February 19 2017 Getting A Grip On Change

GETTING A GRIP ON CHANGE

Genesis 32:22-32

Verses 24-30 – Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face and yet my life was spared.”

Four Steps To Change

1. The crisis phase.

Prov. 18:12 – Pride ends in destruction (discomfort.) Humility ends in honor.

LESSON: We don’t change until our fear of change is exceeded by the pain we’re experiencing.

2. The commitment phase.

Verse 26 – The man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

LESSON: God often allows our problems to continue long enough to see if we really mean business.

Gal. 6:9 – After while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.

3. Confession.

Verse 27 – The man asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, “Jacob.”

LESSON: He will never change us as an individual until we honestly confess our faults and sins.

Prov. 28:13 – He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

4. Cooperation.

Verse 30 – So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face.”

Verse 28 – “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel.”

II Cor. 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come.

January 29 2017 Getting A Grip On Prayer

GETTING A GRIP ON PRAYER

Luke 11 and John 15

Luke 11:1 – And they said, Lord, teach us to pray.

Misconceptions About Prayer:

• Magic wand.
• Make God into a genie.
• First aid kit.
• Tug of war.
• Religious duty.

Four Purposes Of Prayer:

1. It’s an act of dedication.

John 15:5 – I am the Vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, but apart from Me, you can do nothing.

John 15:5 – If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire, and burned.

John 15:7 – But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

2. Prayer is an act of communication.

John 15:15 – I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.

John 15:16 – You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My Name.

3. Prayer is an act of supplication.

Phil. 4:6 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer present your request to God.

Phil. 4:7 – And the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

John 16:23 – I tell you the truth, My Father will give you whatever you ask in My Name.

John 16:24 – Until now you have not asked for anything in My Name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete.

James says – You have not because you ask not.

Psalm 145:16 – You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

Psalm 37:4 – Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desire of your heart.

Psalm 84:11 – No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

4. Prayer is an act of cooperation.

John 14:12 – I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things, because I am going to My Father.

John 14:13 – And I will do whatever you ask Me, for anything you ask in My Name, I will do it.

April 10 2015 Your Failures And God's Grace

YOUR FAILURES AND GOD’S GRACE

Psalm 80:19 – Restore us O Lord God of Hose, cause your face to shine and we shall be saved.

Four Causes Of Drifting Away.

1. Over-Confidence.

1 Corinthians 10:12 – Let him who standeth take heed lest he fall.

Proverbs 16:18 – Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

2. Laziness.

Mark 14:37 – Could you not keep watch for one hour.

Matthew 26:41 – Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

3. Fear of disapproval.

Mark 15:54 - Peter followed Him at a distance.

Proverbs 29:25 – Fearing people is a dangerous trap.

Mark 8:28 – (Jesus) If anyone is ashamed of Me and My Words, I will be ashamed of him before the Holy angels and My Father in heaven.

4. Convenience.

Verse 54 – There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.

Steps To God’s Restoration

Jeremiah 15:19 – If you will return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve Me.

Isaiah 1:18 – No matter how deep the stains of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow.

1. Confession of my movement away.

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

2. Cooperation with God’s presence.

John 15:5 – I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for without Me you can do nothing.

Psalm 37:34 – Wait for the Lord and keep His way.  He will exalt you to possess the land.

3. Consecrate your whole life to God.

Romans 12: 1-2 – I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service.

4. Continue to serve God.

John 21:15 – Feed my sheep.

2 Corinthians 5:18 – God reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

Jeremiah 15:19 – If you return to Me, I will restore you.

May 31 2015 Freedom To Change

FREEDOM TO CHANGE

Romans 12:1-2
 
Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask him to remove my character defects. 

Romans 12:1-2 – Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him, and let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind.

I. Where Do My Character Defects Come From?

• My biological inheritance.

Genetics explain predisposition but don’t excuse sin.

• My circumstances, or how I was raised.

Character defects are often attempts to fill unmet needs.

• My choices in life.

Character defects are often positive qualities being misused.

II. Why Is It So Hard To Change Them?

1. Because I’ve had them a long time.

2. Because I confuse my identity with them.

3. Because they have a payoff.

4. Because satan discourages me.

III. How Do I Cooperate With God’s Change Process?

Romans 12:2 – Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

1. Focus on changing one defect at a time.

Proverbs 17:24 – An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions.

2. Focus on Victory one day at a time.

Matthew 6:11 – Give us this day our daily bread.

Matthew 6:34 – Don’t worry about tomorrow, each day has enough troubles of its own.

3. Focus on God’s power not willpower.

Jeremiah 12:23 – Can a leopard take away his spots?  Nor can you who are used to doing evil now start being good.

BUT…..

Philippians 4:13 – I can master anything with the help of Christ who gives me strength.

4. Focus on what I want, not what I don’t want.

Philippians 4:8 – Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right.  Think about things that are pure.  Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. 

5. Focus on doing good, not feeling good.

Galatians 5:16 – If you are guided by the Spirit you will be in no danger of yielding to self-indulgence.   

6. Focus on people who help me, not hinder me. 

Proverbs 27:1 – As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other.

7. Focus on progress not perfect performance.

Philippians 1:6 – God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in His Grace until His task with you is finally finished.

March 8 2015 Thirty Days To A No Regrets Life part 3

Thirty Days To A No-Regrets Life (part 3)

1 Corinthians 1:18 (NIV) "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

The Mountain of  Misunderstanding

The Mountain of Me First

The Mountain of Mistakes

THREE STRATEGIES FOR KEEPING RELATIONAL MOUNTAINS SMALL

1. THE ROPE OF Acceptance

Memory Verse: "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." Romans 15:7

Acceptance: Stop trying to Change me and start cherishing me

Genesis 2:25 "The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame."you

2. GAIN TRACTION WITH Loving Actions

• Consideration

Philippians 2:4 (GN)"And look out for one another's interests, not just for your own."

• Cooperation

John 13:1 "It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of his love."

• Comittment

Philippians 2:13 (NLT)"For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him."

3. TETHERED BY Forgiveness

Colossians 3:13 (NCV ) "Get along with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you."

1 John 3:16 "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."