Sermons

by Emily Wooten

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
What does it mean, to wait upon the Lord?
Strong’s says the word that is translated wait means to hope, expect or to look for.
If we eagerly look for and abide in his word we will find a renewed strength.
Isaiah 40:28 asks the questions. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, The Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth doesn’t faint. He isn’t weary. He gives power to the faint, and to them who have no might, he increases strength.
Are you feeling a little frustrated, weakened or confused? There is hope! There is strength! There is understanding!
This chapter in Isaiah explores the majesty of our God. He is so far above anything we have known and his knowledge of the world in which we live is unending. It makes sense to turn to him and look for the answers in wisdom himself.
When we are hurting, he is comfort.
Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful (or anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which e all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Instead of concentrating on and lingering in the sorrow, anger or frustration, replace those thoughts with words from our Eternal, Almighty God.
If Paul were here today he might say it like this. Fix your thoughts on what is true, good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad.
When the world seems to be closing in, you’ve been hurt or let down, look around you and take notice of the good things you still can enjoy. God promises, if we do, we will gain strength and find comfort.
Isaiah 26:3-4 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:
Proverbs 3:1-2 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

by Emily Wooten

In Genesis 1:1 we see God as the creator.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
In Isaiah 40:28 he is not only Creator but also everlasting God and Lord.
Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding.
Jeremiah 32:17 Ah Lord God! Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
Psalm 33:6–9 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.
Nehemiah 9:6 Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
All these scriptures declare God is the creator who is powerful. He is powerful enough to create peace in your chaos–if you let him be Omnipotent Creator in your life.

by Emily Wooten

Genesis 16:13 And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
Nobody saw God. Even Moses the prophet was protected when God spoke with him. Here a women who was born a Gentile says she looked after him. We could learn something for Hagar. She looked for help, called out to God and received from him.
David wrote in Psalms 18:1-6 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
Here we see the mighty warrior, who would be king, was terrified. In his distress he called on the one true, self existing God, who was and is and is to come. He was not bashful. He did not stutter. He cried to God with assurance that he would be seen and heard.
David knew the character of God. He had trusted him over and over again and understood how to let God reign in his members. He understood the act of humbling himself before God, submitting to his will, which was to make him a king and a legend. David called to God presenting his case and God responded appropriately.
This is a great example of the correct, effective way to ask God for anything. Scripture tells us in James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
If you can have an effectual and fervent prayer, it stands to reason that a person might have an ineffective or ineffectual prayer. Why would anyone knowingly invest time and effort in a prayer that would not produce good results? People do it all the time. Going into prayer without scriptural promise to back up what one is asking for is fruitless. Doubting God will only produce rotten fruit.
If we want to be seen by God–If we want him to hear our plea, we will need to follow his directive. We ask God in confidence coming boldly to the throne of grace knowing we will find mercy and grace to help in a time of need. Just like David and Hagar we can be seen by God and as a results learn to really see him as our redeemer.

By Emily Wooten

In Deuteronomy 31:6 God had Moses tell the people, ” Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
The same way God spoke to the light in creation and told it to be and it was, he commanded Israel and Joshua to be strong and of a good courage. God doesn’t say words casually. When he speaks it is to cause something to happen.
Moses was gone and Joshua was faced with a seemingly unsurmountable task. God had chosen Joshua to lead his people. He spoke life in to Joshua and told him, “Be Strong!”
Joshua 1:8-9 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
What more do we need than to have God with us wherever we go? Holy Spirit has been sent to us.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
John 14:16-17 (Jesus said) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, (Holy Spirit) that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
John 10:26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
Jesus said it and it is recorded in John 14:26-27 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Those words still resound today, “Don’t let your heart be troubled or afraid.” God is encouraging us today to trust him in every situation. As we prioritize his will over our own, we will gain strength, grace and favor.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

by Emily Wooten

Matthew 16:15-19 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
The revelation that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God was the foundation on which the church has been established. As born-again Christians, we have to choose to accept our position of authority and take God’s word, saying what he said about us.
In Matthew 25:14 Jesus begins teaching them. He said, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.” He explains that one was given five talents, another two and one was given one talent. The three had the opportunity to invest the talents and cause them to gain increase.
We see in verses 20-23 when the man returned his servants brought him what was his. “And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
God has given us great and precious promises. It is up to us to take his word and apply it to our lives, our circumstances and manage what he has given us by faith.
In John 14:2-3 Jesus said, ” In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
John 14:12-13″Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father and whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
We can choose to take God’s word by faith and manage our lives here in grace and favor. It is up too us to loose the Spirit of God and the angels to minister in us and our children. It is also up to us to bind the devil and stop him from destroying our families.

by Emily Wooten

Romans 13:7- Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. 8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another hath fulfilled the law.
Scriptures are rich with instructions and examples of showing love and appreciation. Paul often wrote about the principles of loving and showing love to one another.
Romans 12:9-13 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectionate, one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Philippians 2:3-4 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul explained that everything we do should be hinged on love, compassion, a yearning to see others blessed.
In John 13:34 we see where Jesus taught us to love one another.
{A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.}
Today we honor our Pastors with Pastor Appreciation Day. We will give them cards and gifts that serve to express our appreciation for their lives of service.
We see where God inspired David to give thanks to God. Psalm 92: 1-4 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: To shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound. For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
Pastors Ron and Lisa Johnson have spent a lifetime offering themselves in service to our Lord and Master. They’ve worked with the hands to help us grow as a church body and as individuals.
Take a moment today and lift up all our leaders: in our families, our church, our city, state and nation. Raise their names to God our father and ask for insight, wisdom and courage. Scripture says, in 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
We need God to show himself strong in our leaders: to give them wisdom and an understanding heart.
As we celebrate their 20 years at Fort Payne Church of God let us also rejoice in the years to come, and make them feel loved and appreciated.

by Emily Wooten

The first time David was anointed, he was a young man who tended his father’s sheep. The ceremony was private, with his immediate family.
1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. Later, the men of Judah anointed him king over their tribe in 2 Samuel 2:4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.
Finally, all the elders of Israel anointed him king over all of Israel in 2 Samuel 5:3-4 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord: and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
We need leaders in our community that are spirit led and anointed to lead. All too soon we will wake up and it will be the day we are supposed to vote. Communities all over DeKalb County will have municipal elections. Have you prayed about your vote? We would like to think those who are running for office have prayed and are being led. What about our responsibility to seek God for the person he wants to be in office?
Being Spirit led is just as important when it comes to our vote as any other aspect of our lives.
We have a responsibility to pray for those who are running for office. We can pray that God will give them the anointing to speak the truth in love. We can loose the Spirit of God to minister through them while submitting them to God for his direction.
David was anointed by God years before men understood he was born to be king. We have leaders that were also born to a purpose. If God be for them who can be against them? Let’s make sure it isn’t us who are contrary to God’s will. Pray that God will open the doors that need to be opened and close the doors that should be shut tight. It is our responsibility to seek God when it comes to our vote. It is not just a privilege that we get to vote, it is a responsibility. Let your voice be heard. Pray! Vote!

by Emily Wooten

God made a covenant for all humans through Abraham. His relationship with God positioned his family in God’s favor. God said of Abraham that he would not only do his commandments, but also teach his children.
Genesis 18:18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. It was through Isaac, Abraham’s son, that God would send a savior, the chosen Messiah.
A man is known by the legacy he leaves behind. We see in Genesis 31:42 Jacob acknowledging God’s protection and intervention in his life. Jacob states that if it weren’t for “the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac,” Laban would have sent him away with nothing. Is it possible for Isaac to have been taught to reverence God, to do his commandments, but never intimately experience God?
We see where God warned Isaac not to go to Egypt in Genesis 26:2-3, but we have no record of God walking or talking with Isaac the way he did with Adam or Abraham. Jacob’s idea of his father’s relationship with God is that he was the fear of Isaac. Maybe the reason Isaac obeyed God was out of a reverential fear.
Is it possible that our laid-back culture has produced a generation of Christians who not only don’t know God in an intimate fellowship, but they don’t reverence him either?
God saw in Abraham a human who would teach his children to obey God. It isn’t clear if Isaac loved God. As a teenager, he had been tied to the altar as a sacrifice at God’s request. Isaac was likely familiar with animal sacrifices, and his question (Genesis 22:8), “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” suggests he understood the purpose of their journey to Mount Moriah. When Abraham binds him and places him on the altar, Isaac would have realized he was to be the sacrifice. This realization for a young man must have been profound and potentially terrifying, yet he did not object. Perhaps he had been convinced that God was going to make a nation from him. At any rate, Abraham had taught his son to obey God.
Isaac was released at the last moment, and God did make a nation from his children. Because of the work of Jesus, the descendant of Isaac, we can have both an intimate relationship with God and reverence him. Through God’s word and the work of the Holy Spirit, we can experience God more profoundly than Isaac or Jacob. Fellowshipping with God is not just a privilege, it is a responsibility. Just do it!

By Emily Wooten

In a little over two weeks school will open the doors. It is a daunting task our educators have – to be responsible for exposing children to quality information while protecting them from other information and environmental circumstances can seem overwhelming. Bus drivers, lunchroom staff, coaches and sponsors will all contribute each day to our child’s life. They need our help! As children of the Living God, we have a responsibility to pray for our teachers and administrators.

Illuminating the next generation, helping them to develop good character and grow as individuals is a good thing. It is God’s will that ignorance be abolished. He carefully orchestrated the collection of ancient text which was used to create the Holy Bible. His instructions are available to everyone so we can learn. Without the opportunity to learn everyone would be lost.

We are blessed to live in a country where schools are available to almost everyone. Transportation in the form of busses will pick children up almost everywhere. Educational opportunities are not equal from one district to the other but they are all better than some parts of the world where education isn’t an option at all. 

Praying for our teachers, administrators, drivers, coaches and anyone who works in the school system will give them strength, incite and courage. Mark your calendar with reminders to pray for our school employees. They are all preparing for the upcoming classes. God can give them incite and wisdom to know how to approach their students. God can provide resources so they will have the tools they need to reach children in a positive way. You can have a part in helping chilren overcome the opstacles that will bombard them. You may be the difference they need. Pray!

by Emily Wooten

The concept of “Our Hope and Redeemer” centers on Jesus Christ as the one who offers salvation and a future with God. It emphasizes that through Jesus’ sacrifice, humanity is redeemed from sin and offered the hope of eternal life. This hope is not just a future promise, but also a present reality that shapes how believers live and endure hardships. 

Christian hope is not merely wishful thinking, but a confident expectation rooted in faith in Jesus and God’s promises. It allows believers to face challenges and uncertainties with assurance, knowing that God is faithful and will bring about His purposes.

Recognizing Jesus as our Redeemer inspires a changed life. Believers are motivated to live in a way that reflects God’s love and grace.

It’s not just about acknowledging a historical figure, but about actively choosing to follow Him and experiencing the transformative power of His grace.

This hope isn’t passive; it’s meant to be lived out. It inspires perseverance, love, and service.

Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Scripture tells us many are called but few are chosen. It is our responsibility to comply with God’s instructions. Working out our own salvation with respect, acknowledging God in everything we do.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.