“Nosotros le amamos a Él, porque él nos amó primero” (1 Juan 4:19).

Every guest speaker at the 2016 Ministers and Leaders Conference has imparted a life changing word onto the attendees.

When we go through painful times in our lives, it can seem like a natural thing to think that God is punishing us. This can stem from a mindset that God is vengeful, angry, and wants to hurt us. The reality is that the choices we make in life can sometimes cause unpleasant circumstances for us. God uses everything that happens to us to try and help us make the right choices, and what we see as a punishment is actually a course correction.

People today don’t understand God and His love, and that breaks my heart. The message most people get is the Hollywood version, that God either hates them or is terribly angry with them. He’s not a vengeful God waiting for us to make a mistake so He can have a reason to condemn and punish us. God is the very essence of love, and He wants very much to enfold us in His arms and embrace us.