Quiet Times Search

There is no greater privilege and responsibility than to pray for our spouse and children
It boggles the imagination to see how the quality of our family life can be affected by exercise this privilege

Powerful spiritual forces of evil try to undermine God's foundational institutions like the family

Bible clearly teaches that our struggle come from the spiritual forces outside conscious perception - Ephesians 6:12
Praying sometimes make things worst (at the beginning) because Satan is on the attack

Each of us need to realize that how we pray for our spouse is limited only by our creativity
If you want the kind of relationship that God intended you to have with your wife, prayer will be a major factor in seeing that desire realized

When we have been faithful in praying for my children, we have a great sense of peace about their lives
Christian dads have a tremendous privilege and a straggering responsibilty to pray their children

God provided manha day after day for 40 years to the Israelites
They could not take more than a day's portion - otherwise it would rot
Manha means "it is what it is"

It was to teach them that man does not live on bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord - Deuteronomy 8:2-3

It is NOT inapproprate to ask God to provide for our needs
He is YHWH - jireh - the Lord will provide

God delights in our dependence on Him as the source of our provision
We often do not have because we have not asked - James 4:2

• Brings into our experience not only love and grace of God but transforming power
• Provides us with the guidance, motivation, enabling power to reconcile our relationships with God and others
• Enables us to live with the experience of inner cleaning and the peace of God

Two enemies we needed to be protected from - Flesh and Satan

Flesh - lead us not into temptation - there is an internal struggle

I know that nothing good dwell in me - Romans 7:18
Our tenency to be self-centered (our old nature)

Almost every internal struggle we face in our spiritual lives is a product of this fallen dimension of our being

Activities of the flesh -  Galatians 5:19-21

Sinning is easy; it comes naturally
When we turn our lives to Christ, the Holy Spirit creates a new nature - the two battle within us

Fruits of that new nature - Galatians 5:22-23

Jesus fought the battle with scripture - He said "It is written" many times while responding to others
David hid the God's word in his heart so he would not sin - Psalms 119:11

God promises that we will not be tempted more than we can bear - 1 Corinthains 10:13

Literally - Deliverance from the evil or the evil one - Matthew 6:13

First law of spiritual warfare - Satan hates you and has a diabolical plan for your life

Jesus has given us the authority in prayer for overcoming the schemes and attacks

One of the greatest privileges and responcablities we have

• Our lives
• Our family
• Our churches
• Our cities
• Our nation
• Our world

• Physical
• Emotional
• Spiritual

• Protection from the flesh
• Protection from Satan

Nothing we experience in the physical world will ever give us the the joy of our experience in the presence if God

David - "In your presence is the fulness of joy" - Psalms 16:11

Fullness of joy is what all men long for
There is one preeminent way to be with God - prayer

Some men have been created with personalities that are very logical and others are oriented to feeling and intuition
These inherent distinctions will shape our relationship with God

As our prayer lives develop, we each need to discover what dimensions of prayer are most effective for us
Lord's prayer provides a framework

• Lacked confidence - 2 Timothy 1:8
  
• Could lose motivation - 2 Timothy 1:6-7
• Got ill frequently - 1 Timothy 5:23
• Tended to be lazy - 1 Timothy 4:13-15
• Need someone to believe in him

We must love the truth, accept the truth, live by the truth, and tell the truth
Truth will set you free - John 8:32

Will perish if we refuse to love the truth and be saved - 2 Thessalonians 2:10

If children learn to accept the truth as children - they will be able to face their sins, repent of them, and be saved when they are older

Satan is a liar and the father of lies - John 8:44

These commandments... are to be upon your hearts (v. 6)

Should train from the heart level
in their minds and on their minds - Hebrews 10:16

Impress them on your children (v. 7)

Training with the Scriptures must be done with great conviction, sincerity and earnestness
If you want it to stick, you will need to give all you have

Talk about them always (v. 7)

Train consistantly - everywhere, anytime, anyplace

About teaching our children how to live life - not nagging about their misdeeds

Make it fun, doable, effective

Most training should be spontaneous

Never underestimate how many times we will have to say the same things over and over again

• God is honored
• God's presence is sought and experienced in daily life
• Prayer is an ongoing reality
• The Bible faithfully read and obeyed
• There is love for God's church and is fully involved in its fellowship and ministry
• There is times of worship, praise, and study
• The children have their own times of personal Bible study
• The parents spend regular times with each child to disciple them to Christ
• A group that is dedicated to helping other become disciples of Jesus

• Genuine in our love for God
• Consistent in our walk with him
• Wholehearted in our dedication

1. Prayer
2. Discipling times
3. Family devotionals
4. Devotion to Church
   
5. Evangelistic lifestyle
6. Children's Quiet Times

1. He obeyed her - Luke 2:51
2. He allowed her to influence him when he performed his first miracle - John 2:1-11
3. He did not allow his devotion to Mary make him sentimental - Mark 3:20-35
4. Protected and provided for her needs as he died on the cross

Jesus was in ahuge crowd and suddenly a Roman centurion walks up to Jesus - Matthew 8:5-10

NT centurions are often mentioned with honor:

• Cornelius was the first Gentile to become a Christian - Acts 10:22
• A centurion rescued Paul from the Mob - Acts 23:27
• A centurion saved Paul's life in the shipwreck - Acts 27:43

Lord, my servant lays paralyzed and in terrible suffering - Matthew 8:5-6
To many Romans, a slave was defined as nothing more than a tool

Jesus was moved by the man's heart - I will go and heal him
When Jesus saw a need, he met it
He lived to serve and meet needs directly and continuously
He loved a man many hated

Lord, I don't deserve to have you under my roof - Matthew 8:8
He was a Gentile, Jewish law - a Jew could not enter the house of a Gentile - Acts 10:28
In spite of his desperate need, he respected Jewish law

Say the word and he will be healed - Matthew 8:8
His authority produced results, how much more would the authority of Jesus do?

Jesus did not find anyone in Israel with such faith

Jesus had compassion and healed the man with leprosy - Luke 5:12-18
Jesus is filled with compassion - Mark 1:41

Jesus was different:

• He hurt for those whose lives were devastated by illness
• He went to great lengths to be with them
• Helped and encouraged them
• Made himself available to them and spent many hours with them - Mark 1:32-34

What Jesus did we can also do (beside healing):

• Include those who are sick when you can
• Find ways to serve
• Help and encourage

Society shrinks back - hospitals are not our favorite place
Jesus reached out his hand and touched
The sick need real involvement in their lives

Somehow, we think that the person is responsible for his or her condition
In some cases yes, but we can not oversimplify God's working in our world

Job "friends" did not understand what God was doing
How unsearchale his judgement and his paths beyond tracing out - Romans 11:33

How can I imitate Jesus by "reaching out" in compassion to the sick?

1. We must admit that we are sinful
2. We must realize Jesus has called us to follow him and be righteous
3. Humbly commit to change
4. We must change

We must respond to Jesus' pursuit of us with our pursuit of him

Even with the testimony of woman, the disciples doubted

When Jesus stood in front of them, they thought he was a ghost - What hid their understanding?
Their inexperience of living by faith - Luke 9:45

Jesus was dead, yet lived afain
He defied science and human understanding

How long was your Emmaus road?
What is the greatest challenge to your faith at the moment?

Since the promises of God can relied on, it can have powerful affect on how we view life and how we live it

Psalms 119 - Shows us the relationship of God to spiritual life

Psalms 119:50 - God's promises enable him to press on and not give into dispair
Pain may be great - but the promise of God looms larger.

Psalms 119:140 - Again and again he has relied on God's promises and has come to value them

Psalms 119:148 - Deep conviction about focusing on the promises, keep him up
Will do whatever it takes to fill his mind with the promises

Psalms 119:154 - When he is threatened and in danger, remind the Lord of his promises

Psalms 119:162 - Promises of God is a treasure to him

God is faithful. He will meet all our needs
Based on the extent to which we focus on the Father and his will - extent to which God moves in our lives

He desires to meet our every need - to the point of sacrificing his own son - Romans 8:32
Does our knowledge of him transform us?
Does it propel us forward in capturing God's heart of sacrificing for the needs of other?

In Philippi, church sacrificed financially to support Paul (only church to do so) - Philippians 4:14-18
God will meet all your needs - Philippians 4:19
Those who are giving to others and giving to God can be assured that God will give to what they need - Luke 6:38

The more we are focused on his will, the more our needs will be richly met

What must be true in our lives in order for us to claim the promise that God will meet all our needs?

1. Caused by our own bad behavior - the wicked have their fill - Proverbs 12:21
2. Comes from doing what is right - Persecution because of the Word - Matthew 13:21
3. Trouble that we all face because we live in this world
   • Each day will be trouble - Matthew 6:34
   • In this world you will have trouble - John 16:33

1. A sound concept of repentance - God's kindness leads to repentance - Romans 2:4
   
2. Understanding of the purposes of God's gifts - point of the blessing is the blessing themselves but the ultimate outcome of our lives
   
3. Understanding of God's timetable - God's goal is always our repentance - 2 Peter 3:9

1. Knows us better than we ourselves
2. Even as the manufacturer knows his product better than anyone else
3. Knows our weaknesses and our strengths
4. Is the best source to find the answers to such questions as:

a.  Where did I come from?
b.  Why am I here?
c.  Where am I going?
d.  How should I live?

1. All have made a mess of their lives - Romans 3:23
2. Some more than others, but all are in need the same major correction - Romans 3:9
3. God offers Himself as our Redeemer - Psalms 34:22

1. Has promised to meet our physical needs - Matthew 6:25-32
2. If we will put Him and His righteousness first in our lives - Matthew 6:33-34
3. Has promised to meet our spiritual needs - Phillipians 2:12-13
4. If we will put on His armor - Ephesians 6:11-18

1. Now at God's right hand, Jesus makes intercession for us - Romans 8:34
2. He serves as our "Advocate" with the Father - 1 John 2:1
3. He is our perfect High Priest - Hebrews 2:17-18; 4:14-15
4. He enables us to come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and help - Hebrews 4:16
5. He now "always lives" to intercede on our behalf - Hebrews 7:25

• Such as those spoken in His sermon on the mount - Matthew 7:24-27
• Such as those later revealed through His apostles - John 16:12-13; 2 Peter 1:1-11

• His humility and service - Philiippians 2:3-8
• His perseverance - Hebrews 12:1-3
• His suffering - 1 Peter 2:21-25

Not like any other prophet, priest, or preacher

There were others that were close to him (Stalin…)

• Not only one to be called to preach - ...“so I can preach there also. That is why I have come” - Mark 1:38
• “Only in his hometown…is a prophet without honor” - Mark 6:1-5

Prophets – God can forgive your sins
Jesus – He said their sins were given by him
To the paralytic - “…may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (Mark 2:10)
To the sinful women – “her many sins have been forgiven” (Luke 7:47)

Prophets – God saves
Jesus knew he was the one to save the world from sin
“…Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45)
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28)

Prophets – God judges
Jesus - “…my judgment is just” (John 5:30))
On the last day - “Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord…” (Matthew 7:22)

1. How to live
2. Be committed to him
3. Should love him

Righteousness for the Pharisee had became having the correct facts and outward performance
Not about memorizing more scriptures or fasting three times a day
Righteousness was all about attitude
When scriptures is not exact, we should on these attitudes in situations in our lives – to please God

The pursuit of God’s will should be the overriding passion of our lives
No can serve two masters – Matthew 6:24

Can not live the message alone and not expected it – Matthew 7:7-8
Relationship with the Father meets all our needs

Wide road – not demanding; Narrow road – challenging to stay on but not with God’s help
Watch out for those who tell you what you want to here – check their fruit

• New priorities – with people who have different ones
• New loyalties – with people who have different ones
• Mission is to reachout and share with people why they need his message
• Associate with sinners but call them change
• Love unconditionally; Live radically – declare this is the way to live

a. Jesus taught with truth and compassion
b. Backup his teachings with his life

i. No man can come to except through me
ii. Do good to those who hate you
iii. Find your life by loosing it

c. Gives us a place to stand – embolden the disciples

a. Jesus was the foundation
b. Story did not end in Palestine

a. Died with Christ, now we can live a new life with him – Romans 6:4,5,8

1. Be ready to be uncomfortable
2. Be ready for big changes
3. Be ready to follow the narrow road
4. Be ready to give up anything

Must deny self
Kingdom is the greatest thing to possess
It will cost you all you have
Must carry his cross
Commitment must surpass relationship with family (Jesus: you must love me more)

1. Coupled with loving God
2. How we show we are disciples
3. Something to devoted to as we come into Christ
4. How we fulfill the principle of Christ
5. How we live a life worthy of the gospel and the Lord
6. Where walking in the light leads

Expectation

Mark 1:1

• He expected a lot out of Himself
• He knew he was born to save the world
• Wallow in self-pity, to cower in fear, or simply giving up is inappropriate behavior

Mark 1:2-8 - People consistently live up to the perceptions others have of them

Encouragement

Mark 1:9-11

• He told him that he was special
• God is a god who initiates love
• How would we change if we realized the amount of love God has for us

The Challenge

Mark 1:19-20

• Jesus didn’t hesitate to call people to a significant level of commitment
• Someone who is strongly affected by the opinions of others is not going to be able to have a great impact
• Indecisiveness- an unwillingness to take risks or make mistakes (pride)
• People who are already satisfied with their level of achievement will rarely grow to achieve more
• It is easy to hold to past achievements

Vision

• People tend to not surpass our expectations or our vision for them
• Do fight for your dreams and refuse to live ordinary lives?
• Greatness does not suddenly appear. It is an end product of a process that begins with a dream

Gentleness

Mark 1:29-34

• At times we need to raise our voices and push in order to get things done.
• At the same time using gentle tone and pitching in to help will accomplish far more good.

Fueling

Mark 1:35-39

• People who love sleep don’t usually change the world
• Jesus slept when he had the time
• Jesus was extremely eager to pray
• Most of us live with only a vague idea of purpose
• Our personal ministries – can be tempted to lose the fire, to settle down, and get comfortable
• We laugh and patronize at younger friends who are “idealist, zealots, and radicals

Opportunism

Mark 2:1-2

• Jesus was always ready to make the most of an opportunity because he was always eager to be productive.
• He did not dread his work and he didn’t procrastinate
• He was not content to merely existing.
• To Jesus, life itself was an opportunity, so every event in life was a “once in a lifetime opportunity”
• If today was your last day, would you be pleased with how you lived it?

Commendation

Mark 2:3-5

• Jesus notices and rewarded the aggressive faith of these men. He was not offended

Forgiveness

• The guilt of sin can have a crippling or debilitating effect on even our physical bodies
• Spiritual and physical health are linked together

Amazing Speech

Mark 6:1-6

Suspicions and fear can evaporate because of love and openness

1. Deep Conviction

• Listeners who put his words into practice were wise
• How convicted are you about what you’ll be saying?
• Think about what to say instead of how it will come across

2. Passion - If the speaker isn’t moved by the message, how can he expect it to move anyone else?

3. Integrity - Speaker must take plank out of their own eye before one can challenge other on the same topic

4. Person to person

• Speak at their level mean not “to talk down to” or “to talk up to” an audience.
• Apologizing without reason, belittles himself
• Jesus was above us, but he came down to our level

5. Inspirational

• Conservative and low-key he will have no impact
• We all want our lives to count for something

6. Practical

• Message must be practical and applicable
• He specifically addressed the sins in their lives
• He gave them direction, and at times He told them exactly what to do

7. Meet the Need - Out of touch with the needs on the audience can actually make things worst then they are.

Shepherding

Mark 6:30-44

• Employees must have a reason to look forward to a completion of a project.
• Must pause to experience the thrill of victory otherwise we will squeeze the joy right our of lives
• We will get burned if we do not remind ourselves to rest
• When we are exhausted our performance in all areas of our lives suffer. (point of diminishing returns)

Work Ethic

• Important causes are worthy of extreme levels of effort
• We are to go the extra mile - Matthew 5:41

Crowd Appeal

• Jesus displayed urgency and charisma when he spoke.
• People did not want to miss out on anything he might say or do.

Visible Sincerity

• Meet the crowd’s need for physical and spiritual food - needs of the whole person
• Meet other’s need without asking anything in return
• Concerned with how people fared after this life and not just in this life
• If we are concern more with what we will get ourselves we probably won’t have much of an impact

Mark 7:14-23 - He had no stomach for the misdirection spread by the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law

High Expectations

• He let them know that they were spiritually stupid.
• How many of us are willing to rebuke when asked a stupid question by people who should know better?
• Jesus was determined that these men would rise above the rank and file.
• He got upset and urged them to change
• The dreamer never gives up the dream.

Blame

• The responsibility for our actions resides with us, the decision makers, and not with our environment.
• We are not simply a product of our environment; environment is determined by our choices.
• We cannot rightly blame others or fate or circumstances for our behavior
• We must take responsibility for the consequences of our decisions
• Changes in people occur from the inside out. · Involves helping people to acknowledge what they are really like deep down and then to deal with their inner self
• We cannot on our own change our own or someone else’s heart.
• We must realize how desperately we need God’s intervention in out lives.
• The Bible exposes, in a unbiased way, the true qualities of our hearts.
• Deep character changes in our lives fuels our faith.

Time Management

Mark 8:27-30

• Jesus lived a very busy life.
• Jesus often accomplished several things at once.
• Jesus knew time was limited.

Reputation

• We also need to find out how others perceive us.
• We shouldn’t fear their disapproval.

Ambition

Mark 9:33-35

• Jesus let them cool down before choosing to address the matter. (less defensive)
• Jesus never corrected these men for wanting to be great.
• High achievers in life tend to be high achievers for God.
• People who are eager to use their lives to benefit others are remembered and admired for generations

Win/Lose/Win

• When we try to eliminate the agony of defeat, we also take away the joy of victory.
• To discard dichotomous thinking is to discard the God of the Bible.
• I win by losing so that you may also win. The loser becomes the ultimate winner!

• He was furious about the fruitfulness of another “tree” that he had planted, watered, weeded, fertilized.
• Jesus cleared the temple at the beginning of His ministry and also here at the end of His of His ministry
• There was no fear of God.
  

• Jesus knew the right place and the right time the do the things needed.
• He was disciplined and self-controlled for just the right time.
  

• What made Jesus angry was the stubborn refusal of most to change.
• A willingness to change is a precious and seemingly rare behavioral characteristic.
• Become exceedingly insecure and defensive when we are awakened to the existence of personal deficiencies.
• We must also get angry about obstinacy in our own lives and other people’s lives.

• Why didn’t anyone try to stop Jesus as he was taking over the temple? (Only one person and many of them)
• They knew that they were in the wrong.
• Teachers of the law and chief priests feared Jesus
  
• If people consider you a “nice guy” and are not in awe of you, you probably won’t have much impact.

Discernment

Mark 12:41-44

• We must be able to discern the relative merits of people’s deeds.
• We often fail to notice the hidden glory of those who deny themselves

Snoopiness

• It is a mistake to think that we can effectively help people when we don’t know the details of what is going on in their lives
• “Mind your own business” – society is not favor of this idea
• We must demonstrate a genuine concern for the welfare of others. – not gossip

• Jesus had more of an impact dead then alive.
• Are we dead to ourselves?
  
• If any of Jesus’ rebukes had a particularly lasting impact on their lives, this was the one
• Disciples were probably convicted by just the sight of Jesus

• What would your last words be? – Say them today!!!! 
• “Repent and believe the good news.” – These were both the first and the last words from Jesus.

• Swords, camouflage, six-shooters, uniforms
• Boys want to be powerful and dangerous
• Aggression is part of man’s design – God’s image (Exodus 15:3)
• They do not want to call and talk about relationships
• Boys play is a rehearsal for a bigger drama
• Life needs man to be fierce and fiercely devoted
• Every man needs to know he is powerful – be the hero

• Fights the grizzly, wins the beauty
• Recipe for fun with boys – add an element of danger
• We may fear the test, yet we yearn to be tested and discover what it takes
• If a man has lost this desire (says he doesn’t want it) does not know he has what it takes – believe he will fail the test.

• Nothing more inspiring to a man as a beautiful women
• Make you want to charge the castle, slay the giant
• Men going to war carry a photo of their sweetheart in their wallet
• Paintings on side of airplanes
• Lonely men fight lonely battles
• Where would James Bond, Robin Hood, King Arthur, Indiana Jones be without their women
• Man needs a battle to fight, he needs someone to fight for (someone in particular – women he loves)

Where do we come from?

A man must know where he comes from and what he is made of both past and family fathers

Most men are trying not to be like their fathers

Who will they derive their sense of strength?

To men God is: Distant and weak (How they would describe their father)
Jesus has become – Mister Rogers with a beard
God – gives a reason and purpose to fight

Reminds us that life lived in fear is no life at all – all will die someday
Jesus = Mother Teresa or William Wallace? Both

1. No battle to fight
   
2. No swords and castles
3. Without a great battle in which a man live and die - fierce part goes underground

• can not learn it from any other place
• can not learn it from other boys
• can not learn it from women

• Career
• Belonging
• How well he plays sports
• Yes, even women

1. world
2. flesh
3. devil