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Searching for "powerful" in the Quiet Time Archive
Displaying results from "50" to "71". (71 found)

2011-11-24 - God (part II)
God is a powerful God
  • 2 Chronicles 32:6-9 - God is greater than the devil or any other being
  • Psalms 18:29 - God enables us to do what we can’t do on our own by His power
  • Ephesians 3:20-21 God has immeasurable and unimaginable power
God is a loving God
  • Deuteronomy 1:29-31; 3- God is a father who loves to help you and carry you as His child
  • Psalms 68:4-6 - God loves to help and rescue those who need to be loved
  • Matthew 10:29-31 - God knows and cares about everything in our lives
God is serious God
  • Hosea 5:4-6 - God will not tolerate unrepentant behavior
  • Psalms 78:56-59 - God refused to let Israel come to Him because of their sin
  • Romans 11:22 - God will be stern to those who continue to sin
These and many other passages will help you better understand the full and complete nature of God. None of us want other people to make a judgment on us with just a few facts about our lives. God doesn’t either!! Continue to read the Bible and learn more about your great God. What you will discover is that the more you know, the more you see just how magnificent God really is.

2011-11-25 - Grace (part I)
Sometimes, one of the most difficult truths to understand as a young disciple is grace. So much confusion exist in the religious world on this topic so it is critical that you have a correct, Biblical understanding of the this powerful truth. Obviously, God wants us to thoroughly enjoy the grace He has given us and will continue to give us as disciples. However, we must feel a responsibility to live for Him in response to His grace.

Grace allowed you to be spared when you weren’t pursuing God
  • Romans 5:6-8 - God was patient and loved us while we were enemies of His
  • Ephesians 2:1-5 - We were objects of wrath; deserving to be squished (cockroach example)
  • 1 Timothy 1:12-17 - We were shown unlimited patience, making it possible to have a chance
Grace was given to you at your baptism
  • Titus 3:3-7 - You were justified by grace at your baptism; nothing you did earned it
  • Hebrews 10:19-22 - Your baptism gave you full assurance of God’s grace
  • Acts 2:38-41 - You were forgiven, got the Holy Spirit, added to God’s kingdom – by grace


2011-12-07 - Day 4 - Learning to Pray
Luke 11:1-13
  1. Why does prayer need to be learned? Who are you learning from?
  2. (vs. 2-4) How can you praise God's name? Do you pray for God's kingdom (church) to increase?
  3. Do you pray for daily needs and for forgiveness for yourself and to also forgive others?
  4. Do you pray for help and protection from temptations?
  5. What else does Jesus want us to understand about prayer from verses 5-13?
A.C.T.S. - a simple outline for prayer is: Adoration (praise), Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication (requests).

If you pray 10 minutes of each section, you will pray a powerful 40 minutes! Read the Psalms to learn how to really praise God.

Philippians 4:6-7
  • What does God want you to pray about?
  • What are some worries you can pray about today?
  • Do you feel at peace when you pray to God? Trust he will answer!
Application: Pray following the Lord's prayer outline or using A.C.T.S. Write down some of your prayer requests and see how God answers them.

2011-12-22 - Day 19 - Powerful Prayers
1 Chronicles 17:15-22
  1. What was David feeling as he prayed to God? Why?
  2. How has the Lord treated you with undeserved honor and blessings?
  3. How did God bless Israel?
  4. How has he done even greater things for his people today?
  5. What attitude toward God does this prayer express?
Genesis 24:10-27
  1. Why do you think the Lord answers this prayer so quickly?
  2. The servant's prayer was simple, but he had great faith. How can you tell?
  3. What was the servant's first response to the answered prayer?
  4. Are you remembering to thank God for every answered prayer?
James 5:15-18
  1. What makes prayer powerful and effective?
  2. Do you pray eagerly and earnestly?
  3. Do you pray with great faith? Have you been righteous this week?
Application: Make your prayer very special today. Pray with faith and gratitude!

2012-01-15 - Ministry - The Generator of Power
John 15:1-7; Mt 7:7-12; Luke 18:1-8

Prayer generates the power in a disciple's life. Without prayer, there is no power, no relationship with God, and no expectation of miracles. Prayer connects us to God's heart and reveals to us God's will. We can be afraid to pray because we think God will test us by not answering our prayers. James chapter 1 tells us that trials test our faith not unanswered prayer. We begin to pray with unbelief in our hearts and no expectation of answered prayer in our minds. God does not always answer when WE want Him to but He will answer. It is up to us to persevere and mature long enough to receive the answer. God desires to give us whatever we wish as long as we remain in relationship with Him. God is a merciful and loving God. He wants to bless us and encourage us. Generations of powerful men and women have walked before us in real relationship with God. They witnessed incredible answers to prayer. God has not changed since then. He is willing to answer; are you willing to pray?

Pray with Passion
Pray with Expectation
Pray with Specificity
Pray with Boldness
Pray with Perseverance

What three things will you pray about until they are answered, no matter how long it takes?

2012-01-17 - Ministry - The Heart of Gratitude
Luke 17:11-19, Psalms 100:4, 1 Thessalonians. 5:18

Jesus believed that if the heart of a man was healed and doing well, then that individual could really experience a complete healing from God. In Mark 2 the paralytic who was lowered through the roof by his friends in the middle of a crowded house for Jesus to heal did not hear the first words from the lips of Jesus, 'you are healed.' The first thing he heard was, "Your sins are forgiven." The obvious problem to everyone was his physical condition, yet Jesus saw the spiritual issues of the man's life and healed them first! The ten lepers came to Jesus and when he cleansed them only one came back, throwing himself at the feet of Jesus, overwhelmed with gratitude! Jesus wondered where the other nine were, but proclaimed to the man, "Your faith has made you well." Even though the other nine were cleansed of their leprosy, did they really 'get well?' The one who returned was made well-he was filled with gratitude! Many of us have been baptized, yet how many of us are filled with gratitude?

Questions:
  • Could this heart of gratitude be so powerful as to really heal me, heal my faith, heal my marriage, and heal my relationships?
  • Who do I need to be grateful for and have not really told them lately?
  • When was the last time I had a family devotional expressing gratefulness for each one?
Name three people you are grateful for and why you are, then this week express this to them.

2012-01-21 - Ministry - Faith in God Moves Mountains
Mark 11:22-24

Jesus makes a very simple short powerful statement; "Have faith in God."

Believe in ME and you will be able to move mountains. Jesus had the faith to move mountains. Jesus calls each of us to have a faith that can move mountains.Each of us has mountains or obstacles in our lives. These obstacles take on many different forms. They may be character sins that never seem to change, family situations that seem to continue month after month, and financial debt that never seems to go away. These obstacles sometimes seem as large and permanent as mountains. But Jesus tells us to "Have faith in God", to believe in our hearts, and the mountains can be thrown into the sea. It is a very simple, but powerful statement, "Have faith in God."

What mountain is secretly holding back your faith? How much have you put it before God?

Decide today to lay it out before God and really believe that He can change it. Fight against cynicism and unbelief.

2012-01-25 - Ministry - Jesus' Rescue Mission
Matthew 18:10-14 (Luke 15:3-10)

It is comforting to know we serve a God who is not only all-powerful and all-knowing, but also all-loving. Sometimes the spiritual battle gets so intense that we wonder if God really cares. This passage proves how deeply God cares about each individual "sheep". How we do spiritually does matter to God. He does not want any of his disciples to wander off and fall away.

Jesus is the perfect shepherd who will do whatever it takes to go after the one lost sheep. Each soul matters to God. Jesus' heart is to keep on searching, keep on hoping, and keep on loving until the sheep is found and returns home. We need to take on Jesus' heart and persevere in rescuing those who have given up on their relationship with God. Satan wants us to get hurt, get bitter and angry instead of being compassionate and determined to help those who have lost faith. Let's be inspired by Jesus' unfailing love and decide to be part of Jesus' rescue team!

Questions:
  • What is your attitude towards those who have fallen away from God?
  • When was the last time you reached out to someone who has stopped being a part of the fellowship?
Practical: Choose one person who you can rescue and encourage today. Make a card ; call them and invite them over for dinner; give them a gift of their "favorite."

2012-02-04 - Ministry - Pick Up Your Sword
Matthew 4:1-11

As Christians we constantly live under spiritual warfare. The battle between Satan and God constantly rages. In this passage we see just a glimpse of one skirmish. Satan attacks with his weapon-temptation, and Jesus responds with his skillfully sharpened sword: the Word of God. In this clash Jesus is able to defeat Satan first because he sees the battle,and second because of his passion to fight it with the scriptures.

Question: Do you see the battle? Do you know when you are being tempted, or do the devil's enticements escape you and you easily fall into sin?

In these scriptures Jesus teaches us how to fight back. (V.4) When daily temptation and sin come we have to have deep convictions that we need the Bible. (Satan's first temptation was doubt. "If you are the Son of God") Are you tempted to ignore your desperation for God? Are you desperate to be right with God? Are you tempted to skip your quiet times?

(V.6-7) Are you tempted to test God? Do you think, "If he doesn't answer this prayer, then I won't pray anymore," or "He didn't do that, so I am leaving." Does bitterness or persecution tempt you? Tempted to doubt the kingdom or the scriptures? Tempted to doubt the only church in the Bible, the salvation of family members, or tempted to ignore certain passages Cling to the truths in the scriptures, they are your most powerful weapons. (V. 8-10) Q: Are you tempted by the world? Tempted by their ease? Their power? Their leisure? Tempted to worship what they do-money, attention, praise, desire? (Ps 73)

Write down the temptations you are most susceptible to.

Find a scripture passage in your QT that will help you fight back.

2012-02-12 - Ministry - But Because You Say So
Luke 5:1-11

Peter's faith was ebbing with the tide. No fish, no breakfast. After a frustrating night of fruitless fishing he was struggling to accept a carpenter's fishing tip to let down the nets yet again. Yet Peter softened his will to the Master's will and obeyed out of faith. He had no other reason to believe he would even get a nibble at the net. As the fish came in Peter got that sinking feeling of realizing the depth of his own sin. He deferred to Jesus and knew he did not deserve to be in the Master's presence. I am struck by Peter's decision to follow Christ's command to let down the net again even though years of experience and an empty-netted night begged him not to. Sometimes experience can breed cynicism because we are used to certain results and have formed certain expectations. Cynicism replaces obedience and robs us of faith. It gives us a reason to not have to believe because "we have been there, done that" and it has never work. Peter's humility is convicting and his responsiveness to Jesus is a powerful example. We can easily be deceived by experience that has result in fruitless and netted us nothing.

Is your evangelism producing fruit?

Maybe you are letting your nets down in the wrong place or in the wrong way.
Find a new fishing hole. Consider reaching out to different kinds of people.

2012-02-19 - Fear of Failure - God Is Still With Us When We Fail
by Julie Clark, San Francisco Church of Christ

2 Samuel 14:14

So many times in my life I feel like I am all alone, facing failure after failure by myself. What has given me hope and shown me that "failure is not fatal" is the fact that God is always working, putting people in my life, devising ways to help me stay strong. We are not alone! God is always working on our behalf.
  • Write a list of all the people that God has put into your life to pick you up when you fall. Thank them for being there for you.
  • Write a list of all the ways that God has moved powerfully in your life to keep you faithful in the hard times.
  • Thank God for those times.
  • Share the things that God has done in your life with a non-Christian today.


2012-02-29 - Fear of Failure - Mistakes Build Character
by Kristi Henry - Ministry Intern: San Francisco Church of Christ

Matt. 16:21-23, Matt. 26:31-35

Peter loved Jesus, he received some stinging rebukes from him. Imagine a firend saying, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me. You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." I would probably start crying or get prideful and mad. I don't like to look bad. Peter was always getting exposed! I know I have made many mistakes as a disciple: I have given bad advice, hurt people, lied to look good, not been open about sin, and destroyed relationships. I have had a lot of failures, challenges and struggles. I need to follow Peter. He grew and learned from the sin and mistakes he made. Peter never gave up. Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, not on himself and because of that was able to change and grow by accepting the teaching. When I look at Peter I see a man that Jesus loved, believed in, and knew would be a powerful leader in his church. I can decide to be like Peter and persevere through challenges, discipling, and rebukes. I can decide to fix my eyes on
Jesus and not on myself. I can believe that God has plans for me to do great things for his church and never give up.

Decide today to:
  1. Persevere through challenges, correction, and struggles.
  2. Allow failures to expose your character so that you can become all God wants you to be.
  3. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus, not on yourself and how you feel.


2013-03-03 - Prayer of the Righeous - More Powerful Than We Can Imagine (part I)

The power that raise Jesus from the dead is available for us who believe

When we begin to understand how powerful God is, it will revolutionize our prayer lives

The Bible resonates with the awesome power of God:

  • The highest heavens cannot contain you - 2 Chronicles 6:18
  • He is outside of time - Psalms 90:1-2
  • The clouds are dust of his feet - Nahum 1:3
  • God has made everything we see and all that we can not

God is nowhere need us as far as this power but on person level he is wants to be right next to us:

  • Yet he is not far from each one of us - Acts 17:27
  • He reveals his thoughts to man - Amos 4:13
  • God knows us completely - Psalms 38:9

Human power is nothing in the face of God's awesome power



2013-10-10 - Resolve to Lead Your Marriage

Do you realize that as the leader of your home?
You are driving, the husband is more responsible.
Very, very rarely will a wife want out of a marriage if her husband is leading
Men simply give up when a marriage turns south or they disengage and sit around waiting for their wives

We must take courage and always be willing to make the first move, God has put something into men that longs to be courageous.
When a man uses that courage to lead his wife well, she tends to bloom.
When a wife lives with a leadership void, both of them will feel resentment toward each other and less secure together.

The idea of 50/50 leadership is a farce that creates two heads and two directions.
Our wives should have the freedom to influence without having to bear the weight of responsibility and accountability

History is littered with self-centered men who have dominated, belittled, ignored, and abused their wives in the name of male leadership.
God’s biblical design of leadership, the strong die for the weak.
The more powerful or influential you are, the more humble, servant-hearted, and sacrificial you are to become

Jesus, God’s Son was the most powerful leader of all time
He served and shepherded them instead of throwing His weight around
Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant - Mark 10:42-45
For there is no “greater love”  - John 15:13
Free her up from carrying the marriage and family. Rescue her.
She is called your helper, just as God is a “helper” to us - Psalms 54:4
Women are perfectly designed to partner with us so that our strengths complement one another’s weaknesses

Lead your wife by serving her well.



2015-02-27 - Powerful Testimony

He jumped up, stood on his feet and began to walk - Acts 3:7-8

That is the power of a transformed life

This man was not looking for a miracle

The apostles had no money to give him but they did not leave him empty handed

Get up your mat and walk and he took off running and leaped and praise God

Thousands likely turned to Jesus Christ from the personal testimony of one man - Acts 4:4

A changed life is a powerful testimony to the reality of the gospel

You may not feel qualified to a large crowd about Bible doctrine or deep theology but can certainly testify to what God is doing in your life



2015-03-11 - Right Weapon

Shall I not drink from the cup of suffereing the Father has given me? - John 18:10-11

When you fight spiritual battles, you have a variety of resources available

Your choice will always determine if you win or lose

Peter did the best he could; he went wrong by putting confidence in his own strength and abilty to get things done

Peter's problem was not a lack of willingness to follow Jesus but a problem of choice of weapons

Only when we receieved the holy spirit did he become a fearless and powerful preacher of the gospel

What weapons do you use to fight your spiritual battles?



2015-05-12 - True Kindness

Listen, stay right here with us when you gather grain - Ruth 2:8

Kindness in word and deed is a powerful equalizer

Boaz was consistently kind and compassionate

He greeted the harvesters with a "The Lord be with you!" they would answer "The Lord bless you!"

Ruth, a transplanted Moabite widow, had come to his field to gather bits of grain left behind

Boaz was moved by her story:

  • Invited Ruth to eat with him - Ruth 2:14
  • Commanded his reapers to leave some bundles for her to find - Ruth 2:15

Do you know anyone like Boaz? How can you be more like him?



2015-05-13 - Wise and Humble Leadership

He had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall - 2 Chronicles 26:16

It takes a man of true humility to keep his feet on the ground over the long haul when he is given power and authority over others

Uzziah, Judah's tenth king, was not such a man

His long and sometimes distinguished reign came to an unfortunate end because of his arrogant thirst for power

Uzziah expressed his arrogance by entering the sactuary though this job was reserved for his priest

Had Uzziah remained humble, he might have become one of the nation's greatest kings - instead, he spent his later years shut away from people in a leper colony

Do you understand your place in the big picture?



2015-07-12 - Avoid Distractions

Demas has deserted me bcause he loves the things of this life - 2 Timothy 4:10

One of the devil's most powerful weapons is distraction

He uses that weapon against a once-faithful believer named Demas

Demas was a dependable partner Paul's ministry - "a coworker" - Philemon 1:24

Whatever Demas' reason for deserting Paul, he was distracted from his important work faithfully following Jesus

What distractions keep you from fully and freely serving Jesus?



2015-08-28 - Basis of Confidence

It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord - 2 Chronicles 26:17-18

Nothing keeps you from what God calls like self-doubt and fear

Nothing gives you confidence like knowing you have God's full support

King Uzziah of Judah was arguably one of the most powerful men in the world - few dared to say "no" to him

Azariah, the high priest, knew Uzziah had been out of line by burning incense - a duty reserved for the priests alone

He knew confronting the king of Judah entailed a great deal of risk

Uzzuiah had the authority, temperament, and the inclination to end Azariah's life

Azariah spoke out because he knew he had God's full support

Uzziah flew into a rage but it ended up Azariah who continue to stand in the Temple as God's servant



2020-03-21 - Friendly with the Rich and Powerful too

Jesus was best know being friendly to the poor, bad and sick but he was also was a brother to the rich and powerful too - He was a brother to every man

There was more said about the Bible about the poor than they rich because Jesus was able to nearer to the poor than the rich:

  • Rich men are always inaccessible
  • Rich men always surround themselves with barriers

Jesus was as friendly to Nicodemus as he was to the poor woman at the well

He was as brotherly to  Zaccheus as he was to the poor beggar in Jerusalem

When Jesus went to be baptized, John would not do it because it was for the sinner but the good. Jesus wanted to participate because he wanted to be counted amoung men.

Jesus knowing the other side and he could help but tell them something about the great God in world they were living

The rich man in the parable of Dives and Lazarus: the rich man did not go to hell because of his fine clothes or riches - it because of his heart- not tender; sympathy did not go out to a brother's need

Abraham was rich and went to heaven because he had a brotherly heart

Jesus was too brotherly for people to understand

Jesus - If I can not help them with my life, I will help them with my death