107 Coldren Street, Johnstown, Pennsylvania 15904, United States
Upcoming Sermons & Devotional Message
March Sermons 2026
3-8 - The Heart of Jesus
John 17:1-14 , John 17:15-26
3-15 - Betrayed in a Garden
Genesis 2:15-17 + 3:1-6 , John 18:1-6
3-22 - Rooster Memories
John 18:15-18 , John 18:25-27
3-29 - A Crown of Thorns
Isaiah 53:1-10 , John 19: 1-7
Devotional Message : These will change 1-2 times a week. Stop by often to read the new message.
Some Thoughts on Struggling with God
I’ve had several recent encounters with individuals who are wrestling with faith—struggling to understand God’s will, talking about the doubts they have regarding God’s faithfulness—and are questioning all kinds of things. I so want to help them—to provide an answer to an unanswerable question and resolve the dissonance of their doubts—or to help lift the burden of their struggles. Sometimes I can—but other times, I need to remember God does some of His best and deepest work during our struggles.
Such was the case with Jacob. He'd spent twenty years running from the mistakes and misdeeds of his past—and the night before coming face to face with them, he wrestled all night with God. When he refused to let go, God touched the hollow of Jacob's hip—which caused him to walk with a limp the rest of his life. Then God changed his name:
“Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God” (Genesis 32:28).
The name Israel means "He struggles with God"—in a positive way. God isn’t always easy to follow, understand, or even like sometimes. Those who are godless put Him out of their minds, but those who are godly are willing to struggle with Him.
Birds need to struggle in order to successfully extract themselves from the shells of their eggs. Butterflies need to struggle to break free from the confines of their cocoons. But if something or someone does it for them, their wings won't develop in order for them to fly.
Sometimes the struggle is critical so our faith can be strong later. Jacob was changed after wrestling with God—and the same thing can happen to you. So if you find yourself wrestling with and struggling against God—good! You just may be developing what you need to help your faith soar.
In our best moments, we love God deeply—in our worst times, we might even hate Him. But at least we take God seriously. God detests being taken lightly—as though He isn't important. Our struggle with God lasts a lifetime, but the rejoicing will never end.
Embrace the struggle, my friends!