June 12 2016 Reviving Prayer That Works

REVIVING PRAYER THAT WORKS

Does God Promise To Answer Everyone’s Prayer?

Five Conditions:

1. You must have an honest relationship with God.

John 15:7 – If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.

Three Evaluation Questions

• Have I refused to admit my wrongs?

Psalm 66:18 – If I regard sin in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

Isaiah 59:2 – But your iniquities have separated you from your God.

Proverbs 28:13 – He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

1 John 1:8-9 – If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.

• Am I ignoring any of God’s principles?

1 John 3:21-23 – Dear Friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him.  And this is His command, to believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and to love one another as He commanded us.

• Do I want God’s will for my life?

1 John 5:14-15 – This is the assurance we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us and if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of Him.

2. You must have a forgiving attitude towards other people. 

Mark 11:24-25 – Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours, and when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so your Father in heaven may forgive your sins.

Hebrews 12:15 – See to it, that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

1 Peter 3:7 – Husbands, in the same way, be considerate as you live with your wives and treat them with respect, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

3. You must be willing to share the results.

Proverbs 21:13 – If a man shuts his ear to the cry of the poor, he too will not be answered.

1 John 3:17 – (Giving to those in need.)

James 4:3 – (Asking with right motives.)

4. You must believe that God will answer.

James 5:5-8 – But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.

Mark 9:29 – According to your faith, it will be done unto you.

5. Pray in Jesus name.

John 14:13-14 – And I will do whatever you ask in my Name, you may ask me for anything in my Name and I will do it.

May 22 2016 Your Guilt And God's Love

YOUR GUILT AND GOD’S LOVE

Psalm 32:3-5 – When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me, my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

1 John 4:18 – Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.

What To Do About It:

1. Trust God to forgive you.

Romans 3:23-24 – All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, yet now God declares us not guilty.  If we trust in Jesus Christ, Who in kindness freely takes away our sins.

2. Learn to forgive yourself.

Proverbs 4:25 – Look straight ahead with honest confidence, don’t hang your head in shame.

3. Rely on God’s grace.

Psalm 119:96 – Nothing is perfect except (God’s) Word.

Psalm 103:13-14 – As a Father is kind to his children, so the Lord is kind to those who honor Him. He knows what we are made of, He remembers that we are but dust.

Romans 8:31 – There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

4. Stop the negative self talk.

Proverbs 4:23 – Be careful how you think. Your life is shaped by your thoughts.

Job 9:20 – (Job) Everything I say seems to condemn me.

Philippians.4:8 – Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right, think about all you can thank God for and be glad about.

5. Remember you can’t please everybody.

Proverbs 29:25 – It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you.

6. Commit yourself to doing God’s Will.

Matthew 11:29-30 – (Jesus) Come to Me, all you who are tired from carrying your heavy loads, and I will give you res.  The yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.

December 6 2015 Recovering The Hope Of Christmas

RECOVERING THE HOPE OF CHRISTMAS

Isaiah 9:6 - To us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders.  And He will be called Wonderful Counselor.

FIVE CAUSES OF HOPELESSNESS

1. Disappointment.

Psalm 17:13 - Rise up, O Lord, confront them, bring them down, rescue me from the wicked by your sword.

2. Our mechanical world.

Genesis 2:18 - It is not good for man to be alone, then the Lord God made a woman.

3. The commercial world.

Ecclesiastes 6:10 - Whoever loves money never has enough, whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his     income.  This too is meaningless.

4. The busy world.

Ecclesiastes 4:8 - There was a man all alone. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.

5. Our artificial world.

Ecclesiastes 6:17 - All his days he eats in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger.

SIX WAYS TO RECOVER HOPE

1. Receive Christ into your heart and life.

Galatians 2:20 - I will come in to you and will fellowship with you.

2. Walk with God in obedience.

John 15:5 - Apart from me, you can do nothing.

1 Corinthians 2:9 - Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.

James 1:22 - Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.

3. Fellowship with other Christians.

Isaiah 9:6 - To us a child is born, to us a Son is given.

Proverbs 27:9 - Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart and the pleasantness of one’s friends springs from His earnest counsel.

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10- But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel.

John 11:12 - I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

Isaiah 28:16 - He that believeth shall not make haste.

4.  Wait on God for guidance.

Psalm 106:13 - But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel.

John 11:12 - I still have many things to say to you but You cannot bear them now.

Isaiah 28:16 - He that believeth shall not make haste.

5.  Accept God’s Will.

Noah

Abraham

The blessing does not come in discovering God’s Will. but in the doing of God’s Will.

Ephesians 6:6 - Do God’s will from the heart.

6.  Recognize God’s presence.

Isaiah 9:6 - A Child is born. A Son is given.

John 14:18 - I will not leave you as orphans.

Psalm 139 - Where can I get away from your presence?  If I go up to Heaven you are there.  Anywhere on earth you are there.  I can’t get away from you.

May 17 2015 Freedom From The Past

FREEDOM FROM THE PAST

Matthew 11:28-29

What keeps us from committing our all to Christ?

1. Pride.

Proverbs 18:12 - Arrogant people are on the way to ruin because they won’t admit it when they need help.

Proverbs 10:8 -  The self-sufficient fool falls flat on his face.

2. Guilt.

Psalm 40:13 - Problems far too big for me to solve are piled higher than my head. Meanwhile my sins too many to count have caught up with me and I’m ashamed to look up.

3. Fear.

Mark 8:36 - How does a man benefit if he gains the whole word and loses his soul in the process? Is anything worth more that his soul? No!

4. Worry.
    
1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
    
Philippians 1:6 - God, who began a good work in you, will keep right on helping you grow in His Grace until His task is finally finished.

5. Doubt.

Matthew 17:20 - If you have Faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible to you.

How To Make The Decision For Christ

1. Accept God’s Son as my Savior.

Acts 16:31 - Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.

2. Accept God’s Word as my standard for living.

2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching the Faith and correcting error, for resetting the direction of a man’s life, training him in good living.

3. Accept God’s Will as my goal for life.

David said: I desire to do Your Will O my God.

4. Accept God’s power as my strength.
    
Philippians 4:13 - I can do everything God asks me with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.

Revelation 3:20 - Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will go in and eat with him and he with Me

March 22 2015 Overcoming Temptation Under Pressure

OVERCOMING TEMPTATION UNDER PRESSURE

1 Peter 4:1-11

TEMPTATION IS: The process that attempts to draw us away from God.

EIGHT WAYS TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION

1. Propose to what’s right.

Verse 1 – Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourself with the same attitude (or purpose).

Lesson:  The battle can be won before the battle has begun.

Three Hebrew children.

Hebrews 11: 36 – 38

2. Stop doing what’s wrong.

Verse 1 – Because He who suffered in His body is done with sin.

3. Stop running with the wrong crowd.

Verses 3 & 4 – For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do, living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it is strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation and they heap abuse on you. What the world expects: They expect us to change and be different, the reject us when we live for Christ.

4. Live for the Will of God.

Verses 2 & 6 – Live for the Will of God, but live according 

Verse 5 – But they will have to give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

5. Live in the light of accountability.

Verse 5 – But they will have to give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

6. Be serious and watchful in your prayers.

Verse 7 – Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Peter’s experience: Went to sleep on the job.

7. Minister to one another.

Verses 8, 9, 10 – Above all, love each other deeply, offer hospitality to one another, use whatever gift he has received to serve others.

THREE WAYS WE MINISTER TO ONE ANOTHER

1. Love.
2. Offer hospitality.
3. Use your God given gift.

8. Rely on God’s power.

Verse 11 – Do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised.

SAMSON’S FOUR STEPS TO FAILURE

1. He was fascinated with sin.
2. He flirted with sin.
3. He forgot his source of power.
4. Then he failed.