July 27 2014 Faith: The Working Quality Of The Church

Faith: The Working Quality Of Life And The Church

Mark 5:25 – 34

Does my faith remove my mountains or my mountains remove my faith?

Lessons On Faith

1. We see the determination of faith.

Verses 25-26 – A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She has suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better, she grew worse.

2. Look at the direction of faith.

Verse 27 – When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak.

Why She Tried Again:

• Her faith in others had been shattered.
• Time was ebbing away.

Two Directions Faith Can Take:

1. Discard our faith and give up.
2. Direct our faith and grow up.

Hebrews 12:12-13 – Wherefore, lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet.

3. We need to see the decision of her faith.

Verses 27-28 – She touched His cloak because she thought if I just touch His cloak.

The Formation Of Faith:

• Begins with knowledge.
• Grows with our inward reflection.
• A decision is made.

Verse 29 – When she touched Him, immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

4. There must be a declaration of this faith.

Verses 30-34 – At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him and asked “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against You,” His disciples answered, “and yet You can ask, ‘Who touched Me’?” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman came and fell at His feet and told the whole truth, and He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.”

Two Reasons For The Question:

1. She had an ignorant faith.
2. Jesus wanted a public demonstration.

Faith that brings us to Jesus and causes a positive response, that is publicly declared, is sufficient faith.

July 20 2014 Determining Your Faith During Discouragement

DETERMINING YOUR FAITH DURING DISCOURAGEMENT

Mark 2:1-5

I. The first step to determining your faith during discouragement: Commitment.

Verse 3 – Some men came bringing to Him a paralytic.

How to Make Commitments:

1. Set a goal.

Philippians 3:13 – One thing I do.

2. Reveal your decision to God.

Psalm 37:5 – Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will.

3. Invest your life.

2 Corinthians 12:15 – I am glad to give you myself and all I have for your spiritual good.

II. Courage.

Verse 4 – Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralytic man was lying on.

How to Establish Courage:

1. Perserverance.

Examples:

• Thomas Edison
• Abraham Lincoln

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken; we are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit.

Verse 9 – We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up and keep on going.

III. Also we need to add cooperation.

We cannot overlook the fact that four men carried the paralytic.

Examples of Team Work:

• Mark 6:7
• Nehemiah 4

How to Build a Team:

1. Learn to trust others.

2. Express your appreciation.

3. Communicate your needs.

Philippians 1:3 – I thank my God every time I remember you, because of your partnership.

IV. Finally, there must be complete surrender.

Verse 4 – They lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.

Verse 5 – When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Steps to Complete Surrender:

1. Give God first place in your life.

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

2. Give God the benefit of the doubt.

Examples:

• Matthew 7:11
• Caleb

You Can Determine Your Faith During Discouragement

July 22 2012 How To Make Up Your Mind

How To Make Up Your Mind

James 1:5-11

Immediately after speaking about problems (vs. 2-4), James deals with the matter of decision-making.  The quality of your life will be determined by the wisdom or foolishness of your decisions.

1. The problem: Indecision.
Verse 8 - A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Double-minded: Two-souled

Indecision causes:

•  Unstable emotions.
•  Unstable relationships.
•  Unstable spiritual life.

2. The prescription: Get wisdom.

James suggests three practical steps:

Step One:  Admit your need.
Verse 5 - If any of you lack wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2 - When pride comes, the comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Step Two:  You need to ask.
Verse 5 - He should ask God.
Proverbs 2:6 - It is the Lord who gives wisdom, from Him comes knowledge and understanding.

Step Three:  You anticipate it.
Verse 6 - But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.
Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

3. The Promise: God will give it.
Verse 5c - Ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

How God Gives:
•  Gives it continuously
•  Gives it generously
•  Gives it cheerfully

May 20 2012 Managing Financial Stress In The Home

*no audio*

Managing Financial Stress In The Home

According to a Time magazine survey of a few years ago, the number one source of arguments in marriage is conflict over money. Gallup reports 56% of divorces are due to financial problems or pressure.
Financial problems always occur when we ignore God’s Five Financial Laws:

1. Keep good records.

Proverbs 27:23-24 - Be sure you know the conditions of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds. For riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.
Proverbs 23:23 - Get the facts at any price.
Proverbs 24:3-4 - Any enterprise becomes strong, through common sense and profits by keeping abreast of the facts.

Four Things to Know
• Keep track of what you own
• Know what you earn
• Know what you owe
• You need to know where it goes

2. Plan your spending.

Proverbs 21:5 - The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as hast leads to poverty.
Proverbs 21:20 - The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.

Three Things in a Good Budget
• It ought to be a mutual decision
• It ought to be a matter of prayer
• It should be based on goals


3. Enjoy what you have.

Proverbs 15:16-17 - Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 - But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing we will be content with that.
Hebrews 13:5 - Be content with what you have.

4. Share with others in need.

Proverbs 11:24-25 - One man gives freely, yet gains even more, another with holds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper, he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 19:17 - He who is kind to the poor leads to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done.
Proverbs 22:19 - A generous man will himself be blessed.
Proverbs 28:27 - He who gives to the poor will lack nothing.

5. Tithing.

Proverbs 3:9 - Honor the Lord with your wealth, and with the first fruits of all your crops.

Three Reasons to Tithe
• It shows our gratitude
• It’s a reminder for the present
• It’s a step of faith for the future

Deuteronomy 14:23
Malachi 3:8-10
Matthew 6:33 - Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

October 10 2010 Making Fulfillment More Than A Word

Making Fulfillment More Than A Word

(Matthew 6:19-21 - "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.)

Four Principles of Fulfillment

1. Decrease

(Matthew 6:19 - "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.")

2. Development

(Matthew 6:20 - "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.")

(Ecclesiastes 2:11 - Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.)

3. Decision

(Matthew 6:21 - "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.")

(Colossians 3:2 - Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.)

4. Determined Faith

(Matthew 6:20 - "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.")

(Job 3:15 - Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.)