“Five Questions God Asks Us”

 

Questions that reveal our position, relationships, direction, identity, and calling

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1. “Where Are You?” — Adam

📖 Genesis 3:9

“Where are you?”

Sermon Point: God wants to know your spiritual position.

God knew exactly where Adam was physically. The question was not about his location—it was about his relationship with God.

Adam had:

• Hidden from God

• Lost fellowship with God

• Become afraid of God's presence

• Allowed sin to change his position

Questions to ask the congregation:

• Where are you spiritually today?

• Are you close to God or hiding from Him?

• Are you walking in obedience or running from His presence?

• Has sin caused you to hide?

Key thought:
God is not asking, “Where are you?” because He cannot find you. He is asking because He wants you to recognize where you are.

Application:

Before God changes your circumstances, He often wants to correct your position.

“Return to the place of fellowship with God.”

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2. “Where Is Your Brother?” — Cain

📖 Genesis 4:9

“Where is Abel your brother?”

Sermon Point: God wants to know the condition of our relationships.

Cain's response was:

“Am I my brother's keeper?”

But God was confronting Cain about what he had done to Abel.

Christianity is not only about our relationship with God; it is also about how we treat people.

Questions to ask:

• Where is your brother?

• Where is your sister?

• Who needs your encouragement?

• Who have you ignored?

• Is there someone you need to forgive?

• Are you responsible for helping someone God has placed around you?

Application:

We cannot claim to love God while deliberately living in hatred, bitterness, or indifference toward others.

Key thought:
God cares about how we treat the people He has placed in our lives.

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3. “Where Have You Come From, and Where Are You Going?” — Hagar

📖 Genesis 16:8

“Where have you come from, and where are you going?”

Sermon Point: God wants us to examine our past and our direction.

This is a powerful question because it has two dimensions:

A. Where have you come from?

Look at your past.

• What has God brought you through?

• What did He deliver you from?

• What lessons have you learned?

• What mistakes should you not repeat?

B. Where are you going?

Look at your future.

• What is your destination?

• What is God's purpose for your life?

• Are you moving toward God or away from Him?

• Are your decisions taking you closer to God's will?

Key thought:

Your past explains where you came from, but it does not have to determine where you are going.

Application:

Some people are stuck in their past. Others are moving without direction.

God asks us to recognize both:
“Where have you come from?”
and
“Where are you going?”

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4. “Where Is Your Wife Sarah?” — Abraham

📖 Genesis 18:9

“Where is Sarah your wife?”

Sermon Point: God wants us to recognize the people connected to His purpose for our lives.

Sarah was not merely Abraham's wife. She was connected to God's promise and purpose for Abraham's household.

God was about to announce something significant concerning Sarah:

“Sarah your wife shall have a son.”

Questions to ask:

• Who has God placed beside you?

• Are you valuing the people God has given you?

• Are you encouraging your family toward God's purpose?

• Are you praying together?

• Are you walking together in God's calling?

Application:

Sometimes we become so focused on ministry, work, success, or personal goals that we forget the people God has placed right beside us.

Key thought:
Don't pursue God's purpose while neglecting the people God has entrusted to you.

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5. “What Is Your Name?” — Jacob

📖 Genesis 32:27

“What is your name?”

Sermon Point: God wants us to confront our identity.

God already knew Jacob's name.

The question forced Jacob to acknowledge who he was.

The name Jacob was associated with his past:

• Deception

• Struggle

• Manipulation

• Taking advantage of others

But after his encounter with God, Jacob received a new identity:

📖 Genesis 32:28

“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel.”

Application:

Sometimes before God gives us a new identity, He asks us to honestly confront our old identity.

Ask yourself:

• Who am I?

• What defines me?

• Am I defined by my past?

• Am I defined by my failures?

• Am I defined by people's opinions?

• Or am I defined by what God says about me?

Key thought:
Your past may explain you, but your past does not have the final word over you.

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The Five Questions — One Sermon

You could summarize the entire message like this:

Question	Person	What God Is Addressing
Where are you?	Adam	Your Position
Where is your brother?	Cain	Your Relationships
Where have you come from? Where are you going?	Hagar	Your Direction
Where is Sarah your wife?	Abraham	Your Relationships & Responsibility
What is your name?	Jacob	Your Identity

Five areas God wants us to examine

1. Position — Where are you?

Am I walking with God?

2. Relationships — Where is your brother?

Am I loving and caring for people?

3. Direction — Where are you going?

Am I moving according to God's purpose?

4. Responsibility — Where is Sarah?

Am I taking care of the people God has entrusted to me?

5. Identity — What is your name?

Am I living according to God's identity and calling?

God's questions are not meant to condemn us; they are meant to bring us into transformation.

God asked Adam “Where are you?” → Come out of hiding.
God asked Cain “Where is your brother?” → Take responsibility.
God asked Hagar “Where have you come from and where are you going?” → Find direction.
God asked Abraham “Where is Sarah?” → Recognize God's promise and your responsibility.
God asked Jacob “What is your name?” → Confront your past and receive a new identity.

“When God asks you a question, He is not looking for information—He is looking for transformation.”

God of Holiness

 God is very particular about his children being holy. 

In 1 Peter 1:16, it is mentioned "Be ye Holy as I am Holy'. God is specifically demanding holiness from his children. 

Many a times, we think that God will overlook all our silly sins and we tend to commit them without the fear of God. This is a very dangerous thing. 

If you look at the life of Moses, he lost his chance of entering the promised land just because he disobeyed God. When God asked Moses to go and talk to the rock, he went and hit it twice. This looks very small for us, but when God assigns a work to his children, he wants it to be done HIS way, and not in any other way. 

Therefore, I urge all the brothers and sisters to be more careful when you are walking with God. Do not take your calling lightly. Be careful to be HOLY. 

7 Promises of God for you

 

The Spiritual Way to Celebrate Christmas: Reclaiming the Awe

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:10-11, "And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'"

Introduction: The Distraction of December

Brothers and sisters, every year, the calendar turns to December, and a strange thing happens. Our world, for a brief time, is flooded with light, sound, and a spirit of frantic activity. We call this time Christmas. But if we are honest, for many, Christmas is no longer a spiritual celebration; it has become an endurance test.

We are so focused on things which are not spiritual that we often miss the very essence of the Christ Child. We rush to the stores, we chase sales, we wrap paper, we bake cookies, we attend parties, and we try desperately to fit a sense of peace into a schedule designed for stress.

The people have changed. The celebration has changed. It used to be a quiet contemplation of God becoming man—the ultimate act of humility and love. Now, it has become a measure of our capacity for consumerism. We have substituted the awe of the Manger for the anxiety of the mall.

Today, let us look at the biblical ways of celebrating Christmas, not to condemn the cheer, but to redeem the heart of the season. How do we shift our focus back to the Savior, Christ the Lord? 

The Bible shows us three vital spiritual responses.

1. Awe and Humility (The Response of the Shepherds)

The first spiritual response is awe, mixed with profound humility.

Who were the first evangelized? Not the high priests, not Caesar, but a group of humble, uncultured, and often overlooked shepherds. When the angels appeared, they did not debate theology; they were terrified, and then they were filled with immediate, unadulterate wonder.

The biblical way to celebrate Christmas is to first be stunned by the truth: The Almighty God, who spoke the cosmos into existence, shrunk himself down to the size of a helpless baby, wrapped in cloths and placed in an animal’s feeding trough. This is the ultimate act of self-giving humility.

The challenge to us today is this: When was the last time you were truly awe-struck by the Nativity? Not by the beautiful lights on the tree, but by the cosmic paradox in the stable. We must clear the clutter of commercialism and return to the simple, humbling scene. Christmas is a call to recognize our need for a Savior, and to respond not with a credit card, but with a bowed heart.

2. Worship and Offering (The Response of the Magi)

The second spiritual response is worship, expressed through the giving of our very best.

While the shepherds represent humility, the Magi represent intentional, costly worship. They traveled a great distance, overcame significant hardship, and when they found the child, they did not just offer a prayer; they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts were valuable, symbolic, and likely helped fund the Holy Family's escape to Egypt.

We, too, are focused on gifts, but our modern focus is on receiving or on gifts of things. The Magi’s focus was on giving to the King. The spiritual celebration of Christmas asks us: What are we offering to the Christ Child?

The true gifts of Christmas are not wrapped in paper. They are the gifts of our time (time spent serving others, not just shopping); our talents (using our abilities for His Kingdom, not just our careers); and our heart (the gold of our purity, the frankincense of our prayers, and the myrrh of our willingness to die to self). The biblical way to celebrate is to make your life an offering of worship to the newborn King.

3. Proclamation and Joy (The Response of the Angels and Shepherds)

The third and final spiritual response is proclamation, overflowing with great joy.

The angels declared the good news. The shepherds, after seeing the baby, “made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child” (Luke 2:17). They didn't keep the joy to themselves; they immediately became the world's first Christmas preachers.

If Christ truly is the Savior, if He is the "good news of great joy," then our celebration cannot be contained within the walls of our homes. Our celebration must become a testimony.

The modern focus is often on self-care, on taking a break, on fulfilling our own desires. The spiritual focus is on sharing the incomparable gift of salvation. This season should be characterized by an unstoppable, Spirit-led joy that naturally compels us to tell others about the hope we have found.

Conclusion

Friends, let us remember the change that must happen this season is not in the decorations, but in the heart. The spiritual celebration of Christmas requires us to:

Seek Awe: To stand in humble wonder before the mystery of the Incarnation.

Offer Our Best: To give the King our time, talent, and renewed devotion.

Proclaim His Joy: To share the good news with the frantic and searching world around us.

This Christmas, let us change the focus. Let us exchange the stress of things for the serenity of the Savior. Let us truly celebrate the birth of our Lord, Christ the Lord. Amen.

Psalm 1:3 A small thought on the first Psalm.

 కీర్తనల గ్రంథం 1:3

ప్రారంభం: పరిచయం మరియు ప్రార్థన

కీర్తనల గ్రంథం 1వ అధ్యాయం దేవుని వాక్యం పట్ల ఒక వ్యక్తి ఎలా ఉండాలో వివరిస్తుంది.

ఇది నీతిమంతుడు మరియు దుష్టుడు మధ్య ఉన్న తేడాను చూపిస్తుంది.

కీర్తన 1 యొక్క సారాంశం

వచనం 1: నీతిమంతుడు దుష్టుల ఆలోచనలను, పాపుల మార్గాలను, అపహాస్కుల సమూహాన్ని విడిచిపెడతాడు. చెడు ప్రభావాల నుండి దూరంగా ఉండటం ముఖ్యం.

వచనం 2: నీతిమంతుడు యెహోవా ధర్మశాస్త్రమును ఆనందిస్తాడు, దాన్ని రేయింబవళ్లు ధ్యానిస్తాడు. ఇది దేవుని వాక్యాన్ని మన జీవితంలో ఒక భాగం చేసుకోవాలని సూచిస్తుంది.

కీర్తన 1:3 లోని లోతైన భావాలు

"అతడు నీటికాలువల యోరన నాటబడిన చెట్టువలె ఉండును."

చెట్టు: ఒక చెట్టుకు బలం, స్థిరత్వం, మరియు ఫలభరితం ఉంటాయి.

నీటి కాలువలు: ఇది దేవుని జీవజలం, అనగా దేవుని వాక్యం మరియు పరిశుద్ధాత్మను సూచిస్తుంది. ఇది నిరంతర పోషణను అందిస్తుంది.

"ఆకు వాడక తన కాలమందు ఫలమిచ్చును."

ఫలం: ఇది ఒక విశ్వాసి జీవితంలో కనిపించే ఆధ్యాత్మిక ఫలాలను సూచిస్తుంది. ప్రేమ, సంతోషం, సమాధానం, దీర్ఘశాంతం, దయ, మంచితనం, నమ్మకత్వం, సాత్వికం, ఆశానిగ్రహం.

ఆకు వాడకపోవడం: ఇది నిరంతర బలం, నిలకడ, మరియు సమృద్ధిని సూచిస్తుంది. విశ్వాసి ఏ పరిస్థితుల్లోనైనా బలంగా ఉంటాడు.

"అతడు చేయునదంతయు సఫలమగును."

నిజమైన విజయం దేవునిపై ఆధారపడి ఉంటుంది.

అతని విజయం అనేది లోకసంబంధమైనది కాదు, అది దేవుని చిత్తానికి అనుగుణంగా ఉంటుంది.

ముగింపు మరియు అనువర్తనం

మనం నీటికాలువల యోరన నాటబడిన చెట్టులా ఉండాలంటే మనం దేవుని వాక్యాన్ని ధ్యానించాలి.

మన జీవితంలో దేవుని చిత్తం ఫలించాలంటే, మనం పాప మార్గాల నుండి దూరంగా ఉండాలి.

దేవుని వాక్యం మన జీవితానికి జీవం మరియు బలాన్ని ఇస్తుంది.

Short message on Psalm 1

 Psalm 1 serves as an introduction to the entire book, laying out its central theme: the stark contrast between the righteous and the wicked. It is a wisdom psalm that presents two clear paths in life and their resulting outcomes.

• The Path of the Righteous (Verses 1–3): The psalm begins with "Blessed is the man..." This isn't just a statement of happiness, but of deep, lasting spiritual contentment. The righteous person is defined by what they avoid and what they embrace.

  • Avoiding the wicked: The righteous person doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked, doesn't stand in the path of sinners, and doesn't sit in the seat of scoffers. This shows a progression from casual interaction to active participation and finally to a settled way of life that is defined by rebellion against God.

  • Embracing God's Law: Instead, the righteous person's delight is in the law of the LORD, and they meditate on it day and night. The Hebrew word for "meditate" (hagah) implies a deep, continuous reflection, a quiet "muttering" of God's word to oneself.

  • The Result: This person is likened to a tree planted by streams of water , which is stable, fruitful, and always nourished. Their life is prosperous and endures, not necessarily in a material sense, but in its ultimate purpose and security.

• The Path of the Wicked (Verses 4–6): The psalm then sharply contrasts this with the fate of the wicked.

  • The Nature of the Wicked: The wicked are described as chaff—the lightweight, useless husks of grain that are easily driven away by the wind during winnowing. This imagery conveys their lack of substance, stability, and ultimate value.

  • The Result: Because they have no foundation, the wicked will not stand in the judgment or in the assembly of the righteous. Their path is not merely different; it leads to perishing.

The psalm concludes by summarizing the two destinies: "For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." This final verse encapsulates the entire message, emphasizing that God actively oversees and preserves the righteous, while the path of the wicked leads to ruin.

Introduction to the Book of Psalms

 The Book of Psalms is divided into five main sections, often called "books." 

This five-part structure is thought to intentionally mirror the five books of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). 

Each of the first four books concludes with a doxology, a formal expression of praise to God, and the entire book ends with a final, extensive doxology in Psalm 150.

The Five Books of Psalms

• Book 1: Psalms 1–41. This section primarily contains psalms attributed to King David and often focuses on personal laments and prayers of distress, as well as expressions of confidence in God.

• Book 2: Psalms 42–72. It includes more psalms from David, but also introduces a collection of psalms by the Sons of Korah. The focus remains on themes of distress and trust in God, with a communal voice emerging in some prayers.

• Book 3: Psalms 73–89. This book includes most of the psalms by Asaph and a second collection from the Sons of Korah. The tone becomes darker, with psalms that question God's justice and express a sense of communal and national crisis.

• Book 4: Psalms 90–106. This section begins with a psalm by Moses and responds to the crisis of Book 3 by reaffirming God's kingship and faithfulness. It includes a group of "The LORD reigns" psalms (93-100) and reflects on Israel's history.

• Book 5: Psalms 107–150. The final book begins with thanksgiving and culminates in a crescendo of praise with the "Hallelujah Psalms" (146–150). It also contains the longest psalm (119) and the Songs of Ascent (120–134).