2010-04-11 - Life to the Full - Macho Mist (part 1) Worldliness = spiritual adultery In the OT, Israel is called "adulterous" after going after idol We are in the world but must not be of the world - John 17:14-18 Question to check to see if we are flirting with the world:
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2010-05-10 - World Hates Jesus (part 2) Ephesians 5:1-13
John 6:60-71
Matthew 10:34-38
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2010-05-11 - World Hates Jesus (part 3)
John 5:16-23
John 6:68-69
What are you going to do? |
2010-05-13 - Desire's Journey - Same Old Thing Something worse than the fall of man (losing paradise) = getting used to it
We have not solved the riddle of our existence Everyone else seems to be getting on with things. What is wrong with me? It is possible to run away from the desire for years but we are desire - essence of the human soul Our desire, if we listen, will save us from committing soul-suicide Same old thing would not be enough Life as usual us not the life we truly want It is not the life we were made for "All good things come to an end" is a lie We abandon the most important journey of our lives when we abandon desire Whatever we might gain, it is not worth it - Matthew 16:26 |
2010-05-17 - Desire's Journey - The Beast Within Years of living in an indifferent hostile world creates a deep sense of unsettledness with in us Battle of good and evil within us - Romans 7:20-23 Sinful desires are contrary to the Spirit They conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want - Galatians 5:17 There is a nagging awareness warning us not to feel our hunger too deeply or it will undo us We wouldn't want to do anything crazy or desperate We want what our unmet desire wants but our sinful nature wants what is contrary We try everything - TV, sex, relationships, drugs, etc - going one to another We don't know what we want because we're so unacquaninted with our desire We try to keep a safe distance between our daily lives and our heart's desire - because it causes us too much trouble Do we really want to open Pandora's box? Dare we awaken our hears to their true desires? Is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all? Our dilemma is this: we can't seem to live with desire, and we can't live without it |
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 |
2010-06-19 - All or Nothing (part 2)New TestamentRomans 11:17-21 - You can get arrogant 1 Corinthians 10:1-10 - Do repeat the same misakes of those in the OT Galatians 6:7-10 - We reap what we sow, do not become weary of doing good Jude 3-4 - Grace of God is not a license to sin 1 John 4 - Can not love God without loving your brother 2 Timothy 4 - We need to check to see if we have sound doctrine Hebrew 5 - Teachers can become arrogance Revelation 2-3 = Churches can loose focus
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2010-06-26 - Life of Jesus (part 2) John 6:60-69
John 21:25 - Could go on and on about what Jesus did Acts 1:6-9 - Jesus went to heaven |
2010-07-15 - Desire's Journey - Deeper Desire (part 2) Life is both a battle and journey Life in its fullness has yet to come So we must take serious care of our hearts now How awful to reach the end of life and we find we haven't bought our hearts along with us Two extremes: Life is full of striving and indulgence A long march of duty and obligation When considering the promises of God and nature of the rewards, we see that the Lord finds our desires much too weak We are far too easily pleased We believe that life is not going to offer what we truly want so we have reduced our desire to a more manageable size. Lets be honest and all it what it is: sin |
2010-07-16 - Desire's Journey - Deeper Desire (part 3) The first step in the journey of desire is to stop pretending that we would be happy with less Recovering our heart involves facing our deepest disappointments We do not need to fear what we find because our heart is our biggest ally The father of lies takes many people out of the journey for life by keeping them in shallow desire He threatens us from going to the deep waters of desire by telling us that are core desires are evil Makes us thing that every thought and desire is our own I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; remove your heart of stone - Ezekiel 36:26 Our core desires are good: I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts - Jeremiah 31:33 We still struggle with sin with our tendency to kill desire or give our hearts over to false desires |
2010-07-17 - Desire's Journey - Deeper Desire (part 4) What is it that we truly desire? The problems is we do not know Our unexamined desire rules you Most of our live far from from our hearts Those living in duty and obligation may need to give all that a rest - so their hearts can come to the surface Pharisees - their religious activities deadened them to the point that they could not recognize God when he stood before them Our deepest treasure becomes our most dutiful burden, it really kills our hearts Those living in indulging desire will need to give it a rest too Going cold turkey - just stay in your desire 15 minutes longer than you usually do When you feel the desire - let the desire just be; let your heart put some honest words to what you are feeling We must learn what is actually being roused The attuned we are to our desire, the less prone we'll be to imposters |
2010-07-26 - Desire's Journey - Letting Go (part 3) Pleasure is often more about drugging ourselves that it is about enjoying ourselves Avoiding the ache is always worse in the end than the ache itself We want to predict what the Lord is going to do so that it does not hurt so bad when it happens Whole creation has been groaning right up til the present time yet if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently - Romans 8:22-25 We live in hope and he says hoping is waiting and groaning Ask yourself: What am I waiting for? Is there anything I desire that I am doing nothing to secure? To wait is to learn the spiritual grace of detachment - the freedom of desire Not the absence of desire but desire at rest I have still and quieted my soul - Psalms 131:2 |
2010-08-06 - Waking Dead - At War (part 1) The thief comes to only steal, kill, and destroy our life - John 10:10 God intends for you to have life but right now that life is opposed The offer from God is life, but you are going to have to fight for it The enemy in your life has a different agenda We are a war The sooner we come to terms with it, the better hope we have of making it through We live in a combat zone - a violent clash between kingdoms Where did you think all this opposition was coming from? We are in the image of God - Genesis 1:27 God crowd us with glory and honor - Psalms 8:3-5 We were once more than we are now Glory has been the object of a long and brutal was Lurking in the Garden is the enemy Unable to overthrow the Mighty One, he turned his sights on those who bore his image David: You turn my glory into shame - Psalms 4:2 War is a central theme in the Old Testament The Lord is a warrior - Exodus 15:2 OT Battle examples:
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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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2010-08-12 - Waking Dead - Myths (part 3) Myth tell us three truths, this third one is: 3. In this desparate hour, we have a crucial role to play Neo sees himself as Thomas Anderson, but he was the one People in the scriptures that saw this:
This eternal truth is the most difficult for us to believe There is a glory to your life that your enemy fears The one who knows what you could be, fears it Things happen to you and we question why If believe we have a crucial role to play and come to know it is true, everything would change |
2010-08-17 - Waking Dead - Thoughts and Courage of the Heart Our deepest thoughts are held in our hearts Our behavior is driven by our heart Scripture judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart - Hebrews 4:12 Not the feelings of the heart but the thoughts It is with your heart you believe and are justified - Romans 10:10 They hear with their ears and understand with their hearts - Matthew 13:!5 The heart is the dwelling place of our true beliefs It takes courage to love and takes courage to follow Jesus Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid - John 14:27 Courage > Old French cuer > Latin cor = heart The battle for the heart is going to take all the courage you can muster |
2010-08-26 - Waking Dead - Glory (part 3) You are going to the need your whole heart - so you will need every ounce of courage and faith as well James and John, sons of Zebedee did hide what they thought
He can see clearly who they really are We many times spend our time hiding through false selfs Like Adam and Eve did with fig leaves We make up a glory because we are convinced we have none of our own Must ask: God, who am I? What do you think of me? What is my real name? The deeper reason we fear our own glory is that once we let others see the truest us - aka nakedness It is awkward when everyone else is veiled Living from your glory is the only way to live You cannot love another person from a false self You can not help others if you are in captivity yourself Our deepest fear of all - we will have to live from our hearts Means we do not know the next thing God will ask of us |
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 |
2010-09-03 - Waking Dead - Help of Others We are usually too close to our lives to see what is going on Because it is our story , we don't know what is true and false In every great story, the hero or heroine must turn to someone older and wiser to answer a riddle
Sometimes in our discipling we just fix what is wrong (sin) and not work on the glory of God Need to also me focused on moving forward and to go out on faith |
2010-09-24 - Waking Dead - It Will Be Messy Going to a church service with hundreds of people will never expose you That is what most prefer - because community will It will bring you close and you will be seen and you will be known Therein lies the power and the danger The enemy hates this: he knows it can be powerful and God and his kingdom Remember divide and conquer? This is his way Most have settled for safety in numbers - a comfortable, anonymous distance An army that keeps meeting for briefings, but never breaks into platoons and goes to war Community is like camping together Stuff is scattered out there for everyone to see During fellowship there are two important things to remember 1. Know the heart is good - so much easier to trust and to forgive We are for one another 2. Know that we are at war The enemy is always trying to pull everyone away |
2010-09-28 - Waking Dead - Devotion and War Caring for your heart is also how you protect your relationship with God Your heart is where life flows Whoever believes in me - streams of living water will flow from within him - John 7:27-38 God's friends care for their heart because they matter to Him What does your heart need? Some needs are common to all hearts like silence and solitude Very early Jesus went away to a solitary place - Mark 1:35 We need to make time to get away - our entire lives are ruled by the expectation of others and the heart is the first to go The enemy will tell you this is foolish "You have many more important things to do with your time" Caring for your heart is an act of obedience, faith and an act of war The first wave of any strike against us is to rob us of the heart to fight it Hyenas cannot bring down a lion in its prime - they run it, taunt it, and wear it down to the point of exhaustion The strategy of our Enemy in the age we live is busyness and drivenness Most will say when asked how they are doing is "really busy" That we way we are going to get burned out and lose touch with our hearts The empty heart is more vulnerable to temptation |
2010-10-23 - Decisions
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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 |
2010-11-12 - 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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2010-11-13 - Contagious Christian - Indirect Method This method involves taking some element of conversation and utilizes it to turn the conversation to faith Business How is your year going? Financial, OK; family-wise, pretty well; spiritually, going great. Which one are you talking about? Relocations Moving to a new neighborhood Have you found: places to shop, dining out locations, get your car repaired, a good church? Hobbies and Spare Time Talk to someone about your hobbies and roles in relating to church If you work with the sound system, website, children programs, etc - share about that Nature Talk about what God may have been thinking when creating plants and animals Goal is to raise the topic, not to envoke an affirming response - this may spur a discussions Shared Struggles Difficulty in a common with someone can be an opportunity to share how God has helped you Holidays They are an excellent opportunity to turn conversations toward the spiritual side
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2010-11-15 - Power of the Cross Preached by Maurice Hooks Answers to life's question is @ the cross Power struggles happen everyday
We are at level ground at the foot of the cross Wisdom 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Are you impowered by the cross? Colossians 1:15-20
In our relationships
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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. |
2010-12-27 - Repentance (part I) Luke 13:1-5, 6-9
Luke 3:7-14
Acts 26:15-21
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2011-01-13 - Followup - Being Discipled: Initiation (part I) Must desire to be discipled - No one will make you. Example: Going to the doctor - no one can make you, but you desire to get better Do you want to become like Jesus?
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2011-01-31 - Followup - Servant (part II) Humble Servant - Luke 17:7-10 Question: What should our attitude be while serving?
When we serve, we’ve done nothing special except our duty Excellent Servant - Mark 7:37 Jesus did all things well When we serve, we must do so with excellence Ephesians 6:7-8 - When we serve, we must serve as though Jesus himself had asked us to do it! |
2011-07-29 - Fearing God - Infinitely Greater Than Nations Isaiah 40:15 surely same as behold Isaiah is saying "Think of this!" and stop and consider and ponder A bucket of water is something a drop is nothing Imagine going to the grocery store to pick up some fruit Once you go through the checkout line and saying "Please wipe the dust off, I don't want to pay for the dust" The concern seems absurd - that is how God sees the nations This is not to say nations are not imposing on a human level - just shows how infinitely greater God is Isaiah 40:16 - all the cedars in Lebanon would not enough for burnt offering Shifts of 10,000 men at a time were involved in cutting trees and floating to Israel's cost This still was not enough to be worthy of the dignity and greatness of God Isaiah 40:17 - Nation as seen before God:
His greatness no one can fathom - Pslams 145:3 We can never comprehend Him but only bow in awe and adoration before Him |
2011-08-11 - Daughter Needs - Loving Kindness A daughter needs a father's gentleness, protective favor to intercede for her against those who would do her wrong Two tendencies to limit their kindness:
Do you give your daughter far more positive comments then negative? Say something positive, then say "do better" next time? |
2011-08-16 - Daughter Needs - Spiritual Leadership Dads are told there should be three goals:
It is much more than these three items - spiritual leader leads his wife and children toward maturity in Christ When we create spiritual goals, create activities and training designed to reach those goals An army has an organized plan designed to win battles Author's spiritual goals for his children: My child will:
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2011-08-26 - Fearing God - Mystery Too High God work contrary to how we would God wisdom is infinite; ours in finite We tend to assume we would understand if God would just explain We don't believe that "his understanding no one can fathom - Isiah 40:28 On the road to Emmaus, they said "they hoped Jesus was the one going to redeem Israel - Luke 24:21 They did not understand what God was doing even doing even as it was unfolding Unexplained setback may never be understood Paul planned to sail to Rome and Spain but ended up in jail for 2 years - Acts 24:27 Humility should be a hallmark those who fear God I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me - Psalms 131:1 |
2011-09-16 - Proverbs on Purity (part I) Proverbs 15:26 - Pure thoughts are pleasing to God We live in a time where we need Godly teaching about purity. Lets take a journey on the Path To Purity. #1. Lust leads to destruction Proverbs 7:21-23 - The Bible is clear that nothing good will come out of giving into lust. Ox going to slaughter, deer in a noose, bird in a snare, etc Proverbs 6:28-29 - To overcome lust in your life you must understand and believe that lust is not just sinful but wasteful also. Both the lustful look and the lustful act are wrong before God. What are some of the effects (consequences) of living a lustful life?
#2. Flee from Lust Proverbs 1:10-16 Illustration: In the movie Pinocchio, a wooden boy comes to life.
We must pick friends that will encourage us spiritually and not lead us down the path of destruction. |
2011-09-26 - Proverbs on Advice - Seek Help Proverbs 15:22 - Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War.
Proverbs 11:14 - For lack of guidance a nation falls but many advisers make victory sure. In the life of a disciple we need eyes all around us (we are in a spiritual battle, not against flesh and blood but against the dark forces of this world).
Five lessons to learn about advice... 1. Seek Advice Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death Proverbs 18:15 - The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, the ears of the wise seek it out If we were going to buy a car for the 1st time, most of us would seek a lot of advice.
If we need help in other areas (that’s good) surely our spiritual life is more important because it has an eternal destination (good or bad)
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2011-09-30 - Proverbs on Laziness (part II) How do I overcome being lazy (How do I become disciplined)? 1. Carpe Diem = Seize the Day We are only given a certain amount of time in a day (and on earth)
Being disciplined is about the little things in life.
One thing that can hurt your discipline is if you over commit
Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything
Tips
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2011-10-01 - Genesis 1 - Creation & RecreationSummaryGod created the heavens, the earth and everything that lives. He made humankind in his image and gave them charge over the earth. ObservationsGenesis 1:1 - the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, Personal ApplicationGod is bigger than I think he is. I have made him too small in my mind and do not allow Him to take control -- this is absurd since he has control over the universe and does a perfect job at it. My actions show that I don't fully trust God in this way. |
2011-10-03 - Genesis 3 - The Fall of Man SummaryThe serpent deceived the woman; she and Adam ate from the tree. Man blamed woman, woman blamed the serpent. The earth became cursed, and God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden. ObservationsGenesis 3:1 - Did God really say Personal ApplicationI need to be aware of Satan's tricks continuously. He does not want to be noticed. I need to pray and reflect on how I am living my life and find where Satan is getting me to deviate even a fraction of a degree. I need also examine my thought and find out they are out of line with God's Word. I will ask others what they see where I have taken a devour on God's narrow road. |
2011-10-04 - Genesis 4 - Cain Murders AbelSummaryEve's sons made offerings to God. Only Abel's was acceptable, so Cain killed him. Abel's blood cried out and God sent Cain away. ObservationsGenesis 4:7 - if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door Personal ApplicationI wonder sometimes if I have my "ringer" loud enough for me to hear when God calls. A lot of times I look back on important events in my life and realize that I missed another lesson God was trying to teach me but I was not listening. I feel embarrassed that I was so selfish during that times. I want to listen voice from God more intensely. |
2011-10-06 - Genesis 6 - The Flood (part I)SummaryHumankind corrupted the earth with evil. God decided to destroy them. He told Noah to build an ark to be saved from the flood. ObservationsGenesis 6:5 - every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time Personal ApplicationIncrease my faith, Lord! I see Noah's faith to build an ark and I struggle to have faith today.The struggles I face today are not even a speck compared to Noah's troubles. Noah had great faith because he trusted God and what he said. That is what I need to do. |
2011-10-08 - Genesis 8 - The Flood (part III)SummaryThe flood abated. Noah sent out a raven and two doves. When the earth was dry God called them all out of the ark. Noah built an altar. ObservationsGenesis 8:1 - But God remembered Noah Personal ApplicationI seem to forget the lessons of difficult times as soon as the pain has lifted. We go through tough times so our character can mature and grow but will I have to go through the same lessons again to learn the same lessons. I want to be grateful for God's discipline (does not come naturally) and change my character accordingly. God discipline the ones he loves, I need to remember why He is doing it [Hebrews 12:6]. |
2011-10-10 - Genesis 10 - Genealogies (part II)SummaryJapheth's line lived in the coastlands; Ham's included Nimrod and the Canaanites; Shem's lived in the East. These formed the nations. ObservationsGenesis 10:4 - peoples spread out ... each with its own language Personal ApplicationI am convicted on how fast families can be divided by Satan. How things can change and a heart is no longer are responsive in a relationship. I need to start ASAP. I am going to make sure my children know God, his word and what it means to have an amazing relationship with Him. |
2011-10-16 - Genesis 16 - Ishmael is BornSummarySarai told Abram to have children with Hagar. Hagar conceived, then ran away, but an angel sent her back. Hagar's son was Ishmael. ObservationsGenesis 16:5 - You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering Personal ApplicationI know I have experience times where I think I am doing what God wants but it really comes from my impatience or my selfish desires to see things happens the way I want them and when I want them. I need to just be patient and ask "is this the Lord will?". |
2011-10-21 - Mind Change - God is in control God is in control Today…tomorrow…forever. God is God. Nothing is outside his sovereignty. He cannot lose control. He is never surprised or unprepared. God never asks, “What are we going to do now?” Psalms 2:2-6 - The Lord is not bothered by a united front Psalms 90:2 - you brought the world into being Isaiah 50:7 - LORD helps me, so I am not humiliated |
2011-11-04 - Mind Change - Challenge Decide to enjoy the challenge. If it is going to be there, you might as well enjoy it. God is allowing it for some good purpose. Like Jacob, don’t let go it until it blesses you. James 1:2-4 - Consider trials a pure joy |
2011-12-12 - Day 9 - Trials of Many Kinds James 1:2-8
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2011-12-13 - Day 10 - Praying Like Jesus Mark 1:32-39
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2011-12-16 - Day 13 - Saved to Serve Matthew 25:31-46
Application: Who can you help today? Do it. Also, make plans with another disciple to help other needy people this week. |
2012-01-07 - Day 35 - Worthy of the Name 1 Peter 4:12-19
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2012-01-12 - Day 40 - Good Heart, Good Deeds, Good Things Luke 8:15
2 Peter 1:5-11
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2012-01-20 - Ministry - Even Greater Things John 14:12-14 Ordinary men do great things. James 5:17-18 - Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. Heb 11:8-end of the chapter. Great men in the bible are noted for their faith. God recognizes, rewards, and replenishes faith. Life begins at today. Everyday is a new day. New goals, new dreams, new horizons, new victories, new life. Faith in God allows us to do greater things than we have ever done. Questions:
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2012-01-29 - Ministry - The Reaper's Heart John 4:31-38 Jesus gets satisfaction by doing the Father's will and by finishing his work. Wow. Often we can see the work of the ministry as toil and drudgery. Jesus derived joy and fulfillment from changing lives. The disciples saw the harvest of crops four months in to the future. Jesus saw the harvest of souls as always being ripe. We do not have to wait for the harvest of souls. It is always ripe and always ready. Are the reapers ready for it? The reaper is looking for a crop to reap. Sometimes we can fall into the trap of deciding we will be fruitful at a later date. The harvest will not wait. Someone is going to reap souls. Write down the names of five people whom you could help become a Christian. Have faith as you write the list. It takes work to reap a harvest. Are you prepared to do the work that it will take? |
2012-02-09 - Ministry - Jesus Stayed Focused Amidst Challenges Matthew 14:13-21 How do you respond to bad news? Do you get angry? Faithless? Hard hearted? Self-piteous? When John the Baptist's disciples came to Jesus to tell him that his predecessor and cousin had been beheaded (Mt.14: 12) Jesus "withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place." When Jesus withdrew it wasn't to indulge in his emotions, but to call on his Father in heaven for the strength to handle pressure. Jesus didn't withdraw to escape the demands of the ministry. His dependence on God made it possible for him to deal with pain and still meet the needs of those around him. "Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick." (Mt.14: 14) It's a temptation for me - when I am feeling all the pressures from my life - to place limits on how much I love and serve others. Even though Jesus had just received news of his cousin's death, he didn't get irritated with the demands of the crowds. He healed their sick, then fed them. He didn't "send them away", as his disciples had suggested earlier. If we want to have impact like Jesus did, we must treasure our solitary time with God so that we can remain focused of the needs of others. At some point today or this week, you are going to be confronted with a challenge to give when you really do not want to. You may have to stay up late, get up early, or give in an uncomfortable, inconvenient way. Respond with a spiritual perspective. Respond with compassion. |
2012-02-17 - Fear of Failure - Openness Leads to Success by Bernard Jones, San Francisco Church of Christ 1 John 1:5-9; Proverbs 28:13 One of my biggest fears as a disciple is being totally open with my life. I am afraid that if people know me they will not want to be around me. For the last two years I have been deceitful about the condition of my marriage, finances, and my life. This has led me to feel discouraged and despondent. Many times I tried to fix the problem by transferring balances on credit cards, discipling myself, etc. I did all this because I didn't want people to see the true me. Being in the ministry can be a temptation to pretend to be someone I am not. One decision I have made is to be completely open about everything that is going on. Like Proverbs 28:13 says, if you are open, you will prosper. Since I have become repentant, I have seen my marriage grow, have been personally fruitful three times, and have a plan to be totally debt free in four years. I have realized that when I am open and real, God can use me to do great things. Is there anything you haven't been open about? Make a decision to be open today so God can bring prosperity to your life! |
2012-02-27 - Fear of Failure - God Encourages Those Who Fail by Yvonne San Juan - Ministry Intern: San Francisco Church of Christ 1 Kings 19:1-9 Elijah felt like a complete failure. He was tired of running, alone, and so discouraged that he preferred death. Elijah had just been a part of a great victory where God demonstrated his power to the people and they saw rain for the first time in many years. He faced a new challenge as the Queen wanted to kill him, and he ran away. God didn't let Elijah fail; he encouraged Elijah with food and rest. God reminded him there were others that were faithful to God and Elijah was not alone. God enabled Elijah to keep on going when Elijah felt like he had had enough. Through failure, I have learned to call to God in prayer, and to be completely honest with Him, just like Elijah. I have also decided to be completely open about my struggles with my friends, and to not go through my failures alone. Also, reading about godly people who have failed in the Bible has given me hope and encouragement during the hard times that when I fail, God still loves me. |
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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2012-03-15 - Instilling Faith in Children (part I) Not all the answers but I do know where get them along with advice from others Going to share about 2-3 scriptures for use to discuss / feel free to be part of things We need Jesus - Matthew 18:1-6 v1 - Side conversation while Jesus was doing miracles among them v3 - It does not come naturally, we need to change Why is it so important to become childlike?
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2013-03-18 - Prayer of the Righeous - God is Preparing a Place (part II) John was given a glemce of what heaven would be like in Revelations:
Heaven is a place full of blessings Jesus referred serveral times to our reward in heaven No eyes have seen, no ears have heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared - 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 No one can stop us from going to heaven but ourselves Do you think of God as one who wants nothing more than to bless your life? |
2013-09-09 - A Man Accepts His Masculinity THe key ingredient masculinity is actually strength Culture has spent decades telling women to “Rise up and be strong!” and telling men to “Sit down and be quiet!” King David charged his son Solomon, “Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man” - 1 Kings 2:2 This is our responsibility as men. This is required of us to be faithful. |
2014-05-30 - Genesis 24 - Search for the Bride of Isaac (part I)SummaryAbraham's servant went to Nahor to find a wife for Isaac. ObservationsGenesis 24:1 - The Lord blessed him every way Genesis 24:8 - But under no circumstances are you to take my son there ApplicationI am convicted by the way Abraham chose to approach challenging situations. He did not chose the easy way or the first way that sounded right. He chose to be faithful and had a conviction to allow God's promises to fulfilled in his life. I did not mediate and pray through the challenges set before very often. Many times I just say or do the first things that comes to my mind. Those are often thoughts of the easy way or only way to go about things. I need to think about the bigger picture when making decisions. PrayerPraying for heart of disernment and faithfulness in life's challenging situations. |
2015-02-21 - Moving On Barnabas wanted to bring John Mark; Paul did not - Acts 15:37-38 Edison tried several thousand time before creating the light bulb. Reguarding failure as opportunity for growth encourages you to keeping going John Mark returned home during the last trip because of possibly because he was frightened, discouraged, or homesick - Acts 13:13 Barnabas wanted to give him another chance; Paul disagreed and brought along Silas John Mark matured and eventually Paul recongnized him as a effective minister of the gospel - 2 Timothy 4:11 Do you believe your past failures disqualify you from effective service in the church? |
2015-03-03 - Staying within Reach The king paid no attention to the people - 2 Chronicles 10:35 Rehoboam (King Solomon's son) paid no attention to the people God had put in his life to direct and guide him Their advice: "Lighten up on the people or there is going to be trouble" Instead of heeding and applying this counsel, Rehoboam sought out younger, less experienced men to be his advisors The king appointed advisors told him to tell the people "If you think my father was tough, just wait" This resulted in all-out hostility between the northern and southern parts of Israel What experienced and proven couselors do you have in your life? Do you listen to them? Do you prefer their counsel? |
2015-04-05 - Perfect Servant Unless I wash you, you won't belong to me - John 13:8 Jesus servered to the point of where the Jewish people considered demeaning even to the lowliest servant: He washed their feet Peter's protests were not going to stop him Jesus explained he whad set an example of how they were to treat one another and us too when he had returned to his Father God put us on the earth to server others, even if we do not know them personally Serving is a privilege because it builds up others and gives them to chance to see God's love in action. |
2015-05-06 - Standing In They lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus - Mark 2:4 Four men demonstrated compassion by going to extraordinary lengths to get the lamed man We can only imagine their thoughts and conversation with people around them Sometimes a man's words count a great deal less than what they do for someone else The four men did not ask Jesus for anything for themselves - acted out of willingness to stand for someone who couldn't stand for himself |
2015-05-22 - Infectious Enthusiasm Phinehas has turned my anger away from the Isrealites by being as zealous among them as I was - Numbers 25:10 Phinehas had seen the immorality going on around him and could not stand idly by and allow his people tp defile themselves Neither could he allow God judgement to continue without trying to bring it to an end His last straw momenet was when he witnessed his Hebrew brother shamelessly taking a Midianite into his tent Phinehas' zeal kicked in and passionately executed the man From then on, he showed his willingness to take a stand and the people of Israel were spared and decendants received God's blessings - Numbers 25:12-13 When you are enthusiastic about your relationship with God, you are bound to affect the people around you |
2015-05-26 - Nothing to Fear Don't you care that we're going to drown? - Mark 4:38 A storm came up that deeply worried even the expereinced fishermen on board Jesus remined so calm he slept through the worst the Sea of Galilee could deliver The disciples didn't have a sense of Jesus' ultimate distiny of the cross Jesus knew his purpose for coming to earth and there was nothing that could keep him from fulfilling it. He calmed the storm by speaking to it and the disciples learned - When Jesus accompanies you, you have nothing to fear |
2015-06-04 - Thank You One of them fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thnking him for what he had done - Luke 17:14 Sometimes expressing gratitude means going out of your way to let the party know how thankful you feel Out of ten men healed with leparosy, only one thanked him Ten men asked for and received help, only one man was changed for good and received a greater gift - greatful heart Jesus asked where the other nine went - Luke 17:17 |
2015-07-14 - The Road to Forgiveness I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus - Philemon 1:10 Philemon, an apparently wealth and influential believer, faced the same decision we face when some wrongs us Do we forgive and restore or we withhold forgiveness and let the relationship die? Onesimus had been Philemon's slave, stolen from Philemon, deserted him, and ran away The question wasn't wheather Philemon had been wronged but what he was going to do about it Understanding God's grace and forgiveness is the key to forgiving those who have hurt us |
2015-07-18 - Don't Panic Paul urged everyone to eat; you have not touched food for two weeks - Acts 27:33 When problems arise and overwhlm us, are we tempted to "fly off the handle" or panic? A vicious storm slammed Paul's boat and conviced even seanoned sailors they were going to die Paul had been through enough in his life of faith to know God would allow him to complete his appoined mission without dying. God promised not a hair on their head will perish during the trip We can find peace knowing nothing happens to us unless our heavenly Father allows it Our situations may not be easy or fun but God still remains in control |
2015-11-08 - Humbled You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's - Mark 8:33 Peter must have felt great when Jesus publicly blessed him from understanding Jesus' true identity Then it was shown that he needed to be knocked down a peg Jesus stunned his disciples about him going to Jersulem and Peter scolded Jesus because of it Peter was out of line and Jesus would not allow him or any other disciple to act as roadblocks to the path God set for him Jesus knew Peter had failed to see things from an eternal perspective Jesus was the conquering Kig but he was also the suffering Servant Peter was to play a big part in Jesus' mission but he first needed to humbly trust in the Lord's plan |
2015-11-20 - Confirmation Then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised - Judges 6:37 Some move out courageously and say, "Lets get started!" while others need to test the waters before taking their steps of faith Gideon was a man of God who needed to be sure; was not a from a lack of faith He apparently wasn't sure of he heard God correctly he asked God twice for a sign of confirmation Gideon wanted to know without a doubt that he understood God's calling God wasn't angry when Gideon asked him to confirm his commands and he won't be angry with you either |
2015-12-26 - Curveball Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child. Herod is going to search for the child to kill him - Matthew 2:13 After Jesus' birth, Joesph probably thought he and Mary would be typical parents After the wise men left, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to get up immediately and take Mary and Jesus to Egypt Though questions swirled in Joseph's mind, he didn't hesitate and took his family and left Joseph played a huge part in Jesus' birth and childhood because he listened when God spoke |
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 |
2016-01-29 - Genesis 25 - Esau and Jacob (part II)SummaryIsaac and Rebekah had twins: Esau and Jacob. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a meal. ObservationsGenesis 25:22 - the two children struggled with each other in the womb ApplicationGetting through the short-term pressure-filled moment is often the most difficult part of overcoming tempation. I need to have God's long term perpective when confronted with a short sided want. PrayerPraying for God's strength in my weaknesses |