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2009-02-26 - Jesus with People - Doubtful Thomas
Jesus was not going to stop until Thomas was back, until he had been given an opportunity to put his doubts to death

Jesus was all what he said earlier, leave the 99 to look for that 1 - Luke 15:1-7

John 20:24-29 - not necessarily a rebuke, but a reminder

When do you find yourself doubting God's love for you?
Do you believe God still wants to purse a relationship with us even when we;re not that strong?

2009-03-09 - Promises of God - The Problem is Me
Deuteronomy 4:29 - Find God when we seek him with all of our heart

Repentance must be proven by our deeds - Acts 26:20
Praise God for his faithful correction - Proverbs 3:11-12

God hates sin, takes sin of idolatry, personally - Deuteronomy 6:15

Sin comes when we lower the standard of commitment in our lives and allow ourselves to become lazy, selfish and self-indulgent

Being idolatrous and lukewarm is a serious sin against God - Revelation 3:16
Against God, his church, and the souls that are not saved as a result

2009-03-10 - Promises of God - God is Merciful
God is merciful - Deuteronomy 4:29-31

Even when you have sinned greatly and even when you think - This time I have really blown it
God promises if from there you seek him, even from a deep dark hole of shame, disappointment and failure - you will find him
Must be with all of your heart

We are not the best judge for our own repentance
Our loved should know and should be asked

It is from the deepest darkest hole that that God promises are the most truest

For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you - Deuteronomy 4:31

2009-04-06 - Promises of God - Abrahams Faith
By faith Abraham, called to place even through he did not know where is was going - Hebrews 11:8

Obedience to God is the only thing that makes sense

Ludicrous to think that our limited and mortal minds can out smart an omnipotent and omnipresent God

We will never find the blessing of God if we constantly question the wisdom of God

How do you feel about the word of obey?

2009-04-18 - Why We Need God - He is Our Creator
GOD AS OUR CREATOR...
  1. Knows us better than we ourselves
  2. Even as the manufacturer knows his product better than anyone else
  3. Knows our weaknesses and our strengths
  4. Is the best source to find the answers to such questions as:
a.  Where did I come from?
b.  Why am I here?
c.  Where am I going?
d.  How should I live?


2009-05-25 - No one like him - Kingdom Lifestyle (part 1)
Sermon not a code of law but a higher calling

NOT what is the law so I do not break it
IS was lost but now found; I will seek him with all my heart

Call to perfectionism is burden vs imitating our Father; being radically different

Different Attitudes – Beatitudes – Matthew 5:1-12

Different Effect – Matthew 5:13-16
Salt – stops decay
Light – for those who are humble, help to find the way


2009-06-03 - No one like him - The Empty Tomb (part 2)
What it means for us:

1. Jesus can be trusted
a. Jesus taught with truth and compassion
b. Backup his teachings with his life
i. No man can come to except through me
ii. Do good to those who hate you
iii. Find your life by loosing it
c. Gives us a place to stand – embolden the disciples
2. Shows the kingdom has come

3. God fully intended to continue Jesus mission
a. Jesus was the foundation
b. Story did not end in Palestine
4. Those who follow him also share in the resurrection
a. Died with Christ, now we can live a new life with him – Romans 6:4,5,8


2009-07-18 - A Life of Impact - Time Management

Time Management

Mark 8:27-30

  • Jesus lived a very busy life.
  • Jesus often accomplished several things at once.
  • Jesus knew time was limited.

Reputation

  • We also need to find out how others perceive us.
  • We shouldn’t fear their disapproval.


2009-08-09 - A Life of Impact - The Warning

The Warning

Mark 13:1-37

  • Life is a challenge and it is a adventure.
  • Too often we want a fairytale ending.
  • We will be tested to find what our position in our faith.

The Spark

Mark 14:1-2

  • His words ignited people, both for and against him.
  • By his words this one man could have started a riot, initiated a revolution, overthrown the rules and made himself king. But he chose to die.


2009-08-26 - Wild at Heart - God loves wilderness (part 2)
God’s relationship with us is risky
We are unpredictable; there is the likelihood to get hurt (ultimate risk anyone ever takes is to love)
God give love all the time (and gets hurt all the time)

Music, wine, poetry, sunset – all his inventions
God is romantic at heart
Heart of man is drawn from God – strong and courageous love
Have you noticed the most often word used with boys is 'don’t' –God’s design 'Yes'
Sexes show different sides of God’s heart
Heart of a woman – deep hearted, seductive more than fierce
Wants to be loved
Why don’t you choose Me?
'Seek and you will find me…with all of your heart' – Jeremiah 29:13
God wants to be wanted
Why does God does not answer prayer right away? – he wants us to talk to him
God has beauty to be unveiled
Each stage of creation is better than before
All Adam can say is “WOW”

Women wants he beauty unveiled
Do you delight in me?
God wants to be worshiped

2009-08-27 - Wild at Heart - Question that haunts every man (part 1)
Men look in their hearts but they don’t discover something valiant and dangerous
Find fear, lust, and anger
"All men die, few men really ever live"
Women - Many have given up hope for a true man.

Real life of the average man seems a universe away from the desire of his heart
  1. No battle to fight
  2. No swords and castles
  3. Without a great battle in which a man live and die - fierce part goes underground
Men are angry – and we don’t know why
Why are men addicted to sports? - biggest adventure many will ever taste
Careers? Same reason
Trading stock – taste of excitement and risk

Guys have been told to be responsible

2009-09-07 - Wild at Heart - The enemy fears you
If you ever really got your heart back, lived from it with courage, you would be a huge problem to him
Many men have not been shown how to fight from the heart.
Failure of fathers and left men without direction
If you want the wound healed and your strength restored and to find your true name, you re going to have to fight for it.

Notice your reaction at these words.
Does another come in and caution you to stop
We need to know who we are and if we have what it takes

A man’s core question does not go away
We search for the answer of validation
  • Career
  • Belonging
  • How well he plays sports
  • Yes, even women


2009-09-13 - Wild at Heart - False self (part 4)
A masculine journey always takes a man away from the women, come back to with his question answered
A man does not go to a woman to get his strength; he goes to her to offer it.
Addiction comes when we have taken our soul to her for validation.

What else are we looking for? God
Adam had God
God gave Adam Eve out of His humility
Eve eventually took the place of God

Adam was not deceived
Time where Eve had fallen but Adam had not
Adam choose Eve over God
Men without his true love, God, will try to find another

Why do you remain thirsty after you have had a drink… it is the wrong well
In God will only find the true healing of the wound

2009-10-16 - Wild at Heart - Offering our Strength (part 2)
Cycle of a man is that he goes away from a woman to yet return to her after finding strength

Most men want the maiden without any sort of cost to themselves
Nature of pornography - Uses her to get a feeling that he a man (false)
Strength then came from an outside source rather than deep within

Self-center man angers the Lord - Genesis 38:7-10
What happens when we refuse to spend their strength on a women - Genesis 38:25-26

Pretty women endure abuse this abuse all the time
They learn to offer their bodies but never their souls
Many men marry for safety

Why don’t men offer what they have to their women?
  • We know in our guts that it won’t be good enough
  • No matter how much you pour into her she will never be filled
What happens?
  • Refuse to give what they have
  • Keep pouring and pouring until we feel like a failure


2009-11-29 - Master Plan - Church is the continuing fellowship (part 2)
  • Consequences for not following up
    • The other choice is for the convert to find solutions to innumerable problems in on their own
    • Haphazard follow-up could mean disaster for their faith
    • Fall ways - come about more often be not getting with them enough
    • There is not substitute for getting with people
  • No such thing as assembly line discipleship
  • You must be a personal guardian to those you lead.
  • It is your job to:
    • Stay with them as much as possible
    • Study the Bible and pray together
    • Answer their questions
    • Clarify the truth
    • Seeking together to help others
  • If it took three years to develop His disciples by getting with them, how much more should we get together with those that have not physically have seen Jesus? How much longer will it take (not seeing them all the time)?


2009-12-10 - Master Plan - Delegation (part 2)
  • Instructions from Jesus
    • Preach the Kingdom of God - Luke 9:1
    • Heal the sick
    • Go to the most susceptive audience (house of Israel) - Matthew 10:5
    • Do not burden yourselves with lots of baggage - Matthew 10:9
    • Find worthy, friendly people - Matthew 10:11
    • If the town resisted, shake off feet as a testament to them (worst than Sodom and Gomorrah)
  • Hardship expected
    • If Jesus received persecution, we will too - Matthew 10:32
    • We remember the Lord – W will be remember before the Father - Matthew 10:24
    • Sheep among wolves - Matthew 10:16
    • Act as wise as serpents and harmless as doves
  • A diving gospel
    • No compromise with sin
    • Jesus came by the sword (Divided good from evil) - Matthew 10:34-35
  • Two by two - Mark 6:7
    • Companionship and helping one another
    • In the spirit of togetherness


2009-12-18 - Master Plan - The Plan (part 1)
Life has a plan
  • We may not be conscious of the plan of every action
  • Actions invariably unfold some kind of pattern at the center of things.
  • Our objective that we can discover may not be very satisfying
  • We should seek to find a way to incorporate the wisdom of Jesus’ strategy into our own preferred method of evangelism.
  • Variety is in very structure of the universe
  • Master gives us an outline to follow but He expects us to work out the details.(local circumstances and traditions)
  • One unwilling to fail in the determination to find a way will never get started
  • People afraid to try and try again will not make much progress.
  • Finding and training men to reach men


2010-01-08 - Kingdom First - Light Gives Direction
You are the light of the world - Matthew 5:14-16

Without light we do not know where to walk
Don't know when to turn or how to reach our destination

God provided the direction for the Israelites when the left Egypt
Wise men were guided by light to find the Savior of the world

Your willingness to give help provides direction and light most do not have

Purity and integrity can shake the business world
Faith and joy in the face of trials can show others with God there is a way out of anything

2010-01-26 - Kingdom First - Self Titled
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, all these things will be given you - Matthew 6:33

Kingdom First:
  • Everything must be re-examined
  • Everything must be reconsidered
  • Every desire, dream, use of money and time
  • Now everything must have a kingdom-first focus
How to tell when you are not seeking first his kingdom:
  1. When you don't have daily times with God in the Bible and prayer
  2. Responsibilities to the church are a burden
  3. Not happy or consistent in giving
  4. Personal comfort, desires direct life's decisions
  5. Can't find the time to share your faith
  6. Gain greater feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction serving another "kingdom"
  7. You have greater regard and protection of your schedule
  8. Discipleship times, family devotionals not deep or consistent
  9. Gaining one more than is greater than gaining one more soul
  10. Dreams center more in this world than in the kingdom
Are you seeking first his kingdom?
The kingdom consists of people who volunteer in a battle between good and evil

2010-01-30 - One Another - Confession Lessons
Sin is still a reality - even in Christ
God uses relationships to transform us
Everyone who seek these relationship will find themselves either being the one sinning or the one being sinned against

Christ has freed us to be real
We no longer have to prove anything
No longer have to pretend or conceal
Love of Christ compels us and reminds us and reassures us

We should not be shocked or disillusioned when someone confesses
Will we look down on others like the Pharisee did in Jesus' parable - Luke 18?
Or will we see we all are capable of bad things in need of grace?

Sooner we can walk in the light, the better
Longer something stays concealed, the more demons of darkness have time to work

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:
  • Gain sympathy
  • Appear open
  • Avoid a charge of hypocrisy
c. Confession of sin must involve forsaking sin

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

2010-02-03 - One Another - Confession Questions (part 4)
How do we grow in our confession?

a. Be open even at the temptation level
We will get used to talking what we are thinking and going through
We will nip many things in the bud before they progress to sin

b. Start over-correcting
Start confessing everything
You can always tone it down so it does not become annoying :)

c. Ask some else what they think of your confession:

Do you find me to be a confessing person?
What is my confession level?
  • Seldom confess
  • Confess only when there is a "big" sin
  • Consistently confess sin
  • Am open even about temptations


2010-02-06 - First the Kingdom - One-Lane Road (part 1)
Seemingly contradictory statements:
God wants all men be saved - 1 Timothy 2:3-4
Road to God  is narrow and only a few will find it - Matthew 7:13-14

Both are true

God shows he wants all me to be saved
He sent his son who spoke clearly and plainly about what it takes
The broad road says - I know better than God what life and eternity are all about
On the broad road - so many people and so many standards
Bible warns those on the broad road will face terrors and traps of many kinds - Proverbs 4:10-19

Many agree that the narrow road teaching Jesus describes is one of the most difficult
Can not be faithful to Jesus' message and teach anything but the narrow road
Only a few find = fact is that only a few search
Everyone who seeks finds - Matthew 7:7-8

2010-02-07 - First the Kingdom - One-Lane Road (part 2)
When have been given a second chance to walk the narrow road

Finding the narrow does not guarantee we will go through the final gate

Must make daily decisions:
  • Decision to stay humble - Luke 18:17
  • Decision against materialism - Luke 18:24-25
  • Decision to persevere through hardships - Acts 14:22
  • Decision to stand firm in our convictions - Luke 21:12-19
  • Decision to believe and obey God whatever the circumstances - Hebrews 3:5-19


2010-03-12 - To Live is Christ - Every Tongue Confess

Jesus Christ is Lord
Everyone who lived will say these four words - Philippians 2:9-11

Whoever disowns Jesus before men, he will disown him - Matthew 10:32-33

No one comes to the Father except through Jesus - John 14:6

Give up for God = Gain
Lose for God = FInd
Bow before God now = stand

Bow when:

  • You naturally want to be selfish
  • You want your needs meet
  • You doubt his love

Each disciple must decide that he or she lives among other "for their sake" - 1 Thessalonians 1:5

 



2010-03-28 - Life to the Full - Crown not Frown (part 2)
Poor and rich people need to watch their step - James 1:9-11
Proverbs teach us that the middle way between poor and rich is best - Proverbs 30:7-9

The crown of life is not received quickly nor cheaply - James 1:12
There are too many rationals to go the easy way:
  • My upbringing is less than perfect
  • I'm different
  • I need lots of sleep
  • I am a young Christian
  • I am an old Christian
  • I used to be worse
We can not become more dependent on explanations than on God
You always find a reason why you can not persevere

We are not victims, by God's power we can be victors

2010-04-04 - Life to the Full - Dead or Alive? (part 4)
People are searching for a cause
The perfect law forbids us to act out of anger or slander
  • Feminist movement - made some good points - fueled by resentment
  • Environmental movement - humans are responsible for our "dominion" - Genesis 1:26; but it is there are more important causes
  • Gay rights movement - all humans should not desciminated against - primary a defensive , negative movement ; finding self-justification instead of justification that comes from Jesus
  • Political movements - good to voice opinions; but when political allegiances eclipes our Christian allegiance, we are in sin
  • Anti-abortion movement - fight to save babies is a great fight - but killing others to do so? does not that make you a murder too?


2010-04-28 - Heart of Maturity (Motivation of Maturing)

Preached by John Lusk (2005-01-30)

How passionate are you about maturing?

  • Being a new Christian, it was easiler because everything was new. Now what?
  • We must have the correct motivation if we are to continue maturing in the long run.

Motivation of Maturing

1. To regain your identify

Genesis 1:26-27

  • We need to realize who we are suppose to be
  • Duck example
    • First thing it sees when it is born it assumes is its mother and will follow it around
    • If the baby duck follows something other than another duck, it will get frustrated because it can only do what duck do
  • Human example
    • We were made to be like God
    • We see other things and try to follow the world
    • We also get frustrated because worldly persuits are not what were designed for

2. To remian in Jesus

1 John 2:3-4 - This is a expectation from God

3. To be effective and productive

2 Peter 1:4-8

  • Must make every effort
  • It would be sad to find out in the end we were ineffective and unproductive
  • Others need you to grow!
  • Your growth rate will determine how much you are effective, not where you are right now

4. Secure salvation

2 Peter 1:8-11 - We have been given a new start

Wrong motivation - Pleasing people, selfish ambition



2010-05-12 - Desire's Journey - Our Heart's Deepest Secret
But I still haven't found what I am looking for - U2

We have a secret desire for life as it was meant to be
Again and again the yearning of our heart cries for this life

Life  comes to all of us as a mystery
We long to live a life we are not sure where to find

The greatest human tragedy is to give up the search for life.
Nothing is of greater importance than the life of our deep heart
To lose heart is to lose everything - Proverbs 4:23

Who we really are and why we are here comes to us through our heart's desire

Our heart yearns for things to be right is so strong that it overrides the logic and hopes against hope every time
The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of - Proverbs 20:5

There are two things that pierce the human heart:
  • Beauty
  • Affliction


2010-05-19 - Desire's Journey - An Invitation to Desire

Christianity is not an invitation to become a moral person or a program to get us into a reforming society

Christianity begins with an invitation to desire

What do you want me to do for you? - Luke 18:41
Jesus continually took people into their hearts - to their deepest desires

What does Jesus choose to talk about with the women at the well?
Her immorality? No
He speaks to her about thirst - John 4:10
Lets talk about your heart's thirst since the life you've chosen isn't working

All you who are thirsty, come to the waters - Isaiah 55:1-2
Message had gotten lost by the time Jesus' showed up
Jew of the day were practicing soul-killing, lifeless religion of duty and obligation

No wonder Jesus was feared. He came along and started appealing to desire

To the lost - Jesus spoke of finding your way
To the weary - Jesus speaks of rest

Again and again Jesus took them back to their desires
Ask and it will be given to you - Matthew 7:7

What is it that you want? - Would have fallen on deaf ear if his message was unrelateable



2010-05-26 - Desire's Journey - Faith as Desire

First two servant doubled their investment and were rewarded
Most would have agreed with the third servant burying the money saying, "well, at least it was safe" - Matthew 25
The third servant was put into darkness because he did not trust God

When we bury our desires, we saying to God = 'I don't dare desire because I fear you; I think you are hard-hearted"

Is our obedience more out of love or out of carefulness?
Killing desire may look like sanctification but it's really godlessness

Persistent widow - won he case because she refused to let up

When Jesus returns, will he find faith? - Luke 18

To live with desire means:

  • Choosing vulnerability over self-protection
  • Admiting our desire and seeking help beyond ourselves
  • Living by faith and refuse to kill desire

 



2010-05-30 - Desire's Journey - Assault on Desire

Battle of desire is not something that just takes place with us or even between us - but against us

Advirtisers play on our desire of creating an image that everyone who is anyone has the object for sale

The evil one has two ploys:

  • Kill our hearts and bury our desires
  • Seduce our desire into a trap

Our addictions are our own worst enemies

Like the rich, young ruler - we find we can not give up our treasures even though God has something much better



2010-06-12 - Why Jesus Came (part 1)

Preached 1998-07-05
    Most of us have lost something:
    • Losing wallet - not a good thing
      • Feels good to find it.
    God's desire is to "find" what is lost - YOU!
     
    • Problem: We are separated from God by sin

    Jesus came to...

    Save the lost

    Luke 19:10

    • Uses people to save others
    • Many people to save some:
      • Do not know they are lost
      • Are confused
      • Misguided
      • Are not interested
      • Are looking
    • Despite the what phase we are in we are still lost.
    • No excuses 
      • Those who have issues are not really searching
        • "What about those hypocrites?"
        • "I am too busy"
        • "I will but...."

    Acknowledge the Father

     John 14:9

    • To relate
    • Some think God doesn't care
      • How can God allow all these shootings?
        • Isrealites were saying the same thing in the dessert
    • Jesus = God with us
    • If Jesus was standing next to you how would you act differently?


2010-06-30 - Desire's Journey - Great Restoration (part 1)

Spring reminds us that life can return to the dead
The return of spring brings such a relief and joy and anticipation
Might spring and summer may be nature way of expressing Jesus was trying to tell us?
Nature God's word to us also - Romans 1:20

Our ideas of heaven are sometimes not very desirable
Many Christians have some idea that heaven is an never-ending church service
And then our hearts sink
Forever and ever? That is it?

We sigh and feel guilty that is we are not more "spritual"
We then turn to the present to find what life we can
We can only hope for what we desire

Scripture tells us that God has set eternity in our hearts - Ecclesiastes 3:11
Where is out hearts? In our desires.



2010-07-04 - Desire's Journey - The Grand Affair (part 1)

To know and to be known. It is our deepest ache.
Our bodies are an outward sign of an inward reality

Love makes us to crazy things for love. No union on earth like the consummation of love between a man and woman
Lovers reach for the stars to find words fitting enough to express what the beloved means to them - to a clue to a deeper reality

Becoming one - this is what God is seeking with us
Gender, sexually and marriage server as a lving metaphor
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother ... and the two will become one flesh... I am talking about Christ and the church - Ephesians 5:31-32
The cross is a great mystery - but in context of sacrifing animal - it became clear what they had been doing and what Christ was doing

Bible is the greatest romance ever written
God has given us the highest freedom of all - the freedom to reject him
Love is possible only when it is freely chosen



2010-07-15 - Desire's Journey - Deeper Desire (part 2)
Life is both a battle and journey

Life in its fullness has yet to come
So we must take serious care of our hearts now

How awful to reach the end of life and we find we haven't bought our hearts along with us

Two extremes:
Life is full of striving and indulgence
A long march of duty and obligation

When considering the promises of God and nature of the rewards, we see that the Lord finds our desires much too weak
We are far too easily pleased

We believe that life is not going to offer what we truly want so we have reduced our desire to a more manageable size.

Lets be honest and all it what it is: sin


2010-07-16 - Desire's Journey - Deeper Desire (part 3)
The first step in the journey of desire is to stop pretending that we would be happy with less
Recovering our heart involves facing our deepest disappointments
We do not need to fear what we find because our heart is our biggest ally

The father of lies takes many people out of the journey for life by keeping them in shallow desire
He threatens us from going to the deep waters of desire by telling us that are core desires are evil
Makes us thing that every thought and desire is our own

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; remove your heart of stone - Ezekiel 36:26
Our core desires are good: I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts - Jeremiah 31:33

We still struggle with sin with our tendency to kill desire or give our hearts over to false desires

2010-07-22 - Desire's Journey - Orchestra like worship
You may have heard an orchestra tuning up before a concert
Then the violins plays a long C and all the instruments join in

The the players become focused, centered, and ready to preform
This is what happens with chaos of our desires when we turn our souls to God in worship
All the other desires find their place as we give God his place

Delight yourself int he Lord and he he will give you the desires of our hearts - Psalms 37:4

Our delighting in God, he heals our false desires as our souls come true in the light of the Maker
Worship becomes the means by which we most deeply heal our desire

2010-08-15 - Waking Dead - Reason and Emotion

Those who live only from the minds are detacted from life
They conclude others are emotional and unstable

Those who live from the heart find those who live from the mind, unavailable.

The heart is the source of emotion but we have equated heart with emotion - like saying love is a feeling

If Christ had followed his emotions, we would nave not gone to the cross for us - Mark 14:32-35

Emotion are the voice of the heart
The mind stands detacted, it is with the heart we experience and respond to life's fullness



2010-08-18 - Waking Dead - Point of all Living
Everything you love is what makes a life worth living

Action: Set down the book and make a list of all the things you love
  • People in your life
  • Things that bring you joy
  • Places that are dear to you
A life filled with loving is a life most like the one that God live - Ephesians 5:1-2

Jesus was asked what was most important
He boiled it down to loving God and loving others - everything else will fall into place

The heart is the connecting point; can not love without it
If we can truly love, be loved, and never lose love - we would be finally truly happy

If we worship efficiency, we can not grow in our love
Some try to master all sort of principles and and never know God intimately, heart to heart.
If do all sorts of Christian things without knowing God, he will say "I never knew you" - Matthew 7:22-23
The point is not the activity but intimacy with God

Taking a course on anatomy won't help you love you spouse
Taking a religion class will not help you love God
You will find God when you seek him with all of your heart - Jeremiah 29:13


2010-08-27 - Waking Dead - Guided
Narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few will find it - Matthew 7:14

Each day: do you wake to tackle a to do list or wake in the midst of a dangerous story?
If you are not pursuing a dangerous quest, then you do not need a guide
If you want the life Jesus offers, then you are going to need more than a handful of principles
Can not possibly prepare yourself for ever situation
We need God intimately and we need him desperately

You have made know the path of life - Psalms 16:11
There is a narrow path to life and we need help finding it

Example path from a church:
  • Become a member
  • Take a course on doctrine
  • Faithfully attend the Sunday morning service and small group fellowship
  • Complete a course on Christian growth
  • Live a life of Christian growth
  • Complete a course on evangelism
  • Consistently look for opportunities to evangelize
  • Complete a course on finances, marriage, and parenting
  • Complete a course on leadership
  • Complete a course on hermeneutics
  • Complete a course on spiritual gifts
  • Complete a course on missions
  • Complete a course on biblical counseling
  • Carry a significant local church ministry load
Program teaches you principles and how to apply them but not how to walk with God

All religions has principles to follow but only Christianity can teach you to walk with God
The most important thing of all is intimacy with God

Those who only do good things - Jesus will say I never knew you - Matthew 7:23

Teach a man to fish?
Teach a man to walk with God and you help him solve the rest of his life

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"
  • leb = heart
  • shabar = broken
shabar used in parts of Isaiah
  • Describes a bush whose twigs are broken off - Isaiah 27:11
  • Describes idols of Babylon shattered on the ground - Isaiah 21:9
  • Describing a broken bone - Isaiah 38:13
Your heart is now in pieces and I want to heal it - God

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?
  • Hope?
  • Cynicism?
  • Pride?
Without your heart you cannot hope to find God
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

2010-09-23 - 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
  • They all love the same thing
  • They all wanted the same thing
  • They were bound together to find it come hell or high water
2. Small groups are anything but redemptive powerhouses

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

2010-10-01 - Contagious Christian - Benefits (part 1)
Ever had an idea only to find your enthusiasm fading when you realize the effort it would take?
The goal may be noble, the intentions sincere, the plan in place but we still do not take action
What is holding us back?
We must be convinced that it is worth the effort and expense

Business managers understand this and have developed process called cost/benefit analysis to help them see the whole picture
In Christianity, this is called counting the cost - Luke 14
While reaching out to irreligious people may sound great, it is the actual effort that will entail significant personal expense

Personal Benefits
  1. Adventure
  2. Purpose
  3. Fulfillment
  4. Spiritual Growth
  5. Spiritual Confidence
  6. Enduring Investments
  7. Honor of being God's Agent


2010-10-22 - God and Your Job
  1. God's Plan for Your Life - Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 3:13, 22; 2 Thessalonians 3:10
    1. It is God's will for us to work hard in order to earn the bread we eat.
    2. God wants us to find satisfaction in our work.
    3. If a person will not work, he cannot eat.
  2. Responsibility of the Employee - Colossians 3:22-25; Ephesians 4:28; Acts 5:29
    1. Obedience: We are to be a disciple to our boss on the job. God expects us to obey our boss not just to win his favor, but out of reverence for Christ.
    2. Wholeheartedness: God expects us to put our whole heart into our work. As Christians, we should be the most sincere and hard-working employees on the job.
    3. Do not steal from your employer (e.g. receiving pay for work you did not do, taking supplies, submitting false or exaggerated expense reports).
    4. Obey God first. If asked to do something that is illegal, unethical, or sinful - obey God over men.

QUESTIONS

  1. What do I need to repent of in relation to my job? Be specific.
  2. Am I doing anything as a part of my job that is sinful or goes against my conscience?


2010-11-07 - Hunger for Christ
Preached by Mike Gross

Nearly 1 Billion people in the world do not get enough food
25,000 die every day because of starvation

Are you hungry?

John 6:22-28
  • Just witnessed 5,000 people being feed
  • They were looking for free food but in reality they had to work at it find it
  • The bread they needed was to spend time to know about Jesus - the bread of life
  • Are you searching for the right kind of bread?
  • The search and hunger for God does not end when we are baptized, it only begins
Proverbs 2:1-5
  • We need to find God like hidden treasure
  • God does not change but our viewpoint changes
  • Example - Engagement ring to a couple verse the a jewelery store owner
Food Poising

Mark 4:18-19
  • Money, worries, wasted time choke out our hunger for him
  • During the holidays this becomes a bigger issue
Hunger for the bread of life

John 6:28-40
  • They asked for a miracle but they had already forgotten about the miracle they just saw - feeding the 5,000
  • The work is to believe - it takes work to believe
  • NOT working to get salvation but we need to work at our salvation


2010-11-10 - Contagious Christian - Dorcas' Service Approach
Dorcas was "always doing good and helping the poor" - Acts 9:36
She well-known for her loving acts of service
She made robes and articles of clothing for widows and other needy people in her town

It was very difficult to see her activity without seeing the love of Christ that inspired
Her work was so important that when she died a premature death, God sent Peter to raise her from the dead

People who take on this approach find it relatively easy to servers others
Often those who are quite and enjoy expressing compassion through action

No one fits perfectly into just one approach and you probably use all of them one way or another
God has designed diversity on His team and each member is stronger in some styles than others

A team of Christians who are made up of different styles will strong because they can reach virtually every type of seeker

2010-12-08 - Mission - Cannot Help Proclaiming (part II)
What else compelled Peter and John?

3. Having a spiritual perspective of the plan of God
God orchestrated situations so people will find him - Acts 17:26-27

Satan can lull us to sleep with his lies
If I miss this opportunity, maybe God will use someone else, they don't look interested
They apostles felt the burden of salvation
They were convicted that they were the only hope of salvation
If they stopped, hope was gone
We must have a heartfelt conviction that we are God's vehicles to reach a lost and desperate world

4. Must understand that Satan's victory/defeat is determined by our faithfulness to proclaim the word of God boldly
We have two God-given weapons:
  • Blood of Jesus
  • Word of our testimony - Revelation 12:11
Satan's goal is to keep people away from God, ours is to bring people to God
He wins every time we do not open our mouth - we must not be silent

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
  1. In all places, the harvest is plentiful
  2. In all places, God hears and answers us
As we go prayerfully into the harvest, we can not fail

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