September 4 2016 Affair-Proofing Your Marriage

Affair Proofing Your Marriage

Memory Verse: Exodus 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery."

How to Affair Proof Your Marriage

1. MAKE A COMMITMENT TO GOD'S STANDARDS

Psalm 119:9 "How can a (person) keep his way pure? By living according to your Word."

Proverbs 5:15 (GN) "Be faithful to your own wife and give your love to her alone."

2. MAGNIFY THE CONSEQUENCES

Proverbs 6:32 (GN)"The one who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys his own soul."

3. MAINTAIN MY MARRIAGE

1 Corinthians 7:3 (GN)" A man should fulfill his duty as a husband and a woman should fulfill her duty as a wife, and each should satisfy the other's needs."

The top five needs of most men are:

1. Sexual fulfillment
2. Recreational companionship
3. An attractive spouse
4. Domestic support
5. Admiration

The top five needs of most women are:

1. Affection
2. Conversation
3. Honesty and openness
4. Financial support
5. Family commitment

1 Corinthians 7:5 (Ph)"Do not cheat each other of normal sexual intercourse ... or you will expose yourselves to the obvious temptation of Satan."

4. MANAGE MY MIND

How Affairs Develop

1. Accepting sinful thoughts in my mind
2. Emotional, non-physical involvement
3. Physical involvement
4. Rationalizing the affair

James 1:14-15 (LB) "Temptation is the pull of a person's own evil thoughts and wishes. These evil thoughts lead to evil actions and afterwards to death."

2 Timothy 2:22 (Ph)"Turn your back on lustful desires and give your positive attention to goodness, integrity, love, and peace..."

Romans 16:19 "I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about evil."

5. MAINTAIN PROPER RELATIONSHIPS

Ephesians 5:3 "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality."

6. MINIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITY

1 Corinthians 10:12 (LB)"So be careful! If you are thinking, `Oh, I would never behave like that - let this be a warning to you. For you too may fall into sin."

1 Corinthians 15:33 "Bad company corrupts good character."

Malachi 2:15 "Guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with your wife."

THE PATHWAY BACK TO PURITY

1. Acknowledge the sin (Psalm 51:1-4)
2. End the relationship immediately
3. Avoid ALL contact with the person from now on. Do whatever it takes to do this!

August 7 2016 Prevailing In Personal Relationships

Prevailing In Personal Relationships

Romans 12:14-21

Six Ways to Win in Personal Relationships

1. Return good for evil.

Romans 12:14 – Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.

Matthew 5:44 – Jesus said, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Two Examples:

• Jesus
• Stephen

2. Identify with others.

Romans 12:15 – Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.

3. Be open minded to others.

Romans 12:16 – Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.

4. Treat others with respect.

Romans 12:17 – Do not repay anyone evil for evil.

5. Do all you can to keep the peace.

Romans 12:18 – If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Two Qualifications

• If it is possible
• As far

6. Remove revenge from our life.

Romans 12:19-21 – Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: It is Mine to avenge, I will repay, says the Lord.  On the contrary if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Three Reasons

• It’s the Lord’s task.
• May move that person to Christ.
• Vengeance means we are conquered by evil.

February 21 2016 Daring To Grow A Deep Soul

DARING TO GROW A DEEP SOUL

Daring Faith: The Key to Miracles – Part 7

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Matthew 22:37 (NIV)

Spiritual growth is a process in which GOD AND I EACH HAVE A PART.

1. GOD’S PART: HE INVITES

MY PART: I RESPOND

Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) "Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes."

James 1:21b (NJB) "Humbly welcome the Word which has been planted in you and can save your souls."

2. GOD’S PART: HE IS FOUND.

MY PART: I SEEK HIM.

Jeremiah 29:13­14a (NIV) "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord . .

Psalm 27:8 (NIV) "My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek."

3. GOD’S PART: HE TEACHES ME.

MY PART: I LEARN.

John 16:13a (ESV) "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth."

Hebrews 5:11­14 (NLT) There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is dif icult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word.[a] You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the dif erence between right and wrong

4. GOD’S PART: HE BRINGS GOOD OUT OF EVIL.

MY PART: TO ENDURE.

Romans 8:28 (NJB) "We are well aware that God works with those who love him, those who have been called in accordance with his purpose, and turns everything to their good."

Colossians 1:11 (Msg) "We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory­strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy."

Jeremiah 17:7­8 (NLT) "But blessed are those who trust in the Lord, and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing

Philippians 1:11 (Msg) ". . . bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and

GOD’S GUARANTEE: GOD WILL FINISH WHAT HE HAS STARTED.

Philippians 1:6 (Amp) "And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ (right up to the time of His return), developing that good work and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you."

February 7 2016 The Word Of Forgiveness

THE WORD OF FORGIVENESS

Luke 23:33-43

Verse 34 – Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

THE PROBLEM WITH SOCIETY

-We try to bury the past.

Psalm 32 – When I refused to confess my sins, I was weak and miserable.

-We beat ourselves up.

Psalm 30 – Because I was foolish, I’m bent over and bowed down, I’m sad all day long.

-We try to blame others.

Proverbs19:3 – Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid actions and then blame the Lord.

TRUTHS TO HELP US

1. Forgiveness begins with God.

Verse 34 – “Father.”

Romans 3:23 – All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His own love for us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

2. Forgiveness is possible because of Christ.

Verse 34 – “Forgive them.”

Hebrews 4:14 – Therefore since we have a great High Priest who has gone into heaven, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.

Isaiah 53:12 – He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

3. Forgiveness is needed by all.

Verse 34 – “They do not know what they are doing.”

2 Corinthians 5:19 – That God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.

4. This prayer sets an example for us.

Matthew 5:44 – But I tell you love your enemies.

WHAT JESUS WANTS US TO DO

-Admit our guilt.

Proverbs 20:27 – The Lord gave us a mind and a conscience, we cannot hide from ourselves

1 John 1:8 – If we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

-Accept responsibility.

Psalm 51:3 – I recognize my faults. I am conscious of my sin.

James 5:16 – Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

1 John 1:9 – If we freely admit that we have sinned, we find God utterly reliable.  He forgives your sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

-God forgives instantly.

Isaiah 55:7 – God is merciful and quick to forgive.

-God forgives completely.

Colossians 2:13 – He forgave us all our sins.

-God forgives freely.

Ephesians 1:7 – For by the death of Christ, we are set free.

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.