March 1 2015 Spiritual Maturity Under Pressure

/ Great Plains Community Church/

SPIRITUAL MATURITY UNDER PRESSURE

1 Peter 2:1-10

Three Things That Help Us Mature

1. Seek after God’s Word.

Verse 1 – Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind.

GET RID OF:

  • Malice
  • Envy
  • Deceit
  • Slander
  • Hypocrisy

Verse 2 – Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it, you may grow up in your salvation.

Verse 3 – Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

2. Stand on the firm foundation.

Verse 4 – As you come to Him, the Living Stone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him.

Verses 5 -6 – You also, like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  For in the scripture it says, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.

Moses said Jehovah is the rock of our salvation.

David said He is my rock and fortress, my God in whom I take refuge.

Isaiah said for in the Lord we have an everlasting rock.

Verse 8 – A stone that causes men to stumble and rock that makes them fall.

3. Speaking out a message of hope.

Verse 9-10 – But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belong to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into this wonderful light, once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.

SIX LESSONS:

  1. We are a family.
  2. We have direct access to God.
  3. We are also different from the world.
  4. We are a people belonging to God.
  5. We’re not what we used to be.
  6. We’re blessed to be a blessing.

October 6 2013 How To Prepare For A Miracle

/ Great Plains Community Church/

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A MIRACLE

A Time To Build

1. Admit that I have a need.
Mark 6:34-37 - 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 disciple 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. Assess what I already have.

Mark 6:38 - How many loaves do you have? Jesus asked, ‘Go and see.’ When thy found out, they said, ‘Five small loaves of bread and two fish.’
John 6:6 - Jesus asked this only to test them, for He already had in mind what He was going to do.

3. Give God whatever I have.

Mark 6:41 - 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 and immediately.

4. Expect Him to multiply it.

Mark 6:42-43 - Everyone ate and had enough. Afterwards they collected 12 baskets full of leftovers!
Mark 10:27 - All things are possible with God.

The next miracle in Our Church’s history


A TIME TO BUILD - 4 PURPOSES

1. To help us grow to spiritual maturity.

II Cor. 8:7 - You are growing in faith, in speaking, in knowledge, in truly wanting to help, and in the love you learned from us. In the same way, be strong also in the grace of giving.

2. To deepen our fellowship as a Church family.

I Peter 4:9 - Open your homes to each other.

I Peter 3:8 - You should be like one big happy family.

3. To Worship God by celebrating Thanksgiving.

Psalm 95:2 - Let us come before Him with thanksgiving.

4. To challenge us to complete our family/Worship center.

By having a Commitment Day on Nov. 17th when each of us can make a gift and a three year giving commitment.

II Cor. 8:5 - They first gave themselves unreservedly to God. Then the other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT DURING THIS TIME?

1. To see some miracles.

2. To grow spiritually.

3. To be hassled by Satan.

4. To experience joy.