November 13 2016 Give Thanks

Give Thanks

Memory Verse: 1 Chronicles 29:16 (NCV) "Everything has come from You and everything belongs to you."

I'M GRATEFUL TO GOD ...

1. FOR THE GRACE HE'S SHOWN TO ME.

Ephesians 2:8 (NCV) "You have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God."

Psalm 103:2-11 (LB) "I will... not forget the glorious things God does for me. He forgives all my sins. He heals me. He ransoms me from hell. He surrounds me with love ... He fills my life with good things ... He is merciful and tender toward those who don't deserve it; He is slow to get angry ... He never bears a grudge ... He has not punished us as we deserve for our sins."

2. FOR THE PLAN  HE HAS FOR ME.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ICB) "`I have good plans for you,' says the Lord, `I don't plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future.'"

3. FOR THE HOME HE'S PREPARED FOR ME.

2 Corinthians 5:1 (NCV) "We know that our body...will be destroyed. But when that happens, God will have a house for us. It will not be a house made by human hands; instead, it will be a home in heaven that will last forever."

1 Peter 1:4-6 (NLT)...and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power Circle that phrase God is protecting you by his power....until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad.There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while."

4. FOR CHANGES HE'S MAKING IN ME.

Philippians. 2:13 (NLT) "For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases him."

2 Corinthians 3:18 (LB) "And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him."

HOW TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD

1. BY SINGING

Psalm 147:7 (LB) "Sing out your thanks to Him; sing praises to our God ..."

2. BY SERVING

Hebrews 12:28 (LB) "Since we have a Kingdom that nothing can destroy, let us please God by serving Him with thankful hearts."

3. BY GIVING 

Psalm 50:14 (NCV)"Give an offering to show thanks to God. Give him what you promised."

Deuteronomy 16:10 (GN)"Celebrate the Harvest Festival, to honor the Lord your God by bringing Him a freewill offering in proportion to the blessing He has given you."

4. BY TELLING
Isaiah 12:4 (LB) "Thank the Lord! Praise His name! Tell the world about His wondrous love and how mighty He is!"

March 13 2016 Daring To Go In Faith

DARING TO GO IN FAITH

Daring Faith: The Key To Miracles – Part 9

Two of the words that summarize Jesus’ message are: come & go

Matthew 11:28-30 (CEV) Jesus: “If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, COME TO ME and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.” 

Luke 7:50 Jesus said, “Your faith has saved you. NOW GO!”

Memory Verse: James 2:17 “Any faith that doesn’t lead us to GO INTO ACTON with good deeds is worthless, dead and useless!”

DARING FAITH IS ABOUT A PARTY THAT WILL LAST FOREVER:

Luke 14:16-20"A very powerful and generous man prepared a great banquet and invited many prominent guests. When it was ready he sent his servant to GO AND TELL those invited to ‘COME, for everything is now ready!’ But they all began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I’ve just bought a field, and I must go see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I’ve just acquired five pair of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ When the servant reported this, the Owner of the Estate became angry and told his servant, ‘GO QUICKLY into the streets and alleys of our city and BRING IN the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame as my guests!’ The servant said, ‘Master, we’ve already done this, but there is STILL ROOM FOR MORE in your banquet!’ The Master said, ‘Then now GO OUT OF OUR CITY to the roads and country lane, GO EVERYWHERE and INVITE EVERYONE TO COME so that my house will be full! I promise you this: not one of those people who ignored my invitation will ever get to taste what I had prepared for them!’" 

I must GO. . .to obey GOd. . . to do GOod. . . to live the GOspel. . .to become GOdly. . . to reach my GOals . . . to share the GOod News!

WHERE ARE WE GOING?

1. WE ARE GOING TO  GO TO GOD FOR HELP

1 Chronicles 16:11 (TEV) “GO TO THE LORD for help, and worship him continually.” 

Psalm 34:10 (ICB) “Those who GO TO THE LORD for help will have every good thing.” 

Psalm 37:40 (TEV) “God helps them and rescues them and saves them from the wicked, because they

2. WE ARE GOING TO GO TOGETHER FOR SUPPORT

Acts 14:22“(Paul & Barnabas) strengthened the disciples and encouraged them to remain true to the faith, reminding them that we must GO THROUGH many hardships to enter the kingdom of God." 

Philippians 1:27 - 2:2 (NLT) “ . . . I want to hear that you are working together and that you are struggling side by side to get others to believe the good news . . . Don’t be intimidated by those who oppose you . . .You have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this fight TOGETHER . . . (so keep on) loving one another, and working together with one

3. WE ARE GOING TO GO ON TO MATURITY

Hebrews 6:1 (NIV) “Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and GO ON TO MATURITY . . .”

2 Peter 1:8 (LB) “The more you GO ON in this way, the more you will GROW STRONG spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord Jesus.”

2 Peter 1:9 (LB) “Anyone who fails to GO AFTER these additions to faith is blind, or very shortsighted and has forgotten that God delivered us from the old life of sin so that now we can live a strong, good life

4. WE ARE GOING TO TO GO TELL THE GOOD NEWS 

Romans 10:13-15 (ICB) "Anyone who asks the Lord for help will be saved. But before people can trust in the Lord, they must believe in him. And before they can believe in him, they must hear about him. And to hear about him someone must GO AND TELL them! And before someone can go and tell them, he must be sent. It is written, ‘How beautiful is the person who comes to bring good news.’ " 

Acts 1:8 “When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you’ll be given my power, and you are to GO AND BE MY WITNESSES in Jerusalem, and in all of Judea and in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 

Luke 9:60 Jesus said, "Let people who are dead bury the dead. Your job is to GO AND TELL OTHERS about God’s kingdom.”

MY DARING FAITH COVENANT

In gratitude for all that Christ has done for me, and out of a deep desire to grow in my faith, and in obedience to Christ’s command that I “store up treasure in Heaven,” I make a covenant today with my brothers and sisters of Great Plains Church to use the next 2 years growing, sowing, and going in daring faith. ...I commit to showing and sharing God’s love with those closest to me and serving God by serving others in our community. Also, because I want someone to be in Heaven because I cared, I am asking God to give me the privilege of bringing ONE person to Jesus in the next 2 years and see them be baptized and become a part of the fellowship of our church family. I know I cannot do this on my own power but I will trust God in daring faith to see it happen.

January 18 2015 Getting Unstuck In My Family

GETTING UNSTUCK IN MY FAMILY

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God.  Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person  by changing the way you think.  Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.”” – Romans 12:1-2
                
The Key to Getting Unstuck in My Family:

Give God first place In My Family!

Definition of UnStuck: Moving forward in my life because I am willing to give God complete control.

HOW TO GIVE GOD FIRST PLACE IN MY FAMILY

1.  FOCUS MY FAMILY DAILY with prayer and Bible study.

“Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.” – 1 Chronicles 16:11

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.” – Matthew 7:24-25

2.  INVOLVE MY FAMILY IN my church.

“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”   – Proverbs 22:6

Two Elements: worship and service

“Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.”– Psalm 127:1

3.  READILY FORGIVE MY FAMILY WHEN NECESSARY.

“Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.” – Ephesians 4:32

“Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.”” – Proverbs 17:9

“Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible.”– Romans 12:18

4.  SCHEDULE FAMILY CELEBRATIONS TOGETHER.

“We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has stayed with me wherever I have gone.”” – Genesis 35:3

“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God will give you.” – Exodus 20:12

5.  Trust God with my family.
 
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

Memory Verse: ““Choose today whom you will serve… but as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.” – JOSHUA 24:15

October 12 and 19 2014 It's A Different World (parts 1 and 2)

IT’S A DIFFERENT WORLD!

1 Chronicles 12:32 (NLT)“All these men [the men of Issachar] understood the temper of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.”

KEY IDEA: We’ve got to parent to THEIR CHANGES

Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)“Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older,

IN TODAY’S WORLD ... AMAZING KIDS NEED

1. They need affirmation.

Proverbs 12:6 (NLT) “The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush, but the words of

2. They need communication.  

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NLT) “And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again.”

3. They need to be taught responsibility.

• Chores (Dougfields.com\amazingkids)

Proverbs 27:12 (NLT) “A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”

• When natural consequences are too dangerous
• When natural consequences don’t exist
• When natural consequences are ineffective

Proverbs 3:11-12 (NLT)“My child, don’t ignore when the Lord disciplines you and don’t be discouraged when He corrects you for the Lord corrects those He loves just as a father corrects

WHAT DO PARENTS NEED?

1. Parents need to battle wisely.

Proverbs 2:3-4, 6(NLT) “Cry out for insight and understanding. Search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure... the LORD gives wisdom!”

2. To Not give up, but hang on.

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)“God began the good work within you, and will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.”

3. They need to get the right relationship right.

Colossians 1:20 (NLT)“...by him [Jesus] God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross.”

Romans 5:1 (NLT)“Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”

May 8 2011 Characteristics Of A Strong Home

CHARACTERISTICS OF A STRONG HOME

I Chronicles 13:14

Verse 14 – The ark of God remained with the family
of Obededom in his house for three months and the
Lord blessed his household and everything he had.

The Needed Characteristics:

1. The Presence of Jesus Christ.
Ex. 25:16 - God told Moses to place inside the ark the
tablets of stone that had the Ten Commandments on
them.
Eph. 2:16 - As parts of the same body, our anger against
each other has disappeared, for both of us have been
reconciled to God and so the feud ended at the cross.

2. A proper attitude.
Numbers 17
Phil. 2:5 – Your attitude towards each other should be the
same as that of Christ Jesus.

Attitude Ingredients:

• Consideration
Eph. 4:2 – Show your love by being helpful to each other.
* Paying Attention
* Focus On Each Other’s Strengths
* Showing Common Courtesy
* Respect
I Thes. 5:11 –Give encouragement to each other and keep
strengthening each other.
Prov. 12:10 – Take delight in honoring each other.

• Commitment
I Tim. 6:20 –Guard what has been entrusted to you.

Commitment:

• Children respect their parents.
Exodus 20:12 – Honor your Father and Mother, so that
you may live long in the land.

How to Show Respect:

• Obey them while at home.
Eph. 6:1 – Children obey your parents.

• Accept and appreciate them.

• Listen to their opinion
Prov. 23:22 – Listen to your father who gave you life and
do not despise your mother.

• Forgive them.

• Appreciate their effort and sacrifice.

3. Demand right action.
Eph. 4:3 – Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit.

• Communication
Prov. 13:17 – Reliable communication permits progress.
* Verbal Attention
* Interested In Each Other’s Feelings
* Setting A Time To Talk

• Compromise
I Cor. 13:5 – Love does not demand its own way.
* Conflict
* Won’t Always Agree
* Compromise Is The Evidence Of Love

• God is faithful.
John 6 :48-51 –I am the bread of Life, your forefathers
ate the manna in the desert yet they died. But here is the
bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat
and not die.

GOD CAN BLESS YOUR FAMILY