June 28 2015 Making Freedom Last

MAKING FREEDOM LAST

Luke 8:39 - Return home and tell how much God has done for you.

FOUR WAYS TO MAKE FREEDOM LAST

I. Stop thinking your present position cannot be changed.                                

A) Verse 27 - For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tomb.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR THINKING

1.  Stop listening to the voice of the past.

Philippians 3:13 - Forgetting those things which are behind.

2. Decide to break out of the rut.

Philippians 3:13 & 14 - Strain towards what is     ahead and press on toward the goal.

EXAMPLES

Peter - Matthew 26:75

Samson

II. Start to understand your personal value.

A)  Verse 30 - Jesus asked him what is your name?

HOW TO SEE PERSONAL VALUE

1.  Listen to what God says.

Matthew 10:30-31 - The hairs of your head are all numbered.  You are worth more than many sparrows.

2.  Listen to your friends.

Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times.

III. Step into the power of Christ.

A)  Verse 28 - When he saw Jesus, he cried and fell at His feet.

Verse 30 - My name is Legion.

HOW TO STEP INTO POWER

1.  Confess our need.

1 John 1:9

2. Surrender to the authority of Christ.

Romans 12:1 & 2

IV. Shoulder the price of permanent change.

A)  Verse 39 - Jesus sent him away saying, return home and tell how much God has done for you, so the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

HOW TO MAINTAIN THE NEW POSITION

1.  Replace old habits with new ones that help.

Romans 12:21 - Overcome evil with good.

2.  Let discomfort become part of your life.

Nehemiah

3. Double up.

Hebrews 10:25 - Let us consider and give attentive courteous care to watching over each other, studying how we may stimulate each other to helpful deed and noble activities.

4. Determination.

5. Depend on God.

2 Timothy 1:7 - For the Spirit that God has given us fills us with power, love and self-control.

Philippians 2:13 - For it is God who is at work within you, giving you the will and the power to achieve His purpose.

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.

November 17 2013 God's Challenge - Our Choice

GOD’S CHALLENGE – OUR CHOICE

Nehemiah 2:17-19-4:1-9

Nehemiah 2:18 – Let us rise up and build, then they set their hands to this good work.

1. We must build the wall of solution.
II Cor. 12:15 – I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls.

Math. 28:20 – Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.

2. We must build the wall of Worship.
John 4:24 – Those who Worship Him must Worship in Spirit and truth.

3. We must build the wall of victorious Christian living.
Acts 15:8-9 – So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us and made no distinction between them and us, purifying their hearts by Faith.

4. We must build the wall of generosity.
II Cor. 8:9 – For you know the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.

II Cor. 8:8 – I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.

5. We must build the wall of determination.
Nehemiah 4:6 – For the people worked with all their heart.

Nehemiah 4:15 – Each returned to his own work on the wall.

Nehemiah 2:20 – The God of heaven Himself will prosper us. Therefore we, His servants will rise and build.

6. We must build the wall of prayer.
Nehemiah 4:9 – But we prayed to our God.

7. We must build the wall of watchfulness.
Nehemiah 4:9 – They posted a guard day and night.

June 2 2013 How To Succeed In Life

How To Succeed In Life
Philippians 3:12-21
Verse 17 - Join with others in following my example, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.

4 Keys To Successful Living

I.  Evaluation.

Verses 12-13 - Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.

Proverbs 28:13 - You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins.  Confess them and give them up, then God will show mercy to you.

Question: Where do I need to change?

II.  Elimination.

Verse 13 b - But this one thing I do, forgetting what is behind.

Isaiah 43:18 - Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past, see I am doing a new thing (says the Lord.)

WHAT TO FORGET
* Our failures.
* Our successes. 

Luke 9:62 - Jesus said, anyone who starts to plow and then looks back is of no use for the Kingdom of God

Questions: What memory do I need to let go of?

III.  Concentration.

Verse 13c - But this one thing I do, straining toward what is ahead I press on toward the goal.

I Corinthians 9:24 - Do you know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to win the prize.

WHAT IS THE GOAL?

II Corinthians 5:9 - so we make our goal to please Him.

Question: What am I living for, what’s my focus?

IV.  Determination.

Verses 12-13 - I press on, straining, I press on to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Acts 20:24 - But I reckon my own life to be worth nothing to me, in order that I may complete my mission and finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do, which is to declare the good news of the grace of God.
II Timothy 4:7-8- I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord will award to me on that day.

3 SUGGESTIONS (Verses 15-16)

*  Don’t become complacent.

*  Be teachable.

*  Be persistent.

February 19 2012 How To Break The Cycle Of Failure

How To Break The Cycle Of Failure

Luke 8:39 - Return home and tell how much God has done for you.

FOUR WAYS TO BREAK THE CYCLE

I. Stop thinking your present position cannot be changed.
A) Verse 27 - For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tomb.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR THINKING

1. Stop listening to the voice of the past.
Philippians 3:13 - Forgetting those things which are behind.

2. Decide to break out of the rut.
Philippians 3:13 & 14 - Strain towards what is ahead and press on toward the goal.

EXAMPLES
Peter - Matthew 26:75
Samson

II. Start to understand your personal value.
A) Verse 30 - Jesus asked him what is your name?

SOME EXAMPLES TO LOOK AT
Matthew
Zacchaeus

HOW TO SEE PERSONAL VALUE

1. Listen to what God says.
Matthew 10:30-31 - The hairs of your head are all numbered. You are worth more than many sparrows.


2. Listen to friends that want to help.
Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times.

III.Step into the power of Christ.
A) Verse 28 - When he saw Jesus, he cried and fell at His feet.
Verse 30 - My name is Legion.

HOW TO STEP INTO POWER
1. Confess our need.
I John 1:9

2. Surrender to the authority of Christ.
Romans 12:1 & 2

IV. Shoulder the price of permanent change.

A) Verse 39 - Jesus sent him away saying, return home and tell how much God has done for you, so the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.
HOW TO MAINTAIN THE NEW POSITION

1. Replace bad habits with new ones.
Romans 12:21 - Overcome evil with good.

2. Let discomfort become a part of your life.
Nehemiah

3. Double up.
Hebrews 10:25 - Let us consider and give attentive courteous care to watching over each other, studying how we may stimulate each other to helpful deed and noble activities.

4. Determination.

5. Depend on God.

II Timothy 1:7 - For the Spirit that God has given us fills us with power, love and self control.
Philippians 2:13 - For it is God who is at work within you, giving you the will and the power to achieve His purpose.