2012-01-21 - Ministry - Faith in God Moves Mountains Mark 11:22-24 Jesus makes a very simple short powerful statement; "Have faith in God." Believe in ME and you will be able to move mountains. Jesus had the faith to move mountains. Jesus calls each of us to have a faith that can move mountains.Each of us has mountains or obstacles in our lives. These obstacles take on many different forms. They may be character sins that never seem to change, family situations that seem to continue month after month, and financial debt that never seems to go away. These obstacles sometimes seem as large and permanent as mountains. But Jesus tells us to "Have faith in God", to believe in our hearts, and the mountains can be thrown into the sea. It is a very simple, but powerful statement, "Have faith in God." What mountain is secretly holding back your faith? How much have you put it before God? Decide today to lay it out before God and really believe that He can change it. Fight against cynicism and unbelief. |
2012-02-04 - Ministry - Pick Up Your Sword Matthew 4:1-11 As Christians we constantly live under spiritual warfare. The battle between Satan and God constantly rages. In this passage we see just a glimpse of one skirmish. Satan attacks with his weapon-temptation, and Jesus responds with his skillfully sharpened sword: the Word of God. In this clash Jesus is able to defeat Satan first because he sees the battle,and second because of his passion to fight it with the scriptures. Question: Do you see the battle? Do you know when you are being tempted, or do the devil's enticements escape you and you easily fall into sin? In these scriptures Jesus teaches us how to fight back. (V.4) When daily temptation and sin come we have to have deep convictions that we need the Bible. (Satan's first temptation was doubt. "If you are the Son of God") Are you tempted to ignore your desperation for God? Are you desperate to be right with God? Are you tempted to skip your quiet times? (V.6-7) Are you tempted to test God? Do you think, "If he doesn't answer this prayer, then I won't pray anymore," or "He didn't do that, so I am leaving." Does bitterness or persecution tempt you? Tempted to doubt the kingdom or the scriptures? Tempted to doubt the only church in the Bible, the salvation of family members, or tempted to ignore certain passages Cling to the truths in the scriptures, they are your most powerful weapons. (V. 8-10) Q: Are you tempted by the world? Tempted by their ease? Their power? Their leisure? Tempted to worship what they do-money, attention, praise, desire? (Ps 73) Write down the temptations you are most susceptible to. Find a scripture passage in your QT that will help you fight back. |
2012-02-10 - Ministry - The Shepherd's Touch John 10:1-18 In verse 11 Jesus calls himself the good shepherd and says that the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. A shepherd is protective of his flock and a love for them. True shepherds do not want to lose even one single sheep. They stand between their sheep and danger. They are more concerned for the welfare of their sheep than they are for themselves. They are willing to go without so that their sheep might have their needs met. The sheep are responsive to their master's voice. They trust him because of his heart for them. The world teaches us to look out for ourselves at the expense of others. It teaches us that we are the most important people and that our comfort and security comes first. Finally, the measure of a shepherd's heart for the sheep will come when danger approaches. That is when the heart of the shepherd is the most exposed. Will the shepherd stay and fight and protect or run and hide and let the sheep fend for themselves? What kind of "protective" phone call, card, or visit can you give to someone to keep them tied into the flock? It doesn't take long to do something like this but the result will be everlasting. |
2012-02-15 - Fear of Failure - That Our Faith Should Not Fail by Rosalind Lam, San Francisco Church of Christ Luke 22:31-62 Jesus recognized the spiritual battle both he and his disciples would undergo before his arrest and therefore prayed that Simon's faith would not fail him and that he would "repent and turn to [Jesus] again, strengthen and build up [his] brothers" (NLT). Peter was blinded by his pride and did not have a sober view of his own ability to resist temptation, even after Jesus warned him that he would deny him. Peter's overconfidence was evident when he chose to sleep instead of pray and Peter's reliance on his flesh led to him being overpowered by fear and failing to have conviction during the time of pressure. Though Peter got bitter at his failure initially, he did not let it destroy his faith but went on to do amazing things for God, including preaching the opening sermon for the church. What I learn from this passage about my own failures as a Christian is that Satan's ultimate goal is that my faith will fail me. Jesus' prayer helped me to make a decision that as long as I fight hard in prayer to repent and turn back to God, use my failures to build the faith of other Christians, and never give up, I can always make a comeback as Peter did and see God use me to fulfill his dreams for my life. Decisions:
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2012-03-02 - Fear of Failure - I get knocked down, but I get up again by Angel Calica - Ministry Intern: San Francisco Church of Christ 2 Corinthians 4:9 The scriptures say we will get knocked down. The question is are you going to stay down, or get up again and keep going? Failure tests what kind of character we have. Do you give up easily and stay down (quitter)? Or are you a fighter and get up again? What are the sins that can keep us down?
Hebrews 4:6
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2013-09-05 - Breaking Chains through Strategic Prayer Must learn to become an intercessor = a man who shows his true dependence on God by faithfully fighting battles in prayer, both for himself and his family. Many great men of the Bible did: Ezra 9:5-15; Nehemiah 9; Jeremiah 14:19-22 One praying man can make a major impact
Do according to all that is written concerning us - 2 Kings 22:13
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2013-09-07 - Man of Resposibility When did you become a man? Men are often unsure. Learning this can not only help us understand ourselves better but also help our sons become secure men as well. When Jesus was twelve years old and His parents accidentally left Him After this event, the Scriptures say that He “kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” - Luke 2:52 In the Jewish community today, when a boy reaches puberty (around the age of thirteen)
He may have become a responsible adult earlier than twenty, but by then he had no excuse. God calls us to an appropriate and excellent standard: His. To be a man is to fully own your roles as an adult, husband, father, employee, neighbor, and any other role you choose to undertake. |
2014-02-24 - Heart Hindrances (part II) Continuing the “heart hindrances” that will push your chidren away.
You must keep your radar up to sense if you have your children’s hearts Questions to continously ask:
Too many men foolishly refuse to apologize because they’re trying to save face and don’t want to look bad.
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2014-12-11 - Genesis 24 - Search for the Bride of Isaac (part III)SummaryRebebekah went back with Eliezer and she married Isaac. ObservationsGenesis 24:49 - Tell me yes or no, then I know what to do next ApplicationThe God should be obvious in our lives. Do people see God in us and if so is it obvious or is there doubt in their mind? In order for me to reach out to others, my life needs to show Jesus. When I speak and invite others to church/Bible study does it come as a surpise or an invitation or extention of what I am already doing? PrayerPray to be real with people and to share my faith without reservation. |
2015-02-04 - No Contest I come to you in the name of the Lord - 1 Samuel 17:45 David spoke words of confidence He knew that God had sent him and He never sends a man to fight without equipping and guilding him Goliath had size, armor, weapons and a hard heart on his side It was a hopeless situation - for the Giant The moment David accepted God's call to fight, Goliath was as good as dead. This is the Lords battle! - 1 Samuel 17:47 What "giants" in your life make you feel like the underdog? In Christ, can not only win over the giants but have an abolute rout. |
2015-03-11 - Right Weapon Shall I not drink from the cup of suffereing the Father has given me? - John 18:10-11 When you fight spiritual battles, you have a variety of resources available Your choice will always determine if you win or lose Peter did the best he could; he went wrong by putting confidence in his own strength and abilty to get things done Peter's problem was not a lack of willingness to follow Jesus but a problem of choice of weapons Only when we receieved the holy spirit did he become a fearless and powerful preacher of the gospel What weapons do you use to fight your spiritual battles? |
2015-08-15 - Temptation Come and sleep with - she demanded. But Joseph refused - Genesis 39:7-8 Sometimes God calls us to stand up to temptation and fight like a man but other times he instructs us to run away God calls us to avoid sexual temptation and to run from it Joesph was likely attracted to the wife of his master Potiphar and she really wanted Joseph He refused to betray his master and he had two options: resist the seduction or flee Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts - 2 Timothy 2:22 |
2015-09-30 - To Go Ahead I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race - 2 Timothy 4:7 Paul contemplated his own end, he knew:
He felt at peace with his imminent death and did not see his life as his own - 2 Timthoy 4:6 Nothing in this life can compare with what awaits you in heaven as a follower of Jesus Christ |
2015-10-09 - Common Sense Let a curse fall on ayone who eats before evening - 1 Samuel 14:24 King Saul had many gifts and talents but he often lacked common sense As his soliders prepared for battle, Saul gave them the orders to not eat anything during the daylight King Saul reasoned that daylight was for fighting He made the order simplete to save time but God provide no such direction King Saul's rashness and impatience led to poor decisions and outright disobedience The Israelites defeated the Philistines but it was not decisive thanks to Saul's foolish burden on the soliders |
2015-12-31 - Ultimate Resource You have too many warriors with you .. Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength - Judges 7:2 God called Gideon to lead his army of 32,000 to meet the Midianite emenies The vast majority of Gideon's army would not be going to battle and he lead them home God wanted to keep Gideon and the Israelites humble to know their Source of their victory
When you feel that you do not have the strength to fight your battle, you are in a good starting place |