2013-09-12 - A Man Embraces Responsibility Men are happiest and at their best when they are responsible We must resolve to fully embrace all of our responsibilities before God Responsibility = you are being entrusted and empowered by a higher authority to care for something or someone The first thing God did after creating Adam, was to give him responsibilities. He placed him in the garden “to cultivate it and keep it” - Genesis 2:15 Sin makes men tend to resist responsibility, but embracing it is part of our manhood It is a relatively modern invention that establishes teen years as a moratorium on responsibility and prolongs childhood indefinitely. When a young man is passive and irresponsible, he greatly limits his freedoms, opportunities, and successes. Responsibility calls us to action and tests us. It reveals our character. The more maturity a man has, the more responsibility God can trust him with. Embrace responsibility! Love it. Live it. Teach it to your children. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward” - Luke 12:42-43 |
2013-10-10 - Resolve to Lead Your Marriage Do you realize that as the leader of your home? We must take courage and always be willing to make the first move, God has put something into men that longs to be courageous. The idea of 50/50 leadership is a farce that creates two heads and two directions. History is littered with self-centered men who have dominated, belittled, ignored, and abused their wives in the name of male leadership. Jesus, God’s Son was the most powerful leader of all time Lead your wife by serving her well. |
2014-05-30 - Genesis 24 - Search for the Bride of Isaac (part I)SummaryAbraham's servant went to Nahor to find a wife for Isaac. ObservationsGenesis 24:1 - The Lord blessed him every way Genesis 24:8 - But under no circumstances are you to take my son there ApplicationI am convicted by the way Abraham chose to approach challenging situations. He did not chose the easy way or the first way that sounded right. He chose to be faithful and had a conviction to allow God's promises to fulfilled in his life. I did not mediate and pray through the challenges set before very often. Many times I just say or do the first things that comes to my mind. Those are often thoughts of the easy way or only way to go about things. I need to think about the bigger picture when making decisions. PrayerPraying for heart of disernment and faithfulness in life's challenging situations. |
2014-05-31 - Genesis 24 - Search for the Bride of Isaac (part II)SummaryEliezer met Rebekah by the well exactly as he had prayed. ObservationsGenesis 24:12 - Please give me success today ApplicationI do not have the dependant prayer I need to have. I have many failures because I depend on myself and do not ask God. |
2015-01-08 - Genesis 25 - Death of Abraham (part I)SummaryAbraham died and was buried with Sarah ObservationsGenesis 25:7 - lived a long and satisfying life |
2015-02-06 - Racing for the Bottom What do you think you are doing, building a beautiful tomb for yourself - Isaiah 22:16 Some have a "do what ever it takes" attitude toward raising up the ranks Shebna discovered the quickest way to the bottom by using his high position to promote himself God gave him everything he needed to become a great servant but he used it for himself God wants to be the center of all your plans, God gave us gifts to exalt him not ourselves |
2015-02-22 - Dependent Attitude Must we bring you water from this rock? - Numbers 20:10 Sometimes we say "I did the best I could" but instead, we should say "I should have called you sooner" An independent spirit often keeps us from doing our best Moses became a humble, obedient servant yet in a moment he lost everything that he had worked so hard to gain
His prideful self-reliance cost him the opportunity to lead them to the promised land. What would it mean for you to rely on God? |
2015-03-05 - Negative Example Diotresphes refuses to have anything to do with us and has evil accusation against us - 3 John 1:9-10 Diotresphes was a gifted man interested in moving himself up the church's pecking order Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant - Matthew 20:26 John did not beat around the bush: don't let this bad example influence you, only follow what is good - 3 John 1:11 Diotresphes' me-first mentality put him last in God's scheme of things |
2015-03-13 - The Right Voice Speak, your servant is listening - 1 Samuel 3:10 Samuel is an example of a man who learned to hear the real voice of God 1st time God called - thought it was Eli's voice Samuel did what he was told and his Father gave him instructions for his first act as a prophet Samuel began a long and fruitful life of listening for God's voice How do you learn to hear from God?
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2015-03-16 - Going Golden Nabal Nabal was a crude and mean in all his dealings; his wife, Abigail, was a sensible and beatiful - 1 Samuel 25:3 Life will present you with countless opportunties to extend kindness David sent some men to ask for a few much-needed provisions Nabal: Who is this fellow David? Who does this son of Jesse think he is? - 1 Samuel 25:10 He proceeded to instul David's servants and sent them away. A few days after he refused to assist the Lord's servant David, Nabal died of an apparent heart attack |
2015-04-05 - Perfect Servant Unless I wash you, you won't belong to me - John 13:8 Jesus servered to the point of where the Jewish people considered demeaning even to the lowliest servant: He washed their feet Peter's protests were not going to stop him Jesus explained he whad set an example of how they were to treat one another and us too when he had returned to his Father God put us on the earth to server others, even if we do not know them personally Serving is a privilege because it builds up others and gives them to chance to see God's love in action. |
2015-04-23 - Use Your Gifts You gave me five bags of silver to invest and I have earned five more - Matthew 25:30 The Bible explains the importance of good strewardship Faithful handling of a small amount leads to more responsibility - Matthew 25:21 The wise and faithful servant understood the wealth he was using belonged to his master One reason God entrusts you with spiritual gifts is so you can produce fruit for him What make it difficult for you to see yourself as a steward? |
2015-05-25 - Suffering Servant All of us have strayed away - Isaiah 53:5 Jesus Christ was the perfect example of that kind of giving Isaiah saw this example of a humble, suffering servant from his own time He depicts a man who willingly subjected himslef to unspeakable suffering on the behalf of others How does Jesus' selfless giving motivate you? |
2015-06-13 - Second Chances Naaman became angry and stalked away - 2 Kinds 5:11 Naaman had a serious infectious skin disease He went to Eliasha for healing and he said to go the Jordan and wash 7 times Naaman was disappointed and angry with this but his servants encouraged him to do as Elisha said He obeyed and was healed - God of Israel is a God of second changes Because of Naaman's eventual humble obedience, he was healed and later found salvation - 2 Kings 5:15-18 |
2015-07-08 - Anticipation Rewarded Holy Spirit reveal to him that he woul not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah - Luke 2:26 Humans are creatures of anticipation. Serveral studies show expectation of something good benefits our health and sense of well-being Simon had lived a long life of such close fellowship with God and the Holy Spirit told him he would see the Messiah A voice told him to go to the Temple, this was his day When Simon saw baby Jesus, he knew immediately that this was the One he had been waiting for Simon: Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised. I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people - Luke 2:29-31 |
2015-07-10 - Man after God's own Heart I have sinned against the Lord - 2 Samuel 12:!3 King David in a space of a few weeks - lusted, commited adultery, lied, and murdered his lyal servant Uriah God called David a man after his own heart, not because he was perfect - 1 Samuel 13:14 God call him this because David humbly and brokenheartedly recongnized his own sin and knew what to do When the prophet Nathan confronted David about his sin, the king acknowledged he had sinned against the Lord |
2015-07-20 - Self-Fulfilling When Rehobam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the Lord - 2 Chronicles 12:1 There is a lot self-help books and programs teaching we can find fulfillment in our stength, mind, and soul True fulfillment and strength is found walking closely with God and humbly obeying his commands Rehoboam took a good look at all he had accomplished and becamse self-satisfied and abandoned God He crowded out God's place in his heart Rehoboam leading the way:
Rehoboam failed as a leader and as a man of God because he found strength and satisfaction in his own accomplishments |
2015-08-08 - Fatherly Love While he was still a long way off - Luke 15:20 It is not hard to imagine a father tears watching his son taking his inheritance and disappearing from view When the father saw his son appear on the horizen, he recongized Despite the shuffle and haggard appearance, he knew him He couldn't just stand and wait, so he ran The father saw him not as a servant or as damaged goods but as a much-loved son in good standing When you freely give yourself in this way, you heal your relationshops and set an example for others |
2015-08-12 - Access Only Moses is allowed to come near to the Lord - Exodus 24:2 At one time, only a few select people had direct access to God Moses was the servant God had choosen to lead his people out of Egyptian captivity Only Moses was permitted to:
In granting Moses such close access to him, God gave him a great responsibility and a great privilege Today the Bible promises with our faith in Jesus, we can boldly come to the throne of our gracious God - Hebrews 4:16 |
2015-08-21 - Credentials I'm not a professional prophet but the Lord called me away from my flock and told me, 'Go and prophesy to my people in Israel' - Amos 7:14-15 Willingness may not impress some personnel managers but it is exactly God looks for in a servant Amos was a humble shepherd who also tended a grove of sycamore-fig trees He had something God values about professional credentials - willingness to follow and obey God gave him a message to preach and he preached it with enthusiasm Most people believe that they need training credentials to minister to others God cares most about your willingness to faithfully serve him |
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 |
2015-09-21 - Ready to Follow Miraculous signs at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory - John 2:11 One day at a wedding party, Jesus performed his very first miracle when he changed water into wine In those days, running out of wine at a wedding was a major social faux pas Mary asked Jesus to fix the problem - servants filled six stone pots with water and wine began to one again - the best they ever tasted Headwaiter: why save the best wine for last? They never saw Jesus the same way again |
2015-09-23 - Change in Plans God changed his mind and did not carry out the destructionhe had threatened - Jonah 3:10 Jonah disliked God's command to warn Nineveh of its coming destruction and became angry with God for sparing the city after the Ninevites heard Jonah's preaching and repented I knew you were a merciful and compassionate God; you are eager to turn back from destroying people - Jonah 4:2 Jonah hated the Ninevties and wanted them killed because he saw them as a treat to his people God's deviated from Jonah's perfect plan Shouldn't I feel sorry for such a great city? - Jonah 4:11 Jonah was God's servant, not his advisor You will be more happy and peaceful when you simply do what God tells you to do and leave the results to him |
2015-10-04 - The Reward A faithful, sensible servant is the one who the master can give responsibility - Matthew 24:45 There are two people in the workplace:
Jesus told a story about a master's trust in a servant who demonstrated faithfulness in big and small issues That led the master to leave more important responsiblities to the faithful servant Are you faithful in serving God and your employer? He will reward your faithfulness |
2015-11-08 - Humbled You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's - Mark 8:33 Peter must have felt great when Jesus publicly blessed him from understanding Jesus' true identity Then it was shown that he needed to be knocked down a peg Jesus stunned his disciples about him going to Jersulem and Peter scolded Jesus because of it Peter was out of line and Jesus would not allow him or any other disciple to act as roadblocks to the path God set for him Jesus knew Peter had failed to see things from an eternal perspective Jesus was the conquering Kig but he was also the suffering Servant Peter was to play a big part in Jesus' mission but he first needed to humbly trust in the Lord's plan |
2015-11-09 - Clean the Air Give him all of it, I am content just to have you safely back again - 2 Samuel 19:30 Mephibosheth and David had a great relationship until Ziba, Mephibosheth's servant, lied about Mephibosheth helping Absalom to take this throne Mephibosheth found out about Ziba's deception and traveled to Jeresalum to reconcile with his old friend When David heard Mephibosheth's account, he offered half of what he offered Ziba Mephibosheth cared little about the offering and was satisfied with know David had returned to his rightful place Has a relationship you onced enjoyed soured? Take a risk by taking the first step |
2015-11-14 - No Middle Man I have always been faithful, single-minded, always doing what pleases you - 2 Kings 20:2-3 Hezehiah had been deathly ill for some time and was setting all his affairs in order because his illness was terminal - 2 Kings 2:1 Isaiah had a special connection to God and it would be tempting to plead his case directly with Isaiah When Isaiah told Hezehiah he was about to die, he went to his private place of prayer and talked directly to the Lord Hezehiah didn't ask to extend his life but reminded God he had been a good and faithful servant God decided to extend Hezehiah's life Hezehiah's willingness to straingth to God saved his his life |
2015-11-22 - Eyes of Faith The Lord opened the young man's eyes - 2 Kings 6:17 The king of Syria had sent his army to the city of Dothan and surrounded it at night Elisha's servant saw the enemy's chariots, horses, and soliders had surrounded them Naturally, this fearful young man ran directly to his master who was a man of faith Elisha knew that prayer was just what was needed - the servant eyes were then opened Elisha already understood the situation he faced was just a chance for God to demonstrate his glorious power |
2015-11-25 - Hospitality Come and stay with us... I have a room all ready for you and a place prepared for the camels - Genesis 24:31 Hospitality is a lifestyle that God commands his people to adopt When God's people are in need, be ready to help them - Romans 12:13 Laban, brother-in-law of Isaac, understood the blessing of practicing hositality because he had recieved it himself Eliezer traveled to find a wife for Abraham's son, Issac, Laban welcomed him into his home and card for his camels Being hospitable to Abraham's servant held a blessing - Rebekah, Laban's sister, would become Isaac's wife and would be in the lineage of Jesus Christ |
2015-12-06 - Impossible He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord - 2 Kings 4:33 Elisha had sent his assistant Gehazi ahead to try to raise the boy from the dead, but he had failed Asfter Elisha took over, the boy's mother was carrying her living son out of the bedroom What made the difference? Not:
The difference was Elisha turned to God through prayer and consistently communicated with God before he acted |
2015-12-12 - Courage and Faith Follow me for the Lord has given you victory - Judges 3:28 Courage and faith have an infectious quality to inspire others to bravery and reliance on God God raised up Ehud, he was just the man to set change in motion At the time, Moab's King Eglon held the upper hand Ehud confronted Eglon in his own palace and order his servants out of the room He drew his sword and killed the obese king and then escaped Ehud then led a band of men - Follow me! to a rousing victory, which led to their freedom Ehud had the courage and faith to step up when no one else could His action led to the benefit of 80 years of peace |
2015-12-15 - Temper As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you'll never be king. Now fo and get him so I can kill him! - 1 Samuel 20:31 Few emotions can harm our hearts and relationships like uncontrolled anger Anger led to:
Saul's anger erupted out of jealousy of David's popularity and treat of becoming king His anger was so fierce and overwhelming that he attempted to kill David at least three times Saul's anger made it to his son Jonathan because he was tried to protect David Saul showed his true colors when he allowed anger to control his every motivation, decision, and action |
2015-12-20 - Speak Up Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this - 2 Samuel 13:22 Absalom showed what happens when the lines of communication between two people break down He had every right to feel angry about Amnon rapping his sister What went wrong is his refusing to talk about it and making no effort to try to resolve the situation - Amnon felt sorry for what he had done Absalom's anger grew deep inside until it became implacable hatred He waited for the right opportunity to order his servants to kill Amnon - 2 Samuel 13:28 Absalom paid a heavy price for his failure to resolve his conflict openly and peacefully
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2015-12-24 - Greed is not Good My master should not have let this Aramean get aways without accepting any gifts - 2 Kings 5:20 Bible encourages hard work but warns against greed God had miraculously healed Naaman who gratefully offered Elisha a gift of gratitude Elisha refused the gift but his servant, Gehazi, chased after him to collect the gift without consulting Elisha first: Gehazi's greed ruined his life:
Gehazi only had to look at his hands and feet to see the serious consequences of greed |