September 27 2015 The Prayer Of Connection

THE PRAYER OF CONNECTION

Matthew 6:9 – Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

WHAT KIND OF FATHER IS GOD?

1. God is a caring God.

Psalm 104:13 – As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who honor Him.

1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you!

Psalm 35:37 – The Lord delights in the being of His servants.

2. God is a consistent God.

James 1:17 – Every good and perfect gift is from the Father who does not change like shifting shadows.

2 Timothy 2:13 – Even if we are faithless, He remains faithful for He cannot disown Himself.

Psalm 18:20 – What a God He is!  All His promises prove true!

3. God is a close God.

Acts 17:27 – God did this so people would reach out for Him and find Him, since He is not far from each of us.

GOD:

• Is never too busy for you.

Psalm 145:18 – The Lord is near to all who call on Him.

• Loves to meet your needs.

Matthew 7:11 – If you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!

• Is sympathetic to my hurts.

Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

4. God is a capable God.

Luke 1:37 – For nothing is impossible with God.

Ephesians 3:20 – God is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of, infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes!

Galatians 3:26 – We are children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:19 – My God shall supply all your needs.

August 30 2015 Keeping The Spirit Of Renewal

KEEPING THE SPIRIT OF RENEWAL

Nehemiah 8:1 -10:39

Verse 1 – all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate.

Six principles that keep the renewal.

1. Keep spiritually sensitive.

Nehemiah 8:1 - When the seventh month came.

2. Maintained by unity.

Nehemiah 8:1 – All the people assembled as one man.

3. Came as a family to hear the Word.

Nehemiah 8:2 – Ezra the scribe brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men, women and all who were able to understand.

Verse 10 – For the joy of the Lord is your strength.

4. There was a spirit of broken heartedness.

Nehemiah 9:1-2 – The Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sack cloth and having dust on their heads.  They stood in their places and confessed their sins.

If you avoid in your present Christian walk a daily humiliation before God, you will soon become hard hearted, cold and indifferent to the things of God.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

5. Reflection upon God’s goodness.

Nehemiah 9:6-15

1) He preserved them all.

2) He chose Abraham.

3) Heard their cry by the Red Sea.

4) Divided the Red Sea – signs & wonders._

5) Defeated the enemy in the Sea.

6) Cloudy pillar and pillar of fire.

7) Produced water from the rock.

6. A life of obedience gives way to a Spirit of renewal.

Nehemiah 10:29 – All these now join their brothers and nobles to obey carefully all the commands of the Lord our God.

First they restored the family altar.

Ver. 29-30

Second it affected their social life.

Ver. 30

Third obedience affects the Church.

Ver. 39 – We will not neglect the House of our God.

1. Faithful giving of their money.

2. Faithfulness in Worship.

August 23 2015 Helping Others Like Jesus

HELPING OTHERS LIKE JESUS

The Jesus Model – Part 1

Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV) “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me To preach good news to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim freedom for the prisoners, To recover the sight of the blind, To release the oppressed and proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

THE FOCUS OF A CHRIST-LIKE MINISTRY

Who Jesus came to help:

“THE POOR” The Have Nots

Types of poverty:

• material poverty
• moral poverty
• spiritual poverty

“THE BROKENHEARTED”The Let Down.

“THE IMPRISONED” the Locked Up.

Types of prisons:

• addictions
• secrets
• ignorance
• fear.

“THE BLIND” the Shut Out.

Types of blindness:

• night blindness
• relational blindness
• spiritual blindness.

“THE OPPRESSED” the Kicked Around

Types:

• political oppression.
• Cultural oppression
• Spiritual oppression

“The year of JUBILEE”

John 13:15 (NLT) “I have given you an example to follow. Now do as I have done to you.”

THE FEATURES OF A CHRISTLIKE MINISTRY

What Jesus came to do

• “Preach good news” 
• “Heal the brokenhearted” 
• “Proclaim freedom”
• “Provide recovery of sight” 
• “Release the oppressed”

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NLT) “… I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ… When I am with those who follow Jewish laws, I do the same, even though I am not subject to the law, so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with Gentiles… I fit in with them as much as I can… so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not discard the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. I do all this for the sake of the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings.” 

June 21 2015 Letting God Meet Your Needs

LETTING GOD MEET YOUR NEEDS 

God's Answer to Your Greatest Needs 

Matthew 6:9-13 9“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven,  hallowed be your name,  

WHAT GOD'S NAMES TELL ME

1. God wants to SUPPLY MY NEEDS

Genesis 22:14 "God is my provider." ("Jehovah-Jireh")

Philippians 4:19 (Ph) "God will supply all that you need from his glorious resources in Christ Jesus.  "

2 Peter  1:3 (LB) "As you know Him better, God will give you, through His great power, everything you need  for living a truly good life. "

My most urgent need:

2. God wants to FORGIVE MY FAULTS

Jeremiah 23:6 "God is my Righteousness.  " ("Jehovah-Tsidkenu")

Isaiah 43:25 (GN)  'I am the God who forgives your sins, and I do this because of who I am."

Romans 3:23-24 (LB) "All have sinned... yet God declares us 'not guilty of  offending Him if we trust in Jesus 

My worst fault-

3. God wants to RELIEVE MY STRESS

Judges 6:24 "God is my Peace " ("Jehovah-Shalom")

1 Corinthians 14:23 (RSV) "God is not a God of confusion but of peace.  "

John 14:27 (LB) (Jesus)"The peace I give you isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So don't be 

My greatest stress:

4. God wants to HEAL MY HURTS

Exodus 15:26 "God is my Healer" ("Jehovah-Rophe")

Psalm 147:3 "God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their

2 Corinthians 5:17 (LB) When. someone becomes a Christian he becomes  a brand new person inside.  He is not the same anymore.  A new life has begun!"

My deepest hurt:

Psalm 33:21 (LB)"No wonder we are happy in the Lord!.  We trust  His holy name!"

November 16 2014 Releasing Inner Hurts

Releasing Inner Hurts

Jehovah Raphe – I Am The God Who Heals

Psalm 147 – God heals the broken hearted and bandages their wounds.

1. Reveal my hurt.

Psalm 39:2-3 – I kept very quiet, but I became even more upset.  I became very angry inside and as I thought about it my anger burned.

Job 18:4 – You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger.

2. Release those who have hurt me.

Romans 12:17-19 – Never pay back evil for evil.  Never avenge yourself, leave that to God.  For He has said that He will repay those that deserve it.

Psalm 56:8 – You God have kept a record of all my tears.

Hebrews 12:5 – A bitter spirit is not only bad in itself, but can also poison the life of many others.

3. Replace old memories with God’s truth.

Romans 12:2 – Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Ephesians 1:4 – Through what Christ would do for us, God decided to make us holy in His eves without a single fault we stand before Him covered with His love.

4. Refocus on the future.

Job 11:13-16 – Yet if you devote your heart to Him and stretch out your hands to Him, then you will lift up your face without shame, you will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.

Proverbs 4:25 – Look straight ahead with honest confidence, don’t hang your head in shame.

5. Reach out to help others.

2 Corinthians 1:4 – God comforts us every time we have trouble, so when others have trouble we can comfort them with the same comfort that God has given to us.

2 Corinthians 5:17 – When someone becomes a Christian, he is a brand new person inside, he is not the same anymore, a new life has begun.