July 10 2016 Discovering Inner Adequacy

DISCOVERING INNER ADEQUACY

John 14:16 – (Jesus) and I will pray the Father, and He will give you another helper, that He may abide forever.

1. Inner adequacy completes inner transformation.

Ephesians 3:17 – I pray the Holy Spirit in fullness will strengthen your inner man.

2. Inner adequacy is given for effective living.

1 Thessalonians 1:5 – (Paul said) our Gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power.

3. Inner adequacy is still available.

John 17: - (Jesus) But all who would come to believe on Him.

Acts 1:14 – They all joined together constantly in prayer.

Matthew 17:20 – (Jesus said) If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain move from here to there and it will move.

4. Inner adequacy enables us to always trust God.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 – Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and has made the Lord his hope and confidence.  He’s like a tree planted along a river bank, with roots reaching deep into the water, not bothered by heat, nor worried by long months of drought.  It stays green and goes on producing fruit.

December 13 2015 Christmas Is Time To Seize The Moment

Christmas Is...Time to Seize the Moment!

Luke 10:38-42 “As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him.  She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said.  But Martha was distracted by all her preparations that had to be made.  She came to Him And asked, ‘Don’t You care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!’   ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.’”

THE BATTLE FOR THIS MOMENT: A FILTER

1. REPLACE THE URGENT WITH THE SIGNIFICANT

verse 39 “She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said.”  

Matthew 6:34 (Msg) “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up 

2. REPLACE PHYSICAL PREPARATION WITH SPIRITUAL PREPARATION

Verse 40 “But Martha was distracted by all her preparations that had to be made.” 

Colossians 3:2 (Msg) “Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you.  Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is.  See things from 

3. REPLACE SELF-ABSORPTION WITH PERSONAL REFLECTION

verse 40 “Don’t You care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?  Tell her to help me!”  

verses 41-42 “‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘You are worried and upset by so many things but only 

4. REPLACE THE SUPERFICIAL WITH THE SUPERNATURAL

verse 42 “Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.” 

Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.”  

HOW NOT TO MISS GOD’S PRESENCE AND PURPOSE THIS CHRISTMAS

1. “SIT” = slow down

Pray
Connect
Serve

2. “LISTEN” = open up.  

Inspect
Correct
Direct

3. “CHOOSE WHAT IS BETTER” = Don’t miss the moment

Relationships
Spiritual Renewal
Transformation

February 8, 2015 - How God Turns Nobodies Into Somebodies (Goehner)

How God Turns Nobodies Into Somebodies

Hebrews 11:32 and Judges 6 & 7

Judges 6:11 – The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a wine press to keep it from the Midianites.

Verse 12 – The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.

Four Steps To Becoming Somebody Usable:

Step One: Affirmation.

Verse 12 – You are a mighty warrior.

Verse 13 – But sir, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all His wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt? But now the Lord has abandoned us and put His hand into the hand of Midian.

Verse 15 – But Lord, Gideon asked, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Mannasseh, and I am the least in my family.

-The wrong village.
-The wrong family.
-The wrong guy.

Verse 14 – Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?

Verse 16 – I will be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as if they were but one man.

-I am sending you.
-I’m going to be with you.
-You can’t fail.

Step Two: Revelation.

Verse 22-24 – When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face. But the Lord said to him, peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die. So Gideon built an altar there, and he called the altar, the Lord is Peace.

Altar: A personal commitment to God.

Lesson: Before you are ready to fight external battles, you must have internal peace.

Step Three: Confrontation.

Three Tests:

-God may test you spiritually.

Verse 25-27 – Tear down your fathers’ altar to Baal, so Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him.

Exodus 20:3 – Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

-God may test you emotionally.

Lesson: Service for the Lord always begins at home.

-God may test you physically.

Judges 6:30 – The men of the town demanded of Joash, bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar.

Verse 31 – But Joash replied to the hostile crowd, are you going to plead Baal’s cause? If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself.

Step Four: Transformation

Verse 34 – Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon.

Lesson: Power always comes after testing.

Luke 4:1 – Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the Spirit into the desert.

Verse 14 – Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.

July 6 2014 How God Transforms My Life

God On Film: How God Transforms My Life

Memory Verse: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.” - Romans 12:2

Transformation Myths: I am transformed by instantly

I am transformed by my will

Transformation Truth: I am transformed by cooperating with God’s work in me

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.” - Philippians 2:13

GOD TRANSFORMS MY LIFE WHEN I...

• Admit I need to change

“For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” - Romans 3:23

• Build up a positive attitude for change.

“...let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” - Romans 12:2

“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” - Philippians 4:8

• Create a Growth Plan

“You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am.” - Psalm 139:3

• Determine my influences.

Two Questions To Ask Yourself:

1. Does my current environment tempt or strengthen me?

2. Are the current people in my life accomplices or friends?

“...bad company corrupts good character.” - 1 Corinthians 15:33

Expect God’s Power to change AND don’t’ quit.

“And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.” - Philippians 1:6

“So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and giveup, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.” Gal 6:9