2008-03-04 - Power of Gratitude - It is so Hard and but I Love it Marriage - hardest year of a good marriage is the first one and the hardest year of a bad marriage is the last one God brings opposites together - rigid and let it go types Because God is trying to work off the rough edges If we are to grow through trials, we must learn to view them correctly First comes hurt, then can come anger or try to ignore it Other turn to "grin and bear it" or "this too must past" - blocks us from growth Garden of Gethsemance - Jesus expressed and dealt with emotional pain with prayer - Hebrews 5:7-10 If Jesus had to suffer, how much will we need to be perfected - Colossians 1:24 Trial both mature us and attract others at the same time Rejoice in the sufferings - 1 Peter 4:13 Must have heaven's perspective in every situation Even when can not figure out what God is doing - requires a child-like response Why me? > Why not me? | |||||||||
2008-03-05 - Power of Gratitude - Is your Job Sacred or Secular? A large percentage of our waking hours on the job God expects even a slave to be happy with their lot in life - Colossians 3:22 Whatever you do, do it in the Lord's name - Colossians 3:17 Offer your bodies as living sacrifices - Romans 12:1 Full-time ministry We are full-time if we are disciples Others have gifts not in "up-front" roles No child of the King of Kings should feel like a second-class citizen
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2008-03-17 - Be Still My Soul - Deciding What to Study How do we decide what to study?
Questions to ask yourself:
Commit passages of scripture to memory | |||||||||
2008-03-29 - Be Still My Soul - Praise Thanksgiving is praise made practical
Never known a person who habitually expressive of gratitude to be afflicted with continual discouragement and depression Good idea to start and keep a gratitude list | |||||||||
2008-04-09 - Falling in Love with God - Jesus: Anointed One Jesus is the Christ, Messiah - meaning the "Anointed One" The book of Acts - Christ was lifted high
By him all things were created - 1 Colossians 1:16-20 Sometimes we forgot - The Christ still lives today Romans 8:28
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2008-05-01 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Forgiveness, part 1 Jesus calls for unlimited forgiveness - disciples plea to increase their faith If on-goning relationship difficulties - maybe one or both are too concerned about who sinned the most rather than focusing on reconciliation With a willingness to forgive, we cannot be forgiven by God - Matthew 6:14; Matthew 18:23-35 We must forgive in the way that God forgives - Colossians 3:13 | |||||||||
2008-05-08 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Ambition: from God or Satan Depending on the motive: There is positive ambitions - Romans 15:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:11 There is negative ambitions - Galatians 5:20 There is pure spiritual ambitions with bad motives: Matthew 20:20-28 - wanted their shot at the left and right seats of Jesus We often want the right things for the wrong reasons
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2008-05-10 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Money - Root of All Evil?, part 2 There are spiritual challenges for both those who have money and those who don't God promises to give us what we need, but not what we may want 1 Timothy - need for contentment with the basic of life Examine:
Seeking advancement or seeking to please God? How content are you with what you have? - Philippians 4:12 1 Timothy 6:9-12 - not just avoid but flee from the love of money - Some use people, and love money - God uses money and loves people Who is master in your life? God OR Money - Luke 16:13 Avoid the extremes of loving it and envying those who have more than you Use money to the fullest extend to serve him and bless others | |||||||||
2008-05-14 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - I was Born this Way Son will not share the guilt of the father - Ezekiel 18:20 Environment or heredity - most likely both Must be slow to judge situations we do not completely understand otherwise may bless us with an understanding in a way we do not want Other extreme - develop a victim mentality regarding ourselves or others Can lead to being angry, use drugs, being immoral, or just about anything else We have difficulty applying this to a murder Answer: despite it being more difficult and having different backgrounds, the standard is still the same He does not ask us to do anything he will not enable us to do Identify the sin > repent of it > start relying on God grace > formulate a plan to overcome sin Psychology can find root causes but it is powerless to find a cure Hezekiah and Josiah were righteous amount a line of kings that were evil The promises of God are far greater than our past and present challenges Pray that we may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way - Colossians 1:10-12 | |||||||||
2008-06-11 - Purpose Driven Life - Experiencing Life Together Life is meant to be shared Fellowship - now refers to casual conversation, socializing, food, and fun Jesus knew that 12 was the maximum size for a group for everyone to participate In real fellowship people experience... ... Authenticity
... Mutuality (Romans 1:12)
... Sympathy
... Mercy
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2008-07-02 - Purpose Driven Life - Real Servants (part 2) Real servants do every task with equal dedication Whatever you do, do it with all your heart - Colossians 3:23
Small taks often show a big heart Real servants are faithful to their ministry Servants finish tasks, fullfill their responsibilities, and complete their commitments Real Servants maintain a low profile Put on the apron of humility, to serve one another - 1 Peter 5:5 Servants are content with quietly serving in the shadows Be confident that nothing you do for God is a waste of time or effort - 1 Corinthians 15:58 | |||||||||
2008-07-16 - Purpose Driven Life - Becoming a World-Class Christian (part 2) Shift from self-centered thinking to other-centered thinking Stop thinking like children (thinking like only of self), and like like mature people (grown ups) - 1 Corinthians 14:20 Most advertising encourages selfish thinking To make the paradigm switch to mature thinking - need to dependence of God God has given us his Spirit so we don't think like the world thinks - 1 Corinthians 2:12 Shift from local thinking to global thinking God so loved the world... - John 3:16 God made all the nations and where they would be, so we would look for him - Acts 17:26-27 The world already thinks globally: business, competition, and news If you ask me, I will give you the nations - Psalms 2:8 What should we pray for?
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2008-08-13 - 30 Days at the Cross - Lasting Impact We learn that we should pursue: fame, fortune, and material possessions from the world Jesus refutes all that we have learned - service, sacrifice, and spiritual power
Many of us spend more time at work than any other single place If we aren't living the cross here, how can we be living it at all Honest is required - may mean less money or advancement Time commitment - it is easy to get caught up at work Every disciple needs to work hard - but what is the reason?
How could a temporary ob on earth be more important than Jesus and his work? If we compromise at work, how will we ever overcome the world? | |||||||||
2008-09-06 - Teach Us To Pray - Praise and Thanksgiving God's plan is a blessing and not a burden - 1 John 5:3 Once we lose our gratitude, we have lost everything Growing in Gratitude
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2008-09-21 - Teach Us To Pray - Friends and Loved Ones To intercede or pray on someone else's behalf is a privilege Our prayers are sacrifices which are pleasing to him - Hebrews 13:15 Paul: I want you to know how much I am struggling for you - Colossians 2:1 Who do you struggle for? How about people you have never meet? Far be it that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray to you - Samuel to King Saul - 1 Samuel 12:23 Jesus intercedes for us - Romans 8:34 Like a good friend, he adds or subtracts from what you are missing or need Jesus makes us complete in God's sight | |||||||||
2008-10-31 - Man of Prayer - Forgiveness Forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors - Matthew 6:12 Debt = opheilema = owning money to another Colossians 2:13-14 - written charge was canceled charge or code = cheirographon = charges drawn up against a convicted criminal Roman business world - debt had been paid - "tetelsthai" was written across the note - meaning "paid in full" Some word was used to when the punishment was executed on a list of chrages Every failure on our part to do God's will is a charge against us - a long document for most Jesus cried - it is finished (John 19:30) was actually the word "tetelsthai" = PAID IN FULL | |||||||||
2009-09-25 - One Another - Making it Clear
Relationships that are conducted according to the world's wisdom - have some element of self in mind Relationships in God's grace have in mind: God's grace to us and our need to pass grace on to others World teaches to be independent / We belong to one another - Romans 12:5
If living with worldly wisdom then we will:
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2009-10-04 - One Another - Teaching One Another With all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another - Colossians 3:16 Teaching translated from the word "didasko" = to give instruction, to impart information or wisdom In Christianity to applies to spiritual development
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2009-10-05 - One Another - Admonishing One Another "noutheteo" meaning to or counsel, translated admonish:
Not uncommon to pay to have a life couch We should have a # of relationships with people who know us and can help We must also realize that we can give others couching as well | |||||||||
2009-11-09 - Repentance - Transfigure Our Minds (part 2) Laziness is the greatest enemy to a girded mind. Need to wrestle in prayer – only after I’m certain that I’ve prepared my mind for action, do I conclude my time with God God only delays the coming Day of the Lord in order for more people to come to repentance Mind of Flesh Old self with a mind of flesh requires more and more sensation, wanting to “feel” alive, to overcome its callousness
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2010-01-01 - First the Kingdom - Guarding Against Heart Disease Blessed are the pure in hear, for they will see God - Matthew 5:8 What does it mean to keep our hearts pure? To have undivided devotion? Set our hearts are things above - Colossians 3:1 Must learn to battle Satan's attacks on our heart Recent years - we have aware about physical heart conditions We should lower our bad cholesterol and exercise more Since we desire a healthy heart for a longer life we: diet and exercise The heart is the "want to" muscle When we really want something, we go after it with all of our heart | |||||||||
2010-01-03 - Kingdom First - Making Peace with God Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will called sons of God - Matthew 5:9 World knows little peace - God wages peace The heart of God is to be at peace with man In order to have peace with God, we must resolve war(s) in our heart Peace is not conflict avoidance, it is resolution after a spiritual war Only those who know God can make peace that endures Once alienated from God and enemies - Colossians 1:21 After humbling our hearts and mourning over our sin - we become his children, part of the family Keep peace is an on-going process Our lives must be continually cleansed from sin What is your level of peace? Have worries rob you of your trust in God? | |||||||||
2010-01-27 - Kingdom First - Personal Responsibility (part 1) Things have not changed much since the begging of time The woman you put here gave me some fruit - Genesis 3:12 We crave a scape goat:
Must confront the planks in our own lives Instead should admonish one another - Colossians 1:28-29 Build each other up through contructive challenges - Ephesians 4:29 | |||||||||
2010-02-22 - One Another - Reconciling with One Another (part 2) Biblical Principles of Reconcilation:
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2010-03-01 - One Another - One Another In Groups (part 3) Work out differences; maintain unity - Ephesians 4:1-7 Do not be surprised when there are differences See differences as:
Need to make the most of every opportunity Avoid lingo and behavior that make the visitor truly feel like an outsider Stay at the foot of the cross What makes a Christian group different from others is the cross Where is your group in regard to the cross? Are we dying and living a baptized life? |