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Search Quiet Times via a keyword or stringSearching for "bring" in the Quiet Time Archive
Displaying results from "50" to "75". (127 found)
| 2010-03-01 - One Another - One Another In Groups (part 3) Work out differences; maintain unity - Ephesians 4:1-7 Do not be surprised when there are differences See differences as:
Need to make the most of every opportunity Avoid lingo and behavior that make the visitor truly feel like an outsider Stay at the foot of the cross What makes a Christian group different from others is the cross Where is your group in regard to the cross? Are we dying and living a baptized life? |
| 2010-03-02 - To Live is Christ - Partners in the Gospel Philippians 1:16 Philippi was named for Philip of Macedon It was a roman colony - not actually a place one would expect the message of Jesus to take hold A roman jail is where you would expect Paul and Silas to be Paul made a career of being with other and influencing their lives - reduced to visits from the guards Through many hard times he had learned to overcome the most challenging of circumstances Five lines into the letter, Paul remembers his relationship with God and other disciples:
Only when we have been in the trenches with others will we have relationships that are full of life |
| 2010-03-05 - To Live is Christ - From Trials to Triumph A successful life is not life from difficulty, trial, or tragedy - Philippians 1:12-14 He saw God the same - no matter what happened in his life In an earlier letter he saw illness as an opportunity bring the gospel to the them - Galatians 4:13 He saw imprisonment for a chance to convert Romans Paul not giving up deepen their convictions - he emboldened them to share the message Whatever happens in life can serve to advance the gospel when we are living by faith |
| 2010-03-09 - To Live is Christ - Whatever Happens Paul set an example for them by facing frustration with faith - lesson for us as well It is not just a good moral life; is is united with each other - standing firm in one spirit Jesus died to bring us together Staying in the fellowship means:
The world needs to see men, women, singles, marrieds, teens, all races, rich and poor brought together as "one man".
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| 2010-03-28 - Life to the Full - Crown not Frown (part 2) Poor and rich people need to watch their step - James 1:9-11 Proverbs teach us that the middle way between poor and rich is best - Proverbs 30:7-9 The crown of life is not received quickly nor cheaply - James 1:12 There are too many rationals to go the easy way:
You always find a reason why you can not persevere We are not victims, by God's power we can be victors |
| 2010-04-20 - Stumbling Block or Stepping Stone (part 1) 1 Corinthians 1:20-23 - Jesus came to bring salvation; to some he became a stumbling block Romans 14:10-24...
Which is better to have?
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| 2010-05-14 - Desire's Journey - Taking Up the Quest The only fatal error is to pretend that we have found the life we prize The Shawshank Redemption At first, these walls, you hate them. They make you crazy. After a while you get used to them, don't notice them anymore. Then comes the day you realize you need them. Most tragic day of all - to prefer slavery to freedom, to prefer death to life Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead - Ephesians 5:14 Bringing our heart among in our life's journey - the most important mission of our lives To desire something and not to have it - is not this the source of nearly all our pain and sorrow? |
| 2010-05-20 - Desire's Journey - Life to the Fullest I have come so you may have life to the full - John 10:10 Not: "I have come to exhaust you with long list of demands" Not only is eternal life duration but quality In him was life and that life was the light of men - John 1:4 People who aren't very good with keeping with a program are very aware of their soul's deep thirst for Jesus' message They tear off roofs The trample each other to get closer to him Have you seen anyone acting like this in order to join a church committee or to hear a sermon about a set of rules to follow? People act like this when it is a matter of life and death When life is at stake, human desire goes into desperation mode Pharisees missed the boat on this one Hearts were hardened by the very law they claimed would bring them life They killed their souls' thirst with duty and knowledge |
| 2010-05-25 - Desire's Journey - Man who Wanted Nothing A faithful church attender, never missing a Sunday, serving on a committee and offered help to those in need - but why is there something missing? Why are we a Christian? What is that we want? To abandon desire is to say, "I don't really need you or want you. I will live with you because I am suppose to" Your heart desires, duty reduces the dance to a drill The real dilemma of desire is that it humbles us |
2010-06-21 - Building the temple (part 2)Consencate yourself1 Chronicles 29:5
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| 2010-06-30 - Desire's Journey - Great Restoration (part 1) Spring reminds us that life can return to the dead Our ideas of heaven are sometimes not very desirable We sigh and feel guilty that is we are not more "spritual" Scripture tells us that God has set eternity in our hearts - Ecclesiastes 3:11 |
| 2010-07-02 - Desire's Journey - Great Restoration (part 3) The kingdom of God brings restoration Eden was exactly as God meant for it to be Jesus called himself the Son of man to state clearly that he was what man was suppose to be
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| 2010-07-03 - Desire's Journey - Great Restoration (part 4) Too many of us have placed eternity somewhere out there I will create new heavens and a new earth - Revelation 21:1 Won't the whole earth be destroyed? Noah's day of the Lord |
| 2010-07-11 - Desire's Journey - The Adventure Begins (part 3) You would expect:
More often than not we think of godliness only in moral terms We are made like God because we are to be like God on earth - Genesis 1:26 We humans beings are never happier than when we are expressing the deepest gifts that are truly us The opportunity reveals the our creative nature All we want is to be released to be who we are God has created us and our gifts for a place of his choosing Our creative nature is essential to who we are as image bearers It brings us great joy to live it out with freedom and skill |
| 2010-07-13 - Desire's Journey - The Adventure Begins (part 5) Creation awaits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed - Romans 8:19 The kingdom of God prepared for you since the creation of the world - Matthew 25:31-34 He will put the faithful and wise servant in charge of all his possessions - Matthew 24:47 They will reign forever and ever - Revelation 22:5 We will take the position for which we have uniquely made and will rule with him Much of the activity of God in our lives brings us to the place where we can be entrusted To each their own Each person will live out the passion of their heart - given by God The kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it - Revelation 21:24 Hard to believe that we can add anything to the splendor of God That is exactly what we are designed for and what our future involves |
| 2010-07-18 - Desire's Journey - Deeper Desire (part 5) We can learn many things about the journey of desire in the story of Jesus' wilderness trial 1. He was hungry - Matthew 4:1-4
Satan: You don't have to stay hungry, you have options The lie is that the options will bring us what we most deeply want and need Evey idol is an impostor - not true life When on a marathon - and are given a beer It is cold (we desire cold) but we know we really need cold water for our thirst Junk food does not have the nutrition we need When we have been working out, working hard in the field, we know what we want Knowing full well what our heart's real thirst is, we will have looked the imposer in the face and laughed as Jesus did |
| 2010-08-01 - Desire's Journey - Keeping Heart (part 2) The NT scriptures do not differ from the old testament about forgetfulness Bread and the cup was give to us in rememberence of him Paul was shock that the Galatians were turning away so soon from God - Galatians 1:6 He sent Timothy to the Corinthians to remind them to share the eternal life he gives through Christ - 1 Corinthians 4:17 Peter, who knew firsthand the grief that comes with forgetting writes to keep firm the grip on faith - 1 Peter 5:10 Life is a journey of the heart that requires the mind The heart is the center of life Desire is always where the action is We must bring the truth into our hearts to guard and to guide our desires - this is the other half of the mission Popular phrases that do not work: Follow your heart, Trust your soul We must cling to the truth for dear life - both heart and mind together |
| 2010-08-07 - Waking Dead - At War (part 2) The theme of does not end with the Old Testament The birth of Christ was an act of war
Not just a theme of the Bible but the backdrop for the whole story What is he fighting for? Our freedom and restoration |
| 2010-08-18 - Waking Dead - Point of all Living Everything you love is what makes a life worth living Action: Set down the book and make a list of all the things you love
Jesus was asked what was most important He boiled it down to loving God and loving others - everything else will fall into place The heart is the connecting point; can not love without it If we can truly love, be loved, and never lose love - we would be finally truly happy If we worship efficiency, we can not grow in our love Some try to master all sort of principles and and never know God intimately, heart to heart. If do all sorts of Christian things without knowing God, he will say "I never knew you" - Matthew 7:22-23 The point is not the activity but intimacy with God Taking a course on anatomy won't help you love you spouse Taking a religion class will not help you love God You will find God when you seek him with all of your heart - Jeremiah 29:13 |
| 2010-08-28 - Waking Dead - Wisdom and Heart Our heart has been made good by work of Christ but we haven't learned how to live from it Launching out with an untrained heart can bring disaster We can easily be shamed into sin management and think our heart is bad The church choose those who had both wisdom and the Spirit - Acts 6:3 We need both Wisdom is crying out
Solomon was so sharp because he had a wise and discerning heart - 1 Kings 3:9 But wisdom is not enough
The common sense life can be the enemy of the supernatural life |
| 2010-08-30 - Waking Dead - Pay Attention to our Heart Most of us have not been trained to pay attention to our heart It will take a little practice to tune in to it Many understand how to play the beautiful instrument of the heart
The enemy to distress you by throwing all sorts of thoughts your way and blaming you for it We must proceed with the assumption that your heart is good - Romans 7 Over time you will grow familiar with the movements of your heart Just like if any counsel or word that presents itself as being from God - must be checked against his word The flesh will try to use your freedom to get you to do things you shouldn't do Any discouragement, condemnation (Romans 8:1), accusation, confusion is not from God His conviction brings desire for repentance - 2 Corinthians 7:10 |
| 2010-09-01 - Waking Dead - Our Story (part 2) The enemy is after us from the beginning Joseph stands out from his brothers Instead of celebrating his glory, his brothers want to destroy it The worst blows typically come from family David full of faith and courage when he sees that on one will take on Goliath His older cowardly brother is exposed by David's bravery Older brother - "I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is" - 1 Samuel 17:28 The worst blows come from those who know us well Even Jesus' brothers did not believe in him - John 7:5 His family came to bring him home because they think he has lost it - Luke 8:20 Sometimes the very thing that someone loves to do is the thing God has given them as a source of celebration We should check to see this is true before we turn it into shame How long will you turn my glory into shame - Psalms 4:2 What have you believed about your heart over the years? |
| 2010-09-18 - Waking Dead - Spiritual Warfare (part 6) We must be careful that the religious does not turn discipleship into a soul-killing exercise Counseling "medicine" for the sick patients can cause an endless cycle of always relying on the meds instead of focusing on a solution Hope deferred makes the heart sick - Proverbs 13:12 So the wounds of the heart are never healed A religious spirit makes it next to impossible foe a person to break free by spreading the belief there is no war
If it does not restore the image of God and rejoice in the heart, it is not Christianity |
| 2010-09-24 - Waking Dead - It Will Be Messy Going to a church service with hundreds of people will never expose you That is what most prefer - because community will It will bring you close and you will be seen and you will be known Therein lies the power and the danger The enemy hates this: he knows it can be powerful and God and his kingdom Remember divide and conquer? This is his way Most have settled for safety in numbers - a comfortable, anonymous distance An army that keeps meeting for briefings, but never breaks into platoons and goes to war Community is like camping together Stuff is scattered out there for everyone to see During fellowship there are two important things to remember 1. Know the heart is good - so much easier to trust and to forgive We are for one another 2. Know that we are at war The enemy is always trying to pull everyone away |
| 2010-09-25 - Waking Dead - Fight For Each Other True community is something you'll have to fight for Fight to get one and fight to keep it afloat You want this to work and you''ll need this thing to work This is the church - this all you have Without it, you'll go down Small house fellowships thrive in other countries - they need each other Suddenly one another scriptures make sense Knowing full well that we all are facing battles of our own Check regularly with one another, not out of paranoia but out of a desire to watch over one another's heart If you bring your every need to it, it will collapse Community is no substitute for God Community can not live without solitude Even monasteries have remote cells for alone time with God We first go to God, alone, so that we have something to bring back to the community |
| 2010-09-27 - Waking Dead - Storing Up The good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart Out of the overflow of the heart, his mouth speaks - Luke 6:45 Jesus from the fullness of grace we have all received one blessing after another - John 1:16 Paul: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you - Ephesians 3:16 Caring for our hearts isn't selfish - it is how we begin love We care for our hearts for the sake of others What will you bring to others to others if your heart is empty? You can not love without your heart, you can not love well unless your heart is well How you handle your heart is how you will handles theirs Love others as you love yourself - Mark 12:31 If you dismiss your heart, you will end up dismissing others Perfection of your heart will raise that same standard for them Caring for your heart is also how you protect your relationship with God Your heart is where that life flows into you - John 7:37-38 We love ourselves for God's sake - he considers our hearts the treasures of the kingdom |
| 2010-09-28 - Waking Dead - Devotion and War Caring for your heart is also how you protect your relationship with God Your heart is where life flows Whoever believes in me - streams of living water will flow from within him - John 7:27-38 God's friends care for their heart because they matter to Him What does your heart need? Some needs are common to all hearts like silence and solitude Very early Jesus went away to a solitary place - Mark 1:35 We need to make time to get away - our entire lives are ruled by the expectation of others and the heart is the first to go The enemy will tell you this is foolish "You have many more important things to do with your time" Caring for your heart is an act of obedience, faith and an act of war The first wave of any strike against us is to rob us of the heart to fight it Hyenas cannot bring down a lion in its prime - they run it, taunt it, and wear it down to the point of exhaustion The strategy of our Enemy in the age we live is busyness and drivenness Most will say when asked how they are doing is "really busy" That we way we are going to get burned out and lose touch with our hearts The empty heart is more vulnerable to temptation |
| 2010-11-08 - Contagious Christian - Matthew's Interpersonal Approach After accepting Jesus' call, Matthew did whatever he could to bring along as many of his friends as possible He put on big banquet for his tax collector buddies in our for them to meet Jesus - Luke 5:29 He did not confront, debate, or tell them what happened to him He relied on the relationships he'd built with them and he sought to further develop their friendship He genuinely cared about them and wanted to influence them toward considering Christ People who specialize in this approach, tend to be warm and people-centered Some people will never be reached until someone takes the time to build that kind of intimacy with them Interpersonal evangelist enjoy:
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| 2010-11-09 - Contagious Christian - Samaritan Woman Invitational Approach Samaritan woman was living an immoral lifestyle Jesus ignored all conventional wisdom - John 4 It didn't take long to realize she wasn't talking to any ordinary teacher but the Messiah She immediately went to town and brought people back to hear Jesus Now we have seen and heard for ourselves and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world - John 4:42 Many would make great strides if they just make strategic inviting to a church service or event Primary question you will need to answer is which event will be appropriate to bring them to Invitation are great way for all of us but some just have the knack for getting people to go places with them Many of these Christians tend to stay out of the limelight but they make a big impact to their world |
| 2010-11-16 - Contagious Christian - Making the Message Clear (part I) Before you can bring the message to others, need to make sure we clearly understand we understand the message ourselves Making the message clear will need us to be able to illustrate it for those we talk to God Three aspects of God we need to look at:
God made us without sin but we abused our freedom and became evil Sin requires God to pronounce upon us the death penalty - both physical and spiritual This is separation from God via hell We are helpless to change this Christ God had the power and authority to devise a plan for our salvation Christ died and suffered the death penalty debt for us and
You don't deserve it, we didn't pay for it, we can not earn it He paid a debt He did not owe I owned a debt I could not pay |
| 2010-11-28 - Mission - Baptizing Them Heaven is a place of continual celebration God original place for us was to with him in a state of perfection
God had a radical plan to bring back into a relationship with him and to destroy the power that Satan had over us To this point, most Bible-believing world would agree What about baptism? Marginal matters are not in the Great Commission Paul included in his list of "seven ones" - Ephesians 4:4-6 We are united in baptism with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus - Romans 6 The master deceiver and father of lies has changed the road signs and send many to spiritual dead ends |
| 2010-12-08 - Mission - Cannot Help Proclaiming (part II) What else compelled Peter and John? 3. Having a spiritual perspective of the plan of God God orchestrated situations so people will find him - Acts 17:26-27 Satan can lull us to sleep with his lies If I miss this opportunity, maybe God will use someone else, they don't look interested They apostles felt the burden of salvation They were convicted that they were the only hope of salvation If they stopped, hope was gone We must have a heartfelt conviction that we are God's vehicles to reach a lost and desperate world 4. Must understand that Satan's victory/defeat is determined by our faithfulness to proclaim the word of God boldly We have two God-given weapons:
He wins every time we do not open our mouth - we must not be silent |
| 2010-12-09 - Mission - Cannot Fail The harvest is plentiful; ask the Lord of the harvest - Luke 10:2 Those who have taken up the work must devote themselves to prayer What they get from him is something they can not find in themselves Prayer is not the only important thing needed, it is just the most important thing to the harvest Obstacles are many for those working in the harvest There is not one that cannot be overcome with prayer Efforts to bring the harvest often stop because the workers run into problems or frustration Problem begin to look larger than the mission They lose their fire and joy Jesus says there is a problem (workers are few) but there is not despair The problem is an opportunity for perseverance and faith Frustrations and challenges differ but two things remain the same
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| 2010-12-11 - Seeking God (part I) What are you looking for in life? Acts 17:16-28
Jeremiah 29:11-14
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| 2010-12-26 - Saved by Grace through Faith (part II) Ephesians 2:1-10
Romans 3:21-26
Titus 3:3-8
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| 2010-12-29 - Baptism into Christ (part I) 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Acts 2:36-41
Romans 6:1-4
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| 2011-01-06 - Holy Spirit (part III) 1 Thessalonians 5:16-20 - How do we “put out the fire of” the Holy Spirit? Why is a life of faith the only Romans 8:5-17, 26-27 - A Spiritual mindset brings life and peace, and obedience to God’s Word. The Galatians 5:22-23 - The fruit of the Spirit: Expect it! Pursue it! This is the best “evidence” that you have |
2011-01-14 - Followup - Being Discipled: Initiation (part II)
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| 2011-06-12 - Mind of Christ - Intro (part V) The heart is the source of obedience
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| 2011-06-27 - Mind of Christ - Helping People (part II) The following attitudes can help bring about a heart of compassion:
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| 2011-07-06 - Mind of Christ - Heavenly Mission (part I) A. Jesus possessed a firm belief that he had been sent by the Father into the world for the specific purpose of bringing the lost to salvation. 1. He believed that he was on a Heavenly mission in His Father’s behalf.
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| 2011-07-09 - Mind of Christ - Heavenly Mission (part IV) The Mind of Christ in Paul The Apostle Paul possessed a firm belief that he had been sent by the Lord Jesus into the world for the specific purpose of bringing the lost to salvation. 1. He believed that he was on a Heavenly mission in the Lord’s behalf
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| 2011-07-12 - Mind of Christ - Heavenly Mission (part VII) The Mind of Christ in You and Me: We need to possess a firm belief that have been sent by the Lord Jesus into the world for the specific purpose of bringing the lost to salvation. 1. We need to believe that we are on a Heavenly mission in the Lord’s behalf:
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| 2011-07-21 - Mind of Christ - About Self (part VII) The results of a self emptied life (continued): B. It enables you to bring glory to God.
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| 2011-08-17 - Daughter Needs - Spiritual Nourishment There are many standards/examples in which to live in the Bible A godly woman - Proverbs 31 Qualities of an elders' or deacons' wife - 1 Timothy 3 Our most important spiritual goal with our daughters is to ensure they believe in God and His Son - John 6:28-29 Fathers should bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Father needs to correct his children when they stray Father needs to help their daughters understand that he still loves her when she makes a mistake Those who knows God's name will trust in Him - Psalms 9 Fathers have a lifelong responsibility to spiritual nourishment to the family I need to be in the Word everyday to be able to feed my family |
| 2011-09-08 - Followup: Humility I (part I) Humility is essential in beginning and maintaining a relationship with God. Pride, the opposite of humility, is often difficult to see in yourself and difficult to define in one’s character. It can be described as stubbornness toward God and his Word as well as others, or as independence from God and/or others. Let’s look at a few examples of what humility is NOT.
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| 2011-09-14 - Followup: Relationships in the Body (part I) Ephesians 2:19-22 We are the family of Christ In God’s eyes there is no such thing as sibling rivalry. You must treat all your spiritual brothers and sisters with so much love that this love is only surpassed by your love for God and your parents. Many times we bring (into God’s family) the mentality we have from our (physical family). Our spiritual family is different from our physical family. How does God want his family to be? Romans 12:4-8
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| 2011-09-27 - Proverbs on Advice - Advisors bring victory 2. Advisors bring victory Proverbs 11:14 - For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure Proverbs 25:12 - Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear We all want to succeed; we all want to be winners.
3. Without instruction, bad things happen Proverbs 19:27 - Stop listening to instruction my son and you will stray from the words of knowledge Proverbs 21:16 - A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead Sometimes were just think-headed (we know what’s best)
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| 2011-09-29 - Proverbs on Laziness (part I) Proverbs 18:9 - One who is slack in his work is brother to one who destroys
The sluggard is the spiritual three (3) toed sloth. The Bible has nothing good to say about the sloth.
Proverbs 26:14 - As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed
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2011-10-04 - Genesis 4 - Cain Murders AbelSummaryEve's sons made offerings to God. Only Abel's was acceptable, so Cain killed him. Abel's blood cried out and God sent Cain away. ObservationsGenesis 4:7 - if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door Personal ApplicationI wonder sometimes if I have my "ringer" loud enough for me to hear when God calls. A lot of times I look back on important events in my life and realize that I missed another lesson God was trying to teach me but I was not listening. I feel embarrassed that I was so selfish during that times. I want to listen voice from God more intensely. |
| 2011-11-14 - Mind Change - God can handle it With God, there is no straw that breaks the camel's back. You may think, “I can’t take one more thing.” But with God you always can. You can take whatever he allows life to bring. He will always be enough. Psalms 34:17-19 - LORD delivers him from them all 1 Peter 5:10-11 - He will himself restore you and make you strong |
| 2011-11-22 - Getting Advise (part II) Advise will bring about only what is good
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| 2012-01-19 - Ministry - Remaining In Christ John 15 Remaining in Christ seems like an easy thing to do yet it challenges us as disciples. We have spent years finding our identity in the world, in success, in how others feel about us. We strive for a "good self-esteem." Instead, Jesus calls for us to have a "proper self-esteem" and a proper view of ourselves. This is found by remaining in Christ. We are called to be as intimately connected with Christ as a vine is with a branch. That connection brings fruit, change and answered prayer. We are to find our identity in Christ, not in ourselves. The call of discipleship is to abandon self, not to make ourselves better. Christ is better; we are lost and dead outside of Him. God wants us to get our spiritual identity from his Son. As disciples we are called to a Person, not to a program. To relationship, not to religiosity. We are called to Christ, not to Christianity. An interesting exercise to do would be to count how many times the expressions "In Christ" or "in Him" are used in the book of Ephesians, a great book on being "in Christ." Questions/Followup
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| 2012-02-03 - Ministry - A Righteous Response Mark 11:15-17, John 2:15,16 How does Jesus deal with anger? I know many of us, consider Jesus' response to the temple being used for a marketplace as an example of righteous anger. However, I studied eight different translations and the scriptures never state "Jesus got angry. John records that Jesus "made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area. It is hard to imagine myself doing this without harshness and anger but I did not conclude that Jesus was harsh or mean. In Mark 11:17 it simply says that he next "taught them". In John, the disciples saw his actions as "zeal" and when confronted by the Pharisees he answered their questions with profound teaching. This was not a man out of control while responding to mistreatment of his Father's house. Jesus was very God-focused in the way he dealt with the emotion of anger. In Mark 3:5,6 the scripture points out that Jesus was angry "at their stubborn hearts" because they could not respond to his questions due to evil intentions in their hearts. Jesus was angry. How did he deal with it? Further study indicates Jesus combined anger with being/feeling: "deeply distressed. His next response was to heal a man with a shriveled hand and to teach us all an amazing lesson about how deeply God cares for us. WOW! I'm not like Jesus when I get angry, how about you? Challenge:
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| 2012-02-17 - Fear of Failure - Openness Leads to Success by Bernard Jones, San Francisco Church of Christ 1 John 1:5-9; Proverbs 28:13 One of my biggest fears as a disciple is being totally open with my life. I am afraid that if people know me they will not want to be around me. For the last two years I have been deceitful about the condition of my marriage, finances, and my life. This has led me to feel discouraged and despondent. Many times I tried to fix the problem by transferring balances on credit cards, discipling myself, etc. I did all this because I didn't want people to see the true me. Being in the ministry can be a temptation to pretend to be someone I am not. One decision I have made is to be completely open about everything that is going on. Like Proverbs 28:13 says, if you are open, you will prosper. Since I have become repentant, I have seen my marriage grow, have been personally fruitful three times, and have a plan to be totally debt free in four years. I have realized that when I am open and real, God can use me to do great things. Is there anything you haven't been open about? Make a decision to be open today so God can bring prosperity to your life! |
2012-08-03 - Genesis 22 - The Offering of IsaacSummaryGod told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. As Abraham obeyed, an angel stopped him. The LORD provided a ram instead and blessed Abraham. ObservationsGenesis 22:2 - Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering Personal ApplicationI know for me I give until it starts to physically hurt, brings up bad memories, or I don't see the need to. It does not depend on me; I need to sacrifice in relation to the need. As I grow close to go God I will see God's heart in this. |
| 2012-10-13 - Prayer of the Righeous - Arms Wide Open (part III) The older son a problem with his brother's return and his father's warm welcome The father pleaded with him - Luke 15:28 He refused to call him brother but instead "this son of yours" - Luke 15:30 It is difficult to pray when you are angry with God and you feel like he owes you something May feel God has not brought justice but Jesus promises to bring it but we need to persevere - Luke 18:7-8 Justice will come but not on our timetable When God's arms are wide open to us, we should not fold ours We can draw close to God with bitterness in our heart Reconcile with our brother BEFORE offering gifts to God - Matthew 5:23-24 Husbands treat your wives with respect so nothing will hinder your prayers - 1 Peter 3:7 If we can not throw our arms wide open for others around us, we are not being like God If we do not forgive, he can not forgive us - Matthew 6:15 |
| 2012-10-14 - Prayer of the Righeous - Carrying Me Parable of the Lost Sheep illustrates Jesus comfort he want to provide He carries his lamb close to his heart - Isaiah 40:11 God's journey toward us:
Arms of comfort At Lazarus' death, the angels tenderly bring him to God - Luke 16:19-22 A child who is not regularly cuddled is deeply damaged As a mother conforms her child, so I will comfort you - Isaiah 66:13 Sometimes we doubt and ours lives are frantic and full of activities and without the peace of God Mary and Martha - Martha was too busy with the details of life to spend time with Jesus - Luke 10 |
| 2013-09-24 - A Man Recognizes His Accountability Having no accountability always leads to irresponsibility One day we will stand before God one day and be held accountable for how we lived Our actions not only have immediate consequences but eternal ones as well:
This is wired into our consciences and confirmed throughout His Word Everything in a man’s thinking changes when he realizes that he is only one heartbeat from standing before the Lord Do you know for certain where you will spend eternity after you die? Preparing for that day is why we should become accountable to one another Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man - Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 Accountability dynamically helps make us into men - humble, wise, responsible, faithful men. |
| 2013-10-21 - Resolve to Lead Your Family The greater responsibility to raise your children is yours. When the dad leads, kids are up to twenty times more likely to stay in church long-term than when moms are the spiritual leaders at home
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| 2014-04-04 - Disciplining Your Children (part I) A major part of your role as a father is to disciple your kids Discipling your kids requires discipline on our part Discipline doesn’t feel good, nor should it - Hebrews 12:11 Discipline should be more on the father’s shoulders than the mother’s because of who we represent. Loving discipline prepares our kids to respect and obey their heavenly Father We had earthly fathers to discipline us, for they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good - Hebrews 12:9-10 It is the father’s job is to take the long view, not the short one. Withheld discipline may seem momentarily pleasant to the child and the parent but it takes no skill or courage to be a passive father Not disciplining guarantees that uncorrected sin will follow his child into adulthood and follow his family into the coming generations Its momentary discomfort - knowing that sin will harm a child in far worse ways than even the painful discipline of a loving father. He who loves him disciplines him promptly - Proverbs 13:24 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it - Proverbs 22:6 IT is a lie from the Enemy to believe that rebelling against and dishonoring authority brings more freedom and peace Bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord - Ephesians 6:4
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| 2014-05-02 - The Miracle of John's birth Luke 1:13 - Your prayer has been heard A priest’s intercession for the nation undoubtedly included a petition for the Messiah, Israel’s promised Deliverer and King. The Creator and Sustainer of the universe was ready to answer a prayer that had been prayed for hundreds of years, but He purposely chose a man who could pray an old prayer with a fresh heart. The prayer at that exact moment may not have been for a son. Zechariah could not possibly have known was how intimately connected would be his corporate prayer for the Messiah and his personal prayer for a son. Not becoming hopeless over a repetitious request can be terribly challenging. We need to continue to walk faithfully with God even though you are disappointed. Zechariah waited a long time for God’s answer, but when it came, it exceeded everything the priest could have thought or asked. Can you even imagine being told in advance of your child’s conception that he or she would bring joy and delight to you and be great in the sight of the Lord?
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| 2015-02-03 - Suffering with Benefits Take pleasure in my weakness; when I am weak, I am strong - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Paul did much of his writting in prison and enduring arrests, beatings, threats against his life because of Jesus People who take pleasure in suffering are usually the ones who need mental help. Paul knew his suffering wouldn't last forever and that God had something better He remembered his suffering would last a moment, while the glory to come would last forever Suffering can:
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| 2015-02-21 - Moving On Barnabas wanted to bring John Mark; Paul did not - Acts 15:37-38 Edison tried several thousand time before creating the light bulb. Reguarding failure as opportunity for growth encourages you to keeping going John Mark returned home during the last trip because of possibly because he was frightened, discouraged, or homesick - Acts 13:13 Barnabas wanted to give him another chance; Paul disagreed and brought along Silas John Mark matured and eventually Paul recongnized him as a effective minister of the gospel - 2 Timothy 4:11 Do you believe your past failures disqualify you from effective service in the church? |
| 2015-02-22 - Dependent Attitude Must we bring you water from this rock? - Numbers 20:10 Sometimes we say "I did the best I could" but instead, we should say "I should have called you sooner" An independent spirit often keeps us from doing our best Moses became a humble, obedient servant yet in a moment he lost everything that he had worked so hard to gain
His prideful self-reliance cost him the opportunity to lead them to the promised land. What would it mean for you to rely on God? |
| 2015-05-05 - Unshakable Foundation The Lord counted him as righeous because of his faith - Genesis 15:6 Faith is the foundation of everything you want to do Abraham habitually took God at his word and believed that He would do just what He promised God made him the father of many great nations God made Abraham some big promises:
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| 2015-05-22 - Infectious Enthusiasm Phinehas has turned my anger away from the Isrealites by being as zealous among them as I was - Numbers 25:10 Phinehas had seen the immorality going on around him and could not stand idly by and allow his people tp defile themselves Neither could he allow God judgement to continue without trying to bring it to an end His last straw momenet was when he witnessed his Hebrew brother shamelessly taking a Midianite into his tent Phinehas' zeal kicked in and passionately executed the man From then on, he showed his willingness to take a stand and the people of Israel were spared and decendants received God's blessings - Numbers 25:12-13 When you are enthusiastic about your relationship with God, you are bound to affect the people around you |
| 2015-08-14 - Right Direction With his wife's consent, he kept the rest - Acts 5:2 Ananias was apparently a strong leader at home, unfortunately, he took his family in horribly wrong direction and paid a heavy price He was among the 1st generation believers who sold their property, pooled their resources, and cared for those in need Ananias sold his property but instead of bring all the money to the apostles, he keep some of it for himself There was nothing wrong with keeping some of the money - Acts 5:4 Where is failed was when he lied about him giving all of it Ananias lead his family in the wrong direction, where are you leading your family? One of the greatest reward of leading your family in a godly direction is to see them grow too |
| 2015-09-17 - What Say You? The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master for he has led me straight to my master's relatives - Genesis 24:27 Gratitude should flow naturally from the Creator-creature relationship He wants you to bring your needs and desires to him in prayer so he might meet them and then thank him for answering Eliezer went to God and asked very specifiically and directly a sign for show him the woman for Issac When God gave Eliezer exactly what he asked for and remembered to turn to him immediately to praise and thank him |
| 2015-09-24 - Harmonious Service There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish - John 6:8-9 Only once does the New Testament mention Andrew's name without connecting him with Peter - John 12:22 Andrew is last mentioned with the remaining elven disciples - Acts 1:13 He established his reputation on bring people to Jesus:
Andrew recognized his role and understood and accepted it You play an important role like Andrew - bring people to him one by one
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| 2015-09-29 - Childlike Believers Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! - Mark 10:14 Jesus had a heart for children - he treated them with compassion and tenderness It anger him to see his disciples keeping parents from bringing their children to him He used the situation to teach: Anyone who does not recieve the kingdom like a child will never enter it - Mark 10:15
Would you call your faith childlike or childish? |
| 2015-10-01 - You'll See Leave your native country and go to the land I will show you - Genesis 12:1 God didn't give Abram a lot of details - Leave your lifelong home for the land I will show you He promised Abram to be a father of a great nation and the entire earth would be blessed through him - Genesis 12:2-3 There had to have been questions:
Abram went without questioning God or asking for signs He believed God enough to step out in obedience and helped bring the salvation we enjoy into the world
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| 2015-10-16 - Courage to Act Bring out your son . He must die... - Judges 6:30 The Old Testament hero Gideon had the courage needed to champion his principles and God's name This was true even when risking his skin Tearing down the alter of Baal was no small offense to those in Gideon's home town When he did they were ready to inact revenge in the name of their god Joash kept the mob from killing Gideon Gideon looked beyond the surface of things and saw accommodating Baal amounted to treason against God |
| 2015-12-22 - Frame of Reference This happened so the power of God could be seen in him - John 9:3 Jesus' disciples believed bad things happen to bad people Jesus quickly corrected their faulty thinking by denying the man's blindness had anything to do with anyone's sin This blindness was to be one day used to bring the people's attention to Jesus' devine power and authority When blind man obeyed Jesus, he was able to see for the first time in his life Jesus' miracle changed the disciples' notions about God and how he works through human circumstances |
| 2015-12-30 - Not About Me I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen - 2 Timothy 2:9-10 Paul freely chose to suffer for Christ Despite opponents he faces, pain and suffering, he gladly continued to speak the name of Jesus Was he a masochist? No, he did not enjoy the pain but tried to move on where ever he could - Acts 26:29 Paul enjoyed anything that would help to get the gospel message preached to those who needed to hear it Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution - 2 Timothy 3:12 |
