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.

November 6 2016 God's Prescription For Health

GOD’S PRESCRIPTION FOR HEALTH

WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT MY BODY

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

1. God expects me to manage my body.

1 Corinthians 6:12-13a – Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial.  Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.  Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, but God will destroy both.

2. My body is God’s property.

I Corinthians 6:13b – The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

3. My body will be resurrected when I die.

1 Corinthians 6:14 – By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and He will raise us also.

MISTAKES WE MAKE
Ѳ We rely on will power alone.
Ѳ We have a wrong motivation.
Ѳ We try to do it all on our own.

4. Our body is connected to Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:15a & 18 – Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ Himself?  Flee from sexual immorality.  All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

5. The Holy Spirit lives in our body.

1 Corinthians 6:19 – Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?

6. Jesus bought my body on the cross.

1 Corinthians 6:20 – You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore, honor God with your body.

Romans 12:1 – I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to god, this is your spiritual act of worship.

GOD’S PRESCRIPTION FOR HEALTH

Psalm 119:73 – You made my body, Lord; now give me sense to heed your laws.

Deuteronomy 32:47 – These instructions are not mere words; they are your life!  By obeying them you will enjoy a long life in the land.

Proverbs 3:1-10 – Keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the Lord with the first part of your wealth, the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing.

1. Trusting God is good for my health.

Psalm 116:7 – I said to myself, ‘Relax, because the Lord takes care of you.’

Proverbs 14:30 – A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

2. Confessing my sin is good for my health.

Psalm 32:3-5 – When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long.  My strength evaporated. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them and you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

3. Giving generously is good for my health. 

Proverbs 11:25 – A generous man will prosper; he who refreshed others will himself be refreshed.

4. Having fun is good for my health.

Proverbs 17:22 – A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

February 14 2016 The Word Of Assurance

THE WORD OF ASSURANCE

“One of the criminals hanging beside Jesus hurled insults at Him, ‘So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself, and us, too while you’re at it!’ But the other criminal rebuked him, ‘Don’t you fear God even when you are dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this Man has not done anything wrong!’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.’ And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, today you will be with Me in paradise.’” Luke 23:39-43

Five Facts The Dying Man Knew

1. He knew he would face God after death.

Luke 23:40 – Don’t you fear God even when you are dying?

Hebrews 9:27 – Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God.

2. He knew Jesus was more than a man.

Verse 41 – This Man has done nothing wrong.

Verse 42 – Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.

John 1:29 – Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

Paul – He became sin for us on the cross.

3. He knew Jesus would forgive him.

Verse 43 – Today you will be with Me in Paradise.

Isaiah 53:12 – He bore the sin of many.

4. He knew Jesus could change his life.

Verse 42 – Remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.

Acts 26:17 & 18 – I am sending you to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of satan to God.

5. He knew Jesus could give him a home in heaven.

Verse 43 – You will be with Me in Paradise.

John 14:1-3 – Let not your heart be troubled, if you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions, and I go to prepare a place for you , and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself that where I am there you may be also.

Four Important Truths

1. It is immediate.

2. It is certain.

3. It is a relationship.

4. It is a place.

Romans 10:13 – Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

February 7 2016 The Word Of Forgiveness

THE WORD OF FORGIVENESS

Luke 23:33-43

Verse 34 – Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

THE PROBLEM WITH SOCIETY

-We try to bury the past.

Psalm 32 – When I refused to confess my sins, I was weak and miserable.

-We beat ourselves up.

Psalm 30 – Because I was foolish, I’m bent over and bowed down, I’m sad all day long.

-We try to blame others.

Proverbs19:3 – Some people ruin themselves by their own stupid actions and then blame the Lord.

TRUTHS TO HELP US

1. Forgiveness begins with God.

Verse 34 – “Father.”

Romans 3:23 – All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His own love for us in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

2. Forgiveness is possible because of Christ.

Verse 34 – “Forgive them.”

Hebrews 4:14 – Therefore since we have a great High Priest who has gone into heaven, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.

Isaiah 53:12 – He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

3. Forgiveness is needed by all.

Verse 34 – “They do not know what they are doing.”

2 Corinthians 5:19 – That God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.

4. This prayer sets an example for us.

Matthew 5:44 – But I tell you love your enemies.

WHAT JESUS WANTS US TO DO

-Admit our guilt.

Proverbs 20:27 – The Lord gave us a mind and a conscience, we cannot hide from ourselves

1 John 1:8 – If we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

-Accept responsibility.

Psalm 51:3 – I recognize my faults. I am conscious of my sin.

James 5:16 – Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

1 John 1:9 – If we freely admit that we have sinned, we find God utterly reliable.  He forgives your sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

-God forgives instantly.

Isaiah 55:7 – God is merciful and quick to forgive.

-God forgives completely.

Colossians 2:13 – He forgave us all our sins.

-God forgives freely.

Ephesians 1:7 – For by the death of Christ, we are set free.

October 25 2015 The Prayer Of Release

THE PRAYER OF RELEASE

Matthew 6:12 – Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtor.

How Do We Pray The Prayer Of Release?

1. I must reveal my hurt.

Psalm 39:2-3 – I kept very quiet, but I became even more upset.  I became very angry inside and as I thought about it my anger burned.

Job 18:4 – You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger.

2. I must release those who hurt me.

Romans 12:17-19 – Never pay back evil for evil.  Never avenge yourself, leave that to God.  For He has said that He will repay those that deserve it.

Psalm 56:8 – You God have kept a record of all my tears.

Hebrews 12:15 – A bitter spirit is not only bad in itself, but can also poison the life of many others.

3. I must replace old memories with God’s truth.

Romans 12:2 – Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Ephesians 1:4 – Through what Christ would do for us, God decided to make us holy in His eyes without a single fault we stand before Him covered with His love.

4. We must respond to God’s Grace.

Hebrews 12:15 – Be careful that none of you fails to respond to the grace of God which God gives and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

5. I must remember the cross.

Romans 6:6 – For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with