Big Problems, Bigger God

Smothermon Steve

Description

Are you or someone you love in a world of hurt right now?You may be facing challenging circumstances, intense pain, crushing disappointment, or silent regrets. But you don't have to fold. You don't have to resign yourself to defeat.You can find help and encouragement to get through the tough partsto clarify the truth about your life, to replace self-sabotaging behaviors, to discover areas where you need a change of heart or perspective. And here's the promise: As you keep moving forward through adversity, you'll discover the greatness and the grace of God. Because you'll realize how truly great and gracious he is only when you endure hard times and emerge on the other side.Big Problems, Bigger God is your no-holds-barred guide to difficult challenges and the hope they can produce as you walk with God through them.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Harvest House Publishers, Inc.
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780736963930
• Langue: English

Extrait

Endorsements
Each of us must decide whether we will live down to our problems or up to our God-given potential. The reality is, most people s problems aren t too big; rather, most people make God out to be too small. In a clear, systematic way, Steve Smothermon elevates the greatness of who God is and what He wants to do in our life. He shows us how to live up to our faith instead of down to our fears. - Gerald Brooks , Grace Outreach Center, Plano, Texas, author of Understanding Your Pain Threshold
Steve Smothermon has written his finest work yet out of the research laboratory of his own big problems, only to discover that God is bigger. This is not only a book of hope but a roadmap to solutions, which makes it a book of help! - Bishop Dale C. Bronner , DMin, author and pastor, Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral, Atlanta, Georgia
Pastor Steve Smothermon is a no-nonsense kind of guy. I ve never known him to sugarcoat a sermon or a bit of advice he gives to a parishioner. He takes complex issues and makes them easy to understand, giving real answers to real problems. If you have a problem that is troubling your heart, mind, or body, Big Problems, Bigger God is your book! - Willie George , founding pastor, Church on the Move, Tulsa, Oklahoma
In Big Problems, Bigger God, Steve Smothermon takes us on a journey to discover that the circumstances we face are only a small part of the problem; the true nature of the conflict is defined by our responses to setbacks. Steve s straightforward, practical advice teaches us how to allow God to pave our paths with the very complications that would otherwise become stumbling blocks. I dare you to take this journey and discover how letting go of circumstantial helplessness can lead to a life of joy-filled purposefulness-not just in spite of the problems that come your way, but perhaps even because of them. - Tommy Barnett , pastor, Phoenix First and founder, Phoenix and Los Angeles Dream Centers
There s an old Christian song that begins, Got any rivers you think are uncrossable? Got any mountains you can t tunnel through? Who hasn t faced a tough situation in life? If you re going through a trial, Steve Smothermon offers practical insights that will renew your mind and inspire you to put your hope in someone who has a name: Jesus. Don t stay stuck-God is truly bigger than your problem! - James Robison , founder and president, LIFE Outreach International, founder and publisher, The Stream ( stream.org )
Steve Smothermon has a timely message that will empower and encourage you. Inside these pages, he realigns perspective to a vantage point on the edge of the very hands of God, where the truth becomes refreshingly visible that each life is infused with God-given potential to overcome any adversity, to accomplish above and beyond all that we can ask or imagine, and to become all that God has long before planned for us to be in Christ. - Carl Toti , pastor, Trinity Church, Lubbock, Texas
Steve Smothermon doesn t mince words in Big Problems, Bigger God . Written from a place of honest reflection of his own frustrations, Steve s thought-provoking ideas are full of encouraging hope that begins to heal and release the pains of your past. He then lays out a clear set of principles to overcome injustices and intimidating circumstances. Without a doubt, his book will help you become the best you that God made you to be. - Rick Bezet , lead pastor, New Life Church of Arkansas
This is a remarkable book that explains in practical terms and examples how the dynamics of changing your thinking will impact your life. Steve Smothermon will challenge and educate you to get more out of life by adjusting the filter you look through. Big Problems, Bigger God shows how our beliefs, actions, and decisions affect our success. I loved the way Steve took specific examples from his own life and the lives of many great people to create a process to help us all change for the better. Do yourself a favor and read this treasure of truth. This book is truly an investment in your future and the lives of the people you touch. - Sanford G. Kulkin , PhD, founder/CEO, PeopleKeys
In Big Problems, Bigger God , Steve Smothermon explains the key to overcoming adversity and growing in your faith so that you can reach new heights in your walk with God. We all encounter setbacks in life, but how we respond to those setbacks and apply the lessons we learn is what defines us as a person. Through sound biblical principles and detailed personal experience, Steve takes the reader on a journey of discovery, showing the glory of God at work in all things. This book is a wakeup call to the body of Christ, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a fresh perspective and a new direction in their lives. - Matthew Barnett , senior pastor, Angelus Temple and cofounder of The Dream Center
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version , NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Verses marked AMP are from The Amplified Bible, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. ( www.Lockman.org )
Verses marked NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Verses marked NKJV are from the New King James Version . Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Verses marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible , 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. ( www.Lockman.org )
Verses marked KJV are from the King James Version.
Cover by Dugan Design Group, Bloomington, Minnesota
Cover illustration Dugan Design Group
Published in association with the literary agency of The FEDD Agency, Inc., PO Box 341973, Austin, TX 78734.
BIG PROBLEMS, BIGGER GOD
Copyright 2015 by Steve Smothermon
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Smothermon, Steve, 1967-
Big problems, bigger God / Steve Smothermon.
pages cm
ISBN 978-0-7369-6392-3 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-6393-0 (eBook)
1. Christian life. I. Title.
BV4501.3.S65743 2015
248.8 6-dc23
2015002119
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author s and publisher s rights is strictly prohibited.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my wife, Cynthia, who has loved me unconditionally-and to all those who have the courage to overcome whatever obstacles life throws their way.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To all those who call Legacy Church their home, it is a real pleasure to serve you each day.
I ve enjoyed collaborating with Bill Blankschaen on this book. Without his writing talent, it would not have been possible.
Thank you to Esther Fedorkevich, a truly talented agent, for being willing to work with me to get this project published.
A big thanks to Denise for her input and to Grant for his diligence in deciphering my handwriting.
To Terry Glaspey at Harvest House Publishers, thank you for taking a chance. You and your team have been a joy to work with.
And a special thanks to Brooke, Steve, and Kristin. You mean everything to me.
CONTENTS
Endorsements
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Foreword by Tommy Barnett
Part 1: Your Hope for a Better Life
1. To Everyone Who Has Problems
2. Your Problem Isn t the Problem
3. If Only I Could Be You
4. Hope Has a Name
5. The God of Another Chance
Part 2: A Pathway to a Better Life
6. Get Real About Your Life
7. Choose Your New Direction
8. Think New Thoughts
9. Play the Hand You ve Been Dealt
10. Connect with a Caring Community
11. Trust God Enough to Keep Moving Forward
12. Celebrate Each and Every Victory
13. My Prayer for You
Notes
About the Author
About the Publisher
FOREWORD
F rom daily annoyances to soul-shattering tragedies and everything in between, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by life s problems. Whether these circumstances are of our own doing or the result of something out of our control, the right perspective can turn an annoyance into the anointed and a tragedy into a triumph. Too often we fall victim to the consequences of our failings, or to the failings of people and things around us, but when approached in the right way, problems can define the goal and shape the solution.
In Big Problems, Bigger God, Steve Smothermon takes us on a journey to discover that the circumstances we face are only a small part of the problem; the true nature of the conflict is defined by our responses to setbacks. Steve s straightforward, practical advice teaches us how to allow God to pave our paths with the very complications that would otherwise become stumbling blocks.
The journey won t be easy. You will be asked some difficult questions and challenged to examine your perspectives and attitudes from the inside out. Steve will encourage you to think beyond your situation and to re-create the portrait of your life by trusting in the One who works all things together for your good. Steve will