December 4 2016 When Life Gets Messy

THE STORY OF JOSEPH - When Life Gets Messy

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”...When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. - Matthew 1:18-21, 24-25

HOW DO I THRIVE WHEN LIFE GETS MESSY?

1. ADMIT MY Fear.

“As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. ‘Joseph, son of David,’ the angel said, ‘do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.’” - Matthew 1:20

God doesn’t want me to fear the opinions of others.

“The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” - Psalms 118:6

God doesn’t want me to fear circumstances.

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” - Romans 8:28

God doesn’t want me to fear the future.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” - Jeremiah 29:11

2. TRUST GOD EVEN WHEN I I don't understand.

“When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.” - Matthew 1:24

Memory Verse: “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.’” - Isaiah 55:8

3. TRUST GOD EVEN WHEN IT’S  it's costly.

“After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,’ the angel said. ‘Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’ That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod’s death.’” - Matthew 2:13-15

(Jesus) “And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.” - Matthew 19:29

4. ALLOW GOD TO DEVELOP MY patience DURING THE MESS.

“When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. ‘Get up!’ the angel said. ‘Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.’” - Matthew 2:19-20

November 27 2016 Preparing For The Christ Of Christmas

PREPARING FOR THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS

Luke 2:1-7 – In these days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was Governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register. So, Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her first born, a Son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the Inn.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR CHRISTMAS

Replace The Urgent With The Significant.

Matthew 6:34 – Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Matt. 6:33 – But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Replace Physical Preparation With Spiritual Preparation.

Colossians 3:2 – Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ, that’s where the action is. See things from His perspective.

Replace The External Side Of Things With Internal sides.

Verse 7 – No room in the Inn.

Lamentations 3:40 – Let’s take a good look at the way we are living and re-order our lives under God.

Replace The Superficial With The Super-Natural.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 – Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.

1. Sit.

2. Listen.

3. Chose the best.

May 17 2015 Freedom From The Past

FREEDOM FROM THE PAST

Matthew 11:28-29

What keeps us from committing our all to Christ?

1. Pride.

Proverbs 18:12 - Arrogant people are on the way to ruin because they won’t admit it when they need help.

Proverbs 10:8 -  The self-sufficient fool falls flat on his face.

2. Guilt.

Psalm 40:13 - Problems far too big for me to solve are piled higher than my head. Meanwhile my sins too many to count have caught up with me and I’m ashamed to look up.

3. Fear.

Mark 8:36 - How does a man benefit if he gains the whole word and loses his soul in the process? Is anything worth more that his soul? No!

4. Worry.
    
1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
    
Philippians 1:6 - God, who began a good work in you, will keep right on helping you grow in His Grace until His task is finally finished.

5. Doubt.

Matthew 17:20 - If you have Faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible to you.

How To Make The Decision For Christ

1. Accept God’s Son as my Savior.

Acts 16:31 - Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.

2. Accept God’s Word as my standard for living.

2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching the Faith and correcting error, for resetting the direction of a man’s life, training him in good living.

3. Accept God’s Will as my goal for life.

David said: I desire to do Your Will O my God.

4. Accept God’s power as my strength.
    
Philippians 4:13 - I can do everything God asks me with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.

Revelation 3:20 - Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will go in and eat with him and he with Me

March 1 2015 Spiritual Maturity Under Pressure

SPIRITUAL MATURITY UNDER PRESSURE

1 Peter 2:1-10

Three Things That Help Us Mature

1. Seek after God’s Word.

Verse 1 – Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind.

GET RID OF:

• Malice
• Envy
• Deceit
• Slander
• Hypocrisy

Verse 2 – Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it, you may grow up in your salvation.

Verse 3 – Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

2. Stand on the firm foundation.

Verse 4 – As you come to Him, the Living Stone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him.

Verses 5 -6 – You also, like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  For in the scripture it says, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.

Moses said Jehovah is the rock of our salvation.

David said He is my rock and fortress, my God in whom I take refuge.

Isaiah said for in the Lord we have an everlasting rock.

Verse 8 – A stone that causes men to stumble and rock that makes them fall.

3. Speaking out a message of hope.

Verse 9-10 – But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belong to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into this wonderful light, once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.

SIX LESSONS:

1. We are a family.
2. We have direct access to God.
3. We are also different from the world.
4. We are a people belonging to God.
5. We’re not what we used to be.
6. We’re blessed to be a blessing.

November 16 2014 Fully Engaged In My City

Fully Engaged in My City

“The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” - 2 Chronicles 16:9

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me.” – Luke 13:34

“As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.” – Luke 19:41

TO BE FULLY ENGAGED IN MY CITY I MUST

1. SEE  that God has a purpose for me in this place.    

“For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”  - Ephesians 2:10

““For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep.” - Acts 13:36

2. SEE  the city as the people.

“A vast crowd was there as Jesus stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things.”  - Mark 6:34

““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. second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.” - Matthew 22:37-39

3. SEE God-given opportunities to act.     

“Live wisely among those who are not yet Christians, making the most of every opportunity.” – Colossians 4:5
            
Memory Verse: “But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love.” – Acts 20:24