June 28 2015 Making Freedom Last

MAKING FREEDOM LAST

Luke 8:39 - Return home and tell how much God has done for you.

FOUR WAYS TO MAKE FREEDOM LAST

I. Stop thinking your present position cannot be changed.                                

A) Verse 27 - For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tomb.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR THINKING

1.  Stop listening to the voice of the past.

Philippians 3:13 - Forgetting those things which are behind.

2. Decide to break out of the rut.

Philippians 3:13 & 14 - Strain towards what is     ahead and press on toward the goal.

EXAMPLES

Peter - Matthew 26:75

Samson

II. Start to understand your personal value.

A)  Verse 30 - Jesus asked him what is your name?

HOW TO SEE PERSONAL VALUE

1.  Listen to what God says.

Matthew 10:30-31 - The hairs of your head are all numbered.  You are worth more than many sparrows.

2.  Listen to your friends.

Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times.

III. Step into the power of Christ.

A)  Verse 28 - When he saw Jesus, he cried and fell at His feet.

Verse 30 - My name is Legion.

HOW TO STEP INTO POWER

1.  Confess our need.

1 John 1:9

2. Surrender to the authority of Christ.

Romans 12:1 & 2

IV. Shoulder the price of permanent change.

A)  Verse 39 - Jesus sent him away saying, return home and tell how much God has done for you, so the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

HOW TO MAINTAIN THE NEW POSITION

1.  Replace old habits with new ones that help.

Romans 12:21 - Overcome evil with good.

2.  Let discomfort become part of your life.

Nehemiah

3. Double up.

Hebrews 10:25 - Let us consider and give attentive courteous care to watching over each other, studying how we may stimulate each other to helpful deed and noble activities.

4. Determination.

5. Depend on God.

2 Timothy 1:7 - For the Spirit that God has given us fills us with power, love and self-control.

Philippians 2:13 - For it is God who is at work within you, giving you the will and the power to achieve His purpose.

September 21 2014 Experiencing God's Power In Your Life

Experiencing God's Power in Your Life

Jeremiah 32:17 – Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

God’s Omnipotence: God is almighty.

Luke 18:27 – The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

The Evidence Of God’s Power

Psalm 19:1-2 – The heavens are telling the glory of God, they are a marvelous display of his craftsmanship. Day and night they keep on telling about God.

Genesis 1-2 – And God said…And there was.

Jesus displayed God’s power

• over nature (Mark 4:36-41; Matthew 21:17; John 2:7)
• over illness (Luke 5:27)
• over death (Luke 7:11-15)
• over satan (Luke 8:27-39)

God’s Power In My Life

Ephesians 1:20 – I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great His power is to help those who believe Him, the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead.

Power Shortage #1: The power to get started.

Romans 7:18 – I often find that I have the will to do good, but not the power.

Romans 7:18 (LB) – No matter which way I turn, I can’t make myself do right.

Romans 7:18 – (KJV) – How to perform that which is good, I find not.

Good News: God can give me the power to do His will.

Philippians 2:13 – For God is at work within you, giving you the will, and the power, to achieve His purpose.

Power Shortage #2 The power to keep going.

Psalm 6:2-3 – I am worn out, O Lord, give me strength, I am completely exhausted, and my whole being is deeply troubled.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 – (Solomon) I looked on everything I had tried, and it was all so useless, a chasing of the wind, and there was really nothing worthwhile anywhere.

Good News: God can give me the power to persist.

Isaiah 40:28-31 – The Lord is the everlasting God, He never grows tired or weary, He strengthens those who are weak and tired. Those who trust the Lord for help will find their strength renewed.

How To Appropriate God’s Power

Admit your lack of power.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 –(Paul) God said to me where there is weakness, my power is shown more completely. Therefore, I have cheerfully made up my mind to be proud of my weaknesses, because they mean a deeper experience of Christ’s power, for my very weakness makes me strong in Him.

Believe in faith.

Mark 9:23 – Everything is possible for him who believes.

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

Speak in faith.

2 Corinthians 4:13 – With that same spirit of faith, we also speak because we believe.

Act in faith.

Joshua 3:13-27 – When the priests put their feet in the water, the Jordan River will stop flowing.

March 23 2014 How To Integrate God's Word Into My Life

How To Integrate God's Word Into My Life 

1. I must build on it

“Everyone who hears these words of mine, and puts them into practice, is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24

Unreliable Foundations

• Popular culture
• Tradition
• Only Reason
• Emotion

2. I have to feed on it

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Colossians 3:16

a. Receive with my ears (listen)

b. Read with my eyes

c. Research with my hands & mouth (study)

d. Reflect with my mind

3. I have to live by it

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:114.

4. I have to grow through it.

“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” Psalm 119:18

PARABLE OF THE FOUR SOILS (Luke 8:4-15)

1). The hardened soil = a closed mind

Action: Cultivate an open mind

2). The shallow soil = the superficial mind

Action: Make time for God’s Word.

3). The soil with weeds = a preoccupied mind

Action: I must eliminate the distractions

4). The good soil = A willing mind.

Action: Cooperate with what God says

5. I’ve got to act on it.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22

Picture it! Visualize the scene in your mind

Pronounce it! Emphasize each word aloud

Paraphrase it! Write it down in your own words

Personalize it! Put your name in the verse

Probe it! Ask the S.P.A.C.E.P.E.T.S. questions

Pray it! Pray the verse back to God

6. I must trust in it.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105

March 2 2014 How To Experience Peaceful Living

How To Experience Peaceful Living 

Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Proverbs 14:30 – A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

Three Kinds Of Peace:

1. Spiritual peace.

Romans 5:1 – Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Emotional peace.

Colossians 3:15 – Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since you were called to peace.

3. With people around us.

Romans 12:18 – If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

God’s Promise: John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Five Keys To God’s Peace:

1. Obey God’s principles.

Psalm 119:165 – Great peace have they who love your law.

2. Accept God’s pardon.

Micah 7:18 – Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression

I John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins.

3. Focus on God’s presence.

Isaiah 26:3 – You will keep in perfect peace, him whose mind is steadfast.

Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

• Be still.
• Realize that God is God.

Psalm 46:10 – Be still and know that I am God.

Philippians 4:7 – And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

4. Trust God’s purpose.

Proverbs 35:6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

• Trust.
• Acknowledge.

Philippians 4: 12, 13 – I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed, or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want, I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

5. Ask for peace.

Philippians 4:6,7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your request to God, and the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Luke 8:14 – The seen that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by life’s worries.

1 Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.

February 9 2014 Living A Productive Life

Living A Productive Life 

Three Kinds of Fruit:

• Natural fruit.
• Biological fruit.
• Spiritual fruit.

John 15:8 – This is my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Verse 16 – I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will last.

Four Steps to Productivity:

1. Establish some roots.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 – Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water, that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes. It’s leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

Proverbs 12:3 – The righteous cannot be uprooted.

Psalm 1:2-3 – But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.

2. Eliminate the weeds.
Luke 8:11-14 –The seed is the Word of God, and the seed that falls among weeds stands for those who hear the Word, but the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life crowd in and choke their lives and their fruit never ripens.

Types of Weeds:

• Weeds of worry.
• Weeds of riches.
• Weeds of pleasure.

3. Cooperate with God.
John 15:1-2 – Jesus said, I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He lops off every branch that doesn’t produce and He prunes those branches that bear fruit for even larger crops.

Hebrews 12:11 – No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained in it.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – Give thanks in all circumstances

4. Wait for the harvest.
John 12:24 – Jesus said, Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.