1.  Rick Brown at Calvary Chapel shared some of  his recent experiences in Uganda and led me to I Chronicles 16:7-12:

On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the LORD:  Oh, give thanks to the LORD!  Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!  Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!  Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore!  Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, (NKJV)

2.  Dan Smouse of Christ Community Church led me to Habbakuk 3.  After the congregation stood and listened to Dan read Habakkuk 3, he began his prayer, “God, you are an amazing, powerful, majestic, overwhelming God.”  And I like how Dan opened his sermon,  “God didn’t save me to make me happy; but that I would give glory to Him, so that I could shine His light in this world.”

 The chapter ends with  verse 19,

The Lord GOD is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places. (NASB)

Dan explains, “In the midst of the greatest difficulty that life can and will bring, in the strength of God I can walk securely as the deer walks the mountains, as securely as a mountain goat climbs the peaks, that is how secure I can walk.”

3.  Kirk Baker of Calvary Baptist Church led me to Exodus 17:

The LORD answered Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people.  Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.  I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.  Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.”  So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.  And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?” (NIV)

Why did Israel have room to complain?  Why do we?  We have the presence of Christ (I Corinthians 10).  We have a pattern and person to follow.

4.  Paul Thompson of Eastside Baptist Church led me in I Peter 4:

Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.  For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.  And in all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you; but they shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.  For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God. (NASB)

5.  Theone Maupin of Shiloh Foursquare Church talked about an excellent spirit in the book Daniel.  I chuckled when the pastor talked about his experience in a Goth store.  And I was touched by Nathan Swisher sharing the testimony of a young couple who expressed thanks for the 99 days that they had with their little boy before he went home to Jesus.  Nathan urged us that we ought not to live in self-entitlement.

6.  Annmarie Worthington shares her story of being converted to Mormonism.  I would like to know who was her pastor that told her such things in her journey.