NORTH LIVERMORE — September 18, Service. The congregation was welcomed by Pastor Bonnie Higgins at 9:30 a.m. to begin the service. The Call to Worship was read and the Invocation/Lord’s Prayer was recited. The hymns that were sung were “My Savior’s Love”, “All the Way My Savior Leads Me” and “In His Time”. The service concluded with “Go Now in Peace”. Linda Lyman is the organist each week. Janet Diaz is the pianist each week. Lew Lyman leads the music for the congregation each week.

The sermon, titled “Everything Happens for a Reason?” and reading the scripture from Proverbs 16:1-4. Pastor Bonnie began asking how many people have said “everything happens for a reason?” We say it when we want others to feel better when something in their lives isn’t going well. Many people will say it because they feel it is Biblical and it is not. It is nowhere in the Bible. When we use this statement, many people will think their lives are a mess because of God. Which is not true, God is love and wants the best for His children, not be troubled to them.

As we look at this statement, it really doesn’t say anything to help anyone. It doesn’t say why the situation happened, who made it happen, or what’s the reason behind the situation. So, because it really doesn’t explain anything, people will assume that it is in God’s Will. People believe that if something cannot be explained it is because of God, that it must be part of God’s plan for our lives. We know that God has a plan for each of us and He has promised us that He would supply our needs, to love us unconditionally, and that He won’t leave or forsake us, in other words protect us. Knowing all this is in scripture, of course people believe that everything happens for a reason is in the Bible too.

As Christians, we place our faith in God, not in our circumstances. Our attitude must be grounded in the faith that God’s Will, will be in control, not our circumstances. We know that in scripture, that many had an attitude of faith in God that He had a plan and they obeyed Him. For example, Moses faced Egypt with only a shepherd’s staff, David faced Goliath with only a sling and a rock, Gideon and his 300 soldiers faced an army of 135,000 men and they only had trumpets and torches, none of them should have been successful. But they were, because God is stronger, then their enemies. Their attitude was in their faith that God’s plan was better than theirs and God had the power to back His plan up. Romans 8:28 tells us that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose”, meaning that no matter what your situation is, God can use it for good. No matter who causes your situation, good or bad, God can use it for good for us.

Not everything in this world happens for a reason. Sometimes we make decisions and there will be consequences, good or bad. But we have a God that can take anything we give Him and He can use it to His advantage for Him to be glorified in it. God doesn’t make everything happen for a reason, but He does make everything that does happen, have a reason. There are many lessons learned from our faith in Jesus through our circumstances in our lives. Whatever we go through, as long as we go through it with faith in Jesus, commit our lives to Him, seek Him in prayer and be humble in His presence, God can make everything have a reason to our lives, and God will be glorified through it all.

Life is hard, stuff will happen in our lives. Sometimes, things happen and there isn’t a reason for it. We can’t be blaming God for our lives when we are messing it up. But because we have a gracious and forgiving God, He can work good in everything. God is always with us, always.

Announcements listed in the bulletin were that the congregation will be collecting canned corn for the Food Pantry in the month of September. Bible Study is Tuesday at 1 p.m. Church’s barbecue being postpone to a future date. Pastor Bonnie will be on vacation the week of September 25. The AA meetings are held on Friday nights at the church.

For information, check out our website at northlivermorebaptistchurch.org. You can email the church at nlbcmaine@gmail.com. Pastor Bonnie’s office hours are Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon. Pastor Bonnie will be out of the office on Monday, September 19.