April 16 2017 Easter - The Foundation For Happiness

EASTER, THE FOUNDATION FOR HAPPINESS

Col. 1:14 – Christ bought our freedom with His blood.

John 10:10 – Jesus said, “I come to give you life to the full.”

Matt. 28:5 - He is not here, He has risen.

Psalm 146:5 – Happy is he whose hope is in the Lord.

Happiness is Possible:

1. Because Christ can free you from guilt.

Eph. 1:7 – By the death of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven.

Col.2.14 – He has cancelled every record of the debt

we owed. Christ has done away with it by nailing it to the cross.

Rom 8:1 – There is no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ.

2. Because Christ can free you from worry.

I Peter 1:2 – God’s Spirit has been at work in you heart through Jesus Christ. May God grant you increasing freedom from all anxiety and fear.

Ph. 4:13 – I am ready for anything through the strength of Christ who lives in me.

3. Because Christ can give you purpose.

Eph. 2:10 – We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as He meant for us to live it.

Acts 20:24 – Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus.

4. Because Christ can give you a home in heaven.

Col. 2:20 – Christ has set you free from following the world’s ideas of how to be saved by doing good and obeying various rules.

Rom 4:4 – You don’t earn the right to heaven, no, for being saved is a free gift. If a person could earn it by being good, then it wouldn’t be free, but it is.

Rom. 6:23 – The free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.

A Prayer That Leads to Happiness: Dear God, I believe Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be, Your Son, and that He proved it by rising from death. Jesus Christ, thank You for dying for me on the cross. I want You to forgive my sins and I want to know You personally and experience the freedom You offer. As much as I know how, I ask You to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. Amen.

December 18 2016 Benefits From The Christmas Savior

BENEFITS FROM THE CHRISTMAS SAVIOR

Matthew 1:21 – She will give birth to a Son and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.

1. You lose your loneliness.

Hebrews 13:5 – Jesus said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.”

Isaiah 41:10 - Don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you.”

Psalm 4:8 – “I will lie down in peace and sleep, for though I am alone, O Lord, You will keep me safe.”

Psalm 16:11 – “Your presence fills me with joy.”

2. You get another chance.

I Corinthians 1:30 – Right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start, all come from God by way of Jesus Christ.

II Corinthians 5:17 – Anyone who belongs to Christ becomes a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything becomes new.

Colossians 2:13-14 – God makes you alive with Christ when He forgives all your failures and sins. He did this by erasing the charges that were brought against us by the laws God established. He took those charges away by nailing them to the cross.

3. You find your reason for living.

Ephesians 1:11 – It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ He had His eye on us, and designed us for glorious living.

Proverbs 16:4a – The Lord has made everything for His own purposes.

Colossians 3:11 – In this new life one’s nationality or race or education or social position is unimportant; such things mean nothing. Whether a person has Christ is what matters, and He is equally available to all.

I Peter 1:3-4 – Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven and the future starts now!

Romans 6:13 – Give yourselves completely to God, every part of you to be used for His good purposes.

4. You get His power to go on.

II Timothy 2:1 – Find your source of strength in the Grace of Christ Jesus. 

Isaiah 43:2 – When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up.

November 13 2016 Give Thanks

Give Thanks

Memory Verse: 1 Chronicles 29:16 (NCV) "Everything has come from You and everything belongs to you."

I'M GRATEFUL TO GOD ...

1. FOR THE GRACE HE'S SHOWN TO ME.

Ephesians 2:8 (NCV) "You have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God."

Psalm 103:2-11 (LB) "I will... not forget the glorious things God does for me. He forgives all my sins. He heals me. He ransoms me from hell. He surrounds me with love ... He fills my life with good things ... He is merciful and tender toward those who don't deserve it; He is slow to get angry ... He never bears a grudge ... He has not punished us as we deserve for our sins."

2. FOR THE PLAN  HE HAS FOR ME.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ICB) "`I have good plans for you,' says the Lord, `I don't plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future.'"

3. FOR THE HOME HE'S PREPARED FOR ME.

2 Corinthians 5:1 (NCV) "We know that our body...will be destroyed. But when that happens, God will have a house for us. It will not be a house made by human hands; instead, it will be a home in heaven that will last forever."

1 Peter 1:4-6 (NLT)...and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power Circle that phrase God is protecting you by his power....until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad.There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while."

4. FOR CHANGES HE'S MAKING IN ME.

Philippians. 2:13 (NLT) "For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases him."

2 Corinthians 3:18 (LB) "And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him."

HOW TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD

1. BY SINGING

Psalm 147:7 (LB) "Sing out your thanks to Him; sing praises to our God ..."

2. BY SERVING

Hebrews 12:28 (LB) "Since we have a Kingdom that nothing can destroy, let us please God by serving Him with thankful hearts."

3. BY GIVING 

Psalm 50:14 (NCV)"Give an offering to show thanks to God. Give him what you promised."

Deuteronomy 16:10 (GN)"Celebrate the Harvest Festival, to honor the Lord your God by bringing Him a freewill offering in proportion to the blessing He has given you."

4. BY TELLING
Isaiah 12:4 (LB) "Thank the Lord! Praise His name! Tell the world about His wondrous love and how mighty He is!"

October 9 2016 Getting Where We Want To Be - Focused On God's People

GETTING WHERE WE WANT TO BE, FOCUSED ON GOD’S PURPOSE

Romans 12:1 - Because of God’s great mercy to us, offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His Service and pleasing to Him.  This is your true Worship that you should offer.

1 Peter 4:2 - From now on, live the rest of your lives controlled by God’s Will, not by human desires.

Romans 6:13 - Give yourselves completely to God, every part of you, you want to be tools in the hands of God to be used for His good purposes.

1.  Why Get Focused?

He shaped us for a specific reason.

Galatians 1:15 - For even before I was born, God had chosen me to be His and He called me, what kindness and grace.

God Knows what’s best for me.

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord.  They are plans for good and not for evil to give you a future and a hope.

I Am grateful for my salvation.

2 Timothy 1:9 - Christ saved us and called us with a Holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace.

God Promises to reward our focus.

Proverbs 7:6 - In everything you do put God first and He will direct you and brown your efforts with success.

WHAT KEEPS US FROM GETTING FOCUSED

1.  Short term values.

Mark 4:19 - The attractions of this world and the delights of wealth, and the search for success and love of nice things came in and crowded out God.

1 John 2:17 - The world and all its passionate desires will one day disappear, but anyone who does the Will of God will live forever.

2.  Past failure.

Philippians 3:13-14 - Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me.

3. To self-motivate.

Proverbs 14:14 - The back slider is bored with himself, but the Godly man’s life is exciting.

Mark 8:35 - If you insist on saving your life you will lose it.  Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the Good News will ever know what it means to really live.

4.  Fear keeps us from focus.

Psalm 37:5 - Commit everything you do to the Lord, trust Him to help you do it and He will.

HOW DO WE GET FOCUSED

1.  Consider the cost.

Luke 14:27-28 - No one can be My disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow Me, but don’t begin until you count the cost.

2. Come just as you are.

3. He wants you to do it now.

Hosea 10:12 - Sow for yourselves righteousness, break up the follow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord.

4.  God wants 100%.

Romans 12:1-2 - Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His Service and pleasing to Him.  This is true Worship, then you will be able to know the Will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

C.S. LEWIS “THE ONLY THING CHRISTIANITY CANNOT BE IS MODERATELY IMPORTANT.”

July 10 2016 Living With Eternity In Mind

Living with Eternity In Mind

The Apostle’s Creed: "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, He descended into hell; On the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; "And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; from where He shall come to judge the living and the dead. "I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”"

1 John 5:11. (NLT) And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

Psalm 136 (NIV) “His love endures forever.”

Jude 1:21, (NLT) “Live in such a way that God’s love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ and His mercy is going to give you.”

THREE WAYS TO LIVE WITH AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE.

1. Recognize that everyone is created for eternity.

Genesis 1:26 (NIV) Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness

Ecclesiastes 3:11. (NLT) “God has made everything beautiful for its own time.” He planted eternity into human hearts. But even so, people cannot see the scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

2. Participate in the Sacraments.

Sacrament = an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual divine grace.

Memory Verse: John 3:16. (NLT) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

John 10:28 (NLT) “I give them eternal life and they will never perish.” No one can snatch them away from me.

3. Invest my life in eternal pursuits.

• Invest my time in something that is going to last forever.
• Invest your treasure in a way that will last forever.
• Invest your testimony in a way that is going to last forever.

1 John 1:2 (NLT) This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.

1 Corinthians 9:25 (NLT) All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.