2009-10-27 - Repentance - Illustrations (part 1) Scrooge
Gestalts Switch
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2009-11-13 - Repentance - Godly Sorrow (part 1) Are you content with four out of seven, even five out of seven? Spoude – Dispatched Diligence
Literally means “same” – “homo” = word; “logos” = reasoning |
2009-11-21 - Repentance - Its Time To Go Home (part 3) There is no perfect repentance, but wholehearted repentance David – search me (Psalms 139) Spirit’s conviction Good – overcome blinding pride Bad – Satan will try to stop you Sometimes easier to see our sin than think about loved ones salvation (passed away) What would they want you to do? Questions
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2009-11-30 - Master Plan - He Required Obedience
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2009-12-11 - Master Plan - Delegation (part 3)
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2010-01-07 - Kingdom First - Blessing of Persecution Matthew 5:10-12 - Describes 3 types of blessing that come from persecution: 1. Kingdom of Heaven Testing refines our faith and proves it to be genuine - 1 Peter 1:6-7 Faith, by definition, is all weather 2. Reward in Heaven Because of Christ blood, he keeps no records of wrong He is keeping a record of rights He will not forget your work and the love you have shown him - Hebrews 6:10 3. Prophets before you Persecution and suffering means pain but also means glory Glory - Comes from in realizing we walk in the company of the glorious They endured the exact same things We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses - Hebrews 12 |
2010-01-10 - Kingdom First - Majoring in the Minors Unless your righteousness surpasses the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven - Matthew 5:20 Pharisees:
Perfect salvation is not the basis of salvation Not a matter of making ourselves feel or look good, but to please God Do you struggle with this?
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2010-01-28 - Kingdom First - Personal Responsibility (part 2) When talking about removing the plank from our eye so we can remove the speck from someone else, there are two extremes:
A. Look daily into the mirror of God's word Foolish to just look at the word of God and not let it transform you - James 1:22-25 B. Pray fervently for God to open your eyes and give you insight into your heart and life An incredible prayer about searching our heart - Psalms 139:23-24 C. Be open with those in your life Be quick to confess sin - James 5:16 D. Have a humble attitude toward challenge in your life Let this be our goal - Psalms 141:5 |
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 |
2010-02-13 - First the Kingdom - Deceision Time There are fundamentally three responses one can have to Jesus' message: 1. No way! Tho could possibly do this? Too hard, No one can do it Just trying to make me feel guilty 2. It's wonderful. We should think more about it. Many want to hear it - but few live it Same problem in Ezekiel's day - Ezekiel 33:31-32 3. It's a great challenge, but it's God's will and I want it No one can live it without error, but all those who put their hearts into it and go for it will start changing their part of the world |
2010-03-05 - To Live is Christ - From Trials to Triumph A successful life is not life from difficulty, trial, or tragedy - Philippians 1:12-14 He saw God the same - no matter what happened in his life In an earlier letter he saw illness as an opportunity bring the gospel to the them - Galatians 4:13 He saw imprisonment for a chance to convert Romans Paul not giving up deepen their convictions - he emboldened them to share the message Whatever happens in life can serve to advance the gospel when we are living by faith |
2010-03-10 - To Live is Christ - Having the Same Love Paul wanted to remind the Philippians of the blessings of their relationship with Jesus - Philippians 2:1-4 By this all men will know we are Jesus' disciple by our love - John 13:35 "Sharing in the common life" ws his heartfelt vision for them He applealed to them to be one to initiate this kind of love It is not natural to love this way Will we trust the message he lived and taught? |
2010-03-17 - To Live is Christ - Considered Rubbish Not only did Paul give up his religious past and performance, he gladly counted everything else a loss too He would give up any claim of such things so he could gain justification by grace He considered them rubbish - Philippians 3:8-9 skubala = human waste or dung (KJV) He was saying the same thing as Isaiah - all righteousness acts are like filthy rags - Isaiah 64:6 The good we do is not rubbish but it is if those works are seen as the source and trusted in Our obedience, which is imperfect, does not make us right with God Christ's righteousness saves by faith The message of the cross calls us to sacrifice everything to Christ, who sacrificed everything for us Without his sacrifice, our sacrifice would be worthless to God and to man |
2010-03-27 - Life to the Full - Crown not Frown (part 1) James address Christians under pressure Without pressure, the human body soon slows down and dies Pressure keeps the blood flowing James chooses to call himself servant rather than brother - James 1:1 He was a prominent leader in the early church but he kept a down-to-earth perspective Anyone in a leadership role needs to have the same attitude How are trials to be met? With pure joy - James 1:2-8 There are two options: continue in the process of becoming mature or walk away and do it our own way Maturity is not just spiritual longevity - it is how you react under pressure What do we do it we lack wisdom? Ask for it Not IQ but for knowing what to do in tricky situations It's a promise of God that he will enable you to live more intelligently What is last big trial you faced? How did you react? |
2010-05-10 - World Hates Jesus (part 2) Ephesians 5:1-13
John 6:60-71
Matthew 10:34-38
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2010-05-13 - 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 |
2010-06-09 - Take the test (part 4)Take the test50% is better than 0% Luke 8:11
Learn from the results
1 Peter 5:5-7
Do better than on your next test
Each test is administored by God 1 Peter 5:8-9
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2010-06-12 - Why Jesus Came (part 1) Preached 1998-07-05
Jesus came to...Save the lost Luke 19:10 Acknowledge the Father John 14:9 |
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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2010-06-22 - Amazing Grace - how fearful the sound Preached on 2003-11-13 There is nothing we can do or not do to change it Psalms 103:8 - Grace is not a new concept for God Luke 9:51-56 - the disciples struggled with grace What fears do we have about grace? 1. Grace - produces lazy Christians We cannot control the freedom of others Acts 4:33 - much grace given and produced committed disciples 2. Grace - produces sinful Christians Grace exposes our hearts and gives us the responsibility to respond Romans 5:15-19 - Regulations is not grace - Grace is a mature concept What has grace produced in you? 3. Grace - produces weak convictions John 6:28-29 - Must believe - Belief is a work you must do Luke 13:2-9 - Repent or perish - Level of repentance and faith may be different for each person but baptism is the same for all. |
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 |
2010-07-24 - Desire's Journey - Letting Go (part 1) The more comfortable we are with mystrery in our journey, the more rest we will know along the way Paul's quests - 2 Corinthians 6:10
Somehow being empty allows us to make others rich Some believe in the church that being a Christian somehow satisfies our every desire Augustine: "The whole life of the good Christian is a holy longing" Being content is not the same as being full |
2010-09-21 - Waking Dead - Fellowship of the Heart The first Christians were called "followers of the Way" - Acts 9:2 They found the Way of Life and had given themselves over to it:
A fellowship must protect you:
A family bound together in a single fate Each one has a role |
2010-09-23 - Waking Dead - It Must Be Intimate Most churches offer small group activities but they are usually short lived for two reasons: 1. Can't just throw a random group together and then it instantly become allies Closeness takes time - playing, working, helping, living together develops relationships All the believers were one in heart - Acts 4:32
You can study til you are blue in the face but it will not heal a broken heart A small fellowship needs to be a redemptive community and one that protects Idea: In a group - write down 5 words or phrases that captures your life right now Then find what stories or scenes or characters help you interpret those words |
2010-09-27 - Waking Dead - Storing Up The good man brings good things out of the good stored in his heart Out of the overflow of the heart, his mouth speaks - Luke 6:45 Jesus from the fullness of grace we have all received one blessing after another - John 1:16 Paul: I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you - Ephesians 3:16 Caring for our hearts isn't selfish - it is how we begin love We care for our hearts for the sake of others What will you bring to others to others if your heart is empty? You can not love without your heart, you can not love well unless your heart is well How you handle your heart is how you will handles theirs Love others as you love yourself - Mark 12:31 If you dismiss your heart, you will end up dismissing others Perfection of your heart will raise that same standard for them Caring for your heart is also how you protect your relationship with God Your heart is where that life flows into you - John 7:37-38 We love ourselves for God's sake - he considers our hearts the treasures of the kingdom |
2010-09-30 - Contagious Christian - People Matter (part 2) Jesus focused on a search for the Lost and so they could be Found The Lost Coin - vital to the woman's survival Each one - Something of great value was missing, something that really mattered It also make Jesus so upset the religious leaders were discussing who matters to God who does not When we realize how much God cares about people, we helps us to care for them too It is worth the effort - what is missing was important enough to warrant an all-out search Retrievals results in rejoicing The woman found the coin and threw a party In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents - Luke 15:10
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2010-10-29 - Contagious Christian - Opportunities in Relationships Developing friendships takes time and effort We try to short-circuit the process sometimes by using the reason of there are too many people to reach We are wise to start relationships on a natural, nonthreatening grounds Then later, in the context of the relationship open up conversations to spiritual issues Most of His interactions with the religious establishment involved challenging their attitudes Jesus spent the majority of His time with those outside the religious establishment He rubbed shoulders with tax collectors (thieves in that day), prostitutes, those with low spiritual reprobates Because they mattered to Him and He wanted to lead them to the family of God We love Him because He loved us first Paul - "I have become all things to all men so I might same some" - 1 Corinthians 9:22 |
2010-11-22 - Mission - Heart of Christ Reading Luke 19:1-9
Jesus' love had a clear and defined purpose - to restore a broken relationship between the lost and God To have the heart of Christ means to seek and to save what is lost It is beyond:
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2010-11-30 - Mission - Repentance Both Luke 24 and 2 - message of repentance and forgiveness is mentioned in the light of the death and resurrection of Jesus The message to Preach 1. Repentance God wants the cross to reveal how disgraceful and disgusting sin is To motivate us to radical and rapid change Is there an example of repentance in the Bible that is not radical and rapid? Repentance is the first and foremost call to change to change our mind (metanoia) Paul preached they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance with their deeds - Acts 26:20 You can only change your action for a period of time without ever really changing your mind Change your mind, you will change your action rapidly and radically Baptism happened rapidly and radically because his heart was ready to change - Acts 8 Would we have have baptized the Ethiopian the same day? What did Philip see? Unmistakable signs of godly sorrow As soon as someone has repented, he is ready for baptism |
2010-12-09 - Mission - Cannot Fail The harvest is plentiful; ask the Lord of the harvest - Luke 10:2 Those who have taken up the work must devote themselves to prayer What they get from him is something they can not find in themselves Prayer is not the only important thing needed, it is just the most important thing to the harvest Obstacles are many for those working in the harvest There is not one that cannot be overcome with prayer Efforts to bring the harvest often stop because the workers run into problems or frustration Problem begin to look larger than the mission They lose their fire and joy Jesus says there is a problem (workers are few) but there is not despair The problem is an opportunity for perseverance and faith Frustrations and challenges differ but two things remain the same
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2010-12-10 - Mission - With You Always One of the last things Jesus said to assure his disciples, I am with you always - Matthew 28:20 Same message given to those who were:
Do you want to share because you will asked about it or because He will be with you? If we could truely grasp the significance of Jesus being with you - radically change the face of evangelism We are commanded to preach whether we want to or not - 1 Corinthians 9:17 Jesus reminded Paul that He was with him and that is all Paul needed When we find ourselves timid, we need to remind ourselves who is with us |
2011-01-01 - Discipleship (part I) Acts 11:25-26
Mark 1:16-20
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2011-02-02 - Word of God - Kansas City (part I) Purpose: To gain conviction on the Bible being inspired by God, how and why we should apply the Bible to our lives Question: How do you define a relationship with someone? Keep that in mind as we have this study about God's Word. 2 Timothy 3:12-4:4
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2011-02-08 - Fearing God - Glorious Truth (part I) Christianity means a relationship with God How can you have a relationship with someone you fear? There was a time when committed Christians were known as God-fearing people God delights in those who fear him What is the fear of God? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom - Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge - Proverbs 1:7 Wisdom and knowledge are not the same Knowledge is the accumulation of information Two people can have the same knowledge and but do different times with them
Knowledge can lead to righteousness - Titus 1:1 |
2011-02-24 - The Church - Kansas City (part IV) Correction in the Body Matthew 18:15-18
Matthew 13:44-46
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2011-02-27 - Servant of God (part I) Jesus was the ultimate servant Mark 10:42-45
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2011-06-09 - Mind of Christ - Intro (part II) Man’s heart must be reshaped to think and act like God’s (continued)
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2011-06-26 - Mind of Christ - Helping People (part I) We must gain the mind of Christ in regard to helping people Romans 15:1-3 - We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves His baptism and temptation prepared the way for helping people.
1. He possessed a great desire to work for and please God.
Compassion: Sympathetic conscious of another’s distress, together with desire to alleviate it, pity coupled with an urgent desire to aid or to spare. Examples:
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2011-06-27 - Mind of Christ - Helping People (part II) The following attitudes can help bring about a heart of compassion:
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2011-07-04 - Mind of Christ - Relationship with God (part V) Oneness with the Father means to think the same thoughts, speak the same words, do the same deeds, and be of the same kind of character. We must think the same thoughts.
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2011-07-05 - Mind of Christ - Relationship with God (part VI) For oneness with the Father, we must be of the same kind of person:
What it does NOT mean:
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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 |
2011-08-07 - Daughter Needs - Father Figure Father Figure is a father of daughter in name only He is both is an emotional absentee father He sits in front of the TV for hours He is home but he is not really there "I'm an adult and she is a kid - we don't enjoy the same things" Real life does not flicker The 'Father Figure' has to seriously question their commitment as a father |
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? |
2011-08-21 - In Rememberence of Me Jesus called the disciples to the Passover fest before would head to the cross to reflect and remember their time together Luke 22:19-20 - Do this in remembrance of me Why? because we forget both little things and big things 1. Disciples forgot while they were at the table - v24 - Conversations they have had at the passover table:
2. Peter forgot the very same day the very same day and denied Jesus v54 - He forgot that Jesus said and he had the power to raise the dead I can relate:
Our forgetfulness is not a reflection of its importance but a reflection our weakness in remembering |
2011-08-28 - Fearing God - Awe and Gratitude Awe and Gratitude are two expressions of the proper way of fearing God With you there is forgiveness, therefore you are feared - Psalms 130:4 Neither awe nor gratitude alone can represent adequately show the meaning of the fear of the Lord At the same time:
More than God is loving, he is love This is love: He sent his Son as a atoning sacrifice - 1 John 4:9-10 God showed his love by sending His Son. |
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. |
2011-10-07 - Genesis 7 - The Flood (part II)SummaryNoah and his family went into the ark with two of each creature. It rained for forty days and forty nights and the earth was covered. ObservationsGenesis 7:1 - I have found you righteous in this generation Personal ApplicationI need to look for what I see as gray areas in my life. When I am neither hot nor cold [Revelation 3:16], I am not aware of where I am. |
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. |
2011-10-12 - Genesis 12 - The Call of AbrahamSummaryGod told Abram, "Go. I will make you a great nation. You will be a blessing." In Egypt Abram lied about Sarai and Pharaoh was cursed. ObservationsGenesis 12:1 - Leave your country, your people Personal ApplicationI value comfort but it is not the same comfort that comes from God. When I look at my heart, I am slower to change then I used to be as a younger Christian. This should not be. What is stopping me from changing? Would I being willing to move again for God? |
2011-10-14 - Genesis 14 - The Kidnapping of LotSummaryThe kings went to war and took Lot captive. Abram rescued Lot. Melchizedek blessed Abram and Abram gave him a tenth of everything. ObservationsGenesis 14:18 - Melchizedek ... He was priest of God Most High
Personal ApplicationDo I have a good sense of my relationships? Do I tend to be a part of group to just belong or a higher reason? I find it much easier to take then to give and I do not think I have conviction on doing the reverse. There is no such thing as a free lunch (maybe from God because he gives freely) - are some offers of others giving really a trap? In some some situations, I should be giving instead of taking. |
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?". |
2011-12-06 - Day 3 - Growing Roots Luke 8:13 - What happens to young disciples who don't grow roots? Acts 2:41-47; Acts 4:32-37
APPLICATION: Spend time this week with Christians you can imitate/encourage/learn from. |
2011-12-09 - Day 6 - Too Good to Keep 2 Kings 7:3-11
Application: Set a "goal of faith" for yourself in evangelism today. Refuse to be discouraged! |
2012-01-02 - Day 30 - Joined Together in Love Psalms 133:1-3 - What is unity and why is it so important to have it in the church? Ephesians 4:1-3
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2012-01-22 - Ministry - With Jesus, You Will Not Stand Alone John 8: 1-11 Compromising circumstances were not sufficient evidence, as the Jewish law required witnesses who had seen the act. Imagine what this woman felt in the midst of an angry crowd eager to trap Jesus, she was caught in the act of adultery! She was humiliated and alone. The incident was staged to trap Jesus since the Romans did not allow the Jews to carry out death sentences. So if Jesus had said to stone her, he could have been in conflict with the Romans. If he had said no to stone her, he could have been accused of not being supportive of the law. So Jesus started to write on the ground, we could only imagine what he wrote, it could have been the list of sins. Then without disagreeing with the law he gave them a qualification to cast the first stone, it was whoever was without sin instead of whoever is without the sin of adultery. As Christians, even though we know that God sees all sins the same, we categorize sin and fall in to Satan's trap of self-righteousness. We forget that deceit, bitterness, envy and anger are just as bad as sexual immorality or murder. Jesus showed the woman compassion, mercy and also commanded her to leave her life of sin. We can only imagine the woman's sense of relief and gratitude. Her life will never be the same again. At the worst point of your life Jesus stood up for you, instead of letting you be condemned. Questions:
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2012-01-23 - Ministry - Unless You Change Matthew 18:2-4 Deeply rooted in the mature of adults is a strong sense of resistance to change. Even when we feel deeply discontent with our lives, we are more willing to stay in the familiarity of our misery than to venture into the untested waters of change. Fortunately, Jesus, in his desire to put us out of our misery, makes it clear that for a Christian to make it to heaven we must keep on changing. We must choose to grow even if it is challenging, difficult, tiring, confusing or scary. Why this strong direction? Because there is just so much about our hearts, character, habits, lives that the Lord wants to change! Too many souls will be lost if we stop growing. Jesus gives us the secret to change in the same verse - humble yourself. Thank God we live in a kingdom where the Lord rushes to help the humble. He will send the word, wise advice from a disciple, a protecting angel, and a physical blessing, all to the humble. It seems that we have two choices: Be humbled or get humbled. Questions:
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2012-02-23 - Fear of Failure - God Always Sees the Humble Heart by Gene Kim - Ministry Intern: San Francisco Church of Christ 1 Kings 21 Ahab really wanted Naboth's vineyard, and so he was willing to do anything to get it. He kept on sinning until he got the vineyard - discouragement, self-pity, anger, and eventually murder. There are "vineyards" in everyone's lives nowadays, jobs, relationships, or successes. Ahab was so consumed with what he wanted that his marriage was ungodly. I see how I don't lead my wife because I get consumed with my job and success, and my relationship with God goes the same way as my marriage. I get so guilty that I lose confidence in how God can use my life. What encourages me about this scripture is how God uses people to confront others with the truth and how He is hoping for people to humble themselves and turn back to Him. Ahab was described as a man who "sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord" (v. 25). Elijah warned Ahab of the impending disaster because of his sin. Ahab took God's warning seriously and humbled himself before God, and the Lord noticed and blessed him! I can feel at times that I have messed up so much that God would never believe in me again, and yet God is merely looking for a heart that is humble, broken, and grateful. He hopes that I would have the courage to see my sin. God notices and moves on behalf of a humble heart! |
2012-03-01 - Fear of Failure - Heart Failure by Kent Burke - Ministry Intern: San Francisco Church of Christ Numbers 11 When I see all of the problems in my life and I hear all of the complaints of the people around me, I can quickly lose heart. I do not have the strength to sustain people's hearts. Moses felt the same way when he was faced with all the complaints of the Israelites while wandering in the desert. But when Moses stopped to pray, God took care of all the complaints. We must learn to rely on God's power when we face trials in our lives. Practicals:
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2012-10-12 - Prayer of the Righeous - Arms Wide Open (part II) The lost son took his first steps home and was ready to apologize Father perhaps had been scanning the horizon day after day - Luke 15:20 Until one day his dream came true The celebration spared no expense - Luke 15:22-24 He welcomes sinners who do not deserve it - it is how he feels about us Jesus literally opened wide his arms for us on the cross He opens his arms for us all day long - Romans 10:21 Peter, at Pentecost, pleaded with the people to be saved on God's behalf - Acts 2:40 God's heart cares deeply for us His heart was filled with pain during the time of Noah - Genesis 6:6 His heart is in that same way now - Luke 17:26 |
2012-11-07 - Message of the Arrows (part I) There are two things that pierce the human heart: beauty and affliction David describes the enemies ways as arrows - Psalms 91:3-5 We have many arrows that fly in during our life:
What will we do with the Arrows we have known? The message of the Arrows is always the same: Kill your heart How did the Arrows come to you? Deciding not to be affected can not done - the heart can not be managed though a x number step process |
2013-01-01 - Prayer of the Righeous - God is a Consuming Fire (part I) God is a consuming fire who should be feared - Hebrews 12:29 He is God who wants us to love him and not idols - Deuteronomy 4:24 God is a blessed and only Ruler, king of kings and lord of Lords - 1 Timothy 6:15 Our problem is that we think God is like us Societies throughout history have developed their own relgions based off God's which human resemblance:
Our Father is without blemish or stain The paradox of God: He says to not be afraid but at the same time to have a humble, contrite spirit - Isaiah 66:2
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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? |
2013-08-27 - Hurtful Examples and Lies For some, hurtful things your father did and said to you over the years The question is whether or not you will allow it to hinder you or help you. We are to forgive like God forgives, completely - Ephesians 4:32 If you believe the same lies your father believed, you will also be bound by them. Truth doesn’t set you free if you only hear it and mentally understand it. Consider memorizing verses that stand against any lies you have believed. |
2013-09-11 - Men Leave Childhood Behind We need to choose to let go of childishness and foolishness Clinging to childhood while growing into manhood is like trying to run in opposite directions at the same time aka the “Peter Pan Syndrome” Teen years are often wasted and fathers have become silent. Rather than initiating serious conversations with wiser men, they goof off with fools in sports bars Too many men want the freedoms, rewards, and privileges of manhood but only the responsibilities of boyhood Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ - Ephesians 4:14-15 Do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature - 1 Corinthians 14:20 The noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands - Isaiah 32:8 |
2013-10-21 - Resolve to Lead Your Family The greater responsibility to raise your children is yours. When the dad leads, kids are up to twenty times more likely to stay in church long-term than when moms are the spiritual leaders at home
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2014-03-17 - Teach Them to Fear the Lord (part I) If you and your wife had two children and trained them to faithfully live for Christ, and both of them raised two more children to faithfully live for Christ as well, then those same ten generations could produce 1,024 faithful believers. Teach the Word “diligently” to your children “when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up” - Deuteronomy 6:7 Instruct “to fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments” - Deuteronomy 6:2 Love, truth, and respectful fear go hand in hand. Fearing the Lord transforms our thinking. |
2015-02-11 - Lead By Example Everyone must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence - Jonah 3:7-8 The biggest enemy of godly leaders is not leading by example Leading by example has always been one of a leader's greatest goals
Jonah warned the Ninevites of God's coming judgement and wrath Their king responded by instructing his people to:
...in hopes that God would change his minds and spare the city The king of the Ninevites humility and leading by example saved his city from judgement and wrath When you do as you say in life, you make it far easier for everyone around you to do the same |
2015-02-17 - Behind the Scenes Epaphroditus is a true brother, coworker, and fellow solier and he was your messenger - Philippians 2:25-26 Fans of sports don't pay enough attention to know the names of the players who do the little things to make their team successful The same things is true of believers who do the little things necessary to make the church function Ask anyone who is Epaphroditus is and most believers can not identify him Although Epaphroditus remains relative obscure due to his brief mention in the Bible, Paul considered him an important part of the ministry Many believers play key behind-the-scenes roles, we may not know their name but their impact is eternal |
2015-03-21 - Heart in the Right Place The LORD accepted Abel and his gift - Genesis 4:4 What did Gid find so accepable about Abel's sacrifice? Abel had a grasp of the faith that pleased God He understood that any right standing he enjoyed before the Lord came from his abiding faith in a God who rewares that who trust him Anything that you do for God becomes an acceptable offering when you do it with a heart full of faith Had Cain presented his offereing with the same heart of faith, God would gladly have accepted his sacrifice |
2015-03-22 - Show Compassion Jesus: He sent them out to tell everyone about the kigdom of God and to heal the sick - Luke 9:1-2 He didn't just want them to just show people the good news of salvation but also to tell them about it as well Jesus was the example of the One who struck a perfect balance between good works and effective words He spoke the message that fueled his acts of compassion That same message - people need today to both see and hear! What compassion or help do people around you need the most? What good news do they need to hear? |
2015-05-11 - Shining Lamp Full of the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God - Acts 7:55 Nothing prompts change likea man's courage in the face of potential personal loss. Stephen had that kind of courage. Religous leaders hoped persecuting Christians would put a stop to this new religious movement, exactly the opposite happened Stephen willingly died for what he believed in and he contributed greatly to the spread of the gospel message At the scene of Stephen's murder stood a young Pharisee named Saul - the same Saul God miraculously converted Stephen's courage and faith in the face of death apparently made a lasting impression Pauls bold preaching would change the world forever - Acts 22:19-20 Lamps do not talk, but they do shine. Is your lamp shining today? |
2015-05-14 - Know Your Identity Give us a king to judge us like the other nations have - 1 Samuel 8:5 God wanted Israel to be different from any other kingdom on earth Israel's elders wanted Samuel to give them a human king so they could fit in with the pagan nations God: "it's me they are rejecting, not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer" - 1 Samuel 8:7-8 Samuel did as God had told him as warned the people of the consequences of rejecting their true king When Israel's elders looked at the nations around them, they lost sight of their own identity Things were never the same for the name Whom do you trust to guide and lead you in every area of your life?
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2015-05-27 - Always Prepared Beginning with this same scriptiure, Philip told him the good news about Jesus Be Prepared and the Boy Scout motto and is good advice when you meet someone who wants to know what your life of faith is all about Philip met an Ethiopian eunuch and he had some very direct questions concerning the writtings of Isaiah Philip was ready with the answers The man from Ethiopia, like many in our world today, want answers reguarding God and his own destiny If someone asks about your Christian hop, always be ready to explain it - 1 Peter 3:15 Are you prepared? |