Sams Place

A Desperate Situation Based on Mark 9:16-29 Have you ever found yourself in a desperate situation? You have tried to resolve it but every human effort you make seems futile. Every glimmer of hope you once had has been extinguished. You are left feeling hopeless. But then you hear about someone who has helped others. Your faith begins to stir, and the flame of hope flickers. You begin to think, that maybe, there is hope for your situation. ("Faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ." Romans 10:17) This   must have been what it was like for the man in Mark 9:17. His son was possessed by a demon from childhood. It must have been difficult to watch and not be able to help his own son. The situation seemed hopeless. But then word came to him of a man who had the power to heal and cast out demons. His faith begins to stir. When the disciples could not help him, the teachers of the law were probably planting seeds of doubt into that...

No Regrets Have you ever done or said something that you later regretted. Maybe you spoke an unkind word to someone , or just did  something  you knew was terribly wrong. The damage is done,  and you can't take it back. Regrets can cripple us emotionally or even worse, to the point of spiritual death. In Matthew 27, after a kiss of betrayal by Judas (Matthew 26) a series of terrible events has been set into motion. Although Judas tries to extricate himself from the disaster that he triggered, it is too late. His remorse leads him to self-inflicted death. Meanwhile, Jesus is sentenced, mocked, humiliated, crucified and buried.  We know that His story does not end here. What Judas started Jesus finished. He made the way to reconcile us to the Father. Don't let your regrets come between you and God. Turn your regrets into repentance. Forgiveness and freedom are yours for the asking. "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but ...