July 10 2011 Living The Effective Life

Living The Effective Life

Four Keys to Effective Living:

1. Be yourself.

Hebrews 11:24 – By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

2. Accept responsibility for your life.

Verse 25 – He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.

PRINCIPLE: The negative is followed by the positive

Verse 23 – By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the King's edict. 
Verse 24 – When he had grown up.

3. Establish a value system for your life.

Verse 26 – He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward.

THREE COMMON VALUES
* Pleasure
* Possessions
* Power

Matthew 6:24 – No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both.

THREE THINGS MOSES DECIDED:

God's purpose is more valuable than popularity.

Verse 24 – refused to be known as Pharaoh's daughter.

People are more valuable than pleasure.

Verse 25 – chose to be mistreated rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin.

God's peace is more valuable than possessions.

Verse 26 – regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt.

Your character is determined by your choices, your choices are determined by your values and your values are determined by your vision.

4. Never take your eyes off the goal.

Verse 27 – By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the King's anger, he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.

II Corinthians 4:16-17 – Therefore, we do not lose heart though outwardly, we're wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory, that far outweighs them all.

Verse 18 – So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Hebrews 12:1-2 – Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.

October 18 2015 The Prayer Of Cleansing

THE PRAYER OF CLEANSING

Hebrews 12:1-2 – Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us and run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Matthew 6:12 – This is how you should pray, forgive us our debts.

How To Experience Cleansing

I. First receive his forgiveness.

Apply God’s Cleansing

A) Remember God’s character.

Nehemiah 9:17 – You are a God of forgiveness always ready to pardon.

B) Trust God’s promises.

Isaiah 55:7 – God is merciful and quick to forgive.

II. Cleansing is strengthened by understanding He covers all

A) “Forgive us our debts,” are four very important words.

1. Example – The Prodigal son.

B) How to know forgiveness covers all.

1. He has paid the debt for every sin.

Colossians 2:13-14 – He has forgiven all your sins, He has utterly wiped out the evidence of broken commandments which always hung over our heads, and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross.

2. Remember that God forgets.

Jeremiah 31:34 – I, the Lord, will forgive and forget their sins.

III. Cleansing can be kept by repeating the process as needed.

HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?

A) God does not get tired of our coming to Him.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins to God, He will keep His promise and do what is right.  He will forgive our sins and make us clean from our wrongdoing.

B) Keep short accounts with God.

Hebrews 7:25 – (Christ) is always interceding on our behalf.

IV. Cleansing is given freely.

Romans 3:23-24 – All of us have sinned, yet now God declares us not guilty of offending Him if we trust in Jesus Christ who freely takes away our sins.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith.  It is not your own doing, but God’s gift.  There is nothing to boast of, since it is not the result of your own efforts.

HOW TO BE FORGIVEN

• Admit
• Believe
• Commit
• Gratitude

Romans 8:1 – There is no condemnation for those who live in union with Christ Jesus.

February 15 2015 Perseverance Under Pressure

Perseverance Under Pressure

Seven things to give us perseverance under pressure:

1. Realize we are strangers in this world.

Verse 1 – To God’s elect, strangers in the world scattered.

John 17:15-16 – My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

Don’t drive the stakes in too deep, you’re moving up in the morning.

2. Realize we are chosen.

Verse 2 – Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ.

Three things about being chosen:

1. Our salvation is not haphazard.

2. God is willing to take risks.

3. We have value.
 
3. Realize the power of the resurrection.

Verse 3 – Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  In His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:19 – If only in this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

Psalm 33: 13-22

4. Realize the riches of our inheritance.

Verse 4 – An inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for you.

Four facts about our inheritance:

1. It’s untouched by death.

2. It’s unstained by evil.

3. It will not fade away.

4. It’s reserved, set aside, for you.

5. Realize the protection of your salvation.

Verse 5 – Who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of Salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Three meanings of protection:

1. You have a guard out front.

2. He identifies the problem.

3. He communicates the danger.
 
6. Realize the positive results of pressure.

Verses 6-7 – In this you greatly rejoice through now for a little while you may have had to suffer all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Suffering brings out the gold in life.

Four things about suffering:

1. It’s seasonal.

2. It’s necessary.

3. It’s revealing.

4. It’s sanctifying.

7. Realize you have present power.

Verse 8 – Though you have not seen Him, you love Him.

January 25 2015 Getting Stuck In My Career - Parts 1 and 2

GETTING UNSTUCK IN MY CAREER

So I decided there is nothing better than to... find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that this pleasure is from the hand of God. Ecclesiastes 2:24    

Definition of UnStuck: Moving forward in my life because I am willing to give God complete control.

THE STORY OF MARK
(Acts 13:4-5; 13-14; 15:36-40)

So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit.  They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus.  There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God.  John Mark went with them as their assistant. Acts 13:4-5

Paul and his companions then left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.  But Paul and Barnabas traveled inland to Antioch of Pisidia. Acts 13:13-14

THE STORY OF MARK (contd)
(Acts 13:4-5; 13-14; 15:36-40)

After some time Paul said to Barnabas, >Let's go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing. Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark.  But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted
them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.  Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated.  Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.  Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord's gracious care.  Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there. Acts 15:36-40
    
4 CHOICES TO GETTING UNSTUCK IN MY CAREER:

1)  CHOOSE TO MAKE GOD MY BOSS.

In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people. Colossians 3:23

• Love God & Others (see Matthew 22:37-39)
• serve my co-workers. (see Matthew 23:11-12)
• find a Godly mentor.  

(Paul) Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

2)  CHOOSE TO SEPARATE who I am FROM what I do.

For we are God's masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

• Daily Quiet Time
• A Weekly Sabbath

(Jesus) For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8:36

3) CHOOSE TO BE FAITHFUL IN THE SMALL THINGS

His master replied, >Good job!  You=re a good and faithful servant!  You proved that you could be trusted with a small amount.  I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and share your master=s happiness. Matthew 25:23

Whatever presents itself for you to do, do it with all your might. Ecclesiastes 9:10

4) CHOOSE TO PERSEVERE EVEN WHEN I FEEL STUCK

We were under great pressure; far beyond our ability to endure As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened.  Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally B not a bad idea since He=s the God who raises the dead! 2 Corinthians 1:8-9

Timothy, please come as soon as you can.  Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica.  Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia.  Only Luke is with me.  Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry. 2 Timothy 4:9-11 (see also Colossians 4:10; Philemon 1:24)
                     
Memory Verse: It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God. 2 Corinthians 3:5

January 4, 2015 Becoming a Person of Influence

Becoming a person of influence

Four Keys To Living A Life Of Influence

1. Be yourself.

Hebrews 11:24 – By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

2. Accept responsibility for your own life.

Verse 25 – He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.

PRINCIPLE: The negative is followed by the positive.

Verse 23 – By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the King’s edict.

Verse 26 – When he had grown up.

3. Establish a value system for your life.

Verse 26 – He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward.

THREE COMMON VALUES

1. Pleasure.
2. Possessions.
3. Power.

Matthew 6:24 – No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both.

THREE THINGS MOSES DECIDED

1. God’s purpose is more valuable than popularity.

Verse 24 – Refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

2. People are more valuable than pleasure.

Verse 25 – Chose to be mistreated rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin.

3. God’s peace is more valuable than possessions.

Verse 26 – Regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt.

Your character is determined by your choices, you choices are determined by your values and your values are determined by your vision.

4. Never take your eyes off the goal.

Verse 27 – By faith he left Egypt, not rearing the King’s anger, he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.

II Corinthians 4:16-17 – Therefore, we do not lose heart though outwardly we’re wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Verse 18 – So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Hebrews 12:1-2 – Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.