“…He is an unwise son, for he should not stay long where children are born.” – Hosea 13:13   REFERENCE Hosea 13:12-13 This very graphic image painted by our text is quite a disheartening one. The tribe of Ephraim had sinned against God and because of that, God brought them into distress and trouble; sorrows like the pangs of a woman about to give birth. God intended that these pains will lead them to repentance and that a new Ephraim will be born – but Ephraim did not get it, they remained in their distress and trouble – they remained at the ‘door’...

“But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.”  Hebrews 12:8 REFERENCE Hebrews 12:5-11 Do you remember your growing up years and how daddy was there to instill discipline? Yes, you were spanked sometimes, and at other times, you were told to serve a punishment. The experience was often unpleasant and you didn’t like it. In fact, some of us wondered if our parents (especially mums) gave birth to us, because if they did, they wouldn’t have inflicted so much pain on us, nor denied us certain fun times or...

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. Mark 4:35, 37 REFERENCE Mark 4:35-5:11 Taking a dive ahead of our text into what transpired in chapter 5, it will not be out of  place to surmise that the devil had a hand in stirring up the windstorm to prevent Jesus from getting to ‘the other side’ of His journey. Satan’s purpose must have been to either stop Jesus from proceeding on the voyage or...

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” Mark 5:36 REFERENCE Mark 5:22-36 Have you ever been in a dire situation before? A place where you are hoping for a miracle or expecting that an otherwise degenerating situation will be salvaged? I know you must have been as I have too; perhaps you are even there now. Jairus’ daughter was seriously ill and laid at the point of death. Jairus was expecting a touch from the Master’s hand, a touch that will keep death’s...

Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” -  Exodus 4:10   REFERENCE Exodus 4:10-13 Your weaknesses are actually the definition of your limitation; it is when you go beyond those weaknesses that you have broken limitations. People the world calls, “achievers or world changers” are those that went beyond limits and did things that people said were not doable. Helen Keller, the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree said, “Face...

So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” - Judges 6:15   REFERENCE Judges 6:1-16 Limitations are behind the lack of progress people experience in certain areas of life: marital, familial, political, professional, occupational, educational, financial, ministerial, etc. Today, we continue our study on the causes of limitations that we started yesterday. In addition to the limitations we encounter from within us, there are limitations that we experience from without us, and these include: Environmental – Limited by...

“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” - Jeremiah 1:6 (NLT)   REFERENCE Jeremiah 1:4-10 So far this week, we have established that a limited person may have great potential for greatness, but may not achieve greatness because of the barrier that has been placed in such a person’s way to greatness. Limitations determine how far we can go in life. Today therefore, we will look at the ‘root’ of limitations, because when you understand a problem, you are better disposed to deal with it. There are certain conditions of life that often become...

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:13   REFERENCE Philippians 4:13   We learnt yesterday that life is designed to impose limits on us; however, the God who lives in us is limitless. From His standpoint, these limits are meant to be pushed, challenged, broken and exceeded. That’s why God genetically designed you with some ‘die-hard resilience’ – the power to fight, to push against adversity, to prevail against competitions, to succeed and to rise to the top. You say, “How do you know that Pastor?” Because you made it out of the possible...

Then I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand. – Zechariah 2:1 REFERENCE Zechariah 2:1-5 The dictionary defines limit as a point or level beyond which something does not or may not extend or pass. It is a restriction on the size or amount of something possible or permissible. A limitation then, controls what a person is able to do, have or become. A limited man is a restricted man who, in spite of his potential, suffers the fate of a pauper in the midst of opportunities. He cannot go beyond...