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 |
2010-05-24 - Desire's Journey - Blessed are the Nice? The enemy wants us to have small passions and desires We are producing a generation whose greatest virtue is to not defend anyone The greatest enemy of holiness is not passion but apathy If deadness is next to godliness, then Jesus had to deadest person ever - it wasn't the case God is a consuming fire - Hebrews 10:31
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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 |
2010-06-09 - 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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2010-06-24 - 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 |
2010-07-14 - Desire's Journey - Deeper Desire (part 1) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst The dilemma of desire is the deepest dilemma we will ever face The dangers are deep and potentially fatal How do we not lose heart? No one wants to:
Three things we must come to terms with in our heart:
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2010-07-21 - Desire's Journey - Deeper Desire (part 8) Losing all sensitivity - the dullness that most people accept as normal - Ephesians 4:17-19 A deadened soul requires a greater and greater level of stimulation to arouse it This is known as the downward spiral of any addiction TV today would be consider shocking thirty years ago This is why holiness is not numbness - it is sensitivity God wants to be our perfect lover but instead we seek perfection in human relationships and are disappointed when our lovers cannot love us perfectly The Law (Music sheet, if you will) is our help for guiding us Our instrument is out of tune from years of misuse We're not clear all the time on what it is we really want |
2010-08-29 - Waking Dead - Listening to His Voice God is still speaking to us today I have much more to say to you. The Spirit will guide you in all truth - John 16:12-13 There is much more than Jesus wants to say to you Since the Spirit resides in you heart - the conversation can continue Many good people never hear God because they have never been told that he does He who belongs to God hears what God says - John 8:47 His sheep follow him because they hear his voice. I am the good shpherd - John 10:4 He wants to speak to you and want to lead you to good pasture When we ask, we need to hear what the true answer is - not what we want to hear |
2010-09-04 - Waking Dead - Deep Restoration (part 1) He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds - Psalms 147:3 Part of you is pulled one direction, part of you the other Don't you sometimes feel a house divided? Take your phobias: Why are you afraid of heights, intimacy, or public speaking? All the discipline in the world will not get you to do these things - Romans 7-8 Part of me knows to pray is essential but other part wants to watch TV We are not wholehearted "Well, part of me does and part of me does not" Anytime we find ourselves doing something we wish we could stop but can not/ "unable" - ought to raise concerns Hebrew for brokenhearted is "leb shabar"
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2010-09-06 - Waking Dead - Deep Restoration (part 3) Chris came not only to pardon us but to heal us Jesus can and wants to heal your heart. What does that rouse in you?
The heart is God's dwelling place If you ignore your heart, it is like looking for him everywhere but at home It might be a surprise to you that Christ ask our permission to come in and heal Behold, I stand at the door and knock - Revelation 3:20 He does not force his way in There are sometimes rooms we have kept locked up We must give him permission to come in there - ask Jesus for your whole heart back |
2010-09-10 - Waking Dead - Spiritual Warfare (part 2) The question is not are we oppressed but where and how we are Why does every story have an enemy?
Satan lost the battle against Michael and his angels - was hurled to earth - Revelation 12:9 Satan's mood? He is filled with fury because he knows his time is short - Revelation 12:12 He is trying to steal your freedom, kill your heart, destroy your life We can go throughout our day and not even once wonder how the enemy might be attacking us All we know is that we aren't enjoying that abundant life Christ talked about Ignorance of spiritual warfare is the most native and dangerous thing a person can do You don't escape spiritual warfare by choosing not to believe it exists or refuse to fight The thief is trying to steal the life God wants to give - John 10:10 |
2010-09-11 - Waking Dead - Spiritual Warfare (part 3) Satan is the Father of Lies - John 8:44 His first attack on the human race was to lie to Adam and Eve He lied about God and where life was found He hoping we buy into whatever he is saying The evil one is still lying to us and is seeking our agreement every day Try to hold on to this and see much accusation you live under Your heart is good Your heart matters to God We must make no agreement with him Most of the time we don't recognize the attack because we do not live as though we are at war We assume these impressions are our own Any movement toward freedom, life, God, or others will be opposed Marriage, friendship, beauty, rest - the thief wants it all |
2010-09-15 - God is love Preached by Richard Dixion on 1999-05-04 Psalms 25:10
Psalms 145:13
Hebrews 12:4-10
Romans 12:1-2
2 Corinthians 5:3
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2010-09-16 - Why can't we be friends? Preached on 2003-01-26 Conflicts -Who are having problems? 1 John 4:20 - To love God, is to love our brothers Three reason why we can not 1. Lack of spiritually (half-hearted) Genesis 4:1 - God wants us to give your best - First reaction: Anger and downcast - Relationships - best to God, best to others How could being close to God change things for you? 2. Selfish Jacob and Esua Genesis 25:27-35 - Only do things you like to do - Waiting for them to come to you - You make the first moved 3. Jealous/Anger Genesis 37:1 - How is jealousy effecting you relationship? - Focus on all the blessing you DO have - Pray for them |
2010-10-16 - Giving (Part II)
QUESTIONS
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2010-10-22 - God and Your Job
QUESTIONS
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2010-11-18 - Contagious Christian - Making the Message Clear (part III) The Bridge Illustration
Other times God has prepared their hearts through someone else We need to give them this freedom |
2010-11-19 - Contagious Christian - Making the Message Clear (part IV) Another illustration similar to the bridge analogy... Baseball Illustration If one wants to enter the All-Universe Hall must meet the following requirements for 5 years
To earn your salvation, you must do something similar - Romans 3:23 One missed law is guilty of breaking all of the laws - James 2:10 We need Jesus' sacrifice to reach God |
2010-11-23 - Mission - Expectation of Christ Reading Luke 19:11-27 Parable of the 10 minas God has given us a lifetime of opportunities and blessing with the expectation that they would be utilized to the fullest Consider the most important goal of life according to Jesus - salvation for all It is the motivating force behind everything Christ did Even to the point of dying for it - Matthew 20:28 The gospel must first save me, but then through me, save others Capitalism and Communism does not give us the answers No philosophy or religion can meet the needs God wants to the world more than you do When God wants something accomplished, he can move mountains to do it He sacrificed his own Son for saving man Our God is wildly happy when someone is saved - Luke 15 If we claim to know God, then we most certainly will share with in his attitude |
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 |
2010-12-04 - Mission - Peter, From a Reed Peter was a reed blowing in the wind who became a rock whom God could build great things Jesus looked at Peter and saw what he could become Perhaps for the first time in Peter's life someone believed in him and had a vision that he could be someone great When we feel believed in, we feel loved The only thing that counts if faith expressing itself through love - Galatians 5:6 God looks at us for what we will become - Jeremiah 29:11 Viewing our day to day struggles and failures as their growth process on the way to becoming what God wants Peter was convinced of this It kept Peter coming back after his failures When Peter was asked if he wanted to leave, he said 'Lord, to whom shall we go?" - John 6:68-69 Think of all of Peter's heartbreaking failures....
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2010-12-06 - Mission - John's Walk with Jesus What disciples does not like the apostle John, the "apostle of love"? Not everyone
John stayed close to Jesus - Luke 9:28 He would never quit Jesus - Mark 14:32-34 John loved Jesus until the end - John 19:25-27 John changed:
How is our walk with Jesus? Do we focus our energy on our walk with Jesus? Only after walking with Jesus, can we change into the disciple Jesus' wants us to be |
2010-12-19 - Worlds Wisdom vs Gods Wisdom (part I) 1 Corinthians 1:18-20
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2011-01-02 - Discipleship (part II) Luke 9:23-27
Luke 9:57-62 - Examine the issues involved with each person - thoughtless following, excuse making Luke 14:25-35
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2011-02-01 - Gender Controversy - Intro We are told that the opposition is a recent phenomenon
They use examples: Jon/David, Ruth, Naomi Clear passages are "reinterpreted" so the "modern reader" can understand
Both sides claim the Bible supports their view - It is one way or the other Bible disapproves but offers hope Satan wants to call evil good and good evil Sodom and Gomorrah Genesis 13:13 - MEN were exceedingly wicked; rebelled against God |
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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2011-02-04 - Word of God - Kansas City (part III) 1 Timothy 5:24-25
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2011-02-12 - Discipleship - Kansas City (part II) The Standard of a Disciple Luke 9:18-26
Luke 9:57-62
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2011-02-20 - Cross of Christ - Kansas City (part IV) Pain of Bearing our Sin 1 Peter 2:19-25
2 Corinthians 7:8-13
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2011-02-22 - The Church - Kansas City (part II) Cheerful Giver 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
1 Corinthians 12:12-20
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2011-02-23 - The Church - Kansas City (part III) 1 Corinthians 12:21-26
Proverbs 15:22
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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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2011-06-18 - Mind of Christ - Discipleship (part III) Christ’s word teaches us about discipleship Luke 14:25-35 1. Large crowds followed Jesus 2. Jesus has already called them disciples (Luke 9:18,23). Now He says they cannot be His disciples unless they meet this standard. Why does He change? Because before this they had been curious disciples, possibly convinced disciples, but not committed disciples. Now He wants them to go the full measure. We see, then, how the term disciple goes through an evolutionary process during the ministry of Christ, the story of the gospels. 3. The terms of discipleship are all-encompassing.
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2011-08-20 - Fearing God - Holy Justice, Holy Mercy But God does not leave Isiah devastated We tend to think of justice in a positive sense - child murdered and the community wants to see justice The murder does not want to see justice The wages of sin is death - in this sense we don't want to see justice done God's justice is both holy and perfect God always wants to give mercy He can not be lenient and can not violate His own justice The solution is Christ - he reconciled God's justice and mercy The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all - Isaiah 53:6 |
2011-09-12 - Followup: Purity (part I) Our society exalts sexual immorality, and it’s raging out of control. Teenagers have hormones that are newly active and they can let them rage out of control. Singles are looking for love in all the wrong places. Marriages are ending in divorce more now than ever before even though more people claim to be Christians. God has made it clear that he wants us all to let the natural sexual desires remain dormant until they can be expressed within the marriage relationship. In the Bible the term “purity” is most often referring to sexual purity, but it also is used to refer to being free from contamination by worldliness in general. Contaminated water is undrinkable, just as a contaminated heart is unacceptable to God. Question: Have you ever had food poisoning? What happens?
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2011-09-13 - Followup: Purity (part II) 2 Timothy 2:22 A. What does it mean to “flee” from something?Ephesians 5:3-7
* We overcome sin by meditating on God’s precepts (word) and following his statues.James 5:16 (we as a family are here for each other, not to judge but to support) * God wants you to be pure and holy, he’s given you his word and spiritual brothers and sisters to help you on your spiritual journey. |
2011-09-22 - Proverbs on Pride (part II) PRIDE #1. Pride kills our relationship with God & others (Proverbs 16:5)
Ultimate example is Satan (Revelation 12:7-9, 13:4-9)
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2011-09-23 - Proverbs on Pride (part III) Proverbs 13:10 - wise men and women listen to each other's counsel Proverbs 18:11 - The rich think their wealth protects them Illustration:
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2011-10-02 - Genesis 2 - Creation & Recreation Recap SummaryGod formed a man and gave him the garden in Eden, except for the tree of knowledge. Adam was alone so God made a woman as his partner. ObservationsGenesis 2:7 - from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life Personal ApplicationMany times I look for ways on how to automate work (it is part of the work I do as part of my career) but sometimes lose sight that work is what I am suppose to be doing. When automating tasks, I need to make sure I am using my additional time to do even more useful things that God has called me to do. |
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?". |
2011-10-18 - Genesis 18 - Abraham prays for SodomSummaryThree visitors came and said that Sarah would have a son next year. Sodom was very evil; Abraham pleaded with the LORD for the city. ObservationsGenesis 18:14 - Is anything too hard for the LORD? Personal ApplicationI doubt God way too much (once is too much )and I do probably everyday - I am doing it right now. God is god, he can do anything. Yes, even that. I have got to stop making God smaller in my mind. Every time that I think I have an understanding how big and strong he is - God is beyond that. He greater than I can imagine. |
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
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2011-11-29 - Gratitude (part II) Gratitude must be seen in our prayer life
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2011-12-15 - Day 12 - Doing Good Things Ephesians 2:10
If you don't know how you can help, ASK. REMEMBER: We need each other. We are family. |
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? |
2012-01-18 - Ministry - The Heart of Humility Matt. 18:4, Luke 14:10, James 4:10, Phil. 2:5,7-8 Have you ever made a goal in your life to become a humble person? Have you ever prayed consistently over a period of time for God to give you a humble heart? Jesus shocked the crowds following him that day when he declared for all men to change and become like little children or they would not enter the kingdom of heaven! Then he lifts up the quality of humility in a child's heart and commands his disciples to have this heart! The world teaches us that humility is soft, weak, passive, no convictions. Jesus was certainly not this! He was a man of convictions, fearless with the opposition, and pressed on resolutely about his goals! However, he washed the disciples feet, touched the leper, served the crowds, and obeyed the Father in everything. One of the real tests comes in serving. Jesus made himself nothing, became a servant, and humbled himself on the cross for us! Do people know me to be a serving person? How do I feel when I am serving-awesome? Do I serve only when I want to serve and what I want to do if it serves my interests?Jesus came to serve and not to be served! He came to give his life as a ransom for many! Whoever wants to be great among you must be your slave! Matt. 20:26-28 Questions:
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2012-01-19 - Ministry - Remaining In Christ John 15 Remaining in Christ seems like an easy thing to do yet it challenges us as disciples. We have spent years finding our identity in the world, in success, in how others feel about us. We strive for a "good self-esteem." Instead, Jesus calls for us to have a "proper self-esteem" and a proper view of ourselves. This is found by remaining in Christ. We are called to be as intimately connected with Christ as a vine is with a branch. That connection brings fruit, change and answered prayer. We are to find our identity in Christ, not in ourselves. The call of discipleship is to abandon self, not to make ourselves better. Christ is better; we are lost and dead outside of Him. God wants us to get our spiritual identity from his Son. As disciples we are called to a Person, not to a program. To relationship, not to religiosity. We are called to Christ, not to Christianity. An interesting exercise to do would be to count how many times the expressions "In Christ" or "in Him" are used in the book of Ephesians, a great book on being "in Christ." Questions/Followup
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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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2012-01-25 - 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:
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2012-01-26 - Ministry - Producing a Harvest Matthew 13:1-23 How fruitful have you been in the last year? Are the worries of this life making you unfruitful? There are so many things that we could worry about: our school, spouses, dating life, children, money, jobs, etc. Do we get so consumed with ourselves and our lives that we forget our purpose in life? Nothing will come of our efforts to save the lost if we are filled with stress and worry. We will choke out the power of the word and of God we focus on our worries. God wants us to have a fruitful life! When we really hear God's word and embrace it, we will produce a harvest beyond our wildest dreams. Have you let stress and worry in your life choke out the word? Make a prayer list of all the things you are worried about and pray through them. Pray with faith and see how God moves in your life when you cast your anxieties on Him. |
2012-01-30 - Ministry - Christianity or Christ? John 6:25-40 Jesus explains to the hungry crowds that their minds should be set on spiritual fulfillment, not on physical fulfillment. The bread that they are looking for is not a loaf of bread or even the manna that Moses' generation ate. The bread they needed was the bread from heaven: the Son of God. Having a relationship with Jesus is what will satisfy. Believing in him is what will change our lives. It is not Christianity but Christ. We chase spiritual fads, deep, theological issues, when all the Jesus wants is for us to be deeply dependent on him. This requires a radical change in how we have learned to exist. Some of us get burned out being Christians because having faith in God is not our focus. We spend a lot of time trying to do things and not time having a real relationship with "Christ who is our life." Questions/Followup:
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2012-02-18 - Fear of Failure - Letting Problems and Failures Build Your Faith by Tracey Jones, San Francisco Church of Christ Romans 4:18-22; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 5:1-6 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us. Romans 5:3-4 (NLT) I think as a non-Christian, I was the most anxious, controlling person in the world. I remember I would have almost every minute of my life planned out from beginning to end. Although it helped me to be disciplined and to achieve goals, it stopped me from letting people into my heart. I was always the strong one to my friends and family…"the rock". They saw all the successful things on the outside, but they didn't see the desperate, feeble person I was inside. When I began to work with people, it was very difficult for me, because I had no control whatsoever over them. That lack of control began to crush me. Now I see that God is using my problems and failures to encourage me to grow. He is telling me the little that I know is not enough - I need to keep growing and changing and developing into the person He wants me to be. One decision I have made when I have problems in my ministry, marriage, or family is to pray about them and to commit them fully to God. Now, instead of giving in to thoughts like “I can't change that woman's heart, I pray specifically about what I need help with and have confident expectation of what God will do. This has brought much more joy to my marriage, ministry, and life. What is stealing your joy? Could it be that you are letting problems and situations dictate your life? Decide today to commit those things to prayer and ask God to give you increasing character to deal with your life. |
2012-02-21 - Fear of Failure - God is Able, Part 1 by Del & Daurence Johnson - Region Leaders: San Francisco Church of Christ When I think about how many times that I have blown it or dropped important balls, it can be very depressing. So often I feel inadequate, incapable and fearful. This has made me prideful and unopen. Failure is never fatal when we have our eyes on God and not on our mistakes. God is perfect, I am not. God is pure, I am full of sin. God is righteous, I am jaded. Why not base our level of success on God and who he is rather than ourselves? 1) God is able to keep you from falling. Jude 24 When failure seems inevitable, it's probably because you are not looking to God. God wants us to learn from our experiences, not be perfect. 2) God is able to save completely. Hebrews 7:25 As I look at the sin in my life and how I keep repeating it, it can discourage me from believing I can be pleasing to God. This is why we need forgiveness. He is able to save completely. He can and will get me through. My challenge is to never quit on God or myself. 3) God is able to guard what you have entrusted to him. 2 Timothy 1:12 When we sacrifice day after day and year after year, we are investing ourselves in heavenly treasures. As Special Missions contribution quickly approaches again, we will have to reinvest ourselves into God's dream again. God is protecting and always will protect our lives and our dreams. He is faithful. Decisions:
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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:
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2012-03-16 - Instilling Faith in Children (part II) They need to see Jesus - Deuteronomy 6:1-9 God did not want his people to forget him What did he want them to remember?
All these things he still wants us to remember In what ways can we show our kids, Jesus?
v 20-24 - The questions will come; opportunities to share more With a Watchful Eye - 1 Timothy 4:15-16 They will not be a Christian and stay a Christian by chance |
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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2013-03-03 - 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:
God is nowhere need us as far as this power but on person level he is wants to be right next to us:
Human power is nothing in the face of God's awesome power |
2013-03-18 - Prayer of the Righeous - God is Preparing a Place (part II) John was given a glemce of what heaven would be like in Revelations:
Heaven is a place full of blessings Jesus referred serveral times to our reward in heaven No eyes have seen, no ears have heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared - 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 No one can stop us from going to heaven but ourselves Do you think of God as one who wants nothing more than to bless your life? |
2013-03-20 - Prayer of the Righeous - Knowing God through His Word (part I) Knowing God through our own study of the Bible is essential We can get to know Christ through the living word of God - John 1:1 God wants us to know him and be close to him The Spirit is there to help us do what we want to do We are to pray in the Holy Spirit - Jude 20 Our prayers are spiritual when they are deeply rooted in scripture |
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. |
2013-10-22 - Leadership Founded in Love Jesus Christ founded his empire on love God not only wants you to lead your family but deeply love them Children feel much more secure if they know their parents love each other. Don’t wait for her. Step up and be the leader God meant you to be. It’s never easy. |
2013-11-30 - Holy Matrimony God alone designed the marvelous mystery of marriage. |
2014-07-08 - Why did God create the world? God enjoys making things and wants to be with us, to love us, and for us to love him. He created the world for us to live in and enjoy. Psalms 19:1 - The skies display his craftsmanship |
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 |
2015-02-26 - God enables us You must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you - Jeremiah 1:7-8 Lord called Jeremiah to prophesy against the rebellious nation of Isreal - God chose him to be God's mouthpiece He lacked confidence because Jeremiah hadn't grasped the truth that God never calls us to do something without first equipping that person first God wants us to see our own weakness and his need for God's empowerment Jeremiah was the right person for the call because he was God called and God enabled The Lord has you where he wants you - in a place of humility and dependence on Him for the power you need to succeed. |
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 |
2015-04-04 - God's GPS The Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time - Acts 16:6 It very important to know where God wants you to go, how to get there, and what to do once you have arrived Bible does not say why God didn't want Paul and Silas in Asia at that time or how the Holy Spirit prevented them The Holy Spirit faithfully guided Paul and Silas and the rest of those he had called to preach The key is to be in tune with him by faithfully follwoing the guidance he has already made clear to you When you follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, you can know without a doubt that you are right where he wants you |
2015-04-24 - Vows I will give the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me - Judges 11:30 As it would happen, the first to leave his house was Jephthah's daugther The Bible contains hundreds of God's conditional promises of blessings Jephthah's vow went terribiy wrong when he tried to set his own conidtions for blessing rather than appoarching God in faith Have you felt that you needed to offer God something to receive his promised blessing? You can't buy what God already wants to give you. |
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? |
2015-06-22 - Acknowledge Your Limitations I have no one to put me into the pool - John 5:7 A good man always knows his limitations An unnamed sick man met Jesus one day knew his limitations by reponding with an "I can't" He was unable to walk for 38 years and he wait for someone to help get him into healing waters of the pool of Bethesda What he obvioudly couldn't do, Jesus did The man knew that on his own, he had no hope of changing his situation I CAN'T is sometimes the words Jesus wants to hear That phrase comes from the lips of the person who realizes his need for complete dependence of Christ |
2015-06-23 - Procrastination Go away for now; When it is more convenient, I'll call for you again - Acts 24:25 Procrastination is a great enemy of accomplishment It prevents you from being all that God wants you to be Felix had an opportunity to repsond to the message of salvation but he allowed his fears to drive him away from Christ instead of toward him Tragically, the "more convenient" time never came |
2015-07-06 - Effects of Jealous Saul had a spear in his hand and suddenly hurled it at David intending to pin him to the wall - 1 Samuel 18:11 Jealousy is the emotion we feel toward someone who has something we believe we should have KIng Saul jealous toward David, who did nothing but serve the king faithfully Saul grow angry with him because of his growing popularity Saul promoted David to army commander where he excelled, defeating the Philistines Jealousy took over and and Saul went insane and it his life's goal to kill David Being jealous steals the joy and contentment the Lord wants us to experience Who is most likely to make you feel jealous? Rest content in the knowledge of God - He has mapped out a life of blessing specifically for you |
2015-09-17 - What Say You? The Lord has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master for he has led me straight to my master's relatives - Genesis 24:27 Gratitude should flow naturally from the Creator-creature relationship He wants you to bring your needs and desires to him in prayer so he might meet them and then thank him for answering Eliezer went to God and asked very specifiically and directly a sign for show him the woman for Issac When God gave Eliezer exactly what he asked for and remembered to turn to him immediately to praise and thank him |
2015-10-17 - Take It Seriously They disobeyed the Lord by buring before him the wrong kind of fire, so the fire burned them up - Leviticus 10:1-2 Aaron's sons were called to priests and were given significant and solemn reponsibility There was little wiggle room in the regulations governing the Tabernacle and the sacrifices Nadab and Abihu wiggled too much The treated God's commands casually and carelessly and cost them everything Their action cost them the blessings that God wants to generouly give to everyone who will listen to him How do you regard the Word of God?
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2015-10-21 - Grappling with God I will not let you go unless you bless me - Genesis 32:26 When did you last wrestle with God? For most men, the idea of wrestling with God seems a little out there God could have ended the struggle with a single word He dislocated Jacob's hip with a single touch God allowed the wrestling match to go on for one reason: He wanted something from Jacob and for Jacob When you wrestle with God over the important issues of your life, he has you right where he wants you Wrestling is when you are most ready to receive a blessing Are you willing to struggle persistently for answers and blessing from God? |