2008-12-15 - Raising Awesome Kids - Disarming Disobedience They crack you up laughing while he or she is disobeying you Never let them do whatever just because they are cute or charming | ||||||||||||||||||
2008-12-18 - Raising Awesome Kids - Dreary Disobedience (part 2) Israelites - if only we had meat; we never see anything but manna - Numbers 11:4-10 God met the needs of the Israelites but he punished them for their attitude - Numbers 11:33 Must teach our kids to be grateful | ||||||||||||||||||
2008-12-22 - Raising Awesome Kids - Power of Discipline (part 4) Be consistent - put up a fence and leave it there Parents must always be unified - never argue in fron of the kids - otherwise they will play you against each other Make a definite plan - have a family meeting and talk about your expectations Walk on the narrow/middle road of parenting - not child abuse; not a lack of discipline either | ||||||||||||||||||
2008-12-25 - Raising Awesome Kids - Gods Training Plan (part 3) These commandments... are to be upon your hearts (v. 6) Should train from the heart level Impress them on your children (v. 7) Training with the Scriptures must be done with great conviction, sincerity and earnestness 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 | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-01-02 - Raising Awesome Kids - How to Nuture Confidence (part 3) Teach them to appreciate and applaud the efforts and achievements of others
Be basically encouraging Be your children's biggest fan If you are fundamentally positive - when you give correction it will be received with thankfulness rather than discouragement Some say - 5 compliments to overcome one criticism Human nature flourishes on a diet of praise | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-01-05 - Raising Awesome Kids - Discipling Times These are times set to spend alone time with your child to talk with them, teach them the Bible, and pray with them Can begin as soon as your child can communicate fairly well Never let discipling times become boring and burdensome duty Try to go somewhere out of the house if possible Try to have set hours Select a topic and verse to share Realize that there may be a different topic that need to be discuss depending on the situation Compare notes with your spouse Read verses together > Talk about them > Take action > Share with the rest of the family These are incredible times to draw your children closer to God and you | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-01-13 - Raising Awesome Kids - Openness Instead, speak the truth in love - Ephesians 4:15 An open family is a close family Children should believe that we care enough to give them our full attention; will not fly off the handle Openness is not limited to parents and children - includes the children with one another King Saul - filled with jealousy and envy and held in his feelings Parent should be concerned for a child that holds everything in | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-01-21 - Jesus with People - Going Deeper We want to be know but we keep a safe distance John 4:39 - Samaritan women:
We too can be afraid of seeing who we really are To set people free, we must be like Jesus:
Jesus' love and acceptance allowed the woman/us to be real and to change | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-01-24 - Jesus with People - Feeling the Pain Luke 7:11-17 - He said, "Don't cry", Jesus chose to be vulnerable to everyone's pain:
Jesus compassion knows no bounds Are you praying to stretch the capacity of your heart to feel deeply with many others? Is your lack of openness (rooted in fear of the sin of pride) blocking your passion and compassion? | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-01-30 - Jesus with People - Greatest in th Kingdom I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven - Matthew 18:1-4 Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost - Matthew 18:12-14 We need to become like children in a very specific way Our human nature wants to be first and to have control Matthew 18 were driven by the same desire - they asked Jesus "Who is the greatest?" When become like little children, we become like Jesus Paraphrase - Because of your power-hungry pride you guys are not even in the kingdom of God, and nothing will change this fact unless you start imitating this child After Jesus' sacrifice, all his teachings made sense Having a child's humility is impossible until we understand the cross Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends - John 15:13 Must see other brothers and sisters in Christ as God's little spiritual children who must be cared for God's heart is that not a single person be lost Do we feel the personal responsibility for others? Who do you know who is struggling spiritually? What can you do to help them? | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-02-03 - Jesus with People - Give or Take? World seem to be divided into givers and takers Usually we feel as though we are the givers and everyone else is a taker We can draw back and become cynical - before long we cling to possessions, our rights or our feelings At that point we have become takers We would never admit it - and many of us do not see it Jesus meet a man that was a taker - Matthew Matthew was no different than us - he probably had a family with mouths to feed As he left the office and crept closer toward the crowd surrounding Jesus He heard the words - You must deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me Jesus then walked up to Matthew and said "Follow me" His life changed forever - became a disciple of Jesus How did Jesus know? do it? Jesus knew that he was sick and need to get well - Mark 2:17 We need to see people as they ready are and what they can become Is there some in your life you can share with but haven't because you don't think they are open? | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-02-04 - Jesus with People - Perceiving Potential John 1:42 Usually when you meet someone, you introduce yourself - Jesus knew Peter and changed his name!
Jesus looked at people differently than they look at themself
Jesus knew he would fail but he never gave up on Peter. What name might Jesus give you? | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-02-05 - Jesus with People - Realness When it comes to friendship, Jesus again sets the standard Jesus knew John:
Incredible thing about John is that it would seem that he never doubted Jesus' love He refered to himself 5 times as the "disciple that Jesus loved" | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-02-28 - Promises of God - Being Fully Persuaded Abraham shows us that faith is all about having confidence in the promises of God Yet he did not weaver through unbelief, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised - Romans 4:20-21 Abraham was justified by faith - Romans 4:13 We must learn God's promises and never waver in unbelief in trusting them. | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-03-06 - Promises of God - You Call, He Answers Call me and I'll answer - Psalms 91:14-16 I can help others when I am confident that God is listening to and responding to my prayers When we lose faith that our prayers will be answered, we lose heart and our relationship with God withers We may not always give us the answer we want; he always responds for our good We must see the answers he gives and never doubt that he loves us | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-03-12 - Promises of God - Carry and Rescue Paul: My God will meet all your needs - Philiippians 4:19 God most certianly allows us to have needs He allows situations where we are left to wonder how things will turn out He has not promised to keep us free from need As we grow older, all kinds of needs are created I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you - Isaiah 46:3:-4 Old age and gray hairs = symbols of all the things we can not control and tend to worry us I will rescue you: deliver us from danger - did not promis we wll never be in danger From every evil attack and bring me to safety - 2 Timothy 4:18 | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-03-14 - Promises of God - Not tempted Beyond What You Can Bear He will not let be tempted beyond what yo can bear - 1 Corinthians 10:13 God has not promised that we will not be tempted - James 1:13-15 No situation will ever be too difficult. God simply will not allow it. There is never an excuse for sin. Jesus is our ultimate example He himself suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted - Hebrews 2:18 | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-04-01 - Promises of God - No Disappointment No one will be disappointed in heaven No mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him - 1 Corinthians 2:9 Not even the most creative can envision No analogy can really do it justice No metaphor for it will ever be good enough Boredom will be as absent in heaven as sorrow, pain, and tears Jesus said he came to give us life to the full - John 10:10 Started hear on earth in his kingdom on earth It will be a blast, a feast It will never end Our new birth brings us into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven - 1 Peter 1:4 | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-04-02 - Promises of God - Work That Is Worth It An old criticism of Christians: Too heavenly minded that they are no good on earth Seem to spend so much dreaming of heaven and not working on solving the earth's problems This was never God's idea Prepare your minds for action - 1 Peter 1:13 Setting our minds on the amazing blessings is a powerful encouragement for us to work hard and give our best effort now Is it worth saying "No" to sin? Just consider heaven! Worth it to giving to the poor? Just consider heaven! Worth staying in the race when it gets difficult? Just consider heaven! Worth blood, sweat, tears to help other to know God? Just consider heaven! Your labor in the Lord is not in vain - 1 Corinthians 15:58 | ||||||||||||||||||
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? | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-04-08 - Promises of God - Tireless Labor Satan works quickly to wear us down Fatigue and discouragement are his greatest tools Do you realize God can give you energy? Luke 17:7-10 and Galatians 6:9 -> gives energy to never quit Focusing on how hard something is will never product the desired fruit Focusing on God and letting others help us product tireless labor Moses needed Aaron and Hur to hold up his hands Ester needed Mordecai to carry out the plan to save the Israelities Jesus needed Simon to carry his cross God provides helps when we labor tirelessly for him | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-04-10 - Promises of God - How We Are to Give? Do not give as the world gives - John 14:27 Give to :
Fear may cause questions:
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2009-04-12 - Promises of God - God is Still Faithful You gave into the temptation again, you sinned It is the same one and you have never been able to completely conquer this one area of your life What are your options?
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2009-04-16 - Promises of God - Never Give Up Never give up - Hebrews 10:35-39 Why?
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2009-05-10 - No one like him - His Courage Submissive yes, Timid and fearful, no. Submissiveness, not cowardly or silence – gave up self for others Wanted loyalty over their families and friends (Luke 14:25-27) They must give up everything for salvation (Luke 14:28-33) Who can accept it? (John 6:60) Many no longer followed him (John 6:66) 1. Rich young ruler found that Jesus’ message would not change for anyone (Luke 18:18-30) 2. Jesus never held back – Jesus and turning over tables of thieves
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2009-05-12 - No one like him - Joy Most of the first 1,000 years’ pictures were of Jesus not smiling – common view Jesus never felt bitterness, negative thinking, or despair [Cheer-up] I have overcome the world – John 16:33 We can have complete joy – implementing the teaching of Jesus drew near to God (Joy) – John 16:21-24 Joy in enduring the cross – Hebrews 12:2 | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-05-21 - No one like him - Kingdom Attitudes (part 1) New Moses, on a different mountain Attitudes God does bless - free us to receive more blessing and generosity Attitude help us more clearly see what God is doing Poor in Spirit Poor or Beggar Luke 18:9-14 - Pharisee prayed to himself vs tax collector - in touch with his failures Our culture: think highly of yourself; never feel bad about yourself; do not think negatively; be nice We have the debt of sin | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-06-22 - A Life of Impact - Nonconformist Mark 2:15-17 Nonconformist
Protector
Challenger
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2009-07-11 - A Life of Impact - A passion for truth Mark 7:14-23 - He had no stomach for the misdirection spread by the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law High Expectations
Blame
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2009-07-13 - A Life of Impact - Communicator Communicator Mark 7:31-37
A standard of excellence
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2009-07-22 - A Life of Impact - Retreats Retreats Mark 9:30-32
Openness
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2009-07-23 - A Life of Impact - Ambition Ambition Mark 9:33-35
Win/Lose/Win
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2009-08-02 - A Life of Impact - An Emphasis of Fundamentals An Emphasis of Fundamentals Mark 11:20-25
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2009-08-29 - Wild at Heart - Question that haunts every man (part 3) What is a man for? Why does God create Adam? Desire reveals design – our design reveal God command to Adam – rule, subdue, be fruitful and multiply Explore, build, and conquer – take risk and danger (the catch) Something hinders us from living to the level of risk God invites us to God has a enemy and so do we There are many, many battles to fight on many different battlefields Before Eve is drawn from Adam’s side and leaved that ache that never goes away until he is with her. God does not tell Adam what he has done. No warning or instructions – temptation of eve God believes in Adam – he does not need a play-by-play book – this is what Adam is for Hebrew word “with her” – means elbow to elbow Adam was watching the whole thing unravel What does he do? Nothing He won’t risk, he won’t fight, he won’t rescue Eve | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-09-11 - Wild at Heart - False self (part 2) Enemy always tempts us to take back control and to recover and rebuild false self We must remember that it is out of love God stops our imposter God disciplines those he loves, do not lose heart - Hebrews 12:5-6 We must walk away from the false self Simply accept the invitation to leave all that we’ve relied on and venture out with God No clue to what your false self may be?
If you dominate meetings - sense of worth Do you face fears head on? Losing false self is painful Like losing a close friend Journey has pain but is toward freedom, healing, and authenticity | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-09-12 - Wild at Heart - False self (part 3) Waling away from the false, we will feel vulnerable and exposed Tempted to turn to our comforters for relief Stop looking for women to validate you Passive men tiptoe around their wife for years, never wanting to rock the boat Violent men release anger on her Some dating men make her the sun of their universe but man needs a bigger obit than that He needs something to invite her into Many men do not offer her strength, but do drink from her beauty and are unable to commit | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-09-17 - Wild at Heart - Healing the wound (part 3) Wound unfelt is wound unhealed Door may be your anger – perhaps from a girl, failure The way to God is stopping the false self It may a simple prayer – Jesus, take me into my wound Jesus never seems to heal the same way twice There are no formulas with God Insists on working personally Masculinity is bestowed by masculinity Healing never happens outside of intimacy with Christ It begins with surrender; until you have given yourself to him you will not have a real self …to set you free – What? Your heart So take him at his word – ask him in to heal all the broken places within you But you can’t do this at a distance I simply allow myself to say that the loss of my father mattered Important for us to grieve our wound Grieving we admit the truth, we hurt by someone we loved Few men are ever so vulnerable as to simply let themselves be loved by God Why don’t you just let God love you? The imitate union with Jesus and with his Father is the source of all healing and all our strength Unforgiveness and bitterness can wreck our lives and the lives of others – Ephesians 4:31, Hebrews 12:15 Forgiveness is setting a prisoner free and then discovering the prisoner was you. | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-09-21 - Wild at Heart - The Enemy (part 2) A warrior is cunning. When to fight and when to run Three enemies:
We want the easy way out Your flesh is a weasel, a poser, and a selfish pig. And your flesh is not you. Paul knew the struggle within – my sin is not me – this not my true heart - Romans 7 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you - Ezekiel 36:26 There is a war within us, but it is a civil war. There is a traitor within who wars against our true heart fighting alongside the Spirit of God The real you is on the side of God against the false self. The man who wants to live valiantly will lose heart quickly if he believes that his heart is nothing but sin We are never told to crucify our heart We are never told to kill the true man with in us Never told to get rid of those deep desires for battle and adventure and beauty | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-09-25 - One Another - Making it Clear
Relationships that are conducted according to the world's wisdom - have some element of self in mind Relationships in God's grace have in mind: God's grace to us and our need to pass grace on to others World teaches to be independent / We belong to one another - Romans 12:5
If living with worldly wisdom then we will:
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2009-10-12 - Wild at Heart - The Strategy (part 5) We don’t need accountability groups we need fellow warriors, someone to fight alone side, someone to watch our back We don’t need a meeting of the Really Nice Guys Never a more devoted group of men than those who have fought alongside one another You will be wounded To lose a leg is nothing compared to losing heart Enemy knows the wounds of your past and he will try to wound you again in the same place It is an honor to be wounded in the service of the Lord Boys are proud of their scars, they are badges of honor Kingdom forcefully advances and forceful men take hold of it - Matthew 11:12 Jesus says it is going to take every ounce of passion and forcefulness you’ve got | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-10-14 - Wild at Heart - Eve's Wound Question for her is: Am I lovely? She needs to know that she is exquisite and exotic and chosen. This is core to her identity, the way she bears the image of God Will you purse me? Do you delight in me? Will you fight for me? Wound says - No, you are not beautiful and no one will really fight for you Wound usually always comes from the hand of her father He has the power to cripple or to bless is just as powerful to her as to the son Her heart is violated and the message is driven father in – you are not desired, you will not be protected, no one will fight for you. If the father is passive, a little girl will suffer a silent abandonment – not noticed or pursued Like so many unloved young women, they will to turn to boys to hear what she never heard from her father When a woman never hears she’s worth fighting for, she comes to believe that is the sort of treatment she deserves A hesitant man is the last thing in the world a woman needs. She needs a lover and a warrior, not a nice guy Number one problem between men and women is that we men, when asked to truly fight for her, hesitate We are still seeking to save ourselves, we have forgotten the deep pleasure of spilling our life for another | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-10-16 - Wild at Heart - Offering our Strength (part 2) Cycle of a man is that he goes away from a woman to yet return to her after finding strength Most men want the maiden without any sort of cost to themselves Nature of pornography - Uses her to get a feeling that he a man (false) Strength then came from an outside source rather than deep within Self-center man angers the Lord - Genesis 38:7-10 What happens when we refuse to spend their strength on a women - Genesis 38:25-26 Pretty women endure abuse this abuse all the time They learn to offer their bodies but never their souls Many men marry for safety Why don’t men offer what they have to their women?
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2009-10-17 - Wild at Heart - Offering our Strength (part 3) She needs God more than she needs you You need him more than you need her You do not love her to get a good grade, you love her because that is what you are made to do Ruth: How does a good woman help her man to play the man? Arouse him to be a man Boaz offers her some protection and some food, but what Ruth really want was a ring Four options:
Will you fight for her? Stop being a nice guy and act like a warrior Pray for her like you never prayer for her before, OUT LOUD Step between her and the forces of darkness Not just once (some will do it 1,2, or 3 times) Man can only be justified by the measure of his sacrifice | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-10-18 - Wild at Heart - An adventure to live (part 1) A man just won’t be happy until he’s got adventure in his work, in love and in his spiritual life God is intimately personal with us and he speaks in ways that are peculiar to our own quirky hearts – not just through the Bible, but through the whole creation 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 realized I was living a script written for me by someone else To go where the world takes us, to drift with whatever current happens to be running the strongest What would have happened if Moses had listed to his mother’s advice, “never play with matches”? Paul didn’t leave his familiar group of Pharisees? God took a big risk in making the world | ||||||||||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-10-30 - 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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2009-11-07 - Repentance - The Cross Compels Our Hearts World is graceless, performance orientated
Sin + Forgiveness = Love Accurate assessment of debt
Questions
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2009-11-20 - Repentance - Its Time To Go Home (part 2) Where are you on this path? Are you part of “all people, everywhere”? Good, you quality for the command to repent – Acts 17:26-27; 30-31 Ignorance of Jesus perpetuates a self-focused paradigm Jesus is Lord – changes our heart, mind-set, allegiances, purpose, and agenda Subsequent repentance has lesser fan fare (like 2nd to the moon or Mt. Everest Satan doesn’t want you to know that he created your dilemma His scheme:
Shame is the greatest obstacle to post-baptismal repentance How to escape? You already have – Trust god’s grace Light is not a place of condemnation | ||||||||||||||||||
2009-12-07 - Master Plan - Demonstration (part 1) He showed them how to live
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2009-12-13 - Master Plan - Supervision (part 2)
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2009-12-14 - Master Plan - Reproduction (part 1) He expected them to reproduce
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2009-12-15 - Master Plan - Reproduction (part 2)
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2009-12-18 - Master Plan - The Plan (part 1) Life has a plan
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2010-01-11 - Kingdom First - Rapid Resolution Reconcile your difference with your brother before offering a gift to God - Matthew 5:21-25 Similar to a verse in the OT - Leviticus 19:16-18 Jesus is basically telling us that we are responsible to be righteous in every relationship Whether or not it is our problem - we are responsible
Hatred is like murder - rejoices in the downfall of person you have a problem with Take the initiative; love speaks the truth Remember that relationship with others mirrors our true relationship with God We'll never be close to God if we're afraid to speak the truth to our fellowman | ||||||||||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||||||||||
2010-01-20 - Kingdom First - Handle Prayerfully (part 2) Not like the hypocrites Jesus wants us to be real - not having our hearts far from him - Matthew 15:8 Are genuinely struggling with God in prayer? Are you honest with God when you do not want to do his will? Never let religious word/action define your prayer life In Your Room Jesus wants us to be isolated so we are without interruption We should feel freedom to be ourselves and to be deeply honest No Babbling Who babbles?
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2010-01-31 - One Another - Confession Questions (part 1) While someone is confessing a sin, what if repentance is not in a person's heart? a. Confession is never done from humility if it does not involve repentance Confession without repentance is the same as faith without action - useless b. Confession is self-focused and not God-focused if it does not seek to please him Without repentance, confession is being done for a self-serving reason:
The opposite of concealing sin is confession AND forsaking sin The one who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses them and forsakes them will find mercy - Proverbs 28:13 | ||||||||||||||||||
2010-02-26 - One Another - Forgiving One Another (part 2) Other matters related to forgiveness: Forgiveness is the ultimate 'one another' trump card Love, which always forgives, can cover a multitude of sins - 1 Peter 4:8 Forgiveness must come from a grateful heart If forgiveness comes from anything other than a grateful heart, we lack the purity of heart Rid yourself of all bitterness, rage, and anger - forgiving each other as Christ forgave you - Ephesians 4:31-32 We must help one another forgive When a person is not forgiving, they grow bitter The sin of lack of forgiveness of someone may be greater than the actual offense See that no one misses the grace of God and no bitter root grows - Hebrews 12:14-15 Pain and anger are not resolved in a moment, but let us never doubt where we must end up | ||||||||||||||||||
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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2010-03-21 - To Live is Christ - Joy and Crown Paul: My joy and crown is you standing firm in the Lord - Philippians 4:1 For the Greeks, the crown was a symbol of victory or a token of honor Paul's crown was changed lives The legacy was lasting and the reward was eternal Paul to Corinthians: Result of the ministry not written on tablets but on human hearts - 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 If other people's spiritual growth is not our concern, it will never be our joy If others are not our joy in this life, they will never be our crown after this life What brought Jesus joy, brought Paul joy Where do we get our joy in life? Self-centeredness is the greatest roadblock of joy We can not be concerned about the things of God if our own things get in the way The Philippians were Paul's concern, his focus, his joy and his crown | ||||||||||||||||||
2010-03-23 - To Live is Christ - Anxious About Nothing Paul urges them to be anxious and worried about nothing and to pray about everything because God is in control - Philippians 4:6-7 Peace never comes without surrender Something instead of dealing with our emotions, we try an avoidance pattern We must be in touch with happens to others and ourselves Guard (a garrison of angel are available to help) our hearts - Satan wants us to trust ourselves and to doubt our God How challenging to turn everything over to God. Yet, how foolish not to!
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2010-04-06 - Life to the Full - Dead or Alive? (part 6) Person justified by what he does not faith alone - James 2:24 James is talking about the lifestyle of a saved person not about the point of salvation Faith alone? A true living faith is never alone - accompanied by a heart that obeys Deeds are the animate faith; Spirit is what makes the body alive Jesus spoke often of deed, seldom of intentions - Matthew 7:21-23 In Revelation, Jesus constantly focuses on deeds - Revelation 2:2, 19; 3:1, 8, 15 Is your faith dead or alive? What deed in your life shows that your faith is alive and well? | ||||||||||||||||||
2010-04-10 - Life to the Full - Two Wisdoms (part 4) There are two sorts of wisdom: earthly and heavenly Do you have God's wisdom? - James 3:17-18
Is why the wise may turn out to be fools and the "foolish" may the wisest of all | ||||||||||||||||||
2010-04-19 - Life to the Full - In His Steps (part 2) Disciples are priests and ministers in function - using the righteousness of Jesus - 1 Peter 2:4-6 Preist, by definition, is holier than the common man The clergy-laity system is flawed because of there reasons:
Consider today's denominational titles:
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2010-04-29 - Heart of Maturity (Methods of Maturing) Methods of Maturing Self-Training with the Word Hebrews 5:11-14 - Constant use of the word - for direction, correction, and guidance With each other Colossians 1:28-29
Imiatating others 1 Corinthians 4:14-17
Perservering in trials James 1:2-4
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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 | ||||||||||||||||||
2010-05-25 - Desire's Journey - Man who Wanted Nothing A faithful church attender, never missing a Sunday, serving on a committee and offered help to those in need - but why is there something missing? Why are we a Christian? What is that we want? To abandon desire is to say, "I don't really need you or want you. I will live with you because I am suppose to" Your heart desires, duty reduces the dance to a drill The real dilemma of desire is that it humbles us | ||||||||||||||||||
2010-05-29 - Desire's Journey - Mocking Desire We want the adventure without the risk - ex. Only 5% of SUV ever go off-road Idols usually come in pairs: Nearby idol - gives a since of control Faraway idols - provides the taste of transcendence But the idols are impostors - we are taken by the array of choices we have but never have to stop and look at what we are doing Is your desire truly and deeply satisfied with these idols? Does the relief come more through the temporary absence of desire? We have found a powerful drug - distraction Sometimes we don't want to take a good, hard look at what we are really doing Used wood to make fire and cook with - then made an idol??? - Isaiah 44:16-17, 19-20 | ||||||||||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||||||||||
2010-06-01 - Desire's Journey - Futility and Failure Men's punishment and curse hits man where it hurts most - in the field - Genesis 3:17-19 We drawn our sense of worth from work Man's deepest desire always relates to his strength Man's worst fear is not meaursing up | ||||||||||||||||||
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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2010-06-23 - God does not change (part 1) Preached on 2003-01-12 Hebrews 13:8 - Same always; it is his nature Hebrews 6:13-20 - God's purpose is unchanging - Wanted to make it clear Numbers 23:19-20 - God's Integrity never changes - God keeps his promises and oaths - Who else do I know is like this? Malachi 3:6 - God does not change James 1:16-18 - God does not change But our lives change God allows our lives to change so we hold on to his unchanging hand | ||||||||||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||||||||||
2010-06-30 - Desire's Journey - Great Restoration (part 1) Spring reminds us that life can return to the dead Our ideas of heaven are sometimes not very desirable We sigh and feel guilty that is we are not more "spritual" Scripture tells us that God has set eternity in our hearts - Ecclesiastes 3:11 | ||||||||||||||||||
2010-07-05 - Desire's Journey - The Grand Affair (part 2) As a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert - Jeremiah 2:2-3 If you're writing a romanc, love is the goal - you must allow for the possiblity of betrayal Hebrews thought God would be satisfied with some religious rituals and rule keeping You said, "I will not serve you!" - Jeremiah 2:20 True love never fails I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her - Hosea 2:14
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