Quiet Times Search

Search Quiet Times via a keyword or string
Keyword(s):
Number of Studies:


Searching for "wants" in the Quiet Time Archive
Displaying results from "25" to "50". (131 found)

2009-01-04 - Raising Awesome Kids - Prayer
We should pray for our children continually
To protect them, guide them, save them, and one day take them to heaven

Paul - Prayed day and night to Timothy - 2 Timothy 1:3
Most powerful weapon available in their spiritual defense and offense

We must pray with our children as well
Regular times such as bedtime and mealtime to start
Praying while going to place like church are also helpful
In times of difficulty and great challenge - we can do nothing without his blessing

What if they do not want to pray?
Talk about how God wants to be close to them
Do not do other activities are bedtime either, too tired for prayer than to tired for _______





2009-01-30 - Jesus with People - Greatest in th Kingdom
I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom  of heaven - Matthew 18:1-4

Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost - Matthew 18:12-14

We need to become like children in a very specific way
Our human nature wants to be first and to have control
Matthew 18 were driven by the same desire - they asked Jesus "Who is the greatest?"
When become like little children, we become like Jesus

Paraphrase - Because of your power-hungry pride you guys are not even in the kingdom of God, and nothing will change this fact unless you start imitating this child

After Jesus' sacrifice, all his teachings made sense
Having a child's humility is impossible until we understand the cross
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends - John 15:13

Must see other brothers and sisters in Christ as God's little spiritual children who must be cared for
God's heart is that not a single person be lost
Do we feel the personal responsibility for others?

Who do you know who is struggling spiritually? What can you do to help them?

2009-02-02 - Jesus with People - Seeing and Not Seeing
Luke 7:36-50 - Simon, I have something to tell you
Jesus is able to cut through the muck - right to the heart
He had outspoken clarity - Luke 7:40

In truth Simon saw neither the woman or himself for how they really were

Jesus did see the woman - Her sin was obvious as her brokenness
He actions came from her new sense of reality
Once she saw Jesus, she responded the only way she could have - compelled by love - 2 Corinthians 5:14

Jesus' words should have cut Simon deeply - But he who has been forgiven little lives little

He wants to have a relationship with us
Think of trying to have a relationship with ant - talking with it, caring for it and especially dying for it - it is unfathomable!

How many times did Jesus change people's view if God?

Who am I most like: Simon or the sinful woman?

2009-02-26 - Jesus with People - Doubtful Thomas
Jesus was not going to stop until Thomas was back, until he had been given an opportunity to put his doubts to death

Jesus was all what he said earlier, leave the 99 to look for that 1 - Luke 15:1-7

John 20:24-29 - not necessarily a rebuke, but a reminder

When do you find yourself doubting God's love for you?
Do you believe God still wants to purse a relationship with us even when we;re not that strong?

2009-03-03 - Promises of God - Remember Your Sins No More

Remember Your Sins No More - Hebrews 8:12

God wants to forgive
God has spent all of his time since man's fall working out our forgiveness - it cost him dearly

God's nature is to forgive
If God kept a record of sins, who could stand? - Psalms 130:3-4

Psalms 103:

  • v3 - He forgives all
  • v13-14 - He is compassionate and gracious
  • v8 - He is slow to anger
  • v9 - He doesn't hang on to his anger forever
  • v10 - He does not treat us as our sins deserve

God doesn't need forgiveness
He commited no sin - 1 Peter 2:22
We are the ones who sinned - Romans 3:23
The most foolish thing in the world is to have this attitude toward God

 



2009-05-20 - No one like him - Extravagant Generosity
Jesus about the insanely generous love of God

God wants to do more than we can ask or imagine

God's radical giving - Luke 15
Parable of lost coin, lost sheep, lost son

Our radical response - Matthew 13:44-46
We must the same as God has for us
We must give up all we have for the kingdom

2009-05-22 - No one like him - Kingdom Attitudes (part 2)
Those who mourn

After seeing the impact and the hurt we have caused -
Having godly sorrow - 2 Corinthians 7:10-11
Taking ownership

The Meek

No one wants to be meek
Meekness - horse that has been broken
Gentle, Humble, Teachable
Defensive spirit gone
We must remember we have been cleansed from our past sins - 2 Peter 1:9
"will inherited the earth" - will make the most of our lives on this earth

2009-07-20 - A Life of Impact - Hardline and Affirmation

Hardline

Mark 8:34-9:1

  • Attitudes generally do not float in isolation – whistling teapot principle
  • Jesus chose the most challenging words spoken by any leader.
  • Words used:
  • "If anyone…"
    • "…he must…"
    • "…deny himself…"
    • "…take up his cross…"
    • "…whoever wants to save his life will lose it…"
  • His primary concern was for their immortal souls. No wonder he had such impact!!

Affirmation

Mark 9:2-13

  • People are encouraged when they realize that we are indeed in line with the expectations of our superiors.
  • They will also be inspired when they understand that their support for us is essential for the overall success.


2009-08-14 - A Life of Impact - Emotional Transformation (part 1)

Emotional Transformation

Mark 14:32-42

  • Jesus’ friends provided him with absolutely no support at all during this spiritual struggle.
  • All are overwhelmed with losses, failure, challenges, frustrations, by life
  • If you are a leader, you cannot afford to be “down” for any significant length of time.
  • The ability to make a quick and complete emotional turn-around is invaluable for the man or woman who wants to have an impact.

In touch with His feelings

  • A person unfamiliar to their own emotional nature is a slave to it, while the person who is familiar with their weaknesses is in a position to master them.
  • A spiritual man, through humility, has become acquainted with his own emotional self, and armed with that knowledge, has learned to turn his negative emotions around quickly.


2009-08-22 - Wild at Heart - Intro (part 4)
Women want to be fought for
She wants to be wanted
She wants to be pursued
Knight n shinning armor – core of the feminine heart and the life she knows she was made for
She wants an adventure to share – part of the adventure
She wants to be caught up into something greater than herself
Every woman wants to have her beauty revealed
“Do you see me?” “And are you captivated by what you see?”
World kills woman’s heart – be tough, efficient, and independent
No one is fighting for her (no adventure to swept up in) – doubts very much that she any beauty to unveil.

Man must know he is powerful and know what it takes
Woman must know she is beautiful and she is worth fighting for

2009-08-26 - Wild at Heart - God loves wilderness (part 2)
God’s relationship with us is risky
We are unpredictable; there is the likelihood to get hurt (ultimate risk anyone ever takes is to love)
God give love all the time (and gets hurt all the time)

Music, wine, poetry, sunset – all his inventions
God is romantic at heart
Heart of man is drawn from God – strong and courageous love
Have you noticed the most often word used with boys is 'don’t' –God’s design 'Yes'
Sexes show different sides of God’s heart
Heart of a woman – deep hearted, seductive more than fierce
Wants to be loved
Why don’t you choose Me?
'Seek and you will find me…with all of your heart' – Jeremiah 29:13
God wants to be wanted
Why does God does not answer prayer right away? – he wants us to talk to him
God has beauty to be unveiled
Each stage of creation is better than before
All Adam can say is “WOW”

Women wants he beauty unveiled
Do you delight in me?
God wants to be worshiped

2009-08-30 - Wild at Heart - Question that haunts every man (part 4)
Eve (helper or lifesaver)– fails her design too
Eve is deceived
Eve was convicted that God was withholding something from her
Now every daughter of Eve wants control her surroundings
  • She wants control of the adventure
  • Her relationships
  • Her God
  • No longer vulnerable
  • Fear that no one will speak on our behalf or protect us or fight for us
  • Manipulate our surroundings so we don’t feel so defenseless.
What did Adam do next? He hid
We are hiding - not what we are meant to be - afraid of exposure

2009-09-18 - Wild at Heart - Healing the wound (part 4)
Forgiveness is a choice
Do not wait for the feeling of wanting to forgive because it will not come
Not “It didn’t matter” and “I probably reserved it”
“It was wrong, it mattered, and I release you”

Masculinity is passed from father to son
Adam, Abraham, Jacob, David leaned who they were out of their intimacy with God the Father

New heart and put a new spirit in you - Romans 8:1
What God sees when he see you is the real you, the true you, the man he had in mind when he made you
You must ask God what he thinks of you, and you must stay with the question until you have an answer
Last thing the Evil One wants you to

2009-09-21 - Wild at Heart - The Enemy (part 2)
A warrior is cunning.
When to fight and when to run
Three enemies:
  1. world
  2. flesh
  3. devil
We don’t want to move unless we’re guaranteed success
We want the easy way out
Your flesh is a weasel, a poser, and a selfish pig. And your flesh is not you.

Paul knew the struggle within – my sin is not me – this not my true heart - Romans 7
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you - Ezekiel 36:26
There is a war within us, but it is a civil war. There is a traitor within who wars against our true heart fighting alongside the Spirit of God
The real you is on the side of God against the false self.
The man who wants to live valiantly will lose heart quickly if he believes that his heart is nothing but sin
We are never told to crucify our heart
We are never told to kill the true man with in us
Never told to get rid of those deep desires for battle and adventure and beauty

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.

2009-10-21 - Wild at Heart - An adventure to live (part 4)
The problem with modern Christianity is it’s obsession with principles
Real test of a man comes when all his resources fail
Living and loving – jump in with both feet

Ask your wife what is wrong? Dangerous – very much a mystery
She does not want to be solved; she wants to be known

We know how to be nice but we really do not know how to fight

Christian life should not be chaotic or be flagrantly irresponsible.
Break away from it all and head off into the unknown God
Adam - No formula for how he was to handle mess
God honored and did not hold his hand

Was not left alone to face life
The only way to live in this adventure – is in an ongoing relationship with God
Control we crave is an illusion – it in exchange for God’s relationship
Moses and God knew each other
David was after God’s own heart
Jesus made God known – John 15:15
What are you teaching me here, God?

What are you asking me to do or let of?
What in my heart are you speaking to?

2009-10-23 - Repentance - What Happened (part 2)
Congregation of consumers ultimately switches products, wholly dissatisfied with a church product
 
New Testament Church Consumer-Driven Church
Repent for the Kingdom of God is near “Meet new friends and get to know your neighbors”
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance… “Enjoy upbeat music with a contemporary flavor”
If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself “a new church designed to meet my needs”

Like a doctor – it would be absurd to change their diagnose and treatment to the wants of the patient.

Repentance is revival

Questions:
  1. Have you made a recent decision to change something in your life?
  2. Why is it more comfortable to make changes on your own terms? What changes do you seek to make?
  3. How well do you respond to reproof – from the Bible and from fellow Christians?
  4. Have you ever changed a fellowship, that is, church membership, to avoid a call to repentance?


2009-11-23 - Master Plan - Selection (part 2)
  • Not the kind of group you would expect to win the world for the Christ.
  • Represented an average cross section of the society of their day
  • Some already had joined the revival movement of John the Baptist
  • Jesus can use anyone who wants to be used.
  • Kept the group small enough to be able to work effectively with them.
    • More special than the twelve was the three – Peter, James, John
      • Jairus’ daughter (mark 5:37, Luke 8:51)
      • Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:2, Matthew 17:1)
      • Waited Near the Lord when He prayed. (Mark 14:33, Matthew 26:37)
    • Choose twelve – Luke 6:13-17, Mark 3:13-19
    • Others – the 70 (Luke 10:1), Mark and Luke (gospel writers), James, His own brother (1 Cor 15:7)
  • Rapidly diminishing priority given to those outside the twelve.
  • Staked His whole ministry on them. Everything depended upon their faithfulness.
  • Some believe that focusing on a few is favoritism
  • Jesus however did not neglect the crowds.
    • Taught them
    • Healed the sick
    • Blessed the children
    • Wept for them
    • He died for them.
  • Crowd aroused
    • Wanted to make him King by force - John 6:15
    • All men were clamoring for His attention - John 3:26
    • Pharisees admitted that the world has gone after Him - John 12:19
    • Frequently asked those that recipients of His healing to say nothing to prevent mass demonstrations
    • Own brothers and sisters did not understand him - John 7:2-9


2010-01-12 - Kingdom First - Radical Righteousness
Jesus says to just throw your Christian checklists away - Matthew 5:27-30
We can pass many of our checks and be far away from God

Boundaries and lists without the heart make a hollow shell

Continual sin such as impurity is used by Satan to destroy our spiritual appetite
We are filled with guilt and our faith to overcome is damaged - compounding the problem by hiding the sin
We are robbed of the victory that Jesus wants us to have

How do we gorge out sin?
  • Understand that Jesus wants us to be perfectly pure
  • Be desperate enough to do anything to overcome the sin
  • Examine yourself and the sin
  • Need to be open about the sin


2010-01-18 - Kingdom First - Giving in Secret
Giving should be done without even our closest friends and family knowing - Matthew 6:1-4
God blesses are many time unknown or unseen to many people
He gives because he wants to

Are you content when no one sees your sacrifice?
Do you give without wanting anything in return?

Jesus' life was full of sacrifical giving and he expects us to do likewise
  • Lift up widow for giving out of her poverty - Luke 21:1-4
  • He challenges the rich young man to sell everything - Matthew 19:21
  • God loved us so much, he gave up his only son - John 3:16
Giving must be a decision we make - do it joyfully

God loves a cheerful giver - 2 Corinthians 9:7

2010-01-20 - Kingdom First - Handle Prayerfully (part 2)
Not like the hypocrites
Jesus wants us to be real - not having our hearts far from him - Matthew 15:8
Are genuinely struggling with God in prayer?
Are you honest with God when you do not want to do his will?
Never let religious word/action define your prayer life

In Your Room
Jesus wants us to be isolated so we are without interruption
We should feel freedom to be ourselves and to be deeply honest

No Babbling

Who babbles?
  • Two-year olds
  • nervous people
  • lazy-minded
  • superficial people
  • self-conscious people
Disciples should be this way in prayer:
  • Confidence
  • At peace
  • Clear-minded
  • Alert
  • Deep and Focused


2010-01-29 - Kingdom First - So Much More
God wants to bless us - Matthew 7:7-11

NOT: Why are things so bad? OR Why me?

We need to ask God to help us answer the right questions:
  • What can I learn from this problem?
  • What is your will for my life?
  • What can I change that will make his/her life and our marriage better?
We need to ask
Why don't we ask God?
  • We think we are not worthy
  • Our faith is weak
  • We don't know what we want - we need to dream
vs9 - Jesus is referring to our needs

Has God given you "bread" only to have you call it a "stone"?

2010-02-06 - First the Kingdom - One-Lane Road (part 1)
Seemingly contradictory statements:
God wants all men be saved - 1 Timothy 2:3-4
Road to God  is narrow and only a few will find it - Matthew 7:13-14

Both are true

God shows he wants all me to be saved
He sent his son who spoke clearly and plainly about what it takes
The broad road says - I know better than God what life and eternity are all about
On the broad road - so many people and so many standards
Bible warns those on the broad road will face terrors and traps of many kinds - Proverbs 4:10-19

Many agree that the narrow road teaching Jesus describes is one of the most difficult
Can not be faithful to Jesus' message and teach anything but the narrow road
Only a few find = fact is that only a few search
Everyone who seeks finds - Matthew 7:7-8

2010-02-28 - One Another - One Another In Groups (part 2)
Look for the Spirit's work in all things - 1 Thessalonians 5:6-19

The Spirit is always at work - John 5:17
Guard against the tendency to look at your group through unspiritual eyes
God chose the weak things of this world to shame the strong - 1 Corinthians 1:27
Don't just hang those you click with, God wants to teach us through people who are different from us

Support spiritual leadership - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

Ask your leader(s) if he/she feels your support and encouragement - how you can more fully show it

2010-03-23 - To Live is Christ - Anxious About Nothing

Paul urges them to be anxious and worried about nothing and to pray about everything because God is in control - Philippians 4:6-7

Peace never comes without surrender
Surrender never comes without a decision to trust

Something instead of dealing with our emotions, we try an avoidance pattern
Adam and Eve hid from God and themselves

We must be in touch with happens to others and ourselves
It is why we must consistently and unashamedly pray about all aspects of our lives
It is not just for some - it is normal experience - just people deciding to trust God in every situation

Guard (a garrison of angel are available to help) our hearts - Satan wants us to trust ourselves and to doubt our God
Our own thoughts are not always the truth

How challenging to turn everything over to God. Yet, how foolish not to!

 



2010-05-17 - Desire's Journey - The Beast Within
Years of living in an indifferent hostile world creates a deep sense of unsettledness with in us

Battle of good and evil within us - Romans 7:20-23
Sinful desires are contrary to the Spirit
They conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want - Galatians 5:17

There is a nagging awareness warning us not to feel our hunger too deeply or it will undo us
We wouldn't want to do anything crazy or desperate

We want what our unmet desire wants but our sinful nature wants what is contrary

We try everything - TV, sex, relationships, drugs, etc - going one to another
We don't know what we want because we're so unacquaninted with our desire

We try to keep a safe distance between our daily lives and our heart's desire - because it causes us too much trouble

Do we really want to open Pandora's box?

Dare we awaken our hears to their true desires?
Is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?

Our dilemma is this: we can't seem to live with desire, and we can't live without it



2010-05-24 - Desire's Journey - Blessed are the Nice?

The enemy wants us to have small passions and desires

We are producing a generation whose greatest virtue is to not defend anyone
Then wonder why there is not more passion for Christ

The greatest enemy of holiness is not passion but apathy
Zeal for your house consumes me - John 2:17
Zeal isn't quite the pcitures we have of Sunday school

If deadness is next to godliness, then Jesus had to deadest person ever - it wasn't the case

God is a consuming fire - Hebrews 10:31
The consuming fire is His jealous love - Deuteronomy 4:24
Joy set before him enable Jesus to endure the agony of the Cross - Hebrews 12:2

 



2010-05-25 - Desire's Journey - Man who Wanted Nothing

A faithful church attender, never missing a Sunday, serving on a committee and offered help to those in need - but why is there something missing?

Why are we a Christian? What is that we want?
You can not help someone who does not want anything
Geldings are nicer and much more well behaved than stallion but they do not bring live (sterile)

To abandon desire is to say, "I don't really need you or want you. I will live with you because I am suppose to"

Your heart desires, duty reduces the dance to a drill
God wants to be desired

The real dilemma of desire is that it humbles us
It takes us wat beyond our own resources where we need to ask for help



2010-06-09 - Take the test (part 4)

Take the test

50% is better than 0%

Luke 8:11

  • Time for testing
  • We need to have grit and determination
  • You are stronger than you think
  • You can get answers (open book test)

 

Learn from the results

 

1 Peter 5:5-7

  • Older people have taken those same tests
  • Deepens our love and faith
  • Help you get closer to people
  • Helps with compassion toward others

 

Do better than on your next test

 

Each test is administored by God

1 Peter 5:8-9

  • God wants us to improve
  • Do not quit
  • Admit where you are weak


Who is winning in you life? God or Satan?



2010-06-24 - God does not change (part 2)
Genesis

v1:1 - Not much of the world

v2:1 - What a change in a few weeks

v2:20-25 - God created companionship - Adam's life changed

v3:23-24 - Punished, banished, and moved out of the garden

v6:11
  • God moves people around
  • Noah's life changed because of his righteousness
  • Would start the whole human race over again
v12:1-5 - Abraham is called to leave even though he did not know much about God

v37:17-28
  •  Joesph life changed
  • Often did not know what God was doing but we must have faith to change

Genesis 45:4-8
  • Results of brother's action lead to the coming of Jesus
  • God allowed Joesph brother's to throw him into slavery for me
  • God is all about change because he wants us to have have faith

God will never change

2010-07-14 - Desire's Journey - Deeper Desire (part 1)
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst

The dilemma of desire is the deepest dilemma we will ever face
The dangers are deep and potentially fatal

How do we not lose heart?

No one wants to:
  • Fill up on snack on Thanksgiving
  • Buy gifts for one's self for Christmas
  • Look for a date at his own wedding rehearsal
There is something about waiting in expectation for something really special

Three things we must come to terms with in our heart:
  1. We must have life
  2. We cannot arrange for it
  3. It is coming


2010-07-21 - Desire's Journey - Deeper Desire (part 8)
Losing all sensitivity - the dullness that most people accept as normal - Ephesians 4:17-19

A deadened soul requires a greater and greater level of stimulation to arouse it
This is known as the downward spiral of any addiction

TV today would be consider shocking thirty years ago
This is why holiness is not numbness - it is sensitivity

God wants to be our perfect lover but instead we seek perfection in human relationships and are disappointed when our lovers cannot love us perfectly

The Law (Music sheet, if you will) is our help for guiding us
Our instrument is out of tune from years of misuse
We're not clear all the time on what it is we really want

2010-08-29 - Waking Dead - Listening to His Voice
God is still speaking to us today

I have much more to say to you. The Spirit will guide you in all truth - John 16:12-13
There is much more than Jesus wants to say to you
Since the Spirit resides in you heart - the conversation can continue

Many good people never hear God because they have never been told  that he does
He who belongs to God hears what God says - John 8:47

His sheep follow him because they hear his voice. I am the good shpherd - John 10:4
He wants to speak to you and want to lead you to good pasture

When we ask, we need to hear what the true answer is - not what we want to hear

2010-09-04 - Waking Dead - Deep Restoration (part 1)
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds - Psalms 147:3

Part of you is pulled one direction, part of you the other
Don't you sometimes feel a house divided?

Take your phobias:
Why are you afraid of heights,  intimacy, or public speaking?
All the discipline in the world will not get you to do these things - Romans 7-8
Part of me knows to pray is essential but other part wants to watch TV

We are not wholehearted
"Well, part of me does and part of me does not"
Anytime we find ourselves doing something we wish we could stop but can not/ "unable" - ought to raise concerns

Hebrew for brokenhearted is "leb shabar"
  • leb = heart
  • shabar = broken
shabar used in parts of Isaiah
  • Describes a bush whose twigs are broken off - Isaiah 27:11
  • Describes idols of Babylon shattered on the ground - Isaiah 21:9
  • Describing a broken bone - Isaiah 38:13
Your heart is now in pieces and I want to heal it - God

2010-09-06 - Waking Dead - Deep Restoration (part 3)
Chris came not only to pardon us but to heal us

Jesus can and wants to heal your heart.

What does that rouse in you?
  • Hope?
  • Cynicism?
  • Pride?
Without your heart you cannot hope to find God
The heart is God's dwelling place
If you ignore your heart, it is like looking for him everywhere but at home

It might be a surprise to you that Christ ask our permission to come in and heal

Behold, I stand at the door and knock - Revelation 3:20
He does not force his way in

There are sometimes rooms we have kept locked up
We must give him permission to come in there - ask Jesus for your whole heart back

2010-09-10 - Waking Dead - Spiritual Warfare (part 2)
The question is not are we oppressed but where and how we are

Why does every story have an enemy?
  • Little Red Riding Hood - wolf
  • Dorthy - Wicked Witch of the West
  • Neo - powerful agents
Every story has a villain because yours does

Satan lost the battle against Michael and his angels - was hurled to earth - Revelation 12:9
Satan's mood? He is filled with fury because he knows his time is short - Revelation 12:12

He is trying to steal your freedom, kill your heart, destroy your life
We can go throughout our day and not even once wonder how the enemy might be attacking us
All we know is that we aren't enjoying that abundant life Christ talked about

Ignorance of spiritual warfare is the most native and dangerous thing a person can do
You don't escape spiritual warfare by choosing not to believe it exists or refuse to fight

The thief is trying to steal the life God wants to give - John 10:10


2010-09-11 - Waking Dead - Spiritual Warfare (part 3)
Satan is the Father of Lies - John 8:44
His first attack on the human race was to lie to Adam and Eve
He lied about God and where life was found

He hoping we buy into whatever he is saying
The evil one is still lying to us and is seeking our agreement every day

Try to hold on to this and see much accusation you live under
Your heart is good
Your heart matters to God

We must make no agreement with him
Most of the time we don't recognize the attack because we do not live as though we are at war
We assume these impressions are our own

Any movement toward freedom, life, God, or others will be opposed
Marriage, friendship, beauty, rest - the thief wants it all

2010-09-15 - God is love

Preached by Richard Dixion on 1999-05-04

Psalms 25:10

  • Gratefulness: no arguments, no frustration, no complaining
Unconditional Love

Psalms 145:13

  • All he made - Did God make you?
  • We live in an unloving world
    • God is not like use
  • We make limits to our love
    • God does not stop
  • We all need unconditional love
Tough Love

Hebrews 12:4-10

  • God love is tough
  • Two kinds of discipline
    • Action - stops for the short-term
    • Heart - God way, deals with sin
  • Discipline - creates - discipline and gratefulness
  • Running away or running toward discipline?
  • He wants us to be holy, righteousness
  • Wrong thinking: I won't because I might get disciplined
  • Right thinking: I will, and I will be molded


His love is Transforming

Romans 12:1-2

  • What transforms you?
  • How are different than a year ago?
  • Living sacrifices?

2 Corinthians 5:3

  • How would you look if God transformed your life?
  • Do you know who are?
  • What would Jesus do different in your life?
  • God loves us the way we are
    • He refuses to leave us that way


2010-09-16 - Why can't we be friends?
Preached on 2003-01-26

Conflicts -Who are having problems? 1 John 4:20

- To love God, is to love our brothers

Three reason why we can not

1. Lack of spiritually (half-hearted)

Genesis 4:1
- God wants us to give your best
- First reaction: Anger and downcast
- Relationships - best to God, best to others

How could being close to God change things for you?

2. Selfish


Jacob and Esua

Genesis 25:27-35
- Only do things you like to do
- Waiting for them to come to you
- You make the first moved

3. Jealous/Anger

Genesis 37:1

- How is jealousy effecting you relationship?
- Focus on all the blessing you DO have
- Pray for them

2010-10-16 - Giving (Part II)
  1. It Takes Faith to Give - Malachi 3:8-11
    1. God wants us to test him in our giving (v. 10). All we need is the faith.
    2. God is waiting to pour out blessing when we trust Him. It is easy to say 'I'll give when God blesses me." God says, "Give and I win bless you."
  2. God's Promises - Malachi 3:10-11, Mark 10:29-31, 2 Corinthians 9:10-11
    1. We will not have enough room for God's blessings.
    2. We can never outgive God.
    3. God always gives back 100 times as much to us.
    4. God will continue to give to us so we in turn can give to others and meet their needs.
    5. Ultimate blessing: treasure in heaven.
  3. Depend on God - Philippians 4:14-19
    1. Our giving is a sacrifice pleasing to God.
    2. When we give, God will meet all our needs.

QUESTIONS

  1. Do I hold back on my contribution because I am worried about the future?
  2. Does my giving cause me to rely on God?
  3. What amount of money should I be giving weekly that is both responsible and still requires faith?
  4. When have I relied on the promise of God in my giving? What did God do in response?


2010-10-22 - God and Your Job
  1. God's Plan for Your Life - Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 3:13, 22; 2 Thessalonians 3:10
    1. It is God's will for us to work hard in order to earn the bread we eat.
    2. God wants us to find satisfaction in our work.
    3. If a person will not work, he cannot eat.
  2. Responsibility of the Employee - Colossians 3:22-25; Ephesians 4:28; Acts 5:29
    1. Obedience: We are to be a disciple to our boss on the job. God expects us to obey our boss not just to win his favor, but out of reverence for Christ.
    2. Wholeheartedness: God expects us to put our whole heart into our work. As Christians, we should be the most sincere and hard-working employees on the job.
    3. Do not steal from your employer (e.g. receiving pay for work you did not do, taking supplies, submitting false or exaggerated expense reports).
    4. Obey God first. If asked to do something that is illegal, unethical, or sinful - obey God over men.

QUESTIONS

  1. What do I need to repent of in relation to my job? Be specific.
  2. Am I doing anything as a part of my job that is sinful or goes against my conscience?


2010-11-18 - Contagious Christian - Making the Message Clear (part III)
The Bridge Illustration



  • He made us
  • We matter to God
  • He wants to have a relationship with us
  • We rebelled against God
  • Our sins separate us from Him
  • Attempts to reach Him fall short - Romans 3:23
  • Our sins desire death - Romans 6:23
  • There is much trouble apart from God - people need to understand their lostness
  • Christ died so we have relationship restored - 1 Peter 3:18
A common response is to go back and think about it for a while
Other times God has prepared their hearts through someone else
We need to give them this freedom

2010-11-19 - Contagious Christian - Making the Message Clear (part IV)
Another illustration similar to the bridge analogy...

Baseball Illustration

If one wants to enter the All-Universe Hall must meet the following requirements for 5 years
  • Must play error free ball
  • Pitchers must strikeout everyone in a no-hitter every time
  • Must have 1.000 batting average
  • Each hit must be a home run
Who can do this for a season?
To earn your salvation, you must do something similar - Romans 3:23
One missed law is guilty of breaking all of the laws - James 2:10
We need Jesus' sacrifice to reach God



2010-11-23 - Mission - Expectation of Christ
Reading Luke 19:11-27

Parable of the 10 minas
God has given us a lifetime of opportunities and blessing with the expectation that they would be utilized to the fullest
Consider the most important goal of life according to Jesus - salvation for all
It is the motivating force behind everything Christ did
Even to the point of dying for it - Matthew 20:28

The gospel must first save me, but then through me, save others

Capitalism and Communism does not give us the answers
No philosophy or religion can meet the needs

God wants to the world more than you do
When God wants something accomplished, he can move mountains to do it
He sacrificed his own Son for saving man

Our God is wildly happy when someone is saved - Luke 15
If we claim to know God, then we most certainly will share with in his attitude



2010-11-30 - Mission - Repentance
Both Luke 24 and 2 - message of repentance and forgiveness is mentioned in the light of the death and resurrection of Jesus

The message to Preach

1. Repentance

God wants the cross to reveal how disgraceful and disgusting sin is
To motivate us to radical and rapid change
Is there an example of repentance in the Bible that is not radical and rapid?
Repentance is the first and foremost call to change to change our mind (metanoia)

Paul preached they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance with their deeds - Acts 26:20
You can only change your action for a period of time without ever really changing your mind
Change your mind, you will change your action rapidly and radically

Baptism happened rapidly and radically because his heart was ready to change - Acts 8
Would we have have baptized the Ethiopian the same day?
What did Philip see? Unmistakable signs of godly sorrow
As soon as someone has repented, he is ready for baptism

2010-12-04 - Mission - Peter, From a Reed
Peter was a reed blowing in the wind who became a rock whom God could build great things
Jesus looked at Peter and saw what he could become
Perhaps for the first time in Peter's life someone believed in him and had a vision that he could be someone great

When we feel believed in, we feel loved
The only thing that counts if faith expressing itself through love - Galatians 5:6
God looks at us for what we will become - Jeremiah 29:11
Viewing our day to day struggles and failures as their growth process on the way to becoming what God wants
Peter was convinced of this It kept Peter coming back after his failures

When Peter was asked if he wanted to leave, he said 'Lord, to whom shall we go?" - John 6:68-69

Think of all of Peter's heartbreaking failures....
  • Stepped of the boat, only to sink - Matthew 14:31
  • Rebuked for his dullness - Matthew 15:15-16
  • Rebuked Jesus and got the rebuke of a lifetime - Matthew 16:22-23
  • Fell asleep when Jesus needed him most - Matthew 26:40
  • Denied knowing Jesus three times and wept bitterly - Matthew 26:75


2010-12-06 - Mission - John's Walk with Jesus
What disciples does not like the apostle John, the "apostle of love"?

Not everyone
  • Some apostles did not like his selfish ambition - Matthew 20:24
  • Some thought he was prideful describing himself as the beloved disciple of Jesus - John 21:7
  • After the resurrection, Peter still seems to have attitudes towards John - John 21:21
New John after walking with Jesus for a while - Mark 1:19

John stayed close to Jesus - Luke 9:28
He would never quit Jesus - Mark 14:32-34
John loved Jesus until the end - John 19:25-27

John changed:
  • Selfish ambition turned to kingdom ambition
  • Fits of rage changed to fits of love
  • Factiousness come together into a passion of unity
Only after walking with Jesus did John become the apostle of love, he wasn't that way naturally

How is our walk with Jesus?
Do we focus our energy on our walk with Jesus?

Only after walking with Jesus, can we change into the disciple Jesus' wants us to be

2010-12-19 - Worlds Wisdom vs Gods Wisdom (part I)
1 Corinthians 1:18-20
  • Everyone wants to know “How can I really live?”
  • This passage spells out two fundamental ways to answer this question. The world’s wisdom or God’s wisdom.
  • How does man in his wisdom view God’s wisdom (the cross)?
  • How does God view man’s wisdom? Can we have it both ways?
  • If you think I am a fool and I think you are a fool, what will our relationship be like?
  • Establish the wide gulf in the two ways of viewing and living life.
1 Corinthians 3:18-20
  • Why does Paul say “Do not deceive yourselves?”
  • There is something about the world’s wisdom that is deceiving.
  • It is easy to convince ourselves that what we want to believe, what is comfortable, what is familiar, is right.
Matthew 16:13-17
  • What kind of man was Peter? Was he religious?
  • He certainly gets a right answer here.
  • According to Jesus, where does this answer come from?
Matthew 16:21-23
  • What does “Peter rebuked him” mean?
  • Peter thought he was seeing things God’s way, but in reality he was still on the side of the world’s wisdom.
  • We can know the right answers and still be living according to the wisdom of the world. What was Jesus’ response?
  • Where does the world’s wisdom really come from? From Satan. No wonder it is the opposite of God’s wisdom.


2011-01-02 - Discipleship (part II)

Luke 9:23-27

  • Emphasize the heart that God wants.
  • What are the three demands of discipleship in this verse?
    • What does it mean to “deny yourself?”
    • What does it mean to “take up your cross daily?”
    • What does it mean to “follow Jesus?”
  • How can we be “ashamed of Jesus and His words?”

Luke 9:57-62 - Examine the issues involved with each person - thoughtless following, excuse making
and second thoughts.

Luke 14:25-35

  • If anyone would come after me… A disciple loves Jesus more than any other person (v.26).
  • A disciple loves Jesus in spite of any persecution (v.27).
  • A disciple loves Jesus more than any possession (v.33).
  • Count the cost (vv.28-30): it’s the most important decision of your life!
  • Consider the alternatives (vv.31-32): Surrender or lose everything! It’s a decision for the rest of your life (vv.34-35).


2011-02-01 - Gender Controversy - Intro
We are told that the opposition is a recent phenomenon

  • Bible does not condemn homosexuality
  • Committed homosexual relationships is compatible with Biblical unity

They use examples: Jon/David, Ruth, Naomi

Clear passages are "reinterpreted" so the "modern reader" can understand

  • In the past, people were ashamed to go public
  • People did not have to address it because it was understood
  • Francis Turretin  (17th century) said that homosexuality was  - "sin against nature"

Both sides claim the Bible supports their view - It is one way or the other

Bible disapproves but offers hope
Satan wants to call evil good and good evil

Sodom and Gomorrah
Genesis 13:13 - MEN were exceedingly wicked; rebelled against God

Next 25 >>