2008-09-07 - Teach Us To Pray - Honesty and Openness Honest communication is crucial element to any great relationship: God, spouse, children. Consider how ludicrous it is to not be real with God:
Moses:
It is in our openness that we hear our faithlessness and can turn away from it. God wants a relationship with you He wants to know our longings, aspirations, problems, anxieties, doubts, and even our sin | ||||||||||
2008-09-12 - Teach Us To Pray - In Marriage and Family Unless the Lord builds, its builder labor in vain - Psalms 127:1-2 Powerful benefits of daily prayer with one another:
Prayer in family life:
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2008-09-21 - Teach Us To Pray - Friends and Loved Ones To intercede or pray on someone else's behalf is a privilege Our prayers are sacrifices which are pleasing to him - Hebrews 13:15 Paul: I want you to know how much I am struggling for you - Colossians 2:1 Who do you struggle for? How about people you have never meet? Far be it that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray to you - Samuel to King Saul - 1 Samuel 12:23 Jesus intercedes for us - Romans 8:34 Like a good friend, he adds or subtracts from what you are missing or need Jesus makes us complete in God's sight | ||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||
2008-09-29 - Man of Prayer - Pattern Lord's prayer in Matthew 6 and Luke 11
Each will be addressed in detail in later chapters
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2008-10-01 - Man of Prayer - Father (part 2) Addressing God as the Father seems pretty normal - not the case in Jesus' day Sometimes David prayed:
...but nowhere will you find David addressing the living god as "Father" Patriarchs, the prophets, and the priests of Israel were all men of prayer - never addressed their prayers to God as "Father" We begin our time in prayer with a father-child relationship | ||||||||||
2008-10-06 - Man of Prayer - YHWH-tsidkenu YHWH-tsidkenu means "the Lord our righteousness" Remembering Jesus' name in Hebrew Ya'shua which means "God is salvation" Thank God that I had no righteous of my own, Jesus died for me - source of my righteousness Pause to think about what Christ has done for me | ||||||||||
2008-10-07 - Man of Prayer - YHWH-mkaddesh YHWH-mkaddesh means the Lord who sanctifies, he works to change and mold us Reflection on his name - should remind us how desperately we need the Holy Spirit to work in our life
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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:
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2008-10-09 - Man of Prayer - YHWH-rohi YHWH-rohi is translated as "The Lord is my Shepherd" - Psalms 23:1 A shepherd:
Pause and give thanks for each of these characteristics of a shepherd | ||||||||||
2008-10-10 - Man of Prayer - YHWH-jireh YHWH-jireh means "the Lord will provide" Our God is a provider God saw Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, God provided a ram "My God will meet all your needs - Philippians 4:19 He is a good provider Every good and perfect gift comes from His hand - James 1:17 No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly - Psalms 84:11 | ||||||||||
2008-10-11 - Man of Prayer - YHWH-rophe Means "I am the Lord who heals" God also provides through healing As Israel was coming out of their bondage - if they obied, he would have keep them from affliction of the Egypt deseases | ||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||
2008-10-13 - Man of Prayer - YHWH-shalom Means "the Lord is peace" Gideon had a powerful encounter with the angel of the Lord - Gave the name at the alter - Judges 6:24 Hebrew word shalom = welling being, contentment, harmony, fulfillment, and wholeness. It communicates a total state of well-being which comes from a proper relationship with God The blessing of God brings the peace of God He is the source of your peace - Ephesians 2:14 Peace is the result of God's Spirit working in your life - Galatians 5:22 | ||||||||||
2008-10-16 - Man of Prayer - Then and Now People of the OT knew there was going to be a incredible upheaval - know as the Day of the Lord Jesus changed our understanding of the Kingdom of God Some religious leader rejected Jesus and his message They said Jesus was from Satan when he was casting out demons - Matthew 12:26-28
NT understanding
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2008-10-25 - Man of Prayer - Praying for Provision (part 2) God provided manha day after day for 40 years to the Israelites It was to teach them that man does not live on bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord - Deuteronomy 8:2-3 It is NOT inapproprate to ask God to provide for our needs God delights in our dependence on Him as the source of our provision
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2008-10-29 - Man of Prayer - The Reality of Sin Differences in speaking of sin in prayer "forgive us our trespasses" Sermon of the Mount - Matthew 6:12 Jesus speaking to a rather large crowd Trespasses meaning a violation without willful understanding our sinning "forgive us our sins" Lord's Prayer - Luke 11:4 Jesus praying with the twelve disciples Sin = hamartia - meaning missing the mark Either way is sin and forces us to get honest with God and ourselves | ||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||
2008-11-17 - Raising Awesome Kids - First Things First (part 2) When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is: Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength - Mark 12:30 Committed to God vs committed to a person Deeply loves God vs being religious
Were we one time zealous - before we got married and had kids? Where am I today? Have I allowed "life's worries, riches, and pleasures" to choke my relationship with God? - Mark 4:19 | ||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||
2008-11-21 - Raising Awesome Kids - Strength and Conviction (part 1) But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord - Joshua 24:15 Fathers should be the rock of our family When the call goes forth in the kingdom of God for response and sacrifice, we must lead the way Our personal walk with God and our zeal should be an inspiration Our responsibility to initiate, plan, and conduct family devotionals If we have convictions, our family will have them Natural thing for children to want to follow the lead of their father | ||||||||||
2008-11-24 - Raising Awesome Kids - Training and Teaching Fathers, bring up your children up in the training and instruction of the Lord - Ephesians 6:4 We, as fathers, teach and train non-stop Do not underestimate the importance of teaching The worst mistake you can make is to do nothing Children love to learn Why else would God let us keep them for almost 20 years, but to train them | ||||||||||
2008-11-26 - Raising Awesome Kids - Liberty and Justice His brothers saw that their father loves him more and hated him - Genesis 37:4 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent - the Lord detests both - Proverbs 17:15 We fathers must see that there is respect given to all Must rule justly in any areas of dispute Playing favorites is deadly Who must be respected? Mother - besides watch the children's respect, we must watch how we communicate with our spouse Younger and weaker children - Your role as dispenser of justice starts from day one and it is one of your most vital roles | ||||||||||
2008-12-24 - Raising Awesome Kids - Gods Training Plan (part 2) Deuteronomy 6:4-9 These Commandment (v. 6) Bible is the underlaying basis for all training
Paul said of Timothy - from infancy you have know the holy scriptures - 2 Timothy 3:!5 Love the Lord your God (v. 5) Training flows from a relationshop of love with the personal God | ||||||||||
2008-12-28 - Raising Awesome Kids - Nurturing Confidence (part 1) Early life is a long struggle for self-esteem Kids can be viciously cruel to one another If not watchful, we will be completely oblivious to difficulties our children are facing Wrong Foundations of Confidence Physical Appearance If we make it a big deal, we are setting u our children for problems They will gauge their self-worth on appearance and judge others that same way
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2009-01-22 - Jesus with People - Finding Faith Jesus was in ahuge crowd and suddenly a Roman centurion walks up to Jesus - Matthew 8:5-10 NT centurions are often mentioned with honor:
Lord, my servant lays paralyzed and in terrible suffering - Matthew 8:5-6 Jesus was moved by the man's heart - I will go and heal him Lord, I don't deserve to have you under my roof - Matthew 8:8 Say the word and he will be healed - Matthew 8:8 Jesus did not find anyone in Israel with such faith | ||||||||||
2009-02-12 - Jesus with People - The Better Choice Martha and Mary - Luke 18:29-30 Jesus and his disciples were passing through the village when Martha opened her home to them - Luke 10:38 Jesus didn't stop to correct Martha in her preparation Martha - Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work myself? With compassion - Martha, Martha Explained that Mary's choice was right and a lasting one What Jesus wanted most was to see her have a single-minded desire to know him and his teachings Sometimes we get so wrapped up in preparing to server others that we are either too distracted or too exhausted to server them when they arrive | ||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||
2009-03-01 - Promises of God - Practical and Powerful Promises Since the promises of God can relied on, it can have powerful affect on how we view life and how we live it Psalms 119 - Shows us the relationship of God to spiritual life Psalms 119:50 - God's promises enable him to press on and not give into dispair Psalms 119:140 - Again and again he has relied on God's promises and has come to value them Psalms 119:148 - Deep conviction about focusing on the promises, keep him up Psalms 119:154 - When he is threatened and in danger, remind the Lord of his promises Psalms 119:162 - Promises of God is a treasure to him | ||||||||||
2009-03-10 - Promises of God - God is Merciful God is merciful - Deuteronomy 4:29-31 Even when you have sinned greatly and even when you think - This time I have really blown it God promises if from there you seek him, even from a deep dark hole of shame, disappointment and failure - you will find him Must be with all of your heart We are not the best judge for our own repentance Our loved should know and should be asked It is from the deepest darkest hole that that God promises are the most truest For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you - Deuteronomy 4:31 | ||||||||||
2009-03-20 - Promises of God - Lord Delivers May have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all - Psalms 34:19 Three types of trouble:
Our job is to trust God - John 14:1, 27 He may deliver us from trouble or he may deliver us by using the trouble to teach us important lessons Our eternal glory far out weights our momentary troubles - 2 Corinthians 4:17 | ||||||||||
2009-03-22 - Promises of God - One Greater The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world - 1 John 4:4 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness - 1 Peter 5:8 Satan is seen leading "the whole world astray" - Revelation 12:9 He is the Ling of Kings and the Lord of Lords - Revelation 12:9-11 The devil will eventually be thrown into the lake of fire - Revelation 20:1-10 | ||||||||||
2009-03-28 - Promises of God - Heal Your Broken Heart Servants of God will face various types of injustice:
His is "the God of all comfort" - 2 Corinthians 1:3 | ||||||||||
2009-04-02 - Promises of God - Work That Is Worth It An old criticism of Christians: Too heavenly minded that they are no good on earth Seem to spend so much dreaming of heaven and not working on solving the earth's problems This was never God's idea Prepare your minds for action - 1 Peter 1:13 Setting our minds on the amazing blessings is a powerful encouragement for us to work hard and give our best effort now Is it worth saying "No" to sin? Just consider heaven! Worth it to giving to the poor? Just consider heaven! Worth staying in the race when it gets difficult? Just consider heaven! Worth blood, sweat, tears to help other to know God? Just consider heaven! Your labor in the Lord is not in vain - 1 Corinthians 15:58 | ||||||||||
2009-04-07 - Promises of God - Labor that is in Vain Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord because your labor in the Lord is not in vain - 1 Corinthians 15:58 Labor that is in vain:
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2009-04-09 - Promises of God - What Are We to Give? We are to give ourselves completely to:
Give whatever we have to whomever asks - our hearts, affections, and desires to the benefit to others When do I take care of myself? Trust God to give back to you a hundred times as much in the present age - Matthew 19:29 | ||||||||||
2009-04-30 - No one like him - Differences from Jesus and the prophets (part 1) 1. His words were from the Father Prophets – “This is what the Lord says…”2. Where to get help Prophets - “Come to the Lord.”3. Fulfillment of scripture Prophets – Prophetic messages | ||||||||||
2009-05-01 - No one like him - Differences from Jesus and the prophets (part 2) 4. Forgiving sins Prophets – God can forgive your sins5. Called himself “Son of Man” / Savior Prophets – God saves6. He is a judge Prophets – God judgesNo genuine prophet ever preached like this
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2009-05-05 - No one like him - Dependence In Prayer Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke 5:15-16) Gave up a night - All night praying (Luke 6:12-13) Lord teach us to pray (Luke 11) – some disciples were taught to pray from infancy Prayer was more important than eating or sleeping – Jesus could no go without it Jesus called God, Father, what perceptions of a father-son relationship are correct and incorrect? We have a perception that Jesus had a great advantage over of us but Jesus needed the Father like we do. | ||||||||||
2009-06-05 - No one like him - Count Cost (part 2) Every effort Must give up everything God not as concerned about material as your heart Everything must be under the Lordship of Christ For all people Message for all people – young and old Spoke to the large crowds – Luke 14:25-33 Supreme Concern Jesus was concerned about the people becoming disciples Common belief is to believe - Christians vs Disciples Just because you think are a disciple does not mean you are – Luke 6:46; 7:22-23 | ||||||||||
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 | ||||||||||
2009-07-01 - A Life of Impact - Power Power Mark 5:1-17
Fearlessness
Spectacular Deeds
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2009-07-02 - A Life of Impact - Reinvestment of Dividends Reinvestment of Dividends Mark 5:18-20
Tenderness Mark 5:21-34
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2009-07-29 - A Life of Impact - Leading the way Leading the way Mark 10:32-34
Mark 10:35-40
Mark 10:41-45
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2009-10-10 - Wild at Heart - The Strategy (part 3) 2. Intimidation Our condition may become normal to use after a while - depression If you pray and fight against – It will get worse. Once the Enemy is discovered, he usually does not just roll over and die. Jesus says get tough and resist the onslaught Next level Satan tries intimidation and fear He wants you to agree with intimidation because he fears you Fighting back, he will lose – Resist the devil and he will flee – James 4:7 Why do so many pastor’s kids go off the deep end? Evil One is trying to an old tactic – strike first and maybe the opposition will run He can’t win, you know God is with us “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you” – Joshua 1:5 The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is his name – Exodus 15:3 How did Jesus win the battle against Satan? God was with him Doesn’t simply mean that he’ll be around - he will fight for us Satan is trying to appeal to the traitor’s commitment to self-preservation when he uses fear and intimidation. So as long as we are back in the old story of saving our skin, looking out for Number One, those tactics will work. Become a warrior The most dangerous man on earth is the man who has reckoned with his own death. All men die, few men ever really live. | ||||||||||
2009-10-12 - Wild at Heart - The Strategy (part 5) We don’t need accountability groups we need fellow warriors, someone to fight alone side, someone to watch our back We don’t need a meeting of the Really Nice Guys Never a more devoted group of men than those who have fought alongside one another You will be wounded To lose a leg is nothing compared to losing heart Enemy knows the wounds of your past and he will try to wound you again in the same place It is an honor to be wounded in the service of the Lord Boys are proud of their scars, they are badges of honor Kingdom forcefully advances and forceful men take hold of it - Matthew 11:12 Jesus says it is going to take every ounce of passion and forcefulness you’ve got | ||||||||||
2009-10-16 - Wild at Heart - Offering our Strength (part 2) Cycle of a man is that he goes away from a woman to yet return to her after finding strength Most men want the maiden without any sort of cost to themselves Nature of pornography - Uses her to get a feeling that he a man (false) Strength then came from an outside source rather than deep within Self-center man angers the Lord - Genesis 38:7-10 What happens when we refuse to spend their strength on a women - Genesis 38:25-26 Pretty women endure abuse this abuse all the time They learn to offer their bodies but never their souls Many men marry for safety Why don’t men offer what they have to their women?
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2009-10-22 - Repentance - What Happened (part 1) What ever happened to repentance? Millions claim Jesus as their Savior, but neglect to make him Lord – want forgiveness without repentance Most spend a considerable amount of time of pondering change While we pursue change, we demand change on our own terms Examples – self-help, self-improvement Today’s seekers of Christianity – “shopping” for a church Do we truly love if we neglect to call the unrepentant to repentance? In an effort to “accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative” we have treated sin and repentance as the embarrassing uncle Why am I an uncommitted believer?
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2009-11-04 - Repentance - Jesus Opens Our Eyes (part 2) The Red Pill and the Blue Pill
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