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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

2008-03-01 - Power of Gratitude - Don't waste your sin

Use the past to encourage others
Paul did - chief of sinners - 1 Timothy 1:15-16

Joseph did:

Told his brothers to not be distressed or angry with themselves for selling him to slavery
Purpose was to save the lives of his family - Genesis 45:5
He saved himself a lifetime of bitterness and self-pity

Until and unless we see God's presence in our challenges, we are going to sin
Rejection leads to rebellion, which in turn led to failure

We must become thankful rather than resentful or hurt - give the benefit of the doubt
Key to a life of acceptance is develop a deep gratitude for what God has done through our challenges

We must come to peace with the past
Develop his perspective on the matters at hand
Be gracious is your evaluation of others' roles
Forgive yourself and others
Never waste the impact that your past can have on others
Be thankful

2008-03-06 - Power of Gratitude - Here I Raise My Ebenezer

Miraculous storm, allowing the Israelites to rout the Philistines (erecting the monument - Ebenezer) - 1 Samuel 4:1
Crossing the Jordan and God had them setup a memorial of twelve stones - Joshua 4:21-22

We all need those landmarks etched in our memories to remind us of what God has done in our lives
Disciples need reminders:

Albums of pictures - when God poured out his love
Printed memorabilia
Special events - birthdays, weddings, graduations, baptisms

Good idea to keep a calendar of past events - for more details thanksgiving to God

Job's understood life was short:

My days are swifter that a weaver's shuttle - Job 7:6
My days are swifter than a runner - Job 9:25
Man born of woman is of few days - Job 14:1

Life is too short to not make memories and then to regularly reflect on them with thankful hearts

2008-03-07 - Power of Gratitude - Day-Tight Compartments

Sentence of death is on us and everyone we know

Matthew 6:34 - Focus on today, live in day-tight compartments, rather than worrying about tomorrow

The most important factor in remaining effective and thankful as we get older is to stay busy doing things that matter to God

Women of noble character was busy from dawn to dusk - Proverbs 31
Being happy with our lot in life and our work - Ecclesiastes 5:19-20

Worried about aging and death - No, because I would be ungrateful for all the blessing God has given me
Every good and perfect gift is from above (people in our lives) - James 1:17

What percentage of your thoughts focus of past regrets and future worries?

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

2008-04-03 - Falling in Love with God - Fear

The other emotional response that undermines our love for God

Perfect love drives our fear - 1 John 4:18
Fear greatly affects our ability to love; renders lifeless our love for God

Fear one of the most powerful and universal tools Satan uses for:

Keep man from the knowledge of God
Experience of God's power
Experience grace in our lives
Taking our eyes off of God and onto our circumstances and insecurities

There is healthy fear (like fearing God) but unhealthy fear is one that controls us and causes us to turn away from God's direction
Fear is rarely rational

Why are you so afraid - Matthew 8:26
Don't be afraid - Matthew 14:27
Don't be afraid - Matthew 17:7
Don't be afraid - Matthew 28:10
Don't be afraid - Mark 5:36
Don't be afraid - Luke 5:10
Don't be afraid - Luke 8:50
Don't be afraid - Luke 12:7
Don't be afraid - Luke 12:32
Don't be afraid - John 6:19-20
Don't be afraid - John 12:15
Don't be afraid - John 14:27

God understands the destructive nature of fear
He simply commands us to deal with our fears through our relationship with him

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)

2008-04-15 - Falling in Love with God - Holy Spirit with us

What else should I be conscious of regarding the Holy Spirit:

Spirit's circumcision of my heart - Romans 2:29
God pours his love into my heart via the Spirit - Romans 5:1-5
God's Spirit lives in me - 1 Corinthians 3:16
Holy Spirit within me cries out to God - Galatians 4:6
Credit for all wisdom and revelation goes to the Spirit - Ephesians 1:17
He himself testifies to us that he lives within us - 1 John 4:23

Every spiritual thought we have is the result of the workings of God's Spirit within us

2008-04-18 - Falling in Love with God - Intimate Communication

What will God have to do to reach us?

Where theology, structure, and programs are powerless, a relationship is able

I must do everything to stay close to God

John 1:18, Jesus is -

close to the Father's heart (NRS)
lives in the closest intimacy with the Father (Philips)
exists at the very heart of the Father (The Message)
lives in intimate communication with the Father (Dios Habla Hoy)

2008-04-24 - Falling in Love with God - Heaven in Heaven

Earth has nothing I desire besides you - Psalms 73:25

Jesus taught about Heaven and who lives there - GOD

Heaven is full of angels: Children and churches have angels
We might even entertain angels not even knowing it

From heaven:

Father spoke to Jesus - "who he was well pleased" with
Father gave him the Holy Spirit in form of a dove
Father gave the authority of both Heaven and Earth
Jesus wrote the names in the book of life
Jesus begging God on our behalf
Jesus directs the spreading of the message
Jesus saluted the martyr Stephen
Jesus sent light to blind Saul

2008-05-17 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Spiritual vs Doctrinal Thinking, part 1

Can major in the minors and minor in the majors
Tendency to be doctrinal focused - 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 2 Timothy 2:14-19; Titus 1:5-11; Titus 3:3-11
Can come from a desire to be leaders, takes focus off our personal lives

Numbers 12:1-15

v1 - Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses
v2 - Hasn't God also spoken through us?
Had a personality conflict but did not want admit it - fought over doctrine
v9 - Lord anger burned against them and left them

Unity of believers is the acid test of whether we are really his disciples - John 17:20

2008-05-27 - Purpose Driven Life - Life is a Temporary Assignment

Life is a temporary assignment

It is descriped as a mist, a fast runner, a breath, a wisp of smoke

Compared to eternity, life is extremely brief
Earth is only a temporary residence
Christians should carry spiritual green cards

With this understanding. worries lost their grip on our lives

In order to keep us from getting too attached God allows us to feel much discontentment and dissatisfaction in life
It is a fatal mistake to assume God's goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success

Paul was faithful - ended up in prison
John the Baptist was faithful - was beheaded

Some would consider them foolish and lost everything but they gained everything - God and heaven

In heaven we will ask ourselves:

Why did I place so much importance things so temporary?
What was I thinking?
Why did I waste so much time on thing that will not last?

2008-06-10 - Purpose Driven Life - A Place to Belong

You are called to belong
Relationship with Christ is personal but not private
Your organs are connected to other organs to fulfill a purpose
Organ severed from the body will shrivel and die

Christ loved the church and gave his life for it - Ephesians 5:25

Church is Christ's bride
Can't say to Christ "I love you but I do not love your wife

Why you need a Church Family?

1. Identifies you as a genuine believer

2. Move you out of self-centered isolation

Lab for practicing unselfishness
Learn to care about others
If one part suffers, all suffer - 1 Corinthians 12:16
We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers - 1 John 3:16

3. Helps develop spiritual muscle
Isolation breeds deceitfulness

4. Body Needs you

5. Share in Christ's mission - He works through us

6. Church family will help you from backsliding

"Mind your own business" - not a Christian phrase
It is your responsibility to help those who need help

Difference between a church attender and a church member is commitment

2008-06-15 - Purpose Driven Life - Created to Become Like Christ

You are created to become like Christ

Jesus' mission is restore the full image that we have lost
God's ultimate goal for your life on earth in not comfort but character development
If we forget this, you will become frustrated by your circumstances

You exist for God's purpose, not vice versa

Only the Holy Spirit has the power to make the changes God wants to make in our lives - Philippians 2:13

We must cooperate with the Holy Spirit's work

Obedience unlocks God's power
God waits for you to act first
Make every effort - Luke 13:24; Romans 14:19; Ephesians 4:3; 2 Timothy 2:15

Ephesians 4:22-24 - Responsibilities in belonging like Christ:

Choose to let go of old ways
Must change the way we think
Must put on the "character of Christ by developing new, godly habits

God uses his Word, people, and circumstances to mold us

Truth we need to grow
Support when we need guidance or when we fail
Environment we need to practice Christ-likeness

In many religions, the mature isolate themselves, not those who are being like Christ

Being like Christ is a long, slow process of growth - You are a work in progress

2008-06-19 - Purpose Driven Life - Growth Through Temptation

Happy is the man who does not give in - will be rewarded with the crown of life - James 1:12

Every temptation is an opportunity to do good through the path of maturity

How does the Holy Spirit produce fruit in our lives? - Galatians 5:22-23
By allowing you to be tempted by the opposite opportunity

God teaches love by putting unloving people around us
God teaches peace by allowing times of chaos and confusion

You can not claim to be faithful if you've never had the opportunity to be unfaithful

Temptation follows 4 steps:

Satan identifies a desire within you - Comes from within - Mark 7:21-23
Satan tries to get you doubt what God has said about sin - Don't let your doubt turn you from God - Hebrews 3:12
Satan tries replace truth with lies - He is the Father of lies - John 8:44
Our disobedience - Drawn away and trapped by our own desires - James 1:14-16

2008-07-20 - Purpose Driven Life - Lifes 5 Greatest Questions

What will be the center of my life? - Center our lives should be God - 2 Chronicles 14:4
What will be the character of my life? - Keep a firm grasp of your character; keep at it - 1 Timothy 4:16
What will be the contribution of my life? - Meet the needs of God's people produces gratitude - 2 Corinthians 9:12
What will be the communication of my life? - Bring honor to the good news - Philippians 1:27
What will be the community of my life? - Christ loved the church and gave his life for it - Ephesians 5:25

2008-07-25 - 30 Days at the Cross - Always Remembering

Passover - it meant freedom for the Jews (from Egypt)
Jesus choose Passover to bring freedom to all through his death

It was a new relationship with God and man
God loved mankind but man hurt God with his sin

Jesus: with my life and death, you have a new relationship, now remember this
It will be forgotten in our lives if we don't make plans to remember

In the midst of our activities and pressure of life, we forget:

How much he went through for us
That we can be forgiven and start over again and again
Why we are doing things we are doing

He took bread and gave thanks for this very reason - Luke 22:19

Give thanks and examine yourself - 1 Corinthians 11:28
Don't forget that in Christ there is no condemnation - Romans 8:1

2008-07-28 - 30 Days at the Cross - Life through Death

Voluntary surrender is not easy; never comfortable nor enjoyable
Christ can not be formed in us until we are crucified with him - Galatians 2:20 ; Galatians 4:19

Rebellion comes from man's desire to be God
Satan tried to delute the solution to create powerless religions
Our lives do not change at the deepest level and have the same problems as the world

Only when we are sick of our old nature will we be convinced to totally sell out to God
Death to self seems preferable to life

Most of our cires are designed to produce our surrender
Jesus served through suffering - Hebrews 5:8-9
Can not mature without surrender - Hebrews 12:5-11
Many harships come so we enter heaven - Acts 14:22

So how do we go about taking up our cross?

Absolutely commited to the concept - John 12:23-25
Be committed to prayer about surrender - "I surrender" and "Help my lack of suddender"
Be committed to a relationship with another disciple - Share convictions and be open
Be committed to stretching your comfort zone - Do things you can not do without his help
Realize that surrender brings about absolute freedom - life through death will cease the puzzling paradox

2008-07-29 - 30 Days at the Cross - Denial Without Regret

self-denial - decision to consistently lay down our lives - not a popular topic
No one can follow Jesus without it

Jesus' struggle in Gethsemane was fought and won in prayer - Matthew 26:36-46
Without self-denial there would be no cross and no salvation:

Forgave his tormentors - Luke 23:34
Ministered to a criminal - Luke 23:34
Provided for his mother - John 19:27

Any limitation we put on self-denial will surely limit our usefulness to him

2008-08-15 - 30 Days at the Cross - Nothing but the Best

Do what comes naturally. Get in touch with who you are. Do what feels right. Be true to yourself. - These are the ideas the world tells us.
Do they really change our lives?

Jesus' blood shed challenges us to reconsider our empty way of life

What a person is willing to give reveals a lot about the person
Jesus was the perfect Son and an exact representation of God - Hebrews 1:3

God's precious and costly sacrifice seeks and demands a response.

Make every effort is the only appropriate response - 2 Peter 1:5-7
Motivated by God's grace and example, we can increase our faith

Sin weakens our character, steals our energy, and undermines our determination

2008-08-17 - 30 Days at the Cross - Do not Come Down!

Jesus was tempted with the words, "save yourself, come down from the cross
If they understood the eternal significance of the moment, they would have cried "No, Jesus! Do not come down!"

Jesus was tempted:

Simply save himself and let everyone fend for themselves
Come down in hope that they would believe
Settle on improving their lives but not saving them

What kept him up there?

Jesus also loved the world that he gave his only life - Love
He cared deeply for others
He knew he could bring salvation to many

Our mission is the same (Luke 9:23) - must deny self and lose our life for others
We must quit looking for some new,easy approach and decide to love

The world is screaming out: "Save yourself! Come down from the cross!"
Jesus cries: "Do not come down!"

2008-08-24 - 30 Days at the Cross - United Hearts

Unity has an immense impact on our lives

Tower of Babel - God said nothing they planned would be impossible for them - Genesis 11:6
House divided against impossible for them - Mark 3:25
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit - Ephesians 4:3

What are the obstacles to unity?

Misunderstanding and wrong assumptions (Israelite tribes) - Joshua 22
Selfish ambition (James and John) - Matthew 20:20-28
Inferiority and insecurity
Jealousy and selfishness (brothers of Joesph) - Genesis 37
Ingratitude and unforgiveness (older brother of the prodical son) - Luke 15

Sin is the ultimate cause of all disunity. Forgiveness is the ultimate cure.

It defies our nature
Reflects a surrender that trusts God's justice
Demonstrates a humility that cares less for one's own rights than for the good of others

Who do you need to totally forgive?
Forgiveness is the key to bing reunited
We need a daily "state of our unions"

2008-08-25 - Teach Us To Pray - God Almighty

There is no other rock - Isaiah 44:6-8

God is the Almighty God

Nothing he cannot do
No victory he cannot win
No tragedy he cannot overcome
No mountain he cannot move

When we see God work in other's lives we ask:

How did you do that?
Give us the recipe
Whisper the secret

Simply decided to pray more, God did more
More we pray, more God can answer
He is not confined to small boxes and humanistic limitations

2008-08-27 - Teach Us To Pray - Savior and Redeemer

The Cross is enough, then, now, and always

Hebrews 7:25-27

He is able to completely save
- Never too short
- Never too weak
- Never worn out
He always lives - Prepared to recuse me until the day I die
Once for all - One death sufficient for all my sins, for all time

God wants his children to be abolutely confident that we can draw near to him with freedom and assurance

Without seeing the cross, David understood his Savior and Redeemer - Psalms 69:13

2008-09-01 - Teach Us To Pray - Hungry and Thirsty (part 2)

We must Desire God Alone
Many people fail to have satisfying prayer lives because they are double-minded when they pray
Must do our best to rid ourselves of distractions
Unless you passionately fight for time alone with God, it will not happen

God Blesses the Hungry Heart
When we pray righteously, it allows God to work powerfully in our lives

Blessed are those who hunger for they will be filled - Matthew 5:6
Everyone who asks, receives; he who seeks finds - Matthew 7:7-8
You have not because you ask not - James 4:2
Judah sought God, and he was found by them - 2 Chronicles 15:15
Sometimes we need to wrestle with God to show how much we want it - Genesis 32:26

Power of prayers are dependent on the hunger in your heart
No hungry heart will ever be turned away

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