If I gave you a page from a book and asked you to tear it into little pieces, could you do it?
Would it be easy?
Now what if I asked you to put the pieces back together?
Can you do it?
Not quite so easy, right?
Would you have torn it up if you knew I was gonna ask you to put it back together again?
Does this scenario sound familiar?
How can it be compared to our lives and the people in them...our relationships and repairing the brokenness we have sometimes caused in them?
What do you think causes this kind of brokenness in our relationships? SIN.
Just like in putting that picture back together, fixing a relationship is difficult and requires commitment.
Can you damage your relationship with God?
Absolutely. In sin, we can lose our closeness with him. You know that warm fuzzy feeling you have when you are on track and going to church, praying, doing the right thing, just on fire for Jesus but then you may slip a little and just a little more and miss a Sunday or two, decide not to help that friend that really needs you, you eventually stop talking to God and that fuzzy feeling fades....
Guess what...You just tore up your page.
But with our relationship with God it can always be repaired...though it may be damaged, we can not lose our salvation. In this world of passing the blame, we are taught that nothing is our fault and to get out of our mistakes all we have to do is just blame someone else. In reality, we all sin and it causes problems in our relationships and it takes more than "I'm Sorry" to fix it. As kids when we do something wrong we are fussed at and told "GO SAY I'M SORRY!" and we do. But do we ever fully grasp it or is it just a knee jerk reaction to make it all better and move on?
When we sin we have to own up to it...we have to acknowledge our guilt. Do you take sin seriously?
Do you acknowledge it so you can repent or do you deny it?
If you deny it does it make you any less guilty?
There are two kinds of sin.
Sin of commission - Choosing to do something you know God has said not to do
Sin of omission - not doing something you know God said you should do.
When you sin you feel guilt. Acknowledging this guilt is not just admitting it but also accepting the wrongness of the sin and consequences of that sin.
How do you feel when you sin?
Emotionally, physically? Spiritually?
So what makes you feel this way? The Holy Spirit...for our won good to realize our sin and seek forgiveness.
Romans 3:23 - Everyone sins for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
So we must "get right with God"
Ho do we do this today?
In the days of Jesus it is written in Leviticus 5:5, 14-16 that an animal sacrifice was made. This is not needed today since Jesus going to the cross for us was the ultimate sacrifices and all our sins were payed.
So confess your sins. Agree with God that you messed up and you know what you did was wrong.
Repent - turn away from sin and avoid the sin again.
Now just getting right with God isn't enough. We have to make amends with others. When we sin against someone God expects us to make it right with the person we have wronged.
Read Leviticus 6:1-7 Notice how God is offended in this passage.
Returning to holiness involves dealing with sin. You must recognize you have sinned and seek restoration with God and people you have sinned against.
is there anything you need to do this week to make amends with someone?
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Sunday, April 7, 2013
WWJD?
Why is it significant that Jesus rose from the dead?
Jesus' victory over death enables us to experience redemption and transformation.
Read John 20:1-10
Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead?
Do you think it is important to have evidence to support your beliefs? The bible provides evidence of Jesus' resurrection.
What happened Friday?
Jesus died on the cross at mid afternoon. The Jewish Sabbath began at sundown and his body was wrapped in linen and placed in the tomb.
What about Saturday?
Jewish Sabbath was observed and ended at sundown.
On Sunday the women returned to the tomb at sunrise. Do you know whey they returned Sunday?
*Background on Jewish burial in First-Century Israel: warm temp and belief that a dead body was ceremonially unclean resulted in the dead being buried without delay, usually same day. To leave a body unburied or unattended after death was dishonorable. After death the family would anoint the body with aromatic oils and spices and wrap the body in linens.
Once we recognize and believe that Jesus is risen, everything changes. You don't have to understand everything about Jesus before you can believe in him we can't recognize who Jesus is until we hear his voice. He is not found by human effort alone; he reveals himself to us.
Read John 20:11-18
John 20 is a key chapter in the Gospel. In the previous chapter, Jesus received scourging, was crucified, and died. Joseph of Arimathea requested that Pilate release the body to him, and he laid the body in the tomb. The approaching Sabbath did not allow time to complete the work o preparing the body for burial, since Sabbath began at sundown on Friday and lasted until sundown on Saturday, therefore, Sunday morning provided the first opportunity for anyone to finish the task. The disciples did not expect the tomb to be empty. Each disciple had to come to a realization in his own heart of what had happened on Sunday morning and why the body of Jesus was nowhere to be found.
The resurrection meant Christ was Lord of both life and death.
Do you own your faith? Some people aren't very concerned about living holy lives. God expects true holiness of his people.
What does it mean to be holy?
Holiness is being set apart for a relationship with God.
God declared that those people who faithfully kept his covenant would be his special possession, kingdom of priests, and holy nation.
Read Exodus 19:1-6.
As Christ believers, we are set apart by God to glorify him and to show others the way to him.
God instructed the people to consecrate themselves in preparation to meet God and to set boundaries so as not to approach the holy mountain casually or irreverently.
Read 19:10-14
I am going to name (4) lives, church, social, home and school life. Are they the same or separate?
As true believers they are intertwined and cannot be separated.
God in a display of his awesome power met his people on mount Sinai.
Read Exodus 19:16-19
We should approach God with the realization that he is Almighty, all-knowing, and all-powerful. When we worship him, whether by ourselves or with other believers, we need to realize that he is incredible, incomprehensible, and completely in control.
Remember that God's grace does not excuse us from holy dis-obedience; instead it sets the stage for our obedience. Determine to accept your role as part of God;s holy priesthood. Understand that we always must approach God on his terms, now our own. Understand where God puts boundaries and mark those boundaries in your own life to avoid the unholy and to embrace the holy. Before worship, practice the discipline of confession and repentance, preparing to met holy God. Come to church with the expectation that you will meet the holy God. God's character has not changed.
Jesus' victory over death enables us to experience redemption and transformation.
Read John 20:1-10
Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead?
Do you think it is important to have evidence to support your beliefs? The bible provides evidence of Jesus' resurrection.
What happened Friday?
Jesus died on the cross at mid afternoon. The Jewish Sabbath began at sundown and his body was wrapped in linen and placed in the tomb.
What about Saturday?
Jewish Sabbath was observed and ended at sundown.
On Sunday the women returned to the tomb at sunrise. Do you know whey they returned Sunday?
*Background on Jewish burial in First-Century Israel: warm temp and belief that a dead body was ceremonially unclean resulted in the dead being buried without delay, usually same day. To leave a body unburied or unattended after death was dishonorable. After death the family would anoint the body with aromatic oils and spices and wrap the body in linens.
Once we recognize and believe that Jesus is risen, everything changes. You don't have to understand everything about Jesus before you can believe in him we can't recognize who Jesus is until we hear his voice. He is not found by human effort alone; he reveals himself to us.
Read John 20:11-18
John 20 is a key chapter in the Gospel. In the previous chapter, Jesus received scourging, was crucified, and died. Joseph of Arimathea requested that Pilate release the body to him, and he laid the body in the tomb. The approaching Sabbath did not allow time to complete the work o preparing the body for burial, since Sabbath began at sundown on Friday and lasted until sundown on Saturday, therefore, Sunday morning provided the first opportunity for anyone to finish the task. The disciples did not expect the tomb to be empty. Each disciple had to come to a realization in his own heart of what had happened on Sunday morning and why the body of Jesus was nowhere to be found.
The resurrection meant Christ was Lord of both life and death.
Do you own your faith? Some people aren't very concerned about living holy lives. God expects true holiness of his people.
What does it mean to be holy?
Holiness is being set apart for a relationship with God.
God declared that those people who faithfully kept his covenant would be his special possession, kingdom of priests, and holy nation.
Read Exodus 19:1-6.
As Christ believers, we are set apart by God to glorify him and to show others the way to him.
God instructed the people to consecrate themselves in preparation to meet God and to set boundaries so as not to approach the holy mountain casually or irreverently.
Read 19:10-14
I am going to name (4) lives, church, social, home and school life. Are they the same or separate?
As true believers they are intertwined and cannot be separated.
God in a display of his awesome power met his people on mount Sinai.
Read Exodus 19:16-19
We should approach God with the realization that he is Almighty, all-knowing, and all-powerful. When we worship him, whether by ourselves or with other believers, we need to realize that he is incredible, incomprehensible, and completely in control.
Remember that God's grace does not excuse us from holy dis-obedience; instead it sets the stage for our obedience. Determine to accept your role as part of God;s holy priesthood. Understand that we always must approach God on his terms, now our own. Understand where God puts boundaries and mark those boundaries in your own life to avoid the unholy and to embrace the holy. Before worship, practice the discipline of confession and repentance, preparing to met holy God. Come to church with the expectation that you will meet the holy God. God's character has not changed.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Are you ready to serve?
Do you ever feel like you are backwards in trying to live a Christian life? Do you feel like you are right handed in a left handed world or like you are walking around with your shoes on the wrong feet, just trying to do the right thing?
Try writing a simple sentence with your opposite hand.
It's not comfortable.
It's awkward.
It doesn't even feel natural at times and you want to switch hands so badly. You know you can probably do it faster and easier with your other hand.
As Christians, we tend to be opposite from the world in many ways and being different can be uncomfortable and can make life difficult.
So what does it mean to achieve greatness? Does being served by others mean you have achieved greatness?
According to Luke 22:27 God's perspective of greatness is the opposite of the world's perspective. It is the one who serves that is the one who has achieved greatness.
"For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves."
Jesus showed humility and served others while on earth even through his final moments with the disciples. He prepared them for his death and shared the passover meal with them.
Luke 22:19-23
"And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing."
What did the bread represent? His body
What did Jesus say the cup represented? His blood
Why do you think Jesus did what he did for us?
Do you remember what our lesson was about last week? Love.
John 15:12-13
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
We should be lead to serve one another by love and have sacrificing attitudes. Jesus' death was more than just an example of love, it was the ultimate example of selflessness.
Think about these things the next time you go out to eat and wanna catch an attitude with a waitress that is doing her job by serving you or when you are at the check out line at Wal Mart. Would you be able to get your meal or your grocery without that person who is helping you? A follower of Christ must reject the world's perspective of greatness and live by God's values.
We can adopt these "kingdom perspectives" into our lives too. Have you ever stood by a friend during a difficult time, like a tough break up or a rough transition at school, a divorce or a personal struggle? Where you rewarded for being a faithful friend?
The disciples stood by Jesus through many trials.
Luke 22:28-30
"Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
What was his promise to the disciples for their faithfulness? (a role of authority with Him in heaven)
What are some ways you can anonymously serve others this week?
Your challenge this week is to record one thing you have done each day to serve someone.
"The cost of true greatness is humble, selfless, sacrificial service. The Christian who desires to be great and first in the kingdom is the one who is willing to serve in the hard place, the uncomfortable place, the lonely place, the demanding place, the place where he is not appreciated and may even be persecuted. Knowing that time is short and eternity is long, he is willing to spend and be spent." - John MacArthur.
Try writing a simple sentence with your opposite hand.
It's not comfortable.
It's awkward.
It doesn't even feel natural at times and you want to switch hands so badly. You know you can probably do it faster and easier with your other hand.
As Christians, we tend to be opposite from the world in many ways and being different can be uncomfortable and can make life difficult.
So what does it mean to achieve greatness? Does being served by others mean you have achieved greatness?
According to Luke 22:27 God's perspective of greatness is the opposite of the world's perspective. It is the one who serves that is the one who has achieved greatness.
"For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves."
Jesus showed humility and served others while on earth even through his final moments with the disciples. He prepared them for his death and shared the passover meal with them.
Luke 22:19-23
"And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing."
What did the bread represent? His body
What did Jesus say the cup represented? His blood
Why do you think Jesus did what he did for us?
Do you remember what our lesson was about last week? Love.
John 15:12-13
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
We should be lead to serve one another by love and have sacrificing attitudes. Jesus' death was more than just an example of love, it was the ultimate example of selflessness.
Think about these things the next time you go out to eat and wanna catch an attitude with a waitress that is doing her job by serving you or when you are at the check out line at Wal Mart. Would you be able to get your meal or your grocery without that person who is helping you? A follower of Christ must reject the world's perspective of greatness and live by God's values.
We can adopt these "kingdom perspectives" into our lives too. Have you ever stood by a friend during a difficult time, like a tough break up or a rough transition at school, a divorce or a personal struggle? Where you rewarded for being a faithful friend?
The disciples stood by Jesus through many trials.
Luke 22:28-30
"Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
What was his promise to the disciples for their faithfulness? (a role of authority with Him in heaven)
What are some ways you can anonymously serve others this week?
Your challenge this week is to record one thing you have done each day to serve someone.
"The cost of true greatness is humble, selfless, sacrificial service. The Christian who desires to be great and first in the kingdom is the one who is willing to serve in the hard place, the uncomfortable place, the lonely place, the demanding place, the place where he is not appreciated and may even be persecuted. Knowing that time is short and eternity is long, he is willing to spend and be spent." - John MacArthur.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Picture of Love
We opened the lesson with the Toby Mac Song "Made to Love".
We all say we know what love is but can you draw a picture of love? So is love more of a feeling or an action?
"What does love look like? It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. it has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like." - St. Augustine.
Luke 10:25-29 tells us to Love completely.
"And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life. He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou. And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?"
1) What is the inner most part of a person's being? (Soul)
2) What is the inner most part of a person's reason? (Mind)
3) What is the inner most part of a person's emotions, will and deepest convictions? (Heart)
4) What is how a person uses the abilities and powers he has been given? (Strength)
What does Jesus mean by love your neighbor?
Transition: We must have the right definition for "neighbor" because Christ expects us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Read Luke 10:30-32
"And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side."
Both the Levites (members of the tribe of Levi but not descendants of Aaron/assistants of priests) and the priests (descendants of Aaron who had priestly responsibilities in the Jerusalem temple) were held in high esteem by the Jewish people, so it had to shock them to hear them refused to help a person in need.
Don't make excuses. Seeing a need is not enough. If we have not responded to the needs of others, we have not fulfilled God's command to love our neighbor.
What would be a good excuse not to help someone? Trick question...there are no good excuses. Unless you are in danger, you have no excuse to not help someone, to not "love your neighbors as yourself". Just a kind word or a smile may be just what someone needs to get through a rough day.
Translation: Love motivates us to respond as God expects us to when we see someone in need.
Read Luke 10:33-37 "Respond in the right way"
"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."
We fulfill God's command to love our neighbor when we act compassionately towards those in need. Let's call it a "God Samaritan". Back then in Jesus' time the Jews didn't view Samaritans as their neighbors. The Jews and Samaritans were enemies. Why do you think Jesus made the hated Samaritans the hero of this parable? Like the Samaritans, we must be willing to alter our plans to help others. Sometimes we need to stop what we are doing and show the love of Christ to those in need even if they hate Him and us. We should not decide whose needs we will meet based on race, financial situation, gender, political, education, or social status.
Jesus calls us to show compassion to others NO MATTER WHAT!!
Closing we should continually ask ourselves "How can I respond in Love?" You should display Christ's love by sacrificially responding to the needs around you with compassion and grace. God does not want us to have just a "text book" definition of loving our neighbor. He wants us to demonstrate love for our neighbors in the real world by showing real compassion to those in real need.
A great example of showing compassion for others is by praying for their needs.
We all say we know what love is but can you draw a picture of love? So is love more of a feeling or an action?
"What does love look like? It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. it has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like." - St. Augustine.
Luke 10:25-29 tells us to Love completely.
"And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life. He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou. And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?"
1) What is the inner most part of a person's being? (Soul)
2) What is the inner most part of a person's reason? (Mind)
3) What is the inner most part of a person's emotions, will and deepest convictions? (Heart)
4) What is how a person uses the abilities and powers he has been given? (Strength)
What does Jesus mean by love your neighbor?
Transition: We must have the right definition for "neighbor" because Christ expects us to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Read Luke 10:30-32
"And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side."
Both the Levites (members of the tribe of Levi but not descendants of Aaron/assistants of priests) and the priests (descendants of Aaron who had priestly responsibilities in the Jerusalem temple) were held in high esteem by the Jewish people, so it had to shock them to hear them refused to help a person in need.
Don't make excuses. Seeing a need is not enough. If we have not responded to the needs of others, we have not fulfilled God's command to love our neighbor.
What would be a good excuse not to help someone? Trick question...there are no good excuses. Unless you are in danger, you have no excuse to not help someone, to not "love your neighbors as yourself". Just a kind word or a smile may be just what someone needs to get through a rough day.
Translation: Love motivates us to respond as God expects us to when we see someone in need.
Read Luke 10:33-37 "Respond in the right way"
"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."
We fulfill God's command to love our neighbor when we act compassionately towards those in need. Let's call it a "God Samaritan". Back then in Jesus' time the Jews didn't view Samaritans as their neighbors. The Jews and Samaritans were enemies. Why do you think Jesus made the hated Samaritans the hero of this parable? Like the Samaritans, we must be willing to alter our plans to help others. Sometimes we need to stop what we are doing and show the love of Christ to those in need even if they hate Him and us. We should not decide whose needs we will meet based on race, financial situation, gender, political, education, or social status.
Jesus calls us to show compassion to others NO MATTER WHAT!!
Closing we should continually ask ourselves "How can I respond in Love?" You should display Christ's love by sacrificially responding to the needs around you with compassion and grace. God does not want us to have just a "text book" definition of loving our neighbor. He wants us to demonstrate love for our neighbors in the real world by showing real compassion to those in real need.
A great example of showing compassion for others is by praying for their needs.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Choose a better tommorrow
In Luke 9:18-20 the disciples made the decision to follow Jesus because they were aware of who he really was.
Luke 9:20 says: "And he said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' And Peter answered and said, 'The Christ of God."
Knowing this, they gave him their total commitment.
According to Luke 9:23 he asked them to deny themselves and take up their crosses daily and follow him. DAILY. That really struck a cord with me. We are often told we can not "taste test" Christianity and that is exactly what scripture is telling us right here. It is a conscious effort we must work at daily. A commitment. So when was a time when you gave a total commitment to deny yourself and take up your cross? What would you do differently in your life to better serve God to be more committed to him?
So what's keeping you from making that total commitment?
It can be difficult sometimes to make that commitment. It's counter culture to a lot of things we are exposed to when we make that choice to commit to him we are saying we are willing to live in a different way than much of the world.
So how do you identify with Jesus? To identify with him we can't be ashamed of him.
In Luke 9:24-26 he pretty much says if you are ashamed of me...well I'm ashamed of you.
Remember when we talked about godliness and being Christ like? That's where this comes into play. You have to be like Christ so people see Christ in you...people identify you with Christ. Sure he wants you to boldly tell people about him but he rather you just show them. In fact, he even makes reference for them to not tell the people he was the Messiah at one point (in Luke 9:21), but rather to show them through your actions by denying yourself and taking up your cross daily. This is how he wants you to identify with him. When someone looks at how you live, do they clearly see a relationship with Jesus? Do you want them to? Maybe you need to think about some things or people you need to distance yourself from. Are you willing to do that? To make that kind of total commitment? We can gain a lot from following our worldly desires...especially when we get impatient with God's timing. But is it worth it.
According to Jeremiah 29:11 God has a great future for every one of us. "For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."
But through our choices, we knock ourselves from his plan for us. Your choices dictate your steps you take: steps to glory or steps to destruction. You make your tomorrow today. For every act, consider the consequences of your choices. Every choice has a consequence, no matter how small. It doesn't have to be immediate but it will come. There is no such thing as karma, only God's will. You can gain the world with bad choices but what good is it if you loose your soul along the way? In the book of Genesis we see Esau sell out his birthright just to satisfy his momentary hunger rather than waiting just moments more to prepare his own meal. It is better to deny yourself some things today, even if people mock you, so you can have a better tomorrow.
Your destiny is dependant on nobody but YOU and God. So don't let people persuade you into making the wrong choices, choose to endure today and enjoy your blessings tomorrow. It will come around. It always does. God IS watching. Joseph had an amazing destiny mapped out by God and although he could have followed the crowds and make some bad choices, he endured and God blessed him making him number 2 to the thrown of Egypt.
So what can you do to make your tomorrow better?
Fear God - God will teach you to make the right choices when you fear. Psalms 25:12 tell us this through reverence, respect and obedience.
Study and meditate on his word - The word of God will help you to tell good from evil. Isaiah 7:15 tells us that the more of God's word we have in us, the more strength and grace we have in us.
And MOST importantly
Think Before you talk or act - Do not hastily do anything no matter what or who is pressuring you. Always consider the consequences of your choices. James 1:19 tells us to be slow to speak and quick to hear.
Your tomorrow really is great....choose it to be.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Traditional Christian or Growing Christian
We opened our lesson with the Toby Mac Song: “Speak Life”
Tradition: refers to any kind of teaching…written or spoken, that is handed down from generation to generation. Do you see how a tradition could cause a rut?
Read Matt 15:1-6 (Follow scripture, not traditions)
"Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."
The Pharisees and Scribes were Jewish leaders who taught the people about the laws they should keep. It wasn’t enough that the first (5) books of the bible contain (613) different laws. But these teachers added many, many more that they called “The traditions of the elders” which were passed on by word of mouth.
One of these “traditions” held by the Pharisees was ceremonial hand washing. That everyone should was their hands before eating not for cleanliness, but out of ritual. They believed it was a sign of being clean from sin.
Jesus corrected their wrong beliefs, in Jewish society it was ok to fail to care for aging parents, if they would use the money for God instead of care for the elders. Jesus made it clear no tradition of men excuses them from the 5th commandment.
Read Matt 15:7-9 (Avoid Hypocrisy)
"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
So what is a hypocrite? Originally, the word “hypocrite” referred to an actor in the theater, it meant to play a part or pretend. Eventually it took on the meaning we have today of a person acting like something they are not. In Jesus’ time these Jewish leaders acted like they were holy, but he knew they cared more for traditions than God’s word. How many “Christians” today say they do one thing, but really do another?
Read Matt 15:10-11;17-20 (Pure of Heart)
"And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."
"Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."
Jesus pointed out the real problem. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t wash your hands, plucked a bit of grain on the Sabbath day, play musical instruments during worship services, or chew gum in church building.
Read 1Cor6:19 (your body is a temple).
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"
The real problem is worse, corrupt by human nature…and/or sin. Jesus said the food we eat does not condemn us…the words we speak do. The ritual of washing hands before eating was legalism, such emphasis on rules and rituals promote pride in the act itself and condemned other. Jesus stated the sinful things people say have a root cause…the human heart. Jesus shows us how wicked and deceitful the human heart is…the sins start in the heart like evil thoughts, murders, adultery, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies, this is only a small part of a never ending list.
Closing we need to focus on our relationship with God so we can worship and serve him truthfully. Are there any things that you are currently doing that you don’t know why…possible “traditions”?
Closing prayer – Dear God please open our eyes to acknowledge that we need God’s help to let go of traditions that are in violations of scripture not only for us but our family, friends, everyone in the church, and everyone we come in contact with. Dear Lord help us with guidance, clarity, courage, and understanding the truth and wisdom in the bible.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Remain faithful in your godliness
We opened the lesson with a song from Sidewalk Prophets "Words I Would Say". It set the tone for our discussion of keeping the faith in our godliness.
So what is godliness anyway? And why godliness? Godliness is conforming to the laws of and wishes of God or to have a religious character. There are many benefits to godliness since it holds promises for our life today and our life to come.
(READ 1 Timothy 4:7-10 "But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life an also for the life to come.")
Are you willing to work until it hurts to pursue godliness? Who plays sports? How often do you practice? Can you honestly say you give that much effort to training yourself to be more godly? After all, godliness is grounded in the work of Christ.
Now there's a difference between true and fake godliness. Godliness is not just something to see on the outside, its not something you do to impress others. You get no person benefit from fake godliness, nor does it help you in your life. The real benefits come with true godliness. True godliness will bring help with decision making, avoiding sin, bringing you closer to God, joy from walking with God and wisdom to help others, not to mention eternal blessings of ruling with Christ in the new heaven and earth. So do you think that if you do good things you will become more godly? Actually, godliness results in works...good works do not produce godliness. We have to ground ourselves in the work of Jesus and what he did for us. In doing that, reflecting, meditating, building your life on his truth that produces godliness. Good works will flow from the life of one rooted in godliness through the work of Jesus.
Now what happens when you are plugging along, doing the godly thing and you just keep getting slammed by the world. Unappreciated. Disrespected. Expectation that since you are the good Christian person you will always be there. You feel used. You feel abused. You feel taken advantage of. Suddenly this godly stuff doesn't look so cool anymore and you feel like losing your religion over it!
What do you do when you get overwhelmed? I've learned to looked to the word. It's all here. Seriously. This situation is no different.
(READ Titus 3:1-8 "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Saviour and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and newing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds.")
We have to stand in God's grace. We wonder why do we continue to do these things for people and go out of our way in the name of godliness? Because it's not just about us. The example we are making in our godliness speaks volumes. The impact you make with one good deed can last on in the lives of so many. Ever heard the term "One good deed deserves another"? You are impacting others with your godliness whether you know it or not.
(READ 2 Timothy 2:1-2 "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.")
Your behaviors (negative or positive) radiate on those around you. Think about the example you wanna make for your little sister or big brother, or mom or dad, grandma or uncle. Your godliness could bring him or her to closer to Christ, so don't give up on it when you get disappointed in a situation.
But how do you endure?
(READ 2 Timothy 2:3-10 "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.")
Let me ask you a question, what do you want to be when you get out of school?
Wanna be in the army?
Play pro football?
Raise sugar cane?
Be an engineer?
A doctor or nurse?
So when you lose a patient or have a bad season or lose a battle on the front lines...you gonna just give up? No. Why? Because it's your life. It's your job. It's your lively hood. You depend on it. your godliness should be no different. Will you know it all on day one? No. Will you ever know it all? NO. It takes continued hard work and endurance but the rewards are so worth it.
(READ 2 Timothy 2:11-13 "It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.")
Just remember the end result is endurance.
Always keep the faith.
Here is the perfect example of how your actions can impact the actions of others.
Acts of Kindness Video (Click on this link to view it)
Always stay faithful in your godliness even when you feel like losing hope. When you think no one notices...they do. Be the chance in someone's life today.
Source Credits: Life Focus Studies by Lifeway
So what is godliness anyway? And why godliness? Godliness is conforming to the laws of and wishes of God or to have a religious character. There are many benefits to godliness since it holds promises for our life today and our life to come.
Are you willing to work until it hurts to pursue godliness? Who plays sports? How often do you practice? Can you honestly say you give that much effort to training yourself to be more godly? After all, godliness is grounded in the work of Christ.
Now there's a difference between true and fake godliness. Godliness is not just something to see on the outside, its not something you do to impress others. You get no person benefit from fake godliness, nor does it help you in your life. The real benefits come with true godliness. True godliness will bring help with decision making, avoiding sin, bringing you closer to God, joy from walking with God and wisdom to help others, not to mention eternal blessings of ruling with Christ in the new heaven and earth. So do you think that if you do good things you will become more godly? Actually, godliness results in works...good works do not produce godliness. We have to ground ourselves in the work of Jesus and what he did for us. In doing that, reflecting, meditating, building your life on his truth that produces godliness. Good works will flow from the life of one rooted in godliness through the work of Jesus.
Now what happens when you are plugging along, doing the godly thing and you just keep getting slammed by the world. Unappreciated. Disrespected. Expectation that since you are the good Christian person you will always be there. You feel used. You feel abused. You feel taken advantage of. Suddenly this godly stuff doesn't look so cool anymore and you feel like losing your religion over it!
What do you do when you get overwhelmed? I've learned to looked to the word. It's all here. Seriously. This situation is no different.
(READ Titus 3:1-8 "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Saviour and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and newing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds.")
We have to stand in God's grace. We wonder why do we continue to do these things for people and go out of our way in the name of godliness? Because it's not just about us. The example we are making in our godliness speaks volumes. The impact you make with one good deed can last on in the lives of so many. Ever heard the term "One good deed deserves another"? You are impacting others with your godliness whether you know it or not.
(READ 2 Timothy 2:1-2 "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.")
Your behaviors (negative or positive) radiate on those around you. Think about the example you wanna make for your little sister or big brother, or mom or dad, grandma or uncle. Your godliness could bring him or her to closer to Christ, so don't give up on it when you get disappointed in a situation.
But how do you endure?
(READ 2 Timothy 2:3-10 "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.")
Let me ask you a question, what do you want to be when you get out of school?
Wanna be in the army?
Play pro football?
Raise sugar cane?
Be an engineer?
A doctor or nurse?
So when you lose a patient or have a bad season or lose a battle on the front lines...you gonna just give up? No. Why? Because it's your life. It's your job. It's your lively hood. You depend on it. your godliness should be no different. Will you know it all on day one? No. Will you ever know it all? NO. It takes continued hard work and endurance but the rewards are so worth it.
(READ 2 Timothy 2:11-13 "It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.")
Just remember the end result is endurance.
Always keep the faith.
Here is the perfect example of how your actions can impact the actions of others.
Acts of Kindness Video (Click on this link to view it)
Always stay faithful in your godliness even when you feel like losing hope. When you think no one notices...they do. Be the chance in someone's life today.
Source Credits: Life Focus Studies by Lifeway
Monday, February 18, 2013
Lonely Fear / Doubt
This Sunday's Lesson opened with the song: “One thing Remains” by Kristian Stanfill
So what is fear? It is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone/something is dangerous. I feared being a grown-up..LOL. Do you fear someone?
Deuteronomy 1:17 says - "You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it."
Do you fear being alone or is it Ok to be alone?
According to Psalms 68:6, God makes a home for the lonely - "God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land."
Do you know that your never alone..even in your darkest hours. Do you have doubts about this?
How many times have we said “I never planned for that to happen”? I’m sure it started with a doubt, we not lying about planning, it’s just that several bad choices were made without looking at the consequences. Usually we stray off the Christian path way before we stumble and fall on our face…or worse sin, before we realize we strayed. It starts with a thought..that leads to a word from the mouth…that turns into an action with the body.
Matthew 12:34 says, "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." So basically if you think it with your mind then speak it with your mouth…you start to believe it in your heart and then you act on it.
That’s how Satan works, filling our heads/minds with a littlest of doubts, fears, and/or dislikes. He moves cautiously and slowly with well thought out cleaver plans..that has worked for centuries.
So we read Ephesians 6:12,"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Compared to modern thoughts about evil spirits, Paul pictured the churches battle for survival as a struggle against the devil, demons, and other evil supernatural beings.
Do you every doubt your parents/partner truly, truly love you? Do they listen when you talk? Do you spend time together? Do they not pay attention when ya’ll talk about problems?
Have you ever had someone say to you when you discussing your problems “Your parents/partner doesn’t deserve such a nice, sweet caring person like you” FYI…that’s Satan also working in them. Every time you take a tiny step off the righteous path, you justify your actions in your mind..example..you think in your mind if parents/partner won’t listen to me, that person who spoke such kind, caring word…will listen to me. Your are avoiding the problem not addressing…leading to a secret from your parent/partner.
We usually don’t grasp that Satan is never in a hurry, all he needs is an opportunity to put in a doubt…unholy self-centered thought in our head. If we don’t get them out right then and there, they start growing and Satan keeps going with his destructive evil schemes.
So we read Ephesians 6:10-11,18,23,24 -
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love."
Thoughts inspired by Joyce Meyer “Battlefield of the Mind”
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Begrudged?
We've talked a couple times about forgiving and although I think we are all works in progress, I think we have a pretty good idea of what we need to do to forgive. But what do we do when we have forgiven and the other person hasn't forgiven us or when someone is holding a grudge against you?
How do you deal then?
Do you have someone holding a grudge against you?
Someone being mean or just rude to you no matter how nice you are to them?
When we think of a "grudge" we think of words like hate, contempt, spite and hostility. Now there are any number of reasons why someone would be holding a grudge against someone but usually it just comes down to envy and jealousy. We could easily get caught up in the hate and jealousy ourselves and retaliate but obviously that is not what God wants us to do.
God wants us to love.
Contrary to what we have always been told about love is blind, Philipp. 1:9-10 tells us to love with knowledge and incite. God never intends on us loving blindly and dealing with grudges and forgiveness is no different.
So why is this person being so hateful to you?
Well evaluate your actions and ensure you have done everything in a loving, Christian manner and your heart is right and if you still come up wondering why...perhaps this person is not experiencing the fullness of God and the Holy Spirit.
So what do you do about it?
Ask God for insight into what is broken in that person so you can have compassion.
If you don't have compassion on people like this, if you are not careful yourself...one day you could become broken just like them...bitter and angry.
So why are these kind of people in our lives?
Why would God even have us deal with such things?
Seams cruel, huh? Not really.
Has it ever occured to you that these people were assigned to our lives...for a specific purpose?
God positioned these people in our lives.
To test us.
To grow us.
To teach us.
To make us better people.
So what happens if you have tried all of this and nothing works?
You forgave.
You continue to take the high road.
You always did right by this person.
And still they hold a grudge that you just can't get past.
We have to consider whether or not this was a relationship God intended. Is it a toxic relationship. Some relationships were not meant to be restored. As long as we are obedient to God and we love, we forgive, we lay down our pride and give it to him, we have pleased him. that is all we can do.
So maybe you didn't do anything to provoke a grudge within your family, at school or at work or with someone you once thought of as a good friend.
In 1 Samuel (1 Sam 16:15-26:25), King Saul held a grudge against David. David didn't do anything to provoke the grudge, in fact, he had slain the giant Goliath on behalf of King Saul. But when people started praising David for this heroic deed, Saul became so jealous, he began plotting his death. After repeated evil acts and attempts on David's life, one day Saul and his men fell in a deep sleep allowing David to get close enough to kill him but he didn't. David spared Sauls life even knowing Saul held this grudge and tried to kill him over and over. You too can use David's strategy and not become vengeful by returning evil for evil. Remember or lesson on "kill'em with kindness"?
We can look to Jesus as an example so we can also forgive the person holding the grudge against us (if we haven't already done so).
Matt. 5:44-45 tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
Proverbs 16:17 says "When the Lord takes pleasure in any ones way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them"
The Bible talks over and over about how God rewards not returning evil for evil and having compassion for those who may be our enemies or holding grudges against us.
So keep your Christan values and always be the better person because it will set you free just as it says in John 8:31-32 "So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
Let it set you free.
Resources: Godlywoman.com, Loving Well Bible Study by Beth More
How do you deal then?
Do you have someone holding a grudge against you?
Someone being mean or just rude to you no matter how nice you are to them?
When we think of a "grudge" we think of words like hate, contempt, spite and hostility. Now there are any number of reasons why someone would be holding a grudge against someone but usually it just comes down to envy and jealousy. We could easily get caught up in the hate and jealousy ourselves and retaliate but obviously that is not what God wants us to do.
God wants us to love.
Contrary to what we have always been told about love is blind, Philipp. 1:9-10 tells us to love with knowledge and incite. God never intends on us loving blindly and dealing with grudges and forgiveness is no different.
So why is this person being so hateful to you?
Well evaluate your actions and ensure you have done everything in a loving, Christian manner and your heart is right and if you still come up wondering why...perhaps this person is not experiencing the fullness of God and the Holy Spirit.
So what do you do about it?
Ask God for insight into what is broken in that person so you can have compassion.
If you don't have compassion on people like this, if you are not careful yourself...one day you could become broken just like them...bitter and angry.
So why are these kind of people in our lives?
Why would God even have us deal with such things?
Seams cruel, huh? Not really.
Has it ever occured to you that these people were assigned to our lives...for a specific purpose?
God positioned these people in our lives.
To test us.
To grow us.
To teach us.
To make us better people.
So what happens if you have tried all of this and nothing works?
You forgave.
You continue to take the high road.
You always did right by this person.
And still they hold a grudge that you just can't get past.
We have to consider whether or not this was a relationship God intended. Is it a toxic relationship. Some relationships were not meant to be restored. As long as we are obedient to God and we love, we forgive, we lay down our pride and give it to him, we have pleased him. that is all we can do.
So maybe you didn't do anything to provoke a grudge within your family, at school or at work or with someone you once thought of as a good friend.
In 1 Samuel (1 Sam 16:15-26:25), King Saul held a grudge against David. David didn't do anything to provoke the grudge, in fact, he had slain the giant Goliath on behalf of King Saul. But when people started praising David for this heroic deed, Saul became so jealous, he began plotting his death. After repeated evil acts and attempts on David's life, one day Saul and his men fell in a deep sleep allowing David to get close enough to kill him but he didn't. David spared Sauls life even knowing Saul held this grudge and tried to kill him over and over. You too can use David's strategy and not become vengeful by returning evil for evil. Remember or lesson on "kill'em with kindness"?
We can look to Jesus as an example so we can also forgive the person holding the grudge against us (if we haven't already done so).
Matt. 5:44-45 tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
Proverbs 16:17 says "When the Lord takes pleasure in any ones way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them"
The Bible talks over and over about how God rewards not returning evil for evil and having compassion for those who may be our enemies or holding grudges against us.
So keep your Christan values and always be the better person because it will set you free just as it says in John 8:31-32 "So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, 'If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
Let it set you free.
Resources: Godlywoman.com, Loving Well Bible Study by Beth More
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Forgiveness
We open up our lesson this morning with the song “Forgiveness” by Matthew West. As we listen, we reflect on what it means to really forgive. In the words of the song, "It flies in the face of all your pride"...how true.
Matt 18:21-22-Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?(Matt 18:15 - If your brother sins “against you”, go and Show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won brother.)Up to seven times?’ (Jesus gave his disciples instructions one of them is in Luke 17:4– And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’-forgive him.”) Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Forgiveness is a major part of the Christian faith and your forgiveness grows through encounters God and meditating on his word. Have you ever said “please forgive me” to someone out of love? What I mean is to love is to forgive, if you love really someone you can forgive them…no matter how difficult (example 1 Cor. 13) Read if you have never heard? How do you feel if you walk away from someone you know you should tell them you’re sorry or u forgive them, but you decided not to say anything? How do you feel when someone does it to you?
Forgiveness is a timing thing, sometimes when you’re ready they are not and vice versa they are ready and you are not. Forgiveness is like love, you can interchange the two in your Christian journey..but the thing to remember is that neither of them cannot be faked or expected in return when given to others. It goes back to the timing thing, when ya’ll are ready and also it cannot be rushed.
Matt 6:14-15 – (Jesus say)For if you forgive others for their transgressions, (Jesus warns in Matt 7:2 – ‘For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.’ More examples of his warnings Mark 11:25, Eph 4:32, Col 3:13)your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.(Another example read Matt18:23-35) definitions as we are reading: A talent was worth more than fifteen years’ wages of a Laborer, Denarius was a day’s wages.
Closing Prayer: Thank you God for the positives (high) points this week and realize the negative (low) points are where we were lacking you. Lord hear our petitions also let us pray O-lord for those who are lost or lonely or sick or dying. We pray for those who do not know you but need you, that they will find you. Please Lord hear the prayer of your people who do your service throughout the World. Dear God help us to smile until we speak again, Lord help open our eyes and hearts to your work in the world around us and happily join in the struggle to spread your great, most highest Word to the world…and all Gods people say..Amen
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Life's Not Fair
How many times have you said IT’S NOT FAIR!!
Love Him
That is the True Meaning of Life.
http://EzineArticles.com/49625
You look at your life and think “it’s not supposed to be this way”. Maybe something you didn’t want came into your life and messed it all up…a bad report card, accused of something you didn’t do, punished a little more harshly than you think you should be.
Well you are certainly not the only one that feels that way. We all feel that way sometimes. It happens a lot actually.
You’ve heard the old saying “Life’s not fair!”
Well there is a lot of stuff in life that seems “unfair”. Like when you need a friend more than anything in the world and they just aren’t there for you when you need them, when that person you thought you knew inside and out turns out not to be who you thought they were or when your girlfriend/boyfriend breaks up with you.
We put expectations on other people and find ourselves disappointed. When life throws us these curve balls we can’t seem to find the logic in it all. Life and love collide and we rack our brains to figure out reasons for what has happened or why people have done what they have done but we end up even more confused.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 tells us that God is the comforter of us all.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.”
So do you think life was fair to Jesus?
Do you think he was ever disappointed in the people he put expectations on?
Jesus faced these same trials and was disappointed by people too. Human life was not fair to him either and stuff didn’t always make sense to him either. But Jesus, being the great comforter he was, always had a passion for comforting people even during unmet expectations, when things didn’t make sense, and when people were disappointing…evenup until his death.
Although Jesus does not promise that things will be perfect, he does tell us over and over again in the bible to lay our burdens down on him.
In Matthew 11:25 Jesus tells us “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give yourest.”
He doesn’t sayothers will always live up to our expectations…
He never promises it will all make sense…he just asks that you leave it all to him.
For it is in these moments…in these disappointments, these times of confusion that we find him. It is in these moments that we connect and find comfort.
These are the times that he uses for us to come to our knees and look up to him.
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he shall sustain you” – Psalms 55:22
On our own, we will spend hours dissecting thesituation, trying to figure out everything. We wait until everything is perfect and it all makes sense, not realizing that we have missed out on it all together. If we wait till Love is perfect, Life is perfect, everything is perfect we never find what we are looking for and we miss out on the true meaning of why Jesus went to that cross for us in the first place.
According to Romans 8:28, Jesus wants us to love Life, others and him “And we know that all things work together for good to them that loves God, to them who are called according to his purpose.”
Love Life
Love OthersLove Him
That is the True Meaning of Life.
References:
www.godlywoman.comhttp://EzineArticles.com/49625
Sunday, January 20, 2013
I Got This
“I got this”
Song: TobyMac “Me without You”
Read Matt
6:33-34
How many times have we’ve said “I’ve got this”?, How many times have we
heard a friend or parent say that? What’s your first instinct…like most of us
we think..what?, wait, I’ve got to watch this. Cause usually it will be either
epic success or epic fail..but it’s usually a show..lol. Think about this…if
you know that person was doing it wrong would you stop them? Or would you let
them fail & say “I told you so”, so.. you think I just taught them a lesson
right?...is that the Christian thing?
There’s always the explanation when plans/action go wrong “it seemed
like a good idea at the time”…but it’s usually not. When we take matters into
our own hands, we substitute another plan for God’s plan. Clearly, any plan
opposed to God’s will fail sooner or later.
Our human nature is that we like to test people, like our parents and
even God, rather than trust them. We want to “skate on thin ice” rather than
rely on your parents or God for advice. So what is your faith worth if you
don’t trust God completely? It’s normal to trust in your own understand, but
what if you don’t know the answer? My walk of faith means I will trust the
bible, its teachings, and direction. It’s perfectly normal to say “I don’t
know” or “I need help”. Ask advice from your fellow Christians.
Advice can be found anywhere and if you look hard enough, you can find
someone who will tell you whatever you want to hear. God’s Word, however, is
the truth, and it stands the test of time. Example of Bad Advice: Adam &
Eve, Eve on Satan’s advice (Gen 3:1-6)
So what? How does this apply to
you? Right now you may or may not be
weighting a tough decision in your life, however, there will be many situations
in life where God wants us to wait on his perfect timing. We might not know when
or where, but we need to trust his will.
Example Read (Heb 11:6)
Example Read (Heb 11:6)
Let me ask you this, if you’re in a car with a foggy window or in
bathroom with a steamed up mirror…how many wipes does it take to before the
window/mirror is before its clear?....If we keep saying “I got this” and not
trusting God’s plan, he will continue to let us fall on our face…he’s teaching
you a lesson that sooner or later you will have to look up. Proof of God’s
Will…Creation & Life (Genesis), Moses (Ex 2:11-15) , Noah (Gen 7-9)
I know waiting on God is hard, but it’s an important and necessary part
of this faith journey…we have plenty of examples of what happens when we say…”I
got this”, so next time you say “I got this” you should think hard and pray for
God’s wisdom, perfect timing and invite him to show you the blessing and
benefits of waiting..
Closing
Prayer: Dear God, we want to follow you. We will turn from sin and place our
trust in you alone and ask for your forgiveness. Right now, we receive your
gift of eternal life and confess you as Lord. Thank you for loving us and dying
on the cross for us. Thanks you for giving us new life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Anger Management
Do you get angry?
Is it okay to get angry?
Many think it's not very Christian to get angry and if you want to be a Christian you should never get angry. They think... I can never be a Christian if I feel anger. The truth is anger itself is neither right nor wrong. It's "amoral" (meaning it doesn't have a sense of morals). It's actually what you do with the anger and how you handle it that matters.
Ephesians 4:26 says
"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger."
So even the bible says its okay to be angry...but do not sin.
So where does anger come from?
What is it's purpose?
It may not be the answer you are thinking.
Since the purpose of anger is to fight evil and right wrongs, anger is actually a God given emotion. We are meant to use our anger in God given ways. Since rage, hostility and bitterness is of Satan. we are to stay clear of that path. We have to speak the truth in love and own our feelings. Never hostilely tell someone they made you angry. No one can make you angry without your permission. So how do you handle the situation? Let them know you understand that your feelings are your responsibility but you feel angry and would like to talk about it.
A lot of times when there is anger from the past that you haven't addressed it can get triggered easily and you can over react. Just remember what they do to you is their issue but how you react is your Christian responsibility.
So is it worth getting angry about?
Think about a few things the next time you feel anger coming on...
- Is it worth getting angry for?
- Will I regret for what I'm about to say or do later?
- How will this effect my relationship?
A lot of the things that get us angry are really just things that waste time, annoy us or threaten our egos. These things will never stop. God wants us to practice patience to learn how to handle them.
Psalms 37:7 tells us
"Be sill before the Lord and wait patiently for him: do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Righteous Anger
Even Jesus got angry. When Jesus got angry at the moneychangers in the temple it was because they were exploiting religion instead of using it to bring people closer to God. Jesus taught the truth but they refused to listen.
We can also get angry at injustice, such as killing the unborn, drugs dealings, molesting children, polluting our environment and so on. Rather than stewing about the problems, we can band together with others and take action to fight, by peaceful, lawful means. We can volunteer and donate to organizations that oppose abuse. We can write our elected officials. We can form a neighborhood watch. We can educate others, and we can pray.
In Matthew 10:16, Jesus told his followers to be as "shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." We are to protect ourselves without stooping to the level of our attackers. An angry outburst accomplishes little, besides satisfying our emotions.
Jesus told us to expect persecution. The nature of today's world is that someone is always trying to take advantage of us. If we are shrewd yet innocent, we will not be as shocked when it happens and will be better prepared to deal with it calmly. *consider your audience*Getting angry is a natural human emotion that does not have to lead into sin—if we remember that God is a God of justice and we use our anger in a way that honors him.
Sources: About.com, Christianstories.com
Is it okay to get angry?
Many think it's not very Christian to get angry and if you want to be a Christian you should never get angry. They think... I can never be a Christian if I feel anger. The truth is anger itself is neither right nor wrong. It's "amoral" (meaning it doesn't have a sense of morals). It's actually what you do with the anger and how you handle it that matters.
Ephesians 4:26 says
"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger."
So even the bible says its okay to be angry...but do not sin.
So where does anger come from?
What is it's purpose?
It may not be the answer you are thinking.
Since the purpose of anger is to fight evil and right wrongs, anger is actually a God given emotion. We are meant to use our anger in God given ways. Since rage, hostility and bitterness is of Satan. we are to stay clear of that path. We have to speak the truth in love and own our feelings. Never hostilely tell someone they made you angry. No one can make you angry without your permission. So how do you handle the situation? Let them know you understand that your feelings are your responsibility but you feel angry and would like to talk about it.
A lot of times when there is anger from the past that you haven't addressed it can get triggered easily and you can over react. Just remember what they do to you is their issue but how you react is your Christian responsibility.
So is it worth getting angry about?
Think about a few things the next time you feel anger coming on...
- Is it worth getting angry for?
- Will I regret for what I'm about to say or do later?
- How will this effect my relationship?
A lot of the things that get us angry are really just things that waste time, annoy us or threaten our egos. These things will never stop. God wants us to practice patience to learn how to handle them.
Psalms 37:7 tells us
"Be sill before the Lord and wait patiently for him: do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Righteous Anger
Even Jesus got angry. When Jesus got angry at the moneychangers in the temple it was because they were exploiting religion instead of using it to bring people closer to God. Jesus taught the truth but they refused to listen.
We can also get angry at injustice, such as killing the unborn, drugs dealings, molesting children, polluting our environment and so on. Rather than stewing about the problems, we can band together with others and take action to fight, by peaceful, lawful means. We can volunteer and donate to organizations that oppose abuse. We can write our elected officials. We can form a neighborhood watch. We can educate others, and we can pray.
In Matthew 10:16, Jesus told his followers to be as "shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." We are to protect ourselves without stooping to the level of our attackers. An angry outburst accomplishes little, besides satisfying our emotions.
Jesus told us to expect persecution. The nature of today's world is that someone is always trying to take advantage of us. If we are shrewd yet innocent, we will not be as shocked when it happens and will be better prepared to deal with it calmly. *consider your audience*Getting angry is a natural human emotion that does not have to lead into sin—if we remember that God is a God of justice and we use our anger in a way that honors him.
Sources: About.com, Christianstories.com
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Enticement of Sinners
Enticement
of Sinners or Peer Pressure
Proverbs
1:8-19 (theme 10-16) (read)Define
Sheol (SHEE-ohl) Hebrew word-translation “grave” or ”pit”; in the bible the
Hebrew word meant “underworld”. In 200 BC the Greek translated the scriptures
and replaced “Sheol” with “Hades”.
Think
about that only 1 of 10 ppl do the Christian thing each and every time.
Majority of the time peers give us advice that’s opposite of what our
parents/step-parents instruct us to do. You must decide to be the Christian (1
out 10) or to run with the crowd when you know it’s wrong (90%). Easier
said than done right? So think about it, if someone/friend or not ask
you to compromise something that you believe in…they are probably not that
Christian friend you need to be around. The key to peer pressure is to
determine your standards and boundaries (Personal/Spiritual) before a situation arises, it’s
difficult to make the right choice in the heat of the moment.
Personal
boundariesPersonal
boundaries are guidelines, rules or limits that a person creates to identify
what are reasonable, safe and permissible ways for other people to behave
around them and how they will respond when someone steps outside those limits. They
are built out of a mix of beliefs, opinions, attitudes, past experiences and
social learning. Personal boundaries define you as an individual, outlining
your likes and dislikes, and setting the distances you allow others to
approach. They include physical, mental, psychological and spiritual
boundaries, involving beliefs, emotions, intuitions and self-esteem.
Spiritual
BoundariesThe most
important boundary you can protect is your spiritual boundaries. There are a number of spiritual
boundaries that are key to keeping yourself sane in this world. We have all
heard the comment or we have all said something and waited for that lightning
bolt to strike us. While this will most likely not happen as a result of some
spiritual punishment, the fear has been duly placed in our mind. As a result,
we need to define our Spiritual Boundaries.
1.Inner
Spiritual Boundaries:
1. Core Values
2. Central Belief System
3. Fundamental Spiritual Structure
Each of
these (3) areas can get you into trouble spiritually if you’re not
careful. Inner Spiritual Boundaries are
where we start. We have to be careful not to ignore or force our beliefs on ppl
before they ready. Most people have
never defined their core values and so have difficulty understanding why they
are conflicted or have chaos in their lives. This is true in
life or more specifically in the spiritual lives. As we define who we are we
must also define each area of our life to understand who we are and the
boundaries we want to set for ourselves. It all begins with our core values.
These core values create who we are and what we do
on a daily basis. Our true identity is built by what we decide we are going to
believe in over a lifetime. These central beliefs shape our choices in jobs,
fun and even our mate. It is a fundamental key to our central belief system.
Those thoughts that get us in trouble or celebrate the life we lead. The good
and bad we have done are developed in our mind by that belief system.
The key
to unlocking these beliefs lie in the Fundamental Spiritual Structure.
This is the structure that we are growing up with and “learning” to believe in
and act upon. Actions over time develop habit and belief in a certain
structure. That structure creates the boundaries that protect us and creates
walls that are hard to penetrate.
2. External
Spiritual Boundaries:
1. Bad Influence
2. Bad Habits
3. Non-Self-Convicted opinion
External
Spiritual Boundaries are the ones that we must understand and are affected by
until we understand the Inner Spiritual Boundaries. The external barriers are
more easily seen and kept under control because they are visible to everyone.
We HAVE to make a conscious effort to fit in to the crowd or make a special
effort to NOT fit in based on those external boundaries. As young ppl you are
taught to NOT hang around bad people or bad influences. However, as we age
those boundaries become less restrictive and we need to establish these for
ourselves. The creation of these protections becomes less guided by authority
and more by our convictions. The external influences of the internet, media,
Hollywood and our circle of friends/influence are key to what we allow into our
conscious and subconscious minds. They can influence us in small or large ways.
As much as nutrition affects our physical health, this onslaught of material
that we allow our senses to come in contact with directly and indirectly affect
our fundamental structures mentally. As these structures are affected, we in
turn create either good or bad habits. These new structures we allow to be
created mold our action set. Bad habits can be formed from this external attack
or our moral fiber. Forcibly (or consciously) creating those habits that will
remain congruent to our core values is critical to maintaining inner-peace and
combating the chaos created by NOT doing battle correctly.
Loss of
BoundariesThe loss
of conscious boundaries could occur when an individual was caught up in a
fast-moving crowd. Our identities become
controlled by the definitions offered by others.
What are
the effects of crossing these barriers or letting them slide?The end
result of not maintaining proper boundaries is the existence of continual chaos. This chaos take over our lives
given free reign and it takes monumental effort to return to where we left the
road/path of God.
Rebuilding
boundariesWhile a
healthy relationship depends on the emotional space provided by personal
boundaries, co-dependent personalities have difficulties in setting such
limits, so that defining and protecting boundaries efficiently may be for them
a vital part of regaining mental health and Spiritual Health .
Family
therapists and reading your bible can help family members to develop clearer
boundaries, by behaving in a well-defined way when treating them, drawing
lines, and treating different generations in different compartments- something
especially suitable families where unhealthy involvement overrides normal
personal boundaries.
However, Be
careful the establishment of personal boundaries in such instances may
produce a negative fall-out, if the relationship is there everything.
What can
you do to protect yourselves from these different distractions both inner and
external?
1. The key is to protect them from the outset and not let you travel too
far down any wrong path.
2. Spaced repetition with the good information that you wish to put into
your mind, read your Bible as often as possible.
3. Daily meditation/prayer and focus on the path that you want to
travel.
4. Careful consideration of those whom you choose to associate with.
These
steps will create the spiritual freedom that you want and the separation from
the troublesome part of your spiritual path.
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