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2008-02-26 - Power of Gratitude - Uncommon Peace
What enables us to have such uncommon peace? - Commonality
- Relationship with God
- Decision to make Jesus Lord of our lives
- Basic mission - to seek and save the lost
If we in a battle together, we are unlikely to attack one another
Stay committed to God with the mission and discipling firmly in place, our unity will remain
Three warning signs, if not doing:
A. Daily diet
- Time in the Word daily - Acts 17:11
- Daily prayer - Luke 11:1-4
- Share our faith daily - Acts 17:17
- Open with our lives daily with one another - Hebrews 3:12
B. Lack of commitment
C. Lack of discipling
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2008-02-27 - Power of Gratitude - Free at Last
MLK - as bad as slavery was - there a slavery that last for eternity
2 Corinthians 5:21 - Jesus might become sin for us
As existence of righteousness does not ensure we receive it
Satan tries everything to help us miss this opportunity
Jews after saw their failures in the past - created many regulations so they would not sin
- Not the content of their character
- Basis of conformity to rules
- Majored in the minors and minored in the majors
Religion that is performance based is doomed
- what must we do to please God
- Condemn others outwardly
- Condemn ourselves inwardly
- Everything becomes a matter of right and wrong
- Hearts focused if we have done enough and have done it right
1 Corinthians 15:10 - I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me
Romans 7-8 - Focus is not on themselves but on him who died for them; Because they are saved
James 1:23-25 - Law points out their sin clearly / making them feel more indebted to God
Motivation to last a lifetime - Our love responding to his grace
Other motivations:
- Fear - only for a while
- Christian fellowship - until other's disappointments and failures
- Ambition - until our disappointments and failures
NOT: Measure up and I will accept you
YES: I'll accept you, now let's walk together in my strength
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2008-02-28 - Power of Gratitude - Thank God Im a Country Boy
What ever background we have, we can not change it
Cultural heritage - Jesus from Galilee and Nazareth
Job - Jesus was a carpenter son's
Appearance - Jesus "nothing in his appearance that we should desire him" (Isaiah 53:2)
Speech - Disciples "are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?" ( Acts 2:7 )
Why?
"God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise" (1 Corinthians 26-29)
Jesus understands and sympathizes - No one knows more about temptation than he.
Let he happy for how God made us and use it for his glory
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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?
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2008-03-09 - Be Still My Soul - Early Morning Time
Jesus went to God early in the morning
If Jesus needed to do this, how much more should we?
Excuses:
- I'm not a moring person
- I have to leave for work early
- I have to get the kids off to school
- I don't want to be legalistic
How does spending the early morning with God help build a closer relationship with him?
- Show the priority of this relationship
- Our waking thoughts determine the tone and course of our day
- Quietest times of the day
- Emotion have had time to recover
- Able to clear our consciences of guilt
- Cast our burdens upon the Lord
- Able to draw from his power for the day ahead (Psalms 5:1-3)
Hard time getting our of bed?
- Go to bed at a decent hour
- Set a definite wake up time
- Be responsible for getting out of bed - your responsibility
- Do whatever it takes to wake up
- Take an early morning shower
- Two clocks, far from bed
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2008-03-10 - Be Still My Soul - Quiet Time
Jesus deeply valued his time alone with God
Jesus sought out quiet time
"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" - Mark 6:31b
"Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" - Luke 5:16
Occasional devotions are OK but should never replace our private time with God
Jesus found a quite place
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father" - Matthew 6:6
If you have no quite place - your relationship will be shallow and limited
Jesus urged alertness
Jesus pleaded with them to be awake and alert in prayer - Mark 14:37-42
Be "clear minded and self-controller" so that we can pray - 1 Peter 4:7
How long? until a sense of peace and closeness with God
How much time in prayer and study? mix it up; our relationship should not become stale
"Remain in me, and I will remain in you" - John 15:4-8
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2008-03-11 - Be Still My Soul - Time Away
Jesus often withdrew
- Jesus often withdrew - Luke 5:16
- Spent the night praying - Luke 6:12
- Jesus was praying in private - Luke 9:18
- Jesus... took Peter, John, and James .. to a mountain to pray - Luke 9:28
- Withdrew to mountain by himself - John 6:15
When was the last time you withdrew an entire night, day, or week?
We wonder why we are stale, unmotivated, joyless, and weary and have not grown
It takes awhile to detact from the world
A retreat can be unforgetable, life-changing time
You have to plan it to make it happen, Satan will try to stop you
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2008-03-13 - Be Still My Soul - Times of Fasting
What is fasting? - voluntary abstinence from food in order to draw near to God
Fasting - frequently practiced by those who have walked closely with God:
- Moses - fasted for 40 days as he received the law (Exodus 34:28)
- David - fasted for the life of his newborn (2 Samuel 12:15-22)
- King Jehoshaphat - declared a national fast under a miltary emerency (2 Chronicles 20)
- Esther - called for God's people to fast during a extermination attempt (Esther 4)
- Daniel - fasted to confess his and God's people sin (Daniel 9)
- Nehemaih - fasted for the condition of Jerusalem to improve (Nehemiah 1)
- Jesus - fasted for 40 days at the beginning of his ministry (Matthew 4:2)
- Antioch church leaders - fasted for to bless their ministry efforts (Acts 13:1-3)
- Paul and Barnabas - dedicating newly appointed elders (Acts 14:23-24)
Jesus warned about the mere appearance of fasting - Matthew 6:16-18
Advice
- Decide how long before hand
- Begin with shorter fasts
- Be care with those taking medication or those with a background of anorexia or bulimia
- Do not indulge in a large meal immediately after a fast
A "world fast" is an idea to remove yourself from movies, sports, television, newpaper, other outside info
Reason to fast:
- Humble ourselves
- Show our dependance on him
- To devote time and focus to our spiritual lives
- To ask for God' guidance
- To ask for God's help
- To overcome spiritual lukewarmness
- To pray for a particular need
- To express gratitude and thanksgiving
- Breakthrough in our faith
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2008-03-15 - Be Still My Soul - Exciting Personal Bible Study
What happen to the days when you could not wait to learn more from God's word?
When was the last time you regretted having to close your Bible and go on to other activities?
Excuses:
- Days of excitement are for young Christians
- Mature means being dead and lifeless
- See other older Christians not doing well and assume that is our fate
Paul: "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3:12-16)
The only way to a deep, growing relationship with God - which includes feeding on His word.
Some are not put forth the effort required to dig deeper; have become lazy
Some are satisfied with what they already know and are content being spoon-fed.
"Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity" (Hebrews 5:11-6:3)
We need to train ourselves (1 Timothy 4:7; Hebrews 5:14)
"This the one I esteem he who ... trembles at my word" (Isaiah 66:2)
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2008-03-17 - Be Still My Soul - Deciding What to Study
How do we decide what to study?
- How do I need to grow?
- What is my greatest spiritual need right now?
Questions to ask yourself:
- Do I need to see Jesus? - Gospels
- Do I need to be more spiritual? - Sermon of the Mount
- Do I need more faith?
- Do I need to learn to others more? - Jesus, John, Peter, Paul examples
- Do I need to be more grateful? - Psalms/Topical study
- Do I need to become more evangelistic?
- Do I need to know God better? - Abraham or Moses
- Do I need greater assurance of salvation? Grace topical study
- Do I need to learn how to lead? - Moses, Joshua, Nehemiah, David, Timothy/Paul, and Titus
- Do I need to renew and revived as an older disciple? Hebrews
- Do I need to a greater conviction of sin? - David's sins account, acts of the sinful nature, the cross
- Do I need to repent of sin? Godly and worldly repentance, Paul's repentance, David's repentance
- Do I need a deeper prayer life? Jesus, Moses, Ahraham, Nehemiah, and Daniel
- Do I need help as a husband, wife, or parent? Ephesians 5:21-6:4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Peter 3:1-7
- Do I need help in dealing with suffering or persecution? Early church's persecution in Acts
- Do I need inspiration or encouragement? Joshua, Joseph, Peter, Elijah, Elisha, and Daniel
Commit passages of scripture to memory
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2008-03-18 - Be Still My Soul - How to Study
God intends for every disciple of His to delight in His Word - Psalms 119:18
Ways to study:
- Study one book of the Bible - Make a simple outline; sometimes we lose patience in our understanding - keep working at it
- Study a section of a book - ie Sermon of the Mount; Jesus and the disciples in the upper room
- Study one chapter of the Bible - Hebrews 11, 1 Corinthians 13, and others
- Study one verse - This is really deep! compare it, cross reference words, look up meanings
- Study one topic - understand and master; use topical, chain-reference, and concordance
Take notes and review each day
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2008-03-20 - Be Still My Soul - Bible Studies That Changed my Life
Author, Sam Laing, describe different times in his life when quiet times were life changing including:
- Gospel of John - John 13-17
- As a young ministry intern, Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus
- As a mature Christians, David and the Psalms
- After failure, Isaiah 40-66
- Entering forties with cynicism and anger, Book of Ecclesiastes
- All the time, study of Jesus
Never tire of reading about Jesus - his words, poise, love, and balanced character
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2008-03-21 - Be Still My Soul - The Pattern (Part 1)
What are we to pray about and in what order?
God has not left such crucial issues to guesswork
Matthew 6:9-13 - Above all other scripture on prayer - understand this one
Things to remember:
- Pattern, not a formula - not meant to be recited, rebuked by Jesus
- May seem awkward at first - stick with it
- Be prepared to spend more time in prayer when you use this prayer - wider range of subjects
- The structure reveals the genius of God - Begin looking to God; then deal with ourselves; once again focus on God
- Notice the use of "us" - personal, but not self-centered
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2008-03-22 - Be Still My Soul - The Pattern (Part 2)
Our Father.
- We are longer slave but sons ans daughters
- We can approach him with confidence because of Jesus
In heaven.
- With Jesus as the high priest, we can confidence to enter the into the throne room of God
- Can gain a heavenly perspective
- Praise God that his resources there are limitless
Hallowed be your name.
- Being holy, set apart, above us
- Prayer is not just asking for something but for honoring Him
Your kingdom come.
- Kingdom has not come to every nation and place nor every person
- Pray for God to open doors, speaking boldly, with wisdom
- Pray for those who server and in leading roles
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
- God wants us to pray about surrendering to his will
- Challenges is our life must not be avoided but have a surrendered life
- Read some command and ask yourself if you are following them
- Jesus never asked for strength to go to the cross but only that he might surrender
- Besides pride and rebellion, unbelief keeps us from doing God's will
Give us today our daily bread.
- Bring specific needs to God
- Must depend on God daily for our spiritual and physical needs
- Pray thorough your todo list and details
- Jesus said we could do nothing apart from God - John 15:5
Forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors.
- Lack of confession results in a hardened heart
- We will not mature if do not do this soul searching
- Be specific; ask others for forgiveness if needed
- Extend forgiveness; can not be forgiven by God otherwise
And lead us not into temptation.
- What are your weaknesses? Have you faced them?
- Draw on God's power before Satan strikes
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
- Return again to praising and glorifying God
- All power rests in his hand
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2008-03-23 - Be Still My Soul - Pour Out Your Heart
We can to one of a few things in challenging times:
- Handle it ourselves
- Turn to God superficially; mentioning thing to God
- Turn to God - pouring out our hearts
Pour out your hearts - Psalms 62:8
I pour out my complaint before him - Psalms 142:2
How can we be close to someone if we have not poured out our hearts
God is all-knowing but unless we tell him our feelings we will never draw close
Everyone has feelings; it may be difficult at first
Jesus: offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears - Hebrews 5:7
Suggestions:
- Get in the habit of telling God how you feel
- Be in a private place
- Take a period of time away
- Allow yourself to cry - frustration, sorrow, or joy
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2008-03-25 - Be Still My Soul - Personal
Moses enjoyed a relationship with God that few have ever known
He was face to face - It was because Moses wanted that way
When Moses was heading to the promised land God said he would not go with him - Exodus 33:2
Moses was appalled, recoils in horror
It was not enough to be forgiven
It was not enough to be successful
Moses wanted to know more of God - Now show me your glory (Exodus 33:18)
How would I react? Would I be fine with the promised land without God?
We can sing, strive to be committed, give money, work hard to share our faith, and even pray
Must be more focused on closeness to God more than on the success of our ministry
2 Corinthians 3 - in Jesus we can have a greater relationship with God than what Moses had the opportunity to have
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2008-03-27 - Be Still My Soul - Persistence
We "should always pray and not give up" - Luke 18:1
Disciples who are not close to God are simply not being perisistent
Examples of persistent prayers:
- Elisha - prayerd 7x before the promised rainfall came down -1 Kings 18:42-45
- Jesus - returned three time to the garden of Gethsemane to surrender to God's will - Matthew 26:36-FF
- Paul - prayed three times before given an answer he did not want - 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
- Early church - prayed all night for Peter's deliverance - Acts 12:1-17
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2008-03-28 - Be Still My Soul - Postures
Prayer is not only for our minds and hearts, but our bodies
Types of prayer postures:
Kneeling
- Elijah - with his face between his knees (1 Kings 18:42)
- Daniel - knelt in prayer three times a day (Daniel 6:10)
- Peter - knelt in prayer for the life of Tabitha (Acts 9:40)
Standing - Jesus gave instructions and standing in prayer (Mark 11:25)
Prostrate
- Moses - for 40 days (Deuteronomy 9:18, 25)
- Daniel - fell prostrate before the angel Gabriel (Daniel 8:17)
- Jesus - fell on his face in prayer at Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36)
Lifting and spreading out hands
- David - Psalms 28:2, 63:4, 88:9, 119:48, 143:6
- Ezra - Ezra 9:5
- Moses - Exodus 9:29
- Solomon - 1 Kings 8:22
Gazing upward - Jesus looking up to heaven (Matthew 14:19, Mark 6:41, 7:34)
Out loud and silently - Esther 4:1, Hebrews 5:7, James 4:7-9 / 1 Samuel 1:13
If prayers are not offered from a variety of postures then we are not praying as we ought
We can not separate our bodies from our hearts
Author has developed the ability to pray with great concentration and intimacy while running
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2008-04-02 - Falling in Love with God - Bitterness
An emotional response (along with fear) that succeed at undermining our love for God
A result of an uncard-for emotional wound
Matthew 18:15-17 - can resolve most issues
Sometimes we are just called on to forgive
Not forgiving is like allowing a physical cut become infected
Examples
- Esau wept bitteryly when he failed to receive the blessing - Genesis 27:34
- Israelites incrediblity harsh and treatment from the Eyptians - Exodus 1:14
- Naomi changed her name to Mara, meaning "bitterness" (losted husband and sons) - Ruth 1:21
- Hannah wept "in bitterness of soul" because of her infertility - 1 Samuel 1:10
- David's men because of the loss of their children - 1 Samuel 30:6
- Job while not understanding the discipline of God - Job 7:11
- Missing the grace of God cause bitter root - Hebrews 12:15
- Envy becomes bitterness - James 3:14
Bitterness will actively oppose any attempt to restore our love for God
Bitter or better - a channel of curses or blessings
Disciples need Jesus' example to overcome the pain of the cross
Jesus wants us to have his attitude toward suffering
- What form do we expect our Christian suffering to take?
- Are we looking for a Christianity that does not involve suffering?
Bible command us to get rid of all bitterness
Two ways to overcome bittereness:
- Forgive - Ephesians 4:32
- Trusting God is at work in all things for our good - Romans 8:28
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2008-04-06 - Falling in Love with God - Rediscovering each other
Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him - Luke 24:13-32
They did not see Jesus because they lost hope and did not see him in a new light
There is no joy like rediscovery - ex. rediscovering your spouse
Some today:
- "We are not compatible anymore"
- "We have both changed"
- Think about an old boyfriend or girlfriend
We need to "rediscover" our spouse if we have lost hope
We need to "rediscover" Jesus if we have lost hope of connecting with him again
- Because of Jesus we can be one with Him
- He has not changed
- He is thinking of me, I am I thinking of him?
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2008-04-07 - Falling in Love with God - Dashed Hopes
We had hoped to become leaders
We had hoped not to move again
We had hoped that people would understand our needs
We had hoped overcome sins
We had hoped husband or wife would make changes
On the road to Emmaus - they did not see Jesus in their walk until Jesus' lit a fire under them
It is not until lost it all - that we will listen to God
David (1 Samuel 18-22)
- Lost a position
- Lost his wife
- Lost a wise counselor
- Lost a friend
- Lost self-respect
The purpose is rediscover him
- Lost hope in your relationships - God may want you to rediscover how He can meet all your needs
- Lost hope in financial stability - God may want you to rediscover how to totally depend on him
- Lost hope in someone changing - God may want you to rediscover his expectations for you
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2008-04-08 - Falling in Love with God - Jesus: Their All
1 John 1:1-4
Jesus: that which:
- Was from the beginning
- We have heard
- We have seen with our eyes
- We proclaim
"No one ever spoke the way this man does" - John 7:46
Christ was their happiness
Christ was their peace
Christ was what they wanted to experience in life
They were committed to experiencing Christ
Paul's joy of completing the task the Lord Jesus has given him - Acts 20:16-24
They did not chafe at the cost of following Christ - cost was a chance to grow
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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
- The good news that Jesus is the Christ - Acts 5:42
- Proclaimed the Christ there - Acts 8:5
- Jesus is the Christ - Acts 9:22
- "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ" - Acts 17:3
- Testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ - Acts 18:1-5
God's Christ was not confined to mere 33 years
By him all things were created - 1 Colossians 1:16-20
Sometimes we forgot - The Christ still lives today
Romans 8:28
- Who can be against us? No one
- Who will bring any charge against us? No one
- Who is he that condemns? No One
Christ is "begging God for us" Hebrews 7:25 (Dios Habla Hoy Bible)
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2008-04-13 - Falling in Love with God - Our Perception
We must wafe through our fog of experience and except the truth about God
We can not love a God who is created in our own image
God's timing doesn't always make sense to us:
- Sarah - 25 years before blessing her with a son
- Moses - was 80 years old before God
- Joshua - 40 years of preaching outside of Jersalem
- Jesus - 40 days of tempation in the dessert for about 1000 days of ministry
Some of us have bad days, maybe years. How do we return to God?
Our only hope is to believe in his promises more than we believe in our own perceptions
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2008-04-14 - Falling in Love with God - Holy Spirit is everywhere
We may suffer more from our neglect of God's Spirit than through any other spiritual problem
We need to be aware of the spirit all the time
A look through the Bible:
- Spirit was present at creation
- God anoints men with his Spirit
- Spirit credited with giving David the plans for the temple
- Engendered Jesus in the womb of Mary
- Was at Jesus' baptism in the form of a dove
- Lead Jesus into the dessert
- Did the healing in Jesus' ministry
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