Dr. James Merritt, a Southern seminary grad (M. Div and PhD), presented the sermon today in Alumni Chapel. He currently serves as the Senior Pastor at Cross Pointe, the Church at Gwinnett Center in Atlanta, Georgia and has a ministry called Touching Lives. Preaching from 2 Timothy 4:16-18, Dr. Merritt brought much encouragement to the students and the faculty present today in chapel.
Sermon: 2 Timothy 4:16-18
Dr. Merritt illustrated through his exposition of this passage what you need to know when you are in trouble. Whenever we are in trouble, we can:
- Count on God’s presence in our lives.
- Count on God’s purpose in our troubles.
- Count on God’s protection over our lives. That does not necessitate that we will be saved from all things bad, but it does mean that God is working in our lives at all times.
Dr. Merritt made a statement that he wanted to drive home to everyone. He said, “When you are in trouble, God is more interested in doing something in you rather than for you.” Dr. Merritt’s challenge is something we should all meditate on. He guaranteed that trouble will come (so did Jesus for that matter Mt. 10:16-21). How will you respond when it does?
You can download the sermon here. You can read my fuller treatment here.
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I love that quote, “when you are in trouble, God is more interested in doing something in you rather than for you.”
Thanks for posting this!