May 29 2016 Leaving A Legacy Of Love

LEAVING A LEGACY OF LOVE

1 Corinthians. 14:1 - “Let love be your greatest aim.”

Mark 12:30-31 - “Love your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength, love your     neighbor as yourself.  There are no commands moreimportant than these.”

THE BASICS OF LOVE

• WE LOVE BECAUSE God loves us.

1 John 4:7-8 - “Love comes from God, for God is love.

1 John 4:19 - “We love because God first loved us.”

1 John 4:16a - “We know and rely on the love God has for us.

• LOVE IS A choice AND A commitment.

Deuteronomy 30:20 -   “Choose to love the Lord your God, andcommit yourself to Him.

• LOVE IS an action, not an emotion.

1 John 3:18 - “Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.”

• LOVE IS a skill.

1 John 4:7 - “Dear friends, let us practice loving each other, for love comes from God and those who are loving     and kind show that they are the children of God, and that they are getting to know Him better.”

1 Timothy 4:15 - “Practice these things and devote yourself to them, in order that your progress may be seen by all.”

• LOVE IS a habit.

Hebrews 13:1 – Continue to love each other with true Christian love.”

Luke 6:32 -  “If you only love those who love you, what credit is that to you?”
    
Jesus said: “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.”  John 13:35

HOW TO BECOME GREAT AT RELATIONSHIPS

1.  I must commit to growing.

2.  I must learn how Jesus did it.

3.  I'm going to practice my skills.

4.  I'm going to develop the habit.

5. I'm going to trust God to help me.

Philippians 1:9 - “This is my prayer for you:  that your love willgrow more and more; that you will have knowledge andunderstanding with your love.”

May 22 2016 Your Guilt And God's Love

YOUR GUILT AND GOD’S LOVE

Psalm 32:3-5 – When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me, my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

1 John 4:18 – Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.

What To Do About It:

1. Trust God to forgive you.

Romans 3:23-24 – All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, yet now God declares us not guilty.  If we trust in Jesus Christ, Who in kindness freely takes away our sins.

2. Learn to forgive yourself.

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

3. Rely on God’s grace.

Psalm 119:96 – Nothing is perfect except (God’s) Word.

Psalm 103:13-14 – As a Father is kind to his children, so the Lord is kind to those who honor Him. He knows what we are made of, He remembers that we are but dust.

Romans 8:31 – There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

4. Stop the negative self talk.

Proverbs 4:23 – Be careful how you think. Your life is shaped by your thoughts.

Job 9:20 – (Job) Everything I say seems to condemn me.

Philippians.4:8 – Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right, think about all you can thank God for and be glad about.

5. Remember you can’t please everybody.

Proverbs 29:25 – It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you.

6. Commit yourself to doing God’s Will.

Matthew 11:29-30 – (Jesus) Come to Me, all you who are tired from carrying your heavy loads, and I will give you res.  The yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.

April 3 2016 Why Do I Do What I Don't Want To Do

WHY DO I DO WHAT I DON'T WANT TO DO?

What do you have a hard time controlling?

• My temper
• Spending
• Eating
• My moods
• Drinking
• Sexual desires
• Procrastinating
• Bad habits

1. THE PROBLEM:

Romans 7:15-16, 18 (LB) "My own behavior baffles me. For I find myself doing what I really hate and not doing what I really want to do! I often find that I have the desire to do good, but not the power. I don't accomplish the good I set out to do, and the evil I don't really want to do I find I am always doing!"

Mark 14:37"The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. "

Results: 

• Confusion.
• Frustration.
• Defeat and discouragement

Romans 7:24 It is an agonizing situation. Who can set me free from the prison of this mortal body?

II GOD'S PROMISE:

John 8:22"Jesus said '.., When you know the Truth, the Truth will set you free. 

FACT: Behind every self-defeating behavior is: A LIE THAT I’M BELIEVING

III. THE PRESCRIPTION:

Acknowledge THE ROOT OF MY PROBLEM

“Sin”: "I'M IN CHARGE AND I DON'T NEED GOD."

1 John 1: 8 (LB)"If we say we have no sin we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth."

To stop defeating myself, I must stop DECEIVING myself.

John 8:34 (Phillips) Jesus: "Everyone who commits sin is its slave " 

Believe that Christ can change me.

Romans 7:24-25"Who can free me from this prison... " I thank God there is a way out through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Romans 8:2 (Ph)"For the new spiritual principle of life in Jesus Christ lifts me out of the old vicious circle of sin... "

John 14:6"Jesus said, 'I AM" the Truth!"

Commit ALL I AM TO CHRIST

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

2 Timothy 1: 7"The Spirit God gives us doesn't make us timid,- instead his Spirit fills us with power, love, and SELF CONTROL. "

Stop Trying! Start TRUSTING

2 Corinthians 3:17"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. '

March 27 2016 The Foundation For No Fear Living

THE FOUNDATION FOR NO-FEAR LIVING

Matthew 28:5 – Don’t be afraid.
Matthew 28:10 – Do not be afraid.

Ephesians 3:12 – In Christ we can come before God with freedom and without fear.  We can do this through faith in Christ.

How To Establish Your Foundation

Accept God’s Love For Me.

1 John 4:18 – Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear.

Romans 8:39 – Nothing in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Luke 12:7 – God even knows how many hairs you have on your head.  Don’t be afraid. You are worth much.

Believe Christ Died And Rose For Me.

Hebrews 2:14-15 – By embracing death, Jesus destroyed the devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life scared to death by death.

Hebrews 2:15 – Only in that way could He deliver those who through fear of death have been living all their lives as slaves to constant dread.

Romans 10:13 – Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.

Commit My Fears And My Life To Christ.

1 Peter 3:14-15 – Don’t be afraid of anyone and don’t worry.  But have reverence for Christ in your heart and honor Him as Lord.

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

Romans 8:15 – This resurrection life you’ve received is not a timid, brave tending life.  Instead, it’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike, ‘What’s next, Papa?’

Isaiah 54:7 – With deep love I will take you back.

February 14 2016 Daring To Commit

DARING TO COMMIT

Romans 6:13 (LB) "Give yourselves completely to God—every part of you—for you have been brought back to life, and you want to be tools in the hands of God, used for his good purposes."

FIVE COMMITMENTS

1. TO STRENGTHEN MY FAITH . . .

I MUST unite with others in worship

Isaiah 40:31 "Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."

Psalm 100:2 (NLT) "Worship the Lord with gladness! Come before him, singing with joy!"

2. TO DISCOVER MY IDENTITY & PURPOSE . . .

I MUST connect with others in fellowship

Romans 12:4­5 (Mes)"We are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from Christ’s Body as a whole, not the other way around. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped­off finger or cut­off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we?"

Ephesians 2:16 (Mes) "Christ brought us together through his death on the Cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility."

2 Corinthians 5:18­-19 (NIV) "Now God had reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation...and the message of reconciliation."

3. TO DEVELOP MY POTENTIAL . . .

I MUST learn from others to grow

Ephesians 4:16 (NLT)"Christ’s Body is fitted TOGETHER perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow . . ."

4. TO EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANCE . . .

I MUST serve with others in ministry

1 Peter 4:10 (NCV) "Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others. Be good Servants of God’s various gifts of grace."

Mark 8:35 (NLT) "If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life."

Ecclesiastes 4:9­-12 (NCV & LB) "Two people are always better than one, because they get more done by working TOGETHER. If one falls down, the other can help him up. But it is bad for the person who is alone and falls, because no one is there to help. If two lie down TOGETHER, they can share the same blanket and stay warm, but a person alone will not be warm. An enemy might defeat one person, but two people TOGETHER can defend themselves. And a rope that is woven of three braids is hard to break."

WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER . . .

• WE maximize our impact (vs 9)
• WE minimize our failure (vs 10)
• WE mobilize our resources (vs 11)

Memory Verse: Matthew 25:40 (NIV) "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me."

5. TO MAKE AN ETERNAL DIFFERENCE . . .

I MUST join with others on mission

Matthew 28:19­-20 (NIV)"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to do everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you . . ."