2011-02-19 - Cross of Christ - Kansas City (part III) Pain of Not Being Appreciated Matthew 27:1-31
Matthew 27:32-54
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2011-06-05 - Fearing God - Peter feared Peter and his partners had been up all night fishing - Luke 5:1-11
Instead he was fearful: "Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man! - v8 He saw Jesus' power over the fish in the lake - special because it was from his own trade He recognized that he somehow was in the presence of God Jesus said nothing about Peter's sin - Peter now saw who Jesus really was Peter fell down before Jesus not because his sin but Jesus' deity |
2011-06-20 - Mind of Christ - Discipleship (part V) Christ’s encounters with people teach about discipleship Jesus loved God with an unrivaled love
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2011-08-01 - Mind of Christ - Servant, Washing Feet (part II) The washing of the disciples feet was illustrative of Christ’s life and ministry
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2011-09-18 - Proverbs on Integrity (part I) Proverbs 19:22 - Poor person is better than a liar Proverbs 20:17 - Gains by fraud ends up being worthless The 1996 New York Times had a story on a golfer named Jeff Sluman.
When someone is a person of integrity he/she is someone that has wholeness about him either.
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2011-10-05 - Genesis 5 - Genealogies (part I)SummaryAdam's line was: Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah. Noah's sons were Shem, Ham and Japheth. ObservationsGenesis 5:2 - He created them male and female and blessed them Personal ApplicationThe challenge for me is simple: To finish the race [Acts 20:24] with great faith and perseverance. But not just to get by but to have a relationship with God that shines before others. When people talk about me, do they stop and mention my relationship with God like the Bible does with Enoch? What does God say about my faith? |
2011-10-14 - Genesis 14 - The Kidnapping of LotSummaryThe kings went to war and took Lot captive. Abram rescued Lot. Melchizedek blessed Abram and Abram gave him a tenth of everything. ObservationsGenesis 14:18 - Melchizedek ... He was priest of God Most High
Personal ApplicationDo I have a good sense of my relationships? Do I tend to be a part of group to just belong or a higher reason? I find it much easier to take then to give and I do not think I have conviction on doing the reverse. There is no such thing as a free lunch (maybe from God because he gives freely) - are some offers of others giving really a trap? In some some situations, I should be giving instead of taking. |
2011-10-19 - Genesis 19 - Sodom is destroyedSummaryAngels took Lot out of Sodom. The city was destroyed by fire and Lot's wife was turned to salt. His daughters had children for him. ObservationsGenesis 19:14 - But his sons-in-law thought he was joking Personal ApplicationBy nature, I am a jokester. I have love to laugh - there is a time for everything. I need to learn how to take the important things seriously. When I hear a call from God to repent, not sure my immediate reaction is to change. I make excuses about doing things in the near future or lie to myself that I am doing OK. The costs are too great not to hear and obey the call. |
2011-11-13 - Mind Change - Peace It is God’s will for you to totally trust him and to be completely at peace in every situation. |
2012-01-13 - Genesis 20 - Abraham lies about Serah at GerarSummaryIn Gerar Abraham said, "Sarah is my sister." King Abimelech took her but God warned him in a dream. He restored Sarah to Abraham. ObservationsGenesis 20:3 - You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken Personal ApplicationI usually don't have an issue with knowing right from wrong. It is usually that I am not aware of what I am doing. I am either not paying attention or not focused. I need to watch my life closely so I will be righteous in God's eyes and so others can be saved because of it [1 Timothy 4:16]. |
2012-02-13 - Ministry - Are You Willing to Keep Praying? Luke 18:1-8 Jesus tells this parable to show us something. The scriptures even go so far as to tell us exactly what that something is that we should always pray and not give up. Have you ever decided to pray about a specific situation and not stopped until it has changed? What if it took a year to change? Five years? Ten years? Twenty years? Jesus says to never give up! Too often we get discouraged and want to quit-even on God-because something doesn't change. Maybe we haven't been fruitful for a while or we don't have a dating relationship yet. Maybe things have not changed in our marriage fast enough or our job situation is still not working out. Maybe we are just not changing our hearts the way we should. The answer is not to give up but to keep on praying. Jesus ends the parable questioning whether there would still be faith on earth when he returns. Our lack of prayer is a sign of a lack of faith! To keep praying and not give up is a sign of great faith. Write down three things you have quit praying about and recommit yourself to be faithful in prayer. Decide to trust. God and be in the kingdom for the long haul-no matter how many decades of prayer it takes!! |
2012-02-23 - Fear of Failure - God Always Sees the Humble Heart by Gene Kim - Ministry Intern: San Francisco Church of Christ 1 Kings 21 Ahab really wanted Naboth's vineyard, and so he was willing to do anything to get it. He kept on sinning until he got the vineyard - discouragement, self-pity, anger, and eventually murder. There are "vineyards" in everyone's lives nowadays, jobs, relationships, or successes. Ahab was so consumed with what he wanted that his marriage was ungodly. I see how I don't lead my wife because I get consumed with my job and success, and my relationship with God goes the same way as my marriage. I get so guilty that I lose confidence in how God can use my life. What encourages me about this scripture is how God uses people to confront others with the truth and how He is hoping for people to humble themselves and turn back to Him. Ahab was described as a man who "sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord" (v. 25). Elijah warned Ahab of the impending disaster because of his sin. Ahab took God's warning seriously and humbled himself before God, and the Lord noticed and blessed him! I can feel at times that I have messed up so much that God would never believe in me again, and yet God is merely looking for a heart that is humble, broken, and grateful. He hopes that I would have the courage to see my sin. God notices and moves on behalf of a humble heart! |
2012-03-01 - Fear of Failure - Heart Failure by Kent Burke - Ministry Intern: San Francisco Church of Christ Numbers 11 When I see all of the problems in my life and I hear all of the complaints of the people around me, I can quickly lose heart. I do not have the strength to sustain people's hearts. Moses felt the same way when he was faced with all the complaints of the Israelites while wandering in the desert. But when Moses stopped to pray, God took care of all the complaints. We must learn to rely on God's power when we face trials in our lives. Practicals:
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2012-10-12 - Prayer of the Righeous - Arms Wide Open (part II) The lost son took his first steps home and was ready to apologize Father perhaps had been scanning the horizon day after day - Luke 15:20 Until one day his dream came true The celebration spared no expense - Luke 15:22-24 He welcomes sinners who do not deserve it - it is how he feels about us Jesus literally opened wide his arms for us on the cross He opens his arms for us all day long - Romans 10:21 Peter, at Pentecost, pleaded with the people to be saved on God's behalf - Acts 2:40 God's heart cares deeply for us His heart was filled with pain during the time of Noah - Genesis 6:6 His heart is in that same way now - Luke 17:26 |
2012-10-29 - The Lost Life of the Heart Our years can be consumed with service and business But somewhere out there someone is saying, "There is something more" We just assume it is our imagination Then it speaks again, "Aren't you thirsty? There is something missing" This feeling might feel disloyal to our routine and against the program we are following We try to silence the voice with outward activity and redoubling our Christian service You long to be in a love affair, an adventure with God. You were made for something more. Samuel heard the voice of God calling to him in the night - 1 Samuel 3:4 It took him three time before he realized it was God Rather than ignoring the voice, Samuel finally listed In our lives, we can become frustrated by our heart's continuing sabotage of a dutiful Christian life But sometime at night, when our defenses are down, we still hear him calling us In the morning, activities scream for our attention and think we have won the battle of the "flesh" Satan loves to turn the truth upside down We try to lose ourselves in:
We create distance between ourselves and others; even distance between ourselves and our own heart... |
2013-01-06 - Prayer of the Righeous - God is a Consuming Fire (part II) We must totally aware of our own unworthiness It took a while, but Job finally understood this: "My ears heard you but now my eyes...and repent in dust and ashes" - Job 42:5-6 This is the reaction we should have when sinful selfs meets a pure, holy and prefect God David understood our unworthiness: "But who I am... Everything comes from you" - 1 Chonicles 29:14-15 Solomon aware of his own afflicions, asked God to hear men's prayers - 1 Kings 8:38 Jesus warned that we need to be careful to not be proud based off anything we have or done - Revelations 3:17 Our good deeds or possessions in no way make worthly of coming in the presence of the holy one |
2013-01-25 - Prayer of the Righeous - God is a Consuming Fire (part III) When we pray, let us give God the respect he deserves A holy God requires us to be righteous
All the prayer in the world will not get through to God if it is not uttered from a pure heart
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2013-03-22 - Prayer of the Righeous - Intimate Prayer WHo is he who will devote himself to be close to me? - Jeremiah 30:21 God looks for people who will devote themselves to being close to him
Nehemiah had an intimate friendship with God:
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2015-02-27 - Powerful Testimony He jumped up, stood on his feet and began to walk - Acts 3:7-8 That is the power of a transformed life This man was not looking for a miracle The apostles had no money to give him but they did not leave him empty handed Get up your mat and walk and he took off running and leaped and praise God Thousands likely turned to Jesus Christ from the personal testimony of one man - Acts 4:4 A changed life is a powerful testimony to the reality of the gospel You may not feel qualified to a large crowd about Bible doctrine or deep theology but can certainly testify to what God is doing in your life |
2015-03-01 - Heart of Worship Abram built an alter there and dedicated it to the Lord - Genesis 12:7 Ever thought about the power available through praise and worship of the heavenly Father? God inhabits the praise of his people - Psalm 22:3 Praise and worship are avenues through which we enjoy fellowship with God Abraham was a rich man who obeyed God's call to leave his home and travel to an unknown land Whenever he settled, Abraham always took time to build an alter and worship God Through the Holy Spirit, are you making praise and worship a key component of your daily life? |
2015-03-31 - Eyes Have It I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman - Job 31:1 Sexual temptation burns many men simply because they are careless Job took some time for self-examination He knew that
Those who have no interest in pleasing the Lord will say, "Hey, there's no harm in looking" but the man commited to God knows better Job's advice if you want to keep your body and mind pure: Don't even look
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2015-04-20 - Gratitude Go back to your family and tell them everything God has done for you - Luke 8:39 People who express daily gratitude reported higer levels of:
Jesus and his disciples encountered a violent demon-possessed man - naked, out of his mind, completely alone He calmly and purposefully took control of the situation and delivered the man from his life of torment Jesus told the man to go home and tell everyone what had happened The man gratefully followed Jesus' instructions When you think of everything that God has done for you, what other response is there but to follow him? A greateful heart is the best, infectious witness to the goodness and power of God
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2015-05-05 - Unshakable Foundation The Lord counted him as righeous because of his faith - Genesis 15:6 Faith is the foundation of everything you want to do Abraham habitually took God at his word and believed that He would do just what He promised God made him the father of many great nations God made Abraham some big promises:
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2015-05-10 - Cure for Disappointment Didn't our hearts burns within us as he talked with us - Luke 24:32 If I look at myself, I am depressed When Jesus died, as the disciples saw it, all hope for a better life was gone At just the right moment, Jesus reveal himself to them When he disappeared from their sight, he took with him the pain, despair, and disappointment When you face situations that leave you feeling despressed, disappointed, and discouraged, look to Jesus |
2015-05-15 - Knowing Jesus After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus - John 3:1 If you really want to get to know someone, you have to ask lots of questions Necodemus wanted to know Jesus and found a Jesus at night with some uninterupted time with him He learned a lot about how Jesus was not just a good teacher but the Messiah and Savior of the world Before the evening ended, Nicodemus knew Jesus From there, he:
Do you really want to know Jesus?
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2015-05-23 - Influence from Within Never before had there been a king like Josiah who turned to the Lord will all his heart and soul and strength - 2 Kings 23:25 Josiah did what was pleasing to the Lord's sight - 2 Kings 22:2 His background did not set him up for greatness - his father was a wicked king that drug Judah into idolity For Josiah, it wasn't a matter of where he had come from but where he was headed:
Making a difference in the lives of people around you begins with changes within yourself |
2015-06-07 - Learn to Listen Fools think their own way is right - Proverbs 12:15 David advised Solomon to observe the requirements of the Lord and follow all his ways - 1 Kings 2:3-4 Solomon may have spoken words of wisdom but his life ended in foolishness:
Solomon's failure to practice what he preached led to his downfall His wives turned his heart away from God and toward idol worship You will save yourself a lot of trouble by knowing the Word of God and doing what is says
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2015-06-09 - Walking with God One day he disappeared because God took him - Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God and simply disappeared but before he was taken up he was known as a person who pleased God - Hebrews 11:5 He pleased God because Enoch walked with him daily:
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2015-06-25 - Taking Stock Manasseh sought the Lord his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors - 3 Chronicles 33:12-13 Times of stress can motivate a man to do little self-examination Manasseh made sinning into personal art form:
God warned Manasseh that he would pay for his sins but he refused to listen Assyrian forces invaded Judah and took him away to Babylon for 12 years of suffering The once proud Manasseh humbled himself saying "The Lord alone is God!" |
2015-07-06 - Effects of Jealous Saul had a spear in his hand and suddenly hurled it at David intending to pin him to the wall - 1 Samuel 18:11 Jealousy is the emotion we feel toward someone who has something we believe we should have KIng Saul jealous toward David, who did nothing but serve the king faithfully Saul grow angry with him because of his growing popularity Saul promoted David to army commander where he excelled, defeating the Philistines Jealousy took over and and Saul went insane and it his life's goal to kill David Being jealous steals the joy and contentment the Lord wants us to experience Who is most likely to make you feel jealous? Rest content in the knowledge of God - He has mapped out a life of blessing specifically for you |
2015-07-16 - Compassion When he saw the man, he felt compassion for him - Luke 10:33 It is easy to have compassion for those we are close to but what about those we don't know or don't like? When we reach out to a stranger or enemy, we will receive a reward from heaven - Luke 6:35-36 Jew and Samaritan didn't care much for one another, Jews saw Samaritan:
This particular Samaritan didn't see the man lying in the ditch as an enemy or someone who hated him. The Samaritan saw him as a human in need and took the extra steps to care for them This kind of love and compassion is what Jesus extends to you |
2015-07-19 - Inner Cleaning The king instructed Hilkiah to remove all of the articles that we used to work Baal (and others) from the Lord's temple - 2 Kinds 23:4 Hilkiah shows the importance of inner cleasing He had an unbending loyalty to the Lord and a commitment to spirtual renewal among the people of Judah Hilkiah steps:
It is important to exampine yourself from time to time to clean out anything that keeps you from enjoying the full fellowship with the Lord |
2015-07-20 - Self-Fulfilling When Rehobam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the Lord - 2 Chronicles 12:1 There is a lot self-help books and programs teaching we can find fulfillment in our stength, mind, and soul True fulfillment and strength is found walking closely with God and humbly obeying his commands Rehoboam took a good look at all he had accomplished and becamse self-satisfied and abandoned God He crowded out God's place in his heart Rehoboam leading the way:
Rehoboam failed as a leader and as a man of God because he found strength and satisfaction in his own accomplishments |
2015-07-22 - Consistancy Zadok the priest refused to support Adonijah - 1 Kings 1:8 The high priest Zadok did not weaver in his faithfulness and affection to God and the men He had choosen:
Zadok's godilness and loyalty were rewarded as the high priest in both David and Solomon's rule |
2015-07-24 - Seeing Is Believing He healed my eyes and yet you don't know where he comes from? - John 9:30 The Jewish reglious leaders constantly opposed his and couldn't see past their own legalism and tradition long enough to see the miracle The blind man and others understood who Jesus was because he witnessed the miracles with open minds and hearts Jesus demonstarted God's power, the man did as Jesus said, and receive the gift of sight:
The Jewish leaders took issue to Jesus "working" on the Sabbath Ex-blind man: If this man were not from God, he couldn't have done it - John 9:33 When we receive spiritual insight that changes our lives, we need to tell others what God has done - we were blind but now we see! |
2015-08-14 - Right Direction With his wife's consent, he kept the rest - Acts 5:2 Ananias was apparently a strong leader at home, unfortunately, he took his family in horribly wrong direction and paid a heavy price He was among the 1st generation believers who sold their property, pooled their resources, and cared for those in need Ananias sold his property but instead of bring all the money to the apostles, he keep some of it for himself There was nothing wrong with keeping some of the money - Acts 5:4 Where is failed was when he lied about him giving all of it Ananias lead his family in the wrong direction, where are you leading your family? One of the greatest reward of leading your family in a godly direction is to see them grow too |
2015-08-18 - Receiving God's Promises Issac's wife was unable to have children and the Lord answered his prayer with twins - Genesis 25:21 In those days, a married couple without children for a long period of time was considered to have shameful lot Would he give up? Would he father a child with another woman? Would a child come when they were old? His heart was set on something and he got on his knees and prayed God delivered not only once but twice It took 20 years but Issac recived God's blessing in God's way |
2015-08-27 - What Goes Around God had paid me back for what I did to them - Judge 1:7 We always reap what we sow or what goes around, comes around Adoni-bezek enjoyed some success as a king and military leader - he took captive of 70 nearby kings Then he went overboard by mistreating his captives:
When the armies of the tribes of Judah and Simeon, attacked and took Adoni-bezek into custody They cut off Adoni-bezek's thumbs and big toes and died If you want to reap kindness and love, then sow them in your every word and action |
2015-08-30 - Show Appreciation They have been providing the help you weren't here to give me - 1 Corinthians 16:17 Paul made a practice of giving and receiveing appreciation He took time to praise Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus - Corinthian believers who traveled out of their way to encourage and assist Paul in his ministry This was important enough to Paul he didn't just suggest that people show their appreciation - he commanded it Paul: You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well Why not thank people who make your life better? You will be blessed when you offer your thanks and so will they |
2015-09-08 - Conflict Resolution Let's not allow this conflict to come between us - Genesis 13:8 The ability to resolve conflict is an important people skill for any man to have A conflict arose when Abram's and Lot's herdsmen began to argue among themselves Abram took the first step by recongnizing the problem and talking to Lot about it The second step was to offer Lot the choice of whatever portion of land he wanted Abram gave Lot the first choice of land because he was more concerned with maintaining a good relationship than his wealth Abram knew God would continue to bless him no matter where he settled |
2015-09-12 - Get Into Action We decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there - Acts 16:10 In Acts 16, Luke's language changed from third person to first person as he took an active part of the ministry We decided to leave for Macedonia at once - Acts 16:11 Luke was not content to just sit back and observe other people's experiences of faith He became an integal part:
Christian growthis throwing yourself into the work of the KIngdom |
2015-09-25 - Encouragement Judas and Silas spoke at length to the believers, encouraging and strengthing their faith - Acts 15:32 They were choosen to travel with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch Judas and Silas were chosen to deliver a letter that communicated what the apostles had decided about what Jewish laws the Gentile Christians needed to observe They did not just read the letter and head home - they took the time and went out of their way to speak words of encouragement and strength to the believers You can bless others as you go out of your way to encourage them |
2015-10-03 - When a Brother Sins I will certainly not sin against the Lord by ending my prayers for you - 1 Samuel 12:23 Sometimes we feel thempted to write off a brother in Christ who made a mess of their faith Bible teach us to pray for such a man and do everthing we can to restore him Israel made a foolish and ungodly choice - insisted on an earthly king Samuel felt disappointed but he did not write off the people Instead Samuel took these steps:
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2015-10-14 - Finish Strong Amaziah did not destroy the pagan shrines - 2 Kings 14:3-4 Amaziah rejected King David's godly example and followed his father example, Joash, instead Joash started out strongly but fell flat later in life He faithfully served God early in his reign but defaulted on his spiritual responsibilites Amaziah led reactively instead of proactively
Follow godly examples rather than ones like Amaziah - they startedout well but finished poorly
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2015-10-28 - Deceptive Feelings I long for the years gone by when God took care of me - Job 29:2 During his worst time of misery, Job began wondering if God still cared about him After he lost everything, Job felt abandoned and longed for the good old days God knew exactly how much Job had suffered but Job could not feel it Job was so focused on his suffering that he lost sight of the unchangeable fact that God would never abandon him Feelings speak truth about your pain but can lie about God's response God had never abandoned anyone he loves |
2015-11-19 - Legacy of Faith Jonathon's father had shown flashes of faith but his overall lack of spiritual focus led to his ouster as king and a strained relationship with his son He took a different approach with his relationship with the Lord:
You may not have spiriutal roots as a Christian but you can begin a legacy of faith and obedience |
2015-12-05 - High Road When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord gave him twice as much as before - John 42:10 As Job's painful story draws to a close, he faces a choice: how to handle his friends offering nothing but accusations and condemnation? They basically said - If you are suffering like this, it must be because your sin has angered God Most of us shrink from those who attack us. Not Job:
Job took the high road and refused to hold grudges, he took an even higher road when he prayed for them |
2015-12-06 - Impossible He went in alone and shut the door behind him and prayed to the Lord - 2 Kings 4:33 Elisha had sent his assistant Gehazi ahead to try to raise the boy from the dead, but he had failed Asfter Elisha took over, the boy's mother was carrying her living son out of the bedroom What made the difference? Not:
The difference was Elisha turned to God through prayer and consistently communicated with God before he acted |
2015-12-17 - Legacy Now Samuel died and all Israel gathered for his funeral - 1 Samuel 25:1 Samuel made a nig impression on everyone who knew him - the entire nation mourned his passing Samuel left behind a legacy of faith, obedience, and courage:
Our primary goal in life should always be to make a positive mark for the Kingdom of God |
2015-12-24 - Greed is not Good My master should not have let this Aramean get aways without accepting any gifts - 2 Kings 5:20 Bible encourages hard work but warns against greed God had miraculously healed Naaman who gratefully offered Elisha a gift of gratitude Elisha refused the gift but his servant, Gehazi, chased after him to collect the gift without consulting Elisha first: Gehazi's greed ruined his life:
Gehazi only had to look at his hands and feet to see the serious consequences of greed |