October 2 2016 Connecting With The Real Jesus

Connecting With The Real Jesus

John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the life."

John 14:1-9 (NLT) “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him! Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am?

How Do We Connect to the Real Jesus?

1. I engage the way of Jesus through prayer.

Question: "How do you know what Jesus would do?"

John 14:13 "You can ask for anything in my name and I will do it because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father."

Matthew 7:7 "Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks finds and to everyone who knocks the door will be opened."

2. I encounter the truth of Jesus through Bible study.

John 14:9-11 Jesus replied "Philip, don't you even yet know who I am even after all the time I've been with you? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. Why are you asking to see Him? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?" "The words I say are not my own but my Father who lives in me, does his work through me." "Just believe that I'm in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe, because of what you have seen me do."

Question: Have you ever seriously studied who Jesus is?

Common Myths:

• Jesus came to make us more religious.

See Mark 7.

•  Jesus was just a good human.

See John 2.

• Jesus was a good historical figure.

See John 18.

• Jesus will make your life easy

CS Lewis “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

3. I experience the life of Jesus through believing.

Acts 16:31 "Believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ and you will be saved."

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him would not perish but have eternal life.

Memory Verse: John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."

June 19 2016 Living With Jesus As Savior

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."

John 1:38-41 (NIV) 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).

“Jesus Christ” = Jesus the Divine Savior.

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES JESUS MAKE IN MY LIFE?

1. For my past, Jesus offers forgiveness.

“Sin” = missing the mark.

Acts 13:39 (NCV) “Understand we are telling you: You can have forgiveness of your sins through Jesus, the Law of Moses could not free you from your sins, but through Jesus everyone who believes is free from all sin.”

1 John 1:9: (CEB) “But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.”

2. For my present, Jesus offers significance.

John 10:10 (TLB),[Jesus Said] “My purpose is to give life in all of its fullness.

Acts 16:30 (MSG) “Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved? To really live?”

John 8:12 (NIV) When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

3. For my future, Jesus offers security.

1 John 5:13 (NIV) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

John 11:25 (NLT) “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Me even though they die like everyone else will live again.”

John 3:16 (NIV) 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.”

Memory Verse: Ephesians 1:13 (GNT) “And you also became God’s people. When you heard the true message the good news of Jesus Christ that brought you salvation. You believed in ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit He had promised.”

John 1:10-13, (TLB) But although he made the world, the world didn’t recognize him when he came. Even in his own land and among his own people, the Jews, he was not accepted. Only a few would welcome and receive him. But to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God.

Acts 16:31 (NIV) “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved ..

May 17 2015 Freedom From The Past

FREEDOM FROM THE PAST

Matthew 11:28-29

What keeps us from committing our all to Christ?

1. Pride.

Proverbs 18:12 - Arrogant people are on the way to ruin because they won’t admit it when they need help.

Proverbs 10:8 -  The self-sufficient fool falls flat on his face.

2. Guilt.

Psalm 40:13 - Problems far too big for me to solve are piled higher than my head. Meanwhile my sins too many to count have caught up with me and I’m ashamed to look up.

3. Fear.

Mark 8:36 - How does a man benefit if he gains the whole word and loses his soul in the process? Is anything worth more that his soul? No!

4. Worry.
    
1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
    
Philippians 1:6 - God, who began a good work in you, will keep right on helping you grow in His Grace until His task is finally finished.

5. Doubt.

Matthew 17:20 - If you have Faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible to you.

How To Make The Decision For Christ

1. Accept God’s Son as my Savior.

Acts 16:31 - Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.

2. Accept God’s Word as my standard for living.

2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching the Faith and correcting error, for resetting the direction of a man’s life, training him in good living.

3. Accept God’s Will as my goal for life.

David said: I desire to do Your Will O my God.

4. Accept God’s power as my strength.
    
Philippians 4:13 - I can do everything God asks me with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.

Revelation 3:20 - Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will go in and eat with him and he with Me

June 16 2013 Building Homes To Last

BUILDING HOMES TO LAST
Nehemiah 3: 10, 23, 29 & 30
They repaired over against his house.

1.  God intends for our homes to build a wall of prayer.
Verse 10: - Jedaiah made repairs beside his house.

HOW TO BUILD IT

* Select a specific time.

* Choose a special place.

Luke 22:39 - Jesus left the city and went, as He usually did, to the Mount of Olives to pray.
Gal. 6:9 - Let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after awhile we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.

2.  Home needs God’s protection.
Verse 23: - After him, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house.

STORMS THAT CAN COME
* Change.

* Failure.

HOW TO BUILD PROTECTION
* Put Christ first in your life.

* Live in obedience to Christ.

Matt. 6:33 - Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.
John 15:4 - Jesus said remain in Me and I will remain in you.

3.  We must build the wall of integrity.
Verse 29: - Zadok (son of Immer) also rebuilt the wall next to his own house.

* Soundness in our relationships.

* Sound character.

Isa. 38:19 - One generation makes known your faithfulness to the next.

4.  The home must build a wall of ministry.
Verse 30: - Meshullam, son of Berekiah, built next to his own house.
I Cor. 16:15 - Stephanas and his family were the first to become Christians in Greece, and they are spending their lives helping and serving Christians everywhere.
Acts 16:33 - The whole family was filled with joy because they had come to believe God.

5.  The home is meant to be a place of fun.
Ecc. 9:9 - Enjoy life with your wife whom you love.
Prov. 5:18 - Be happy with your wife and find joy with the girl you married.
Psalm 127:3 - Children are a gift of God.

April 15 2012 Six Ways To Grow A Healthy Family

Six Ways To Grow A Healthy Family

1. (F) Fun

Ecclesiastes 9:9 - Enjoy life with your wife.

Proverbs 5:13 - Be happy with your wife and find joy with the girl you married.

Psalm 127:3 - Children are a gift from God.

2. (A) Attention

Philippians 2:2-4 - When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide.  Be humble and give more honor to     others than yourselves. Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others.

Philippians 2:5-7 - Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.

Romans 12:10 - Love one another, out do one another in     showing honor.

3. (M) Ministry


1 Corinthians 16:15 - Stephanas and his family were the first to become Christians in Greece, and they are spending their lives helping and serving Christians everywhere.

Acts 16:33 - The whole family was filled with joy because they had come to believe God.

Romans 12:13 - When God’s children are in need, help them out.  Get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner, of if they need lodging for the night.

4. (I) Insulate the members from the storms of life

Proverbs 14:26 - Reverencefor the Lord gives a man deep strength, his children have a place of refuge and security.

3 Kinds Of Storms

1. Change.

2. Failure.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 - Two are better than one, if one of them falls down the other can help him up, but if someone is alone and falls, it’s just too bad because there is no one to help him

3. Rejection

5. (L) Learning Center

Psalm 14:12 - May our sons, in their youth, be like plants that grow.

Ephesians 6:4 - Fathers, don’t exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the     Lord.

Luke 2:52 - Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and with man.

Isaiah 38:19 - One generation makes known your faithfulness to the next.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 - These commandments impress them upon your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

6. (Y) Yield to God

Joshua 24:25 - Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods of your forefathers or the gods of the Amorites, but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Philippians 4:8 - Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and dwell on the fine, good things in others.