The Overcoming Series

THE OVERCOMING SERIES by Ray Pritchard Everyone has a story to tell, even the people who seem to smile all the time. This is one of the first things a young pastor learns when he graduates from seminary and begins his ministry. Some people look so well-adjusted and happy that you think they don’t have a care in the world. But they do. If you work with people long enough, you discover that even the “perfect” people know all about sorrow and heartache. If you stay in one church long enough, you begin to hear the stories. Everybody has one. A tale of sadness or of failure. A story of a broken marriage, of a child with an incurable disease, of alcohol abuse, of crushing financial disaster, of loved ones far from God, of dreams dashed on the jagged rocks of reality. Every face has its own secret story. What does God have to say about the problems of life? Many people read the Bible as if it were nothing more than an ancient history book that has no relevance to 21st-century living. Beginning next Sunday we will examine some very contemporary issues in the light of the Bible. These sermons will be geared toward practical application so that the hearers will understand how God’s Word can help them with the problems they face every day. Oct 13 Overcoming Insecurity – Matthew 10:29-31 Oct 20 Overcoming Self-Importance – II Kings 5 Oct 27 Student Ministries Sunday (Craig Hammond preaching) Nov 3 Overcoming a Judgmental Spirit – Romans 14:1-12 Nov 10 Overcoming Disappointment – Ezra 3 Nov 17 Overcoming Boredom – Ecclesiastes 9:4-10; Colossians 3:23-34 Nov 24 Overcoming Materialism – I Timothy 6:17-19 Dec 1 Overcoming Personal Failure – Psalm 51 (Davis Duggins preaching) Dec 8 Overcoming Discontentment – I Corinthians 7:17-35 Dec 15 Overcoming Lingering Bitterness – Genesis 45:1-13 Dec 22 Overcoming Loneliness – Matthew 1:23 & 28:20 Dec 29 Overcoming Fear of the Future – Esther 4:12-16 Some of the messages were chosen because they touch on problems we all face; others were chosen because they come from passages that tell a striking story. Several messages seemed to jump off the page at me as I was on the “Bible Bus” reading my way through the Old Testament. Please pray for me as I prepare and preach these sermons. As you read the list, you may think of friends who could benefit from a particular message. Why not invite them to come that Sunday and then have a meal together afterward? We all know hurting people who need the message of hope found in the gospel. This is a chance for all of us to partner together–pastor and congregation–to connect hurting people with the Lord who can give them new life and new hope.