January 17 2016 How To Prepare For A Miracle

How to Prepare for a Miracle

Daring Faith ­ Key to Miracles Part 2

Mark 6:34­-44 – The Miracle of Feeding the 5,000

Memory Verse: Romans 8:28. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

1. ADMIT I HAVE AN UNSOLVABLE PROBLEM.

Mark 6:34-37a (NIV) "When Jesus . . . saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them . . . so he began teaching them. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came and said, ‘This is a remote place.

Send the people away so they can go and buy something to eat.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You give them something to eat!’ They said, ‘That would take eight months of a man’s wages!’"

2. GIVE GOD WHAT LITTLE I ALREADY HAVE.

Mark 6:38 (NIV) "‘How many loaves do you have?’ Jesus asked. ‘Go and see.’ When they found out, they said, ‘Five small loaves of bread and two fish.’"

John 6:6 (NIV) "Jesus asked this only to test them, for he already had in mind what he was going to do."

3. PUT IT ALL IN THE HANDS OF JESUS.

Mark 6:41 (NASB) "Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish . . . He blessed the food and broke the loaves and He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the people . . ."

The boy gave what he had . . . willingly, cheerfully, & immediately.

4. EXPECT GOD TO MULTIPLY IT.

Mark 6:42-­43 (Ph) "Everyone ate and had enough. Afterwards they collected 12 baskets full of . . . leftovers!"

Mark 10:27 (NIV) "All things are possible with God."

John 12:24 (NIV) Jesus: "A kernel of wheat must be given away and planted in the soil. Unless it dies and is buried, it will remain a single seed. But its death will produce many more seeds and a great harvest!"

April 6 2014 Getting A Grip On Self Control

Getting A Grip On Self Control 

Galatians 5:22 – The fruit of the Spirit is self-control.

Proverbs 25:28 – Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.

1 Corinthians 9:25 – Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Seven Steps to Self-Control

1. Recognize your problem.

James 1:14 – Each one is tempted, when by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.

2. Put your past behind you.

Philippians 3:13-14 – Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal.

3. Challenge your feelings.

Titus 2:11-12 – For the grace of God teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passion and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.

4. Believe you can change.

1 Corinthians 10:13 – God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but when you are tempted, He will also provide a way so that you can stand up under it.

Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Mark 9:23 – Jesus said, “Everything is possible for him who believes.”

5. Make yourself accountable.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 – Two men can resist an attack that would defeat one man alone.

Galatians 6:2 – Share each other’s troubles and problems and so obey our Lord’s commands.

6. Deploy common sense.

Ephesians 4:27 – Don’t give the devil a chance.

1 Corinthians 15:33 – Bad company corrupts good character.

7. Depend on Christ’s power.

Galatians 5:16 - Let the Spirit direct your lives and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature.

Philippians 2:13 – For God is at work within you, helping you to want to obey Him and then helping you to do what He wants.

September 22 2013 Trusting God With Impossibilities

Trusting God With Impossibilities

Verse 1 - After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat.

Step One: Tune into God.
Verses 3-4 - Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.  The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord.

Step Two:  Pray about your problem.
Verse 5 - Then King Jehoshaphat went and stood before them and prayed aloud.

Verses 5-12:
•  Remind yourself who God is.  (Verse 6)
    Are you not……?
•  Remind yourself what God has done.  (Verse 7)  
    Did you not……?
•  Now ask God to do it again.  (Verse 12)
    Will you not……?

Step Three:  Admit your need for help.
Verse 12a - O our God, will you not judge them?  For we have no power to fail this vast army that is attacking us.

Step Four:  Focus on God, not your problem.
Verse 12c - We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You!

God’s Response:  The battle belongs to God.
Verse 15 - Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.  For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Step Five:  Get some support.
Verse 13 - All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood before the Lord.

Step Six:  Relax in Faith.
Verse 17 - You will not have to fight this battle.  Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.

What do I stand firm on?  (Verse 20b)
• God’s character.

• God’s Word.

Step Seven:  Thank God in advance.
Verse 21 - Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise Him as they went out at the head of the army.

The Results

Verse 22:  God gave the victory.

Verses 25-26 - There was a great blessing.

Verses 29-30 - Great testimony to unbelievers.

June 9 2013 How To Release Your Stress

HOW TO RELEASE YOUR STRESS
Philippians 4:4-8
Verse 4 - May you always be joyful in your life in the Lord.  I say it again, rejoice!!
FOUR STRESS RELIEVERS

I.  Step one:  Worry about nothing. 
1.  Verse 6 - Do not be anxious about anything.
Amp. - Do not fret or have any anxiety.

WORRY:  Assuming responsibility that God never intendedfor me to have.

Research on worry
40% never happens
30% concerns the past
12% needless about health
10% petty issues
8% legitimate concerns

2.  Matt. 6:34 - (Jesus) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough troubles of its own.

Insight:  Live one day at a time.

II.  Step two:  Pray about everything.

1. Verse 6b - But in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Petition:  Make request specific or detailed.
Phillips translation says, When you pray, tell God every detail of your needs.




2.  I Peter 5:7 - Unload all your worries on Him since He is looking after you.

The Phillips translation says, You can throw the whole weight of your anxiety upon Him, for you are His personal concern.

Insight:  No problem that is too big for God’s power or to small for God’s concern.

III.  Step three:  Thank God for all things.

1.  Verse 6 b - In everything, with thanksgiving, again, always asking Him with a thankful heart.

2.  I Thess. 5:18 - Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Insight:  There is always something to be grateful for regardless of our situation.

IV.  Step four:  Think about the right things.

1.  Verse 8 - Finally, brothers, whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.

The root cause of stress is the way you think.

Insight:  Whatever I think about is what I’m becoming.

THE RESULT

Verse 7 - If you do this you will experience God’s peace which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.  His peace will keep your thoughts and your heart quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

May 19 2013 How To Conquer Complaining

How To Conquer Complaining

Philippians 2:14-15 - Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

I.  Four types of complainers:

1.  The whiner: Wakes up negative.

Psalm 73:13 - (David) Have I been wasting my time?  Why take all the trouble to be pure?  All I get out of it is trouble and woe.

Matthew 21:11-12 - They took their money and started grumbling against the employer.  We put up with a whole day’s work in the hot sun, yet you paid them the same as you paid us.

2.  The martyr: No one appreciates me.

Numbers 11:11 - Moses said to the Lord, why pick on me, to give me the burden of a people like this?  I can’t carry this nation by myself!  If you’re going to treat me like this, please kill me right not, it will be a kindness!  Let me out of this impossible situation.

3.  The cynic: Nothing will ever change.

(Solomon)  Ecclesiastes 1:2-4, 9 - Life is useless, you spend your time working and what do you have to show for it?  The world stays just the same, what has been done before will be done again.

4.  The perfectionist: Is that the best you can do?

Proverbs 27:15 - A nagging wife is like water going drip, drip, drip on a rainy day.

Proverbs 21:19 - Better to live out in the desert than with a nagging, complaining wife.

II.  How to conquer complaining:

1.  Admit it’s a problem for you.

Proverbs 28:13 - A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful.  But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.

2.  Accept responsibility for our own life.

Proverbs 19:3 - Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid mistakes, and then blame the Lord.

3.  Develop the attitude of gratitude.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:11 - I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

4.  Practice speaking positively.

Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Ephesians 6:4 - Don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful, rather bring them up with loving discipline and Godly advice.

RESULT:  BE A STAR

Philippians 2:15