Quiet Times Search
Search Quiet Times via a keyword or stringSearching for "christ" in the Quiet Time Archive
Displaying results from "50" to "75". (431 found)
| 2008-11-16 - Raising Awesome Kids - First Things First (part 1) Unless the Lord builds the house, its builder labor in vain - Psalms 127:1 We have someone or something we love most in this world Jesus must be our first love He must be our life, not just a part of it Been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me - Galatians 2:20 To live is Christ - Philippians 1:21 This is the key to everything Your kids must see that Jesus is a real person to you You walk with him and love him as a brother You can not fake it - kids can spot a fake | ||||||||
| 2008-11-19 - Raising Awesome Kids - Husband and Father Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her - Ephesians 5:25-6:4 Our relationship with our father is, in many ways, the defining relationship in all of our lives Our response to authority and our self-confidence comes from our father Responsibility of training children squarely upon the father Fathers...bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord - Ephesians 6:4 | ||||||||
| 2008-11-20 - Raising Awesome Kids - Father as Leader Husband is the head - Ephesians 5:23 You, as the father, are in charge - it is wrong not to lead Men and women are equal but have different roles Christ is head of the husband who is head of his wife - 1 Corinthians 11:3 We hurt ourselves and those close to us when we ignore or distort God's plan | ||||||||
| 2009-01-03 - Raising Awesome Kids - Foundations of a Spiritual Family Spiritual = to be on the inside what we trying to do one the outside: to be genuine, not to live a pretense of religious performance but to function out of a sincere relationship with God A spiritual family is where:
We can not take our families where we have not gone Children can spot a fake We must be:
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| 2009-01-22 - Jesus with People - Finding Faith Jesus was in ahuge crowd and suddenly a Roman centurion walks up to Jesus - Matthew 8:5-10 NT centurions are often mentioned with honor:
Lord, my servant lays paralyzed and in terrible suffering - Matthew 8:5-6 Jesus was moved by the man's heart - I will go and heal him Lord, I don't deserve to have you under my roof - Matthew 8:8 Say the word and he will be healed - Matthew 8:8 Jesus did not find anyone in Israel with such faith | ||||||||
| 2009-01-24 - Jesus with People - Feeling the Pain Luke 7:11-17 - He said, "Don't cry", Jesus chose to be vulnerable to everyone's pain:
Jesus compassion knows no bounds Are you praying to stretch the capacity of your heart to feel deeply with many others? Is your lack of openness (rooted in fear of the sin of pride) blocking your passion and compassion? | ||||||||
| 2009-01-27 - Jesus with People - Rich Young Ruler Luke 18:22-24 Sell everything and follow him = It's not what you do but who you are Jesus did challenge him but he also loved him Jesus does not get into a lengthy theological debate Each of us lacks that "one thing" deep down that we must give up and following Jesus | ||||||||
| 2009-01-30 - Jesus with People - Greatest in th Kingdom I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven - Matthew 18:1-4 Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost - Matthew 18:12-14 We need to become like children in a very specific way Our human nature wants to be first and to have control Matthew 18 were driven by the same desire - they asked Jesus "Who is the greatest?" When become like little children, we become like Jesus Paraphrase - Because of your power-hungry pride you guys are not even in the kingdom of God, and nothing will change this fact unless you start imitating this child After Jesus' sacrifice, all his teachings made sense Having a child's humility is impossible until we understand the cross Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends - John 15:13 Must see other brothers and sisters in Christ as God's little spiritual children who must be cared for God's heart is that not a single person be lost Do we feel the personal responsibility for others? Who do you know who is struggling spiritually? What can you do to help them? | ||||||||
| 2009-02-01 - Jesus with People - The Bleeding Woman The crowds followed him to point of his exhaustion Why did Jesus' life draw a crowd? Jesus was willing Jesus was not just a servant but was a selfless servant We get caught up with the duties of Christianity - serving the weak and the lost With more responsibility we have, the easier it is to administer rather than minister. Consistent delegation cause our hearts to harden - just organizing and managing If you are not seeing the crowds, develop the heart of selflessness After she touched his cloak, he could have let the woman leave anonymously, but her called attention to her so he could lift he up He was concerned not only for her sickness, but her emotions as well Jesus had forceful faith and expected it of others | ||||||||
| 2009-02-20 - Jesus with People - People Pleasing Pilate After having found Jesus innocent of the charges, three times Pilate "appealed to them" In the end surrender Jesus to the will of the crowd - Luke 23:13-24 Jesus still let Pilate know that he was guilty of sin - John 19:11 Instead of seeking an escape, Jesus testified to the truth about God He was still preaching and reaching out the lost - even his executor Jesus had an impact - from then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free - john 19:12 Pilate lived and kept his job - for a little while, but his name was written in infamy How do you fare under negative chatter about your Christian conviction? | ||||||||
| 2009-02-27 - Promises of God - Standing on Promises For no matter how many promises God has made, they are all "Yes" in Christ - 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 Promises from others and one we have made > can make us highly skeptical about promises They represent efforts to pacify us at the moment; the promiser does not usually have to fulfill the promise immediately Does he promise and not fulfill? - Numbers 23:19 God fulfills his promises - every last one of them God is:
A promise from God is as good as fact | ||||||||
| 2009-03-04 - Promises of God - Forgiving Others By the time we are old enough to understand, we have hurt and been hurt so many times - we need forgiveness and so do others The definition of a dysfunctional relationship: the inability to solve conflict and forgive Hugh obstacle: We can not truely forgive until we have experienced forgiveness Once we are forgiven, we are obligated to forgive others - Matthew 18 Our sins against each other pale in comparison to our sins against God | ||||||||
| 2009-04-02 - Promises of God - Work That Is Worth It An old criticism of Christians: Too heavenly minded that they are no good on earth Seem to spend so much dreaming of heaven and not working on solving the earth's problems This was never God's idea Prepare your minds for action - 1 Peter 1:13 Setting our minds on the amazing blessings is a powerful encouragement for us to work hard and give our best effort now Is it worth saying "No" to sin? Just consider heaven! Worth it to giving to the poor? Just consider heaven! Worth staying in the race when it gets difficult? Just consider heaven! Worth blood, sweat, tears to help other to know God? Just consider heaven! Your labor in the Lord is not in vain - 1 Corinthians 15:58 | ||||||||
| 2009-04-25 - Why We Need Jesus - He Reconciles Us to God HE RECONCILES US TO GOD...
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| 2009-04-29 - No one like him - Who did he think he was? Christianity built on the identification of Jesus Not like any other prophet, priest, or preacherAdolf Hitler – consider one of the worst tyrant in history There were others that were close to him (Stalin…)Jesus – there are no one comes close Most scholars can not deny that Jesus lived First Century movement that was started by those who saw him first hand How Jesus viewed himself:
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| 2009-06-03 - No one like him - The Empty Tomb (part 2) What it means for us: 1. Jesus can be trusted a. Jesus taught with truth and compassion i. No man can come to except through me c. Gives us a place to stand – embolden the disciples2. Shows the kingdom has come 3. God fully intended to continue Jesus mission a. Jesus was the foundation4. Those who follow him also share in the resurrection a. Died with Christ, now we can live a new life with him – Romans 6:4,5,8 | ||||||||
| 2009-06-05 - No one like him - Count Cost (part 2) Every effort Must give up everything God not as concerned about material as your heart Everything must be under the Lordship of Christ For all people Message for all people – young and old Spoke to the large crowds – Luke 14:25-33 Supreme Concern Jesus was concerned about the people becoming disciples Common belief is to believe - Christians vs Disciples Just because you think are a disciple does not mean you are – Luke 6:46; 7:22-23 | ||||||||
| 2009-06-08 - One Another - They Will Know You John 13:24-25
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| 2009-06-09 - One Another - Fellowship and Carrying Burdens Fellowship - bring to mind casual conversation or other lightweight associations Greek word for fellowship is koinonia = to partnership and deep involvement Word also defined as "sharing together in the common life" Word used outside of NT to describe marriage The root word - Koinon = "common" or "in common" Galatians 6:1-2
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| 2009-06-10 - One Another - Walking in the Light What does it mean to walk in the light? 1 John 1:7-9 Living our lives with openness and transparency in response to the blood of Christ Fellowship is both the practice and product of walking in the light How central are our relationships to following Jesus?
"I need to get serious about my relationship with God" = Need to get serious with my relationship with other believers | ||||||||
| 2009-06-11 - One Another - Correction Needed There were a lot of relationship issues that needed to be corrected in first book of Corinthians:
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| 2009-07-16 - A Life of Impact - Scout Scout Mark 8:14-21
Rebuke
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| 2009-08-24 - Wild at Heart - A battle to fight Christ draws the enemy out, exposes him for what he is, shames him in front of everyone Nice guy? Egyptians – plagues … Samson – killed a lion with bear hands, stripped thirty Philistines, killed 1,000 men Every man is from a victorious stock He is an original Who are you? Are you bored by him? What impact does he have on others? Are you too nice? Jesus was one with out fear – Did not shrink back but faced things head on - John 18:4-8 Jesus was no paled faced alter boy He commanded the loyalty of dockworkers Will return on a white horse There is something fierce in the heart of God | ||||||||
| 2009-09-06 - Wild at Heart - Battle for a mans heart (part 2) Boys are in plentiful supply, but it seems fewer and fewer men Two reasons
They have lost heart Becoming a Christian is like being called to the front lines Wounds are far too consistent to be accidental Do you know why there’s been such an assault? | ||||||||
| 2009-09-17 - Wild at Heart - Healing the wound (part 3) Wound unfelt is wound unhealed Door may be your anger – perhaps from a girl, failure The way to God is stopping the false self It may a simple prayer – Jesus, take me into my wound Jesus never seems to heal the same way twice There are no formulas with God Insists on working personally Masculinity is bestowed by masculinity Healing never happens outside of intimacy with Christ It begins with surrender; until you have given yourself to him you will not have a real self …to set you free – What? Your heart So take him at his word – ask him in to heal all the broken places within you But you can’t do this at a distance I simply allow myself to say that the loss of my father mattered Important for us to grieve our wound Grieving we admit the truth, we hurt by someone we loved Few men are ever so vulnerable as to simply let themselves be loved by God Why don’t you just let God love you? The imitate union with Jesus and with his Father is the source of all healing and all our strength Unforgiveness and bitterness can wreck our lives and the lives of others – Ephesians 4:31, Hebrews 12:15 Forgiveness is setting a prisoner free and then discovering the prisoner was you. | ||||||||
| 2009-09-27 - One Another - Familial Love Scripture uses the powerful metaphor of the family God is our Father Jesus is the elder brother We are brothers and sisters - the word, brother, used 250x in reference to Christians We are to keep on loving each other as brothers - Hebrews 13:11 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love - Romans 12:10 | ||||||||
| 2009-10-04 - One Another - Teaching One Another With all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another - Colossians 3:16 Teaching translated from the word "didasko" = to give instruction, to impart information or wisdom In Christianity to applies to spiritual development
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| 2009-10-07 - One Another - Admonish Questions Who can best admonish or coach someone?
To help another person grow and change and be transformed more fully into the image of Christ
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| 2009-10-09 - Wild at Heart - The Strategy (part 2) Satan uses propaganda He is the “accuser” - Revelation 12:10 Christ was attacked - “If you are the son of God” - prove it - Luke 4:1-13 So long as a man remains no real treat to the Enemy – You are fine After you take sides - Your heart is bad and you know it He looks for weaknesses Throws a thought or temptation that he hopes we will swallow If I thought this was just me, my heart, I’d be very discouraged. Knowing that my heart is good allowed me to block it, right then and there Think of how lust starts .. “I am not here it is all you.” Any hand to hand combat, there are blows, dodges, blocks, and counterattacks How did Christ handle Satan? - he did not get into an argument with him He simply stood on the truth Satan doesn’t just throw a thought but feelings as well Guard your heart | ||||||||
| 2009-10-11 - Wild at Heart - The Strategy (part 4) 3. Cutting a deal When did king David fall? When David was not a warrior He sent other to the fighting for him Weapons of war If you saw your life as a great battle and you knew you needed time with God for your survival, you would have “quite times” It’s about connecting with God Whatever brings you back to you heart and the heart of God If you do not have God and have him deeply, you will turn to other lovers Men devote hours to finances to retire Rigorous training for a marathon How much do we strive to for our relationship with God? The body is built to endure hardship Put on the armor of God everyday We walk in the authority of Christ Do not attack in anger and do not swagger forth in pride Do not even think about going into battle alone Don’t make that a lifestyle of isolation | ||||||||
| 2009-10-19 - Wild at Heart - An adventure to live (part 2) Most spend the energy of their lives trying to eliminate risk Their children hear “no” far more than they hear “yes” If a man succeeds in securing his life against all risk, he will wind up in a cocoon of self-protection and wonder why he is suffocating Seizing upon some sort of competence and rejecting anything that cannot be controlled This a refusal to trust God and reach out for control – runs deep in every man False self’s desire is to have power over experience – to control events and consequences - Mark 8:36 Too may men forsake their dreams because they aren’t willing to risk or fear they aren’t up to the challenge or are never told that those desire of the heart are good Soul of a man isn’t made for controlling things His job is charter to explore, build, conquer, and care for all creation If you had permission to do what you really wanted to do, what would you do? "How" is a faithless question – How is God’s department… Ask "what" What is written on your heart? What make you come alive? Don’t ask yourself what does the world need. Ask yourself what make you come alive and go do that because what the world needs is people who have come alive I’ve met men who’ve used advice like it was permission They are deceived about what they really want Goal of Christian discipleship is the transformed heart We move from boy who needs the Law to the man who is able to live by the Spirit of the Law Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit then you won’t feed on compulsion or selfishness | ||||||||
| 2009-10-21 - Wild at Heart - An adventure to live (part 4) The problem with modern Christianity is it’s obsession with principles Real test of a man comes when all his resources fail Living and loving – jump in with both feet Ask your wife what is wrong? Dangerous – very much a mystery She does not want to be solved; she wants to be known We know how to be nice but we really do not know how to fight Christian life should not be chaotic or be flagrantly irresponsible. Break away from it all and head off into the unknown God Adam - No formula for how he was to handle mess God honored and did not hold his hand Was not left alone to face life The only way to live in this adventure – is in an ongoing relationship with God Control we crave is an illusion – it in exchange for God’s relationship Moses and God knew each other David was after God’s own heart Jesus made God known – John 15:15 What are you teaching me here, God? What are you asking me to do or let of? What in my heart are you speaking to? | ||||||||
| 2009-10-22 - Repentance - What Happened (part 1) What ever happened to repentance? Millions claim Jesus as their Savior, but neglect to make him Lord – want forgiveness without repentance Most spend a considerable amount of time of pondering change While we pursue change, we demand change on our own terms Examples – self-help, self-improvement Today’s seekers of Christianity – “shopping” for a church Do we truly love if we neglect to call the unrepentant to repentance? In an effort to “accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative” we have treated sin and repentance as the embarrassing uncle Why am I an uncommitted believer?
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| 2009-10-23 - Repentance - What Happened (part 2) Congregation of consumers ultimately switches products, wholly dissatisfied with a church product
Like a doctor – it would be absurd to change their diagnose and treatment to the wants of the patient. Repentance is revival Questions:
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| 2009-10-29 - Repentance - Illustrations (part 3) Like all paradigms, everything depends what you put in the center We put us in the center, it is impossible to satisfy a self-centered man In order to shift our paradigm to the truth:
Questions:
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| 2009-11-04 - Repentance - Jesus Opens Our Eyes (part 2) The Red Pill and the Blue Pill
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| 2009-11-07 - Repentance - The Cross Compels Our Hearts World is graceless, performance orientated
Sin + Forgiveness = Love Accurate assessment of debt
Questions
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| 2009-11-08 - Repentance - Transfigure Our Minds (part 1) We each have a worldview or mindset that functions as a life lens World has been squeezing us into its mold – more than we realize Peter’s mind
Prepare your minds for action – 1 Peter 1:13-14 Space shuttle takes 2,250,000 pounds of fuel to escape the earth’s gravity Only few pounds to remain in orbit – Christians are called more than just to orbit Most trials produce greater faith – hospitalized child, illness, death, ministry turmoil, financial pressures Ways to fight – devote time to prayer, read scripture, explore ways to encourage wife, get advice from elders, spend special time with the kids Ways to not to – laziness, frustrate wife, neglect kids, feeling overwhelmed and under underappreciated, escape to the TV | ||||||||
| 2009-11-10 - Repentance - Transfigure Our Minds (part 3) Issue with Lust
Apply spiritual disciplines with dramatically different results How would Jesus think? Once you see the world through God’s eyes your mind and heart become so transformed that you “automatically” respond to every situation differently Questions
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| 2009-11-12 - Repentance - Worldly Sorrow (part 2) 3. Excuses
A repentant Christian embraces absolutions, even moral absolutes5. Repetition Repentance is no fragile state of mind that we barely notice entering and exitingQuestions
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| 2009-11-16 - Repentance - Holy Spirit Convicts Us Exposure is a gift from God Women at the well – John 4:10 Elegcho – The gate of repentance Means to show someone his sin and to summon him to repentance; bring light, expose set forthThe truth demands repentance Purpose of Elegcho? It’s a loving summons to godly sorrow Is repentance a gift or a command? We often confront the idea of repentance in the form if a command or an activity As a gift…
Questions
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| 2009-11-18 - Repentance - The Church Reorients Us (part 2) Bible says if your brother sins again you – go and point out his sin Must repentance as a whole Church repentance – 41 times Individual repentance – 11 times Not usual in the world Football team at half-time Company changes due to market conditions All churches sin; not all repent Some spin their shortcoming, craft reasonable explanations, minimize damage to reputation, issue statements Questions
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2009-11-23 - Master Plan - Selection (part 2)
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2009-11-28 - Master Plan - Church is the continuing fellowship (part 1)
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2009-11-30 - Master Plan - He Required Obedience
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2009-12-04 - Master Plan - Proof of Love (part 2)
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2009-12-06 - Master Plan - Jesus gave himself away (part 2)
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| 2009-12-14 - Master Plan - Reproduction (part 1) He expected them to reproduce
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2009-12-15 - Master Plan - Reproduction (part 2)
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2009-12-16 - Master Plan - Reproduction (part 3)
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2009-12-17 - Master Plan - Reproduction (part 4)
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2009-12-20 - Master Plan - The Plan (part 3)
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| 2009-12-31 - First the Kingdom - Mercy Mercy is treating others as God has treated us As Christians, we can become numb to the cries of others Because of increased wickedness the love of most will grow cold but he stands firm to the end will be saved - Matthew 24:12-13 Has our love grown cold? Why do we feel so little mercy? Why don't we feel for others? Feeling what they feel - that is really what mercy is all about Not merciful or forgiving because we get focused on ourselves and how we feel We need to forgive so our sins can be forgiven and we can be healed - Luke 6:37 Mercy also comes in the form of understanding and compassion Jesus had mercy for the blind beggar - "Jesus, have mercy on me" = Luke 18:35-43 | ||||||||
| 2010-01-07 - Kingdom First - Blessing of Persecution Matthew 5:10-12 - Describes 3 types of blessing that come from persecution: 1. Kingdom of Heaven Testing refines our faith and proves it to be genuine - 1 Peter 1:6-7 Faith, by definition, is all weather 2. Reward in Heaven Because of Christ blood, he keeps no records of wrong He is keeping a record of rights He will not forget your work and the love you have shown him - Hebrews 6:10 3. Prophets before you Persecution and suffering means pain but also means glory Glory - Comes from in realizing we walk in the company of the glorious They endured the exact same things We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses - Hebrews 12 | ||||||||
| 2010-01-12 - Kingdom First - Radical Righteousness Jesus says to just throw your Christian checklists away - Matthew 5:27-30 We can pass many of our checks and be far away from God Boundaries and lists without the heart make a hollow shell Continual sin such as impurity is used by Satan to destroy our spiritual appetite We are filled with guilt and our faith to overcome is damaged - compounding the problem by hiding the sin We are robbed of the victory that Jesus wants us to have How do we gorge out sin?
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| 2010-01-13 - Kingdom First - True Companions Scriptures repeatedly draw a parallel between marriage and our relationship with God - Matthew 5:31-32 Jesus recalled God plan for marriage from the beginning and used word 'united' - Matthew 19:5 Romans 6:5 - we are united with Christ through his death and resurrection We are all one in Christ - Galatians 3:28 Unfaithfulness in marriage is also unfaithfulness to God Anyone who does not love his brother, cannot love God - 1 John 4:20 Our faithfulness to him is mirrored in our faithfulness to our husband or wife | ||||||||
| 2010-01-16 - Kingdom First - Above and Beyond (part 2) If someone forces you to go one mile; go two - Matthew 5:41-42 3. Addressed going to the extra mile Roman law said you were required to carry a certain amount of baggage to another place Such a law and its frequent use of it cause great resentment among the Jews Jesus said we should go beyond what our authorities required Message condemns any resentment we may feel against a legitimate authority If reform seems necessary, we should seek it - 1 Corinthians 7:21-23 Should be done with lawful means God demonstrates his own love for us He gave up revenge, rights, and his energy for us While we were sinners, Christ died for us - Romans 5:6-7 | ||||||||
| 2010-01-24 - Kingdom First - Wise Investing Jesus is not interested in our obedience outwardly without having our hearts set on heaven
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| 2010-01-30 - One Another - Confession Lessons Sin is still a reality - even in Christ God uses relationships to transform us Everyone who seek these relationship will find themselves either being the one sinning or the one being sinned against Christ has freed us to be real We no longer have to prove anything No longer have to pretend or conceal Love of Christ compels us and reminds us and reassures us We should not be shocked or disillusioned when someone confesses Will we look down on others like the Pharisee did in Jesus' parable - Luke 18? Or will we see we all are capable of bad things in need of grace? Sooner we can walk in the light, the better Longer something stays concealed, the more demons of darkness have time to work | ||||||||
| 2010-02-05 - First the Kingdom - Building with Gold (part 2) Practicals for being like Jesus - putting others above ourselves:
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| 2010-02-10 - First the Kingdom - Trees (part 3) No fruit means a bad tree too A fruitless tree in a useless tree - Matthew 3:10, Matthew 13:22, Luke 13:6-9, Luke 19:11-27, John 15:2, 6, Hebrews 6:8 Jesus warned the Pharisees the kingdom of God would be taken away from people who will not produce - Matthew 21:43 In the Christian life there is no neutrality of example Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire - Matthew 7:19
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| 2010-02-20 - One Another - Spurring One Another (part 2) Because of our great blessings with Christ, we can not take this fellowship lightly Must pursue it with greater vigor - Hebrews 10:24-31 There is great seriousness in this matter paroxusmos - Greek word, translates word:
Must be done with thought and with their needs in mind - not one size fits all Must be done with end result to result being love and good deeds
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| 2010-02-24 - One Another - Reconciling with One Another (part 4) Some things that depend on us We can always have a gracious attitude Paul choose to focus on the result - Christ is being proclaimed - Philippians 1:15-19 We can always be humble Consider others better than ourselves - Philippians 2:3-4 We can always be positive - Philippians 2:14-15 We can always listen - James 1:19-20 We can always control our anger - James 1:20 Some things are our of control when to comes to reconciliation but they are many things within our control to build a relationship | ||||||||
| 2010-02-26 - One Another - Forgiving One Another (part 2) Other matters related to forgiveness: Forgiveness is the ultimate 'one another' trump card Love, which always forgives, can cover a multitude of sins - 1 Peter 4:8 Forgiveness must come from a grateful heart If forgiveness comes from anything other than a grateful heart, we lack the purity of heart Rid yourself of all bitterness, rage, and anger - forgiving each other as Christ forgave you - Ephesians 4:31-32 We must help one another forgive When a person is not forgiving, they grow bitter The sin of lack of forgiveness of someone may be greater than the actual offense See that no one misses the grace of God and no bitter root grows - Hebrews 12:14-15 Pain and anger are not resolved in a moment, but let us never doubt where we must end up | ||||||||
| 2010-02-27 - One Another - One Another In Groups (part 1) Small groups were in the center of Jesus' ministry - spent much of his time with the 12 Principles of small groups Focus on belonging and being devoted - Romans 12:5 All belong to one another - members of one another These who have been united with Christ - this is your spiritual family Be a giver, not just a taker Always need great listeners (not just being quite) - ask questions, draw people out Do your part to make the group warm, loving, supportive, open, etc "I'm not getting much out from this group" - check your heart and actions Appreciate, affirm, and encourage the different gifts - 1 Corinthians 12 God has given our brothers and sisters for our enjoyment Give special focus to those who may feel marginalized by illness/disability | ||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||
| 2010-03-03 - To Live is Christ - In My Heart Philippians 1:7-8 During Paul's 3 days of blindness:
Instead of seeing cell walls - he saw the Philippian disciples needs, struggles, and victories Paul had to have come to know them all He did not just start the church there, he began a family He was committed to all of them - he was a true shepherd:
We too can long for people with the affection of Christ but we must have people in our hearts | ||||||||
| 2010-03-04 - To Live is Christ - To Love is to Live There is nothing greater than love - 1 Corinthians 13:13 If we don't know how to love, we don't know how to live Those who are satisfied with the love they attained have really ceased to love God is love - 1 John 4:8
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| 2010-03-06 - To Live is Christ - Christ is Preached Some men in Philippi conveted the importance of Paul's position, but not the painful consequences - Philippians 1:15-18 In the hearts of each of us, when distracted and self-reliant, is a demon of selfish ambition Paul was secure in his position before God - a saved servant of Jesus Christ He knew that these men would either become convicted of their sin or God would deal with them Bottom line: Christ was being preached More than anything he wanted people to come to know the Jesus he came to know | ||||||||
| 2010-03-07 - To Live is Christ - Self Titled What is missing in so many lives is a clear sense of identity and purpose Paul knew who he was and his his purpose of living/dying for Christ In fact he had a relationship, example and a security destiny with Christ If they spared his life, his purpose was to:
Either way, it was a "win-win" Paul was going to be delivered, one way or another - 2 Corinthians 1:10
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| 2010-03-08 - To Live is Christ - Progress and Joy Paul was torn - Philippians 1:22-26 He rejoiced to be able to encourage the Philippian disciples Death brought him face to face he loved He realized that he had more laps to run and did not want to coast - but to run with all his might Paul has no desire simply to remain with the disciples - want to continue with them Greek for "Continue" = to wait beside a person to be ready to help and help all the time For Paul to live was Christ and to give himself to others for their spiritual progress and deep joy Whatever the cost, he would be there for them:
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| 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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| 2010-03-12 - To Live is Christ - Every Tongue Confess Jesus Christ is Lord Whoever disowns Jesus before men, he will disown him - Matthew 10:32-33 No one comes to the Father except through Jesus - John 14:6 Give up for God = Gain Bow when:
Each disciple must decide that he or she lives among other "for their sake" - 1 Thessalonians 1:5
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| 2010-03-17 - To Live is Christ - Considered Rubbish Not only did Paul give up his religious past and performance, he gladly counted everything else a loss too He would give up any claim of such things so he could gain justification by grace He considered them rubbish - Philippians 3:8-9 skubala = human waste or dung (KJV) He was saying the same thing as Isaiah - all righteousness acts are like filthy rags - Isaiah 64:6 The good we do is not rubbish but it is if those works are seen as the source and trusted in Our obedience, which is imperfect, does not make us right with God Christ's righteousness saves by faith The message of the cross calls us to sacrifice everything to Christ, who sacrificed everything for us Without his sacrifice, our sacrifice would be worthless to God and to man |
