October 30 2016 I am the Good Shepherd

Connecting With The Real Jesus - I am the Good Shepherd

John 10:14, 27-28 "I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me.... My sheep recognize my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me."

WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU THAT JESUS IS YOUR SHEPHERD

1. As my good shepherd, Jesus provides for my needs.

Matthew 6:31-33 "“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your Heavenly Father already knows all of your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."

Memory Verse: Philippians 4:19 "My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

2. As my good shepherd, Jesus protects me from harm.

Mark 4:35-40 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Psalm 34:9 "The good man does not escape of troubles. He has them, too, but the Lord helps Him in each and everyone."

3. As my good shepherd He will guide me on what is right.

James 1: 5-8 (TLB) 5 If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you,

Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV) Enter through the narrow gate. For Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Luke 15:4-7 If a man has a 100 sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the 99 others in the wilderness and go and search for that one that is lost until He finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders." And when he arrives, he will call together all of his friends and neighbors saying, "Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep." "In the same way, there is more joy in Heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over 99 others who are righteous and haven't strayed away.

August 11 2013 Beyond GPS: Learning To Trust

LEARNING TO TRUST
 

Memory Verse: James 1:5“If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.”

HOW TO TRUST GOD WHEN HE SPEAKS:

1. Confirm the it truly is God's voice

Proverbs 14:12“There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”

Proverbs 12:28“The way of the godly leads to life; that path does not lead to death.” 

How God Speaks:

  • Through the Bible (primary)
  • Through His Holy Spirit
  • Through Prayer
  • Through Other Christians
  • Through Circumstances

John 10:27(Jesus) “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

2. Remember God's faithfulness in my past

Deuteronomy 7:18“But don't be afraid of them! Just remember what the LORD your God did . . .”

Psalms 143:5“I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works. I think about what you have done.”

3. Take a step forward in faith

Hebrews 11:6“So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

Hebrews13:20-21“Now may the God of peace—equip you with all you need for doing his will.”

Take a Step . . .Evaluate . . . Retreat or Repeat

4. Stay focused on your relationship with God...not the end result

James 4:8“Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.”

Isaiah 26:3-4“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.”

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: "The Best Question Ever" By Andy Stanley