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2008-02-26 - Power of Gratitude - Uncommon Peace What enables us to have such uncommon peace? - Commonality
- Relationship with God
- Decision to make Jesus Lord of our lives
- Basic mission - to seek and save the lost
If we in a battle together, we are unlikely to attack one another
Stay committed to God with the mission and discipling firmly in place, our unity will remain
Three warning signs, if not doing:
A. Daily diet
- Time in the Word daily - Acts 17:11
- Daily prayer - Luke 11:1-4
- Share our faith daily - Acts 17:17
- Open with our lives daily with one another - Hebrews 3:12
B. Lack of commitment
C. Lack of discipling
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2008-02-27 - Power of Gratitude - Free at Last
MLK - as bad as slavery was - there a slavery that last for eternity
2 Corinthians 5:21 - Jesus might become sin for us
As existence of righteousness does not ensure we receive it
Satan tries everything to help us miss this opportunity
Jews after saw their failures in the past - created many regulations so they would not sin
- Not the content of their character
- Basis of conformity to rules
- Majored in the minors and minored in the majors
Religion that is performance based is doomed
- what must we do to please God
- Condemn others outwardly
- Condemn ourselves inwardly
- Everything becomes a matter of right and wrong
- Hearts focused if we have done enough and have done it right
1 Corinthians 15:10 - I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me
Romans 7-8 - Focus is not on themselves but on him who died for them; Because they are saved
James 1:23-25 - Law points out their sin clearly / making them feel more indebted to God
Motivation to last a lifetime - Our love responding to his grace
Other motivations:
- Fear - only for a while
- Christian fellowship - until other's disappointments and failures
- Ambition - until our disappointments and failures
NOT: Measure up and I will accept you
YES: I'll accept you, now let's walk together in my strength
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2008-03-04 - Power of Gratitude - It is so Hard and but I Love it Marriage - hardest year of a good marriage is the first one and the hardest year of a bad marriage is the last one
God brings opposites together - rigid and let it go types
Because God is trying to work off the rough edges
If we are to grow through trials, we must learn to view them correctly
First comes hurt, then can come anger or try to ignore it
Other turn to "grin and bear it" or "this too must past" - blocks us from growth
Garden of Gethsemance - Jesus expressed and dealt with emotional pain with prayer - Hebrews 5:7-10
If Jesus had to suffer, how much will we need to be perfected - Colossians 1:24
Trial both mature us and attract others at the same time
Rejoice in the sufferings - 1 Peter 4:13
Must have heaven's perspective in every situation
Even when can not figure out what God is doing - requires a child-like response
Why me? > Why not me?
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2008-03-08 - Power of Gratitude - Is This All There Is? Most of the physical pursuits of life (Ecclesiastes) are substitutes for what we really need - a relationship with God
"Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ" - Philippians 3:7-11
The answer - to be totally immersed in my relationship with God through Christ
To know God in such a way and at such a level that all else pales into comparision
When this level is reached, nothing else will matter:
- Not position
- Not recognition
- Not performance
- Not respect
Fear of death will lose its hold
"For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain" - Philippians 1:21
Thankful books
Do it just before going to bed every night
God is too good for us not express gratitude
Ideas: come up with 7 areas of gratitude and incorporate one area into your prayers each day
- Physical blessings
- Family blessings
- Spiritual blessings
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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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2008-03-12 - Be Still My Soul - Time Outdoors
Do you realize that nearly all of the people we read about in the Bible spent most of their time outside?
- Star-studded evening would tell how many descendants Abraham would have - Genesis 15:5
- Looking at God's creation - humbled Job's pride - Job 38:4-7
FInd park, trails, and open spaces.
Open your eyes, listen, breath the realivily clear air
When is the last time you:
- Took in a sunrise or sunset
- Watched the changing cloud formations
- Listen to the songs of the birds
- Strolled through the leaves of fall
- Listen to the snow fall as they gently fell to earth
- Took a good look at the flowers of spring
- Stopped to watch the a powerful thunderstorm
- Stood in awe of the sparkling stars
Psalms 19:1-4; Psalms 65:8-13
Time outside with God is just what many of us need and nothing else will suffice
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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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2008-03-26 - Be Still My Soul - Pointed
We can not be close to God in prayer if we deal only in generalities
God indeed wants to answer our prayers - how will we know what God is doing if we pray in generalities?
Abraham - Genesis 18 - prayed to save the city if there were 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, even 10 righteous people
Our lack of specific praying reveals a distance in our relationship with God
- More specific in your gratitude - become more grateful
- More specific in confession - understand the sin you are commiting
- More specific in your requests for friends and family - see how God will work
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2008-03-27 - Be Still My Soul - Persistence
We "should always pray and not give up" - Luke 18:1
Disciples who are not close to God are simply not being perisistent
Examples of persistent prayers:
- Elisha - prayerd 7x before the promised rainfall came down -1 Kings 18:42-45
- Jesus - returned three time to the garden of Gethsemane to surrender to God's will - Matthew 26:36-FF
- Paul - prayed three times before given an answer he did not want - 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
- Early church - prayed all night for Peter's deliverance - Acts 12:1-17
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2008-03-30 - Be Still My Soul - Psalms You Sing Nothing is quite as effective as music in improving our moods and softening our hearts
- I will sing and make music - Psalms 57:7
- I will sing and make music to the Lord - Psalms 27:6
- Make music to your name - Psalms 92:1
- Extol him with music and song - Psalms 95:2
- I will sing and make music with all my soul - Psalms 108:1
- The Lord is my strength and my song - Psalms 118:14
Use of music in our personal devotions is of utmost importance and is possessed of immense power
Frees us from a mere intellectual approach
Humbles us, especially those of us who are vocally challenged
Get a songbook and start singing during your quiet times
If your relationship with God seems dry and lifeless, music may be the missing element
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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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2008-04-01 - Falling in Love with God - How Bad It Can Get
A mission of Satan is undermine my relationship with our Father
Must ask all the time: How are God and I doing?
Typical doing questions:
- Am I productive?
- Have a recently had a victory?
- How do people around me feel about me?
- How long has it been since I committed a particular sin?
Relationship questions:
- Do they feel loved?
- Are we connected?
- Have I been sensitive?
- Am I listening?
- Will this activity help our relationship?
When we drift
1. Combative - Psalms 55:20-21
2. Uncaring / Apathy (Harding of our hearts) - Psalms 36:1-4; Esphesians
Presedes sin / sensual gratification
- "I deserve this"
- "I am tired"
- "I am missing out"
- "I know what I need"
3. Hopeless - Job 3:11-13
Hopelessness is godlessness
If deeply in love with God, whispering to me promise after promise
If walking with him closely, he is meeting my needs for strength and faith
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2008-04-02 - Falling in Love with God - Bitterness
An emotional response (along with fear) that succeed at undermining our love for God
A result of an uncard-for emotional wound
Matthew 18:15-17 - can resolve most issues
Sometimes we are just called on to forgive
Not forgiving is like allowing a physical cut become infected
Examples
- Esau wept bitteryly when he failed to receive the blessing - Genesis 27:34
- Israelites incrediblity harsh and treatment from the Eyptians - Exodus 1:14
- Naomi changed her name to Mara, meaning "bitterness" (losted husband and sons) - Ruth 1:21
- Hannah wept "in bitterness of soul" because of her infertility - 1 Samuel 1:10
- David's men because of the loss of their children - 1 Samuel 30:6
- Job while not understanding the discipline of God - Job 7:11
- Missing the grace of God cause bitter root - Hebrews 12:15
- Envy becomes bitterness - James 3:14
Bitterness will actively oppose any attempt to restore our love for God
Bitter or better - a channel of curses or blessings
Disciples need Jesus' example to overcome the pain of the cross
Jesus wants us to have his attitude toward suffering
- What form do we expect our Christian suffering to take?
- Are we looking for a Christianity that does not involve suffering?
Bible command us to get rid of all bitterness
Two ways to overcome bittereness:
- Forgive - Ephesians 4:32
- Trusting God is at work in all things for our good - Romans 8:28
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2008-04-05 - Falling in Love with God - Faithful Follower Israel - when in the dessert, they did not need plant to know that God
In the end they were wishing they could be back into slavery
The way back from wandering is not found in activity but pulling out the scrapbook and remembering
When we had the conviction - "God will take care of me"
Remember:
- Holiness was a simple issue between you and I God; not "having to be open"?
- When your relationship with God was more private than public?
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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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2008-04-09 - Falling in Love with God - Jesus: Anointed One Jesus is the Christ, Messiah - meaning the "Anointed One"
The book of Acts - Christ was lifted high
- The good news that Jesus is the Christ - Acts 5:42
- Proclaimed the Christ there - Acts 8:5
- Jesus is the Christ - Acts 9:22
- "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ" - Acts 17:3
- Testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ - Acts 18:1-5
God's Christ was not confined to mere 33 years
By him all things were created - 1 Colossians 1:16-20
Sometimes we forgot - The Christ still lives today
Romans 8:28
- Who can be against us? No one
- Who will bring any charge against us? No one
- Who is he that condemns? No One
Christ is "begging God for us" Hebrews 7:25 (Dios Habla Hoy Bible)
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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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2008-04-12 - Falling in Love with God - Our False 'Gods'
Here are some false 'Gods' we can create in our mind:
- He get "attitudes" when we misbehave
- He does not really forgive
- His power is limited to people's choices
- He has no reason to his plan
- He does not always answer prayer; too busy
- He thinks we ask for too much stuff
- He does not want to "over-bless"
- He will bless when you have earned it
- He looks are the results of our performance
- He barely tolerates our presence
All of these ideas are false, contridict the Bible, and are from Satan
If this is my "Father", I will have a turbulent relationship with "him"
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2008-04-17 - Falling in Love with God - Experiencing the Spirit What does it mean to NOT experience the Spirit?
Paul had six questions (Galatians 3:15)
- Who has bewitched you?
- Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law or believing what you have heard?
- Are you so foolish?
- Trying to attain your goal by human effort?
- Suffered so much for nothing?
- Does God give you his Spirit because you observing the law or because you believe?
Paul's point: You are falling out of love with God
Our works will never validate our relationship with God
Only relying on the Spirit, can we feel free to have deepening relationship with God
Spirit helps with:
Help not have a heart of stone - Ezekiel 36:24-27
Speak to us not to fear - Haggai 2:1-5
Encourage one to return to God - Isaiah 44:22
No phone calls, sermon, nor spiritual book can move my heart live the Spirit
Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing - John 6:63
We are never alone on this journey - constant source of strength, wisdom, truth, and refreshment
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2008-04-18 - Falling in Love with God - Intimate Communication What will God have to do to reach us?
Where theology, structure, and programs are powerless, a relationship is able
I must do everything to stay close to God
John 1:18, Jesus is -
- close to the Father's heart (NRS)
- lives in the closest intimacy with the Father (Philips)
- exists at the very heart of the Father (The Message)
- lives in intimate communication with the Father (Dios Habla Hoy)
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2008-04-23 - Falling in Love with God - Discerning God's voice
Thought |
Worst that
could happen
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Truth
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Scripture
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I'll never change
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I could try and fail
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God can do anything
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Ephesians 3:20
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I'm and idiot
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I could look foolish
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We all look stupid; It won't kill me
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Psalms 139:14
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How can I help anybody?
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Help but nothing changes
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God will work one way or another
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2 Corinthians 5:20
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I don't feel God is with me
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Go through a time feeling disconnected
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God promised he would never leave
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Matthew 28:20
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Why would allow this to happen?
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I have to experience pain from time to time
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God has a great plan for my life
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Romans 8:28
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You'll never amount to anything
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Your expectations don't become a reality
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God has a dream for you
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Jeremiah 29:11
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God's word contains God's voice
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2008-04-25 - Falling in Love with God - Heaven in Focus In heaven every knee will bow
Our hope and citizenship is there
If we are in love with God, we will be ready
God's idea of heaven may not be "recreational"
Our purest motivation to going to heaven must be to be with God
On the deepest level, he longs for us to be with him
The goal of our faith is salvation that we might be with him
Not just peace in heaven
Not just the promise of no tears or no trials
So many times we want heaven on earth - 2 Corinthians 4:13-18
Focus on the eternal - feel refreshed
Focus on what is seen - feel unsure, clouded and drained
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2008-04-28 - Falling in Love with God - Forever Seeking
Falling in love with God - is attainable
We will find what we seek:
- If we seek relief in salvation, this is what we will find
- If we seek acceptance and a community, this is what we will find
- If we seek wisdom and insight, this is what we will find
- If we seek effective ministry, this is what we will find
- If we seek God more and more deeply, this is what we will find
What are you seeking?
Lord searches every heart; if you seek him, he will be found by you - 1 Chronicles 28:9-10
How many times have we tried to do something with seeking him first?
None of us can be "strong" without seeking
Talent, experience, and insight are cheap gifts and can never take the place of a heart that seeks after God
There are many decisions that you need make about your relationship with God:
- How much time should go by without special prayer time?
- What am I trying to accomplish in my Bible study?
- What do I need to allow the message of God really soak into our heart?
- Where can I go and be really free to wrestle emotionally with the will of God?
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