2A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL MAY 10, 2017
DEATH NOTICES
The Key to Hearing God Clearly
So many Christians lack con-
fi dence that they can hear God
voice, but the Bible clearly
tells us that He wants us to hear
Him. In John 10:27 (AMP), Je-
sus says, “The sheep that are
My own hear My voice and
listen to Me; I know them, and
they follow Me.” And Psalm
40:6 (AMP) says, “…You have
opened my ears and given me
the capacity to hear [and obey
Your word]…”
If we have sincerely repented
of our sin and accepted Christ
as our Savior, and we’re active-
ly pursuing a personal relation-
ship with Him, then we have the
capacity to hear and obey God’s
Word. But we need to believe
we can hear God’s voice; other-
wise, we lack the faith and con-
fi dence that we can hear Him.
There is a lot of noise in the
world around us, and one rea-
son we sometimes have diffi -
culty discerning God’s voice in
our heart is we’re taking in too
many different messages. We
need to learn to focus on God’s
Word and make a determined
decision to believe it more than
we believe what we think or feel
or what our circumstances look
like. This happens as we spend
time with Him in prayer, study-
ing His Word, and then obeying
what He shows us.
Dr. Yonggi Cho is the pastor
of the largest Christian church
in South Korea. When he was
asked how he builds his church,
his response was, “I pray and I
obey.”
Obedience to God is the key
to hearing His voice—not just
occasionally, but as a lifestyle.
There’s a big difference be-
tween a person who only prays
for God to show them what to
do when they are in trouble, and
someone who wholeheartedly
follows God in the way they
live.
Proverbs 1:23-30 tells us
that if we don’t pay attention to
God’s wisdom, then we won’t
hear Him in our daily lives, in
every situation and decision we
make. Verses 28 and 29 (AMP)
say: “Then they will call upon
me (Wisdom), but I will not
answer; they will seek me ea-
gerly but they will not fi nd me,
because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of
the Lord [that is, obeying Him
with reverence and awe-fi lled
respect].”
The good news is as we pay
attention to God and His Word,
He promises to make His voice
clear to us and guide us in all
our ways.
Trust God’s Love, Grace and
Mercy in the Process
God understands we are not
perfect, and we need a lot of
help to live a lifestyle of obe-
dience to Him. Jeremiah 10:23
(AMP) says, “O Lord, I know
that the path of [life of] a man
is not in himself; it is not with-
in [the limited ability of] man
[even one at his best] to choose
and direct his steps [in life].”
No one has the ability to run
their life well on their own.
We need to receive God’s love,
grace and mercy to equip us to
walk in obedience to His will
and His ways.
First, we must believe God
IS love—it’s not something He
turns off and on depending on
our behavior. The truth is God
loves you unconditionally, all
the time. When you believe that,
you can trust His mercy…that
He forgives you of your mis-
takes when you sincerely repent
of them and ask Him to help you
do what’s right. Then you can
step out in faith, trusting Him to
pour out His grace on you and
enable you to do what He shows
you to do.
Understanding God’s love,
forgiveness and grace is what
helps us move forward without
being oppressed by guilt for our
sin, and condemnation that tells
us we can’t rise above it. Guilt
and condemnation weaken our
faith and steal our confi dence
that God loves us, accepts us
where we are, and wants to give
us the ability to do what is right,
according to His Word.
Keep it simple and take steps
of faith by doing things you
see in the Bible that clearly re-
veal God’s will. For example,
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (AMP)
says, “In every situation [no
matter what the circumstances]
be thankful and continually give
thanks to God; for this is the will
of God for you in Christ Jesus.”
Notice this says to thank God
IN everything, not FOR every-
thing. So when times are hard,
resist the temptation to grum-
ble and complain, which only
makes things worse, and thank
God that He’s in the midst of the
mess with you.
I want to encourage you to
seek God with a sincere heart,
humble yourself before Him
and tell Him you know you
can’t live in obedience without
His help. When you do, He will
meet you where you are and
pour out His grace on you, so
you can do whatever you need
to do through Christ (Philippi-
ans 4:13).
I can tell you from personal
experience that as you do your
best to live a lifestyle of obedi-
ence to God, you’ll have confi -
dence that you hear His voice
and have His peace every day of
your life. There’s no other way
to live!
For more information: joyce-
meyer.org.
Luthor Quention “Quention” Cook, 69, of Orofi no, Idaho died
May 5, 2017. Arrangements under the care of Smith-Lund-Mills
Funeral Chapel, Cottage Grove.
Carthamae Hamilton, 96, of Creswell died May 4, 2017. Ar-
rangements under the care of Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel,
Cottage Grove.
z
Funeral & Memorial Planning
e Funeral & Memorial Planning e Cremation Options e
Cremation Options
e Monuments
& Memorials & e Memorials
Cemetery Options e
Monuments
Cemetery Options
Please Celebrate the 4th of July Safely!
123 South 7th,
Cottage Grove, Oregon
th
123
South
7
,
Cottage
Grove, Oregon
541-942-0185 •www.smithlundmills.com
z
Grant Gording, BC-HIS
Board Certifi ed in
Hearing Instrument Sciences
Jenna Buetow
å
www.smithlundmills.com
SOUTH LANE COUNTY
FIRE & RESCUE
Hearing Consultant
RISK-FREE HEARING AID TRIAL
SAVE MONEY. SAVE LIVES.
30 day Trial with 100% satisfaction guarantee
You have nothing to lose, and everything to hear
www.grantshearing.com
1498 E. Main St., CG
541-942-8444
Ground Ambulance
Memberships
$65 per year
Ground Ambulance &
Air Membership
$115 per year
Call 541-942-4493 for info.
FOR EMERGENCY DIAL 911
Serving South Lane County.
Business Owners,
Reach more than 10,500 Readers
throughout South Lane and
Douglas Counties when you
advertise with us!
Call 541.942.3325 or email
gmanly@cgsentinel.com
today to get started.
Happy Mother’s Day
th
May 14
New Subscribers!
Stay connected to all the people,
places and events that make our
community a great place to call
home. From dining and events
to sports, shopping and
community news, we cover every
local angle to keep you in the
know and on the go.
Get Home Delivery for
Less Th an 58¢ a Week!
Call or go online today to subscribe:
541.942.3325
cgsentinel.com/subscribe
use code:HD58
Subscribers: Enjoy FREE e-Edition Access!
S entinel
C ottage G rove
www.cgsentinel.com • 541.942.3325
Th is off er is not transferable and the off er is available those who have not subscribed in the last 31 days. Special introductory off ers are limited to no more than two special subscriptions in a twelve month period and
must be paid in advance to qualify for special rate. Once the above discounted period ends, you will be billed at the regular subscription rates.
YES, start my subscription to Th e Cottage Grove Sentinel today!
Choose your subscription type and term:
Mailing Address
__ Weekly Delivery for $30.00 /Year
__ 10 weeks for $5.00
Name: __________________________________________________________________
Delivery Address: _________________________________________________________
__ Check Enclosed
Mail this completed form with
payment to:
Th e Cottage Grove Sentinel
PO Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424
City: ____________________________________ State: ________ Zip: ____________
Phone: ________________________ Email: ___________________________________
å
Dad, need a little help with last minute planning?
PeaceHealth.org/mothers-day has you covered, with cards
for the kids to color, a recipe for a great wake up smoothie
and more.