FIRST: First Place

Speaker: Pastor Caleb Culver
Date: January 16, 2022

FIRST LOVE. FIRST TENTH. FIRST THING. FIRST DAY. FIRST PRIORITY. IN WEEK THREE OF OUR SERIES CALLED FIRST, PASTOR CALEB CULVER TEACHES OUT OF MARK 1 AND SHARES HOW TO MAKE THE SECRET PLACE THE FIRST PLACE.

SERMON HIGHLIGHTS

MARK 1:32-38 (NKJV)

“32 AT EVENING, WHEN THE SUN HAD SET, THEY BROUGHT TO HIM ALL WHO

WERE SICK AND THOSE WHO WERE DEMON-POSSESSED. 33 AND THE WHOLE CITY WAS GATHERED TOGETHER AT THE DOOR. 34 THEN HE HEALED MANY WHO WERE SICK WITH VARIOUS DISEASES, AND CAST OUT MANY DEMONS; AND HE DID NOT ALLOW THE DEMONS TO SPEAK, BECAUSE THEY KNEW HIM.

 35 NOW IN THE MORNING, HAVING RISEN A LONG WHILE BEFORE DAYLIGHT, HE WENT OUT AND DEPARTED TO A SOLITARY PLACE; AND THERE HE PRAYED. 36 AND SIMON AND THOSE WHO WERE WITH HIM SEARCHED FOR HIM. 37 WHEN THEY FOUND HIM, THEY SAID TO HIM, “EVERYONE IS LOOKING FOR YOU.”

 38 BUT HE SAID TO THEM, “LET US GO INTO THE NEXT TOWNS, THAT I MAY PREACH THERE ALSO, BECAUSE FOR THIS PURPOSE I HAVE COME FORTH.”

• BEAUTIFY THE PLACE WHERE YOU MEET

2 SAMUEL 7:1-5 (NKJV)

“NOW IT CAME TO PASS WHEN THE KING WAS DWELLING IN HIS HOUSE, AND THE LORD HAD GIVEN HIM REST FROM ALL HIS ENEMIES ALL AROUND, 2 THAT THE KING SAID TO NATHAN THE PROPHET, “SEE NOW, I DWELL IN A HOUSE OF CEDAR, BUT THE ARK OF GOD DWELLS INSIDE TENT CURTAINS.”

3 THEN NATHAN SAID TO THE KING, “GO, DO ALL THAT IS IN YOUR HEART, FOR THE LORD IS WITH YOU.” 4 BUT IT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT THAT THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO NATHAN, SAYING, 5 “GO AND TELL MY SERVANT DAVID, ‘THUS SAYS THE LORD: “WOULD YOU BUILD A HOUSE FOR ME TO DWELL IN?”

•  MY “SECRETS” OF THE SECRET PLACE

• 1. BE TRUTHFUL

PSALM 62:8 (NKJV)

“TRUST IN HIM AT ALL TIMES, YOU PEOPLE; POUR OUT YOUR HEART BEFORE HIM; GOD IS A REFUGE FOR US.”

•  2. BE THANKFUL

PSALM 100:2 (NKJV)

“ENTER INTO HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING, AND INTO HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE. BE THANKFUL TO HIM, AND BLESS HIS NAME.”

•  3. BE PRAYERFUL

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18 (NKJV)

“REJOICE ALWAYS, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS; FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS FOR YOU.”

•  4. BE FAITHFUL

ROMANS 12:12 (ESV)

“REJOICE IN HOPE, BE PATIENT IN TRIBULATION, BE CONSTANT IN PRAYER.”