April 9 2017 How Can We Partner To Share The Good News With Others

How Can We Partner To Share The Good News With Others

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT: Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.... A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Memory Verse: Ph. 1:27b (LB)“... you are standing together side by side with one strong purpose – to tell the Good News.”

Ph. 1:5 (NLT)“You’ve been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ.”

HOW CAN WE “PARTNER” TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS WITH OTHERS?

Pray Together

Col. 4:3 (NCV)“Pray for us that God will give us an opportunity to tell people His message.”

-Make a prayer list.

Appeal to a common interests

1 Cor. 9:22-23 (LB) “Whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him. I do this to get the Gospel to them and also for the blessing I myself receive when I see them come to Christ.”

-Discover the common interests in your group.

Reach out in love

1 Th. 2:8 (NCV) “Because we loved you, we were happy to share not only God's Good News with you, but even our own lives.”

1 Cor. 5:12 (NCV) “It is not my business to judge those who are not part of the church.”

2 Cor. 5:14 (LB) “Whatever we do, it is certainly not for our own profit but because Christ's love controls us now.”

-Ask God to give you a deeper love for others.

Tell your stories

1 Peter 2:9 (Mes) “You are... God's instruments to do His work and speak out for Him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference He made for you.”

Ps. 66:16 (NCV) “Listen, and I’ll tell you what God has done for me.”

-Write out your story & share it with your group

Nurture friendships

Rom. 12:16 (CEV)“Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you are smarter than others.

-Make friends with ordinary people.”

Luke 5:29 (CEV) “In his home Levi (Matthew) gave a big dinner party for Jesus. Many fellow tax collectors and other guests were also there.”

2 Tim. 1:7 (LB) “The Holy Spirit does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong, and to love them and enjoy being with them.”

-Bring a friend to church. Plan a party

Expect God to Act

Heb. 11:1 (NIV) “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Luke 5:20 (NIV) “When Jesus saw their faith, He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’”

-Never give up on anyone.

Represent Christ with your life.

Col. 3:17 (NLT) “Whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus.”

1 Thes. 4:11-12a (NCV) “Do all you can to live a peaceful life. Take care of your own business, and do your own work. If you do, people who are not believers will respect you.”

March 26 2017 Faith And The Deeper Life

FAITH AND THE DEEPER LIFE

Mark 11:11-25

Verse 22 - Have Faith in God.

1. Life in the deeper life involves character.

Verse 11 - He looked around at everything.

Verse 15 - Jesus entered the Temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling.

I Peter 2:5 - You also, like living stones, are being built into a Spiritual house.

2. Life in the deeper life shows concern.

Verse 13-14 - Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had fruit. When he reached it, however, he found nothing but leaves because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, may no one ever eat fruit from you again.

Verse 15 - Jesus began driving out those who were buying and selling there.

Jude 1:12 - They are clouds without rain.

I Thess. 2:8 - We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but our lives as well.

3. Life in the deeper life eliminates confusion.

Verse 22 - Therefore I tell you whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it will be yours.

Verse 26 - And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven my forgive you your sins.

4. Life in the deeper life includes accountability.

Verse 13 - Seeing the fig tree in the distance, he went to find out if it had any fruit.

The Psalmist said: Where can I go from His presence?

February 12 2017 Getting A Grip On Respect

GETTING A GRIP ON RESPECT

RESPECT WHO?

Parents (Ex. 20:8-9)

Spouses (Eph. 5:22, I Peter 3:1, 7)

Church Leaders (Heb.13:17)

Anyone in Authority (Rom. 13:1-7)

1 Peter 2:17 – Show proper respect to everyone.

I. WHY TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT?

1. BECAUSE God made everyone.

Ps. 8:5 – You (God) made man inferior only to yourself; you crowned him with glory and honor.

2. BECAUSE Jesus died on the cross for everyone.

1 Pet. 1:18-19 – God paid a ransom to save you. He paid for you with the precious life-blood of Christ.

3. BECAUSE it shows I personally know God.

1 John 4:8 – If a person isn’t loving and kind, it shows that he doesn’t know God, for God is love.

4. BECAUSE I’ll get back what I give out.

Gal. 6:7 – A man’s harvest in life will depend entirely on what he sows.

II. HOW TO SHOW RESPECT TO OTHERS.

1. Accept others unconditionally.

Romans 15:7 – Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Romans 12:18 – If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

2. Commit yourself personally.

Romans 12:10 – Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

Romans 12:5 – In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

3. Encourage others continually.

1 Thess. 5:11 – Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

1 Cor. 13:7 – If you love someone you always believe in him and always expect the best of him.

4. Serve people cheerfully.

1 Peter 4:10 – Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

Romans 12:13 – Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

5. Forgive others freely.

Col. 3:13 – Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

6. Demonstrate God’s love.

John 13:35 – By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you have love for one another.

2 Cor. 5:14 – For Christ’s love compels us.

CONCLUSION:

Eph. 3:17 -18 – I pray that Christ will be more at home in your heart, living within you as you trust Him. May your roots go deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love, and may you be able to feel and understand how long, wide, deep and high His love really is, and experience this love for yourselves.

August 14 2016 Prevailing To The Coming Of Christ

PREVAILING TO THE COMING OF CHRIST

1 Thessalonians

Timothy’s Report
• They were loyal in the persecution.
• They were Doctrinally pure.
• They were concerned.

Five views of Christ’s Second Coming

1. The view of the new Christian.

Chapter 1

Three things about the Church from verse 3

• Their work produced by faith.
• Their labor prompted by love.
• Their enduring hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Three things they did in light of His coming

Verse 9 They turned to God from idols.

Question:
• Does the coming of Christ’s second coming change your lifestyle?
• If He were to come today would it change your lifestyle at this very moment?

Verse 9 Began to serve the living God.

Question:
• Does the coming of Christ motivate us to begin to find a Ministry that we can do for Him?
• If Jesus were to come today, would He find us doing something profitable for His Kingdom?

Verse 10 They are to wait for God’s Son.

Question:
• Are we at peace with ourselves in the midst of the storm that is around us?
• Are we holding steady?

2. The view of the worker in the Church.
Chapter 2

Verse 20 – Indeed you are our glory and joy.

Question:
When Jesus comes back, am I going to have any crowns?

3. The view of the Brother.

Chapter 3

Verse 12 – May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as it does for you.

Two aspects of love

• We are to increase in love.
• We are to overflow in love to others.

1 John 4:20 – If anyone says, I love God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar.

Question:
• Are your relationships all cleared up?

4. The view of the one who is suffering.

Chapter 4

Verse 14 – We believe Jesus died and rose again and so believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.

5. How the Christian is to conduct himself.

Chapter 5

Verse 1 Exact time not important.

Verse 2 Coming will be a surprise.

Verse 3 No escape from the event.
   
Verse 4 & 5 Don’t be surprised.

Verse 6-8 Be alert, sober, prepared.

Verse 9 Be our final salvation.

Verse 10 No Christian left behind.

Verse 11 Encourage one another.

Verse 12 & 13 Respect the Spiritual leaders.

Verse 14 Meet the needs of the body.

Final Instruction

July 10 2016 Discovering Inner Adequacy

DISCOVERING INNER ADEQUACY

John 14:16 – (Jesus) and I will pray the Father, and He will give you another helper, that He may abide forever.

1. Inner adequacy completes inner transformation.

Ephesians 3:17 – I pray the Holy Spirit in fullness will strengthen your inner man.

2. Inner adequacy is given for effective living.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 – (Paul said) our Gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power.

3. Inner adequacy is still available.

John 17: - (Jesus) But all who would come to believe on Him.

Acts 1:14 – They all joined together constantly in prayer.

Matthew 17:20 – (Jesus said) If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain move from here to there and it will move.

4. Inner adequacy enables us to always trust God.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 – Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and has made the Lord his hope and confidence.  He’s like a tree planted along a river bank, with roots reaching deep into the water, not bothered by heat, nor worried by long months of drought.  It stays green and goes on producing fruit.