July 20 2014 Determining Your Faith During Discouragement

DETERMINING YOUR FAITH DURING DISCOURAGEMENT

Mark 2:1-5

I. The first step to determining your faith during discouragement: Commitment.

Verse 3 – Some men came bringing to Him a paralytic.

How to Make Commitments:

1. Set a goal.

Philippians 3:13 – One thing I do.

2. Reveal your decision to God.

Psalm 37:5 – Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will.

3. Invest your life.

2 Corinthians 12:15 – I am glad to give you myself and all I have for your spiritual good.

II. Courage.

Verse 4 – Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralytic man was lying on.

How to Establish Courage:

1. Perserverance.

Examples:

  • Thomas Edison
  • Abraham Lincoln

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken; we are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit.

Verse 9 – We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up and keep on going.

III. Also we need to add cooperation.

We cannot overlook the fact that four men carried the paralytic.

Examples of Team Work:

  • Mark 6:7
  • Nehemiah 4

How to Build a Team:

1. Learn to trust others.

2. Express your appreciation.

3. Communicate your needs.

Philippians 1:3 – I thank my God every time I remember you, because of your partnership.

IV. Finally, there must be complete surrender.

Verse 4 – They lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.

Verse 5 – When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Steps to Complete Surrender:

1. Give God first place in your life.

Matthew 6:33 – But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.

2. Give God the benefit of the doubt.

Examples:

  • Matthew 7:11
  • Caleb

You Can Determine Your Faith During Discouragement

May 13 2012 Three Things Mothers Can Build In The Home

Three Things Mothers Can Build In The Home

I. First Mothers need to build the foundation of Faith.

Examples:

1. Timothy’s Mother and Grandmother.

2 Timothy 1:5 - I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first live in your Grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

2. Moses’ Mother.

Hebrews 11:25 - He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a short time.

3. Samuel’s Mother.

I Samuel 1:28 -2:1 - So now I give him to the Lord, my heart rejoices in the Lord.

II. Secondly you need to build a closet of prayer.

A place where you can get alone with God.

I Samuel 1:27 - I prayed for this child.

III. Thirdly build a room for improvement.

Mothers are the molders of men and women.

Examples:

1. Nancy Hanks, Mother of Abraham Lincoln

2. Winston Churchill’s Mother

3. Suzanne Wesley, Mother of John & Charles Wesley

4. Sarah Edwards, Mother of Jonathan Edwards

I believe that Mothers set the tone for the family. Therefore, get a vision for your child and pour your life I nto them.

I Samuel 2:26 - And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men.