. (499 found)
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
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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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2008-03-17 - 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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2008-03-21 - 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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2008-03-31 - Falling in Love with God - Intro
Loving God is a journey
Father draws us to himself - John 6:44
Father does not change - James 1:17
Hard to understand God when we are so inconsistent
It is OK for a journey to have highs and lows
Why love God?
Why not just obey him?
Why not just "gut out" our journey with God? Because we are commanded to
What touches you most about God?
- He never quits
- Always a refuge
- Always will take you back
- He will make sure you know where you are
- Champion of the truth and the underdog
- Tender with the weak and brokenhearted
- Hammer the arrogant and pround
- Never makes a mistake
Despite all the good qualities of God - our relationship with God still takes work
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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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2008-04-10 - Falling in Love with God - Jesus: Together Forever No eye has seen,
No ear has heard
No mind has conceived
What God has prepared for those who love him - 1 Corinthians
Our Journey to heaven is like a race:
- If you start too fast, you can die
- The most important thing is finishing
- Cannot compare myself to anyone else or I will get thrown off
- I think about walking when I think no one is looking
- Envy people standing on the sidelines
- Finish line seems to literally pull me along
Heaven is the finishing line that should literally pull me along
Can you imagine what it will be like to see Christ face to face?
He might say something like "I never doubted; I knew you would make it!"
I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far - Philippians 1:21-26
Better than what? Better than all.
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2008-04-11 - Falling in Love with God - Remembering The Father
It is good to be reminded of who God the Father is:
1. God's love is unconitional
- Thomas, the douber, was forgiven
- Peter, who deied the Lord, was forgiven
- Paul, killer of Christians, was forgiven
The only ones who dail to receive forgiveness are the ones who fail to ask for it
2. God always comes through
God is faithful, he can not disown himself (2 Timothy 2:13)
3. Nothing is impossible for God
God's power is absolute
He can change anyone and anything
It is never an issue of whether or not God has power, it is if we believe
4. God never makes a mistake
He knows what we can bear - he is always right
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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
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2008-04-21 - Falling in Love with God - Communication Talking to God is the best way to break the chains that our hearts captive
Tempted to everything but talk to God
Sometimes we feel that we need to get everything "just perfect" before going to God
God listens to complainers - Job, Jeremiah, Jonah, Abraham, and Moses
God prefers honest agreement to dishonest submission
Psalms 42 - Half of psalms like David telling himself what he should be thinking and feeling
Deepest parts of him longed to connect with what is deepest with God
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2008-04-29 - Falling in Love with God - Seeking Only Him
If God's people will humble themselves pray and seek his face, he will hear from heaven and forgive us - 2 Chronicles 7:11-16
Even after the temple was built, God was concerned whether his people will still seek him
God himself was often "felt" but not "found" - He has the same concern today
Difference: being members / having a deep personal and individual relationship with God
In his pride the wicked does not seek him - Psalms 10:1-4
One thing I ask: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, gaze upon the beauty - Psalms 27:1-9
Nothing will satisfy like seeking his face
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2008-05-05 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - The Easy Way Out Taking the easy way out is as normal as breathing.
We love labor saving devices - medicine, cars, wash machine, lawn mower, tools
Not bad for life, but there is button pushing when it comes to overcoming our sinful nature
- Deny self daily
- Repentance - when we don't respond to God's grace - God will find a way to help us to repent
- Through kindness - Romans 2:4
- Through discipline - Hebrews 12:5-11
- Persevering though suffering - James 1:2-4
Greater the gain in spirituality, the larger the price tag
God is determined to raise us up to maturity, despite our wailing and weeping through the rod of discipline
Sooner we cooperate, the sooner our trials may end
Do you want Joy? > Become spiritually mature
Do you want to mature? > Pray for God to help (suffering will most likely be involved)
Reject the temptation to desire the easy way
That way will lead to death - Proverbs 14:12
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2008-05-08 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Ambition: from God or Satan Depending on the motive:
There is positive ambitions - Romans 15:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:11
There is negative ambitions - Galatians 5:20
There is pure spiritual ambitions with bad motives:
Matthew 20:20-28 - wanted their shot at the left and right seats of Jesus
We often want the right things for the wrong reasons
- Too focused on positional goals in the church
- Excel at work or school - not working for the Lord but working for self - Colossians 3:23
- Too much pressure for a child to succeed - Train a child in the way he should go - Proverbs 22:6
- Allowing secondary motivation become the primary motivation
Examples of primary and secondary motivations:
Subject |
Primary |
Secondary |
Job |
Glorify God |
Make money; Career |
Following God |
Love God with everything we have |
Learning Bible facts, being disciplined, spiritual goals |
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2008-05-11 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Escaping the Performance Trap
Performance trap - termed as perfectionism (not measuring up = sin)
Guilt and imagined guilt come from performance based - must learn to understand God's grace
Guilt-ridden people are not joyful people, poor advertisements for God's kingdom
Good thing to do our best but when mixed with pride is a wrong turn
Ex. Parental pride = making children reach a goal that unattainable
Rejection (or fear of) - is the root of most of our insecurities
We either pull back or prove ourselves through performance
Much of our competitiveness come from this source
Performance-oriented tries to conceal insecurities with a superimage of self
Deep-down we want love and acceptance
Real love is unconditional
Unless we are open about our negative points we will never reallty feel loved
Paul opened up his life:
2 Corinthians 6:11-13
- Spoke freely
- Open wide his heart
- Not withholding affection
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2008-05-12 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Don't cry over split milk
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead - Philippians 3:12-14
Much of our challenge is in accepting failures without feeling like failures
Peter and Judas were both betrayers
Peter was forgiven and Judas would have too if he had not killed himself
Mistakes are part of the growing process
- Performance mind-set - try to minimize our failures (no risks)
- Terminal thinkers - avoid calling them mistakes
Gospel allows us to start over and over again
Failure to achieve dreams is one our greatest challenges from our past
Shock > denial > anger > depression, apathy, or peace (grace of God)
BIG PICTURE - being right with God, growing in our relationship with him, and helping others
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2008-05-15 - Power of Spiritual Thinking - Disappointed Mathew 23:37 - Talks about how Jerusalem killed the prophets and those God has sent to them
Disappointed people are not happy people
Disappointed = depressed or discouraged by the failures of one's hopes
Disappointment in others exposes a basic selfishness; by definition is rather self-focused
Most assume that God often views us with a disappointed heart
Luke 19:41-42 (parallel verse to Matthew 23:37) - If you only had known on this day what would bring you peace
Are you often disappointed in yourself or others?
Humility is needed - Selfishness and pride is the opposite
- Disappointed often? Selfish often!
- Frustrated at others often? Selfish often!
- Angry when others have things against you? Selfish once more!
Look not to your own interest, but the interest of others - Philippians 2:3-4
Disappointment is un-Godlike; Concern is the godly quality which comes from self-denial and agape love
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2008-05-22 - Purpose Driven Life - It All Starts with God It's not about you
You were born by HIS purpose and for HIS purpose
Our search for purpose usually starts at the wrong place - ourselves
Self Help Books = Consider your dreams > Clarify your values > Set some goals
Being successful <> (not equal) Fulfilling your life's purpose
Easiest way to fine out the purpose of an invention is to ask its owner
Ephesians 1:11
- Discover your identity and purpose through Jesus
- God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about him
- Purpose of your life fits into a much larger purpose
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2008-05-31 - Purpose Driven Life - What Makes God Smile? (Part 2) Noah was an example of making God smile (continued):
- When we obey him wholeheartedly
- Noah was given detailed instructions on: size, shape, number of animals, and materials
- Completely, wholeheartedly, without delay, without explanation, joyfully, with enthusiasm
- Wholeheartedly = completely and exactly
- Partial obedience is disobedience
- When we praise and thank him continually
- Noah built an altar to the Lord - Genesis 18:20
- We are to offer a sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving - Hebrew 13:15; Psalms 116:17
- When we use our abilities
- God enjoys every detail, not just "spiritual" activities - Psalms 37:23
- Reject yourself, you reject God's wisdom in creating you
- There are no nonspiritual abilities just misused ones
- Children do not have to anything special to make their parents happy
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2008-06-02 - Purpose Driven Life - The Heart of Worship (Part 2) What it means to surrender
Surrendering is not for cowards
It is not repressing your personality
Surrendering is best demonstrated in obedience.
To say "no, Lord"- can not call Jesus your Lord
To trust God means doing without knowing where, when, how, or why
Most difficult area to surrender is money
Retirement is not a goal of a surrendered life
Surrender is hard work - Warfare against our self-centered nature
The blessing of surrender
Blessings of surrender
- Peace
- Freedom
- Experience God's power
Surrendered people are the ones God uses
Everyone surrenders to someone or something
You are free to choose but not free from the consequences
Nothing else works - All other approaches lead to frustration
Must make it a daily habit (maybe more than 50 times a day)
May be inconvenient, unpopular, costly, or seem impossible
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2008-06-05 - Purpose Driven Life - Worship That Pleases God God wants all of you
All of your soul, mind, heart, strength
God is pleased when...
...our worship is accurate
- Must be based on the truth (Not Idols)
- John 4:23 - Based on Spirit and Truth
... our worship is authentic
- With ALL of your heart and soul
- God sees the attitudes of the heart
- Biggest distraction in worship is yourself
- Best style of worship is the one that most authentically represents your love
...our worship is thoughtful
- Be different - think about the meaning
- Be specific - I love you, praise you (why?)
- Make a list of names for God
- Avoid repetition, cliches
- Be sensitive to unbelievers
... our worship is practical
- Offer your bodies - Romans 12:1
- God says "Give me all you got"
- "I'll be with you in spirit" - Body and spirit can not separate until death
- Real worship costs - cost us of our self-centeredness
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