April 16 2017 Easter - The Foundation For Happiness

EASTER, THE FOUNDATION FOR HAPPINESS

Col. 1:14 – Christ bought our freedom with His blood.

John 10:10 – Jesus said, “I come to give you life to the full.”

Matt. 28:5 - He is not here, He has risen.

Psalm 146:5 – Happy is he whose hope is in the Lord.

Happiness is Possible:

1. Because Christ can free you from guilt.

Eph. 1:7 – By the death of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven.

Col.2.14 – He has cancelled every record of the debt

we owed. Christ has done away with it by nailing it to the cross.

Rom 8:1 – There is no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ.

2. Because Christ can free you from worry.

I Peter 1:2 – God’s Spirit has been at work in you heart through Jesus Christ. May God grant you increasing freedom from all anxiety and fear.

Ph. 4:13 – I am ready for anything through the strength of Christ who lives in me.

3. Because Christ can give you purpose.

Eph. 2:10 – We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as He meant for us to live it.

Acts 20:24 – Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus.

4. Because Christ can give you a home in heaven.

Col. 2:20 – Christ has set you free from following the world’s ideas of how to be saved by doing good and obeying various rules.

Rom 4:4 – You don’t earn the right to heaven, no, for being saved is a free gift. If a person could earn it by being good, then it wouldn’t be free, but it is.

Rom. 6:23 – The free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.

A Prayer That Leads to Happiness: Dear God, I believe Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be, Your Son, and that He proved it by rising from death. Jesus Christ, thank You for dying for me on the cross. I want You to forgive my sins and I want to know You personally and experience the freedom You offer. As much as I know how, I ask You to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. Amen.

March 19 2017 Creating A Spiritual Legacy

Creating A Spiritual Legacy

Memory Verse: Matthew 25:21 (NIV)"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"

Mark 10:45 (NIV) Jesus, "I did not come to be served, but to SERVE, and to GIVE my life as a ransom for many."

THE TWO WAYS TO CREATE A LEGACY

1. By living a life of service.

Eph. 2:10 (NCV)"God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for its to live our lives doing."

Rom. 6:13b (LB)"Give yourselves completely to God - every part of you you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes."

Acts 20:24 (NLT)"My life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus--the work of telling others the Good News about Gods wonderful kindness and love."

Mark 8:35 (LB)"Only those who give away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live."

Matthew 10:42 (NLT) And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.

2. By living a life of generosity.

Deut. 15:10 (MSG) Give freely and spontaneously. Don't have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God's blessing in eveiything you do, in all your work and ventures."

SIX KEY STATEMENTS

2 Corinthians 9:6-12

1. I NEED TO SEE MY GIVING AS AN INVESTMENT, NOT AN EXPENSE.

Verse 6 "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."

2. NEVER GIVE OUT OF PRESSURE OR GUILT.

Verse 7 "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

3. I EXPECT GOD TO MEET ALL MY NEEDS

Verse 8 "And God is able to make ALL grace abound to you, so that in ALL things at ALL times, having ALL that you need, you will abound in EVERY good work

4.  I EXPECT GOD TO MULTIPLY THE SEED.

Verse 10 "He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

5. I EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE MORE THAN I THOUGHT.

Verse 11 "You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in THANKSGIVING to God!

6. LIVE WITH AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.

Verse 12 Cor. 9:6-12 (NIV)"This SERVICE that you perform will not only supply the needs of God's people but also cause the overflowing of many expressions of THANKSGIVING to God"

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.

August 9 2015 Trusting God For Every Need

TRUSTING GOD FOR EVERY NEED

God's Answer to Your Needs ­ Part 8 of 8

Matthew 6:9­ "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.’

­ God is waiting for you to ask!

GOD'S ANSWER TO ...

1. My inferiority: His PERSON

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. . .

2. My confusion: His  PLAN

"Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

3. My worry­ His PROVISION

"Give us today our daily bread.

4. My guilt: His  PARDON

"Forgive us our debts. . .

5. My strained relationships: His PEACE

... as we forgive our debtors.

6. My temptations: His PROTECTION

"And lead us not into temptation. . .

7. My fear: His POWER

"but deliver us from evil"

PRAYING THE LORD'S MODEL PRAYER

I can't say "OUR FATHER" unless I've been born again into God's family. (John 1: 12)

I can't say "HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME" unless Christ has first priority in my own life.

I can't say "YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH" unless I am committed to doing his will all the time.

I can't say "GIVIE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD" without a willingness to share it with those in need around the world.

I can't say "FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS" if I am holding onto an unforgiving attitude toward others.

I can't say "LEAD US NOT INTO TENDTATION" if I continue to expose myself to compromising situations.

I can't say "DELIVER US FROM EVIL" unless I really desire to walk with integrity and purity.

July 12 & 19 2015 Getting Rid Of Guilt

GETTING RID OF GUILT

God's Answer to Your Needs - Part 5 of 8

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.’

HOW DOES GOD FORGIVE?

1. God forgives INSTANTLY

Nehemiah 9:17 (LB) "You are a God of forgiveness, always ready to pardon, gracious and merciful...full of love

Isaiah 55:7 (GN)". . . God is merciful and quick for forgive. "

2. God forgives COMPLETELY

Colossians 2:13-14 (Ph) "He has forgiven all your sins; He has utterly wiped out the evidence of broken commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross.”

Jeremiah 31:34 (LB)"I the Lord will forgive and forget their sins."

3. God forgives REPEATEDLY

1 John 1:9"If we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right; he will forgive our sins and make us clean from all our wrongdoing."

Hebrews 7:25 (Ph)"(Christ) ... is always interceding on our behalf "

4. God forgives FREELY

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."

Ephesians 2:8-9 (GN)"For it is by God's grace that you have been saved, through faith. It is not your own doing, but God's gift, There is nothing to boast of, since it is not the result of your own effort.”

HOW TO BE FORGIVEN

• Admit
• Believe
• Commit

Romans 8:1 (GN) "There is no condemnation for those who live in union with Christ Jesus."