September 4 2016 When Only A Miracle Will Do

WHEN ONLY A MIRACLE WILL DO

A Time To Build

1. Admit we have a need.

Mark 6:34-37 - When Jesus saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, so He began teaching them.  By this time it was late in the day, so His disciple came and said, ‘This is a remote place. Send the people away so they can go and buy something to eat.’  But Jesus answered, ‘You give them something to eat!’ They said, ‘That would take eight months of a man’s wages!’

2.  Assess our ability.

Mark 6:38 - How many loaves do you have? Jesus asked, ‘Go and see.’  When thy found out, they said, ‘Five small loaves of bread and two fish.’

John 6:6 - Jesus asked this only to test them, for He already had in mind what He was going to do.

3.  Give God the resources we have.

Mark 6:41 - Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish.  He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the people.

The boy gave what he had, willingly, cheerfully and immediately.

4.  Expect Him to expand it.

Mark 6:42-43 - Everyone ate and had enough.  Afterwards they collected 12 baskets full of leftovers!

Mark 10:27 - All things are possible with God.

EXPECT FOUR THINGS

1.  Expect us to grow spiritually.

2 Corinthians 8:7 - You are growing in faith, in speaking, in knowledge, in truly wanting to help, and in the love you learned from us.  In the same way, be strong also in the grace of giving.

2.  Expect greater fellowship.

1 Peter 3:8 - You should be like one big happy family.

Acts 2:47 – Enjoying the favor of all people.

3. Expect great worship and celebration.

Psalm 95:2 - Let us come before Him with thanksgiving.

4.  Expect a challenge to sell out to God.

2 Corinthians 8:5 - They first gave themselves unreservedly to God.  Then the other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives.

December 27 2015 Missions Is Giving

MISSIONS IS GIVING

John 3:16 – For God so love the world that He gave His one and only Son.

• Missions requires giving yourself in Christian living.

Matthew 5:16 – Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:13 – You are the salt of the earth.

Ephesians 5:18 – Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery, instead be filled with the Holy Spirit.

• Missions is giving a personal witness.

Mark 1:17 – Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.

• Missions is giving our life.

Matthew 16:24 – If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

Luke 10:41 – Mary has chosen what is better.

Matthew 28:19 – Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.

The Benefit Of Giving

Luke 6:38 – Jesus said, give and it will be given to you, for with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

• Giving makes us more like God.
• Giving draws us closer to God.

Matthew 6:21 – For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

• Giving gives me victory over materialism.
• Giving strengthens my faith.

Proverbs 3:5-9 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, honor the Lord by giving Him the first part of all your income and He will fill your barns to over-flowing.

• Giving is an investment for eternity.

Jesus said, store up your treasures in heaven.

2 Corinthians 8:5 – They first gave themselves to the Lord.

October 6 2013 How To Prepare For A Miracle

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A MIRACLE

A Time To Build

1. Admit that I have a need.
Mark 6:34-37 - When Jesus saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, so He began teaching them. By this time it was late in the day, so His disciple came and said, ‘This is a remote place. Send the people away so they can go and buy something to eat.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You give them something to eat!’ They said, ‘That would take eight months of a man’s wages!’

2. Assess what I already have.

Mark 6:38 - How many loaves do you have? Jesus asked, ‘Go and see.’ When thy found out, they said, ‘Five small loaves of bread and two fish.’
John 6:6 - Jesus asked this only to test them, for He already had in mind what He was going to do.

3. Give God whatever I have.

Mark 6:41 - Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the people.

The boy gave what he had, willingly, cheerfully and immediately.

4. Expect Him to multiply it.

Mark 6:42-43 - Everyone ate and had enough. Afterwards they collected 12 baskets full of leftovers!
Mark 10:27 - All things are possible with God.

The next miracle in Our Church’s history

A TIME TO BUILD - 4 PURPOSES

1. To help us grow to spiritual maturity.

II Cor. 8:7 - You are growing in faith, in speaking, in knowledge, in truly wanting to help, and in the love you learned from us. In the same way, be strong also in the grace of giving.

2. To deepen our fellowship as a Church family.

I Peter 4:9 - Open your homes to each other.

I Peter 3:8 - You should be like one big happy family.

3. To Worship God by celebrating Thanksgiving.

Psalm 95:2 - Let us come before Him with thanksgiving.

4. To challenge us to complete our family/Worship center.

By having a Commitment Day on Nov. 17th when each of us can make a gift and a three year giving commitment.

II Cor. 8:5 - They first gave themselves unreservedly to God. Then the other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT DURING THIS TIME?

1. To see some miracles.

2. To grow spiritually.

3. To be hassled by Satan.

4. To experience joy.

August 25 2013 Trusting God When You Need Guidance

TRUSTING GOD WHEN YOU NEED GUIDANCE

I.  Five Unreliable Sources Of Guidance

1.  Don’t rely on culture.
Romans 12:2 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Exodus 23:2 - Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.

2.  Don’t rely on circumstances.

Jonah 1:1-3 -The Word of the Lord came to Jonah…go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.  But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.

Acts 27

3.  Don’t always rely on counsel.

Psalm 1:1 - Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the wicked or stands in the way of sinner or sits in the seat of mockers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord.

4.  Don’t rely on the counterfeit.

II Cor. 11:14 - For Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
I John 4:1 - Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

5.  Don’t always rely on conscience.

Prov. 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Psalm 119:105 - Your Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a Light unto my path.

II.  The Completely Reliable Source
·  God’s will is found in God’s Word.
·   God’s will never contradicts God’s Word.
·   God expects me to obey His Word before He shows me His specific will.

This Is God’s Will For Me

1.  That I have eternal life.

John 6:40 - My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life.

2.  That I be filled with the Spirit.

Eph. 5:17-18 - Understand what the Lord’s will is:  Do not get drunk with wine, instead be filled with the Spirit.

3.  That I live a pure, disciplined life.

I Thes. 4:3-4 - It is God’s will that you should be holy, that you should avoid sexual immorality, and learn to control your own body in a way that is holy.

4.  That I maintain an attitude of gratitude.

I Thes. 5:16-18 - Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you.

5.  That I be a law abiding citizen.

I Peter 2:13-16 - Submit your selves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men, for it is God’s will that by doing good, you silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.

6.  That I bring others to Christ.

II Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that everyone comes to repentance.

7.  That I commit myself to God and others.

II Cor. 8:5 - They gave themselves first to the Lord, and then to us in keeping with God’s will.

January 30 2011 How To Live Generously

How To Live Generously

(Acts 20:35 - In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive.'")

Key Bible Words: Believe, Pray, Love, Give

Luke 6:38 - "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

I. How giving benefits your life

1. Giving makes us more like God

(John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.")

2. Giving draws me closer to God

(Matthew 6:21 - "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.")

3. Giving is a victory over materialism

(1 Timothy 6:17-19 - Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.")

(Deuteronomy 14:23 - Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the LORD your God always.)

4. Giving strengthens my faith

(Malachi 3:10 - "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.")

(Proverbs 3:5&9 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding - Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops)

5. Giving is an investment for eternity

(1 Timothy 6:18-19 - Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.)

6. Giving it blesses me in return

(Proverbs 22:9 - A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.)

(Psalm 112:5 - Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.)

7. Giving makes me happy

(1 Chronicles 29:9 - The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.)

II. How to get the most out of giving

1. Learn to give willingly

(2 Corinthians 9:12 - This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.)

2. Give generously

(2 Corinthians 8:3-4 - For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.)

3. Give joyfully

(2 Corinthians 9:7 - Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.)

4. Give thankfully

(1 Chronicles 29:13-14 - Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.")

5. Give expectantly

(2 Corinthians 9:6 - Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.)

(2 Corinthians 8:5 - And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.)