May 22 2016 Your Guilt And God's Love

YOUR GUILT AND GOD’S LOVE

Psalm 32:3-5 – When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me, my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

1 John 4:18 – Perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.

What To Do About It:

1. Trust God to forgive you.

Romans 3:23-24 – All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, yet now God declares us not guilty.  If we trust in Jesus Christ, Who in kindness freely takes away our sins.

2. Learn to forgive yourself.

Proverbs 4:25 – Look straight ahead with honest confidence, don’t hang your head in shame.

3. Rely on God’s grace.

Psalm 119:96 – Nothing is perfect except (God’s) Word.

Psalm 103:13-14 – As a Father is kind to his children, so the Lord is kind to those who honor Him. He knows what we are made of, He remembers that we are but dust.

Romans 8:31 – There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

4. Stop the negative self talk.

Proverbs 4:23 – Be careful how you think. Your life is shaped by your thoughts.

Job 9:20 – (Job) Everything I say seems to condemn me.

Philippians.4:8 – Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right, think about all you can thank God for and be glad about.

5. Remember you can’t please everybody.

Proverbs 29:25 – It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you.

6. Commit yourself to doing God’s Will.

Matthew 11:29-30 – (Jesus) Come to Me, all you who are tired from carrying your heavy loads, and I will give you res.  The yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.

May 8 2016 Coping With The Fears Of Raising Children

COPING WITH THE FEARS OF RAISING CHILDREN

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 communicate with my children.

HOW

• By starting early.

The Bible says a child left to itself disgraces it’s mother.

• Start early.

Isaiah 28:9 – Who is He trying to teach?  To whom is He explaining His message?  To children weaned from their milk.

• Begin with small pieces.

Isaiah 28:10 – For it is do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule, a little here a little there.

• Communicate creatively.

Deuteronomy 6:6 -7 – These commandments, impress them upon children, talk about them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

4. 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.

1 John 4:18 – There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out all fear, because fear has to do with punishment.

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.

5. I must express love to my children.

• Through affection.

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

• Affirmation.

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

• Attention.

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

6. I must be consistent with my children.

Psalm 145:7 – The Lord is righteous in all His ways.

Proverbs 20:17 – It is a wonderful heritage to have an honest father.

• Don’t imply perfection.
• Keep your promises.

Psalm 145:13 – The Lord is faithful to all His promises.

May 3 2015 Freedom From Our Hurts

FREEDOM FROM OUR HURTS

Isaiah 57:18 – I have seen how they acted, but I will lead them and help them and I will comfort them that mourn.

DENIAL BUSTERS 

1. Crises

2. Confrontation

3. Catastrophe 

Hebrews 11:6 – Anyone who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

THREE STEPS TO GET HELP FOR OUR HURTS

1. Acknowledge God’s existence.

Romans 11:20 – Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen.

Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God.

Psalm 14:1 – The fool says there is no God!

2. Understand God’s character.

Colossians 1:15 – Christ is the visible expression of the invisible God.

• God knows all about my situation.

Psalm 31:7 – You have seen the crisis in my soul.

Psalm 69:5 – You know how foolish I have been.

• God cares about my situation.

Psalm 103:13-14 – He is like a Father to us, tender and sympathetic, for He knows what we are made of, dust!

Jeremiah 31:3 – God says I have loved you with an everlasting love!

Romans 5:8 – God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us.

• God can change me and my situation.

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

Luke 18:27 – What is impossible for men is possible with God.

3. Accept God’s offer to help you.

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

2 Timothy 1:7 – The Spirit that God gives us fills us with power, love and self-control.

HOW TO PLUG INTO GOD’S POWER

• Believe Christ died on the cross to save me and help.
• Believe that He cares and has power to help me.
• Surrender my all to Him

Isaiah 43:2-3 – When you go through deep waters and great troubles, I will be with you, you won’t drown!  When you walk through the fires of oppression, you won’t be burned up!

December 21 2014 How To Make Christmas Last

How To Make Christmas Last

1. Remember Mary’s song of Amazing Grace.

Luke 1:46 -50 – Oh, how I praise the Lord, how I rejoice in God my Savior!  For he took notice of His lowly servant girl and now generation after generation forever shall call me blest of God.  For He the mighty holy One has done great things for me.  His mercy goes on from generation to generation to all who reverence Him.

Four Pillars Of Grace

• He took notice of his lowly servant
• Has done great things for me
• I rejoice in God my Savior
• Lowly servant

2. Receive an amazing gift.

Luke 1:68-69 – Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, for He has come to visit His people and has redeemed them.  He is sending us a mighty Savior from the royal line of His servant David.

3. Refocus on God’s mercy.

Luke 1:72 – He has done this to show mercy to our fathers.

Psalm 103:13 – As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.

4. Reflect God’s glory.

Luke 2:13-14 – Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others, the armies of heaven, praising God.  Glory to God in the highest heaven, they sang, and peace on earth for all those pleasing Him.

Four Steps:

• Remember God’s Grace.
• Receive God’s Gift.
• Refocus God’s Mercy.
• Reflect God’s Glory.

June 22 2014 Replacing Condemnation With Confidence

Replacing Condemnation With Confidence

I John 3:21 – If our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God.

Two Causes Of Self-Condemnation:

1. Unresolved guilt. (Ps. 32:3-5)
2. Unrealistic expectations. (Ps. 119:96)

What To Do About It:

1. Accept God’s forgiveness.

Romans 3:23-24 – All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, yet now God declares us not guilty. If we trust in Jesus Christ, Who in kindness freely takes away our sins.

2. Forgive yourself.

Proverbs 4:25 – Look straight ahead with honest confidence, don’t hang your head in shame.

3. Relax in God’s grace.

Psalm 119:96 – Nothing is perfect except (God’s) Word.

Psalm 103:13-14 – As a Father is kind to his children, so the Lord is kind to those who honor Him. He knows what we are made of, He remembers that we are but dust.

Romans 8:31 – There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

4. Eliminate negative self-talk.

Proverbs 4:23 – Be careful how you think. Your life is shaped by your thoughts.

Job 9:20 – (Job) Everything I say seems to condemn me.

Philippians 4:8 – Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right, think about all you can thank God for and be glad about.

5. Quit trying to please everybody.

Proverbs 29:25 – It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you.

6. Focus only on doing God’s will.

Matthew 11:29-30 – (Jesus) Come to Me, all you who are tired from carrying your heavy loads, and I will give you res. The yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.