July 29 2012 How To Be Blessed By The Bible

How To Be Blessed By The Bible

James 1:19-27
The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does.

1. I must receive God's Word.

Verse 21 - Accept the word planted in you.

Attitudes for Good Reception

• Careful attitude.

Verse 19 - Be quick to listen, slow to speak.

• We need to be calm.

Verse 19b - and slow to become angry.

• We need to be clean.

Verse 21 - Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent.

• We need to be teachable.

Verse 21b -humbly accept the word planted in you.

2. I must reflect on God’s Word.

Illustration: God’s Word is like a mirror.

How?

• We must read.

Verse 25 - The man who looks intently into the perfect law.

Questions:

• Is there a sin to confess

• A prayer to pray

• A promise to claim

• An error to avoid

• An attitude to change

• A truth to believe

• A command to obey

• Something to thank God for

• An example to follow

• Review God’s Word.

Verse 25 - and continues to do so.

• Remember.

Verse 25 - not forgetting what he has heard.

3. I must respond to God’s Word.

Verse 22 - Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Verse 25 - The man who puts the law into practice wins true happiness.

April 3 2011 The Word Of Healing

THE WORD OF HEALING

(John 19:28-30)
(Verse 28 – I thirst.)

1. Truth it was the cry of a human being.

(John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.)

(John 1:14 – The Word became flesh and lived for awhile among us.)

(Hebrews 2:18 – Because He Himself suffered when)

(He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.)

2. Truth it was a cry for the human race.

(II Cor. 5:14 – Because we are convinced that One (Christ) died for all.)

(Heb. 4:15 – For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin.)

(I Peter 5:7 – Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.)

3. Truth every person needs to respond.

(Matthew 25:37 – Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give You something to drink? And He will tell them, I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you were doing it to Me.)

(Prov. 25:21 – If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty give them water to drink.)

4. Truth we can drink freely from Christ.

(John 7:38 – He who believes on Me out of him shall flow rivers of living water.)

(Psalm 63:1 – O God, you are my God and I long for You. My whole being desires You. Like a dry, worn out, and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for You.)

(Isaiah 53:4-5- He took our suffering on Himself and felt our pain for us. He was wounded for the wrong we did and crushed for the evil we did. The punishment which made us well was given to Him and we are healed because of His wounds.)

(John 7:37-38 – On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds. “If you are thirsty, come to Me!” “If you believe in Me, come and drink, for the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within.”)

March 27 2011 The Word Of Love

THE WORD OF LOVE

Matthew 27: 39-49

Verse 46 – My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?

1. The setting is one of loneliness.

(Hebrews 2:18 - Because He Himself suffered being made like His brothers in every way, He is able to help those who are being tempted.)

(Proverbs 18:24 – But there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.)

2. The cross speaks about lostness.

(Verse 46 – Why has Thou forsaken Me?)

(II Cor. 5:21 – He made Him, to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.)

3. The cross speaks about lessons for living.

(Verse 46 – My God, My God.)

(Job 13:15 – Though He slay Me, yet I will trust in God.)

(Mark 16:7 – Go tell His disciples and Peter.)

How Should We Respond

1. Turn from sin and trust Christ.

(Romans 3:22 – We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done.)

2. Live in a state of gratitude.

(Romans 5:11 – Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God, all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us, making us friends with God.)

3. When tempted, remember what Christ has done.

(I Peter 1:18-19 – God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors, He paid for you the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.)

4. Tell others the good news.

October 24 2010 Applying God's Power To Our Life

Applying God's Power To Our Life

1. Ask for the kingdom's entrance into your life

(Revelation 3:20 - "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.")

2. Respond to the rule of God within you

(Colossians 3:3 - For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.)

3. Your willingness to influence other people

4. View the kingdom possibilities

(Matthew 24:30 - "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.")

(Romans 8:19 - The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.)

(Hebrews 10:12 - But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool,)