March 26 2017 Faith And The Deeper Life

FAITH AND THE DEEPER LIFE

Mark 11:11-25

Verse 22 - Have Faith in God.

1. Life in the deeper life involves character.

Verse 11 - He looked around at everything.

Verse 15 - Jesus entered the Temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling.

I Peter 2:5 - You also, like living stones, are being built into a Spiritual house.

2. Life in the deeper life shows concern.

Verse 13-14 - Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had fruit. When he reached it, however, he found nothing but leaves because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, may no one ever eat fruit from you again.

Verse 15 - Jesus began driving out those who were buying and selling there.

Jude 1:12 - They are clouds without rain.

I Thess. 2:8 - We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but our lives as well.

3. Life in the deeper life eliminates confusion.

Verse 22 - Therefore I tell you whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it will be yours.

Verse 26 - And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven my forgive you your sins.

4. Life in the deeper life includes accountability.

Verse 13 - Seeing the fig tree in the distance, he went to find out if it had any fruit.

The Psalmist said: Where can I go from His presence?

November 29 2015 Realizing The Heart Of Christmas

REALIZING THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS

Matthew 2:1-10

Five Truths To Remember

1. We must move beyond religious practice.

Matthew 2:2 – We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.

Verse 6 – Who will be the shepherd of my people.

Matthew 3:7-8 – You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

2. Our faith must move faith to the heart.

Matthew 2:8 – Herod said..go and make careful search for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.

Matthew 15:8 – These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

3. We must understand no one is too far away.

Matthew 2:1 – Wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.

4. We must make our surrender real.

Matthew 2:9 -11 – After they had heard the King, they went their way and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary and they bowed down and worshiped Him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

5. We must decide to be obedient.

Matthew 2:12 – They returned to their country by another route. They had diving instruction to go a different route.

October 18 2015 Wise Up

Wise Up!

Proverbs 4:7-8 (GN) "Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do. Whatever else you get, get insight! Love wisdom and she will make you great!

1. What is it?
Wisdom: Seeing and responding to life from GOD’S PERSPECTIVE

Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death. 

2. What will it do for me?
 
Proverbs 3:14-18 (NCV) Wisdom is worth more than silver; it brings more profit than gold.  Wisdom is more precious than rubies;  nothing you could want is equal to it. With her right hand wisdom offers you a long life,  and with her left hand she gives you riches and honor.  Wisdom will make your life pleasant and will bring you peace. As a tree produces fruit, wisdom gives life to those who use it,  and everyone who uses it will be happy.

Six Benefits

1. LONGER LIFE
2. WEALTH
3. HONOR
4. PLEASURE
5. SECURITY
6. HAPPINESS

3. How can I get it?

• READ GOD’S WORD

Proverbs 1:2 (LB) "(Solomon) wrote these Proverbs to teach his people how to live - how to act in every circumstance. "

Proverbs 1:3 (GN) "They can teach you how to live intelligently  

• DO WHAT IT SAYS

Proverbs 7:1-2 (GN)  Never forget what I tell you to do. Do what I say  and you will live.  Be careful to follow it. . . "

• GET TO KNOW GOD

Proverbs 1:7 (LB)"How does a person become wise? Ae first step is to trust and revere the Lord "

Proverbs 9:10 (LB)"For the reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom.  Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding.  

Make Wisdom a Life Goal!

February 9 2014 Living A Productive Life

Living A Productive Life 

Three Kinds of Fruit:

• Natural fruit.
• Biological fruit.
• Spiritual fruit.

John 15:8 – This is my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Verse 16 – I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will last.

Four Steps to Productivity:

1. Establish some roots.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 – Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water, that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes. It’s leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

Proverbs 12:3 – The righteous cannot be uprooted.

Psalm 1:2-3 – But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.

2. Eliminate the weeds.
Luke 8:11-14 –The seed is the Word of God, and the seed that falls among weeds stands for those who hear the Word, but the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life crowd in and choke their lives and their fruit never ripens.

Types of Weeds:

• Weeds of worry.
• Weeds of riches.
• Weeds of pleasure.

3. Cooperate with God.
John 15:1-2 – Jesus said, I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He lops off every branch that doesn’t produce and He prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops.

Hebrews 12:11 – No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained in it.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – Give thanks in all circumstances

4. Wait for the harvest.
John 12:24 – Jesus said, Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

March 18 2012 The Effective Lifestyle For The Life Without Limits

The Effective Lifestyle For The Life Without Limits

Mark 13:35 - So you also must keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back.
Luke 21:34-36 - Be careful or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. Be always on the watch and pray.

1. Prayer is an act of dedication.

John 15:5 - (Jesus) I am the vine and you (Christians) are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in Him, he will bear much fruit. But apart from Me you can do nothing.
Verse 6 - If anyone does not remain in Me he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
Verse 7 - But if you remain in Me (if you remain dependent upon Me) and my Words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you.

2. Prayer is an act of communication. 

John 1:15-16 - I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his Master’s business. Instead,
I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have make know to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit. Fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My Name.

3. Prayer is an act of supplication.

Philippians 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer, present your request to God.
Verse 7 - And the peace of God will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
John 16:23 - I tell you the truth, My Father will give you whatever you ask in My Name.
Verse 24 - Until now you have not asked for anything in My Name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete.
Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 84:11 - No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

4. Prayer speaks of an act of cooperation.
John 14:12-13 - I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater thins because I am going to My Father and I will do whatever you ask in My Name.

Two Great Truths To Remember

1. We are to be faithful to God to the end.
Matthew 6:33 - Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.

2. We are to communicate His love and enable other people to know Him.