2009-04-06 - Promises of God - Abrahams Faith By faith Abraham, called to place even through he did not know where is was going - Hebrews 11:8 Obedience to God is the only thing that makes sense Ludicrous to think that our limited and mortal minds can out smart an omnipotent and omnipresent God We will never find the blessing of God if we constantly question the wisdom of God How do you feel about the word of obey? |
2009-04-15 - Promises of God - Importance of Repentance God's goodness and God's blessing are designed to lead us to repentance - Romans 2:4 God's will is for us to hear about God's faithfulness and his promises and to decide:
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2009-04-17 - Why We Need God - He is The Creator GOD IS THE CREATOR...
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2009-04-18 - Why We Need God - He is Our Creator GOD AS OUR CREATOR...
a. Where did I come from? |
2009-06-19 - A Life of Impact - Opportunism Opportunism Mark 2:1-2
Commendation Mark 2:3-5
Forgiveness
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2009-06-29 - A Life of Impact - Disclosure Disclosure Mark 4:21-23
Challenge to listen Mark 4:24-25
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2009-06-30 - A Life of Impact - Dream Shared Dream Shared Mark 4:26-32
Choice words Mark 4:33-34
Actions speak louder
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2009-07-14 - A Life of Impact - Caterer and Delegator Caterer Mark 8:1-10
Delegator
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2009-07-21 - A Life of Impact - Magnetism Magnetism Mark 9:14-29
Frustration
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2009-07-28 - A Life of Impact - Tough love Tough love Mark 10:17-31
Reassurance - Leaders need to first overcome his own negative thoughts and feelings in order to help his followers avoid becoming discouraged. |
2009-08-12 - A Life of Impact - Unconditional Love Unconditional Love Mark 14:17-26
The Memorial
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2009-09-02 - Wild at Heart - The wound (part 2) Adam receives his name from God Abraham names Issac Jesus needed to hear those words God renames Jacob and Paul Racheal names son “son of my sorrow”. Jacob renames him “son of my right hand” It took intervention by the man, it always does A boy is brought into the world by his mother There comes a time for the shift when he begins to seek out his father’s affection – Hard for a mother Dad coming home is biggest event in a boy’s day Women try to fill void that an absent father has left Father calls his son “tiger” Turns to mom for comfort and dad for adventure If a mother will not allow her son to become dangerous, if she does not let the father take him away, she will emasculate him. |
2009-09-07 - Wild at Heart - The enemy fears you If you ever really got your heart back, lived from it with courage, you would be a huge problem to him Many men have not been shown how to fight from the heart. Failure of fathers and left men without direction If you want the wound healed and your strength restored and to find your true name, you re going to have to fight for it. Notice your reaction at these words. Does another come in and caution you to stop We need to know who we are and if we have what it takes A man’s core question does not go away We search for the answer of validation
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2009-09-13 - Wild at Heart - False self (part 4) A masculine journey always takes a man away from the women, come back to with his question answered A man does not go to a woman to get his strength; he goes to her to offer it. Addiction comes when we have taken our soul to her for validation. What else are we looking for? God Adam had God God gave Adam Eve out of His humility Eve eventually took the place of God Adam was not deceived Time where Eve had fallen but Adam had not Adam choose Eve over God Men without his true love, God, will try to find another Why do you remain thirsty after you have had a drink… it is the wrong well In God will only find the true healing of the wound |
2009-09-15 - Wild at Heart - Healing the wound (part 1) Source of real strength comes from the one that truly possess it. It was meant from the beginning that we have a desperately dependence on God “Apart from me you can do nothing” – We are made to depend on God God designed the human machine to run by itself Sin and our culture came together – prevent the wound from being healed – to be independent We believe deep in our hearts that if we need anything from anyone is a sort of weakness The Son could do nothing by himself – the Father and I are one Like trying to finish the marathon with a broken leg |
2009-09-20 - Wild at Heart - The Enemy (part 1) Any castles? Any great battles? Are there any great dragons? A man needs a battle to fight Early death of a man’s warriors keeps the boy in him from growing up If we can reawaken that fierce quality in a man – higher purpose, release the warrior within, then the boy can grow up and become truly masculine Every man is a warrior inside but the choice to fight is his own A man must have a battle to fight, a great mission to his life that involves and yet transcends even home and family. He must have a cause to which he is devoted even unto death – in the fabric of our being That is why God created you. Your whole life is in preparation for The lie from the enemy is that your role is insignificant No other man can replace you You are the hero in your own story - the main man A warrior has a vision Root of all our woes and false self was this: We are seeking to save our life and we lost it “Who ever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it” – Mark 8:35 For years all my daily energy was spent trying to beat the trails in my life and arrange for a little pleasure. Mercenary fights for pay, for his own benefit, his life is devoted to himself |
2009-09-22 - Wild at Heart - The Enemy (part 3) Walk right into those situations you normally run from Speak right to the issues normally remain silent over If you want to grow in masculine strength, then stop sabotaging yours. Being wronged and saying that is OK, but furious inside This will push your strength down and eventually you will believe you do not have any. When you deny your anger, it turns to fear Sabotage also happens when we give our strength away Taking a bribe, refusing to confront an issue, sexual sin Sexual struggle is sin and a battle for his strength Start choosing to live out your strength and you’ll discover that it grows each time Stand your ground and begin to taste your true strength and you’ll want more Our strength is will and fierce and we are more than unsettled by what may happen if we let it arrive “I’m afraid I will do something bad if I let all this show up” – You will do something bad if you don’t Man’s addictions are a result of his refusing his strength Let people feel the weight of who you are and let them deal with it |
2009-09-24 - Wild at Heart - The Enemy (part 5) Not every thought that crosses your mind comes from you
Who caused the Chaldeans to steal Job’s herds – Satan Job 12,17 Anaias and Sapphira – Satan Heartache keeps us from praying Satan is behind that brutal assault on your on strength There is a whole lot more going on behind the scenes of our lives than most of us have been led to believe Behind the world and the flesh is an event more deadly enemy, one we rarely speak of and are even less ready to resist |
2009-09-28 - One Another - Differences (part 1) Judgement or Apathy Two extremes:
Accused or Excused
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2009-09-29 - One Another - Differences (part 2) Conviction and Acceptance How we blend conviction with an equally deep level of acceptance? We need to understand that some convictions can be disputable matters Accept those whose faith is weak - Romans 14:1 Accept one another in order to bring praise to God - Romans 15:7 Example: It is OK to treat one day more special to worship God than another day - Romans 14:5-6 Even if the conviction is misguided - we sin if go against it
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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 |
2009-10-13 - Wild at Heart - A Beauty to Rescue Evil power who holds her captive Only a champion may win her Every little girl knows the fable without ever being told Little boys rehearse their parts Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet and so on Strong man coming to rescue a beautiful women is universal and human nature Why is it ten years later I wondered if I even wanted to be married to her anymore? Why do most us get lost somewhere between “once upon a time” and “happily ever after”? Our culture has grown cynical about the fable We have not been poisoned by fairy tales Many guys think that the biggest battle was asking her out She is the special target of the Evil One He turns most vicious malice against her If he can destroy her or keep her captive, he can ruin the story |
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 |
2009-10-27 - Repentance - Illustrations (part 1) Scrooge
Gestalts Switch
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2009-10-30 - Repentance - The Prophets (part 1) Scriptures had become mere words to be studied and debated, rather than the practice of life Prophets are positive and negative reinforcement One needs not predict future events in order to serve as a prophet Don’t evade the prophet that God, in his grace, sends you – seek their counsel If God cannot help you repent through His word, then you will never repent – Luke 16:27-31 Moses
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2009-11-03 - Repentance - Jesus Opens Our Eyes (part 1) No one comes to Jesus without a preconceived paradigm about God Our only hope for overcoming our blindness is repentance – only way to see the kingdom Cursed Be The Pride that Blinds
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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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2009-11-13 - Repentance - Godly Sorrow (part 1) Are you content with four out of seven, even five out of seven? Spoude – Dispatched Diligence
Literally means “same” – “homo” = word; “logos” = reasoning |
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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2009-11-24 - Master Plan - Selection (part 3) Few were converted in His lifetime.
Everything that is done with the few is for the salvation of the multitudes. Modern Practicals
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2009-11-30 - Master Plan - He Required Obedience
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2009-12-11 - Master Plan - Delegation (part 3)
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2010-01-15 - Kingdom First - Above and Beyond (part 1) Jesus called us to go above and beyond the law - Matthew 5:38-42 1. Addressed our desire to retaliate for injury done to us - rid our selves of it Exodus 21:24 - eye for eye; tooth for tooth - written to control excess violence and desire for revenge Excess was what the law was striving to stop For the punishment to fit the crime and nothing over To beyond this and not return anything - requires the power and conviction to restrain oneself 2. Addressed insisting upon our legal rights Jewish law was you could could never sue someone's outer garment but OK to sue to the inner one Jesus called us to a higher standard - should not be concerned with legal right but with justice, righteousness, and truth - John 18:19-24 |
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 |
2010-01-18 - Kingdom First - Giving in Secret Giving should be done without even our closest friends and family knowing - Matthew 6:1-4 God blesses are many time unknown or unseen to many people He gives because he wants to Are you content when no one sees your sacrifice? Do you give without wanting anything in return? Jesus' life was full of sacrifical giving and he expects us to do likewise
God loves a cheerful giver - 2 Corinthians 9:7 |
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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2010-01-25 - Kingdom First - Only One Master What occupies my mind? If we are eager and driven to gain more we will stray from the faith and be pierced with many griefs - 1 Timothy 6:10 Secret to being content, I can do everything through him that gives me strength - Philippians 4:12-13 Judas: example of someone trying to live with 2 masters:
Elders gave large sums of money to have them lie about the disciples stealing the body of Jesus - Matthew 28:12 What is our selling point? Do not put our hope in wealth, which is so uncertain - 1 Timothy 6:17 Keep your lives free from the love of money - Hebrews 13:5 |
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 |
2010-02-03 - One Another - Confession Questions (part 4) How do we grow in our confession? a. Be open even at the temptation level We will get used to talking what we are thinking and going through We will nip many things in the bud before they progress to sin b. Start over-correcting Start confessing everything You can always tone it down so it does not become annoying :) c. Ask some else what they think of your confession: Do you find me to be a confessing person? What is my confession level?
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2010-03-15 - To Live is Christ - No Confidence in Flesh Paul describes people who do not appreciate what Jesus has done as dogs - Philippians 3:14 There are 2 options to approaching God:
Man, in his pride, is drawn to the performance model Paul refers to the people who acknowledge Jesus as Lord but would not let go of the performance model These people held on to certain Jewish regulation that were made obsolete by Jesus The grace model is revolutionary Seems too easy to be true but too hard for our egos to accept Grace model says:
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2010-03-16 - To Live is Christ - Profit to Loss If anyone want to talk about 'confidence in the flesh', Paul was ready to take them on - Philippians 3:4-7 Paul used the events in his life to show just how empty all human achievements in before God Heredity reasons (how Paul was more than others but counted them a loss)
If anyone had a right to glory in the flesh, Paul did, but he clearly saw that no one has that right |
2010-04-13 - Life to the Full - Got to Pray (part 1) James addressed the rich who exploited the poor and those who failed to stand up to the sin - James 5:1-6 Withholding wages, even overnight - was considered cheating a labor by underpaying him - Deuteronomy 24:14-15 v5 - the "day of slaughter" was the day an animal was slaughtered and mostly all eaten since there was no refrigeration v6 - they were "condemning and murdering" innocent men Actively - cast their vote against the lower castes Passively - failed to defend them Am I passionate about advocating for the poor? |
2010-04-26 - Heart of Friendship (part 2) Friendship in Christ Galatians 3:26-29
Friendship like Christ John 13:34-35 - You must love one another like Christ (even when you do not want to) Matthew 26:50 - First word Jesus said to Judas as he was betraying him was "Friend, ..." Revelation 3:19 - Jesus corrected those he loved (We must correct those we love) Friendship for Christ Ephesians 5:21
Friendship through Christ Philippians 4:13 - We can do anything with our friend, Jesus Christ |
2010-05-04 - The Amazements (part 1) Preached by Richard Dixion on 1997-09-09 The people were amazed by Jesus Mark 1:22, 27
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2010-05-15 - Desire's Journey - The Dilemma of Desire We can not live without yearning, yet the yearning sets us up for disappointment Because of its vulnerable nature, desire begins to feel like our worst enemy Despair is the fate of the desiring soul - Sam Houston Hope deferred make the heart sick - Proverbs 13:12 How awful it feels to open our hearts to joy, only to have grief come in How do we live in a world with desire so deep in us and disappointment lurking behind every corner? Are a few arrows, dare we even desire? Do we refuse to love because we may hurt? possibility of pain? Shutting down our hearts is to die altogether Hope deferred make the heart sick... but when dreams come true, there is life and joy Most of us have chosen to reduce our desire to a more manageable size We allow it only in small doses:
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2010-05-30 - Desire's Journey - Assault on Desire Battle of desire is not something that just takes place with us or even between us - but against us Advirtisers play on our desire of creating an image that everyone who is anyone has the object for sale The evil one has two ploys:
Our addictions are our own worst enemies Like the rich, young ruler - we find we can not give up our treasures even though God has something much better |
2010-05-31 - Desire's Journey - Cruel or Kind? Sometimes God seems cruel:
Isn't this the reason we fear to desire in the first place? Unless we understand our desperate hearts and our tenacity to arrange life as we want it - these events seem cruel Eden - we had it all but we threw it away by mistrusting God's heart and taking control of what we wanted Addiction exists whenever persons are internally compelled to give energy to things that are not their true desires Addition becomes our idol - we must give it up |
2010-06-02 - Desire's Journey - Loneliness and Heartache Even received a different curse from God - Genesis 3:16 More talk amoug women revolves more about relationships than work The worst fear of a women is abandonment Some men refuse to play the man for fear of failing |
2010-06-03 - Desire's Journey - Hardest Lesson to Learn God promises evern man futility and failure We spend much of our time attempting to end these curses It can not be done Will life ever be what I so deeply want it to be? We must have life - we can not arrange for it People avoid the lesson:
...rather than facing the truth - Isaiah 57:10 Some have seen that this will not work, yet they have faded into resignation, bitterness or dispair How do we accept that it can't be done with an open heart? |
2010-06-05 - Desire's Journey - Ultimate Blow How are we to bet our arranging a good life in the face of death? Even after the fall, the wickedness of the human heart seems out of control So God set our years shorter - Genesis 6:3 Those left behind experience such pain
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2010-06-17 - Jesus - The Healer (part 2)Causes of Sickness:Break Down of System Our spiritual immune system can break down:
You must be prepared: 1 Peter 4:1-11
Ephesians 5:10-18
Will you let him? |
2010-06-24 - God does not change (part 2) Genesis v1:1 - Not much of the world v2:1 - What a change in a few weeks v2:20-25 - God created companionship - Adam's life changed v3:23-24 - Punished, banished, and moved out of the garden v6:11
v37:17-28
Genesis 45:4-8
God will never change |
2010-07-12 - Desire's Journey - The Adventure Begins (part 4) Some love what they do They have found a way to link what they are truly gifted at with the means of paying the bills We've come to think of work as a result of the Fall Dilbert is a icon our working days
Work is not a thing ones does to live, but the thing one lives to do What if you even the freedom and power to do exactly what you were always meant to do? |
2010-08-02 - Desire's Journey - Keeping Heart (part 3) Not all the truths help us descend with the mind into the heart We have dissected God, man, and gospel thousands of times - all facts It is not that these insights aren't true, but knowing facts will not help feel closer to God How do you get to know a person? Through stories We should stop approaching the Bible looking just for tips and techniques We are bombarded by thousands of messages each day, every on of them urgent Must reduce the constant noise - turn off the TV Even the news is a problem because of its artificial importance Every night there is an urgent story (to sell more news) but nothing is |
2010-08-10 - Waking Dead - Myths (part 1) Myth - sometimes thought of as not factual true Jacob saw earth in a whole new way in his dream - Genesis 28:12 |
2010-08-13 - Waking Dead - Heart of All Things Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life - Proverbs 4:23 Tin man had once been a real man
After a series of blows, his humanity was reduced to efficiency If we can disable or deaden your heart, then we have effectively foiled the plan of God |
2010-08-14 - Waking Dead - Heart is Central The heart is central The heart is addressed in the Bible more than any other topic Love the Lord your God with all your heart - Deuteronomy 6:5 Trust in the Lord with all of your heart - Proverbs 3:5 The heart can be:
The heart can be unpredictable but it is central to our being The heart answers a lot of questions:
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2010-08-22 - Waking Dead - New Heart Most people assume the Cross is the total work of Christ The Resurrection is the epilogue of the real story If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith - 1 Corinthians 15:14 WWJD? Not wearing a cross necklace Church did not even began using the cross in a minor role symbol until 400 years after Christ Must become a witness with us of his resurrection - Acts 1:22 Proclaim in Jesus the resurrection of the dead - Acts 4:2 Apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus - Acts 4:33 Paul preached the good news about Jesus and the resurrection - Acts 17:18 |
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 |
2010-09-01 - Waking Dead - Our Story (part 2) The enemy is after us from the beginning Joseph stands out from his brothers Instead of celebrating his glory, his brothers want to destroy it The worst blows typically come from family David full of faith and courage when he sees that on one will take on Goliath His older cowardly brother is exposed by David's bravery Older brother - "I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is" - 1 Samuel 17:28 The worst blows come from those who know us well Even Jesus' brothers did not believe in him - John 7:5 His family came to bring him home because they think he has lost it - Luke 8:20 Sometimes the very thing that someone loves to do is the thing God has given them as a source of celebration We should check to see this is true before we turn it into shame How long will you turn my glory into shame - Psalms 4:2 What have you believed about your heart over the years? |
2010-09-10 - Waking Dead - Spiritual Warfare (part 2) The question is not are we oppressed but where and how we are Why does every story have an enemy?
Satan lost the battle against Michael and his angels - was hurled to earth - Revelation 12:9 Satan's mood? He is filled with fury because he knows his time is short - Revelation 12:12 He is trying to steal your freedom, kill your heart, destroy your life We can go throughout our day and not even once wonder how the enemy might be attacking us All we know is that we aren't enjoying that abundant life Christ talked about Ignorance of spiritual warfare is the most native and dangerous thing a person can do You don't escape spiritual warfare by choosing not to believe it exists or refuse to fight The thief is trying to steal the life God wants to give - John 10:10 |
2010-09-25 - Waking Dead - Fight For Each Other True community is something you'll have to fight for Fight to get one and fight to keep it afloat You want this to work and you''ll need this thing to work This is the church - this all you have Without it, you'll go down Small house fellowships thrive in other countries - they need each other Suddenly one another scriptures make sense Knowing full well that we all are facing battles of our own Check regularly with one another, not out of paranoia but out of a desire to watch over one another's heart If you bring your every need to it, it will collapse Community is no substitute for God Community can not live without solitude Even monasteries have remote cells for alone time with God We first go to God, alone, so that we have something to bring back to the community |
2010-09-26 - Waking Dead - Heart of Treasure Above all else, guard your heart - Proverbs 4:23 Having so long believed our hearts are evil, we assume the warning is to keep us out of trouble So we lock up our hearts and throw away the key and try to get on with our living It does say guard your heart because it is criminal but because it is the wellspring of of life It is treasure - everything else depends on it Above all else? We don't even do it once in a while - we careless with our hearts What if we were careful? Faith would be must deeper Relationships so much better We live completely backwards "All else" is above our hearts What do you do on a monthly basis to take care of your heart? God intends that we treat our hearts as treasures They were ransomed at a tremendous cost |
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 |
2010-10-09 - Contagious Christian - Attractiveness of Authenticity (part 3) Living by Genuine Conviction There is something about someone who stands up for what they believe in People take notice
Seekers are not impressed with spinelessness Seekers are trying to make up their own minds about what to do with the claims of Christ When a believer speaks up, they are forces to deal with the implication for their lives A Roman centurion watched as Jesus
The soldier's heart was eventually moved and said - "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Nothing short of Jesus' laying down his life would have brought this cynical soldier to his knees |
2010-10-13 - Dealing With Your Heart (Part II)
QUESTIONS
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2010-10-15 - Giving (Part I)
QUESTIONS
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2010-10-19 - Planning and Budgeting
QUESTIONS
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2010-10-25 - Contagious Christian - Compassion Busters Where you live May be living in a defeating home or work environment Contempt breeds contempt, anger produces more anger, hatred feeds hatred How you live When we try to maintain an unhealthy pace of life Good Samaritan - priest and Levite were, at heart, kind and compassionate people But they were too busy to have time or energy to tune into people's needs How you give Few reach this problem but some are effected but excessive care-giving They give and give to the point they start to feel resentment toward someone they are caring for Many never learned that caring for others has to be balanced with caring for yourself To prevent burn-out, Jesus often withdrew to recop There is a time for giving and a time to take care of ourself - Ecclesiastes 3 |
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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2010-11-04 - Contagious Christian - The Peter Approach Peter was ready-aim-fire kind of guy He was unhesitant and full force When Jesus ask who he way, he gave an an immediate answer - Matthew 16:15-16 And he later even challenged Jesus' stated mission head on - can you imagine try to correct the Son of God? He wanted to be close to Jesus no matter what Tried to walk on water When enemies came Peter was ready to cut off their heads He was direct, bold and right to the point He was a perfect fit for Pentecost in Acts 2 - some one unafraid to take a stand about the crucifixion of Jesus Some people in the world need a Peter in their lives They won't come to Christ otherwise - they need someone who won't beat around the bush and helps them clarify/challenge about the truth of Christ |
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 |