Theological Status: DEAD ORTHODOXY / DECISIONISM
Biblical Parallel(Archetype): Sardis
❓ What do these grades mean?
🔍 Biblical Discernment: The 7 Church Parallels
The Cold Orthodox Parallel
Ephesus
Teaching that upholds doctrinal precision yet parallels the loss of the "first love"—the vital, motivating power of the Gospel (Rev 2:4).
The Compromised Parallel
Pergamum
Teaching that parallels churches tolerating the "doctrine of Balaam" through cultural accommodation (Rev 2:14), characterized by weak boundaries, sloppy theology, and worldly compromise.
Why strictly "Mark & Avoid"?
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
🧐 Overview
Theological Verdict & Summary
Sermon Summary: A sermon that attempts to offer hope in a broken world but ultimately replaces the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a message of universal optimism and political commentary.
Pastoral Analysis: While the speaker intends to encourage resilience and faith, the sermon fundamentally fails to preach the Gospel. It relies on a 'hyper-grace' theology that claims hope is available to the 'condemned' and 'addicted' without repentance, and it misinterprets Romans 8:24 to mean salvation is achieved 'by hope' rather than by faith in Christ. The sermon is heavily laden with partisan political grievances, distracting from the central message of the Cross. This is a critical failure of the Gospel Engine.
Biblical Parallel (Archetype): Sardis — The sermon exhibits a 'name that it is alive, but is dead' condition. While it maintains a Christian identity, it is fundamentally compromised by Critical errors in Soteriology, specifically Universalism and the misapplication of Scripture to support a message of moralistic optimism rather than Gospel grace. The Gospel Engine is broken, and the teaching lacks the essential distinctives of the faith.
Big Idea: We must hold on to God's unchanging hand and maintain that blessed hope that will not end, even in times of adversity and decline. [00:28:27 ▶️ 📄]
📖 How they Handle Scripture & Jesus
- Primary Text: Psalm 71
- Usage Classification: Thematic
- Text-to-Talk Ratio: Low
- Pulpit Decorum: ⚠️ CAUTION - The sermon contains coarse language and pejoratives, and it heavily relies on partisan political commentary, which is inappropriate for a pulpit setting focused on biblical exposition.
✝️ Christological Focus: Absent
"The sermon fails to connect the message to the person and work of Jesus Christ, instead focusing on political grievances and moralistic exhortation."
Scripture Saturation: Verses Read: 3 | Referenced: 1 | Alluded: 0
📖 View 1 Passages Read Aloud
-
Psalm 71:14-16
[00:07:43 ▶️ 📄]
"And I will lift up the verses 14, 15, and 16."
Key References: Romans 8:24
💧 Liturgy & Sacraments
Altar Call / Invitation Observed: Yes
🎙️ Sermon Content & Delivery
Word Count: 3,052 words
📌 View 9 Key Topics Addressed
-
Definition of Hope
[00:24:13 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor defines hope as an optimistic state of mind based on expectation, citing Google's definition. -
National and Personal Crisis
[00:25:18 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor lists current societal issues including corruption, racism, economic inflation, and political scandals to illustrate the need for hope. -
Historical Hope (Jesse Jackson)
[00:28:27 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor uses the example of Reverend Jesse Jackson to illustrate how hope can be renewed and realized over time. -
Hope in Adversity
[00:28:27 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor argues that despite political corruption and personal struggles, believers must maintain hope in God's unchanging hand. -
The Role of Faith and Hope
[00:31:42 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor asserts that victory is powered by faith and hope, and that believers must not be dissuaded by daily changes but continue to teach and pray. -
Overcoming Hopelessness
[00:32:48 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor lists various sources of hopelessness (financial, physical, emotional, etc.) and counters each with the assurance that there is still hope in Jesus. -
Biblical Examples of Hope
[00:40:17 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor cites Noah, Gideon, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as examples of people who maintained hope despite severe trials. -
The Resurrection and Eternal Hope
[00:43:50 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor emphasizes that hope was not ended by the crucifixion but was secured by the resurrection, citing Romans 8:24. -
Resurrection and Hope
[00:44:19 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor connects the resurrection of Jesus to the believer's hope, citing Romans 8:24.
🖼️ View 6 Illustrations & Stories
-
Sermon Illustration
[00:28:27 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor references the late Reverend Jesse Jackson, noting his presidential runs in 1984 and 1988, and how his theme of 'keep hope alive' energized people until hope was realized with Barack Obama. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:26:39 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor lists specific political grievances including the destruction of the East Wing, the painting of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, the creation of a $1.776 billion reparation slush fund for January 6th insurrectionists, and the creation of a $250 bill with the president's picture. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:28:53 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor references the late Reverend Jesse Jackson, noting how his theme 'keep hope alive' energized people and was realized when Barack Obama became president. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:37:17 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor references the late Dr. Robert Shuler, pastor of the Crystal Cathedral, who wrote a book entitled 'tough times never last but tough people do.' -
Sermon Illustration
[00:40:37 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor recounts the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into a fiery furnace, where King Nebuchadnezzar saw a fourth figure resembling the Son of God. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:43:15 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor describes the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, noting that while the world thought hope was ended at the cross, the resurrection proved hope was not ended.
🚀 View 1 Calls to Action
-
Pastoral Charge
[00:45:45 ▶️ 📄]
> Stand up physically
🧭 Biblical Alignment Dashboard
Overall Verdict: Fundamentally in Error
| Category | Status | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Gospel Presentation | ❌ FAIL | The Gospel Engine is broken. The sermon teaches Universalism (hope for the condemned) and misapplies Romans 8:24 to suggest salvation is 'by hope' rather than by faith in Christ. It lacks any substantive articulation of the Cross, Total Depravity, or Monergistic Regeneration. |
| Soteriology | ❌ FAIL | The sermon teaches Universalism/Hyper-Grace, asserting that hope and salvation are available to the 'condemned' and 'addicted' regardless of their moral state, effectively removing the necessity of faith and repentance. |
| Bibliology | ❌ FAIL | The sermon misinterprets Romans 8:24, claiming salvation is 'by hope' as a mechanism, whereas the text explicitly states that hope is the means by which believers experience the future reality of salvation, not the cause of it. |
| Hermeneutic | ❌ FAIL | The sermon relies on a moralistic and political hermeneutic, using partisan political grievances as primary illustrations and failing to rightly divide the Word of Truth. |
| Theology Proper | ❌ FAIL | The sermon conflates hope with salvation and reduces the Christian message to political and social commentary, prioritizing national/cultural grievances over the proclamation of Christ's atoning work. |
| Sacramentology | ✅ PASS | No sacramental errors were detected in the report. |
| Confessional Depth | ❌ SHALLOW | The confessional distinctives block is entirely empty, and the sermon lacks substantive articulation of the Cross, Total Depravity, or Monergistic Regeneration. |
⚙️ The Core Gospel Framework
What is this? This section checks if the sermon contains the essential building blocks of the Gospel. We look for explicit, substantive mentions of God's holy standard, human inability, and Christ's finished work on the cross.
Why it matters for the final verdict: A complete Gospel framework protects a sermon from becoming man-centered. If a preacher gives commands for good behavior but leaves out the grace and atonement of the Gospel, it often results in a 🔴 Critical or 🟠 Major error for Moralism (teaching human self-improvement rather than reliance on Christ). However, if these Gospel elements are missing simply because the pastor is preaching a highly focused, practical message to mature believers (e.g., instructions on biblical marriage), our system applies a "Safe Harbor" pardon, graciously reducing the omission to a 🟡 Minor error.
Why it matters for the final verdict: A complete Gospel framework protects a sermon from becoming man-centered. If a preacher gives commands for good behavior but leaves out the grace and atonement of the Gospel, it often results in a 🔴 Critical or 🟠 Major error for Moralism (teaching human self-improvement rather than reliance on Christ). However, if these Gospel elements are missing simply because the pastor is preaching a highly focused, practical message to mature believers (e.g., instructions on biblical marriage), our system applies a "Safe Harbor" pardon, graciously reducing the omission to a 🟡 Minor error.
❌ The Law And Wrath: Not observed in the sermon.
❌ Total Depravity And Inability: Not observed in the sermon.
❌ Active Obedience Of Christ: Not observed in the sermon.
❌ The Cross And Atonement: Not observed in the sermon.
⚠️ Theological Concerns
🔴 Critical Universalism / Hyper-Grace
Root Cause: The speaker asserts that hope is universally available to all individuals regardless of their moral state, sin, or addiction, implying a form of universalism or hyper-grace that bypasses the necessity of personal faith and repentance.
"I don't care if you're a condemned prisoner there is hope for you i don't care if you're sick or disabled there is hope for you and i don't even care if all hell has erupted in your life there is still hope so what if you gamble everything away there is hope so what if you've ruined your health through drug abuse and addiction there is still hope so what if you've been a bad alcoholic there is still hope suppose you have been abused as a child there is still hope suppose you've been mistreated by others there is still hope suppose if you have a few or worse yet no friends at all there is still hope" [00:34:30 ▶️ 📄]
Description: The speaker asserts that hope is universally available to all, including the 'condemned,' 'sick,' and 'addicted,' effectively teaching that no moral or spiritual state can exclude one from God's hope, which contradicts the doctrine of Total Depravity and the necessity of regeneration.
Biblical Correction: Romans 3:23 'For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;' and Romans 6:23 'For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.'
🔴 Critical Secular/Social Gospel
Root Cause: The sermon reduces the Christian message to political and social commentary, prioritizing national/cultural grievances over the proclamation of Christ's atoning work and the gospel of grace.
"Since January 20th, 2025, our nation has been plunged into bitter darkness, corruption and chaos. Divisiveness, overt bigotry and racism, police brutality, immorality, lies, lies, lies, intimidation and fear continually." [00:25:18 ▶️ 📄]
Description: The sermon reduces the Christian message to political and social commentary, prioritizing national/cultural grievances over the proclamation of Christ's atoning work and the gospel of grace.
Biblical Correction: For I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
🔴 Critical Incomplete Gospel Presentation
Root Cause: The sermon fails to articulate the core mechanics of the gospel (penal substitution, total depravity, monergistic regeneration), reducing it to moralistic optimism and cultural commentary.
Description: The confessional distinctives block is entirely empty, and the sermon lacks substantive articulation of the Cross, Total Depravity, or Monergistic Regeneration.
Biblical Correction: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10).
📜 Full Sermon Transcript (Audit)
Use the 📄 icons next to quotes above to automatically jump to their location in this raw transcript.
[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:00:00] Let the church say amen. Let the church say amen again. Let the church say amen a third time. For God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. Amen. May we bow our heads for our invocation. Come Holy Spirit, heavenly dove, with all of thy quickening power, kindle a flame of sacred love in these hearts of ours. Lord, we thank you for this day, a day we've never seen before and certainly a day we'll never see again. But you have blessed
[00:02:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:02:50] us you've caused your face to shine upon us and you've given us your peace and you've given us your joy we say thank you now heavenly father we pray that you will anoint each of us with your
[00:03:02] holy spirit bless us dear god we pray that all that we do this day in this your house that you will be pleased with in the mighty name of jesus we pray that the people of god together say amen
[00:03:15] amen and amen we'll have another selection amen at this time amen let us stand let us stand amen amen let us remain standing as we reaffirm our faith by use of our apostles creed i believe in
[00:06:52] god the father almighty maker of heaven and earth and in jesus christ his only son our lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified dead in the very day
[00:07:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:07:07] he arose from the dead, and seated upon the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
[00:07:16] I believe in the Holy Ghost,
[00:07:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:07:18] the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
[00:07:27] Amen.
[00:07:27] You may be seated, my brothers and sisters.
[00:07:29] Amen.
[00:07:30] At this time, we will have the reading of our scripture from the Old Testament, the 71st Psalm.
[00:07:43] And I will lift up the verses 14, 15, and 16.
[00:07:49] And following the reading of the word of God, we will have the prayer of intercession.
[00:07:57] Amen.
[00:07:58] The corporate prayer.
[00:07:59] Amen.
[00:08:00] does your pastor usually pray or is there one of you who would come if so i'm going to ask that you prepare yourself amen as we go to the lord in prayer amen praise the lord i i've i'm going to be
[00:08:17] reading from the i'm going to be reading from the screen i'm the the portion that i have is from the king james version but this is from the new international version so if you read along with
[00:08:28] me amen as for me i will always have hope i will praise you more and more my mouth will tell of your righteous deeds of your saving acts all day long though i know not how to relate them all
[00:08:45] i will come and proclaim your mighty acts sovereign lord i will proclaim your righteous deeds yours alone amen the Word of God for the people of God thanks be to God amen it is praying time here at the creek amen praise the Lord amen I want to ask those
[00:09:08] of you who care to join if anyone's gonna pray you want me to pray you want me to pray amen well I'm gonna I'm going to invite everyone to come and join me amen whosoever will please come as we go to the lord in prayer
[00:09:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:09:25] say that just one more time on this whole earth a day we have never seen before and certainly a day
[00:11:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:11:02] we shall never ever see again but in this day dear god you have been mindful of each and every one of us and we say thank you each of us could have been dead and sleeping in our grave but lord
[00:11:23] i just thank you for your son jesus who interceded for us early this morning you said father let him have another opportunity to get it right and lord we thank you for giving us another opportunity
[00:11:38] to get it right you didn't have to do it but you did and if the truth be told none of us is worthy to be here today but because of your grace because of your mercy you've given us an extension of time
[00:12:01] and we say thank you for being so good to us because each of us well i know about me i've sinned and i've come short of your glory i don't know about anybody else but i i've done those
[00:12:16] things you've told me not to do and i've left undone those things you told me to do lord i just pray right now that you forgive me and not just me but dear god everybody who's within the sound
[00:12:32] of my weak voice lord forgive us of all the wrongs that we've done lord continue to have grace and mercy on us we acknowledge the fact that god that somebody's sick in this your house some of us are
[00:12:49] physically sick some of us have aches and pains and we've been to the doctor on several occasions and we've taken medicines and pills and what not and still the problem exists some of us are suffering with cancer
[00:13:07] some of us are suffering with diabetes some of us are suffering with high blood pressure some of us are suffering with blood clots some of us are suffering from lung diseases and what not but oh Lord in the mighty name of Jesus
[00:13:23] we plead the blood of Jesus just now that you will heal our frail bodies then there are those of us dear God who are sick mentally we're wrestling with stuff inside our minds dear God that takes us away from worshiping you in spirit and in truth Lord we're praying
[00:13:47] right now that you will bless our minds some of us are suffering from dementia some of us are suffering from Alzheimer's Lord heal our minds in the name of Jesus and then dear God there are
[00:14:00] some of us who are suffering spiritually we're spiritually sick and can't seem to get well but oh lord on this day let us know that your son jesus good god almighty dad that we all might
[00:14:12] have a right to the tree of life that your son jesus shed his blood that we might be healed physically that we might be healed mentally that we might be healed spiritually so on this day dear
[00:14:22] god we pray that you will bless us like never before and lord we acknowledge that there are many needs among us some of us are are needing a financial blessing Lord we're praying in the name
[00:14:35] of Jesus that you will bless us some of us are not ready to even face this day let alone tomorrow but Lord make a way make a way Lord out of no way and Lord I ask that you be mindful of each and
[00:14:52] every member of this great church called Seals Creek AME Zion Church Lord bless this congregation anointed with your holy spirit and lord we don't know what tomorrow may bring but we know the best is yet to come so lord bless rule and super rule as only you can and as only you know how
[00:15:12] in the blessed name of your son jesus we pray that the people of god together say amen amen and amen praise the lord you may arise my father's children and please go in peace and
[00:15:28] me the peace of God which transcends all our understanding go with each and every one of you let the church say amen let the church say amen let the church say amen praise the Lord praise
[00:15:44] the Lord praise the Lord hallelujah hallelujah amen we're about ready for the sermon amen Y'all ready for the word?
[00:16:01] You're going to sing to the glory of God.
[00:16:05] Amen.
[00:16:06] Then I'll preach to the glory of God.
[00:16:09] Amen.
[00:16:12] Then I'll extend the invitation for Christian discipleship.
[00:16:19] Amen.
[00:16:20] Then we'll gather our tithes and offerings.
[00:16:22] Amen.
[00:16:23] Then we'll have the announcements.
[00:16:26] And then the benediction.
[00:16:27] Is that all right?
[00:16:28] Amen.
[00:16:29] Now, I don't want to be disrespectful of Dr. Merriweather.
[00:16:34] I was asking if he preached with his robe.
[00:16:38] I don't want to be up here.
[00:16:40] Y'all report to him.
[00:16:41] I know he's watching and telling him that I disrespected the pulpit.
[00:16:48] I don't want to do that.
[00:16:49] I got my robe in the car.
[00:16:50] If you want me to go get it, I'll go get it.
[00:16:52] Is that all right?
[00:16:54] I'm all right?
[00:16:56] Okay.
[00:16:56] That's all I...
[00:16:57] Amen.
[00:16:58] Bless you.
[00:16:59] Amen.
[00:16:59] Will we have a selection? Following the selection, the word. Amen. Praise the Lord.
[00:17:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:17:37] Let the church say amen. Amen again. Amen a third time. Praise the Lord Jesus. Amen.
[00:21:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:21:54] beautiful beautiful beautiful with the 71st psalm verses 14 through 16 from the king james version but i will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more my mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day for i know not the numbers thereof i will go in the
[00:22:26] strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine only and I want to just lift from that 14th verse but I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more
[00:22:44] and I just want to speak with this thought in mind a never-ending hope a never-ending hope amen let us bow our heads heavenly father not my will but your will not my way but your way
[00:23:01] not my word but your word lord you know i'm afraid you know i'm i'm weak you know i've been under the weather lord you know i'm i'm shaking in my boots but lord god i pray that you will anoint me right
[00:23:19] now with your Holy Spirit and remind me that I can't preach until the preacher comes Lord. Lord I just pray that you will anoint these lips of clay Heavenly Father and allow me to share with these your people
[00:23:38] what you've shared with me now Heavenly Father I pray that you will bless me. Bless me Lord as I bless your people in Jesus' name we pray. Amen A never ending hope. A never ending hope. I consulted Google. Back in the day it was Webster's, but now it's Google. Is that alright? To give me a nice little definition.
[00:24:13] And it says that hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of desirable outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life or the world at large. I like that. Amen.
[00:24:43] Hope is an optimistic state of mind based on an expectation of desirable outcomes with respect to events and circumstances and our own lives or the world at large.
[00:24:58] Since January 20th, 2025, our nation has been plunged into bitter darkness, corruption and chaos.
[00:25:18] Divisiveness, overt bigotry and racism, police brutality, immorality, lies, lies, lies, intimidation and fear continually.
[00:25:42] that in this day and time which we find ourselves, it's challenging even to have hope.
[00:25:53] Can I get a witness?
[00:25:55] And yet hope is needed now more than ever.
[00:26:01] Think about all that we're dealing with as a nation and then even as a people.
[00:26:07] A senseless war of choice with Iran, Rising gas prices, rising food prices, rising inflation, rising interest rates, rising rent and mortgage costs, erosion of voting rights, and then rigging the voting process.
[00:26:36] Wait a minute. There's more.
[00:26:39] the destruction of the east wing of the White House to build a big beautiful ballroom at taxpayers expense painting the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool a ridiculous color at taxpayers expense and then when algae comes on the pool
[00:27:01] you're blaming people vandalizing the pool when in fact it wasn't the vandalism it was the fact that your pool man didn't know what he was doing are y'all hearing me and then building the arch the trump at
[00:27:16] taxpayers expense putting a new helicopter pad there on the lawn of the white house the u.s department of justice becoming the department of injustice department of homeland security being weaponized to incarcerate anybody considered illegal into internment warehouses around
[00:27:39] the country. And I've got a news flash. We are next. The ongoing effort to create a $1.776 billion reparation slush fund to pay the January 6th insurrectionists. And now efforts are underway to create a $250 bill with the president's picture on it. And what happened to the Epstein files?
[00:28:09] all these issues pose an existential threat to our nation and even our way of life it's enough to drive anybody batty with a sense of hopelessness but today my brothers and sisters more than ever
[00:28:27] we must hold on to god's unchanging hand and maintain that blessed hope that will not in I'm reminded of the late Reverend Jesse Jackson who ran for president of the United States twice once in 1984 and again in 1988 although he lost both times he raised the hopes of our people
[00:28:53] that one day a person of color could be president of the United States in 20 years after 1988 that hope was realized when barack obama became president of the united states reverend jackson's theme keep hope alive energized our people he's spoken across the entire country and our people
[00:29:21] who have been objected our people who have been subjected our people who have been rejected our people who have been trivialized criticized marginalized disenfranchised minimalized and even vilified, beaten up and beaten down, cut up and cut down, shot up and shot down, renewed our
[00:29:43] hope that God would usher in a new day. The people of God still say to the world that no matter how bad things may get, we will continue to have hope in our God. Somebody ought to say amen.
[00:29:58] Our hope is built on nothing less.
[00:30:03] No matter how bad things may get, we will praise him even more.
[00:30:08] Amen?
[00:30:09] Praise the Lord.
[00:30:10] Our scripture today focuses on David writing encouraging words to those who would come after him to be faithful, even in times of adversity, even in times of trouble, even in times like these.
[00:30:26] these divinely inspired words were written in david's old age david's life had been marked by many dark periods some he brought on himself and others by outside circumstances david experienced attacks from enemies and even the rebellion of his own son absalom there were many years of great
[00:30:50] trouble especially in his later years the 71st psalm is written to encourage god's people in our afflictions especially those of us in our declining years and those of us in times of trouble the psalm encourages believers to keep faith that god will answer prayers that god will
[00:31:19] still heal, comfort, save, and deliver. King David praises God for not casting them off or forsaking him. He concludes the psalm with believing praises in verse 14. He concluded that no matter what happens to him, he will continuously have faith in God and hope that God will deliver him from
[00:31:42] the troubles he faced cannot get a witness brothers and sisters victory is powered by faith by and hope and if hope is shut down victory is impossible cannot get a witness believers must keep our heads up and our minds open to new ways to achieve our goals of kingdom building we must
[00:32:06] not be dissuaded by the changes that we face every day but continue to teach continue to teach continue to preach continue to pray continue to tell the world about the goodness of the lord and that god will be the source of our victory somebody ought to say amen
[00:32:29] are that those among us who have experienced setbacks for some the financial dilemma has called them to feel hopeless. For some, their job frustrations have caused them to feel hopeless.
[00:32:48] For some, their daily responsibilities have caused them to feel hopeless. For some, their private lifestyle, private lifestyle has caused them to feel hopeless. For some, their physical disabilities have caused them to feel hopeless. For some, their emotional stresses and distresses have caused them
[00:33:07] to feel hopeless and for others getting old has caused us to feel hopeless amen i've got a beard on my face y'all see it i remember when it was black amen not anymore the aging process can
[00:33:32] really be a challenge somebody ought to say amen praise god sometimes you you feel like things are just not going your way but I've got news for you there is hope for you sometimes you
[00:33:45] feel so bad but I got news there's hope for you sometimes you may feel that somebody just don't like you but there is hope for you sometimes you may feel that you are so immoral immoral but there
[00:33:55] is hope for you sometimes your your mind can be so confused but there is hope for you sometimes your lifestyle is so pathetic but there is hope for you and it makes no difference how the devil
[00:34:08] may have tormented you there is hope for you furthermore amen amen i don't care if you can't find a decent job there is hope for you i don't care if you're divorced there is hope for you
[00:34:30] i don't care if your family has nothing to do with you there is hope for you i don't care if you're a condemned prisoner there is hope for you i don't care if you're sick or disabled there is
[00:34:43] hope for you i don't care if you're living on welfare if you're out there on the street you don't have a place to lay your head there is hope for you and i don't even care if all hell has
[00:34:54] erupted in your life there is still hope so what if you gamble everything away there is hope so what if you've ruined your health through drug abuse and addiction there is still hope so what if you've been a bad
[00:35:17] alcoholic there is still hope so suppose you have been abused as a child there is still hope suppose you've been mistreated by others there is still hope suppose if you have a few or worse yet no friends at all
[00:35:32] there is still hope what a friend we have in Jesus huh all our griefs and sins to bear what a privilege it is to carry everything to God in prayer so what if you've been a prodigal son in a pig pen there is still hope for you can I get a witness
[00:35:58] we must always remember that there is always life after a knockdown can I get a witness because our greatest success in life is not being knocked down but getting up every time we get knocked down we must be prepared to fight a battle several times before winning we must know that
[00:36:14] everything we need to succeed in life is on the inside of us can i get a witness i'm paraphrasing when i say this it doesn't matter about the size of the man in the fight what matters is the size
[00:36:25] of the fight in the man oh i wish i had a witness to get in here to keep getting up we need hope that victory is possible and that if our mission is within the will of god we will be victorious
[00:36:38] Yes, we have many challenging tasks ahead of us, but they will never be greater than the strength we have within us.
[00:36:51] Do not lose hope. Sometimes life can be tough, but we should not forget that with God, we're tough, too.
[00:37:04] can I get a witness it was the late Dr. Robert Shuler who was pastor of the Crystal Cathedral Church in California who wrote a book entitled tough times never last but tough people do amen
[00:37:17] and if God lives then hope cannot be cancelled the focus of our hope is in the living God and as long as God lives I don't think he's going to die anytime soon can I get a witness
[00:37:32] there is always hope that we can rise above our present circumstances and in our challenges sometimes we forget that we serve a mighty God who provided special provisions for us and as we struggle we must not worry about how we will survive after the trouble passes
[00:37:52] we must not forget that because Jesus lives good God almighty he's still able to do for us today what he had done for us in the past and even more and because jesus lives we can face tomorrow
[00:38:07] because he lives all fear is gone because we know who holds the future and life is worth the living just because he lives can i get a witness let us not forget who god is and what god can do
[00:38:27] and what he can do for us for God heals Jehovah Jireh can I get a witness he's the God who provides God heals Jehovah Shalom he's the God of peace God heals Jehovah Raha he's our shepherd
[00:38:44] God heals Jehovah Rapha the God who heals God heals Jehovah the Lord our righteousness in our daily struggles We wrestle with many difficulties, sometimes forgetting the one who has helped us through situations in the past.
[00:39:04] We must always remember that God is omnipotent.
[00:39:09] God is omniscient.
[00:39:11] God is omnipresent.
[00:39:14] God is almighty.
[00:39:15] God is all-knowing.
[00:39:17] And God is ever-present.
[00:39:19] Can I get a witness?
[00:39:20] Let us focus on the cross of Christ And the throne of glory And renew our hope God lives and therefore Our hope cannot end Can I get a witness Finally my brothers We must remember
[00:39:40] That God will not Abandon us Can I get a witness There is no reason for us To end hope God is faithful And he will always respond to our needs Can I get a witness
[00:39:58] When Noah experienced the flood And the waters descended after a year Hope was not ended And God sent him a rainbow Gideon faced the prospect Of fighting the Midianites With a small army But Gideon knew
[00:40:17] There was still hope Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego good God Almighty were condemned because they didn't worship Nebuchadnezzar three times a day they'd face Jerusalem and they would pray and because they prayed to God Almighty
[00:40:37] they were condemned and Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were thrown in a fiery furnace but even in that furnace they didn't give up hope because while they were there Oh, King Nebuchadnezzar looked through a window and a fiery furnace, and he began to count one, two, three.
[00:40:59] He said, wait a minute.
[00:41:01] I thought we put three in there, but I see a fourth figure.
[00:41:05] Looks like the Son of God.
[00:41:07] God will, even in your fiery furnace, God will make a way out of no way.
[00:41:15] Can I get a witness?
[00:41:16] Even today, God still responds and he gives us enough signs to know that hope has not ended.
[00:41:25] Before we burden ourselves down with unnecessary word, we must remember that we serve an awesome God.
[00:41:35] Can I get a witness who reigns and blesses us in so many ways?
[00:41:42] Even though we see the sick and the injured all around us, but we also see the thousands of people who've been healed.
[00:41:53] And that reminds us that hope has not ended.
[00:41:57] Those who have experienced repeated failure in life and have been restored over and over again know that hope is alive and has not ended.
[00:42:09] Our hope is alive today because we remember what God did for us so yesterday.
[00:42:17] Our hope stands firm because we remember that God sent his only begotten son to show his love for the world.
[00:42:29] We keep hoping because we remember that when we were weak, he made us strong.
[00:42:36] when we were down he picked us up when we were defeated he gave us victory when we were discouraged he restored our hope when we were lonely he gave us comfort when we were troubled
[00:42:50] he gave us peace of mind oh i wish i had a witness up in here the world learned that hope was not ended when a child was born down in Bethlehem and lived among men for 33 years. Some thought
[00:43:15] hope was ended when they saw our Lord lifted high on an old rugged cross. Some thought that hope was ended when they saw him stretched out wide. They thought hope was ended when they saw the blood dripping down from his brow. They thought hope was ended when they heard him cry out
[00:43:39] Father why has thou forsaken me? They thought hope was ended when he dropped his head and died.
[00:43:50] But early Sunday morning good God Almighty they found out that despite the stone That blocked the tomb And despite the soldiers guarding the entrance Jesus, Mary's baby Jesus, God's son Jesus, the lily of the valley
[00:44:19] Jesus, the bright and morning star Jesus, my joy in the morning Jesus, my water when I'm thirsty Jesus read when I'm hungry Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Got up from the grave With all power in his hand
[00:44:43] Good God Almighty I don't know about your hope But hope has not been ended Because Jesus, Jesus is alive I don't know about your hope But my hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
[00:45:05] I dare not trust the sweetest frame But holy, holy, holy, holy Lean on Jesus' name On Christ, on Christ, Christ, Christ The solid rock I stand Good God Almighty Romans 8 and 24 tells us that we're saved
[00:45:45] by hope read it first few lines Romans 8 chapter 24 we're saved by hope I want you to stand amen I got a couple more pages I'm going to cut it right now let the church say amen
[00:46:04] I'm going to open the doors of the church right now is that alright there may be somebody here today who's in a hopeless situation and no matter which way you turn it seems like there's nothing but darkness
[00:46:21] if you're here today and if Jesus Christ is not Lord of your life I invite you on this day it's August 23rd today is your day of salvation I wouldn't stand before you today if I hadn't given my life
[00:46:41] to Christ on October 16th 1977 so if you're here today and if Jesus Christ is not Lord of your life if you're going through hell if you're suffering from some physical ailment if your mind is
[00:46:56] stressed and distressed if your spirit is not holy today August 23rd 2026 is your day to get rid of all of that mess and allow the messiah to come into your life would there be one would
[00:47:16] there be more than one today is your day of salvation if there's one who desires to express your prayer if you're here today we bid you come the one who desires to unite with this arm of the
[00:47:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:47:48] christian church seals creek ame zion church here at the creek will you come the way lord if you leave me i cannot stray oh lord day you may be seated we whoa amen we will now have the
[00:48:47] offering lifted at this time amen stewards will you come amen guide me a long way we stand all things come of thee oh lord and of thine own have we given thee and amen be seated at this time let the church say amen are there announcements at this time
[00:51:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:51:41] praise the lord there are no announcements that we're ready to give the benediction that all right give this choir a hand musicians give the usher a hand give the technician a hand
[00:52:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:52:10] give yourselves a hand amen give God a hand amen praise the Lord
[00:52:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:52:20] oh well thank you God bless you God bless you now I parked in the pastor's parking lot amen I'm not the pastor but I parked in his parking space I did that I did that one time
[00:52:40] a couple of weeks ago and I filled in for the pastor and he went on vacation amen and so I come to Sunday school so I came to Sunday school his spot was open I parked in there
[00:52:57] and so I'm parking in his parking spot and we're having Sunday school and all of a sudden
[00:53:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:53:05] I said man what you doing I thought you were on vacation.
[00:53:09] Man, you're talking about a parking spot.
[00:53:11] Well, you've been on Sunday school all the time.
[00:53:13] You didn't have your own parking spot.
[00:53:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:53:16] So I think Dr. Merriweather is over in Tennessee, I believe.
[00:53:23] And so I felt like I could get away with it today.
[00:53:27] Is that all right?
[00:53:29] Amen.
[00:53:30] But I've enjoyed myself here.
[00:53:31] I pray that you all have had a great time.
[00:53:33] I've enjoyed Sunday school.
[00:53:35] This is the second time I've been to Sunday school.
[00:53:37] And we have more men in Sunday school than we had ladies.
[00:53:40] Amen.
[00:53:43] So I enjoyed myself, and I pray that we had a good time in Sunday school this morning.
[00:53:49] Amen.
[00:53:50] Praise the Lord, and thank you for allowing me to participate.
[00:53:54] But I think I'm ready to give the benediction.
[00:53:59] Would you stand?
[00:54:00] Blessed be he, the tithe that binds.
[00:54:08] Is that your closing song?
[00:54:10] What are you closed with?
[00:54:13] They say amen.
[00:54:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:54:18] Everybody say amen.
[00:54:28] Amen.
[00:54:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:54:32] Amen. Please be seated momentarily. Amen.
[00:54:35] May we bow our heads. Heavenly Father, we thank you for what our eyes have seen, for what our ears have heard, and what our hearts have felt.
[00:54:42] We thank you, dear God, for the visitation, the manifestation of your Holy Spirit.
[00:54:47] Lord, we thank you for your word, that it may go forth and never return, Lord.
[00:54:51] Lord, bless these people here at the creek. Keep them in thy care, dear God.
[00:54:57] Bless them as only you can, as only you know how.
[00:54:59] and now may the grace of God the love of Jesus and the sweet sweet communion of the Holy Ghost abide and keep us all henceforth and forever may we together say Amen and Amen God bless you all
[00:55:10] love you take care God bless you
[00:00:00] Let the church say amen. Let the church say amen again. Let the church say amen a third time. For God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. Amen. May we bow our heads for our invocation. Come Holy Spirit, heavenly dove, with all of thy quickening power, kindle a flame of sacred love in these hearts of ours. Lord, we thank you for this day, a day we've never seen before and certainly a day we'll never see again. But you have blessed
[00:02:50] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:02:50] us you've caused your face to shine upon us and you've given us your peace and you've given us your joy we say thank you now heavenly father we pray that you will anoint each of us with your
[00:03:02] holy spirit bless us dear god we pray that all that we do this day in this your house that you will be pleased with in the mighty name of jesus we pray that the people of god together say amen
[00:03:15] amen and amen we'll have another selection amen at this time amen let us stand let us stand amen amen let us remain standing as we reaffirm our faith by use of our apostles creed i believe in
[00:06:52] god the father almighty maker of heaven and earth and in jesus christ his only son our lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified dead in the very day
[00:07:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:07:07] he arose from the dead, and seated upon the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
[00:07:16] I believe in the Holy Ghost,
[00:07:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:07:18] the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.
[00:07:27] Amen.
[00:07:27] You may be seated, my brothers and sisters.
[00:07:29] Amen.
[00:07:30] At this time, we will have the reading of our scripture from the Old Testament, the 71st Psalm.
[00:07:43] And I will lift up the verses 14, 15, and 16.
[00:07:49] And following the reading of the word of God, we will have the prayer of intercession.
[00:07:57] Amen.
[00:07:58] The corporate prayer.
[00:07:59] Amen.
[00:08:00] does your pastor usually pray or is there one of you who would come if so i'm going to ask that you prepare yourself amen as we go to the lord in prayer amen praise the lord i i've i'm going to be
[00:08:17] reading from the i'm going to be reading from the screen i'm the the portion that i have is from the king james version but this is from the new international version so if you read along with
[00:08:28] me amen as for me i will always have hope i will praise you more and more my mouth will tell of your righteous deeds of your saving acts all day long though i know not how to relate them all
[00:08:45] i will come and proclaim your mighty acts sovereign lord i will proclaim your righteous deeds yours alone amen the Word of God for the people of God thanks be to God amen it is praying time here at the creek amen praise the Lord amen I want to ask those
[00:09:08] of you who care to join if anyone's gonna pray you want me to pray you want me to pray amen well I'm gonna I'm going to invite everyone to come and join me amen whosoever will please come as we go to the lord in prayer
[00:09:25] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:09:25] say that just one more time on this whole earth a day we have never seen before and certainly a day
[00:11:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:11:02] we shall never ever see again but in this day dear god you have been mindful of each and every one of us and we say thank you each of us could have been dead and sleeping in our grave but lord
[00:11:23] i just thank you for your son jesus who interceded for us early this morning you said father let him have another opportunity to get it right and lord we thank you for giving us another opportunity
[00:11:38] to get it right you didn't have to do it but you did and if the truth be told none of us is worthy to be here today but because of your grace because of your mercy you've given us an extension of time
[00:12:01] and we say thank you for being so good to us because each of us well i know about me i've sinned and i've come short of your glory i don't know about anybody else but i i've done those
[00:12:16] things you've told me not to do and i've left undone those things you told me to do lord i just pray right now that you forgive me and not just me but dear god everybody who's within the sound
[00:12:32] of my weak voice lord forgive us of all the wrongs that we've done lord continue to have grace and mercy on us we acknowledge the fact that god that somebody's sick in this your house some of us are
[00:12:49] physically sick some of us have aches and pains and we've been to the doctor on several occasions and we've taken medicines and pills and what not and still the problem exists some of us are suffering with cancer
[00:13:07] some of us are suffering with diabetes some of us are suffering with high blood pressure some of us are suffering with blood clots some of us are suffering from lung diseases and what not but oh Lord in the mighty name of Jesus
[00:13:23] we plead the blood of Jesus just now that you will heal our frail bodies then there are those of us dear God who are sick mentally we're wrestling with stuff inside our minds dear God that takes us away from worshiping you in spirit and in truth Lord we're praying
[00:13:47] right now that you will bless our minds some of us are suffering from dementia some of us are suffering from Alzheimer's Lord heal our minds in the name of Jesus and then dear God there are
[00:14:00] some of us who are suffering spiritually we're spiritually sick and can't seem to get well but oh lord on this day let us know that your son jesus good god almighty dad that we all might
[00:14:12] have a right to the tree of life that your son jesus shed his blood that we might be healed physically that we might be healed mentally that we might be healed spiritually so on this day dear
[00:14:22] god we pray that you will bless us like never before and lord we acknowledge that there are many needs among us some of us are are needing a financial blessing Lord we're praying in the name
[00:14:35] of Jesus that you will bless us some of us are not ready to even face this day let alone tomorrow but Lord make a way make a way Lord out of no way and Lord I ask that you be mindful of each and
[00:14:52] every member of this great church called Seals Creek AME Zion Church Lord bless this congregation anointed with your holy spirit and lord we don't know what tomorrow may bring but we know the best is yet to come so lord bless rule and super rule as only you can and as only you know how
[00:15:12] in the blessed name of your son jesus we pray that the people of god together say amen amen and amen praise the lord you may arise my father's children and please go in peace and
[00:15:28] me the peace of God which transcends all our understanding go with each and every one of you let the church say amen let the church say amen let the church say amen praise the Lord praise
[00:15:44] the Lord praise the Lord hallelujah hallelujah amen we're about ready for the sermon amen Y'all ready for the word?
[00:16:01] You're going to sing to the glory of God.
[00:16:05] Amen.
[00:16:06] Then I'll preach to the glory of God.
[00:16:09] Amen.
[00:16:12] Then I'll extend the invitation for Christian discipleship.
[00:16:19] Amen.
[00:16:20] Then we'll gather our tithes and offerings.
[00:16:22] Amen.
[00:16:23] Then we'll have the announcements.
[00:16:26] And then the benediction.
[00:16:27] Is that all right?
[00:16:28] Amen.
[00:16:29] Now, I don't want to be disrespectful of Dr. Merriweather.
[00:16:34] I was asking if he preached with his robe.
[00:16:38] I don't want to be up here.
[00:16:40] Y'all report to him.
[00:16:41] I know he's watching and telling him that I disrespected the pulpit.
[00:16:48] I don't want to do that.
[00:16:49] I got my robe in the car.
[00:16:50] If you want me to go get it, I'll go get it.
[00:16:52] Is that all right?
[00:16:54] I'm all right?
[00:16:56] Okay.
[00:16:56] That's all I...
[00:16:57] Amen.
[00:16:58] Bless you.
[00:16:59] Amen.
[00:16:59] Will we have a selection? Following the selection, the word. Amen. Praise the Lord.
[00:17:37] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_05]
[00:17:37] Let the church say amen. Amen again. Amen a third time. Praise the Lord Jesus. Amen.
[00:21:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:21:54] beautiful beautiful beautiful with the 71st psalm verses 14 through 16 from the king james version but i will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more my mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day for i know not the numbers thereof i will go in the
[00:22:26] strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine only and I want to just lift from that 14th verse but I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more
[00:22:44] and I just want to speak with this thought in mind a never-ending hope a never-ending hope amen let us bow our heads heavenly father not my will but your will not my way but your way
[00:23:01] not my word but your word lord you know i'm afraid you know i'm i'm weak you know i've been under the weather lord you know i'm i'm shaking in my boots but lord god i pray that you will anoint me right
[00:23:19] now with your Holy Spirit and remind me that I can't preach until the preacher comes Lord. Lord I just pray that you will anoint these lips of clay Heavenly Father and allow me to share with these your people
[00:23:38] what you've shared with me now Heavenly Father I pray that you will bless me. Bless me Lord as I bless your people in Jesus' name we pray. Amen A never ending hope. A never ending hope. I consulted Google. Back in the day it was Webster's, but now it's Google. Is that alright? To give me a nice little definition.
[00:24:13] And it says that hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of desirable outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life or the world at large. I like that. Amen.
[00:24:43] Hope is an optimistic state of mind based on an expectation of desirable outcomes with respect to events and circumstances and our own lives or the world at large.
[00:24:58] Since January 20th, 2025, our nation has been plunged into bitter darkness, corruption and chaos.
[00:25:18] Divisiveness, overt bigotry and racism, police brutality, immorality, lies, lies, lies, intimidation and fear continually.
[00:25:42] that in this day and time which we find ourselves, it's challenging even to have hope.
[00:25:53] Can I get a witness?
[00:25:55] And yet hope is needed now more than ever.
[00:26:01] Think about all that we're dealing with as a nation and then even as a people.
[00:26:07] A senseless war of choice with Iran, Rising gas prices, rising food prices, rising inflation, rising interest rates, rising rent and mortgage costs, erosion of voting rights, and then rigging the voting process.
[00:26:36] Wait a minute. There's more.
[00:26:39] the destruction of the east wing of the White House to build a big beautiful ballroom at taxpayers expense painting the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool a ridiculous color at taxpayers expense and then when algae comes on the pool
[00:27:01] you're blaming people vandalizing the pool when in fact it wasn't the vandalism it was the fact that your pool man didn't know what he was doing are y'all hearing me and then building the arch the trump at
[00:27:16] taxpayers expense putting a new helicopter pad there on the lawn of the white house the u.s department of justice becoming the department of injustice department of homeland security being weaponized to incarcerate anybody considered illegal into internment warehouses around
[00:27:39] the country. And I've got a news flash. We are next. The ongoing effort to create a $1.776 billion reparation slush fund to pay the January 6th insurrectionists. And now efforts are underway to create a $250 bill with the president's picture on it. And what happened to the Epstein files?
[00:28:09] all these issues pose an existential threat to our nation and even our way of life it's enough to drive anybody batty with a sense of hopelessness but today my brothers and sisters more than ever
[00:28:27] we must hold on to god's unchanging hand and maintain that blessed hope that will not in I'm reminded of the late Reverend Jesse Jackson who ran for president of the United States twice once in 1984 and again in 1988 although he lost both times he raised the hopes of our people
[00:28:53] that one day a person of color could be president of the United States in 20 years after 1988 that hope was realized when barack obama became president of the united states reverend jackson's theme keep hope alive energized our people he's spoken across the entire country and our people
[00:29:21] who have been objected our people who have been subjected our people who have been rejected our people who have been trivialized criticized marginalized disenfranchised minimalized and even vilified, beaten up and beaten down, cut up and cut down, shot up and shot down, renewed our
[00:29:43] hope that God would usher in a new day. The people of God still say to the world that no matter how bad things may get, we will continue to have hope in our God. Somebody ought to say amen.
[00:29:58] Our hope is built on nothing less.
[00:30:03] No matter how bad things may get, we will praise him even more.
[00:30:08] Amen?
[00:30:09] Praise the Lord.
[00:30:10] Our scripture today focuses on David writing encouraging words to those who would come after him to be faithful, even in times of adversity, even in times of trouble, even in times like these.
[00:30:26] these divinely inspired words were written in david's old age david's life had been marked by many dark periods some he brought on himself and others by outside circumstances david experienced attacks from enemies and even the rebellion of his own son absalom there were many years of great
[00:30:50] trouble especially in his later years the 71st psalm is written to encourage god's people in our afflictions especially those of us in our declining years and those of us in times of trouble the psalm encourages believers to keep faith that god will answer prayers that god will
[00:31:19] still heal, comfort, save, and deliver. King David praises God for not casting them off or forsaking him. He concludes the psalm with believing praises in verse 14. He concluded that no matter what happens to him, he will continuously have faith in God and hope that God will deliver him from
[00:31:42] the troubles he faced cannot get a witness brothers and sisters victory is powered by faith by and hope and if hope is shut down victory is impossible cannot get a witness believers must keep our heads up and our minds open to new ways to achieve our goals of kingdom building we must
[00:32:06] not be dissuaded by the changes that we face every day but continue to teach continue to teach continue to preach continue to pray continue to tell the world about the goodness of the lord and that god will be the source of our victory somebody ought to say amen
[00:32:29] are that those among us who have experienced setbacks for some the financial dilemma has called them to feel hopeless. For some, their job frustrations have caused them to feel hopeless.
[00:32:48] For some, their daily responsibilities have caused them to feel hopeless. For some, their private lifestyle, private lifestyle has caused them to feel hopeless. For some, their physical disabilities have caused them to feel hopeless. For some, their emotional stresses and distresses have caused them
[00:33:07] to feel hopeless and for others getting old has caused us to feel hopeless amen i've got a beard on my face y'all see it i remember when it was black amen not anymore the aging process can
[00:33:32] really be a challenge somebody ought to say amen praise god sometimes you you feel like things are just not going your way but I've got news for you there is hope for you sometimes you
[00:33:45] feel so bad but I got news there's hope for you sometimes you may feel that somebody just don't like you but there is hope for you sometimes you may feel that you are so immoral immoral but there
[00:33:55] is hope for you sometimes your your mind can be so confused but there is hope for you sometimes your lifestyle is so pathetic but there is hope for you and it makes no difference how the devil
[00:34:08] may have tormented you there is hope for you furthermore amen amen i don't care if you can't find a decent job there is hope for you i don't care if you're divorced there is hope for you
[00:34:30] i don't care if your family has nothing to do with you there is hope for you i don't care if you're a condemned prisoner there is hope for you i don't care if you're sick or disabled there is
[00:34:43] hope for you i don't care if you're living on welfare if you're out there on the street you don't have a place to lay your head there is hope for you and i don't even care if all hell has
[00:34:54] erupted in your life there is still hope so what if you gamble everything away there is hope so what if you've ruined your health through drug abuse and addiction there is still hope so what if you've been a bad
[00:35:17] alcoholic there is still hope so suppose you have been abused as a child there is still hope suppose you've been mistreated by others there is still hope suppose if you have a few or worse yet no friends at all
[00:35:32] there is still hope what a friend we have in Jesus huh all our griefs and sins to bear what a privilege it is to carry everything to God in prayer so what if you've been a prodigal son in a pig pen there is still hope for you can I get a witness
[00:35:58] we must always remember that there is always life after a knockdown can I get a witness because our greatest success in life is not being knocked down but getting up every time we get knocked down we must be prepared to fight a battle several times before winning we must know that
[00:36:14] everything we need to succeed in life is on the inside of us can i get a witness i'm paraphrasing when i say this it doesn't matter about the size of the man in the fight what matters is the size
[00:36:25] of the fight in the man oh i wish i had a witness to get in here to keep getting up we need hope that victory is possible and that if our mission is within the will of god we will be victorious
[00:36:38] Yes, we have many challenging tasks ahead of us, but they will never be greater than the strength we have within us.
[00:36:51] Do not lose hope. Sometimes life can be tough, but we should not forget that with God, we're tough, too.
[00:37:04] can I get a witness it was the late Dr. Robert Shuler who was pastor of the Crystal Cathedral Church in California who wrote a book entitled tough times never last but tough people do amen
[00:37:17] and if God lives then hope cannot be cancelled the focus of our hope is in the living God and as long as God lives I don't think he's going to die anytime soon can I get a witness
[00:37:32] there is always hope that we can rise above our present circumstances and in our challenges sometimes we forget that we serve a mighty God who provided special provisions for us and as we struggle we must not worry about how we will survive after the trouble passes
[00:37:52] we must not forget that because Jesus lives good God almighty he's still able to do for us today what he had done for us in the past and even more and because jesus lives we can face tomorrow
[00:38:07] because he lives all fear is gone because we know who holds the future and life is worth the living just because he lives can i get a witness let us not forget who god is and what god can do
[00:38:27] and what he can do for us for God heals Jehovah Jireh can I get a witness he's the God who provides God heals Jehovah Shalom he's the God of peace God heals Jehovah Raha he's our shepherd
[00:38:44] God heals Jehovah Rapha the God who heals God heals Jehovah the Lord our righteousness in our daily struggles We wrestle with many difficulties, sometimes forgetting the one who has helped us through situations in the past.
[00:39:04] We must always remember that God is omnipotent.
[00:39:09] God is omniscient.
[00:39:11] God is omnipresent.
[00:39:14] God is almighty.
[00:39:15] God is all-knowing.
[00:39:17] And God is ever-present.
[00:39:19] Can I get a witness?
[00:39:20] Let us focus on the cross of Christ And the throne of glory And renew our hope God lives and therefore Our hope cannot end Can I get a witness Finally my brothers We must remember
[00:39:40] That God will not Abandon us Can I get a witness There is no reason for us To end hope God is faithful And he will always respond to our needs Can I get a witness
[00:39:58] When Noah experienced the flood And the waters descended after a year Hope was not ended And God sent him a rainbow Gideon faced the prospect Of fighting the Midianites With a small army But Gideon knew
[00:40:17] There was still hope Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego good God Almighty were condemned because they didn't worship Nebuchadnezzar three times a day they'd face Jerusalem and they would pray and because they prayed to God Almighty
[00:40:37] they were condemned and Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were thrown in a fiery furnace but even in that furnace they didn't give up hope because while they were there Oh, King Nebuchadnezzar looked through a window and a fiery furnace, and he began to count one, two, three.
[00:40:59] He said, wait a minute.
[00:41:01] I thought we put three in there, but I see a fourth figure.
[00:41:05] Looks like the Son of God.
[00:41:07] God will, even in your fiery furnace, God will make a way out of no way.
[00:41:15] Can I get a witness?
[00:41:16] Even today, God still responds and he gives us enough signs to know that hope has not ended.
[00:41:25] Before we burden ourselves down with unnecessary word, we must remember that we serve an awesome God.
[00:41:35] Can I get a witness who reigns and blesses us in so many ways?
[00:41:42] Even though we see the sick and the injured all around us, but we also see the thousands of people who've been healed.
[00:41:53] And that reminds us that hope has not ended.
[00:41:57] Those who have experienced repeated failure in life and have been restored over and over again know that hope is alive and has not ended.
[00:42:09] Our hope is alive today because we remember what God did for us so yesterday.
[00:42:17] Our hope stands firm because we remember that God sent his only begotten son to show his love for the world.
[00:42:29] We keep hoping because we remember that when we were weak, he made us strong.
[00:42:36] when we were down he picked us up when we were defeated he gave us victory when we were discouraged he restored our hope when we were lonely he gave us comfort when we were troubled
[00:42:50] he gave us peace of mind oh i wish i had a witness up in here the world learned that hope was not ended when a child was born down in Bethlehem and lived among men for 33 years. Some thought
[00:43:15] hope was ended when they saw our Lord lifted high on an old rugged cross. Some thought that hope was ended when they saw him stretched out wide. They thought hope was ended when they saw the blood dripping down from his brow. They thought hope was ended when they heard him cry out
[00:43:39] Father why has thou forsaken me? They thought hope was ended when he dropped his head and died.
[00:43:50] But early Sunday morning good God Almighty they found out that despite the stone That blocked the tomb And despite the soldiers guarding the entrance Jesus, Mary's baby Jesus, God's son Jesus, the lily of the valley
[00:44:19] Jesus, the bright and morning star Jesus, my joy in the morning Jesus, my water when I'm thirsty Jesus read when I'm hungry Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Got up from the grave With all power in his hand
[00:44:43] Good God Almighty I don't know about your hope But hope has not been ended Because Jesus, Jesus is alive I don't know about your hope But my hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
[00:45:05] I dare not trust the sweetest frame But holy, holy, holy, holy Lean on Jesus' name On Christ, on Christ, Christ, Christ The solid rock I stand Good God Almighty Romans 8 and 24 tells us that we're saved
[00:45:45] by hope read it first few lines Romans 8 chapter 24 we're saved by hope I want you to stand amen I got a couple more pages I'm going to cut it right now let the church say amen
[00:46:04] I'm going to open the doors of the church right now is that alright there may be somebody here today who's in a hopeless situation and no matter which way you turn it seems like there's nothing but darkness
[00:46:21] if you're here today and if Jesus Christ is not Lord of your life I invite you on this day it's August 23rd today is your day of salvation I wouldn't stand before you today if I hadn't given my life
[00:46:41] to Christ on October 16th 1977 so if you're here today and if Jesus Christ is not Lord of your life if you're going through hell if you're suffering from some physical ailment if your mind is
[00:46:56] stressed and distressed if your spirit is not holy today August 23rd 2026 is your day to get rid of all of that mess and allow the messiah to come into your life would there be one would
[00:47:16] there be more than one today is your day of salvation if there's one who desires to express your prayer if you're here today we bid you come the one who desires to unite with this arm of the
[00:47:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:47:48] christian church seals creek ame zion church here at the creek will you come the way lord if you leave me i cannot stray oh lord day you may be seated we whoa amen we will now have the
[00:48:47] offering lifted at this time amen stewards will you come amen guide me a long way we stand all things come of thee oh lord and of thine own have we given thee and amen be seated at this time let the church say amen are there announcements at this time
[00:51:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:51:41] praise the lord there are no announcements that we're ready to give the benediction that all right give this choir a hand musicians give the usher a hand give the technician a hand
[00:52:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:52:10] give yourselves a hand amen give God a hand amen praise the Lord
[00:52:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:52:20] oh well thank you God bless you God bless you now I parked in the pastor's parking lot amen I'm not the pastor but I parked in his parking space I did that I did that one time
[00:52:40] a couple of weeks ago and I filled in for the pastor and he went on vacation amen and so I come to Sunday school so I came to Sunday school his spot was open I parked in there
[00:52:57] and so I'm parking in his parking spot and we're having Sunday school and all of a sudden
[00:53:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:53:05] I said man what you doing I thought you were on vacation.
[00:53:09] Man, you're talking about a parking spot.
[00:53:11] Well, you've been on Sunday school all the time.
[00:53:13] You didn't have your own parking spot.
[00:53:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:53:16] So I think Dr. Merriweather is over in Tennessee, I believe.
[00:53:23] And so I felt like I could get away with it today.
[00:53:27] Is that all right?
[00:53:29] Amen.
[00:53:30] But I've enjoyed myself here.
[00:53:31] I pray that you all have had a great time.
[00:53:33] I've enjoyed Sunday school.
[00:53:35] This is the second time I've been to Sunday school.
[00:53:37] And we have more men in Sunday school than we had ladies.
[00:53:40] Amen.
[00:53:43] So I enjoyed myself, and I pray that we had a good time in Sunday school this morning.
[00:53:49] Amen.
[00:53:50] Praise the Lord, and thank you for allowing me to participate.
[00:53:54] But I think I'm ready to give the benediction.
[00:53:59] Would you stand?
[00:54:00] Blessed be he, the tithe that binds.
[00:54:08] Is that your closing song?
[00:54:10] What are you closed with?
[00:54:13] They say amen.
[00:54:18] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]
[00:54:18] Everybody say amen.
[00:54:28] Amen.
[00:54:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:54:32] Amen. Please be seated momentarily. Amen.
[00:54:35] May we bow our heads. Heavenly Father, we thank you for what our eyes have seen, for what our ears have heard, and what our hearts have felt.
[00:54:42] We thank you, dear God, for the visitation, the manifestation of your Holy Spirit.
[00:54:47] Lord, we thank you for your word, that it may go forth and never return, Lord.
[00:54:51] Lord, bless these people here at the creek. Keep them in thy care, dear God.
[00:54:57] Bless them as only you can, as only you know how.
[00:54:59] and now may the grace of God the love of Jesus and the sweet sweet communion of the Holy Ghost abide and keep us all henceforth and forever may we together say Amen and Amen God bless you all
[00:55:10] love you take care God bless you
