December 22 2013 Experiencing God's Christmas Gift

Experiencing God's Christmas Gift

I John 5:20 – “the Son of God came so we could recognize and understand the truth of God, What A Gift! Jesus is both true God and real life.

John 10:10 – Jesus said, “My purpose in coming to earth is to give you life, life in all its fullness.”

1. You lose your loneliness.

Hebrews 13:5 – Jesus said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.”

Isaiah 41:10 - Don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you.”

Psalm 4:8 – “I will lie down in peace and sleep, for though I am alone, O Lord, You will keep me safe.”

Psalm 16:11 – “Your presence fills me with joy.”

2. You get another chance.

I Corinthians 1:30 – Right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start, all come from God by way of Jesus Christ.

II Corinthians 5:17 – Anyone who belongs to Christ becomes a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything becomes new.

Colossians 2:13-14 – God makes you alive with Christ when He forgives all your failures and sins. He did this by erasing the charges that were brought against us by the laws God established. He took those charges away by nailing them to the cross.

3. You find your reason for living.

Ephesians 1:11 – It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ He had His eye on us, and designed us for glorious living.

Proverbs 16:4a – The Lord has made everything for His own purposes.

Colossians 3:11 – In this new life one’s nationality or race or education or social position is unimportant; such things mean nothing. Whether a person has Christ is what matters, and He is equally available to all.

I Peter 1:3-4 – Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven and the future starts now!

Romans 6:13 – Give yourselves completely to God, every part of you to be used for His good purposes.

4. You get His power and strength to go on.

II Timothy 2:1 – Find your source of strength in the Grace of Christ Jesus.

Isiah 43:2 – When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up.

December 8 2013 Experiencing The Christmas Moment

THE BATTLE FOR THIS MOMENT

Replace The Urgent With The significances.
Verse 39 – She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said.
Matthew 6:34 – 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 when the time comes.

Replace Physical Preparation With Spiritual preparation.
Verse 40 – But Martha was distracted by all her preparations that had to be made.
Colossians 3:2 – 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 His perspective.

Replace The External Side Of Things with the internal. 
Verse 40: - Don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!
Verse 41 & 42 – Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, You are worried and upset by so many things but only one thing is needed.
Lamentations 3:40 – Let’s take a good look at the way we are living and re-order our lives under God.

Replace The Superficial With The super natural.
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.

Sit – slow down.

Listen to Jesus.

Choose what’s better.

December 1 2013 When God Interrupts Your Life

WHEN GOD INTERRUPTS YOUR LIFE

Proverbs 19:21 – You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

He’s trying to get your attention.
Ps. 81:13 – God says, “I wish my people would listen to Me.”

Prov. 16:25 – There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

He has a different plan.
Jer. 29:11 – I know what I am planning for you, says the Lord, I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.

I Cor. 2:9 – No one has ever seen, heard, or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love Him.

He wants you to trust Him.
Rom 8:28 – We know that all that happens to us is working for our good IF we love God and are fitting into His plans.

Jer. 29:13 – God says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”

How to Establish a Spiritual Base for My Life

Believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for me and showed He was God by coming back to life. 
I Cor. 15:2-4

Accept God’s free forgiveness for my sins. Rom 3:22

Switch to God’s plan for my life. Mark 1:15; 
Rom. 12:2

Express my desire for Christ to be the director of my life. Rom. 10:9

If you are willing to take these four steps, then pray this simple prayer:

Dear God, I believe You sent Your Son, Jesus, to die for my sins so I can be forgiven. I’m sorry for my sins and I want to live the rest of my life the way You want me to. Please put Your Spirit in my life to direct me. Amen

November 24 2013 Building A Life Of Gratitude

Building A Life Of Gratitude

Verse 1 – I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

WE PRAISE GOD:

1. Because of His deliverment.

Verse 2 – I will boast of all His kindness.

Verse 6 – Saved Him out of all his troubles.

Moses said – Who is like unto Thee

Mary said – My soul praises the Lord

Zachariah said – Praise be to the Lord God of Israel

2. Because discouragement is broken.

Verse 2 – All who are discouraged.

David said – I will Praise the Lord no matter what happens.

Acts 16 – Paul said Silas had a Spirit of Praise.

3. Because of a directed life style.

Verse 3 – Let us Praise and exalt His name together.

4. Because of determined Faith for the future.

November 17 2013 God's Challenge - Our Choice

GOD’S CHALLENGE – OUR CHOICE

Nehemiah 2:17-19-4:1-9

Nehemiah 2:18 – Let us rise up and build, then they set their hands to this good work.

1. We must build the wall of solution.
II Cor. 12:15 – I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls.

Math. 28:20 – Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.

2. We must build the wall of Worship.
John 4:24 – Those who Worship Him must Worship in Spirit and truth.

3. We must build the wall of victorious Christian living.
Acts 15:8-9 – So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us and made no distinction between them and us, purifying their hearts by Faith.

4. We must build the wall of generosity.
II Cor. 8:9 – For you know the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.

II Cor. 8:8 – I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.

5. We must build the wall of determination.
Nehemiah 4:6 – For the people worked with all their heart.

Nehemiah 4:15 – Each returned to his own work on the wall.

Nehemiah 2:20 – The God of heaven Himself will prosper us. Therefore we, His servants will rise and build.

6. We must build the wall of prayer.
Nehemiah 4:9 – But we prayed to our God.

7. We must build the wall of watchfulness.
Nehemiah 4:9 – They posted a guard day and night.