April 7 2013 Enjoying The People In Your Life

ENJOYING THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE
Philippians 1:3-11

FOUR KEYS TO ENJOYING PEOPLE

I. The first key, be grateful for the good in people.
Vs. 3 - I thank my God every time I remember you.

BACKGROUND ACTS 16
Lesson No. 1: Remember the best & forget the rest.
Vs. 5 - You have helped me from the very first day until now.


II. The second key, picture positive praying. 
Vs. 4 - In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.

Lesson No. 2: Start thanking God in prayer for these people.
Col. 4:2-3 - Devote yourself to prayer and pray for us too.
Eph. 6:18 - Keep on praying for all the saints.
Vss. 9-11- And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

What to pray for others: Pray they will
That they will grow in love. Vs. 9
That they make wise choices. Vs. 10 a
That they would do the right thing. Vs. 10 b
That they would live for God’s Glory. Vs. 11

III. The third key, be patient with their progress.
Vs. 6 - Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Lesson No. 3: God is not finished with His people.
Our Mistake: We judge others by how far they have to go, rather than how far they have already come

IV. The fourth key, love people from the heart. 
Vss. 7-8 - It is right for me to feel this way about all of you since I have you in my heart.

God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:5 - God has poured out His love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to us.

Lesson No. 4
The secret to enjoying the people in my life is to be filled with God’s love.

February 24 2013 Dating Dilemmas

Dating Dilemmas

Psalm 144:11 “Reach down from Heaven and rescue me. Deliver me from deep waters.”

2 Corinthians 6:14. “Don’t become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong. That’s not partnership, that’s war.”

Proverbs 4:23.“Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.”

Six Questions To Avoid Dating Dilemmas

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrong. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects. It always trusts. Always hopes, always preservers. Love never vents.”

1. Is this relationship progressing To Quickly ?

Verse 4: Love is patient

1 Corinthians 6:18. “Run away from sexual sin. No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality, it’s a sin against your own body.”

2. Is this person Kind ?

Verse 4: “Love is kind.”

The “out in public test”.

verse 7 “Love always protects”.

3. Is this person a Team mate ?

Verses 4-5 “Love does not envy, does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self seeking. It is not easily angered. Love keeps no record of wrong.”

The “pronoun test”

4. Is this a person of Integrity ?

Verse 6: Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth”

The “refund test”

5. Is this person a Quitter ?

Verse 7:“Love always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Does this person have a Forever view of marriage?

6. Is God the First Love of my life?

Verse 8 “Love never fails.”

Memory Verse: “We love because He first loved us.” - 1 John 4:19

My next step today is to: 

• Memorize I John 4:19
• Pray about and evaluate my relationship with_________.
• Make God the first love of my life.
• Pray that God will double our church’s attendance at Easter

Join us next Sunday as we continue our New teaching series “Relationship Rescue” with “Marriage Maintenance”

July 8 2012 The Marks Of A Mature Person

The Marks Of A Mature Person

AN OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK OF JAMES

God’s will for every person is personal growth and maturity. The book of James defines what maturity means

What Maturity Isn’t:
• It’s not: Age

• It’s not: Appearance

• It’s not: Achievement

• It’s not: Academics or ability

God says maturity is determined by your attitude.

Five Marks of Maturity

1. A mature person is Positive under pressure.
James 1:2-4 - Consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials of man kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:12 - Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

2. A mature person is sensitive to people.
James 2:8 - If you really keep the royal law found in the Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.

3. A mature person has mastered his mouth
James 3:2 - We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let any negative talk come out of your mouth but only what is helpful for building up others according to their needs.
James 4:1 - If anyone considers himself religious yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

4. A mature person is a peace maker, not a trouble maker.
James 4:1 - What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?

2 Sources of Conflict
• (vss. 2-3) Selfishness

• (vss. 11-12) Judging

5. A mature person is patient and prayerful.
James 5:7,11 - Be patient then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming as you know we consider blessed those who persevere. 
James 5:16 - The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

June 10 2012 Healing For Hurting Parents

Healing For Hurting Parents

Luke 15:11-24

Jesus' beautiful story of the Prodigal Son is more than a lesson about God's love. It also illustrates some powerful principles for parenting. We see 3 stages in this parent-child conflict.

STAGE ONE: REBELLION (verses 11-16)

"... give me..."

What to do:

1. Let them go.
"... the younger son... set off for a distant country..."

2. Let them make their own mistakes.
"... and there squandered his wealth in wild living..."

3. Let them suffer the consequences of their choices.
"... after he spent everything... he began to be in need"

STAGE TWO: RE-EVALUATION & REGRET
(vs. 17-19)

"When he came to his senses... I will go back..."

What to do:

* You Pray.

* Commit them to God.

* Wait Patiently.

STAGE THREE: THE RETURN (vs. 20-24)

What to do: 

1. Love them faithfully
"... his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him..." 

2. Accept them unconditionally.
"... he threw his arms around him and kissed him."

THE SON'S CONFESSION: (Vs 21)

3. Forgive them completely.
"Bring the best robe... put a ring on his finger... and sandals on his feet."

"For this son of mine was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found!

April 29 2012 Bringing Out The Best In Your Kids

Bringing Out The Best In Your Kids

Matthew 5:48 - Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

1. I must understand my children.

Psalm 103:13 - As a Father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For he knows how we are formed.

Proverbs 24:3 - Homes are built on the foundation of wisdom and understanding.

Proverbs 22:6 - Train a child in the way he should go, and then when he is old he will not turn from it.

Proverbs 14:29 - A patient man has great understanding.

2. I must accept my children.

Psalm 145:8 - The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

Romans 15:7 - Accept one another.

Psalm 127:3 - Children are a gift from God, they are His reward.

3. I must discipline my children.

Hebrews 12:6 - The Lord disciplines those whom He loves.

Proverbs 13:24 - If you refuse to discipline your son, it proves you don’t love him.

Proverbs 19:18 - Discipline your children while they are young enough to learn. If you don’t you are helping them destroy themselves.


HOW TO DISCIPLINE

Discipline calmly.

Proverbs 29:11 - A fool gives full vent to his anger.

Don’t be a nagger.

Ephesians 6:4 - Don’t keep scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful, use loving discipline.

Discipline quickly.

Discipline sparingly.

Col. 3:2 - Fathers don’t discourage your children so much that they become discouraged and quit trying.

Discipline by age level.

• The Age Of Regulation (Age 1-7)

Must learn to obey.

• The Age Of Imitation (Age 8-12)

Learn by watching you.

• The Age Of Inspiration (Age 13 & Up)

They will be like who they run with.

4. I must express love to my children.

Psalm 145:9 - The Lord is good and has compassion on all He has made.

Psalm 145:14 - The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

Psalm 145:18 - The Lord is near to all who call on Him.

Psalm 101:2 - I will try to walk a blameless path, but how I need Your help especially in my own home where I long to act as I should.