December 8 2013 Showing I Care For My Neighbors

Showing I Care For My Neighbors

(Open Before Christmas: Part 2)

(Jesus) “I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:40

“‘Teacher, of all the commandments, which is the most important?’ Jesus replied, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’” Matthew 22:36-40

“And who is my neighbor?” — Luke 10:29b

My Neighbor: SOMEONE WHO IS ON MY WAY.

FOUR STEPS TO LOVING MY NEIGHBOR

1. Ask GOD FOR A COMPASSIONATE HEART

“You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” — Luke 6:36

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.” — Psalm 139:23

2. Show GENUINE INTEREST.

“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” — Romans 12:10

3. Be ALERT TO NEEDS.

“Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others - ignoring God - harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.” — Galatians 6:7-8

“Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6

4. Respond WITH COMPASSIONATE ACTION.

“Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, ‘Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well’ – but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all – it is dead and useless.” James 2:14-17

"Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12

Memory Verse: “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." — John 13:35

September 8 2013 The Art Of Confrontation

Memory Verse: “Wounds made by a friend are intended to help, but an enemy’s kisses are too much to bear.” – Proverbs 27:6

Confrontation: A meeting between two friends for the purpose of restoring godliness.

THE ART OF CONFRONTATION: NATHAN AND DAVID - 2 Samuel 12:1-14

1. FOLLOW GOD’S LEADERSHIP CAREFULLY

Verse 1 “So the LORD sent Nathan….”

2. REQUEST A PRIVATE MEETING

Verse 1, “So the Lord sent Nathan, the prophet, to tell David.” Matthew 18:15-23.

3. PREPARE TO TACTFULLY  SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS.

Verse 1-4 “So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story. There were two men in a certain town. One was rich and one was poor. The rich man owned many sheep and cattle. The poor man owned nothing but the little lamb that he had worked hard to buy. This poor man, he raised this little lamb and it grew up with his children, ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. But one day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing a lamb from his own flock for food, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and served it to his guests.”

4. STATE THE TRUTH COMPASSIONATELY AND  TRUST THE SPIRIT.

Verse 5-13a David was furious. “As surely as the Lord lives, he vowed, any many man who would do such a thing deserves to die. He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole, and for having no pity.” “Then Nathan said to David, you are that man. The Lord, the God of Israel said, ‘I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. I gave you his house and his wives and the kingdom of Israel and Judah. If that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. Why then have you despised the Word of the Lord and done this horrible deed. For you have murdered Uriah and stolen his wife. From this time on, the sword will be a constant threat to your family because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own. Because of what you have done, I, the Lord, will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man and he will go to bed with them in public view. You did it secretly, but I will do this to you openly in the sight of allIsrael.” “Then David confessed to Nathan. I have sinned against the Lord,”

5. OFFER  GRACE AND SUPPORT

Verse 13b “Nathan replied, ‘Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you and you won’t die for this sin. But you have given the enemies of the Lord great opportunity to despise and blaspheme Him, so your child will die.’ God’s preferred way of restoring Godliness in your life is to do it one on one, you and God.

Hebrews 12:5-6. “My dear children, don’t shrug of God’s discipline. But don’t be crushed by it either. It is the child that He loves that He disciplines. The child He embraces, He also corrects.”

August 21 2011 Loving Like Jesus

Loving Like Jesus

John 13:34 – A new commandment I give you, Love One Another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
John 13:15 – I have given you an example to follow, do as I have done to you.

1. Accept others like Jesus accepts me

John 6:37 – All that the Father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
Psalm 27:10 – Even if my Mother and Father forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
Romans 15:7 – Accept one another then, just as Christ accepted you.
Romans 12:2 – We must bear the burden of being considerate of the doubts and fears of others.


2. Value others like Jesus values me.

Luke 12:6-7 – Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.

Value depends on who made it.

I Timothy 4:4 – Everything God created is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.
Eph. 2:10 – For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Value depends on what people will pay for something.

I Peter 1:19 – He paid for you with the precious life blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless lamb of God.
Isaiah 49:15-16 – Can a Mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you. See I have engraved you on the palms of my hand.
I Peter 2:17 – Treat everyone you meet with dignity.
Mark 10:21 – Jesus looked at him and loved him.

3. Forgive others like Jesus forgives me.

Isaiah 43:25 – I am the God who forgive your sins and I do this because of who I am. I will not hold your sins against you.
Romans 8:1 – There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
II Cor. 2:7 – You ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed with excessive sorrow.
Eph. 4:32 – Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgives.

4. Believe in others like Jesus believes in me.

Mark 9:23 – Everything is possible for him who believes.
I Cor. 13:7 – If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him,l always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.
Romans 1:12 – I want us to help each other with the Faith we have.
Hebrews 10:24 – Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.
Eph. 3:18 – May you have the power to understand as all God's people should. How wide, how long, how deep His love really is.