January 29 2017 The Life God Blesses

THE LIFE GOD BLESSES

Decade of Destiny - Part 3

FOUR PITFALLS ON YOUR JOURNEY

1. Cultural Distractions.

2. Voices of Doubt

3. Tempting Shortcuts.

4. Discouraging Delays

LESSONS FROM NOAH: GENESIS 6-9

1. I must dare to be different from my culture.

Genesis 6:12 (NLT)"God observed all the corruption in the world, and he saw violence and depravity everywhere. "

Genesis 6:5-6 (LB)'When God saw the extent of human wickedness, and that the trend and direction of men's lives were only towards evil, he was sorry he had made them. It broke his heart"

Genesis 6:8 (MSG)"But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah."(LB) "Noah was a pleasure to the Lord"

Genesis 6:9a (LB)"Noah was the only truly righteous man living on the earth at that time.

2. I must listen to the voice of God, not the voices of doubt.

Hebrews 11:7a (NCV)"It was by faith that Noah heard God's warnings about things he could not yet see."

Hebrews 11:7b (LB)"Noah's belief in God was in direct contrast to the disbelief of tile rest of the world..."

Genesis 6:9c (NIV)"Noah walked with God."

3. I must do exactly as God tells me to do.

Genesis 6:9b (LB) "Noah always tried to conduct his affiuirs according to God's will."

Genesis 6:22 & 7:5 (NLT) "Noah did eveiy!hing exactly as God had commanded him."

Hebrews 11:7b (NCV)"Noah obeyed God and built a large boat to save his family."

4. I must refuse to give up on the dream God gives me.

Hebrews 11 :7a (LB)"Noah trusted God. When he heard God's warning about the future, Noah believed him even though there was no sign of a flood..."

Hebrews 11 :7b (NCV)'...By his flu/h, Noah showed that the world was wrong, and he became one of those who are made right with God through flu/h."

Genesis 6:8 (KJV)"Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."

Memory Verse: 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NASB) "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.

June 26 2016 Receiving Help For Our Problems

RECEIVING HELP FOR OUR PROBLEMS

2 Chronicles 20:1-30

Verse 1 – After this, the Moabites, and the Ammonites, with some of the Meunites, came to make war on Jehoshaphat.

Seven Ways to Handle Your Problem

STEP ONE Identify the problem.

Verse 2-  “Some men came to Jehoshaphat and said, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom.”

Verse 3 – He was alarmed.

STEP TWO Take your problems to the Lord.

Verse 3-4 -  “Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord. He proclaimed a fast and had all the people come together to seek help from the Lord.

• Remind yourself who God is. (vs. 6)

Are you not......?

• Remind yourself what God has done. (vs. 7)

Did you not......?

• Now ask God to do it. (vs. 12)

Will you not....?

STEP THREE Admit your inadequacy.

Verse 12 – We have no power to face this vast army.

Zechariah 4:6 – It's not y might, nor by power, but by (God's) Spirit.

STEP FOUR Learn to rely on God’s resources.

Verse 12 – But our eyes are upon you.
    
STEP FIVE You must relax in faith.

Verse 15 – Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the vast army for the battle is not yours, but God's.

Colossians 2:6– As you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him.

1 Corinthians 15:57 – Thanks be to God He gives us the victory.

2 Chronicles 20:17 – You will not have to fight this battle. Take your positions and stand firm.

HOW TO STAND FIRM

• Stand on God’s character.
• Stand on God’s truth.

STEP SIX Get some support.

Verse 13 – All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones stood before the Lord.

STEP SEVEN Thank God in advance.

Verse 21 – Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him as they went out at the head of the army.

THE RESULTS

Verse 22 God gave the victory.

Verses 25-26 They lived in the valley of blessing.

Verses 29-30 It was a great testimony.

August 2 2015 How Repentance Brings Renewal

HOW REPENTANCE BRINGS RENEWAL

2 Chronicles 29-30

Introduction:  Repentance means to change your mind.

Why is Repentance not understood?

1. The appeal of modern evangelism.

The Gospel must bring the conviction of sin before it can be the good news of redemption.

2. Unwilling or unable to accept the reality for personal sin.

God’s Steps Towards Renewal

1. I must confess any known sin to God

2. I must ask forgiveness of any I have wronged.

3. I must put away doubtful habits.

4. I must obey the Holy Spirit promptly.

5. I must share what God is doing in me with others.

Hezekiah did these things.

The Call of Repentance

1. Hands us a challenge.                  

2 Chronicles 30:9 –If you return to the land, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion.

2. Gives us a choice.

2 Chronicles 30:11 – Some humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. 

3. Asks us to change.

2 Chronicles 30:12 – God gave them singleness of heart.

4. Allows us to (Vs 13-23) celebrate.

The people were (2 Chronicles 30:20) heard.

The people were (2 Chronicles 30:22) encouraged.

The people were (2 Chronicles 30:22) enlightened.

The people were (2 Chronicles 30:27) blessed

July 26 2015 The Work Of Prayer In Renewal

THE WORK OF PRAYER IN RENEWAL

2 Chronicles 14 & 15

INTRODUCTION:

“Whenever God determines to do a great work, He first sets His people to pray.”  (C.H. Spurgeon)

Asa teaches us about life.

2 Chronicles 14: 1-10

1. A time when things are easy.

2 Chronicles 14: 1-8

2. Times when living becomes difficult.

2 Chronicles 14: 9-10

When God is going to do something wonderful, He begins with a difficulty.  When God is going to something very wonderful, He begins with an impossibility.

Asa teaches us about prayer when things got bad.

2 Chronicles 14:11

Successful prayer means you:

1. Recognize God as your only source of strength.

2. Understand our own personal weakness.

3. Total trust in God.

4. Make God’s cause your own.

If you make God’s cause yours, He will make your cause His.

Asa teaches us about renewal.

2 Chronicles 15

1. Renewal hands us a challenge.

2 Chronicles 15: 1-7

2. Renewal gives us a choice.

2 Chronicles 15:8

3. Prayer causes us to change.

To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives. The more we pray, the more we come to the heartbeat of God. Prayer starts the communication process between ourselves and God. All the options of life fall before us. At that point we will either forsake our prayer life and cease to grow, or we will pursue our prayer life and let Him change us. Either option is painful. To not grow in His likeness is to not enjoy His fullness. When this happens a haunting voice continues to ask us, what could I have become in Him if I would have been a man of prayer? When this happens the priorities of this world begin to fade away. Some of our friends do not understand the change in our life.

July 19 2015 The Person God Uses

The Person God Uses

2 Chronicles 7:14

THE PROCESS OF RENEWAL

Christians pray, God cares
Christians repent, God shows us ourselves
Christians minister, God empowers and equips

THE PERSON GOD USES

1. That person has one great purpose.

Philippians 3:7-14

To “know God” there must be:

Evaluation How well do I know God?

Exchange What must I do to know Him better?

Trade off What price will I pay to know Him better?

2. That person has, by God’s grace, removed every known hindrance.  Hebrews 12:1-2

Observations:

1. We can have victory over all sin.

2. If God’s Word says lay it aside, it can be done.

God didn’t say these things to frustrate us, but help us by God’s Grace.

“Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of your body over your mind, that thing for us is sin.” (Susanna Wesley)

3. That person has placed themselves at God’s disposal.

Romans 12:1-2

Observations:

1. For those who have been saved.

2. Sign my name to a blank sheet of paper.

3. Give Him control of your life.

4. That person who has learned to prevail in prayer.

James 5:13-18

Observations:
1. Things beyond my control.

2. Things that are bigger than myself.

3. Things that seem impossible.

5. That person is a student of the Word.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

6. That person has a giving Spirit.

John 3:16

7. That person expects results.

Romans 4:16-21

8. That person lives under the anointing of God the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18-20

“The renewal we need is simply a return to normal New Testament Christianity, where the Churches are full of prayer, full of power, full of people, full of praise full of divine happenings all the time.  We want something normal, not just ‘special.’  God’s normal, that is.  God’s normal is greater than most of our specials put together. (Dr. Armin Desswein)