On this Palm Sunday we are thinking together about a strong, meaningful symbol which reminds us of what our Lord Jesus went through for us all. This is the symbol of the cross. Each Sunday we provide small metal crosses for our worshippers to take and place in their pocket or purse. Although you as a podcast listener are not personally present with us here at Ocean Lakes, perhaps you have access to a small cross which you wear or keep in your pocket. What does carrying a cross mean to you? Our prayer is that today’s message may add special meaning to this symbol of our faith.

For the past two Sundays we have been looking together at the subject of how God works in our lives. First, we saw how God works in miraculous ways - sometimes. Last Sunday we considered a second way in which God sometimes works - through collaboration with us. Today we are going to move forward and look at yet another way in which God works. We all need to be reminded that our God is a great God, and He can work with us in another very special way - through The Power to Endure. Pray with me now, that our Lord will open our hearts to what He has to say to us.

Last Sunday we looked together at the subject of miracles, and we all concluded (I hope) that this is truly one way in which God works in our lives. The day of miracles is not over. But is this the only way in which He works? Probably not. So today we are going to move forward and look at yet another way in which God works. This is through a big word called “collaboration.” If you’ll stay with us, perhaps you will be reminded that our God is a big God, and He can work with us in another very special way. We’ll try today to discover what that big word means - and how it can be a real blessing.

Last Sunday we examined the idea of trying to explain what we mean when we say that something is “The Will of God.” This statement is usually an attempt to give God credit for all that happens. Yes, God does work in many ways in our lives, and today we are going to make a beginning at looking at several ways in which God works. We trust that this will help us to understand better “How God Works in Our Lives!”

When tragic events happen and we hear about them in the news, how do we respond? Sometimes people, even devoted Christians, respond by saying, “It was God’s will.” When we hear of a senseless murder, a horrible plane crash which takes the lives of many people, or events in nature, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, or wildfires, is it right to say, “It was God’s will.” This is a difficult subject to understand, but we are going to take a close look at it this morning.

Have you ever, as a loving parent, said to a child, “Hurry up; we’re going to be late!” Perhaps that was said to your spouse, or even to someone else who is joining you in going somewhere. Without meaning to be disrespectful, have you ever felt like saying to God, “Hurry up, Lord; I need an answer to my prayer right now.” This is our subject for today. How do we respond “When God Takes His Time?”

Last Sunday we concluded a series of messages, all on the subject, “When Bad Things Happen to Good People.” Today we are going to follow up, in a sense, of what we have been thinking about during these past few weeks. So, as an introduction to today’s message, how do you answer this question: “Do you believe in miracles?” If you say “Yes,” then what about those times when you do NOT receive a miracle in answer to your prayers. This is what we’re thinking about this morning.

We conclude this morning a series of messages, all on the general subject, “When Bad Things Happen to Good People.” All around us today we can hear stories in the news about terrible happenings around the globe - wars, hunger, poverty, destructive acts in nature (such as fires, hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes), events wherein people carelessly take the lives of other - and on and on it goes. Have you ever stopped to ask the question, “Why does God allow all this to happen?” This is our subject for today. Thank you for worshiping with us today from Ocean Lakes Campground.