Bellville SDA Church

In this inspiring Adventist Women's Ministries Emphasis Day message, Sr Monique Platts explores the powerful story of Hagar—a woman who felt forgotten, rejected, and invisible, yet encountered the God who saw her in the wilderness.Journey through Scripture as we discover how God meets people in their moments of pain, loneliness, and uncertainty. Through the experiences of Hagar, Isaiah, Mary Magdalene, and ultimately Jesus Christ, we are reminded that before we ever say, “Here I am, Lord,” God has already said to us, “Here I am.”This sermon reveals the beautiful truth that God knows our names, sees our struggles, and calls us into His mission. No matter how unseen or insignificant you may feel, the God of Hagar—El Roi, the God Who Sees—is still seeking, finding, and restoring people today.✨ In this message:• The significance of Hagar's encounter with God in the wilderness• Understanding God as El Roi—"The God Who Sees Me"• How Jesus embodies God's desire to seek and save the forgotten• Finding your identity beyond labels and past experiences• Answering God's call with faith and confidenceMay this message encourage you to trust that God sees you, knows you, loves you, and has a purpose for your life.

“Anchored in Hope” teaches that while God does not always remove life’s storms, He stabilizes His people through them by anchoring them in hope. Drawing from Jeremiah 29:10–14, Pastor Cordell Liebrandt reminds believers that God’s promises remain sure even in seasons of hardship, delay, and uncertainty. Using the biblical experiences of Israel in exile, Joseph, Abraham and Sarah, and Job, she emphasizes that God’s sovereignty, timing, and power to restore are always at work, even when circumstances seem overwhelming. Hope calls believers to trust God’s bigger plan, remain faithful while waiting, pray wholeheartedly, and persevere through suffering, knowing that divine delays are not denials. Ultimately, true hope is found only in Christ, who sustains, restores, and leads His people toward a future filled with purpose and promise.

The message addresses confusion within the church about salvation, emphasizing that salvation is a present reality received solely by God’s grace through faith—not by perfect law-keeping or works. Drawing from Ephesians and church research, it calls believers to assurance, joy, and confidence in Christ’s finished work.

Pastor Stander reflects on the Christian hope that extends beyond the Second Coming. Using the book of Hebrews, he reminds believers that although they face suffering, persecution, and the feeling of not yet being “home,” their true identity and rest are found in Jesus Christ. Hebrews presents Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God—the better leader, sacrifice, and High Priest—and encourages believers to live by the “currencies” of God’s kingdom: faith and hope.He emphasizes that the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 point to Jesus, who is the perfect example of living by faith, sharing fully in human struggle and temptation. Though God’s people die without receiving the earthly fulfillment of the promise, they remain pilgrims looking for a heavenly country.Revelation’s closing chapters reveal what lies beyond the Second Coming: God will relocate His throne to the earth made new, and the redeemed will see Him face to face. Pastor Stander stresses that heaven is not about golden streets or earthly upgrades—it is about being in the presence of God and the Lamb.He concludes by urging believers to keep their divine appointment with God, trusting His grace until the day they see Him face to face.