February 5 2017 How Can I Know My Destiny

HOW CAN I KNOW MY DESTINY?

BOOK OF ESTHER

1. I must recognize the gifts that God has given me to use

Esther 2:8-9 (NIV)"Esther pleased Hegai and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven maids selected from the king's palace and moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem."

Esther 2:15b "Esther won the favor of everyone Who saw her."

Esther 2:17 (N IV)“...she then won the king's favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen."

I Peter 4:10 (TEV)"Each of us, as a good manager of God's different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift we have received from God."

What has God given me to use for good?

2. I must identify the needs that stir my heart.

Esther 4:4 (TEV)"When Esther's servants told her what Mordecai was doing, she was deeply disturbed."

Isaiah 58:6-11 (TEV)"Remove the chains of oppression and yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives. THEN my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quicklv healed. I will always be with you to save you and my presence will protect you on every side. When you pray, I will answer you. When you call tome, I will respond. Ifyou put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well."

What needs do I see around me that disturb me?

3. Take the time to hear God's call on my life.

Esther 4:13-14 "Mordecai sent this word to Esther: 'Do not think that because you are in the king house you alone of all Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your fathers family will perish. Besides who knows but that you have come to this position for such a time as this?"

Esther 4:15-16a (NIV) "Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 'Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king... "

4. Make a faith commitment

Memory Verse: Esther 4:16 (NIV)"When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish. "

Matt. 9:29 Jesus said, "According to your faith will it be done to you!"

What 3-year faith commitments will I make?

January 8 2017 Getting A Grip On Faith

GETTING A GRIP ON FAITH

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

Hebrews 11:6 – Without faith it is impossible to please God.

Luke 17:5 – The apostles said, Lord, increase our faith.

I. How does God strengthen my faith? By testing it.

James 1:3 – The testing of your faith develops perseverance so that you may be mature and complete.

Job 7:17-18 – What is man that you make so much of him, and that you give him so much attention that you examine him every morning and test him every moment.

II. How does God test our faith?

1. God tests our faith through difficulties.

1 Peter 1:6-7 – For a little while you have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Isaiah 48:10 – I have refined you, though not as silver, I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

James 1:2-3 – Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

LESSON: To live by faith, I learn to: To live by faith.

2. God tests our faith through demands.

Exodus 16:4 – The people are to go out each day and gather enough manna for that day. In that way I will test them and see whether they will follow instructions.

Hebrews 11:8 – By faith Abraham obeyed and went.

Hebrews 11:7 – By faith Noah built an ark.

LESSON: To live by faith I must learn to: Obey God quickly.

3. God tests our faith through delays.

Deuteronomy 8:2 – God led you all the way in the desert these 40 years to test you in order to know what was in your heart.

Isaiah 64:4 – God acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.

LESSON: To live by faith, I must learn to: Wait patiently.

October 23 2016 How Can I Know My Destiny

HOW CAN I KNOW MY DESTINY?

BOOK OF ESTHER

1. I must recognize the gifts God has given to me.

Esther 2:8-9- Esther pleased Hegai and won his favor.  Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food.  He assigned to her seven maids selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem.

Esther 2:15b – Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.

Esther 2:17 – She then won the king’s favor and approval more than any of the other virgins.  So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen.

1 Peter 4:10 – Each of us, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift we have received from God.

What Has God Given Me To Use For Good?

2. I must identify the needs that stir my heart.

Isaiah 58:6-11 – Remove the chains of oppression and yoke of injustice and let the oppressed go free.  Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor.  Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.  Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed.  I will always be with you to save you and my presence will protect you on every side.  When you pray, I will answer you.  When you call to me I will respond.  If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil work; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon.  And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things.  I will keep you strong and well.

What Needs Do I See Around Me That Disturb Me?

3. Take time to hear God’s call on your life.

Esther 4:13-14 – Mordecai sent this word to Esther; ‘Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all Jews will escape.  For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish.  Besides who know but that you have come to this position for such a time as this?

Esther 4:15-16a – Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai; ‘Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me.  Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.  I and my maids will fast as you do.  When this is done, I will go to the king.’

4. You must make a faith commitment.

Esther 4:16 – When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law.  And if I perish, I perish.

Matthew 9:29 – Jesus said, ‘According to your faith will it be done to you!’

January 24 2016 Stepping Into Commitment

Stepping Into Commitment

Matthew 9:35 - 10:5

Review

Sermon #1 - Winning Through Encouragement

It is important that the people believe in their leader, but it is more important that their leader believes in the people.

Sermon #2 - Jesus Looks For Disciples

People look at people and see them as:

1. What we once were

2. What we are now

God looks at people and sees them as:

1. Where we are

2. What we can be

The Place Of Commitment

1. It's the place where the heaviest battles are fought

2. It's the place where the winners are divided from the whiners

3. It's the place where God reveals Himself

The Process Of Commitment (Matthew 9:35 - 10:5)

1. Jesus gave the Disciples a challenge
(verse 37 - The He said to His Disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

"A congregation is either a field to work in or a force to work with."

2. Jesus gave the Disciples change
(verse 38 - Ask the Lord to send out workers into the harvest field.)

Twofold

1.  In prayer
2. Power for ministry

3. Jesus gave the Disciples a chance to get involved
(Matthew 10:2-5)

Which attitude is mine? 

• I'll do what I want, I don't care what God wants me to do.
• If God will give me what I want first, then I'll give Him what He wants.
• I'll give God what He wants first with faith so that He'll give me what I want.
• I'll give God what He wants regardless of what He gives me.

January 3 2016 What Happens When You Have Faith

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE FAITH

Daring Faith: Key To Miracles - Part 1

Romans 1:17 “The Gospel shows us how God makes people right with himself—that it begins and ends with FAITH. The Scripture says those who are right with God will live by trusting in Him.”

Memory Verse: Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

FAITH IS seeing from God's point of view. 

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen and to be certain of things we do not yet see.”

Ephesians 1:18 “I pray that the eyes of your heart will be flooded with light so that you can see the wonderful future God has promised to those he called . . .” 

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SEE

(Numbers 13-14 - Spying out the Promised Land)

WITH EYES OF FEAR?

1. WE EXAGGERATE our difficulties

Numbers 13:27b “It’s a magnificent land BUT the people living there are powerful, and their cities are fortified and large! What’s more, we saw Anakim giants there!” -28

Numbers 13:31-32 “. . . other spies said, “They’d crush us!” So the majority report of the spies was negative.”

2. WE UNDERESTIMATE our own abilities

“We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Numbers 13:33

3. WE get discouraged

“Then all the people began weeping aloud, and they carried on all night!” Numbers 14:1

4. WE START TO to gripe about our life

Numbers 14:2 “All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron . . . ‘We wish we had died in Egypt!’ they wailed, ‘Or even here in the wilderness!’”

5. WE EVENTUALLY give up and we blame God.

Numbers 14:3 “Why is the Lord bringing us to this land to be killed with swords . . . We’d be better off going back to Egypt!”

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SEE WITH EYES OF FAITH?

1. FAITH shrinks my problem

Genesis 18:14a “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

Luke 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God!”

2. FAITH opens the door for a miracle

Mark 11:22-24 Jesus said, “Have faith in God! If you have faith in God and you don’t doubt, you could tell this mountain to get up and jump into the sea, and it would. Whatever you ask for in prayer will be yours, IF you only have the faith.”

3. FAITH moves God to act on my Behalf

Matthew 9:29 Jesus said, “According to your faith it will be done to you.” 

4. FAITH unlocks all the promises of God

2 Corinthians 1:20a “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are all ‘Yes’ in Christ!”

5. FAITH turns God-given dreams into reality

Ephesians 3:20 (LB) “Glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us, is able to do FAR

MORE than we would ever DARE TO ASK or even DREAM of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes!” 

6. FAITH GIVES ME  power to hold on in tough times. 

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NLT) “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we’re not crushed and broken. We’re perplexed, but we don’t give up and quit. We’re attacked but God never abandons us.

We get knocked down, but we get up and keep going!”

John 3:16 (CEV) “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life.” 

How To Grow In Your Faith during the DARING FAITH SERIES

1. Listen to all 10 Weekend Messages of the campaign.

2. Carry the weekly Bible verse with you.

3. Set 3 faith goals for growing, giving, and going.