January 18, 2015 Becoming an Authentic Christian

Becoming an authentic Christian

James 2:19 – You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder.

James 2:26 – Faith without works is dead.

FOUR TESTS OF AN AUTHENTIC CHRISTIAN

1. The test of a major change.

Verse 8 – By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went even though he did not know where he was going.

Lesson Number One – An authentic Christian will follow God's leading without knowing where.

2. The test of a delayed promise.

Verse 9 – By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country, he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

Lesson Number Two – An authentic Christian will wait for God's timing.

3. The test of an impossible problem.

Verses 11 & 12 – By faith, Abraham, even though he was past age, and Sarah herself was barren, was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise and so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

Genesis 18:10, 12, 14 – The  Lord said, I will     surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son, so Sarah laughed to herself, then the Lord said, is anything too hard for the Lord?

Lesson Number Three – An authentic Christian will expect a miracle without knowing how.

4. The test of why.

Verses 17-19 – By faith, Abraham, when God tested him offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

Lesson Number Four – An authentic Christian will trust God's purpose without knowing why.

Mark 9:24 – I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.

June 9 2013 How To Have Your Prayers Answered

How to Have Your Prayers Answered

FOUR ATTITUDES WE NEED IN ORDER TO RECEIVE AN ANSWER FROM GOD.
Luke 1:5-23

1.  You must be willing to let God answer in His own TIME

v. 18 "How can I be sure of this?"  

v. 13 "The angel said to him, `Don't be afraid Zacharias, your prayer had been heard'"

You spell faith -- P A T I E N C E
 
You Keep On Praying Until One Of Three Things Happens:

   1.  You get the ANSWER

   2.  You get the ASSURANCE that you're going to get it.          

    Mark 11:24  "When you pray believe that you've receive it, and you'll get it."

   3.  You keep praying until God reveals to you that It Is Not His Will

2.  We must be willing to let God answer IN HIS OWN WAY. 

Memory Verse: "But God is able to do even exceedingly above what you are able to think or imagine." Ephesians 3:20

3.  You must be willing to let God answer in His own  ________________________________________
 
Zacharias and Elizabeth

Sarah and Abraham 

Mary,  Martha & Lazarus 

4.  Be willing to let God answer for His own   _______________________________________

Romans 1:7 "To all who are in Rome who are called by God called to be saints."  

Romans 1:10 "In my prayers at all times and I pray now that at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you."  

Romans 1:15 "That is why I'm so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome."  

Romans 15:20 "It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation."  

Romans 15:24 "I plan to do so when I go to Spain.  I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there and I have enjoyed your company for a while.""Pray that I'm going to have a prosperous journey."

Acts 28:16 "When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with a soldier to guard him."