January 8 2017 Your Choice: Blessed Or Stressed

YOUR CHOICE: BLESSED OR STRESSED

Decade of Destiny – Part 1

Deuteronomy 28:2-8 - You will experience all these blessings IF you obey the Lord your God.  You will be blessed in your towns and in the country. You will be blessed with many children and productive fields.  You will be blessed with fertile herds and flocks.  You will be blessed with baskets overflowing with fruit, and with kneading bowls filled with bread.  You will be blessed wherever you go, both in coming and in going.  The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you, and the Lord will BLESS EVERYTHING YOU DO and will fill your storehouses with grain.

Job 42:12 – The Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the first half of his life.

GOD PROMISES TO BLESS MY LIFE

1. If I meet with Him daily.

Proverbs 8:34 – Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.

Psalm 31:19 – You have stored up great blessings for those who honor you.  You do so much for those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

2. If I study and do His Word.

Psalm 1:1-3 – Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His Word he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.

James 1:25 – 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.

3. If I tithe my income.

Malachi 3:10 – Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my hours.  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.

4. If I help others in need.

Psalm 41:1-2 – God blesses those who are kind to the poor and helpless.  He helps them out of their own troubles.  He protects them and keeps them alive; He publicly honors them and destroys the power of their enemies.

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

Proverbs 11:11 – Good people bless and build up their city.

5. If I share the good news.

Philemon 1:6 – I pray you will be active in sharing your faith, so that you will fully understand every blessing we have in Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:8 – The man who plants and the man who waters have on purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

6. If I participate in fellowship.

Romans 1:12 – I’m eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.  In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other.

Now that you know these things, you will be blessed If you Do them.

October 2 2016 Your Choice: Blessed Or Stressed

YOUR CHOICE: BLESSED OR STRESSED

Decade of Destiny – Part 1

Deuteronomy 28:2-8 - You will experience all these blessings IF you obey the Lord your God.  You will be blessed in your towns and in the country. You will be blessed with many children and productive fields.  You will be blessed with fertile herds and flocks.  You will be blessed with baskets overflowing with fruit, and with kneading bowls filled with bread.  You will be blessed wherever you go, both in coming and in going.  The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you, and the Lord will BLESS EVERYTHING YOU DO and will fill your storehouses with grain.

Job 42:12 – The Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the first half of his life.

GOD PROMISES TO BLESS MY LIFE

1. If I meet with Him daily.

Proverbs 8:34 – Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.

Psalm 31:19 – You have stored up great blessings for those who honor you.  You do so much for those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

2. If I study and do His Word.

Psalm 1:1-3 – Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His Word he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.

James 1:25 – 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.

3. If I tithe my income.

Malachi 3:10 – Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my hours.  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.

4. If I help others in need.

Psalm 41:1-2 – God blesses those who are kind to the poor and helpless.  He helps them out of their own troubles.  He protects them and keeps them alive; He publicly honors them and destroys the power of their enemies.

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

Proverbs 11:11 – Good people bless and build up their city.

5. If I share the good news.

Philemon 1:6 – I pray you will be active in sharing your faith, so that you will fully understand every blessing we have in Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:8 – The man who plants and the man who waters have on purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

6. If I participate in fellowship.

Romans 1:12 – I’m eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.  In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other.

Now that you know these things, you will be blessed If you Do them.

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

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!”

September 30 2012 The Choice Of Happiness

The Choice Of Happiness

I. The Popular Idea of Happiness:

Having the right circumstances. Ecclesiastes 2:1-26
Vs. 1 - (Solomon) I have decided to enjoy myself and find out what happiness is.

Dead Ends
• Accumulating things Vs. 7-8
• Experiencing pleasure Vs. 3, 10
• Achieving success Vs. 4-6, 9

Vs. 17 - All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

II. God’s Way to Happiness:

Having the right attitude. Matthew 5:3-12

The Beatitudes, Eight Secrets of Happiness

Blessed Means: Happy

The Point of These Contradictions

My happiness is not determined by what’s happening around me, but rather what’s happening in me.

III. The First Step to Happiness:

Be humble.

Vs. 3 - Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

How Humility Increases My Happiness:

1. It reduces stress.

2. It improves my relationship.

3. It releases God’s power.

James 4:6 - God gives strength to the humble, but sets Himself against the proud.

Matthew 5:3 - Happy are those who know their need for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

John 13:17 - Now that you know the truth, how happy you will be if you put it into practice.