2010-05-23 - Desire's Journey - Disowned Desire Examples of desires used for bad then good King David - passions got him in trouble, then gave us our book of worship Peter - was hotheaded disciple always quick with a reply Paul - extremely zealous for the traditions of his fathers, killed Christians Those who killed their passion altogether would murder the very essence that makes heros of the faith |
2010-06-18 - All or Nothing (part 1) Preached by Curt Simmons on 2002-08-28 Old Testament1 Samuel 15:1-35
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2010-07-05 - Desire's Journey - The Grand Affair (part 2) As a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert - Jeremiah 2:2-3 If you're writing a romanc, love is the goal - you must allow for the possiblity of betrayal Hebrews thought God would be satisfied with some religious rituals and rule keeping You said, "I will not serve you!" - Jeremiah 2:20 True love never fails I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her - Hosea 2:14
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2010-09-18 - Waking Dead - Spiritual Warfare (part 6) We must be careful that the religious does not turn discipleship into a soul-killing exercise Counseling "medicine" for the sick patients can cause an endless cycle of always relying on the meds instead of focusing on a solution Hope deferred makes the heart sick - Proverbs 13:12 So the wounds of the heart are never healed A religious spirit makes it next to impossible foe a person to break free by spreading the belief there is no war
If it does not restore the image of God and rejoice in the heart, it is not Christianity |
2010-10-26 - Contagious Christian - Strength of Sacrifice (part I) Sacrifices move people and are rarely forgotten Three major ways of sacrifice Time It is a rare commodity that we never have enough of Jesus was busy but stopped for the important things Zacchaeus tried to the get Jesus' attention Jesus stopped the procession to go talked with Zacchaeus With disbelief that Jesus would do such a thing, he experienced a rebirth because his repentant heart and Jesus making time His attention on him altered Zacchaeus' life forever People out there are seeking someone who is willing to take the time and effort required to help them come to an understanding of the truth Most of us grossly underestimate the effect we could have on people's eternities if we would just take the time The sacrifice of time combined with the clear communication of the truth can result in salvation |
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
Mark 4:18-19
John 6:28-40
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2010-11-11 - Contagious Christian - Starting Spiritual Conversations It is not enough to merely have high impact (HI) and close proximity (CP) We have got to talk about our faith and put the spiritual concepts of the gospel into everyday words People won't figure out the gospel out on their own - Romans 10 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways - Isaiah 55:8 Watching the life of a Christian (even a contagious one) won't be enough Someone has to articulate the gospel Must take the initiative and steer the the conversation toward spiritual topics This book contains a limited number of examples - meant to spur our thinking Must start with the heart-felt assurance that the gospel is good new my life and for others If you need a firmer foundation:
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2010-11-17 - Contagious Christian - Making the Message Clear (part II) Christ - Common questions Why couldn't God just forgive and forget, as we can? Like in car accident, God is willing to forgive but someone still has to pay for the damage What kind of justice is there in having Jesus suffer instead of me? God was not a reluctant bystander The difference is that God is will and he is taking his own punishment for you You Many people are left with the impression that if they go to church or they born into a church they are saved Not everyone that calls Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom - Matthew 7:21-23 We have got to be crystal clear that a personal response is essential Do vs Done The difference between religion and Christianity is Do vs Done Religion spells DO - as in we try to do something for God's salvation It is like a salesman that needs to meet a quota but does not know what it is But we can never do enough and will always fall short - Romans 3:23 Christianity spells DONE Means that what we could never do for ourselves, Christ has already done He lived a perfect life we could never live He willingly died on the cross to pay the penalty we owed |
2010-11-20 - Contagious Christian - Breaking Barriers to Belief (part I) We have got to help people understand that God is not angry or afraid of honest doubt He warmly invites those with sincere questions to come, to seek, to knock - Matthew 7:7 How different Jesus is from the religious leaders of the world Jesus told doubting Thomas to touch him - Luke 24:39 We should expect this to happen and respond by emulating Jesus Clear communication starts with spiritual conversations 1. Poor Examples This includes those who are religious and are prideful or hypocritical Some are narrow-minded and pessimistic have condemned anything they don't happen to like What can be done to remove this barrier?
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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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2011-02-07 - Christian Joy (part II) What is your personal yoke? Who or what are you yoked to?
What burdens you about Christianity?
Matthew 13:44-46
What is stopping you? You are |
2011-02-14 - Sin and Repentance - Kansas City (part I) Luke 7:36-50 A. Simon the Pharisee
B. Sinful Woman
Question: Which type of heart would YOU SAY youv'e had toward YOUR SIN until we started studying the Bible? Isaiah 59:1-3
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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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2011-04-18 - Names of Jesus (part XII) Jesus' names through out the Bible:
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2011-08-08 - Daughter Needs - All-Male Dad (part I) The All-Male Dad believes he raises only boy and the girls are raised by the mother Perhaps he wanted her to be a boy and never got over the disappointment He prefers to go to his son's baseball game rather than his daughter's ballet There is no male vs female in Christ - Galatians 3:28 God created man and woman differently but there is not any difference in his love or attention toward them Lot (Genesis 19) was the worst All-Male dad In Sodom, when homosexuals mob appeared at Lot's door, he offered his tow daughters Priority should have been on his daughters If he had sons, there is a lot of doubt he would have made such an offer |
2011-08-21 - In Rememberence of Me Jesus called the disciples to the Passover fest before would head to the cross to reflect and remember their time together Luke 22:19-20 - Do this in remembrance of me Why? because we forget both little things and big things 1. Disciples forgot while they were at the table - v24 - Conversations they have had at the passover table:
2. Peter forgot the very same day the very same day and denied Jesus v54 - He forgot that Jesus said and he had the power to raise the dead I can relate:
Our forgetfulness is not a reflection of its importance but a reflection our weakness in remembering |
2011-10-09 - Genesis 9 - The Rainbow & Capital Punishment SummaryGod blessed Noah and set the rainbow as a sign that he would never flood the earth again. Noah got drunk and cursed Ham's son Canaan. ObservationsGenesis 9:3 - Everything ... will be food for you; I now give you everything Personal ApplicationI don't grow very well in the good times. It is the times of trials and difficulty when I forced by God's discipline to change. I want to change and grow while not under all circumstances. What does it show God when I move toward him only when pushed? |
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. |
2011-11-19 - Getting Started (part I) The first few weeks of your new life as a disciple are crucial. Satan is angry because of his loss and God’s gain and he will make an effort to get you off-track as soon as possible. (Revelation 12:7-12) This study will help you get off to a fast start and help you have the right focus to stay close to God and keep the devil at a distance. Remember what has just happened
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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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2011-12-16 - Day 13 - Saved to Serve Matthew 25:31-46
Application: Who can you help today? Do it. Also, make plans with another disciple to help other needy people this week. |
2012-01-03 - Day 31 - Dealing with Discouragement The prophet Elijah had just experienced some tremendous victories from God: The destruction of 450 false prophets, and the first rainfall in 3 ½ years because of his earnest prayer. (See James 5:17-18) But then he got afraid and discouraged. 1 Kings 19:1-8
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2012-01-04 - Day 32 - Walking as Jesus did 1 John 2:5-6 - Think back over the past several days. Are you walking like Jesus? Mark 1:21-28
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2012-02-03 - Ministry - A Righteous Response Mark 11:15-17, John 2:15,16 How does Jesus deal with anger? I know many of us, consider Jesus' response to the temple being used for a marketplace as an example of righteous anger. However, I studied eight different translations and the scriptures never state "Jesus got angry. John records that Jesus "made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area. It is hard to imagine myself doing this without harshness and anger but I did not conclude that Jesus was harsh or mean. In Mark 11:17 it simply says that he next "taught them". In John, the disciples saw his actions as "zeal" and when confronted by the Pharisees he answered their questions with profound teaching. This was not a man out of control while responding to mistreatment of his Father's house. Jesus was very God-focused in the way he dealt with the emotion of anger. In Mark 3:5,6 the scripture points out that Jesus was angry "at their stubborn hearts" because they could not respond to his questions due to evil intentions in their hearts. Jesus was angry. How did he deal with it? Further study indicates Jesus combined anger with being/feeling: "deeply distressed. His next response was to heal a man with a shriveled hand and to teach us all an amazing lesson about how deeply God cares for us. WOW! I'm not like Jesus when I get angry, how about you? Challenge:
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2012-02-05 - Ministry - Touching Faith Mark 5:24b-34 This woman had been subject to a chronic disorder for 12 years of her life. Imagine for a minute the discouragement, doubt, devastation, and frustration of not being able to see this condition get better. In fact, it just got worse. Have you ever felt defeated about something in your life? Have you ever been discouraged for months about your marriage? Personal fruitfulness? Relationships? Then you can relate to this woman. One of the Satan's deadliest tactics is to keep people from being open about their lives. Sadly, many of us fall into this trap Satan has laid for us and we begin to live "double lives" in the Kingdom. We live a certain way in the world and a certain way at church. For a brief moment in her misery, she decided to have faith and touch him Jesus felt power leave him so he asked "Who touched me?" People stop, some get nervous, some put their heads down, some look at others. Everything is silent. The woman's conscience perhaps was pricked and she had a decision to make. She knew what she did and she knew what the right thing to do was. So she fell to her feet, trembling with fear, she told him the whole truth. But what she thought Jesus would do, he didn't do because he is not like you or me. She learned Jesus wanted to her to be open and tell the truth not because he wanted to scold her, admonish her, or even take the miracle back. He actually wanted to honor her. Question: What doubt or discouragement in your life is holding you back from being 100% sold out to God? Talk to your discipleship partner today about it. Getting "in touch" with it is the first step to change. |
2012-02-11 - Ministry - Even While Suffering John 19:17-27 As we read the passage, particularly v25-27, it is compelling the even in the throes of pain, Jesus is taking care of his relationships. It would have been easy for him to neglect this as he was busying suffering and dying. It is easy for us as we are in transition spiritually or physically to forget to care of our relationships. This can really hurt people make them feel as though we do not care. Why did not Jesus take care of all of this earlier? Why did he get this done before everything got more harried? The scriptures are silent on this but maybe Jesus wanted to see which of his followers would remain near the cross right up until the end. Mary, formerly without her husband Joseph and now, witnessing the death of her eldest son, was sure to be hurting. Jesus saw in John the compassion and love that He knew his own mother really needed. I think he also knew that John would be for her the closest thing to her own son, Jesus. It is convicting about how much Jesus considered and thought about relationships, even while suffering on the cross. Questions/Followup
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2012-02-12 - Ministry - But Because You Say So Luke 5:1-11 Peter's faith was ebbing with the tide. No fish, no breakfast. After a frustrating night of fruitless fishing he was struggling to accept a carpenter's fishing tip to let down the nets yet again. Yet Peter softened his will to the Master's will and obeyed out of faith. He had no other reason to believe he would even get a nibble at the net. As the fish came in Peter got that sinking feeling of realizing the depth of his own sin. He deferred to Jesus and knew he did not deserve to be in the Master's presence. I am struck by Peter's decision to follow Christ's command to let down the net again even though years of experience and an empty-netted night begged him not to. Sometimes experience can breed cynicism because we are used to certain results and have formed certain expectations. Cynicism replaces obedience and robs us of faith. It gives us a reason to not have to believe because "we have been there, done that" and it has never work. Peter's humility is convicting and his responsiveness to Jesus is a powerful example. We can easily be deceived by experience that has result in fruitless and netted us nothing. Is your evangelism producing fruit? Maybe you are letting your nets down in the wrong place or in the wrong way. Find a new fishing hole. Consider reaching out to different kinds of people. |
2012-02-15 - Fear of Failure - That Our Faith Should Not Fail by Rosalind Lam, San Francisco Church of Christ Luke 22:31-62 Jesus recognized the spiritual battle both he and his disciples would undergo before his arrest and therefore prayed that Simon's faith would not fail him and that he would "repent and turn to [Jesus] again, strengthen and build up [his] brothers" (NLT). Peter was blinded by his pride and did not have a sober view of his own ability to resist temptation, even after Jesus warned him that he would deny him. Peter's overconfidence was evident when he chose to sleep instead of pray and Peter's reliance on his flesh led to him being overpowered by fear and failing to have conviction during the time of pressure. Though Peter got bitter at his failure initially, he did not let it destroy his faith but went on to do amazing things for God, including preaching the opening sermon for the church. What I learn from this passage about my own failures as a Christian is that Satan's ultimate goal is that my faith will fail me. Jesus' prayer helped me to make a decision that as long as I fight hard in prayer to repent and turn back to God, use my failures to build the faith of other Christians, and never give up, I can always make a comeback as Peter did and see God use me to fulfill his dreams for my life. Decisions:
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2012-02-23 - Fear of Failure - God Always Sees the Humble Heart by Gene Kim - Ministry Intern: San Francisco Church of Christ 1 Kings 21 Ahab really wanted Naboth's vineyard, and so he was willing to do anything to get it. He kept on sinning until he got the vineyard - discouragement, self-pity, anger, and eventually murder. There are "vineyards" in everyone's lives nowadays, jobs, relationships, or successes. Ahab was so consumed with what he wanted that his marriage was ungodly. I see how I don't lead my wife because I get consumed with my job and success, and my relationship with God goes the same way as my marriage. I get so guilty that I lose confidence in how God can use my life. What encourages me about this scripture is how God uses people to confront others with the truth and how He is hoping for people to humble themselves and turn back to Him. Ahab was described as a man who "sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord" (v. 25). Elijah warned Ahab of the impending disaster because of his sin. Ahab took God's warning seriously and humbled himself before God, and the Lord noticed and blessed him! I can feel at times that I have messed up so much that God would never believe in me again, and yet God is merely looking for a heart that is humble, broken, and grateful. He hopes that I would have the courage to see my sin. God notices and moves on behalf of a humble heart! |
2012-03-04 - Fear of Failure - God Sticks By Us When We Fail by Rhys Kiaaina - Region Leader: San Francisco Church of Christ Isaiah 49:15 Whenever I fail, I feel like I am being left behind. That somehow God has left me. But Scripture says God remembers. He will not forget me. If we are separated, the reality is that I have left Him. Whenever I fail, I doubt God's motives. I think He is angry with me and disappointed in me. But God has you and I engraved on the palm of His hand. Isn't that incredible? He's got a tattoo of you and me on the palm of His hand! God made a decision a long time ago that He would stick by us for life! Whenever I experience failure, I get the 3-D's: Depressed, Distracted, and Discouraged. I focus on what I have failed to do, rather than what God is able to accomplish. God's love is deeper than a mother's for a child. There is no reason for me to get discouraged because God has always "got my back". Decisions:
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2012-10-02 - Prayer of the Righeous - God is Crawling (part I) God humbled and dirtied himself just to search for one lost soul - you
Some feel distant from him because of our sin but God is desperately looking for us - Luke 15:8 |
2013-06-25 - Why we need men of resolution (part II) Our relationship with our father is very telling as to why we are and who we are. “What does my dad really think about me?” Lots of fathers don’t realize their vital role. Many issues come from fathers having lost their sense of purpose. Society is guiding boys to remain boys as long as possible— extending childhood into their thirties—while forcing girls to become women long before they are ready. Millions of young men are staying single. They want the privileges and rewards of manhood but only the responsibilities and moral requirements of boys. God has a special place in His heart for two specific groups of people: fatherless children and widows. Dad have good intention but there many things working against them:
Devil will never stop attacking what God prioritizes. |
2013-11-30 - Holy Matrimony God alone designed the marvelous mystery of marriage. |
2015-02-10 - The To Do List Jeshua and Zerubbabel joined his fellow priests in rebuilding the alter of the God of Israel - Ezra 3:2-3 Ask yourself what tops your list of things to do, if spending time with God is not, then it is time to make an adjustment Their actions created a buzz - they insisted on rebuilding the alter before rebuilding the city wall "Can't that wait?" "Don't these guys understand the danger we face?" Jeshua and Zerubbabel understood without God's protection, their enemies would destroy them, wall or no wall They remembered what happened to the previous wall builder - they forgot to include God and their wall came tumbling down Does anything on your to do list come before spending time with God? When you make time with GOd your top priority, you invite blessings on all the other items on the list. |
2015-02-13 - Tap into Your Power Source Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray - Mark 1:35 Jesus understood better than anyone else the importantce of tapping into the heavenly power source Jesus didn't allow anything to get in the way of his prayer times Busy men often complain of burnout, Jesus never did Jesus had a packed schedule without losing his focus or his energy He considered regular prayer time virtal to his personal well-being and effectiveness How much more should we spend time daily with the One who empowers us? |
2015-03-08 - Approach to Life Living means living for Christ - Philippians 1:21 Death is near the top of most people's list of fears Death for the believers is nothing more than moving on to new location Paul faced the distinct possiblity of death but there is no hint of fear in his letter He knew
Paul couldn't decide which of the options he preferred Paul never forgot God superinteneded everything that happened to him When you live free from the fear of death or life, you will never have to worry about what lies ahead.
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2015-04-16 - Godly Enthusiasm It is not by force nor strength but by my Spirit, says the Lord - Zechariah 4:6 Zerubbabel oversaw the reconstruction of the Jerusalem Temple Over a period of 16 years, the people's enthusiasm for the project waned, leaving it unfinished Zerubbabel felt a deep sense of discouragement over the stalled work Zechariah came with a vital message - Don't depend on your own strength. depend on God and his ability to empower you for the task Zerubbabel's faith was renewed - He had a renewed sense of enthusiasm, united the people, and got back to work No worthy project is about human force or strength, it must be about his mighty Spirit Do you think that you or someone else has the key to success? Do you genuinely believe that God's Spirit holds the key to your success? |
2015-05-08 - Passionate Life David danced before the Lord will all his might - 2 Samuel 6:14 Though a man can hide some things deep within his soul, passion isn't one of them David was a man who expressed his passion though at times his passion got the better of him Soon after David ascended to the throne, he immediately worked to reunite the kingdom of Israel Through his efforts. the Ark was returned to its rightful place David could not contain his enthusiasm, he danced for the Lord with all his might Some questioned his motives, but David knew he acted out of deep love for the Lord David had not reservations about appearing to acting foolish - he worshiped God with everything he had
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2015-06-06 - Man of Hope Even when there was no hope, Abraham kept hoping of becoming a father of man nations - Romans 4:18 Hope - a sense of expectancy even when the circumstaces suggest packing it in and giving up At age 100 years Abraham still had no children Humanly speaking, Abraham had every reason to wonder if God had forgotten his promise Abraham remained convicted God would keep all his promises God blessed Abraham and his wife with a son - he became a father of many nations Those who trust in me will never be put to shaem - Isaiah 49:23 Has God given you an yet-to-be-fullfilled promise? Have you grown weary in waiting? |
2015-06-18 - Evangelism One-on-One We have found the Messiah; Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus - John 1:41-42 Not everyone get to preach to a mass audience but everyone can make a difference in the lives of people around them This is where Andrew got his start before the Book of Acts When Andrew first meet Jesus and realized his identity, he couldn't contain his excitement - he had to tell someone Andrew's one simple act of inviting his brother Peter forever changed his life and the life of millisons who would come to faith in Jesus Christ through Peter's life It isn't about your training or credentials but tell others you have found the Messiah! |
2015-06-21 - Your Smallness It's the voice of a god, not of a man - Acts 12:22 It is easy to recoginze a man who does not realize his own smallness He is one of with an air of self-sufficiency and self-satisfaction Herod was known for his terrible treatment of his subjects and his uncontrolled egotism (a quality that cost him everything) When a delegation of men from Tyre and Sidon, they stroked Herod's ego and he accepted their adulation That day, Herod usurped the worship that God reserved for himself; Herod's life ended that day |
2015-07-03 - Righteous Anger Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple - John 2:15 Jesus became angry times when he saw authorities have a lack of love and true faith in his heavenly father He espcially got angry this time with the money changers who were greedy in their dealing with those pilgrims trying to purshase sacrificial animals Jesus always directed his anger at things that stood in the way of God's purposes for mankind Do you express your anger over the same kind of issues that angered Jesus? When you become angry, ask yourself:
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2015-07-15 - Don't Rock the Boat They incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders - Numbers 16:2 Korah was a strong man who organized a corp of leaders with the intention of usurping Moses' authority and installing his own very of the preisthood He forgot what happened to Aaron and Miiam when they challenged Moses' leadership - Numbers 12 Korah was a special leader but he wanted more than what God had given him God removed them from their positions and removed them from the earth altogether Some of God's greatest leaders have been willing to rock the boat but they also have a strong grasp of respecting authority When we submit to those in authority, we demonstrate a key condition for God's blessing: humility! |
2015-08-02 - Eternal Family Anyone who does God's will is my brother and sister and mother - Mark 3:35 Jesus gave a new definition of family when he taught that his real family was made up of believers He knew that his earthly relatives lacked the spiritual eyes to see the truth Jesus came to do his Father's will and anyone who got in his way, even with the best intentions, would take a backseat to his new family Your earthly family is God's gift to you to treasure and love |
2015-08-18 - Receiving God's Promises Issac's wife was unable to have children and the Lord answered his prayer with twins - Genesis 25:21 In those days, a married couple without children for a long period of time was considered to have shameful lot Would he give up? Would he father a child with another woman? Would a child come when they were old? His heart was set on something and he got on his knees and prayed God delivered not only once but twice It took 20 years but Issac recived God's blessing in God's way |
2015-09-05 - Sound Judgement We alone will build the Temple for the Lord just as KIng Cyrus of Persia commanded us - Ezra 4:3 It is important to guard against those who try to lead you away from a strong, biblical faith Zerubbabel had good judgement overseeing the building of an alter to the Lord and the rebuild of the holy Temple This got the attention of some traditional adversaries who offered to help with highly suspect motives It was tempting to get the work done faster but Zerubbabel said thanks but no thanks We need to have sound judgement in who spends time with your family and what images you and your kids should view and the activities you choose |
2015-09-06 - Place in the Body Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you - Colossians 4:17 Church on Sunday morning, do you recongnize that God has a specific purpose and ministry for you that day? Don't miss out on the blessing you can receive when you assume your place of service in the body of Christ Archippus' ministry was apparently important enough to the apostle Paul that he encouraged the young man to make sure he got the job done:
God has given you a particular ministry and the gifts it takes to effectively carry it out. Are you pursuing your role in the church with all of your heart? |
2015-09-18 - God's Kindness Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him and he became proud - 2 Chronicles 32:24-25 Bible calls Hezekiah a godly king - he didn't make good use of an amazing gift God had given him He received 15 years additonal life - 2 Kings 20 Hezekiah forgot to be a good steward of what had given him and became proud by showing off his treasure of house and armory - 2 Kings 20:13 God warned him that the same Babylonian nation that send the treasure would destroy it - 2 KIngs 20:14 |
2015-10-02 - Take a Shot Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit - 2 Kings 2:9 Prophet-in-training Elisha achieve greatness because he had the faith to ask for a blessing when he had the opportunity Three times Elijah told him to stay behind, three times he said I will never leave you - 2 Kings 2:2-6 Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted, he didn't hesitate - double portion of his spirit Elisha got exactly what he requested When we need God's empowerment, take your shot and for it in faith |