How does God respond to a nation that thinks they can live ungodly lives without consequences? God responds with a final act of mercy. He will draw those who desire to know Him and give us a revelation of His power, majesty and glory. We will have a soberness in the hour we are living and the hope that is set before us in Christ.

Pastor Gary Wilkerson continues our sermon series in the Gospel of John, sharing about how God wants to do unimaginable things in our lives. In John 6:16–21, we see that God intends each of us to have a destination, drive and delight. He wants to bring children closer to God and bring healing in our lives. The destination is the vision and calling that he has given to each one of us. We can move forward with passion and eagerness when this calling in clear. Just as Jesus got in the boat with his disciples, it is a place of joy when Jesus is walking with you and leading you in this calling.

It isn't uncommon to get off to a great start full of faith and excitement only to get derailed when difficulties come along. Like Philip we look at our resources and realize we don't have enough—money, faith, skill, etc. Fortunately we know one who makes all the resources of heaven available to us. Rather than fixating on the crisis, look to the one who can resolve your crisis. With dependent confidence draw near to Jesus in prayer, the Bible and community.

It’s a tragedy in every generation when we take the truth of God and begin to live for ourselves. The end result is that we lose the burden of God for the lost. The Kingdom of God is made up of mercy and miracles. God is calling His church to arise and cry out to Him for the children and the lost who are left wounded and dying in the streets. It’s time to pray like never before.

There is a moment in everyone’s life when we have this inner sense that God has something more for us. It is the mercy of God that will leave an emptiness in your soul so that it will lead you to His love. There is a cry in the heart of God that simply says I love you and long for you. We don’t have to fully understand it we just have to receive it.

If you have been a Christian for any amount of time, then you are probably familiar with Jesus' words, "Ask, and you will receive..." If we are honest, a lot of the time when we ask we don't receive the answer in the time we expected. What happened?! God may have some areas in your life where he needs to bring growth before he brings the answer; or he may have many things to coordinate in order to answer your prayer.

Be careful of those voices who are trying to draw the Bride of Christ into human effort. As Christians we don’t need an external sign because we have been changed from the inside out. We must pray for God to do a supernatural work in our life. Don’t draw back, move forward in faith, and expect the miraculous, because God has a special plan for your life.

It is easy to get concerned about the future, especially if you are in the middle of hard or uncertain times. We look forward for a sign that the future will be okay, but we should be looking back to Christ's completed covenant. Your assurance for the future comes when you look back to God's past faithfulness.