reasons for great joy – so rejoice!

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 11:23-28

On By BrianIn Hebrews Hymns

Faith in God’s promises gives courage
To follow Christ in His suffering
Fleeing sin and the gods of this age
Trusting God’s presence and soon coming

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 11:17-22

On By BrianIn Hebrews Hymns

In this world we will face hard testing
Sometimes God’s Word is hard to obey
Faith in God’s promises now helping
Us to endure and follow each day

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

Teach God’s promises to your children
Trust God with their lives and your future
One day you’ll be with the Lord and then
Resurrection, God’s promise is sure
(Repeat Chorus)

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 11:13-16

On By BrianIn Hebrews Hymns

In this broken world we are strangers
Seeking a homeland, God’s great city
Where we will dwell with Him forever
Our perfect home, a better country

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 11:11-12

On By BrianIn Hebrews Hymns

Life’s tri-als can seem impossible
Look to God’s promises and believe
Our God is faithful, He is able
Wait on His promise, you will receive

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

False Desires

On By BrianIn PASSION Reflections

In Christ, we become new creations, called and able to reject false desires. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
(II Corinthians 5:17)

In Christ, God has made you new.  Your old sinful way of life is gone.  You have a new life in Christ, so you don’t have to follow false and deceptive desires.  His Holy Spirit enables you to reject fleshly desires (Galatians 5:16).  His grace trains you to reject worldly passions and live a self-controlled, upright, and godly life (Titus 2:11-12).  In Christ, you can overcome.

Indeed, He calls and enables all of us to reject deceptive desires like lust, coveting, greed, gluttony, and selfishness.  He calls and enables all of us to reject false feelings of hopelessness, despair, and worry.  He calls and enables all of us to reject wrong self-perceptions of superiority, self-righteousness, and worthlessness. 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Romans 12:2)

Instead of conforming to the false desires of our world, we are to renew our minds with God’s truth that we might discern what is good and follow that. 

Rejecting false desires isn’t easy.  God never said it would be.  Indeed He tells us that it is a war:

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
(I Peter 2:11)

These false desires are at war with you to destroy you.  We must fight.  But God not only calls us, but also enables us, to reject false desires.  May we live in His strength!

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 11:7-10

On By BrianIn Hebrews Hymns

God’s judgment for our sins is coming
Believe God’s warning, your sins confess
Look to the cross now for your saving
Become a true heir of righteousness

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

Believe God’s promise of a city
Live by that faith and His Word obey
Go where He leads though you cannot see
Look to your hope as you live each day
(Repeat Chorus)

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

Sermon Songs: Hebrews 11:1-6

On By BrianIn Hebrews Hymns

Faith is assurance of things hoped for
The conviction of real unseen things
Live by faith in God’s promised reward
And in God’s unseen daily workings

Chorus
Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

We believe God made the world and us
Show it by how you treat each person
By faith we’re commended as righteous
Through the saving work of God’s own Son
(Repeat Chorus)

Faith is the means of walking with God
Draw near to Him and please Him each hour
There is reward for those who seek God
And hope in death through God’s greater power!
(Repeat Chorus)

© 2023 Brian J. Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)