2008-09-15 - Teach Us To Pray - Changes in Character Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place - Psalms 51:6 Character can grow if we take a sober gut-level check look at who we are Too often we pray:
When we aim at nothing, that is what we hit The word of God discerns the thoughts and intentions of our heart - Hebrews 4:12-13 Like a mirror reflecting how we look spiritually - James 1:23-25 We also learn the truth about ourselves from other people in our lives - Proverbs 20:5 Ask God to help you see what you need to change Ask others what things they see in your sinful nature How badly do you want to change? It will show by the way you pray My power is made perfect in weakness - 2 Corinthians 12:9 |
2008-09-17 - Teach Us To Pray - The Harvest Is Plentiful Jesus promises a great harvest but the worker are few (Matthew 9:35-38):
Fruitfulness limited primarily by one thing - God himself Gratitude control the harvest Luke 9 - The charge was to preach the kingdom and heal the sick They gave to everyone who had need - Acts 2:43-47 Salvation wasn't just a doctrine rather a reality in their lives Jesus spent much of his time meeting physical needs, feeding, comforting, healing, serving As a result, people spread the word even more Reflects the power of meeting needs and our heart as a worker To acquire this heart, we need to pray:
|
2008-09-20 - Teach Us To Pray - Power for our weakness Weakness include:
Prayer is simply the key that unlocks the door to God's free reign in our lives He reigns whether we like it or not, but he will not take away our free will - we have to surrender it Getting rid of weakness is not the point - it to humbly submit yourself to God, depend on his power, and to rely on his strength |
2008-09-25 - Teach Us To Pray - Warriors Who Change the World The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge and and ordinary man takes everything either as a blessing or a curse! Prayer is the difference between being spiritually dynamic and spiritually dead; between being victorious over Satan and being victimized by him Three wasy to pray that makes a powerful difference: Pray according to God's purpose Pray in Praise of God Pray for the Passion to Produce We must understand how important prayer is in the eyes of God |
2008-10-03 - Man of Prayer - Relationship After asking for help from the Holy Spirit, then focus on the relationship with Pater (greek) = father Holy Spirit in our lives is a spirit of adoption by which God give us our spiritual birthright (Romans 8:16; Galatians 4:6) He delights when we come to Him as our Father, Abaa, Daddy:
The closer you are, the better responce you will get This relationship is critical to a healthy and vitaul prayer life |
2008-10-08 - Man of Prayer - YHWH-shamma God is "the Lord who is present" He has a great desire to dwell in the lives of believers:
|
2008-10-12 - Man of Prayer - YHWH-nissi Means "the Lord is my banner" Given when Moses built an alter after Israel defeated the Amaleties - Exodus 17:15 Recognize God as the source of victory and success in our lives We no longer need to fear, he has broken the curse of the law - source of our fear of failure He has shown us how to live a life of spiritual prosperity and success - Joshua 1:8 |
2008-10-14 - Man of Prayer - Into His Court Focusing on God - source of incredible joy in our lives Psalms 100:4 - his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise Focus is a vital part of an effective prayer life
|
2008-10-17 - Man of Prayer - Kingdom and Prayer Thy kingdom come and your will be done - their is a nowness (call of God to intervene in our lives) Our intercessions remain focused on His kingdom and his will - His kingdom first God influences situation - we should expect that will happen: Act 12
|
2008-10-19 - Man of Prayer - Praying for our family There is no greater privilege and responsibility than to pray for our spouse and children Powerful spiritual forces of evil try to undermine God's foundational institutions like the family Bible clearly teaches that our struggle come from the spiritual forces outside conscious perception - Ephesians 6:12 Each of us need to realize that how we pray for our spouse is limited only by our creativity When we have been faithful in praying for my children, we have a great sense of peace about their lives |
2008-10-27 - Man of Prayer - Daily Bread Praying for our needs: 1. Needs of our life 2. Desires of our life 3. Area of anxieties - we should not worry about our lives - Matthew 6:25-34 The Biblical antidote for anxiety is prayer Make a list of all the sources of desire and anxiety in our life If I wanted it or worried about it - decide to pray about it Also keep in mind to ask God to not give me anything that would not be a blessing Israel asked for meat and received it from God while in the dessert - but also sent leanness into their souls - Psalms 106:15 |
2008-11-03 - Man of Prayer - Developing Spiritual Protection World is filled with unknown and dangerous supernatural enemies - the battlefield is out there Not against flesh and blood - but the spiritual forces of evil - Ephesians 6:12 We are part of a war of epic and eternal proportions that effect every area of our lives Many men are casualties of a war they don't know is being waged We are to prepared and equipped to wage this spiritual war One of the seven major components of prayer is developing spiritual protection Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one - Matthew 6:13 |
2008-11-04 - Man of Prayer - The Flesh (part 1) Two enemies we needed to be protected from - Flesh and Satan I know that nothing good dwell in me - Romans 7:18 Almost every internal struggle we face in our spiritual lives is a product of this fallen dimension of our being Activities of the flesh - Galatians 5:19-21
|
2008-11-05 - Man of Prayer - The Flesh (part 2) Sinning is easy; it comes naturally Fruits of that new nature - Galatians 5:22-23 Jesus fought the battle with scripture - He said "It is written" many times while responding to others God promises that we will not be tempted more than we can bear - 1 Corinthains 10:13
|
2008-11-12 - Man of Prayer - Perfect Pattern (part 2) Continued for yesterday's review of the book 3. Where Do I need divine intervention? Ask Him to bring the power of His kingdom to:
Many of our anxieties in life are related to wants rather than needs Learn to live in God's kingdom provision with contentment 5. Where have i failed/sinned? - confusion 6. Have I developed spiritual protection?
7. What do I need to remember today? |
2008-11-13 - Man of Prayer - Beyond the Basics Nothing we experience in the physical world will ever give us the the joy of our experience in the presence if God David - "In your presence is the fulness of joy" - Psalms 16:11 Fullness of joy is what all men long for Some men have been created with personalities that are very logical and others are oriented to feeling and intuition As our prayer lives develop, we each need to discover what dimensions of prayer are most effective for us |
2008-11-16 - Raising Awesome Kids - First Things First (part 1) Unless the Lord builds the house, its builder labor in vain - Psalms 127:1 We have someone or something we love most in this world Jesus must be our first love He must be our life, not just a part of it Been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me - Galatians 2:20 To live is Christ - Philippians 1:21 This is the key to everything Your kids must see that Jesus is a real person to you You walk with him and love him as a brother You can not fake it - kids can spot a fake |
2008-11-19 - Raising Awesome Kids - Husband and Father Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her - Ephesians 5:25-6:4 Our relationship with our father is, in many ways, the defining relationship in all of our lives Our response to authority and our self-confidence comes from our father Responsibility of training children squarely upon the father Fathers...bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord - Ephesians 6:4 |
2008-11-28 - Raising Awesome Kids - Encouragement and Inspiration Fathers deals with his children with encouragement, comforting, and urgency of lives worthy of God - 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 Life is hard, especially for kids - easy to lose heart There is a immense power in a father's encouragement Young Timothy -
By his encouragement, Timothy became the dynamic leader of the huge and powerful Ephesus church It is our jobs as fathers to assess our children's talents and gift and help them to excel in them Be a great inspirer and encourager of your children Let it be you who thinks they are great and who picks them up when they fall |
2008-12-30 - Raising Awesome Kids - Mistakes Parents Make 1. Being basically critical If you mostly see the negative things about your kids - what they will see about themselves 2. Failing to teach Teach the basics - throw a ball 3. Failing to express praise and admiration Say what we love, like, respect, and appreciation 4. Spending little or no exclusive time Always too busy - then you are too busy They will conclude that they are unimportant and worthless 5. Showing favoritism Comparing to each other - will breed frustration, jealousy, and bitterness 6. Pushing too hard, too soon Let them be kids 7. Parental self-degradation Downgrade yourself in front of your children Will hurt their view of life and of themselves 8. Living our lives through our children End up pushing your kids into things they don't really care about |
2009-01-17 - Jesus with People - Humility in Action Jesus and John the Baptizer were very different - ie one preached in the desert and one in the cities and villages John called the people not to focus on him but the one who was coming Jesus came to be baptized by John - Matthew 3:11 John responds - I need to be baptized by you John submits to Jesus' submission and baptizes Jesus Satan hated it - they kept humbling themselves before one another - the bond of unity grew tighter and tighter This humility continued through out their lives - John: He must become greater; I must become less - John 3:27-30 Jesus did not grasp his equality with God - Philippians 2:6 Humility kept them bonded together, even when Satan was working to divide Pride: Keeps people from being united Humility: Bring people together When unity does not exist among believers: People are not willing to pay the price Pride means too much to them What relationship do you have that would be greatly changed if you show humility and not pride? |
2009-01-23 - Jesus with People - Touching the Untouchable Jesus had compassion and healed the man with leprosy - Luke 5:12-18 Jesus was different:
What Jesus did we can also do (beside healing):
Society shrinks back - hospitals are not our favorite place Somehow, we think that the person is responsible for his or her condition Job "friends" did not understand what God was doing How can I imitate Jesus by "reaching out" in compassion to the sick? |
2009-02-02 - Jesus with People - Seeing and Not Seeing Luke 7:36-50 - Simon, I have something to tell you Jesus is able to cut through the muck - right to the heart He had outspoken clarity - Luke 7:40 In truth Simon saw neither the woman or himself for how they really were Jesus did see the woman - Her sin was obvious as her brokenness He actions came from her new sense of reality Once she saw Jesus, she responded the only way she could have - compelled by love - 2 Corinthians 5:14 Jesus' words should have cut Simon deeply - But he who has been forgiven little lives little He wants to have a relationship with us Think of trying to have a relationship with ant - talking with it, caring for it and especially dying for it - it is unfathomable! How many times did Jesus change people's view if God? Who am I most like: Simon or the sinful woman? |
2009-02-16 - Jesus with People - Widows Emotional Sacrifice Be careful for your hearts will be weighed down with anxieties of life and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap - Luke 21:34 Sacrifice requires that we take control of the anxieties of our lives It is a daily struggle In order to change our character weaknesses, true emotional sacrifice is needed
|
2009-02-17 - Jesus with People - Widows Physical Sacrifice Physical sacrifice is central to our commitment to Jesus Physically, priorities must be set, reexamined and set again God will help us discern what we can give physically God is capable of giving his strength when ours is failing Paul learned to rely on the Lord through physical suffering - 2 Corinthians 1:3-9 God grace is sufficient Each of us, with the help of God must live physically sacrificial lives daily - Philippians 2:12 Sacrifice is our act of worship - Romans 12:1 |
2009-03-02 - Promises of God - Give and it will be given to you God is faithful. He will meet all our needs He desires to meet our every need - to the point of sacrificing his own son - Romans 8:32 In Philippi, church sacrificed financially to support Paul (only church to do so) - Philippians 4:14-18 The more we are focused on his will, the more our needs will be richly met What must be true in our lives in order for us to claim the promise that God will meet all our needs? |
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 |
2009-03-18 - Promises of God - Produces a Harvest Hebrews 12:11 - Discipline produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it Key ways to respond to God's discipline: Get Grateful Probably the most difficult thing to do during hardships It is the very thing that will help us to learn the important lessons God is trying to teach us Hunger for Holiness Media bombards us with devices, books, etc to make our lives easier God disciplines us for our good, we may share in his holiness - Hebrews 12:10 He is willing to watch his precious children to go through temporary pain for them have eternal peace Trust the Trainer We must trust him as the perfect trainer Training = something rigorous that stretches the trainee emotionally or physically God's discipline is exact what we need and he promises it is always for our own good |
2009-03-27 - Promises of God - Living By Faith Habakkuk complained to God about what he saw happening God basically said, "You are right, life is hard" The idea that life is not fair robs us of our peace Solution? God assurance to Habakkuk, "the righteous will live by faith" - Habakkuk 2:4 Then came incredible faith and peace - Habakkuk 3:17-19 Even if upheaval and uncertainty exist in every area of our lives, we can have peace Why do our circumstances sometimes have such an impact on our peace? |
2009-04-14 - Promises of God - Come to Repentance The current "promise/prosperity theology" lacks three things:
|
2009-04-19 - Why We Need God - He is The Redeemer GOD IS THE REDEEMER...
|
2009-04-22 - Why We Need God - He is Our Provider GOD AS OUR PROVIDER...
|
2009-04-26 - Why We Need Jesus - He Intercededs For Us to God WHO INTERCEDES FOR US TO GOD...
|
2009-04-28 - Why We Need Jesus - He Guides Us By His Words and Actions WHO GUIDES US BY WORDS AND ACTIONS... His words provide a solid foundation upon which to build our lives
|
2009-05-22 - No one like him - Kingdom Attitudes (part 2) Those who mourn After seeing the impact and the hurt we have caused - Having godly sorrow - 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 Taking ownership The Meek No one wants to be meek Meekness - horse that has been broken Gentle, Humble, Teachable Defensive spirit gone We must remember we have been cleansed from our past sins - 2 Peter 1:9 "will inherited the earth" - will make the most of our lives on this earth |
2009-05-26 - No one like him - Kingdom Lifestyle (part 2) Different Righteousness – Matthew 5:17-6:18 Righteousness for the Pharisee had became having the correct facts and outward performanceDifferent priority – Matthew 6:19-34 The pursuit of God’s will should be the overriding passion of our lives |
2009-06-02 - No one like him - The Empty Tomb (part 1) Disciples were confused with ups and downs of the week (Joyous entrance into Jerusalem then the cross) Without the resurrection there would be no church or New Testament; disciples would have disbanded and movement would have ended The resurrection gave them courage to preach the resurrection: Acts 1:22; 2:24,32; 3:15; 4:2,10, 33; 5:30 Must be together – cross and resurrection Cross only – a tragedy; Resurrection only – just another miracle Changed the disciples lives forever |
2009-06-04 - No one like him - Count Cost (part 1) Not a question of how hard or difficult but if it is true Not all struggling is bad Jesus calls us to:
Jesus was not out of touch – Matthew 9:36 Jesus had a clear view of love and generosity – John 10:33 Kingdom now in the present age Fix our eyes on Jesus We need to deal with OUR heart Jesus did not just come to amaze He came to call people to change their lives He was upfront with commitment level Must deny self |
2009-06-10 - One Another - Walking in the Light What does it mean to walk in the light? 1 John 1:7-9 Living our lives with openness and transparency in response to the blood of Christ Fellowship is both the practice and product of walking in the light How central are our relationships to following Jesus?
"I need to get serious about my relationship with God" = Need to get serious with my relationship with other believers |
2009-06-15 - A Life of Impact - The Challenge The Challenge Mark 1:19-20
Vision
|
2009-07-04 - A Life of Impact - Amazing Speech Amazing Speech Mark 6:1-6 Suspicions and fear can evaporate because of love and openness 1. Deep Conviction
2. Passion - If the speaker isn’t moved by the message, how can he expect it to move anyone else? 3. Integrity - Speaker must take plank out of their own eye before one can challenge other on the same topic 4. Person to person
5. Inspirational
6. Practical
7. Meet the Need - Out of touch with the needs on the audience can actually make things worst then they are. |
2009-07-08 - A Life of Impact - Shepherding Shepherding Mark 6:30-44
Work Ethic
Crowd Appeal
Visible Sincerity
|
2009-07-11 - A Life of Impact - A passion for truth Mark 7:14-23 - He had no stomach for the misdirection spread by the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law High Expectations
Blame
|
2009-07-23 - A Life of Impact - Ambition Ambition Mark 9:33-35
Win/Lose/Win
|
2009-08-01 - A Life of Impact - Anger Anger Mark 11:11-19
|
2009-08-08 - A Life of Impact - Discernment Discernment Mark 12:41-44
Snoopiness
|
2009-08-18 - A Life of Impact - Mark 16 Proof Mark 16:1-14
Mark 16:15-20
|
2009-09-01 - Wild at Heart - The wound (part 1) There comes a time when we simply have to face the challenges in our lives and stop backing down Men rarely praise each other directly - by way of accomplishments (“you are a wild man”, “what is up stud” The question – Do I have what it takes? Am I powerful? Until a man knows he’s a man he will forever be trying to prove he is one, while at the same time shrink from anything that might reveal he is not Boy learns who is he and what he’s got from a man
|
2009-09-09 - Wild at Heart - The fathers voice (part 2) When we see Jesus, Joseph is out of the picture – true father God – he had to learn who he really was and made of. Initiation involves a journey and a series of tests. We try to make our lives easier. What are you trying to teach me here? What issues in my heart are you trying to rise through this? What is it you want me to see? What are you asking me to let go of? Men are taught that a wound that stops you from playing is a girlish wound. No wonder we walk with our guts hanging out Most men minimize their wound David did not act like this at all - openly - “my heart is wounded within me” - Psalms 109:22 Suck it up, as the saying goes God is fiercely committed to you Wound that goes unacknowledged and unwept is a wound that cannot heal You’ve embraced and deserve is a would that cannot heal Whatever is denied cannot heal Certainly denial that it’s shaping the way they live today. |
2009-09-17 - Wild at Heart - Healing the wound (part 3) Wound unfelt is wound unhealed Door may be your anger – perhaps from a girl, failure The way to God is stopping the false self It may a simple prayer – Jesus, take me into my wound Jesus never seems to heal the same way twice There are no formulas with God Insists on working personally Masculinity is bestowed by masculinity Healing never happens outside of intimacy with Christ It begins with surrender; until you have given yourself to him you will not have a real self …to set you free – What? Your heart So take him at his word – ask him in to heal all the broken places within you But you can’t do this at a distance I simply allow myself to say that the loss of my father mattered Important for us to grieve our wound Grieving we admit the truth, we hurt by someone we loved Few men are ever so vulnerable as to simply let themselves be loved by God Why don’t you just let God love you? The imitate union with Jesus and with his Father is the source of all healing and all our strength Unforgiveness and bitterness can wreck our lives and the lives of others – Ephesians 4:31, Hebrews 12:15 Forgiveness is setting a prisoner free and then discovering the prisoner was you. |