February 14 2016 Daring To Commit

DARING TO COMMIT

Romans 6:13 (LB) "Give yourselves completely to God—every part of you—for you have been brought back to life, and you want to be tools in the hands of God, used for his good purposes."

FIVE COMMITMENTS

1. TO STRENGTHEN MY FAITH . . .

I MUST unite with others in worship

Isaiah 40:31 "Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."

Psalm 100:2 (NLT) "Worship the Lord with gladness! Come before him, singing with joy!"

2. TO DISCOVER MY IDENTITY & PURPOSE . . .

I MUST connect with others in fellowship

Romans 12:4­5 (Mes)"We are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from Christ’s Body as a whole, not the other way around. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped­off finger or cut­off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we?"

Ephesians 2:16 (Mes) "Christ brought us together through his death on the Cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility."

2 Corinthians 5:18­-19 (NIV) "Now God had reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation...and the message of reconciliation."

3. TO DEVELOP MY POTENTIAL . . .

I MUST learn from others to grow

Ephesians 4:16 (NLT)"Christ’s Body is fitted TOGETHER perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow . . ."

4. TO EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANCE . . .

I MUST serve with others in ministry

1 Peter 4:10 (NCV) "Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others. Be good Servants of God’s various gifts of grace."

Mark 8:35 (NLT) "If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life."

Ecclesiastes 4:9­-12 (NCV & LB) "Two people are always better than one, because they get more done by working TOGETHER. If one falls down, the other can help him up. But it is bad for the person who is alone and falls, because no one is there to help. If two lie down TOGETHER, they can share the same blanket and stay warm, but a person alone will not be warm. An enemy might defeat one person, but two people TOGETHER can defend themselves. And a rope that is woven of three braids is hard to break."

WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER . . .

• WE maximize our impact (vs 9)
• WE minimize our failure (vs 10)
• WE mobilize our resources (vs 11)

Memory Verse: Matthew 25:40 (NIV) "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me."

5. TO MAKE AN ETERNAL DIFFERENCE . . .

I MUST join with others on mission

Matthew 28:19­-20 (NIV)"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to do everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you . . ."

January 31 2016 Let's Get Going

LET’S GET GOING

Matthew 28:16-20

Five observations about ministry:

1. They needed to let God in before going.

Acts 1:4-14 – Ver. 5 – In a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

2. Their ministry was beyond their abilities.

Zechariah 4:6-9

How we live beyond our means:
(a) Great works are always done by God’s Spirit.
(b) Through us.
(c) To glorify God.

3.  Ministry strengthened by unity and commitment.

Acts 2:42-47

Coming together is the beginning of Ministry.

Learning together is the progress of Ministry.

Ministering together is true success.

4. Their Ministry was not problem free.

Problems:

• They had chosen the wrong leader. Acts 1:23-26
• Accused of drunkenness. Acts 2:13-15
• Some credited the miracles to leaders. Acts 3:11-12
• Some hated the Gospel. Acts 4:1-4
• Some in the Church were deceitful. Acts 5:1-5
• Some were jealous of the Church’s success. Acts 5:17
• Some people felt neglected. Acts 6:1

5.Their Ministries expanded until others were needed.

LAY MINISTRY COMMISSION

Congregation unison:
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4)

Pastor Galen:

Realizing our responsibility to equip you for the ministry, I, as pastor of Great Plains Community Church commit myself to this task by standing:
    Before you as a Model of Ministry;
    Among you as a Teacher of Ministry;
    Behind you on Encouragement in Ministry.

Congregation unison:
Understanding our responsibility to use our gifts for the glory of God, we commit ourselves to this task by standing:
    Before God in consecration of these gifts;
    Among each other in the using of these gifts;
    Behind our Pastor in his oversight of these gifts.

Congregation unison:
Together Pastor and People, we commit ourselves to Great Plains Community Church proclaiming the Word of God and we purpose to make Disciples of Christ by:
    Exalting God
    Encouraging Christians
    Equipping Christians for Ministry
    Evangelizing the World for Christ

I Thessalonians 5:24 - “Faithful is He who calls you, He also will bring it to pass.”

August 30 2015 Keeping The Spirit Of Renewal

KEEPING THE SPIRIT OF RENEWAL

Nehemiah 8:1 -10:39

Verse 1 – all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate.

Six principles that keep the renewal.

1. Keep spiritually sensitive.

Nehemiah 8:1 - When the seventh month came.

2. Maintained by unity.

Nehemiah 8:1 – All the people assembled as one man.

3. Came as a family to hear the Word.

Nehemiah 8:2 – Ezra the scribe brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men, women and all who were able to understand.

Verse 10 – For the joy of the Lord is your strength.

4. There was a spirit of broken heartedness.

Nehemiah 9:1-2 – The Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sack cloth and having dust on their heads.  They stood in their places and confessed their sins.

If you avoid in your present Christian walk a daily humiliation before God, you will soon become hard hearted, cold and indifferent to the things of God.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

5. Reflection upon God’s goodness.

Nehemiah 9:6-15

1) He preserved them all.

2) He chose Abraham.

3) Heard their cry by the Red Sea.

4) Divided the Red Sea – signs & wonders._

5) Defeated the enemy in the Sea.

6) Cloudy pillar and pillar of fire.

7) Produced water from the rock.

6. A life of obedience gives way to a Spirit of renewal.

Nehemiah 10:29 – All these now join their brothers and nobles to obey carefully all the commands of the Lord our God.

First they restored the family altar.

Ver. 29-30

Second it affected their social life.

Ver. 30

Third obedience affects the Church.

Ver. 39 – We will not neglect the House of our God.

1. Faithful giving of their money.

2. Faithfulness in Worship.

April 26 2015 Dealing With Difficult People

Dealing With Difficult People

“Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible.” – Romans 12:18  

*The Story of Zacchaeus the Tax Collector (Luke 19:1-10)*

When faced with a difficult person I should...

• Consider God’s Purpose.

“So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely.  For when your  endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”  – James 1:4

• God want to expose me
• God want to grow me
• God wants to deploy me

“And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own?”  – Matthew 7:3

• Communicate Kindness.

A gentle answer turns away rage, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  “– Proverbs 15:1

“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Here there is no conflict with the law.”  – Galatians 5:22-23

• Confront Conflict.

“For the spirit that God has given us does not make us timid; instead, his Spirit fills us with power, love, and self-control.””   – 2 Timothy 1:7

“Come to terms quickly with your enemy before it is too late and you are dragged into court, handed over to an officer, and thrown in jail. I assure you that you won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.”  – Matthew 5:25-26

• Cultivate Jesus’s Heart.

“I'm challenging you.  I'm telling you to love your enemies.  Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with prayer….If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that.”   – Matthew 5:44,46

Memory Verse: “Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.”   – 1 John 4:11

April 13 2014 The Prayer Jesus Prayed

The Prayer Jesus Prayed 

John 17:1 (NCV)“He looked toward heaven and prayed…”

Jesus’ prayer shows HIS HEART

Jesus’ prayer shows OUR HOPE

John 17:20 (NLT)“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me because of their testimony.”

Romans 8:34 (CEV)“Christ died and was raised to life, and now He is at God's right side, speaking to Him for us.”

FOUR WAYS JESUS PRAYED (AND IS STILL PRAYING) FOR YOU:

I. GIVE THEM PROTECTION.

John 17:15 (NLT) “I'm not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.”

Matthew 6:13 (NIV) “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

II. GIVE THEM UNITY.

John 17:21 (TLB) “My prayer for all of them is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as you and I are, Father.”

John 13:35 (Msg) “This is how everyone will recognize that you are My disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

Romans 15:5 (NIV)“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among ourselves as you follow Christ Jesus.”

III. GIVE THEM PURITY.

John 17:17 (NLT)“Make them pure and holy by teaching them Your words of truth.”

John 17:19 (TEV) “And for their sake I dedicate Myself to You, in order that they, too, may be truly dedicated to You.”

Titus 1:15 (TLB) “A person who is pure of heart sees goodness and purity in everything; but a person whose own heart is evil and untrusting finds evil in everything, for his dirty mind and rebellious heart color all he sees and hears.”

IV. GIVE THEM A MISSION.

John 17:18 (Msg) “In the same way that You gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world.”

John 17:23 (NCV) “Then the world will know that You sent Me and that You loved them just as much as You loved me.”

John 17:24 (NCV) “Father, I want these people that You gave Me to be with Me where I am.”

John 17:3 (NLT) “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one You sent to earth.”