What Do I Do When…

I am excited about a new sermon series we are beginning today. Entitled, “What Do I Do When…”, these sermons are designed to probe real life challenges some of us are actually  facing. Each sermon examines an extremely important issue. I have spoken with friends and members of the congregation for these ideas, and they represent real-life situations one or more is facing. Without betraying any confidences, I want all of us to benefit from how the Scriptures speak to these issues. Some of these issues you may not have yet faced, and others will sound very familiar. How we respond in these situations is highly critical, and may have eternal implications for each of us. Here are a few examples of what to expect in this sermon series:

1. What do I do when ‘my church’ conflicts with the Bible? Obviously, I am using the phrase “my church” to refer to a person’s own congregation. And, our denominational friends face this question regularly. In teaching them, it is not long before we see that they are going to have to decide between “their” church and the Bible, because the two are different. They may be increasingly different on certain doctrines these days. What should a person do when in this situation/ And, how can we help them make the right decision?
2. What do I do when I no longer love my spouse? When the flames of romance grow cold, it is very common for people to feel that they are no longer in love with their marriage partner. This is especially true in our modern culture, where marriage is so distorted and undervalued. Answering this question rashly can lead to devastating consequences. What does the Bible say we should do?
3. What do I do when my brothers and sisters let me down? You have probably had this happen to you several times, at least if you have been in the church for any length of time. Sooner or later, we find that our brethren are far from perfect. They let us down in very substantial ways. How do we react? How do we prevent this from shattering our faith? And how do we move forward with brethren we now see as deeply flawed?
4. What do I do when my schedule gets too full?  We see it all around us. Nearly everyone is entirely too busy. You would think, during this time of pandemic and social isolation, people would have a lot of idle time on their hands. But, guess what? Many people are as stressed and busy as ever. In fact, in some ways they are more so. How do we deal with this? How do we deal with the fatigue which comes from regular over-stressing and super busy lives? How do we reach that inner “peace which passeth understanding?”
5. What do I do when my spouse won’t talk to me? It happens every day. People see their marriage crumbling. They want to save it, but they don’t feel their spouse really wants to do so. What should we do when we are in a marriage where our partner no longer loves us?
6. What do I do when my friends exclude me? As Christians, we are different from the world. Yet, we must continue to live in the world. This can be a lonely road to travel. Especially difficult is the feeling of isolation and detachment which comes when our circle of friends leaves us out because of our faith in Christ. How can we respond to this? What if we are trapped in a circle of friends or coworkers which does not respect our faith? What if we are becoming the subject of their mockery and ridicule? How should the Christian respond?
7. What do I do when I lose interest in the church? Keeping the faith is challenging at best. During turbulent times of social unrest, or of personal problems, many become distracted and lose interest in what really matters. Some feel they have already lost interest in the church, and are simply “going through the motions.” What should they do?

The Bible gives us the answers to each of these questions. “Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue,” (2 Pet. 1:3). If the issue pertains to “life” or “godliness” the Bible provides the answer. Sometimes the answers are more easily seen than others, but they are there for us if we are willing to meekly and diligently receive them, (Jas. 1:21). It will be our purpose in this series to bring these wonderful lessons out clearly so that we may all humbly apply them in our lives. Your prayers for this series are appreciated!

-by Robert C. Veil, Jr.