AUGUST THEME – “Experiencing God: From Knowing About Him to Walking With Him”
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
This morning we were reminded that there is a vast difference between knowing facts about God and truly experiencing Him in our daily lives. Facts fill the head, but only His presence transforms the heart. Scripture, history, and testimony all point to this truth: God reveals Himself as Refuge in the storm, Healer in our brokenness, Deliverer in the fire, and Consuming Fire when idols must be burned away. Every trial becomes an invitation for God to show Himself strong. From Moses at the burning bush to Isaiah touched by the coal, to Peter restored by fire on the shore, God has always used the flame not to destroy His people, but to prepare, purify, and send them for His purpose.
But His fire also demands a response. We cannot treat what is holy casually or stand near the flame without stepping in. Revival requires refinement; calling requires cleansing. Today’s invitation is simple but eternal: come near to the fire of His presence. Bring your habits, idols, bitterness, and secret sins to the altar. Trade guilt for grace, fear for peace, ashes for beauty. God’s fire is falling—not to consume you, but to consume what keeps you bound. Choose today to be refined rather than drift into regret. Surrender to the Refiner, and rise commissioned by the Consuming Fire.
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Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
The Flame That Purifies
“But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” — Job 23:10
Every believer longs for God’s blessing, but very few long for His fire. Blessing feels safe, fire feels dangerous. Yet it is fire—not comfort—that purifies. Job, in the middle of unspeakable loss, didn’t merely ask for relief; he wanted refinement. He knew that his trial was not without purpose. Gold does not resist the furnace, because it knows the fire is not its enemy—it is its friend. The fire cannot destroy gold; it can only strip away what does not belong.
So it is with us. Trials are not sent to destroy us, but to strip away what cannot stand in eternity. Fire reveals what is real. Words are cheap when life is easy, but when the fire burns, motives are tested, faith is proved, and idols are exposed. The furnace of affliction exposes whether we are living for applause, comfort, or control—or whether our lives truly belong to God.
Think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were not spared from the fire, but they were preserved in it. When they stepped out, their clothes were not burned, and they didn’t even smell of smoke. God didn’t merely deliver them out of the furnace—He revealed Himself inside of it. The Son of God walked with them in the flames. Could it be that the very fire you fear is the very place where Christ wants to show you His nearness? Could it be that your deepest encounter with Him will not come in your safest seasons but in your fiercest trials?
The truth is, many of us beg God for escape when what we really need is encounter. We cry out, “Lord, remove this problem, end this suffering, silence this storm.” But often God whispers back, “I will not remove it yet—I will reveal Myself in it.” The comfort of His presence in the fire is better than a life without fire. You may want the trial to end, but God wants His likeness to begin.
Here’s the paradox of the furnace: it feels like abandonment, but it is actually the evidence of God’s watchful eye. The Refiner never leaves His gold unattended. He bends close to the flame, carefully watching the process. He knows when to turn up the heat and when to turn it down. He never allows you to stay in the fire a moment longer than necessary. When He can see His reflection in your life—when the dross has lifted and His character shines through—you will emerge radiant.
So do not despise the flame. Do not curse the trial. The very thing you dread may be the very thing God will use to purify you, strengthen you, and display His glory in you. The fire is not your enemy. The fire is your sanctification.
Illustration: Refiners never leave their gold in the furnace too long. They sit close, eyes fixed on the metal, waiting for the impurities to rise and be removed. When they can see their reflection in the molten gold, they know the refining is complete. God is the same. He is not absent while you suffer. His eye is on you, His hand is steady, and His goal is nothing less than His likeness shining in you.
Prayer: Lord, I confess that I often fear the fire. Burn away my pride, my self-dependence, and my secret sins. Teach me not to run from the furnace but to embrace it as Your tool of grace. Do not let me mistake pain for punishment, or heat for abandonment. Make me patient under Your hand, and let Your image be seen in me when all else is consumed.
Challenge: This week, instead of asking God to remove your trial, ask Him to reveal Himself in it. Write down how you see His presence—even in the fire. Let His nearness become your treasure.
MONDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
James Parker
Kim McClain’s Mother
Ann Stanley – Surgery Soon
Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shellnutts
Angela Bryan’s Sister
Debbie Foskey – Home
Jessica Headrick – Pray As She Recovers From Surgery
Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda
Linda Mays – Rehab – Going Home Friday
Sheila Simmons
Danny Jarrard
Darlene Wiggins
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Friend of Linda Hodge
Gayle Sparks
George & Linda Alexander
James Burnette
James Garner
Jason Parker
John McClain’s Mother
John Parillo
June Cronan’s Sister
June Davis
Kailey Bateman
Kathryn Raines
Lee Cronan
Lillianna Magnusson’s Mom
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Lonzo Christian
Lori Blount’s Mother
Mary Williams
Mary Williamson – Dana Jackson’s Mom
Mrs. Franklin
Nora Allison
Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA
Sadie Almand
Scott Lanier
Scotty Nix
Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shellnutts
Steve Michaels
Tom Witcher