April 19 2015 When You Feel Like You're Stuck

WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE STUCK

Psalm 145:14 – God gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.

Mark 10:46 – Sitting beside the road.

Mark 10:52 – Following Jesus on the road.

HOW DO I GET UNSTUCK

SEIZE the moment when it comes.

Mark 10:46 – As Jesus and His disciples left town, a great crowd was following.  A blind beggar named Bartimaeus was sitting beside the road as Jesus was going by.  When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus from Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout out, “Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Luke 9:62 – Jesus said, “No procrastination.  No backward looks.  You can’t put God’s Kingdom off till tomorrow.  Seize the day.”

TAME your fears.

Mark 10:48 – Many of the people scolded him and told him to be quiet.  But he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

John 6:37 – I will never turn away anyone who comes to Me.

Proverbs 29:25 – The rear of human opinion disables you, trusting in God protects you from that.

ANNOUNCE your faith.

Mark 10:51 – Jesus asked him “What do you want me to do for you?”  The blind man answered, “Teacher, I want to see.”

Galatians 3:27 – Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start.  It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe, Christ’s life, the fulfillment of God’s original promise.

RECEIVE God’s grace.

Mark 10:52a – Jesus said to him, “Go your way, your faith has made you well.”  And immediately he gained his sight.

Ephesians 2:8 – For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

TAKE the next step.

Mark 10 52b – He regained his sight and began following Jesus on the road.

James 2:14 – If people say they have faith, but do nothing, their faith is worth nothing.

1 Corinthians 1:30 – Everything that we have, right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start, comes from God by way of Jesus Christ

December 28 2014 Building Confidence In Prayer

Building Confidence in Prayer

Luke 5:16 – But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Seven Principles Towards Confidence In Prayer:

1. Make sure all known sin is confessed.

Psalm 68:18 – If I regard sin in my heart the Lord will not hear me.

Isaiah 59:1-2 – Your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.

Principle to live by: Before I pray for change in my circumstances, I should pray for a change in character.

James 5:16 – The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

2. Keep a forgiving spirit towards others.

Principle: A forgiving spirit is not an act, it’s an attitude.

Matthew 5:23-24 – First go and be reconciled to your brother.

3. Keep a surrendered will at all times.

James 4:3 – You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly.

Principle to live by: If God lays a burden on our heart, He also purposes to grant it.

Psalm 33:13 – From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind.

Principle: When God sees me He also sees the crowd and does what’s best for the whole group.

4. Understand God’s Sovereignty.

Principle to live by: I must accept the Sovereignty of God in my life of prayer.

5. I must have faith.

James 1:5 – But let him ask in faith, with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

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

Matthew 17:20 – If your faith is as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain move from here to there and it will.

Principle: To make prayer a force, I must look for question marks in my life.

6. I must have persistence.

Jacob
Ask, Seek, Knock

Principle: Persistence in prayer does not change God, it changes me.

7. Put action with your prayers.

James 2:14 – Faith without action is dead.

Principle: My great need is not faith and works, but faith that works.

January 26 2014 The Great Harvest

The Great Harvest 

HOW TO FOCUS ON THE HARVEST

Have a proper vision.
Matthew 9:36 – When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

• Jesus had a vision for outsiders.

2 Peter 2:8 – For that just man (lot) living among them tortured his righteous soul every day with what he saw and heard of their unlawful and wicked deeds.

Acts 17:16 – While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.

Have an understanding of the coming verdict.
Matthew 9:37 – The harvest is plentiful.

Joel 3:13 & 14 – Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe, multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision.

Matthew 13:30 – Let both grow together until the harvest.

2 Corinthians 5:11 – Since then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.

We need a correct view of the workers.
Matthew 9:37 – The workers are few.

• Few consecrated to the work.
• Few that are faithful.

The great harvest requires prayer.
Matthew 9:28 – Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labors into His harvest.

James 2:14 – Faith without action is dead.

December 8 2013 Showing I Care For My Neighbors

Showing I Care For My Neighbors

(Open Before Christmas: Part 2)

(Jesus) “I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:40

“‘Teacher, of all the commandments, which is the most important?’ Jesus replied, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’” Matthew 22:36-40

“And who is my neighbor?” — Luke 10:29b

My Neighbor: SOMEONE WHO IS ON MY WAY.

FOUR STEPS TO LOVING MY NEIGHBOR

1. Ask GOD FOR A COMPASSIONATE HEART

“You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” — Luke 6:36

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.” — Psalm 139:23

2. Show GENUINE INTEREST.

“Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” — Romans 12:10

3. Be ALERT TO NEEDS.

“Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others - ignoring God - harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.” — Galatians 6:7-8

“Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6

4. Respond WITH COMPASSIONATE ACTION.

“Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, ‘Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well’ – but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all – it is dead and useless.” James 2:14-17

"Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12

Memory Verse: “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." — John 13:35

August 12 2012 How To Have Real Christian Faith

How To Have Real Christian Faith

Vs. 17 - Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by actions, is dead.

Who is right, James or Paul? They both are.

Paul (Gal. 2:16)    &   James (James 2:24)
Problem    Legalism                     Laxity
Works       Jewish Laws               Christian Lifestlye
Focus        Root of Salvation       Fruit of Salvation
(internal/unseen)        (external/seen)
Purpose    How to Know             How to show
I’m a Christian            I’m a Christian


Ephesians 2:8-10 - For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, for a life of good works which God has already prepared for us to do.

What Is Real Faith?
1. Real faith is not just something you say.
Vs. 14 - What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

2. Real faith is not just something you feel.
Vs. 15-16 - Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
1 John 3:17 - If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
Vs. 17 - In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead.

3.  Real faith is not just something you think.
Vs. 18 - But someone will say, “You have faith, I have deeds.”  Show me your faith without your deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

4.  Real faith is not just something you believe.
Vs. 19 - You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder.

5.  Real faith is something you do.

Illustrations: Two Very Different People

• Abraham (Vs. 20-24)

• Rahab (Vs. 25)

II Corinthians 13:5 - Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith, test yourselves.