March 20 2016 The Word Of Trust

THE WORD OF TRUST

Luke 23:46-49

Verse 46 – Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit My Spirit.”

1. Christ was committed to prayer.

Mark 14:38 – Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

Mark 11:24 – Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it will be yours.

2. Christ was committed to the scriptures.

Psalm 31:5 – Into Your hands I commit My Spirit.

Psalm 118:11 – I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.

3. The commitment of Christ brought peace.

Verse 46 – Into Your hands I put Myself.

2 Timothy 1:12 – I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him.

John 15:5 – I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit, apart from Me you can do nothing.

4. Christ’s commitment set an example.

1 Peter 2:21 – Because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.

2 Corinthians 5:19 – He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

5. We need a commitment of trust.

His hands are big enough to bless us.

Psalm 139:5 – You both precede and follow me.  You place Your hand of blessing on my head.

His hands are scarred enough never to forget you.

Isaiah 49:15 – Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne.  Though she may forget, I will not forget, I have engraved you on the palm of my hands.

His hands are strong enough to hold us steady.

2 Corinthians 1:8-9 – I think you ought to know, dear brothers, about the hard time we went through in Asia.  We were really crushed and overwhelmed, and feared we would never live through it.  We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves, but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for He can even raise the dead.

February 9 2014 Building My Life On The Bible

Building My Life On The Bible

HOW DO I BUILD MY LIFE ON THE BIBLE?

JAMES 1:19-25

1. I receive it with my ears.

Romans 10:17 (NIV) “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.”

James 1:19-21 (NIV)“Everyone should be QUICK TO LISTEN, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly ACCEPT THE WORD planted in you, which can save you.”

For “Good Reception” I need to be …

• Quiet 

“Be quick to listen and slow to speak …” 

• Calm

“and slow to become angry …”

• Clean

“get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent”

• Humble

“humbly accept the Word planted in you which can save you.”

2. I read it with my eyes.

James 1:22-25 (NIV)“Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like! But the man who LOOKS INTENTLY into the perfect law that gives freedom, and CONTINUES to do this, NOT FORGETTING what he has heard, but DOING IT—he will be blessed in what he does.”Get a Bible Reading Plan

3. I research it with my hands and my mouth.

Bible “STUDY” requires

• writing down what I learn
• talking about what I learn

John 5:39 (NLT) “You search the Scriptures because you believe they give you eternal life. And the Scriptures point to me!” 

4. I review and remember with my mind.

James 1:25 (NIV) “The man who looks intently into the perfect law … and CONTINUES to do this, NOT FORGETTING what he has heard but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does.” The Bible term for remembering & reviewing God’s Word is meditation.

Joshua 1:8 (NIV) “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

5. I respond to it with my actions.

James 1:22 (NIV) “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. DO what it says!”

Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV) “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. BUT everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”