“O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths […]

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As Hurricane Frances bore down on the Caribbean, I was living in Miami. So many emotions go through you when you realize that all that you own, and have accumulated over the years, could be destroyed in a matter of hours. And yet, this Great and Mighty God we serve has allowed us to experience […]

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Editor’s Note: After more than three decades as a youth, mission, solo and senior pastor, Dr. Smith wanted to make sure those who are in discipleship today understand the challenges of stepping up to the accept the position and work of pastoral ministry. He finds this article accurate and sobering.  By Jared Moore The blessings of […]

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Why is it, when we are doing all we know to do right, suffering happens? Why would God allow us to suffer setbacks, sickness and the sorrow of death when we are doing right? Welcome to the transformed podcast. Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, lead Pastor at Pacific Baptist Church in El Segundo, California helps us […]

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Rebellion carries with it a whole new level of hurt and destruction. Pride makes us believe we are smarter than God. Life has a way of showing us that is far from accurate. Welcome to the transformed podcast! Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, lead Pastor at Pacific Baptist Church in El Segundo, California helps us realize […]

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Temptation is a constant companion of those who are alive. When we submit to our desires, consequences ensue … often these are long-term, irreparable. Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, lead Pastor at Pacific Baptist Church in El Segundo, California helps us realize that only the forgiveness of God and the wisdom of His Word can help […]

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  There is no confusion – God’s people suffer. Where the confusion comes in at is, “Why?” While many people remain baffled, the Bible speaks directly to this issue repeatedly. This study is designed to open the pages of God’s Word and discover five of the core reasons why God’s people suffer. It will bring […]

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Welcome to the Transformed podcast. Thank you for joining us today as Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Lead Pastor at Pacific Baptist Church in El Segundo, California, talks about understanding and enjoying the abundance of Jesus in your everyday life. If you have been alive for a few years you know what guilt is all about! […]

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Posted in Adundant Life, Suffering, Transformed No Comments »

Photo Credit: carroll.edu “Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me?” (Psalm 43:5, HCSB) We return to the anathema subject of depression in the Christian today because the Bible addresses the reality that many suffer from it, even those whose lives are focused on the worship of Almighty God. While some misguided and […]

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“Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me?” (Psalm 42:5, HCSB) There seems to be a stigma to those Christ-followers who profess some sort of sadness of soul these days. Critics scorn them with pious platitudes like, “How can you be sad when God is so great?” But such ridicule is more theoretical […]

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