06/28/2025 Church service

周日礼拜

视频

  DIVINE FAVOR 神圣恩惠

Psalm 5:12 Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield
詩 篇 5:12: 因 为 你 必 赐 福 与 义 人 ； 耶 和 华 啊 ， 你 必 用 恩 惠 如 同 盾 牌 四 面 护 卫 他 (page 884)

Luke 16:10 "He who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little thing is also dishonest in much."
路 加 福 音 16:10: 在最小的事上忠心的，在大事上也忠心；
在最小的事上不义的，在大事上也不义。(page 1695)
Psalm 90:17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!
詩 篇 90:17: 愿 主 ─ 我 们 神 的 荣 美 归 於 我 们 身 上 。 愿 你 坚 立 我 们 手 所 做 的 工 ； 我 们 手 所 做 的 工 ， 愿 你 坚 立 。(page 976)

2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
哥林多后书 1:20: 因为　神的一切应许，在基督里都是“是”的，为此我们借着他说“阿们”，使荣耀归于　神。(page 1871)
Ephesians 1:11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
以弗所书 1:11: 我 们 也 在 他 里 面 得 （ 或 作 ： 成 ） 了 基 业 ； 这 原 是 那 位 随 己 意 行 、 做 万 事 的 ， 照 着 他 旨 意 所 预 定 的 (page 1894)

Isaiah 49:8: "This is what the LORD says: 'In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you.'"
耶和华如此说：“在悦纳的时候，我应允了你；在拯救的日子，我济助了你。我要保护你，使你做众民的中保[a]，复兴遍地，使人承受荒凉之地为业 (page 1194)

 

 

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视频脚本 Script

Surrounded by Divine Favor:
Small Steps to God's Big Plans
Psalm 5:12: "Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield."
I believe that God is about to do something in your life that you were not expecting - something that goes beyond your qualifications, beyond your preparation, beyond your timeline.
GOD is about to surprise you with favor - not just any favor -
but Divine Favor that leaves you in awe,
that makes people around you say, "How did that happen for them?"
You see, we serve a God who specializes in surprises. A God who enjoys turning the tables, flipping the script, and showing up when you thought the story was over.
You may have been waiting, you've been praying, you've been crying out at night, wondering if perhaps God has forgotten you?
But I'm here to tell you, He has not.
Not only has He remembered you, but He is preparing something behind the scenes that is going to leave you speechless.
The kind of blessing that makes you stand still and say (like David did), "If it had not been for the Lord who was on my side, I don't know where I would be."
What exactly is Divine Favor?
The favor of the Lord refers to God's grace and kindness towards us, granting us approval, blessings, and the ability to achieve what may seem impossible.
It is a divine gift that empowers believers and surrounds them with protection and support in their lives.
Some of you have been waiting patiently, but secretly wondering.
It felt like rejection, but it was really redirection.
GOD wasn't punishing you, He was positioning you, because when the FAVOR comes, you'll understand why the waiting was necessary.
You'll soon understand why the detour was needed. GOD didn't forget about your dreams, He protected them. He was making sure that when the door opened, you would be ready to walk through it with authority and clarity.
But here's what we need to understand: Divine Favor isn't about instant gratification.
Someone prays, "Lord, I want to be a doctor of medicine and help people get well, get healthy, to get healed." Is this a noble, worthy goal? Of course!
But does God just instantly put you into a doctor's uniform and you find yourself in an operating room with a scalpel in your hand?
Of course not!
But if you are taking the necessary steps to achieve that goal, you may find that God is opening doors for medical school, funds to pay for your education, and the right people to help you make that dream become a reality.
It's not about attraction - it's about alignment.
I work with a couple of people who have risen through the ranks from a very basic position in the workforce into places of great leadership. From early on, you just knew they were headed for higher roles, and yet, the KEY seems to have been their willingness to be faithful in the small things along the way.
This kind of faithfulness opens doors of favor.
Favor that goes beyond formal education or connections.
How do we position ourselves for this Divine Favor?
Scripture gives us clear guidance: Psalm 90:17 tells us: "Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!"
This reveals our first principle: We must be diligent in the work of our hands.
Certain people may have FAVOR, but unless they are diligent in the right things, it doesn't really do them any good.
Second, we must value small beginnings. The phrase "despise not small beginnings" from the Book of Zechariah encourages appreciating and not underestimating the early stages of any endeavor, even if they may seem insignificant.
It is a reminder that even great things often start small, and that God “rejoices in seeing work begin,” no matter how modest the initial steps.
Third, we must embrace the process of preparation.
GOD can turn our wounds into wisdom.
Wisdom allows us to recognize the times of preparation and refinement.
Luke 16:10 (Jesus' words) "He who is faithful in a very little thing is also faithful in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little thing is also dishonest in much."
Fourth, we must step into Divine Alignment with God's plans.
This means approaching the future with the eyes of faith.
Believing in what God has said. What God has promised.
"Yes and Amen."
The phrase "All God's promises are yes and amen" originates from 2 Cor 1:20, where the Apostle Paul states that all of God's promises are "yes" in Christ and are affirmed with an "amen" through Him to the glory of God.

It signifies the certainty, faithfulness, and ultimate fulfillment of God's promises.
Psalm 5:12 promises: "Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield."
Imagine what happens when Divine Favor surrounds your life like a shield.
Picture the transformation when you approach the future with Expectation AND Imagination (faith that sees what is yet to come)
Joel: "It's not going to happen just because of your talent, your ability, or your background. It's the favor of God. It's His divine purpose."
2 Peter 1:2 says that grace, which is the undeserved favor of God, and peace, can be multiplied to you.
Peace is the word "shalom" in Hebrew.
Its definition includes wholeness, health, safety and provision.
So when you walk in divine favor and peace, you will walk in blessings in every area of your life!
Visualize what happens when you declare:
"I am ready to release the version of me that no longer matches my future."
Declare this, not as a ritual, not as a trend but as a declaration - a conscious interruption to that endless loop of the past.
A declaration that you are no longer available for the past.
It's time to come into alignment with who you were created to be.
See yourself discovering the healing power of a renewed vision.
Since GOD is able to make all things work together for good, you can thank and bless your past for the lessons it has taught you.
You can allow GOD to use these things to help and bless others, even as you step out of that old identity and embrace who you really are in Christ.
? So what practical steps can we take to position ourselves for Divine Favor?
1. Be faithful in the small things - Small things done with a BIG Heart.
You and I should be doing the small things (daily) with excellence and integrity.
God honors our honest efforts.
2. Get in agreement with GOD's Plans. As long as you're thinking of all the reasons why it's not going to happen, talking about how impossible it looks, that's going to keep you where you are.
The conditions may not look favorable for it to ever change, but this is what faith is all about.
You're looking at it in the natural, but we serve a supernatural God.
Release your faith, expecting His goodness, and He'll make things happen that you can't make happen, things that you can't explain, things that you don't see coming.
3. Embrace expansion and fuller expression. "Let the Lord Be Magnified..."
The Bible teaches us to "despise not the small beginnings" but that doesn't mean we stop there.
We were all made for Expansion and Fuller Expression.
Ephesians 1:11 reminds us: "Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan."
4. Personalize God's promises. When you hear this, personalize it. Don't think of this as a message for someone else. This is for YOU. This is for ME.
"Don't judge others - examine yourself."
We cannot move forward as GOD would have us to do if we do not expand as individuals to step up and step out. To assume roles we may not have even imagined previously.
5. Stir your faith up, believe big, pray bold prayers, and dream God-sized dreams. He's going to put you in strategic positions to affect the culture.
As we grow as a church family, this is a time of equipping and empowering.
We will need Holy Ghost POWER, authority and favor to accomplish our mission here on earth. The lesson we have to keep learning is that we cannot do it on our own intelligence, wisdom and strength.
Isaiah 49:8 (quoted in 2 Cor 6:2) promises: "This is what the LORD says: 'In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you.'"
Psalm 30:5 assures us that "his favor lasts a lifetime"
Psalm 84:11 declares that "he bestows favor and honor."
The "whosoevers" will continue to be faithful in the little things and will know when the time is right (by God's Direction) to step out in BIG ways to take the Kingdom.
It will cause others to wonder how you got to where you are.
…but they may have missed the steps you took along the way - because they were little steps of faith.
YOU may not notice the incremental growth, either... but it is happening.
As Exodus 23:30 reminds us: "By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land."
I want to appeal to you today on two levels:
We should seek His Purposes and Divine Favor, both for the kind of meaningful, purposeful living this provides us, but also, and more importantly, from the Fear of the Lord and our desire to serve GOD.
Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Let that shield of favor surround you today and always as you take faithful steps toward the Divine purpose God has prepared for you.

Hillside United Methodist Church
3739 US 80
Phenix City  AL  36870
United States
Pastor: Mike J Koger

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