God Has Always Been Good | Lisa Harper | James River Church
God Has Always Been Good | Lisa Harper | James River Church
I know many of you have had a busy week, but for the next few minutes, let’s take a moment to be fully present. In our last service, I had a little wardrobe mishap—my button popped right off! That’s a sign that women my age should probably avoid leather pants, but hey, I’m feeling free! And with that same freedom, we are here today to worship together.
As we begin, take a moment to pray for the people around you. Ask God to open their eyes so that today’s message is not just another routine Sunday but a true moment of transformation. Pray that they’re not just checking off a box before heading out to lunch but that they receive a fresh revelation of God’s presence.
Pray for Open Eyes and Ears to Hear God’s Voice
God promises to speak over us. He declares that He is not just mighty to save—He rejoices over us with singing! As He says in Isaiah, He will guide us when we face life’s crossroads, telling us when to turn left or right. Pray that we all develop ears that hear His voice clearly, receiving His comfort and direction. Ask for hearts that remain soft, never growing cold to the power of the Gospel.
Oh, Jesus—King Jesus, Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the Passover Lamb, the Alpha and Omega—the One who sticks closer than a brother! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! Give us spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear Your unmistakable voice through Your Word. Let our hearts be eager to receive the hope we have in You as Your sons and daughters.
We love You, Jesus! We cannot make it on our own. We pray all these things in the power and authority of Your name, Jesus. And let all of God’s children say, Amen!
A Shift in Today’s Message
Now, I have to be honest—I completely changed my message today because of what happened during worship. So, if things feel a little unorganized, if there are no slides on the screen, and if it doesn’t all rhyme perfectly, well, that’s on me!
If you have any concerns, feel free to visit my website… or better yet, send your complaints to Lisa TerKeurst. (Just kidding! I love Lisa, and she has a much bigger ministry with more people to pray for!)
A Lesson in Everyday Grace
I want to share something that God has been teaching me recently—something fresh in my own life. But before we get into Scripture, I have to tell on myself.
Not long ago, I was driving my daughter to school. She attends a Christian school, and I became her mother through the beautiful miracle of adoption. She’s Haitian, and I brought her home when she was four years old—the year I turned 50. Since then, I’ve been her only mama. When she was little, she used to call me “Mama Blond” or “White Mama.”
Let me tell you—my daughter is the sweetest, most amazing child. (Of course, tied with your kids, because we all have the greatest children in history!) Except… in the morning.
In the morning, my 15-year-old daughter is not a morning person. Some days, I’m convinced she wakes up in a mood that can only be described as “swallowed a demon.”
That particular morning, I was driving past the place where we usually stop for her favorite sausage biscuit. But lately, our family has been trying to eat healthier. We do this thing where we eat clean for two days and then eat whatever we want for five days—we call it “clashy” (a mix of clean and trashy). And that day happened to be a clean eating day.
So, we drove right past the restaurant, and I could see the realization hit her face. She wasn’t getting her sausage biscuit. Her expression hardened with that classic teenage frustration.
Trying to be helpful, I said, “Baby, I made you breakfast this morning.” And before you worry, I didn’t give her kale or something extreme—I made her a whole-grain bagel with plenty of cream cheese (because, let’s be real, dairy is life). It wasn’t a sausage biscuit, but it was still a good meal.
I reminded her, “Sweetheart, math is your second class today. If you don’t eat something, you’ll be hungry and get a headache. I know this isn’t what you wanted, but at least take a few bites.”
Silence.
And at that moment, I had a thought. I’m not sure if it was the Holy Spirit or just wisdom kicking in, but the thought was: Don’t say another word. Let her figure it out.
The best lesson she could learn that day wasn’t about breakfast—it was about choices.
This rewritten version keeps the original message’s heart and humor while optimizing it for readability, clarity, and SEO. Let me know if you’d like any tweaks!
