June 5 2016 Living What You Believe

The Apostle's Creed: "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."

• Wasn't written by the apostles
• Is not Scripture
• Was used to distinguish orthodoxy from heresy

FOUR QUESTIONS OF BELIEF

1. ASK: WHAT DO I BELIEVE?

"Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups." — 2 Corinthians 13:5

2. ASK: ON WHAT ARE MY BELIEFS BASED ?

"An intelligent person is always eager to take in more truth; fools feed on fast-food fads and fancies." - Proverbs 15:14

"Truth stands the test of time; lies are here today, gone tomorrow." - Proverbs 12:19

3. ASK: DOES MY BEHAVIOR MATCH MY BELIEFS?

Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. - James 2:17

4. ASK: HOW WILL I LIVE OUT WHAT I BELIEVE ?

"Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong." - 1 Corinthians 16:13

"Fool! When will you ever learn that 'believing' is useless without doing what God wants you to? Faith that does not result in good deeds is not real faith." - James 2:20

My Beliefs Determine:

• MY BEHAVIOR

(James 4:17; Psalm 119:59)_

• MY SIGNIFICANCE

(Genesis 1:27; John 10:10; John 8:31-32; Mark 6:34)

• MY ETERNITY

(John 5:24; John 3:16-17)

"For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." - Romans 10:9

November 8 2015 Taming My Temper

TAMING MY TEMPER

Wiser Part 4
    
Proverbs 16:32 (LB) It is better to be slow-tempered than famous; it is better to have self control than control an army.  

1. REMEMBER the results

Proverbs 19:22 (LB) "A hot-tempered man ... gets into all kinds of trouble. " 

Proverbs 15:18 (GN) "Hot tempers cause arguments. "

Proverbs 14:29 (GN)   “... anger causes mistakes. "

Proverbs 14:17 (GN) "People with hot tempers do foolish things."

Proverbs  11:29 (LB)  "The fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left, " 

2. REFLECT before acting

Proverbs 29:11 (NEB)  "A stupid man gives free rein to his anger; a wise man waits and lets it grow cool "

Proverbs 12:16 (GN) "When a fool is annoyed he quickly lets it be known.  Smart people will ignore an insult

Proverbs 19:11 (GN) When someone wrongs you, it is a great Virtue to ignore it. "

Proverbs 17:27 (GN) "People who stay calm have real insight”        

3. RESTRAIN  your remarks

Proverbs 21:23 (GN)"If you want to stay out of trouble, be careful what you say-  "

Proverbs 15:1 (GN) "A gentle answer quiets anger, but a harsh one stirs it up.  "

Galatians 5:22 "The fruit  of the Spirit is ... patience.  "

September 27 2015 Game On: It's Time To Change Our World

Game On: It's Time To Change Our World

“Jesus prayed to the Father: ‘In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world.’” - John 17:18 

The Story of the Good Samaritan:

“Jesus replied with a story: ‘A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a  priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?' Jesus asked. The man replied, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Yes, now go and do the same.’” - Luke 10:30-37 

HOW DO I OPEN MY HEART TO THOSE IN NEED?

• ENCOURAGE WHEN SOMEONE IS  HURTING. 

    
“With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.’’” - Isaiah 35:3-4

“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” - Hebrews 3:13 

• GUIDE WHEN SOMEONE NEEDS WISDOM. 

“Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do!” - Proverbs 4:7

“Happy is the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding.” -  Proverbs 3:13

“The purpose of these proverbs is to teach people wisdom and discipline, and to help them understand wise sayings.” - Proverbs 1:2 

(Jesus) “Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him…” - Luke 17:3

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” - 1 Peter 3:15
 

• GIVE WHEN SOMEONE NEEDS HELP.

“It's criminal to ignore a neighbor in need…” - Proverbs 14:21

“The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.” - Proverbs 11:25

“Never abandon a friend, either yours or your father's. Then in your time of need, you won't have to ask your relatives for assistance.  It is better to go to a neighbor than to a relative who lives far away.”  - Proverbs 27:10

Memory Verse: (Jesus) “Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions.” - 1 John 3:18

February 9 2014 Building My Life On The Bible

Building My Life On The Bible

HOW DO I BUILD MY LIFE ON THE BIBLE?

JAMES 1:19-25

1. I receive it with my ears.

Romans 10:17 (NIV) “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.”

James 1:19-21 (NIV)“Everyone should be QUICK TO LISTEN, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly ACCEPT THE WORD planted in you, which can save you.”

For “Good Reception” I need to be …

• Quiet 

“Be quick to listen and slow to speak …” 

• Calm

“and slow to become angry …”

• Clean

“get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent”

• Humble

“humbly accept the Word planted in you which can save you.”

2. I read it with my eyes.

James 1:22-25 (NIV)“Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like! But the man who LOOKS INTENTLY into the perfect law that gives freedom, and CONTINUES to do this, NOT FORGETTING what he has heard, but DOING IT—he will be blessed in what he does.”Get a Bible Reading Plan

3. I research it with my hands and my mouth.

Bible “STUDY” requires

• writing down what I learn
• talking about what I learn

John 5:39 (NLT) “You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. And the Scriptures point to me!” 

4. I review and remember with my mind.

James 1:25 (NIV) “The man who looks intently into the perfect law … and CONTINUES to do this, NOT FORGETTING what he has heard but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does.” The Bible term for remembering & reviewing God’s Word is meditation.

Joshua 1:8 (NIV) “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

5. I respond to it with my actions.

James 1:22 (NIV) “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. DO what it says!”

Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV) “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. BUT everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

February 2 2014 My Life To The Power Of Influence

My Life To The Power Of Influence 

2 Kings 6-7: The Influential Lepers

2 Kings 6:24-25 Some time later, however, King Ben-hadad of Aram mobilized his entire army and besieged Samaria. As a result there was a great famine in the city. After a while even a donkey's head sold for two pounds of silver, and a cup of dove's dung cost about two ounces of silver. 

2 Kings 7:3-11 Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. "Why should we sit here waiting to die?" they asked each other. "We will starve if we stay here, and we will starve if we go back into the city. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway." So that evening they went out to the camp of the Arameans, but no one was there! For the Lord had caused the whole army of Aram to hear the clatter of speeding chariots and the galloping of horses and the sounds of a great army approaching. "The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!" they cried out. So they panicked and fled into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, and they fled for their lives. When the lepers arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating, drinking wine, and carrying out silver and gold and clothing and hiding it. Finally, they said to each other, "This is not right. This is wonderful news, and we aren't sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some terrible calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let's go back and tell the people at the palace." So they went back to the city and told the gatekeepers what had happened that they had gone out to the Aramean camp and no one was there! The horses and donkeys were tethered and the tents were all in order, but there was not a single person around. Then the gatekeepers shouted the news to the people in the palace.

HOW TO LIVE A COMPOUNDING LIFE OF INFLUENCE

(From 2 Kings 6 - 7)

• Influence: USING MY WORDS AND ACTIONS TO MOVE PEOPLE TOWARD JESUS CHRIST

1. YOU HAVE TO RISK DOING SOMETHING GREAT FOR GOD

2 Kings 7:3-5““Now there were four men with leprosy sitting at the entrance of the city gates. ‘Why should we sit here waiting to die?’ they asked each other. ‘We will starve if we stay here, and we will starve if we go back into the city. So we might as well go out and surrender to the Aramean army. If they let us live, so much the better. But if they kill us, we would have died anyway.’’ So that evening they went out to the camp of the Arameans, but no one was there!” 

Luke 19:26“Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the bag.”

2. REMEMBER HOW MUCH GOD HAS BLESSED YOU.

2 Kings 7:8““When the lepers arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating, drinking wine, and carrying out silver and gold and clothing and hiding it.”

Luke 12:48“Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given.”

3. BEGIN TO RELAY GOD’S GOOD NEWS TO OTHERS

2 Kings 7:9-11““Finally, they said to each other, ‘This is not right. This is wonderful news, and we aren't sharing it with anyone! If we wait until morning, some terrible calamity will certainly fall upon us. Come on, let's go back and tell the people at the palace.’ So they went back to the city and told the gatekeepers what had happened . . . Then the gatekeepers shouted the news to the people in the palace.””

Memory Verse: Romans 1:16“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes!”