2011-11-27 - Grace (part III) Grace should motivate you to work hard for God
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2013-08-23 - Becoming a Chain Breaker (part II) When we commit sin, we actually become the “slave of sin” - John 8:34 If the Son makes you free you will be free indeed - John 8:36 Our freedom comes in Christ The same power God used to raise Jesus from the dead, he uses to our most stubborn, ground-in habits. True repentance and faith in Jesus Christ is the solution. The more we discover who God is, the more we will love, fear, and respect Him. Half hearted repentance want freedom from guilt rather than intimacy with their Maker. Instead of “divorcing” themselves from sin, they opt for a “temporary separation” God’s love satisfies where sin could not - John 4: 13–14; 1 John 2:15– 17 Then the restlessness from guilt and indecision can end because your conscience is clear and your mind made up. Falling becomes abnormal rather than routine. Freedom becomes a daily reality. Isn’t that what we all really want? |
2015-07-09 - Lead by Doing From the days of our ancestors until now, we have been steeped in sin - Ezra 9:7 People usually follow an example than any amount of talking If you want people to do what is good and right, do those things yourself Ezra led the second wave of Jewish exiles to their homeland after 70 years of capivity They started living like pagans they had married - Ezra 9:1 Ezra was innocent of any wrongdoing and could have let God deal with them as they deserved Instead, Ezra prayed in repentance on behalf of all the people and included himself His repentance by example move his people to change their ways |
2015-07-13 - God Won't Give You Up With his love, he will calm all your fears - Zephaniah 3:17 Zephaniah understood that God never "cuts his losses" with those who belong to him He approved of reforms but also wanted them to understand they needed changes within themselves In the book of Zephaniah, he:
God still loved his people and wanted more than anything for them to turn back to him God takes sin very seriously and will never look the other way when you fail him. He still will not give up on you |
2015-08-20 - Balanced Approach You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing youe unfailing love - Micah 7:18 The Bible is largely a book about finding balance - between God's hattred for sin and his desire to completely forgive the sinner Micah understood this balance Challenges:
Opportunites:
Repentant hearers had hope for better things ahead Are there people in your life who need to see both sides of God's nature? |
2015-09-01 - Real Life Knowledge Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance? - Job 42:3 You really find out what he or she is made of when you're not at your best After suffering through the loss of his property, wealth, health, and family, Job came to better understand God - Job 1:8 God had called Job a man of complete integrity - Job 1:8 When he suffered, he began to question God, complaining to God and accusing God of treating him unjustly When God revealed himself, Job had to retrack the foolish things he said. I take back everything I said and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance - Job 42:6 Job began to understand his smallest: I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes - Job 42:5 |