Updated: 8/21/2011
What
I've learned about worship from my teachers:
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Just the Two of Us...Dr. James Merritt
We were all born, wired to worship something greater than us.
1. Spending time with God causes us to reflect God's character. Ps
37:4 The better your relationship with God the better you will be
able to influence others about God.
2. Spending time with God allows us to receive God's blessings. Ps
37:4 When you want what God wants, God will always give you more
than you want.
3. Spending time with God moves us to rely on God's power. Ps37:5 The
things that God wants you to do for Him are the things God can do
through you. At 211 degrees just one more degree can make the
difference between really hot water and creating steam that can drive a
locomotive. Without God, you will always be a degree short of
what you could accomplish in your life. Turn everything you have
over to God.
4. Spending time with God teaches us to rest in God's will.
Ps 37:7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently on Him. Don't
let life get you hot under the collar. Spending time with God lets you
understand Him better. As you trust and love Him more you will
worry less.
Did Jesus use a modem at the sermon on the mount?
Did He have to be on itunes for His ministry to count?
Did He ever use a fax machine to get His message out?
Did the disciples carry iphones as they went out and about?
Did Paul use a laptop with lots of RAM and ROM?
Did he use an email address such as "Paul@Rome.com"?
Did he always have to hear the word of God on his personal ipod?
Did he need his Bose earphones if he wanted to hear from God?
Did Moses use a joystick at the parting of the sea?
Did he need a satellite GPS to show him where to be?
Did he really receive the commandments on tablets or was it really on CD?
Did he really lead the exodus are was it just on DVD?
If in your life the voice of God is sometimes hard to hear,
with other voices calling His doesn't touch your ear,
then set aside that ipod, unplug that fancy gear,
and open up your bible and talk to God in prayer.
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Battle Signs...Rick Warren
“I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is
right, but I can’t. I do what I don’t want to – what I hate.” Romans
7:15 (LB)
I love how gut-level honest the Apostle Paul is in Romans 7. Here he
was, a mature believer, one of the greatest Christians who ever lived,
sharing his struggles with his fellow believers.
And I’m so glad he did! He shared the emotional battle that is going on
inside me and you and everyone who is a Christian when we try to do the
right thing on our own effort.
Paul highlighted six emotional costs.
1. You will experience confusion. Paul said, “I don’t understand
myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can’t …”
(Romans 7:15 LB). Notice that Paul said “I”. He didn’t lay the blame on
another person or an enemy. He recognized the confusion came from
within himself.
2. You will experience guilt and shame. “I know perfectly well
that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience proves that I
agree with these laws I’m breaking” (Romans 7:16 LB). The word
“conscience” means “with knowledge.” So if your conscience is bothering
you, it means you did something with the full knowledge it was wrong.
The outcome of a bothered conscience is guilt and shame. God doesn’t
want you to carry that around.
3. The outcome is compulsions and addictions. If you don’t learn
how to fight the battle inside you, it will lead to compulsions and
addictions. As Paul said, “I can’t help myself because I am no longer
doing it. It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am …” (Romans
7:17 LB). We have a natural human nature with a built-in resistance to
doing the right thing. We want to do what is easy and fun, but we don’t
naturally want to do what is right and good. Sin is fun, and it can
easily become habitual.
4. You will experience self-condemnation. Self-condemnation is
when you start to feel bad and judge yourself, because you continually
give in to your temper or laziness or whatever you struggle with and
don’t want to. As the Apostle Paul said, “I know I’m rotten on the
inside, as far as my old sinful nature is concerned” (Romans 7:18 LB).
5. You will experience frustration. “No matter which way I turn I
can’t make myself do right. I want to but I can’t! … I find myself
still enslaved to sin” (Romans 7:18-20 LB). The Bible calls this the
law of sin. The law of sin is like the law of gravity – it always pulls
you down. And the law of sin will continue no matter how hard you try
to break your bad habits simply by willpower.
6. You will experience discouragement and despair. Paul said, “In
my mind I want to be God’s willing servant, but instead I find myself
still enslaved to sin” (Romans 7:23 LB). Paul recognized that every day
there was a battle going on inside his mind. Continually losing that
battle because you’re fighting it with your own power will eventually
lead to discouragement and despair.
“So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old
nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible
predicament I’m in” (Romans 7:24 LB). The word predicament in Greek
means “totally exhausted.” Are you exhausted, like Paul was, from the
inner battle? Hold on because Jesus brings us hope!
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Pastor Rick Warren…God speaks to people who decide in advance to do
what He tells them to do, not those who say, “God, tell me what to do
and then I’ll decide if I want to do it.” When you have an attitude of
cooperation, you are going to hear from God. A willing mind is the good
soil that we see in...“The seeds that fell in good soil stand for those
who hear the message and retain it in a good and obedient heart, and
they persist until they bear fruit.” Luke 8:15 (GNT)
You need to be able to say, “God, I’m willing to do whatever you want
me to do. Even if it seems scary or unusual or hard, I’m going to do
it, and I’m going to keep at it until I bear fruit.”
“If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will
gladly tell you …” (James 1:5 LB). We have to ask before he
answers because our relationship with God begins with faith. He doesn’t
force things on us. He invites us into a relationship with him. So we
ask.
If you’re just rushing through your day assuming everything’s okay, you
need to just stop once in a while and say, “God, I ask you, what is
your direction?” He will gladly tell you.
And how does he tell you? An answer will usually come through one of
two main ways – through people that are following him and through his
Word. Get together with a few people who you know seek after God
and ask them for their opinion. And turn to God’s Word. Ask him, “God,
what do you have to say about this?”
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Pastor Greg McBride..."Jesus in the Passover"...Exodus 12-13
The 10th plague that God inflicted on Pharaoh (and his people) to
convince him to let the Israelites leave Egypt was to kill the 1st born
of each family. This plague would skip (or pass over) the
Israelites' homes if they followed detailed instructions. They
were to eat a passover meal of lamb without defect or blemish.
The lamb was to have no broken bones and they were to put the lamb's blood on the top and both sides of their doorframe the night of passover. They were also instructed to eat nothing made with yeast during the celebration meal.
Similarly, in Luke 22:7-8 and 14-20 we learn that Jesus is the
passover lamb, perfect and without sin. None of His bones were
broken during cruxification. Jesus' blood takes away all the sins
of believers who confess their sins. The cup corresponds to the
blood of passover and Jesus' body is the unleavened bread.
1 Corinthians 11:26 says that during communion we proclaim Jesus' death until he comes again.
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Pastor Buddy Owens...Believe you are who God says you are...
My Faith Confessions
• I am crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:20)
• The Son has set me free. I am free indeed! (John 8:36)
• My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19)
• I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)
• He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it. (Philippians 1:6)
• There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)
• Nothing can ever separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:38-39)
• In all things God works for the good of those who love him. (Romans 8:28)
• God is faithful. He will not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
• God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
• My light and momentary troubles are achieving for
me an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:17)
• He is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask
or imagine, according to his power that is at work within me.
(Ephesians 3:20)
• God is for me! Who can be against me? (Romans 8:31)
Receiving God’s promises into your life
• He loves you – you have his Word on it (John 3:16).
• You are forgiven – you have his Word on it (Psalm 103:3).
• You belong to him – you have his Word on it (Romans 1:6).
• He will never leave you or give up on you – you have his Word on it (Hebrews 13:5).
• He will meet your needs – you have his Word on it (Philippians 4:19).
• He has a plan and a purpose for your life – you have his Word on it (Jeremiah 29:11).
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Dr. James Denison...James asks, "What is your life? You are a mist
that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14). We are
sustained by faith in a power and purpose greater than ourselves. For
followers of Jesus, that power is a Person who became one of us that we
might be one with him.
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Rick Warren..."Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star
as it rose, and we have come to worship him." Matthew 2:2 (NLT)
The wise men were wise because they came to Jesus for the right reason.
They were seekers of the truth and would go to any length to find Jesus
and worship Him. They didn't come to get something from Jesus;
they came to
show gratitude, to show love, to show honor, to show respect.
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Dr. Charles Stanley...3 Responses to the Christmas Story of the wise
men from Matthew 2:1-12
- Some are Indifferent to the
season...we need to talk about Jesus and make clear what He is
all about to our family and friends.
- Some show Hatred...they
don't say "Merry Christmas", they don't want nativity scenes and they
want to take away the crosses. Like Herod in the bible references
they have fear and are threatened.
- Some will Worship...the
outstanding, wealthy, students who were the wise men fell on their
faces and worshiped Jesus. They also listened to God and went
home a different way to keep away from Herod.
Worship is an attitude. For it, you need a pure heart, confess
your sins, be humble and submit to the Spirit of obedience.
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Dr. James Denison...Thanksgiving---It is the one holiday mandated by
Scripture: "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will
for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Thanksgiving is
the will of God and should be a daily experience in your soul.
"Rejoice always" (1
Thessalonians 5:16). Biblical joy is a sense of
well-being which transcends circumstances. "Happiness" is produced by
"happenings," but joy is produced by the Holy Spirit. "The fruit of the
Spirit is love,
joy, peace . . ." (Galatians 5:22).
We choose joy when we choose to live
in the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18
commands us to "be filled with the Spirit." The words mean to be
continually controlled by the Spirit, to submit our lives to him. In
the Bible, God is a King. In
our culture, he is a hobby. When we make God our King and submit to his
Spirit, we experience his joy.
Scripture tells us to "pray
continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This
is how we stay in the Spirit. Walk through the day with God. Pray when
you have a decision to make. Pray when you face a temptation or find an
opportunity. God's word promises us: "Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present
your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). As you
pray through
your day, you will encounter the tangible peace of your Lord.
You are the greatest miracle you know. Your body consists of 206 bones,
wrapped with 650 muscles and seven miles of nerve fibers. Your eyes
possess 100 million receptors, and your ears 24,000 fibers. Your heart
beats 36,000,000 times every year and sends blood pumping through more
than 60,000 miles of veins, arteries, and tubing.
Your brain contains 13,000,000,000 nerve cells. Picture the possible
number of interconnections in your brain this way: the number of atoms
in the universe is one followed by 100 zeroes. The number of different
patterns possible in your brain is one followed by over 800 zeros.
Did you deserve to have physical abilities and not challenges? To be
born in America and not North Korea? To have parents who would love you
and not abuse you? To have the privileges and opportunities you enjoy
today?
We've considered what God has done for us. Now consider what he is
doing for you. He has given you eternal life in his Son. You are
eternal. You will never die. Jesus told Martha, "He who lives and
believes in me will never die" (John 11:26).
And consider what he will do for you. Paul testified: "I consider that
our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will
be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). He assured us: "No eye has seen, no
ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those
who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Have you submitted your life to God as your King today, asking for the
joy his Spirit alone can give? Have you decided to walk through this
day in prayer, seeking the peace of your Lord? Have you given thanks
for all he has done, is doing, and will do, positioning yourself to
experience his power? Will you tomorrow?
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Pastor Rick Warren...From the very beginning, God's plan has been to
make you
like his Son,
Jesus. This is your destiny. God announced this intention at Creation:
"Then God said, 'Let us
make human beings in our image and likeness." (Gen 1:26 NCV)
In all of creation, only human beings, are made "in
God's image."We don't know all this phrase covers, but we
do know some of the aspects it includes: Like God, we are spiritual
beings—our spirits are immortal and will outlast our
earthly
bodies; we are intellectual—we
can think, reason, and solve problems; like God, we are relational—we
can give and receive real love; and we have a moral
consciousness—we can discern right from wrong, which makes
us accountable to God.
As
creatures, we will never be the Creator. God doesn't want you to become
a god; he wants you to become godly—taking on his values, attitudes,
and
character. We are meant to "take
on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed
from
the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately
reproduces his character in you." (Ephesians 4:22 Msg)
God's
ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character
development. He
wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ. Becoming like
Christ
does not mean losing your personality or becoming a mindless clone. God
created
your uniqueness, so he certainly doesn't want to destroy it.
Christlikeness
is all about transforming your character, not your personality.
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Pastor Greg Laurie...When things go wrong and we turn to worry, it is
best to turn to God. We need to take those circumstances and put them
into God's hands. As Philippians 4:6 tells us, "Be anxious for
nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." The best
antidote for worry is prayer.
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Dr. James Denison...In My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers
states: "We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires
spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never allow that the
haphazard is anything less than God's appointed order, and be ready to
discover the Divine designs anywhere."
Live each moment as if you were in the very presence of God.
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Greg Laurie...Put God First---When Solomon, the son of David and
Bathsheba, ascended to the throne after his father died, he was
overwhelmed by the task at hand. So he prayed, and God appeared to him
in a dream and told him, "Ask! What shall I give you?" (1 Kings 3:5).
Solomon asked for wisdom to rule God's people: "Therefore give to Your
servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern
between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of
Yours?" (1 Kings 3:9).
Because he had not asked for a long life, riches, or even the death of
his enemies, God told Solomon He would give him just what he requested
and more: "And I have also given you what you have not asked: both
riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the
kings all your days" (1 Kings 3:13).
Solomon had his priorities in order. He sought God's kingdom first, and
all of those things were added to him.
When we put God and His kingdom first, our lives will find the proper
balance as well. When Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you," Matthew
6:33, what things was He speaking of? In context, these "things" are
what you will wear, what you will drink, and what you will eat. But it
is also where you will work, where you will live, and even whom you
will marry.
The basic issues of life will be taken care of by God when we put Him
first.
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Dr. James Denison...A psychologist once said that 90% of his patients'
problems resulted from guilt over the past or fear about the future.
The problem is that "yesterday" and "tomorrow" do not exist. How much
do they weigh? What color are they?
Even God cannot help me deal with what does not exist. But if I will
focus on this day, on the only moment which actually exists, I will
have all the strength and hope of God Almighty. He is not the Great I
Was or the Great I Will Be, but He is the Great I Am (Exodus 3:14).
If I am focused on the past or the future, I cannot hear the voice of
God. He speaks only in the present, in the moment which actually
exists. If I am not in the present with him, I cannot receive the
wisdom he intends to give me through His Spirit.
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If Jesus is your Lord, when you die, you don't. When you close your
eyes on earth,
you open them in heaven. Your last breath here is your
first breath there. There is never a moment when
you cease to be. You simply step from time into eternity,
from this broken world into God's glorious paradise, from death to
life. Evangelist D. L. Moody told a group of newspaper reporters
gathered at his deathbed, "Don't say that Dwight
Moody is dead. I shall be more alive than you." He is.
If you will follow Jesus, the worst that can happen to
you will lead to the best that can happen
to you. In a sense you will be buried alive—your body dead but your
spirit rejoicing in glory.
What about tomorrow worries you now? Trust it to your Father now.
No matter what the markets do today or the election decides on Tuesday,
your future is a secure as the promises of
God.
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The enemy attacks with disappointment,
discouragement, and deception when we are in a weakened physical or
emotional state. But, we need to remember God is with us
along with ministering angels when we need help. (I Kings 19:5-7)
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Everything you have was given to you by God. He appointed the time of
your birth, the family you were born into, your home country, your
physical attributes, your talents, skills, and gifts--all were given to you.
Even your most prized possession--the reward of eternal life in
heaven--is a gift you received by faith.
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A sign hanging in Albert Einstein's Princeton office
proclaimed, "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not
everything that can be counted counts." He
maintained that "imagination is more important than knowledge."
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Eugene Peterson, the gifted pastor and translator of The Message, spoke
of the Christian life as "a long obedience in the same direction." How
we spend our hours is how we spend our days, which is how we spend our
years, which is how we spend our lives. Have you surrendered this hour
to the Spirit of God?
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Greg Laurie...No Worries! A poll was taken in which Americans
were asked what they worry about the most. The number-one response was,
"My appearance." They may lose their house. They may lose their life
savings. They may get wiped off the earth in a nuclear blast. But the
real concern is, "How do I look in this outfit?" Things don't change
much. Two thousand years ago, Jesus said, "So don't worry about these
things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we
wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your
heavenly Father already knows all your needs" (Matthew 6:31–32).
What do you worry about the most? What causes you the greatest stress?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us why we should not worry, and
what we should do instead. Then He concludes with this statement: "Seek
the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will
give you everything you need" (Matthew 6:33).
What we learn from Jesus about anxiety and worry is that the follower
of Jesus Christ should not be filled with anxiety. This does not mean
that a Christian should not be concerned with needs like food or
clothing. Yes, we need to concern ourselves with them. Yes, we need to
think about a roof over our heads and clothes on our backs and food in
our stomachs. In fact, the Bible contains many admonitions about saving
our money, investing wisely, and working hard for a living. Jesus is
not saying that we should never think about these things. Rather, He is
saying that we should not be obsessed with or worry about them.
Worrying doesn't empty today of its sorrow; it empties tomorrow of its
strength.
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Dr. James Denison...All Muslims believe in five tenets (often called
the "five pillars of Islam"): the witness ("There is no God but God and
Muhammad is his prophet"); prayers five times a day while facing toward
Mecca (Muhammad's hometown); a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in the
Muslim's lifetime (or financial provision for another to go in one's
place); fasting during the month of Ramadan (the first "revelation"
which came to comprise the Quran was given to Muhammad on the 17th day
of the month of Ramadan); and alms-giving to the poor (at least 2.5% of
one's goods). We are in Ramadan now; the observance will continue to
September 19 this year.
Radical Muslims adhere to two additional beliefs. First, they assert
that the West has been attacking the Muslim world since the Crusades
(1095-1291) and especially with our support for Israel. This is a
crucial belief, since the Quran forbids a Muslim to initiate aggression
but requires him to defend Islam. Second, radical Muslims argue that
since the West is made of democracies in which the people elect their
leaders and support their military, there are no innocent victims in
the West. You and I are viewed in the same way we might see Germans who
supported Hitler and the Nazi movement.
As a result, 9-11 was not an unprovoked attack on innocent Americans in
the mind of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. They saw it as a defense of
Islam, striking at the symbols of Western imperialistic aggression—the
Twin Towers represented the financial, the Pentagon the military, and
Washington the political. (For my essay on our subject, including a
history of Islam, the beliefs of Muslims, and the threat of Radical
Islam, I invite you to go to our website, www.informedfaith.com.)
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Dr. James Denison..."Helicopter
parenting," is where moms and dads hover protectively and constantly
over their kids. You
may not want neighbors or parents "helicoptering" over you today,
but there are some observers you and I should welcome. There are always
angels watching over you. There are angelic beings in the room with
you, created by
God as "ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit
salvation" (Hebrews 1:14).
Angels protected Lot and his daughters in Sodom (Genesis 19), the
Hebrews from Egyptian armies (Exodus 14:19-20), and the Israelites from
their enemies in Canaan (Exodus 23:20-23; 33:2-3). An angel saved
Hezekiah and his people from annihilation by the Assyrians (2 Kings
19:32-36). Across the history of Israel, "the angel of his presence
saved him" (Isaiah 63:9). Angels rescued the apostles from prison (Acts
5:17-19) and Peter from death (Acts 12:6-11).
The next time you feel alone and lonely, think about your angelic
guardians. Know that they work for our Father in heaven, your
omnipotent "helicopter Parent." Take comfort and courage in their
presence, and trust their Lord for your strength and peace. This is the
invitation of God.
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Greg Laurie...That
is why I think our generation could easily be called the iGeneration,
because we think it is all about us. It is all about our getting what
we want, when we want to get it. Now that we can get our information on
demand, we don't want to be told what we can see or hear—or let others
decide when we can hear and see it. We want what we want, and we want
it when we want it. And many are taking the same approach to morality
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Rick Warren...In
Philippians 4, Paul says, "May you always be joyful in your life in the
Lord." Can we really be joyful in all circumstances? The Bible suggests
the following strategy:
Don't worry about anything--Worrying doesn't change
anything. It's stewing without doing. There are no such things as
born-worriers.
Worry is a learned response. You learned it from your parents. You
learned it from your peers. You learned it from experience. That's good
news. The fact that worry is learned means it can also be unlearned.
How do you unlearn it? Jesus says, "Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough
trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34 NIV). He's saying don't open your
umbrella until it starts raining. Don't worry about tomorrow. Live one
day at a time.
Pray about everything--Next, instead of worrying,
use your time
for praying. If you prayed as much as you worried, you'd have a whole
lot less to worry about. Some people think God only cares about
religious things, such as how many people I invite to church or my
tithing. Is God interested in car payments? Yes. He's interested in
every detail of your life. That means you can take any problem you face
to God.
Thank God in all things--Whenever you pray, you
should always
pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love but
gratitude. It actually increases your immunities. It makes you more
resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are
grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because
nothing makes them happy. They're never satisfied. It's never good
enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being
thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life.
Think about the right things--If you want to reduce
the level of
stress in your life, you must change the way you think because the way
you think determines how you feel. And the way you feel determines how
you act, which is why the Bible teaches that, if you want to change
your life, you need to change what you’re thinking about.
This involves a deliberate conscious choice where you change the
channels. You choose to think about the right things. Because the root
cause of stress is the way we choose to think, we need to focus on the
positive and on God's word.
What is the result of not worrying, praying about everything, giving
thanks, and focusing on the right things? Paul tells us the result is,
"you will experience God's peace which is far more wonderful than the
human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your
heart quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus."
What a guarantee!
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Rick Warren...The moment you start retaliating or seeking revenge
is the same moment you give up control of your life. You have allowed
the person you're angry at to gain control of your life because you are
reacting, which is a position of weakness, as opposed to forgiving,
which is a position of Christlike strength.
The Bible teaches, "Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the
righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, 'I will take revenge; I
will pay them back,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19 NLT).
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It's not failure to fall down, but it is failure to stay down. Has our
fallen world fallen on
you? Is discouragement whispering in your ear? Are you thinking of
abandoning
a dream for the security of mediocrity? Don't do it. Remember that
"Lot's wife
looked back, and she became a pillar of salt" (Genesis 19:26). When
Peter turned
his eyes from Jesus to the wind he was afraid and began to sink
(Matthew 14:30). But when
Stephen looked up, he saw Jesus (Acts 7:56).
= = = = = = =
Dr. James C. Denison...God doesn't have to multitask. You'd think he
must--running the universe
while listening to millions of people using hundreds of languages to
pray to
him right now. But he doesn't live in time as we do. He
created the space-time continuum, and stands outside of it. We
know that our Lord is not bound by space--it's harder for us to imagine
him outside of time, but he is. To quote C. S. Lewis: if we
imagine time as a line on a page, God is the page.
As a result, your Father has all of eternity to listen to your next
prayer. To focus on your next problem or opportunity. To
welcome your worship and speak to you through his word and empower you
by his Spirit. He is the Great I Am-all of God there is, is in
this moment.
The King of Kings and Lord of Lords has all the time
in the world for you.
= = = = = = =
Dr. James Denison...I may live to
be 101 or this may be the last essay I write. Jesus could come
back to our planet before I go to bed tonight-we're one day closer to
his return than ever before. In the meanwhile, the worst thing
that can happen to me will lead instantly to the best thing that can
happen to me. One second on the other side of death, I'll be glad
I'm home.
Justin the Martyr (executed for his faith in AD 165)
told the Emperor, "You can kill us but you cannot harm us." If Jesus is
your Lord,
you already have eternal life. You are immortal. You will
live forever with your Father in his perfect paradise.
= = = = = = =
Rick Warren...1 Timothy 4:8 says: "Take the time and trouble to keep
yourself spiritually fit." (Phillips) How do you stay spiritually fit
so you can love people? By building habits into your life that keep you
spiritually renewed.
A daily quiet time -- "This is the reason we never lose heart. Our body
does suffer wear and tear but every day the inward man receives fresh
strength." (2 Corinthians 4:16) Outwardly our body suffers wear and
tear, but inwardly we can be spiritually renewed every day by spending
time alone with God.
I don't know what could help your life more than to begin the habit of
a daily time with God. Start out with just ten minutes a day. Find a
place where you can be by yourself - the car, your bedroom or living
room, the backyard, even your office. Then pick a book of the Bible and
read a chapter a day. Read it, think about what you've read, write some
things down. That's a habit that will make a difference and keep you
spiritually renewed.
Small group -- A Christian without a small group is an orphan. You need
a small group. "Let us encourage one another daily." You need to get
together in a small group at least weekly where you can share needs and
problems, where you care and pray for each other.
Worship - Praising God will renew and rejuvenate you. Psalms 59 "I will
sing of your strength in the morning and I will sing of your love for
you are my refuge in times of trouble." You need that emotional release
and that recharging that comes from singing. Put on a Christian tape or
CD and sing along and see how God restores your soul.
= = = = = = =
Greg Laurie..."You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a
hill cannot be hidden." — Matthew 5:14
When you are living for Jesus Christ, your very presence will sometimes
bother others. And the more godly a person is, the more obviously this
will take place. Few things are more difficult to put up with than a
good example. And when you live this way, it really gets the attention
of people.
Light reveals things. We have all heard the well-worn excuses as to why
people don't believe in Jesus. But the real reason people don't believe
is they don't want their sin exposed. They don't want to acknowledge
their shortcomings. The Bible says, "And this is the condemnation, that
the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than
light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil
hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should
be exposed" (John 3:19–20).
Light not only exposes what is hidden in the darkness, but light shows
the way out. In the same way, the light that shines from Christians
shows people not only their shortcomings and their sins, but it shows
them the way out, the way to Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, "You are the light of the world"
(Matthew 5:14). You may be the only representative of Jesus Christ that
your friends, your family, your coworkers, and your neighbors may ever
meet. And they will evaluate the whole idea of Christianity on the
basis of what they see in you. They will form an opinion about what
they think about God based on you. So let your light shine.
= = = = = = =
Dr. James Denison...As I so often warn people, sin will always take us
further than we wanted to go, keep us longer than we wanted to stay,
and cost us more than we wanted to pay. The
best way to begin every day is to submit it to the Spirit of God,
asking him to bring to our minds anything in our lives which displeases
God. We confess what comes to our thoughts, repenting of
our sins and claiming God's forgiving grace (1 John 1:9). Then we ask
the Spirit to take control of our day (Ephesians 5:18)
= = = = = = =
As Christians, we have no reason to fear death. The
game has been played, the Lord has won, and the Bible promises us that
"we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection" (Romans
6:5b NIV).
= = = = = = =
Pastor Greg Laurie...To wear the breastplate of righteousness is simply
recognizing we have Christ's righteousness in our life. The Bible says,
"For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by
one Man's obedience many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19
NKJV).
This means that when a person puts their faith in Jesus and is saved,
His righteousness is transferred to that person's "spiritual bank
account." This is something that God does for us.
We stand right before God, regardless of the way we feel. It is a
part of what we call justification. When we are justified by God,
all of our sins are forgiven and the righteousness of Christ is
transferred to us.
When the devil says to us, "You are not worthy. You are weak. You are
going down!" we can say, "I stand righteous before God because of the
finished work of Jesus Christ!"
Scripture says Christ has "made us accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians
1:6 NKJV). In other words, if you have put your complete faith in Jesus
Christ alone as Savior and Lord, you stand righteous before Him.
You are both loved and accepted by God.
Satan tries to defeat us with accusations, but we can be confident of
our standing before God, because of the righteousness of Christ.
= = = = = = =
Pastor Andy McQuitty...Christianity is a historical and world-famous
religion that not only answers all the big questions, but answers them
correctly! Christianity doesn’t ask people to don robes and
perform rituals. It just asks that people recognize the reality that
Jesus Christ is the Risen Son of the Living God and, having done so, to
respond in humility and joy and salvation by committing to follow Him
all of our days. The purpose of life in Christ? It is that,
through Him, we might fully experience faith and hope and love,
spreading these to others and living every day with abundance and joy.
= = = = = = =
Rick Warren’s Christmas Eve message broadcast on Fox News Network,
12/24/08. Has God ever changed your plans?
Not everything that happens in your life is God’s ideal will. Most of
the things that happen are your fault. We live in a broken world.
Nothing happens correctly. God’s will is not for bad things. Most of
the time we do what we want to do and not what God wants. “You can make
many plans,
but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. Proverbs 19:21. God has a purpose
for every person he has
made. He has never made a person that he doesn’t want in heaven.
God changes our plans for at least three reasons. #1) He wants to get
our attention. Pain is
God’s megaphone. God just wants us to listen to him. We need to
just sit and listen for God. God says, “I wish my people would listen
to me.” Psalm 81:13. God wants
us to listen so he can save us from problems. God has a perspective we
don’t have. God is a
god of love. He wants us to do what will not hurt us.
#2) God changes our plans because he has a better plan. “I know what I
am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I
have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope
and a good future.” Jeremiah 29:11. How is
God’s plan better than our plan? It’s bigger, longer lasting, more
rewarding, and sometimes harder…but the
reward lasts forever.
“No one has ever seen, or heard, or even imagined what wonderful things
God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9. God has an
eternal plan for your life. It’s harder and sometimes confusing. We
sometimes don’t know why we go through those things. Jesus said “You
don’t understand now what I am
doing, but you will understand later.” John 13:7. You have to learn to
trust Him.
#3) He changes our plans because we should learn to trust Him. That is
the only way to please
God. It is not by promising God something or through religious rituals.
It is through having a
relationship of trusting God. Of having faith, “Without faith it is
impossible to
please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6. What
do you do when your plans don’t work out? You seek God and you trust
God.
You don’t seek the solution to your problem, you don’t seek relief, you
just seek God.
God says, “You will seek me and find me when
you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13. It’s called
repentance. Be God centered, think the way God thinks and trust that he
knows better than we what is better for us.
“We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of
those who love God and are called according to his
purpose for them.” Romans 8:28. You must live for God’s purpose, God’s
purpose driven life.
Every time your plans get changed, God is testing us. Who are we going
to trust? Some things for sure about 2009…#1 God will change your
plans, #2 God
has a plan and purpose for your life that is bigger, better and more
meaningful that our plans. It may be harder at times. Cooperating with
God’s
plan is the only way to live. Any other way…is just existing. “There’s
a path
before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” Proverbs
16:25
If you seek God and trust in him God promises to fulfill His plan in
our life. “The Lord will work out his plans for my life – for
his faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 138:8.
How do I know if I’m following my plan for my life
instead of God’s plan? There are three
warning signs…fatigue, frustration
and fear. If you are fatigued or
frustrated all the time it is because you are doing things God never
intended you to do. Jesus told us to take
my yoke on you; my burden is easy and light. If
you are nervous about the future or have anxiety,
it is because you are not following God’s plan. “Today
a savior has been born for you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11. A
savior just for you. If God didn’t think we need
a savior, he wouldn’t have sent one 2,008 years ago. He saves us from
our self, the bitterness, the
anger, the jealously that happen when we are following our plans
instead of His plan.
= = = = = = =
Greg Laurie...Do you know what the nonbeliever's favorite verse is? It
is Matthew 7:1: "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged." This
verse is usually quoted after we say something like, "Well you know
what? I don't think that is right."
This verse, however, is not telling us that we should not make
judgments, because in other passages we read that as believers, we are
indeed to make evaluations, to be discerning, and yes— to even make
judgments. In fact, the Bible asks, "Don't you realize that someday we
believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the
world, can't you decide even these little things among yourselves?" (1
Corinthians 6:2). We are also told in Scripture that "judgment must
begin with God's household" (1 Peter 4:17).
We are to judge, but we are not to condemn. In fact, a better
translation of Matthew 7:1 would be: "Do not condemn others, and you
will not be condemned." I am in no position to condemn a person. But I
am in a position to make judgments about things, situations,
viewpoints, and even about people to some degree.
We accept the fact that we have absolute truth from God. And we develop
our worldview from what the Bible teaches.
= = = = = = =
Dr. James Denison...My favorite verse in the Bible is also the shortest
verse in Scripture: "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). This one statement
signifies what is unique about Christianity. Zeus did not weep for the
Greeks from his throne high atop Mt. Olympus. Muslims do not believe
that Allah weeps for people; Hindus do not view their numerous gods as
crying with our pain; Buddhists do not picture a personal god who
grieves as we grieve.
But the Son of God, the One who created everything that is and holds it
together this moment (Colossians 1:16-17), weeps with us. He cried with
Mary and Martha at the grave of their dead brother. He wept over the
people of Jerusalem as he grieved their unbelief and sin. He holds us
in his hand this moment (John 10:28), so that everything which hurts us
must first hurt him.
He calls us to share his compassion with those who need to feel his
love in ours. He told us, "As I have loved you, so you must love one
another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you
love one another" (John 13:34-35).
= = = = = = =
Rick Warren...In John 16:24 Jesus says, "You've not asked for anything
in My name. Ask and you will receive so that your joy will be the
fullest possible joy." (NCV) Why does God want me to ask? So he can
give. Why does he want to give? So I can receive. Why does he want me
to receive? So I'll be full of joy. Why does he want me to be full of
joy? It's a great advertisement for Jesus Christ. Joyful Christians are
a positive testimony.
Your Life Will Work
Out the Way God Wants it to Work Out
Read (Romans 8:28)
A. I Must Believe God's Word To Me
- God is involved in your life, 24-7, making sure ultimately
everything will work out for your good.
- Life is like a puzzle and God knows how all
the pieces fit together.
B. I Must Receive God's Working for me.
- God is working things out behind the scenes.
- There are times God takes what is bad and ultimately turns it
to be for our good.
- "No matter what happens in my life, God is always acting in my
best interest."
C. I Will Achieve God's Will For Me.
- Everything that happens to us is for a purpose.
- God's purpose for us is to be conformed to the image of His Son.
- God is more interested in changing our character than changing
our circumstances.
= = = = = = =
Dr. Richard Dunagin...Six methods God uses
to communicate:
1. Phenomenon + voice; i.e. Burning bush..God vocal
2. Supernatural Messengers; i.e. Angels
3. Dreams & Visions
4. Audible voice
5. Human voice; i.e. other people's voices
1 Thes 5:19-23
To
Hear..need to be open to hearing God
To
Speak..Stay prayed up and in tune with God
1 Cor 14:29-33
6. Human Spirit (Primary means God uses but God will not compete for
our attention
--You will know it is God's voice by experience.
1. Quality of the voice (God's voice has an
impact on us.)
2. Spirit of the voice (He speaks with
authority. Peace, Joy and Good Will - James
3:17 .)
3. Content of
the speech (conforms to the Bible's "fundamental teachings")
Five Crowns awarded to
believers From
Our Daily Bread Insight
"As Christians, we can expect to be rewarded for our faith and
faithfulness. Five crowns can be won: the 'imperishable
crown' (1
Cor. 9:25), the 'crown of righteousness' (2
Tim. 4:8), the 'crown of rejoicing' (1
Thess. 2:19), the 'crown of glory' (1
Peter 5:4), and the 'crown of life' (James
1:12)."
We live in
two planes. 2
Corinthians 4:18 says, "So we fix
our eyes not on
what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." NIV
Above and
Below the line
living:
Above the line...Eternal Now, believing in the
unseen, eternal, and the I Am.
Above the line living...Abundant life, influenced by
things on high. Setting your hearts above, setting mind on things
above.
=======================================
Below the line...seen
things, temporary, earthly things.
Under the line living...concentrating on paying
bills, buying things, work, success, reputation, sports, competition
with others under the line.
Live by
Faith
John 14
The "Three Fold Interlock"
A life of faith is our love for God, leading to a dependency
upon God, resulting in obedience to God.
Colossians 1:2 says we are the faithful ones.
Pleasing
God vs. Trusting
God Hebrews
11:1-7
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not
see. Flesh (I can take care of it), Fear (I can't handle it) and
Philosophy (I simply believe it) keep us from having total faith.
"God measures us by the degree of trust we exhibit, not what the flesh
produces. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:8. Our attitude should be trust God in us so we can
please God.
Anchored in
God's Word There
is no other book in the world like the Bible because God wrote
it. It is our job to daily use God's word to train
ourselves. Read Acts
5:42.
Christ-centered
attitude Read
Colossians
3:5-18. After we accepted Christ as our Savior the clothes of our
old life need to be striped away because we are a new body and Christ
is all and in all. Get rid
of: Sexual immorality,
impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malice, slander and
lies. Get into:
Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness
and Patience. Bear with each other, forgive each other and do all
with Love. Get into
this: Peace of Christ
(be a
peace maker), the Word of Christ, Teach and admonish one another and
get into a variety of worship that comes out of soaking in the word of
God. Do it all in the name of Christ and give thanks to God.
One
Verse
Evangelism Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus.
Ask them, do you ever feel separated from
God? That is death.
Sin created this canyon between us and God
Wages you earn, gifts you get free.
Death is separation forever. Eternal life is being with God forever.
Jesus was human and eternal. He is the only way to move us to God
forever.
Give the person a pen and have them show you where they are. Show them
how trust in Jesus Christ will let them cross the canyon.
Do a short prayer
Get them started in discipleship
Why
we need a church...when
wisdom is needed, when defeated
people return, when immorality is disciplined, when tough times come,
when a prayer is made, when seekers are looking, when battles are
brewing, when it's time to repent.
Christians are super
heroes because we have the Holy Spirit living in us. But
the
world has taught us to repel this thought.
In Ephesians 1 & 2, we find that God's purpose is to bring
everything to Christ. His plan for us is redemption, centered on
Christ, manifested in people. Church is the central place of
God's history. v18, that we would open our eyes wider. We
have all the strength we need. Church is the center of called-out
ones. "The church fulfills Him"...Jesus said, "I am the head, you
are the body".
Acts 1:8 tells that church must continue to expand. We are part
of that history.
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