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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2010-03-01 - 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 |
2010-03-09 - 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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2010-03-27 - Life to the Full - Crown not Frown (part 1) James address Christians under pressure Without pressure, the human body soon slows down and dies Pressure keeps the blood flowing James chooses to call himself servant rather than brother - James 1:1 He was a prominent leader in the early church but he kept a down-to-earth perspective Anyone in a leadership role needs to have the same attitude How are trials to be met? With pure joy - James 1:2-8 There are two options: continue in the process of becoming mature or walk away and do it our own way Maturity is not just spiritual longevity - it is how you react under pressure What do we do it we lack wisdom? Ask for it Not IQ but for knowing what to do in tricky situations It's a promise of God that he will enable you to live more intelligently What is last big trial you faced? How did you react? |
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 |
2010-03-30 - Life to the Full - Crown not Frown (part 4) True freedom is not political freedom but spiritual freedom - James 1:25 Remember how the Jew sought political freedom? Religion without self-control is useless - James 1:26 Worldly speech includes gossip, slander, cursing, swearing, deceit, etc Lack of social concern is a sure sign that a person is a false Christian Worldly values and social apathy go hand in hand Do we really care about the widows and orphans and widows - James 1:27 |
2010-04-03 - Life to the Full - Dead or Alive? (part 3) God is just, his laws are just - this should give us great confidence God justice - does not guarantee life will be fair - James himself was executed in 62AD There is quite a difference between compassion and softness - James 2:8-13 The struggles to decide what to do, only God's perfect law can guide us:
Maybe the Ten Commandments? - If so, they would be wrong
A mark of true Christianity is adherence to these two laws Total commitment and total involvement As long these are two commands are the top priority, our focus will not be warped or unbiblical |
2010-04-04 - Life to the Full - Dead or Alive? (part 4) People are searching for a cause The perfect law forbids us to act out of anger or slander
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2010-04-05 - Life to the Full - Dead or Alive? (part 5) Christians who have no interest in helping the disadvantaged are not Christians at all - James 2:14-17 Jesus himself saw the crowds and healed them - Matthew 14:14 He taught that only those who reached out to the imprisoned, poor, hungry, and sick would be welcomed into heaven - Matthew 25:31 Mere belief is not enough; it is acting on the faith you have - James 2:18 Ask yourself, do these people believe? - Titus 1:15 Anyone who isn't a true disciple is an unbeliever - Titus 1:16 |
2010-04-18 - Life to the Full - In His Steps (part 1) Paraphasing: Since salvation is so awesome, get you heart right! - 1 Peter 2:1-2 Are you craving pure spiritual milk?
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2010-04-22 - Life to the Full - In His Steps (part 3) 1 Peter 3:1-7... Submission, kindness is a two-way street Wondering God is not using you more? Look no further than your marriage! Questions for wives:
Questions for husbands:
Questions for both:
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2010-04-28 - Heart of Maturity (Motivation of Maturing) Preached by John Lusk (2005-01-30) How passionate are you about maturing?
Motivation of Maturing 1. To regain your identify Genesis 1:26-27
2. To remian in Jesus 1 John 2:3-4 - This is a expectation from God 3. To be effective and productive 2 Peter 1:4-8
4. Secure salvation 2 Peter 1:8-11 - We have been given a new start Wrong motivation - Pleasing people, selfish ambition |
2010-05-01 - I am Innocent of the Blood of all Men (part 2) Acts 22:6-21
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2010-05-19 - Desire's Journey - An Invitation to Desire Christianity is not an invitation to become a moral person or a program to get us into a reforming society Christianity begins with an invitation to desire What does Jesus choose to talk about with the women at the well? All you who are thirsty, come to the waters - Isaiah 55:1-2 No wonder Jesus was feared. He came along and started appealing to desire To the lost - Jesus spoke of finding your way Again and again Jesus took them back to their desires What is it that you want? - Would have fallen on deaf ear if his message was unrelateable |
2010-05-22 - Desire's Journey - Goodness Does Christianity condemn desire? Like the Puritans It is not a matter of desire is good or not - it is what we do with it Something has gone wrong Faith on its way to maturity moves from duty to delight Prodigal son |
2010-05-23 - Desire's Journey - Disowned Desire Examples of desires used for bad then good King David - passions got him in trouble, then gave us our book of worship Peter - was hotheaded disciple always quick with a reply Paul - extremely zealous for the traditions of his fathers, killed Christians Those who killed their passion altogether would murder the very essence that makes heros of the faith |
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 |
2010-05-27 - Desire's Journey - Language of Desire Jesus offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry to the one who could deliever him - Hebrews 5:7 Strong desires make strong prayers Children are often not embarrassed by desire Why are we embarrassed by our desire? Why do we pretend?
We don't pray like Jesus because we don't allow ourselves to nearly alive Pretending seems a much more reliable road to Christian maturity Without a deep and buring desire of our own, we will be ruled by the desires of others |
2010-05-28 - Desire's Journey - Hopeless without Desire Peter tell us to be ready to give the reason for the hope that everyone one is asking us about - 1 Peter 3:15 When was the last time someone stopped you to ask about your hope? Is there nothing about our lives that is worth asking about? Our hopes are deeply tied to our real desires Killing desire has meant a hopeless life for too many People aren't exactly ripping the roofs of churches to get inside The enemies ploy:
Danger is not desire but disowning desire |
2010-06-04 - Desire's Journey - Misplaced Hope In this world, you will have trouble Why aren't we encouraged by this? Desire can not live without hope. Hope in what? We try to create heaven here |
2010-06-22 - Amazing Grace - how fearful the sound Preached on 2003-11-13 There is nothing we can do or not do to change it Psalms 103:8 - Grace is not a new concept for God Luke 9:51-56 - the disciples struggled with grace What fears do we have about grace? 1. Grace - produces lazy Christians We cannot control the freedom of others Acts 4:33 - much grace given and produced committed disciples 2. Grace - produces sinful Christians Grace exposes our hearts and gives us the responsibility to respond Romans 5:15-19 - Regulations is not grace - Grace is a mature concept What has grace produced in you? 3. Grace - produces weak convictions John 6:28-29 - Must believe - Belief is a work you must do Luke 13:2-9 - Repent or perish - Level of repentance and faith may be different for each person but baptism is the same for all. |
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 |
2010-07-06 - Desire's Journey - The Grand Affair (part 3) On that day, Jesus appears and announces himself as the Bridegroom - Matthew 9:15 Jesus makes his proposal: I will prepare a place for you - John 14:2-3 We have become betrothed to the Bidegroom The whole life of the good Christian is a holy longing - Augustine |
2010-07-24 - Desire's Journey - Letting Go (part 1) The more comfortable we are with mystrery in our journey, the more rest we will know along the way Paul's quests - 2 Corinthians 6:10
Somehow being empty allows us to make others rich Some believe in the church that being a Christian somehow satisfies our every desire Augustine: "The whole life of the good Christian is a holy longing" Being content is not the same as being full |
2010-07-25 - Desire's Journey - Letting Go (part 2) Paul learned the secret of being content - Philippians 4:12 Many Christians assume he no longer experienced the thirst of his soul Earlier Paul said he had not obtained his soul's desire nor already made perfect (complete) He was straining toward what was ahead - Philippians 3:12-14 Contentment is not freedom from desire but freedom of desire It is no longer being ruled by your desires We have 3 options:
Most of the church has chosen deadness Christians are called to live the life of holy longing but we don't like to stay there To live in thirst is to live with an ache Every addiction comes from the attempt to get rid of the ache Merely trying sets us on an unending chase that leads us farther and farther from home |
2010-08-11 - Waking Dead - Myths (part 2) Myth tell us three truths, the second is: 2. There is a great struggle or quest or battle that is well under way Christianity isn't about:
As good as those things might be, this is a world at war Reason we love these is because it is telling us that this is our most desperate hour
Without this buring in our hearts, we lose the meaning of our days Notice that those who have tried to wake up to this reality were ususally killed
Has it occured to you that someone is trying to shut them up?
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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 |
2010-08-19 - Waking Dead - Restored The deepest and most wonderful of all mythic truths reveiled in the Beauty and the Beast The transformation: a creature that no one could bear the sight of is transformed into a handsome prince
It is the secret of Christianity You must be born again - John 3:7 Not about keeping laws or rules Counts whether we have really have been changed into new and different people - Galatians 6:15 Is this not the message of the gospel?
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2010-08-20 - Waking Dead - Our Desperate Need Something has gone wrong within the human race Most of the misery we suffer on this planet is the fruit of the human heart gone bad God created us to reflect his glory Barely three chapters into the Bible, we have missed up the whole project - Sin enters the picture By chapter 6, God can not bear it anymore and has to start over - Genesis 6:5-6 This is the first mention of God's heart and it is broken We know we are not what we were meant to be Most of the religions concur on this point Usual remedies involve some sort of shaping up
Out of the heart comes all sorts of evil - Matthew 15:19 We don't need an upgrade, we need transformation |
2010-08-27 - Waking Dead - Guided Narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few will find it - Matthew 7:14 Each day: do you wake to tackle a to do list or wake in the midst of a dangerous story? If you are not pursuing a dangerous quest, then you do not need a guide If you want the life Jesus offers, then you are going to need more than a handful of principles Can not possibly prepare yourself for ever situation We need God intimately and we need him desperately You have made know the path of life - Psalms 16:11 There is a narrow path to life and we need help finding it Example path from a church:
All religions has principles to follow but only Christianity can teach you to walk with God The most important thing of all is intimacy with God Those who only do good things - Jesus will say I never knew you - Matthew 7:23 Teach a man to fish? Teach a man to walk with God and you help him solve the rest of his life |
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 |
2010-08-31 - Waking Dead - Our Story (part 1) Our life is a story We need someone to walk with us God has given us the Counselor - the Spirit of truth - John 14:16-17 We need someone that makes thing clear and true Not just an annual checkup but all the time The purpose of the Christian life is that our hearts might be restored and set free That is what Jesus came to do All sorts of damage has been done to your heart
Even our laughter is out of heartache - Proverbs 14:13 We are told to trust in the Lord (Proverb 3:5) - it is second nature to worry We are told to love one another deeply (1 Peter 1:22) - that is very rare The answers lie deeply in our heart The heart of a man is deep waters, but a man of understanding draws him out - Proverbs 20:5 |
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 |
2010-09-21 - Waking Dead - Fellowship of the Heart The first Christians were called "followers of the Way" - Acts 9:2 They found the Way of Life and had given themselves over to it:
A fellowship must protect you:
A family bound together in a single fate Each one has a role |
2010-10-01 - Contagious Christian - Benefits (part 1) Ever had an idea only to find your enthusiasm fading when you realize the effort it would take? The goal may be noble, the intentions sincere, the plan in place but we still do not take action What is holding us back? We must be convinced that it is worth the effort and expense Business managers understand this and have developed process called cost/benefit analysis to help them see the whole picture In Christianity, this is called counting the cost - Luke 14 While reaching out to irreligious people may sound great, it is the actual effort that will entail significant personal expense Personal Benefits
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2010-10-02 - Contagious Christian - Benefits (part 2) 1. Adventure God get great pleasure from sending agents into the world It stretches us beyond our comfort zones and challenges us to take risks on the front lines The Christian list is one of faith Does this excite you? If no, it might be a sign that you've been playing it safe 2. Purpose What is the purpose? God not wanting anyone to perish, but to come to repentance - 2 Peter 3:9 You will start anticipating that He might surprise you at any time with an eternity-altering opportunity 3. Fulfillment We will start feeling a sense of fulfillment that transcends the realm of everyday human experience What else could compare to being an instrument in God's hand? |
2010-10-03 - Contagious Christian - Benefits (part 3) 4. Spiritual Growth If holding onto our faith and not advancing it much - it will become a chore and prayer a dry routine
5. Spiritual Confidence It is ironic that the act of preparing to show others the gospel is often the cause for us to understand it better ourselves In the face of opposition, we gain heightened sense of spiritual confidence Imagine what happens when one of these people becomes a Christian 6. Enduring Investments Jesus warned his followers to not store up treasures on earth - Matthew 6:19-20 Everything will be destroyed eventually - 2 Peter 3:10-11 It is a mistake to invest so much time and energy into things that won't last 7. Honor of Being God's Agent This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit - John 15:8 |
2010-10-07 - Contagious Christian - Attractiveness of Authenticity (part 1) Jesus knew the importance of perceptions Are you either drawing people toward a relationship with God or pushing them further away? - Matthew 5:16 How we conduct our daily lives has implications that reach all the way into eternity As part of the high potency - there are three qualities of being a Christian Authenticity, compassion, and sacrifice Authentic Identity When people are asked what qualities of person brother you the most - dishonesty usually is near the top of the list People are drawn to sincerity Avoid acting like more than you are or pretending you're less that what you are When following Christ - We renounce the sin in our lives but not the authentic identity we have One of the greatest mistakes a believer can make is to renounce or repress his uniqueness in a vain attempt to appear more spiritual Years of identity repression - you can totally lose your understanding of who you really are There are some who will never see Him for who He really is until they watch Him living uniquely in our lives The family of God is kaleidoscope of people with different gifts and temperaments We were fearfully and wonderfully made - Psalms 139:14 There is someone out there one step away from faith, they just need someone like you - your passion, personality, and interests |
2010-10-08 - Contagious Christian - Attractiveness of Authenticity (part 2) Authentic Emotional life Expressing sadness or hurt or grief are not signs of low faith or shallow character There are two negative consequences when a person outlaws certain feelings
Remember what Jesus did when His friend Lazarus died? He wept Authentic Confession How Christian deal with their foul-ups and failures The thinking here is that our moral missteps will drive people away But actually, It is a powerful witness to the transforming power of Christ Zacchaeus' household was converted because he was very open with what he did wrong Today authentic confession cause a seeker in today's non-fault society to realize that only the living God would prompt a person to say "it is my fault and I am sorry" |
2010-10-10 - Contagious Christian - Pull of Compassion Caring for the tangible needs of others is at the core of Christianity Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless - look at orphans and widows in their distress - James 1:27 Compassion is echoed throughout the Bible:
Clear and consistent demonstration of Christ-like love is a powerful magnet that pulls people toward Him Not about who you are or what you did It is about how you care, being a neighbor - Luke 10:36-37 In Luke 10 - when the wounded man awoke, he must have wondered, "Who did this? Why would they do help me in such a great way?" It is when people start asking, "Why didn't he not turn away like everyone else?" As I have loved you, so you must love one another - John 13:34-35 All men will know that you are my disciples |
2010-10-11 - God and Your Money
QUESTIONS
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2010-10-18 - Sacrificial Living
QUESTIONS
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2010-10-19 - Planning and Budgeting
QUESTIONS
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2010-10-20 - Dealing With Debt (Part I)
PRACTICAL:
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2010-10-22 - God and Your Job
QUESTIONS
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2010-10-23 - Decisions
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2010-10-24 - Christian Responsibilities
QUESTIONS
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2010-10-28 - Contagious Christian - Strength of Sacrifice (part III) Third major kind of sacrifice is a sustained, long term godly lifestyle Spiritual cynicism runs deep in some people - Christians need to watch their life and doctrine closely to win them over May times these are family member who have seen you go through phases before and think this is just another one Offer your bodies as living sacrifices by being transformed with the renewing of your mind - Romans 12:1-2 History has seen rush of the Christianity starting blocks only to be on the side lines after a couple of laps Time shows our faith to be genuine Like in a marathon, we have to finish the race We have to outlast other's objections Are you going to be God's helper that is going to wear down every cynic, scoffer, and doubter in your life? All three of the major sacrifices must be motivated by love Love has no one greater than this - that on lay down his life for his friends - John 15:13 |
2010-10-30 - Contagious Christian - Barriers to Relationships (part I) Biblical Issues with understanding what friendships are in the Bible can be barriers to relationships Some feel that befriending people who are irreligious is questionable and maybe unbiblical A look at a few examples of some verses misunderstood James 4:4 - says not to be friends with the world 1 John 2:15-17 - world is referring to sin and evil that people commit, not to the people themselves We need to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world John 17:14 - we are not of this world is sometimes interpreted that we should not associate with people outside of God's family My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but to protect them from the evil one - John 17:15-18 Jesus' purpose was to seek and save what is lost, he had to have relationships in the world to accomplish this - Luke 19:10 2 Corinthians 6:17 - Come out from them and be separate; avoid being yoked with unbelievers Not referring to everyday friendships but more formal alliances Paul in an earlier letter said that ordinary interactions with non-Christians is right and necessary - 1 Corinthians 5:9-10 Jesus was a friend of tax collectors and sinners - Luke 7:34 |
2010-10-31 - Contagious Christian - Barriers to Relationships (part II) 1 Corinthians 15:33 - Bad company corrupts good character
Jesus not only risked his reputation but ruined it He was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard - Luke 7:34 Tells you want kind of people He was around Jesus said that He associated with sinners because they are sick people that need a doctor - Matthew 9:12-13 The danger was that the doctor may be mistaken as one of His patients The religious people mutter how inappropriate it was for Him to associate with such disreputable people Jesus cared much about the lost than his reputation |
2010-11-01 - Contagious Christian - A Matthew Party Like today, many of the religious and non-religious of Matthew's day did not have intersecting social circles Some he planned a party for the religious and non-religious to come to - Luke 5:29
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2010-11-02 - Contagious Christian - Throwing a Matthew Party Throwing your own Matthew party fulfills a modest purposes
Good examples of Matthew parties:
Another misconception is that we have add a lot of new activities to our schedules Examples of everyday activities to get people involved in:
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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 |
2010-11-10 - Contagious Christian - Dorcas' Service Approach Dorcas was "always doing good and helping the poor" - Acts 9:36 She well-known for her loving acts of service She made robes and articles of clothing for widows and other needy people in her town It was very difficult to see her activity without seeing the love of Christ that inspired Her work was so important that when she died a premature death, God sent Peter to raise her from the dead People who take on this approach find it relatively easy to servers others Often those who are quite and enjoy expressing compassion through action No one fits perfectly into just one approach and you probably use all of them one way or another God has designed diversity on His team and each member is stronger in some styles than others A team of Christians who are made up of different styles will strong because they can reach virtually every type of seeker |
2010-11-11 - Contagious Christian - Starting Spiritual Conversations It is not enough to merely have high impact (HI) and close proximity (CP) We have got to talk about our faith and put the spiritual concepts of the gospel into everyday words People won't figure out the gospel out on their own - Romans 10 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways - Isaiah 55:8 Watching the life of a Christian (even a contagious one) won't be enough Someone has to articulate the gospel Must take the initiative and steer the the conversation toward spiritual topics This book contains a limited number of examples - meant to spur our thinking Must start with the heart-felt assurance that the gospel is good new my life and for others If you need a firmer foundation:
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2010-11-12 - Contagious Christian - Direct Method The method does not wait for opportunities to come about but creates them Basic it is you raising a spiritual topic and then see if the person is interested in talking about it Not forcing a person but opening wide a door for a person to walk through Example - If you would ever like to know the difference believe religion and Christianity and religion. Just let me know. I would be happy to talk about it with you It is a modern day way Jesus approached a woman in John 4. Not pressuring or forcing it on them but merely checking to see if they are interested Other way to approach people using the direct method of creating spiritual conversations:
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2010-11-17 - Contagious Christian - Making the Message Clear (part II) Christ - Common questions Why couldn't God just forgive and forget, as we can? Like in car accident, God is willing to forgive but someone still has to pay for the damage What kind of justice is there in having Jesus suffer instead of me? God was not a reluctant bystander The difference is that God is will and he is taking his own punishment for you You Many people are left with the impression that if they go to church or they born into a church they are saved Not everyone that calls Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom - Matthew 7:21-23 We have got to be crystal clear that a personal response is essential Do vs Done The difference between religion and Christianity is Do vs Done Religion spells DO - as in we try to do something for God's salvation It is like a salesman that needs to meet a quota but does not know what it is But we can never do enough and will always fall short - Romans 3:23 Christianity spells DONE Means that what we could never do for ourselves, Christ has already done He lived a perfect life we could never live He willingly died on the cross to pay the penalty we owed |
2010-11-20 - Contagious Christian - Breaking Barriers to Belief (part I) We have got to help people understand that God is not angry or afraid of honest doubt He warmly invites those with sincere questions to come, to seek, to knock - Matthew 7:7 How different Jesus is from the religious leaders of the world Jesus told doubting Thomas to touch him - Luke 24:39 We should expect this to happen and respond by emulating Jesus Clear communication starts with spiritual conversations 1. Poor Examples This includes those who are religious and are prideful or hypocritical Some are narrow-minded and pessimistic have condemned anything they don't happen to like What can be done to remove this barrier?
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2010-11-21 - Contagious Christian - Breaking Barriers to Belief (part II) 2. Bad Teaching Some carry inaccurate portrayals of God because they have been taught wrong ideas As long as they picture God as someone who he is not, they will not want to follow him
Identify with your friends concerns and share your own misconceptions Beast way of replacing misguided ideas with accurate ones is to teach the Bible 3. Natural Fears Some have distorted images of Christianity They are going to lose more than they'll ever gain - misunderstanding God's character Taste the Lord, his is good - Psalms 34:8 In John 10, Jesus sensed that people were worried about God's plan for their lives The evil one comes to destroy your life. But I am not like him. I came to give you life to the full. Christian it not only great way to die but also a great way to live. |
2010-11-27 - Mission - All Nations The only event in history where all mankind gathers together is Judgment Day An expert in the law asked "What I do to inherit eternal life?" and "Who is my neighbor?" This expert had given his life to study of the scriptures Jesus illustrates the greatest commandment - one man helping another Does not talk about:
James 2:14-16 - Do you claim to have faith? It is never alone Food, clothing, a blanket shows that you have saving faith Christian who "share their faith" don't always "share their food" Sometimes we resemble the expert in the law who did not love their neighbor By focusing on helping the poor, many people seem to become more evangelistic Physical and spiritual needs are inseparable Jesus said, I was hungry, of need of clothes, sick. Did you help him? - Matthew 25:35-36 He takes it personally - Jesus grew up poor Doves were the sacrifice of the poor - Luke 2:24 |
2010-12-02 - Mission - Taking Up the Cross Two questions to ask ourselves: Is the power of the cross producing real changes in my life? Are lost souls being radically converted as I preach? The message of the cross will seem foolish to those we are teaching if they do not see the daily demonstration of its power for us who are being saved Christians described in Romans 6
Our days are composed of countless choices and decisions Each step that Jesus took towards the cross he took willingly It takes 1000s of bricks to build a house, it takes 1000s of righteous choices to build a Christ-like character Our hearts - lost world needs to know how we feel towards our Father Our conversation - we should never get tired of telling our conversation story Our example - Our daily temptations and victories should be only shared |
2010-12-05 - Mission - Peter, To a Rock Peter's talk with Jesus by the coals burned an incredible mark in the heart of Peter - John 21:9 At Pentecost, Peter is recorded by Luke to have
Paul was very angry with on an occasion - Galatians 2:11 But Peter grew to become a stronger disciple While the world stagnates in, the Christian list is an exciting adventure in change Peter was not only a hero because he changed but because he also persevered |
2010-12-15 - Knowing Jesus (part II) 1 John 2:3-6
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2010-12-31 - Baptism into Christ (part III) Sinner’s Prayer? 1 Peter 3:21
Acts 22:7-16
resurrection. |
2011-01-01 - Discipleship (part I) Acts 11:25-26
Mark 1:16-20
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2011-01-03 - Discipleship (part III) John 13:34-35
Matthew 28:18-20
Mark 10:28-31
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2011-01-05 - Holy Spirit (part II) Ephesians 1:13-14 - The Spirit is God’s mark of ownership on his children and a “deposit” of the Ephesians 3:14-21 - We are strengthened with real power through the Spirit who dwells within us. We Ephesians 4:29-32 - How do we “grieve” the Holy Spirit? Why is anger and anger-related sin so |
2011-01-09 - Church (part III) Hebrews 3:12-14
Hebrews 10:22-25
Mark 3:31-35 - What will it mean for you to be part of Jesus’ family? |
2011-01-14 - Followup - Being Discipled: Initiation (part II)
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2011-01-22 - Followup - Laziness (part I) Introduction 1 Timothy 4:7-8 - We must train ourselves to be godly; it does not come naturally; rather the whole Christian life is a process of training in righteousness. Laziness Hebrews 6:1
Proverbs 24:30-24 - Disorganization of sluggard Proverbs 26:13-16 - Laziness of sluggard |
2011-02-05 - Discipleship - Kansas City (part I) Purpose: To understand the Bible's definition of what a Christian is Question: What is your definition of a Christian? The Church in Antioch Acts 11:19-26
Mark 1:14-20
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2011-02-06 - Christian Joy (part I) Matthew 11:28-30
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Do you feel trapped? Feel that you have sinned too much? Christian yoke = Christ's passion, purpose, and desire |
2011-02-07 - Christian Joy (part II) What is your personal yoke? Who or what are you yoked to?
What burdens you about Christianity?
Matthew 13:44-46
What is stopping you? You are |
2011-02-08 - Fearing God - Glorious Truth (part I) Christianity means a relationship with God How can you have a relationship with someone you fear? There was a time when committed Christians were known as God-fearing people God delights in those who fear him What is the fear of God? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom - Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge - Proverbs 1:7 Wisdom and knowledge are not the same Knowledge is the accumulation of information Two people can have the same knowledge and but do different times with them
Knowledge can lead to righteousness - Titus 1:1 |