2008-05-02 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Forgiveness, part 2 1 Peter 2:18
1 Peter 3:8-9
Taking the way of the cross accomplishes:
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2008-05-03 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Rest of the Story The first person who presents a case - seems right - Proverbs 18:17
Involving everyone on a decision will help others to feel valued and for you to consistently have good decisions We have trouble listening to other opinions besides our own Can you get hurt by other that love you? Yes - Double indemnity insurance policy against unresolved issues (Matthew 18:15-17 and Matthew 5:23-24) | ||||||||||||||
2008-05-04 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Buy Now and Pay Later Many struggle with the route of least resistance - CHARGE IT Satan invented the mind-set: Sin now and pay later God is not short-term but long-term Pay up front and gain big dividends later Righteousness is an investment of life Without perseverance through hard time times we will not grow - Romans 5:1-5, James 1:2-4, Hebrews 12:5-14 God does not "zap" change into you: Change requires:
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2008-05-05 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - The Easy Way Out Taking the easy way out is as normal as breathing. We love labor saving devices - medicine, cars, wash machine, lawn mower, tools Not bad for life, but there is button pushing when it comes to overcoming our sinful nature
God is determined to raise us up to maturity, despite our wailing and weeping through the rod of discipline Sooner we cooperate, the sooner our trials may end Do you want Joy? > Become spiritually mature Do you want to mature? > Pray for God to help (suffering will most likely be involved) Reject the temptation to desire the easy way That way will lead to death - Proverbs 14:12 | ||||||||||||||
2008-05-10 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Money - Root of All Evil?, part 2 There are spiritual challenges for both those who have money and those who don't God promises to give us what we need, but not what we may want 1 Timothy - need for contentment with the basic of life Examine:
Seeking advancement or seeking to please God? How content are you with what you have? - Philippians 4:12 1 Timothy 6:9-12 - not just avoid but flee from the love of money - Some use people, and love money - God uses money and loves people Who is master in your life? God OR Money - Luke 16:13 Avoid the extremes of loving it and envying those who have more than you Use money to the fullest extend to serve him and bless others | ||||||||||||||
2008-05-11 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Escaping the Performance Trap Performance trap - termed as perfectionism (not measuring up = sin) Guilt and imagined guilt come from performance based - must learn to understand God's grace Good thing to do our best but when mixed with pride is a wrong turn Rejection (or fear of) - is the root of most of our insecurities Performance-oriented tries to conceal insecurities with a superimage of self Unless we are open about our negative points we will never reallty feel loved Paul opened up his life: 2 Corinthians 6:11-13
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2008-05-13 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Power of Negative Thinking They are stronger than we are; we seem like grasshoppers - Numbers 13:31-33
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2008-05-14 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - I was Born this Way Son will not share the guilt of the father - Ezekiel 18:20 Environment or heredity - most likely both Must be slow to judge situations we do not completely understand otherwise may bless us with an understanding in a way we do not want Other extreme - develop a victim mentality regarding ourselves or others Can lead to being angry, use drugs, being immoral, or just about anything else We have difficulty applying this to a murder Answer: despite it being more difficult and having different backgrounds, the standard is still the same He does not ask us to do anything he will not enable us to do Identify the sin > repent of it > start relying on God grace > formulate a plan to overcome sin Psychology can find root causes but it is powerless to find a cure Hezekiah and Josiah were righteous amount a line of kings that were evil The promises of God are far greater than our past and present challenges Pray that we may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way - Colossians 1:10-12 | ||||||||||||||
2008-05-17 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Spiritual vs Doctrinal Thinking, part 1 Can major in the minors and minor in the majors Tendency to be doctrinal focused - 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 2 Timothy 2:14-19; Titus 1:5-11; Titus 3:3-11 Can come from a desire to be leaders, takes focus off our personal lives Numbers 12:1-15
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2008-05-18 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Spiritual vs Doctrinal Thinking, part 2 Goal is the be focus on personally knowing God, being changed, and helping others to do the same Doctrine is important - Must watch it - Timothy 4:15 Must have sound doctrine - 1 Timothy 1:10; 2 Timothy 1:13; Titus 1:19, 13, 2:1 Our study helps us understand the heart of God and imitate it
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2008-05-19 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Sentimentality Can easily become sentimental when talking about salvation:
All have sin and have fallen short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23 Being "broader" than the Bible puts you on the wrong road God will be the judge and he has given us the basis of his judgement - John 12:48 Extremes:
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2008-05-23 - Purpose Driven Life - You Are Not an Accident God planned:
God was thinking of you even before he made the world, that is why he created the world God's purpose even took in account sin and human error. If there was no god, we would all be accidents The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us - Romans 12:3 | ||||||||||||||
2008-05-24 - Purpose Driven Life - What Drives Your Life? What shouldn't drive our life (will miss God's purposes for your life): People are driven by guilt Allows the past to control their future God turned a murder (Moses and Paul) into a leader and a coward into a hero God specializes in giving people a fresh start People are driven by resentment and anger - Resentment always hurts you more than it does the other person People are driven by fear - from unrealistic expectations and high-control situations People are driven by materialism - Your value is not determined by your valuables People are driven by the need for approval - those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it Living a purpose driven life, knowing your purpose:
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2008-05-26 - Purpose Driven Life - Seeing Life from God's View How do you see your life? What images come to mind? Let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind Life on earth is a Test Trials, temptations, refining, and testing occurs over 200x in the Bible Success:
Your realize that nothing is insignificant, tested by:
God wants you to pass - James 1:2-3 Life on earth is a Trust God loans you the earth, we never really own anything Want to hear: "Well done, good and faithful servant" God uses finances: As a test (in good times) and a trust (hard times) | ||||||||||||||
2008-05-28 - Purpose Driven Life - The Reason for Everything The ultimate goal is to give glory to God God's glory = the expression of his goodness and all his other eternal qualities All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23
Giving glory to God will require us to change our priorities, schedule, relationships, and everything else
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2008-05-29 - Purpose Driven Life - Planned for God's Pleasure You are planned for God's pleasure He chose to create you for his enjoyment Bringing enjoyment to God is the first purpose in life He considers valuable enough to keep you for eternity with him Bringing pleasure to God is called worship Anything you do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship to God Worship is a universal urge - if not worshiping God, it will be something Worship is not for your benefit, not "I got a lot out of it" Worship is far more than music Worship music is not limited to a particular style of music - nothing to do with volume or speed of the song Style of the music says more about you than it does God Worship is not a part of your life, it is your life Every activity can be transformed into an act of worship Whether you drink or eat or whatever... do it all for the glory of God- 1 Corinthians 10:31 | ||||||||||||||
2008-05-31 - Purpose Driven Life - What Makes God Smile? (Part 2) Noah was an example of making God smile (continued):
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2008-06-01 - Purpose Driven Life - The Heart of Worship (Part 1) Surrender is an unpopular word, implies losing Heart of a true worshiper of God is surrender Three barriers to 100% surrender are: fear, pride, and confusion Can we trust God? Trust is essential, you can not surrender to God if you do not trust him Fear keeps us from surrendering - God is love and love us deeply and casts out all fear God is willing to have his son die for us - Romans 5:8 Admitting our limitations The oldest temptation is want to be like God - Genesis 3:5 That desire wants complete control We want to be taller, smarter, anger, stronger, more talent, more beauty, and wealthier. When faced with our limitations we react with irritation, anger, and resentment. | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-02 - Purpose Driven Life - The Heart of Worship (Part 2) What it means to surrender Surrendering is not for cowards It is not repressing your personality Surrendering is best demonstrated in obedience. To say "no, Lord"- can not call Jesus your Lord To trust God means doing without knowing where, when, how, or why Most difficult area to surrender is money Retirement is not a goal of a surrendered life Surrender is hard work - Warfare against our self-centered nature The blessing of surrender Blessings of surrender
Everyone surrenders to someone or something You are free to choose but not free from the consequences Nothing else works - All other approaches lead to frustration Must make it a daily habit (maybe more than 50 times a day) May be inconvenient, unpopular, costly, or seem impossible | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-03 - Purpose Driven Life - Best Friends with God God wants to be your friend God's ideal relationship - Adam and Eve (no rituals, ceremonies, or religion) Moses, Abraham, David, Job, Enoch, and Noah had intimate relationships with God Most in the OT had just the fear of God You are not longer servants but friends - John 15:15 Through constant conversations Make it a habit to have daily devotion time but it more than just that God wants to be included in every activity in your life (Some think you have to get away) Key to the friendship is not changing what you do but your attitude toward what you do Pray all the time - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray as often as possible Help me trust you You are here with me I'm depending on you You are my God How awesome you are! Pray as often as possible Your goal is not a feeling but an awareness of the reality that God is always present Through continual meditation Thing about His Word throughout your day - who God is, What he has done, and what he has said Meditation is simply focused thinking - Worry is a form of meditation Friends share secrets God told his secrets to Abraham, Daniel, Paul, his disciples, and others friends When you read your Bible or hear a sermon - develop a practice of review the truth in your mind | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-04 - Purpose Driven Life - Developing Your Friendship with God You are as close as you choose to be to God Must work to develop your friendship Must choose to be honest ...about your faults and feelings No one in the Bible was perfect:
We may harbor resentment toward God He wants you to hold back nothing about how you feel Choose to obey John 15:14 - You are my friends if you do what I command We are not equals - We obey obey God because we love him True friendship isn't passive; it acts "Great things for God" - Great things come once in a lifetime; small things come everyday Must choose to value what God values What does God value the most? His lost children Must desire a friendship with God more than anything Longing, yearning, thirsting, hungering - that was David Nothing matters more NO: What is it worth to you? NO: What cost is too much? Problems are wake-up calls for you come back to him | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-05 - Purpose Driven Life - Worship That Pleases God God wants all of you All of your soul, mind, heart, strength God is pleased when... ...our worship is accurate
...our worship is thoughtful
... our worship is practical
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2008-06-06 - Purpose Driven Life - When God Seems Distant Easy to worship God when things are going great God matures relationship by times of separation - Job, David, Jesus God promises to never leave you or forsake you Sin separates - Friendships are tested by separation and silence Sometimes distance from God is not because of sin - feelings may be off It is not a feeling, God will remove your dependence of feelings Tell God how you feel God can handle your doubt, fear, anger, grief, confusion, and questions Remember: God is unchanging: Job praised God in these ways:
His promises do not change despite circumstances Remember what God has already done for you Even if God will not do anything else for you (very unlikely) He gave his son | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-09 - Purpose Driven Life - The Value of Time The importance of things can be measured by how much time we are willing to invest in them Your time is your life Greatest gift you can give someone is your time Words alone are worthless - 1 John 3:18 Most desired gift of love is focused attention Give without loving, but you can not love without giving - God gave everything (John 3:16) Make the most of every opportunity Other and you are not guaranteed tomorrow Who do you need to spend more time with? What do you need to cut out of your day? | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-10 - Purpose Driven Life - A Place to Belong You are called to belong Relationship with Christ is personal but not private Your organs are connected to other organs to fulfill a purpose Organ severed from the body will shrivel and die Christ loved the church and gave his life for it - Ephesians 5:25 Church is Christ's bride Can't say to Christ "I love you but I do not love your wife Why you need a Church Family? 1. Identifies you as a genuine believer 2. Move you out of self-centered isolation Lab for practicing unselfishness Learn to care about others If one part suffers, all suffer - 1 Corinthians 12:16 We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers - 1 John 3:16 3. Helps develop spiritual muscle Isolation breeds deceitfulness 4. Body Needs you 5. Share in Christ's mission - He works through us 6. Church family will help you from backsliding "Mind your own business" - not a Christian phrase It is your responsibility to help those who need help Difference between a church attender and a church member is commitment | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-11 - Purpose Driven Life - Experiencing Life Together Life is meant to be shared Fellowship - now refers to casual conversation, socializing, food, and fun Jesus knew that 12 was the maximum size for a group for everyone to participate In real fellowship people experience... ... Authenticity
... Mutuality (Romans 1:12)
... Sympathy
... Mercy
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2008-06-12 - Purpose Driven Life - Cultivating Community Community requires commitment Only the Holy Spirit can create real fellowship between believers Cultivating community takes... ...Honesty Silent when someone sins - not loving thing to do Means caring enough to lovingly confront - Proverbs 24:26 A group will remain superficial because they are afraid to conflict It is where gossip thrives Corinth church was allowing sexual immorality because no one had the courage to say anything. ...Humility Pride builds walls between; humility builds bridges Being prideful is living in opposition to God - 1 Peter 5:5 Develop humility by: admitting weakness, being patient with other's weakness, being open to correction, pointing the spotlight on others ...Courtesy Nothing to do with compatibility Basis of our fellowship is our relationship to God - We are family ...Confidentiality Does not mean keeping silent about sin Means - stays within the group - Proverbs 16:28 ...Frequency You need to spend time - make it a habit - Hebrew 10:25 Community is not built on convenience - "Let's get together sometime" | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-13 - Purpose Driven Life - Restoring Broken Fellowship Relationships are always worth restoring God has given us the ministry of restoring God gave everything (his son) for restoring relationships Does not mean avoiding conflict or appeasement Talk to God before talking to the person God may change your heart or their hear - James 4:1-2 Tell God your frustrations Most conflict is rooted in unmet needs; some needs can only be meet by God Always take the initiative God expects you to make the first move - Matthew 5:23-24 Abandon your offering at the alter and go make things right first Acting quickly reduces the spiritual damage Bitterness is only hurting yourself Sympathize with their feelings Use your ears more than your mouth - Philippians 2:4 Focus on feelings and not facts Start with sympathy, not solutions Confess your part of the conflict Ask "Am I the problem?" - Matthew 7:5 The way you handle a conflict creates a bigger hurt Attack the problem, not the person How you say it is important as what you say Cold War - country decided on weapons that should never be used Cooperate as much as possible - Romans 12:18 Sometime it cost our pride, self-centerness Emphasize reconciliation, not resolution Reconciliation focuses on the relationship Takes a lot of effort to restore a relationship | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-16 - Purpose Driven Life - How We Grow God wants you to grow up - some grow older but never grow up (Ephesians 4:14-15) Nothing shapes your life than the commitments you make God's part and your part Our part is to: Continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling - Philippians 2:12-13 Our role = "work out" salvation (grow - in a body workout we have our body but we make it better) Changing your autopilot Becareful what you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts - Proverbs 4:23 Going on a diet, exercising does not work if you do not change your thinking - "I am going on a diet" The way you think determines the way you feel - which influences how you act - Ephesians 4:23 Babies by nature are completely selfish It is not the amount of biblical information and doctrine you know | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-17 - Purpose Driven Life - Transformed by Truth The truth transforms us Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth Everything around you exists because "God said so" Must accept the Bible's authority
Unrealiable authorities (at the Garden of Eden as well):
Must assimilate its truth Allow yourself to be transformed by the truth
Must apply it principles
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2008-06-19 - Purpose Driven Life - Growth Through Temptation Happy is the man who does not give in - will be rewarded with the crown of life - James 1:12 Every temptation is an opportunity to do good through the path of maturity How does the Holy Spirit produce fruit in our lives? - Galatians 5:22-23 By allowing you to be tempted by the opposite opportunity
Temptation follows 4 steps:
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2008-06-20 - Purpose Driven Life - Defeating Temptation There is always a way out Refocus attention on something else By resisting, you actually reinforce it Reveal your struggle to a gold friend or support group If you fall, a friend can help you up - Eccelesiastes 4:9-10 Resist the Devil He will flee when you resist - James 4:7 Realize your vulnerabilities The heart is deceitful above all things- Jeremiah 17:9 Don't carelessly place yourself in tempting situations, avoid them - Proverbs 14:16 | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-21 - Purpose Driven Life - Overcoming Temptation Refuse to be intimidated You will never outgrow temptation Temptation is a sign that Satan hates you Paul says, "WHEN you are tempted..." - 1 Corinthians 10:13 Jesus was tempted, but never sinned - Hebrews 4:15 The closer you grown to God, the more Satan will try to tempt you Recognize your pattern of temptation Know what exactly what trips you up - Stay alert, Satan waits til you are napping - Matthew 26:41
Plan carefully what you do... - Proverbs 4:26-27 Request God's Help Call on God in times of trouble - Psalms 50:15 Jesus is sympathetic; he understands our weakness - Hebrews 4:15 We can be embarrassed to ask God for help after failing over and over again, but let us have confidence when approaching - Hebrews 4:16 | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-22 - Purpose Driven Life - It Takes Time There are no shortcuts to maturity - it takes us years to mature physically While we worry about fast we, God is concern how strong We arrive to spiritual maturity when have gained the fullness of Christ - Ephesians 4:13 Why does it take so long to learn?
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2008-06-23 - Purpose Driven Life - Dont Get In A Hurry Believe God is working in your life - Expect gradual improvement Keep a notebook or journal of lessons learned
There are many examples where God goes through the process of maturing It took over eighty years to mature Moses Don't try to get out of anything prematurely - James 1:4 Don't get discouraged Things God plans don't always happen right away, just be patient - Habakkuk 2:3 A delay is not denial from God | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-26 - Purpose Driven Life - No Excuse for Not Serving The Bible warns against living only for ourselves - Romans 2:8 Trying to save our life; we will lose it - Mark 8:35 What excuse have you been using to not serve?
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2008-06-27 - Purpose Driven Life - Shaped for Serving God Before God created you, he decided what role he wanted you to play on earth You were made for a specific ministry. Created in Christ to do good works - Ephesians 2:10 God does not make junk God never wastes anything - he did not give you talents and gifts unless he intended for you to use them for his glory God shapes us: Spiritual Gifts Heart Abilities Personality Experience We will look at spiritual gifts and heart today: SHAPE: Spiritual Gifts He alone decides which gift each person should have - 1 Corinthians 12:11 If you had them all, you would not need others; teaches us to love and depend on each other Given gifts for the benefit of others Gift given as a means of helping the entire church - 1 Corinthians 12:7 Two gift problems:
Heart = desires, hopes, interest, ambition, dreams, and passion Heart reflects the person - Proverbs 27:19 You may have interest that no one else has - from God Don't ignore your interest; consider how they might be used by God Serve the Lord with all of your heart - Deuteronomy 11:13 How do you know if you are serving the Lord with all of your heart?
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2008-06-28 - Purpose Driven Life - Applying Your Abilities We are all have abilities that God has given us To build the Tabernacle, God engaged all kinds of craftsmanship - Exodus 31:3-5 All of our abilities come from God God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well - Romans 12:6 Can not say, "I don't have any abilities to offer"
Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God - 1 Corinthians 10:31 Remember the Lord your God; he give the ability to produce wealth - Deuteronomy 8:18 What I am able to do, God wants me to do God equips you will you need for doing well - Hebrews 13:21 Seriously examine what you are good at doing and do it God will never ask to something you have no talent for Abilities are not just to make a living, but also for service for him Be sure to use our abilities to help each other - 1 Peter 4:10 | ||||||||||||||
2008-06-29 - Purpose Driven Life - Using Personality and Experiences Personality You are very unique 102,400,000,000 in DNA terms It is obvious that God loves variety It is easier to work with the grain than against it Experiences
Greatest ministry comes from our most likely come from your greatest pain When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the comfort God has given us - 2 Corinthians 1:4 Paual was honest with his bouts of depression If Paul kept his experience to himslef, millions of people would have never benefitted from it Don't waste your pain, us it to help others
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2008-06-30 - Purpose Driven Life - Using What God Gave You Begin by assessing your gifts and talents Take a long honest look at what you are good at Experiment with different areas of service Consider your heart and personality Examine your experiences and extract lessons you have learned Remember today what you have learned about the Lord - Deuteronomy 11:2 Were rarely see God's good purpose - John 13:7 Run with patience the particular race that God has set before us - Hebrews 12:1 Satan can steal our joy by:
Avoid comparisons, resist exaggerations, and seek only God's commendations - 1 Corinthians 10:12-18
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2008-07-01 - Purpose Driven Life - Real Servants (part 1) We server God by serving others How can you know if you have the heart of Jesus? Real Servants make themselves available to serve Like a soldier, always by for duty - 2 Timothy 2:4
Real servants pay attention to needs Always looking out for ways to help others Real servants do their best with what they have Servant never make excuses, procratinate, wait for better circumstances | ||||||||||||||
2008-07-02 - Purpose Driven Life - Real Servants (part 2) Real servants do every task with equal dedication Whatever you do, do it with all your heart - Colossians 3:23
Small taks often show a big heart Real servants are faithful to their ministry Servants finish tasks, fullfill their responsibilities, and complete their commitments Real Servants maintain a low profile Put on the apron of humility, to serve one another - 1 Peter 5:5 Servants are content with quietly serving in the shadows Be confident that nothing you do for God is a waste of time or effort - 1 Corinthians 15:58 | ||||||||||||||
2008-07-04 - Purpose Driven Life - Thinking Like a Servant (part 2) Servants think about their work, not what others are doing They do not compare, criticize, or compete with other servants; same goal and same team If you serve like Jesus, expect to be criticized Servants base their identity in Christ They are loved and accepted by grace, servants don't have to prove their worth Insecure people are always worrying about how they appear; want others to serve them instead Servants think of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation Serve the Lord with gladness - Psalms 100:2 The only really happy people are those who have learned to serve | ||||||||||||||
2008-07-07 - Purpose Driven Life - Gods Power in My Weakness (part 3) Honestly share your weaknesses Paul modeled vulnerability:
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2008-07-08 - Purpose Driven Life - Gods Power in My Weakness (part 4) We are naturally drawn to humble people If people see your strengths but not your weakness, they can not relate
Decide wheather you want to impress people or influence people Glory in your weakness When Satan points out your weakness, agree with him and praise Jesus - 2 Corinthians 12:5 "If you want to be blessed by God and use you greatly, you must learn to walk with a limp" - Joacb | ||||||||||||||
2008-07-10 - Purpose Driven Life - Made for a Mission (part 2) Your mission is a wonderful privilege
Telling others how they can have eternal is the best thing you can do If have the cure for AIDs, you would share it You just have to remember the hopeless you felt without Christ Your mission has eternal significance Impact the eternal destiny of other people Consequences will last for ever; consequences of your job will not All of us must quickly carry our tasks; all work comes to an end - John 9:4 | ||||||||||||||
2008-07-11 - Purpose Driven Life - Made for a Mission (part 3) Your mission give your life meaning The nest use of your life is to spend it for something that outlast you. My life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me - Acts 20:24 The is some people that only you can reach God's timetable is connected to the completion of our mission Some are focus on when Christ will come No one knows (or will know) the day or hour of the end - Matthew 24:36 It is not for us to know; it is up to us to witness - Acts 1:7-8 Jesus quickly switch the conversations from prophecy to evangelism Satan would rather have do anything besides sharing your faith Expect Satan to throw all kinds of diversion at you Anyone who lets themselves get distracted from God's plan is not fit for the Kingdom of God - Luke 9:62 | ||||||||||||||
2008-07-16 - Purpose Driven Life - Becoming a World-Class Christian (part 2) Shift from self-centered thinking to other-centered thinking Stop thinking like children (thinking like only of self), and like like mature people (grown ups) - 1 Corinthians 14:20 Most advertising encourages selfish thinking To make the paradigm switch to mature thinking - need to dependence of God God has given us his Spirit so we don't think like the world thinks - 1 Corinthians 2:12 Shift from local thinking to global thinking God so loved the world... - John 3:16 God made all the nations and where they would be, so we would look for him - Acts 17:26-27 The world already thinks globally: business, competition, and news If you ask me, I will give you the nations - Psalms 2:8 What should we pray for?
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2008-07-18 - Purpose Driven Life - Balancing Your Life (part 1) God 5 purposes for your life:
Churches do the same thing Habits to stay on track: Talk it through in a spiritual group Helps you to internalize information Helps with accountability - Iron sharpens iron - Proverbs 27:17 Helps you put in the practice what you learned - Philippians 4:9 Helps encourage each other - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Give yourself a regular checkup Test yourself - 2 Corinthians 13:5 Take a look at the way you are living - Lamentations 3:40 | ||||||||||||||
2008-07-19 - Purpose Driven Life - Balancing Your Life (part 2) Write down your progress in a journal We remember what we record Writing helps clarify what God is doing in your life Moses kept a written record of their progress - Numbers 33:2 (NLT) Moses recorded the stages in their journey - Numbers 33:2 (NIV) Don't just record the good things David recorded his fears, doubts, and struggles with God Write down for the coming generations what the Lord has done - Psalms 56:8 Pass on what you know to others He who blesses others is abundantly blessed - Proverbs 11:25 Paul told us spiritual things so we tell others - 2 Timothy 2:2 Knowledge increases responsibility - James 4:17 Teaching other followers = a good servant of Christ - 1 Timothy 4:6 We learn for God's glory and the growth of the kingdom | ||||||||||||||
2008-07-21 - 30 Days at the Cross - Unconditional Love Feels good to feel loved - insecurities come from not being sure or for some reason other than unconditional love In our worst shape, God demonstrated his love for us - Romans 5:8 Love you enough to have his son killed for you - while you (and me) were enemies of God If God loves us this much, we should as love this way - 1 John 4:11 Paul - Christ came to save sinners and I am the worst - 1 Timothy 1:15
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2008-07-22 - 30 Days at the Cross - Hating Sin We can feel pain because God feels pain Questions:
Amazing grace cost amazing pain Don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? - James 4:4-5 How does God feel about:
Imagine that you can home from work and you found a dog that just kill your child We killed Jesus with our sin, how should we be treated?
Resist the devil and he will flee; Come near to God and he will near to you - James 4:7-10 | ||||||||||||||
2008-07-23 - 30 Days at the Cross - It Keeps on Cleansing The blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin - 1 John 1:7 His blood was the only thing that could possibly attain forgiveness for me - Ephesians 1:7 Imagine the priest persuading an Israelite to trust God's ways and offer the lamb Jesus' sacrifice for our sins must be accepted first for the joy of our sacrifical life to make sense Where does your value come from? As a blood-bought sinner or my ability to produce a perfect life
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2008-07-25 - 30 Days at the Cross - Always Remembering Passover - it meant freedom for the Jews (from Egypt) It was a new relationship with God and man Jesus: with my life and death, you have a new relationship, now remember this In the midst of our activities and pressure of life, we forget:
He took bread and gave thanks for this very reason - Luke 22:19 Give thanks and examine yourself - 1 Corinthians 11:28 | ||||||||||||||
2008-07-26 - 30 Days at the Cross - Wisdom and Power of God Will the cross ever make sense to the world? Will all the wisdom of the world, no one has found God Jews sought a miracle worker general ignoring scriptures like Isaiah 53 God's plan was never to impress prideful scholars or to find acceptance among the rulers of the ages Some things never change:
Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing God didn't come to impress the world. Are you? | ||||||||||||||
2008-07-27 - 30 Days at the Cross - Who Gets the Credit? How quick human nature is to accept credit for certain accomplishments I will not boast about myself, except my weaknesses (Paul) - 2 Corinthians 12:5 Why boast about our weaknesses?
Who would want the power of God? A person that truly boasts in the cross does not:
Jesus could keep a full record of your credits and debts - but do you want that? sin and all? Are you trying to earn your salvation | ||||||||||||||
2008-07-28 - 30 Days at the Cross - Life through Death Voluntary surrender is not easy; never comfortable nor enjoyable Rebellion comes from man's desire to be God Only when we are sick of our old nature will we be convinced to totally sell out to God Most of our cires are designed to produce our surrender So how do we go about taking up our cross?
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2008-07-29 - 30 Days at the Cross - Denial Without Regret self-denial - decision to consistently lay down our lives - not a popular topic Jesus' struggle in Gethsemane was fought and won in prayer - Matthew 26:36-46
Any limitation we put on self-denial will surely limit our usefulness to him | ||||||||||||||
2008-07-30 - 30 Days at the Cross - Heights of Humility World often assumes humily with being quite, soft, weak, a loner, apathetic and without convictions Does this sound like Jesus to you? With humility, you give up yourself, but in the process you find God and yourself Questions and answers about humility:
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2008-07-31 - Questions and Answers - Part 1 Answered the following questions in the Q & A section:
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2008-08-01 - Questions and Answers - Part 2 Answered the following questions in the Q & A section:
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2008-08-02 - Questions and Answers - Part 3 Answered the following questions in the Q & A section:
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2008-08-03 - Questions and Answers - Part 4 Answered the following questions in the Q & A section:
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2008-08-06 - Questions and Answers - Part 7 Answered the following questions in the Q & A section:
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2008-08-07 - 30 Days at the Cross - Spectators or Sacrifices Sacrifice - we think of pain, suffering, loss, and the uncomfortable concept of denying self Sacrifice is a voluntary presentation of ourselves to God to be used for his purposes We can respond in serveral ways to the sacrifice of Jesus:
Christ love needs to compel us - 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 What happens when you offer your body as a living sacrifice?
What types of sacrifices is God asking of you right now? | ||||||||||||||
2008-08-08 - 30 Days at the Cross - Problems or Possibilities Suffering is a problem for us:
We spend too much time asking questions:
We should:
The issue is how you respond and how you will respond in the future | ||||||||||||||
2008-08-09 - 30 Days at the Cross - If the King is a Servant What Jesus rightly deserved and what he received while here on earth were quite different Jesus didn't resent or resist his role He had a desire and compassion to help others Greatest of humility and suffering for him to subject himself to the cruelest of deaths - Philippians 2:8 People who have a major impact are the ones who serve Nothing moves the human heart more than someone who puts the needs of another above his own need It is a rare and precious expression of love Jesus has called you and me to be like him and take on his attitude toward serving others Jesus' serving was not limited to his friends (but also his enemies) His people will do the simple acts of service for the "least" among us Easier to serve someone on a schedule; more difficult if unexpected or interrupting my schedule | ||||||||||||||
2008-08-11 - 30 Days at the Cross - Seeing It Through It is not hard to start something but it takes character to finish What did it take for Jesus to reach his goal? Nothing less than a relationship with the Father and death With dull disciples - could have become impatient Exhausted after a long journey - could have become selfish He never gave in How did he stay so determined to overcome? Offered prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears - Hebrews 5:7 Jesus shed tears for:
We are aware of our ineffectiveness, we focus on what we should be doing but neglect our relationship with God | ||||||||||||||
2008-08-13 - 30 Days at the Cross - Lasting Impact We learn that we should pursue: fame, fortune, and material possessions from the world Jesus refutes all that we have learned - service, sacrifice, and spiritual power
Many of us spend more time at work than any other single place If we aren't living the cross here, how can we be living it at all Honest is required - may mean less money or advancement Time commitment - it is easy to get caught up at work Every disciple needs to work hard - but what is the reason?
How could a temporary ob on earth be more important than Jesus and his work? If we compromise at work, how will we ever overcome the world? | ||||||||||||||
2008-08-14 - 30 Days at the Cross - Not for Adults Only Even when Jesus was on the cross he had concern for his mother Why didn't he protect her from the experience? She needed to understand how far we must go to save the lost Being a Christian parent does not mean you try to spare your children the cross: show them how to get on it As parents, it is often harder to teach or to call our children to sacrifice than it is to call ourselves to sacrifice Are you teaching?
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2008-08-15 - 30 Days at the Cross - Nothing but the Best Do what comes naturally. Get in touch with who you are. Do what feels right. Be true to yourself. - These are the ideas the world tells us. Do they really change our lives? Jesus' blood shed challenges us to reconsider our empty way of life What a person is willing to give reveals a lot about the person Jesus was the perfect Son and an exact representation of God - Hebrews 1:3 God's precious and costly sacrifice seeks and demands a response. Make every effort is the only appropriate response - 2 Peter 1:5-7 Motivated by God's grace and example, we can increase our faith Sin weakens our character, steals our energy, and undermines our determination | ||||||||||||||
2008-08-16 - 30 Days at the Cross - Trusting in Trial Living by faith is not easy:
The cross was a test of faith for Jesus
Situations of life:
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2008-08-17 - 30 Days at the Cross - Do not Come Down! Jesus was tempted with the words, "save yourself, come down from the cross If they understood the eternal significance of the moment, they would have cried "No, Jesus! Do not come down!" Jesus was tempted:
Our mission is the same (Luke 9:23) - must deny self and lose our life for others We must quit looking for some new,easy approach and decide to love The world is screaming out: "Save yourself! Come down from the cross!" Jesus cries: "Do not come down!" | ||||||||||||||
2008-08-20 - 30 Days at the Cross - I Am Not Alone Stress, word for the modern world, everyone has too much of it Synonymical cousins: worry, frustration, and impatience Vacation sometimes causes it Sociologists and Psychologist make a lot of money because of it Jesus never was described as stressed Jesus was tempted in every way as we are - Hebrews 4:15 How did he conquer stress? He was not alone - John 16:31-32 Allowing stress to overwhelm us is sin - focus on ourselves It tempts us to let our emotions lead over our convictions Worry - always be thousands of reasons to worry - still sin Frustration - thing don't go the way we think it should - we need faith We too can overcome stress - we too are not alone | ||||||||||||||
2008-08-23 - 30 Days at the Cross - Consumed with Reconciliation Bible makes it clear: God is consumed with reconciliation At the cross: it reconciles us to God, then reconciles us to each other There must be humility on both sides: God humility (did not need to go the human level but he did for our sake) - Philippians 2:5-8
Do you want to resolve a conflict in a relationship? Do it Gods way:
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