Busy Sunday..... God Spoke Through the Sermon

I woke up early this morning, to attend the 9am service and to join the choir as well. I needed to sing in both services.... 9am and 11am. Because it was still holiday to me, I stayed through the two services and I received double-portion of blessings of the sermon.
The speaker today is Pastor Jane Evans and she talked about "How to pray effectively". It was really a great sermon and it spoke greatly into my heart. I was glad that I was there for the two services as, I can recheck and complete my sermon notes. Realising how great God was speaking to me in this message and that my sermon notes were quite messy, I told myself I'm going to re-write them again neatly in another new piece of paper later in the day. By that, I can meditate on the verses given as well.
After the second service, I went to uni to study. Having a strong feeling to attend the night service at 6pm tonight, I struggled to reason whether or not to go and I was looking for transport as well.
At the end, I decided to go and I took a bus to church after lunch-er (Lunch+dinner) at McDonald's. Wow! They've got new toy for the Happy Meal. Hehehehehe......
The reason I wanted to come for tonight service was that Pastor Ashley Evans was speaking about "Favour" and How to Find Favour. I learned a lot from the sermon tonight, though I was expecting for more than that, I mean........ More elaboration.
He told us that "Favour = Realtionship + Excellence + Timing/Sovereignty".
He elaborated about "Realationship" and "Excellence", which are the factors that we can take control of and which I really like. I even managed to read through the notes again when I reached home and when I was going through Pastor Jane's sermon notes.
But I still tahnked God that He has brought me there for this sermon and I was sure that He wanted me to be there.
As I read through Ps. Jane's sermon notes, I gained more understanding on effective prayer. She explained that we need to "NOT DOUBT", "Don't be stingy", "Forgive Others", "Have RIGHT MOTIVES", and "Confess our SiNs".
The elaboration that she gave on "Stinginess" spoke to my heart so deeply, as it just occured to me a few days ago. She elaborated that we must not withhold something from the needy when we are the answer to the need. It also reminded me about the theme verse of DUMC a few years ago, "See a need, Meet the need".
It happened last week that I got to know this new friend of mine in the gym on Monday. Having to know that he likes mooncake (I asked him whether he had mooncake for the festival on Sunday) and that he was a bit tight in budget and couldn't buy any mooncake from China town and also that coincidently I just bought 2 mooncakes on the same day, I sacrificed a mooncake (I also like mooncake) and gave it to him on Friday. I was a bit hesitant to give at first, but somehow I just felt that God wants me to give it to him. Looking back through it, I was glad that I blessed him the mooncake, instead of keeping it for myself. If not, I'm sure gonaa get pretty uncomfortable and feeling like "kena tembak" in this sermon. Well, I was glad that God led me to make the right decision which will please Him and to fulfill His will.
As I read through the notes using The Message, I found these few verses which were pretty special and extraordinary:
- Malachi 3:10
Bring your FULL THITHE to the temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don't OPEN UP HEAVEN ITSELF TO YOU AND POUR OUR BLESSINGS BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAM.
Well, I was so glad that I made the right decision at the beginning of the year to continue to give my thithes faithfully every month.
- Matthew 18:18-20
"Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is a no in heaven. WHat you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When tow or three of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And When 2 or 3 of you are together because of me, you can be sure tHat I'll be there"
- Matthew 16 23-24
Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the DRIVER'S SEAT. I am. Don't run from SUFFERING; EMBRACE IT. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self.
Wow! These workds really spoke so deeply into me.
Hope they will also be a blessing and encouragement to you all!