September 20 2015 Getting Connected

GETTING CONNECTED

Matthew 6:8 – For your Father knows the things you have need of.

Romans 12:5 – Even though we are many individuals, Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other.

FOUR CONNECTION POINTS

I. Connection one: God made you to know Him.
   
A) Ephesians 1:4-5 – Before the world was made God had already decided that through Jesus Christ He would bring us to Himself as His children, that was His pleasure and purpose.

HOW TO GET CONNECTED

1. God reached out to us.

a) 1 John 4:10 – This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

2. Respond to His love.

a) John 5:24 – I tell you the truth, whoever hears my Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life.

II. Connection two:  God wants you to be like Him.

A) Romans 8:28-29 – We know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His plans.  For from the beginning God decided that those who come to Him should be like His son.

HOW TO BE LIKE HIM

1. Make Christ your very life.

John 12:24 – I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single see, but if it dies, it produces seeds.

2. Allow circumstances to mold you.

Romans 8:28 – We know that all that happens to us is working for our good.

III. Connection three:  God made us to serve Him.

A) Acts 13:36 – For David served God’s purpose in his generation the then he died.

HOW DO I SERVE?

1. It’s a choice.

a) Romans 12:1-2 – Off yourselves to God, dedicated to His service, then you will be able to know the will of God, what is good, pleasing and perfect.

2. Serve God where you are at.

1 Corinthians 15:58 –Nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless.

IV. Connection four:  We will live with Him.

A) 2 Corinthians 5:1 & 5: - For we know that when the tent we live in on earth is folded up, there is a home built by God for us, an everlasting home in heaven.  This is the purpose for which God made us.

HOW TO PREPARE

1. Make the Lord King.

John 6:40 – Everyone who believes in the Son will have everlasting life.

2. Begin to serve Him.

Matthew 6:33 – Be concerned above everything else with God’s Kingdom and with what He requires and He will provide you with all these other things.

June 28 2015 God's Answer To Your Needs

God's Answer To Your Needs

Matthew 6:9-13 “This, then, is how you should pray:   ‘Our Father in heaven,  hallowed be your name,  your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Ephesians 1:10 (GN)"God's -purpose, which he will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together..with Christ as head.  " 

WHAT IS GOD'S PURPOSE FOR MY LIFE?

1. God made me to KNOW HIM                    

Ephesians 1:4-5 (GN)"Before the world was made... God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would bring us to himself as his children -- this was his pleasure and purpose.  "

2. God made me to BE LIKE HIM            

Romans 8:28-29 (LB)"We know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.  For from the beginning God decided that those, who come to Him . .would become like his Son. . . "

3. God made me to SERVE HIM        

Acts 13:36 (GN)"For David served God's -purpose in his own generation, and then he died "

Romans 12:1-2 (GN)"Offer  yourselves ... to God, dedicated to his service .... then you will be able to know the will of God, hat is good, pleasing and perfect.  "

Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 15:58 (GN)". . . Nothing you do in the Lord's service is ever useless.  "

John 6:40"(God's) will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life"

Matthew 6:33 (GN)"Be concerned above everything else with God's Kingdom and with what he requires, and he will provide you with all these other things."

4. God made me to LIVE WITH HIM SOMEDAY

2 Corinthians 5: 1,5 (LB)"For we know that when the 'tent we live in on earth is folded up, there is a home built by God for us, an everlasting home in heaven .... This is the purpose for which God made us ... !"

John 6:40"(God's) will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life"

Matthew 6:33 (GN)"Be concerned above everything else with God's Kingdom and with what he requires, and he will provide you with all these other things.  "

April 5 2015 Discovering God's Power

Discovering God’s Power

“Then the angel spoke to the women. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said, ‘I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. now, go quickly and tell his  disciples he has been raised from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember, I have told you.’” – Matthew 28:5-7

“Although Jesus died on the cross in weakness, he now lives by the mighty power of God. We, too, are weak, but we live in him and have God’s power.” – 2 Corinthians 13:4

• I CAN  understand God’s Plan

“His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.  And this gave him great pleasure.” – Ephesians 1:5

“If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised.  And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still under condemnation for your sins.” – 1 Corinthians 15:13-17

“When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father.” – Ephesians 3:14

• I CAN  experience God’s presence.

“You who were once so far away from God.  You were his  enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and  actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body.  As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.” – Colossians 1:21-22

Memory Verse: “Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those how believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish. Do you believe this?” - John 11:25-26

“And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” - Ephesians 3:18-19

December 21 2014 What Difference Does Christmas Make?

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES CHRISTMAS MAKE?

John 3:16 (LB)  "For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son..."

Because Jesus came at Christmas ...

1.  MY PAST CAN BE FORGIVEN

Romans 3:23-24 (LB)"All of us have sinned... yet now God declares us `not guilty' of offending him IF we trust in Jesus Christ who freely takes away our sins."

2 Corinthians 5:17 (Ph)"If anyone is in Christ, he becomes a new person altogether; the past is finished and gone, everything becomes fresh and new."

2.  MY PRESENT PROBLEMS CAN BE MANAGED

Philippians 4:13 (GN)"I have the strength to face all conditions by the power Christ gives me."

Romans 8:32 (Ph)"... God gave us his own son - can we not trust such a God to give us ... everything else that we need?"

3.  MY FUTURE CAN BE GUARANTEED

Hebrews 2:14-15 (GN) "... Jesus became like us ... (to) set free those who were slaves all their lives because of their fear of death."

Three Christmas Gifts to you from God

1. Ephesians 1:4-7 (GN)"Let us praise God for the FREE GIFT he gave us in his Son... we are set free, our sins are forgiven."  
2. John 14:27 (LB) (Jesus) "I am leaving you with a GIFT; peace of mind and heart... so don't be troubled or afraid."  
3. Romans 6:23 "... the GIFT of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."

Have you accepted these gifts?

November 23 2014 Building A Life Of Purpose

Building A Life Of Purpose

IF I DON’T UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF LIFE

• Life Seems useless.

Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 – Life is useless, all useless.  You spend your life working, but what do you have to show for it?  The world just stays the same.

• Life Seems tiresome.

Ecclesiastes 1:4-8 – The sun rises and goes down, the wind blows round and round and back again.  Every river flows into the sea, then the water returns to where the river began and starts all over again.  Everything leads to weariness.

• Life Seems unfulfilling.

Ecclesiastes 1:8-10 – No matter how much we see, we’re never satisfied; no matter how much we hear, we’re not content.  History merely repeats itself.

• Life Seems insignificant.

Ecclesiastes 1:11 – No one remembers what has happened in the past, and no one in days to come will remember what happens between now and then.

• Life Seems uncontrollable.

Ecclesiastes 1:15 – You can’t straighten out what is crooked; you can’t count things that aren’t there!

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE?

• Life is a preparation for eternity.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 – He has planted eternity in the human heart.

WHAT IS GOD’S PURPOSE?

I. First God made you to know Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:4-5 – Before the world was made, God had already decided that through Jesus Christ, He would bring us to Himself as His children that was His pleasure and purpose.

HOW TO KNOW GOD

1. Remember God first reached out to you.

1 John 4:10 – This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

2. Respond to His love.

John 5:24 – I tell you the truth, whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life.

II. Secondly, God made you to be like Him.

Romans 8:28-29 – We know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His plans. For from the beginning God decided that those who come to Him should be like His Son.

HOW TO BE LIKE HIM

1. Make Christ your very life.

John 12:34 – I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat fall to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed, but if it dies it produces seed.

2. Allow every circumstance to mold you.

Romans 8:28 – We know that in all thing God works for the good of those who love Him.

III. Thirdly, God made us to serve Him.

Acts 13:36 – For David served God’s purpose in his generation and then he died.

HOW DO I SERVE?

1. It’s a choice.

Romans 12:1-2 – Offer yourselves to God, dedicated to His service, then you will be able to know the will of God, what is good, pleasing and perfect.

2. Serve God where you’re at.

1 Corinthians 15:58 – Nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless.

IV. God made us to use our treasure in view of eternity.

1 Timothy 6:18-19 – Use your money to do good, always being ready to share whatever God has given you.  By doing this you will be storing up real treasure for yourself in heaven.

Luke 16:9 – Use worldly wealth to make friends who will welcome you into eternal dwellings.