Time Sermon Series
Time
The Theme along with Time will be Running. One of the major metaphors for the Spiritual Journey in scripture is Running. Hebrews 12:1-2 will be our primary text for this little mini-series within “Time”. I need to simplify to “Run Well”, the first message you have. The second will focus on perseverance and how to form a habit to our running, a quadrant 2 activity, for sure.
The next few messages will focus on the things that Hebrews says we need to throw off; “everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles”. That will take us through most of February and I might add a message about TV, which would push everything down a week.
Then I’ll shift to how Jesus managed his time. The Great Commandment text in Matthew 22:36-40 will be the opening passage. He says to prioritize loving God and then others, your neighbor. I’ll most likely introduce the concept of a “Rule for Life”. Kind of a personal set of rules to live by built around being a “Disciple of Christ.” We’ll spend the rest of the Spring looking at those two priorities. First, we’ll take several weeks to lay out some spiritual disciplines/practices and then after Easter we’ll talk about how to love others, the second commandment from Matthew 22:36-40.
For Easter, I’m thinking a little competition between Adam and Jesus. We could have some fun with this. Bottom line, we have to decide who we will follow, Adam-our sin nature or Jesus- our new nature. The Cross will be central through this too, given we have to take up our cross, if we want to follow Christ.
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TIME-January 04, 2009
Ecclesiastes 8:5b
“Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is
right…” (New Living Translation—NLT)
I. Honest Evaluation
Psalm 39:4-5 “Lord remind me how brief my time on earth will
be. Remind me that my days are numbered…My entire lifetime is
just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath. ” (NLT)
James 4:14b* “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for
a little while and then vanishes.”
1. Time is Short.
Born Die
2. Time is Valuable.
1 Corinthians 7:29 “I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily.” (The Message—MSG)
Acts 4:25 “Why did the people waste their time with futile plans?”
(NLT)
•The Goal: Know where it’s Going.
II. Careful Consideration
Proverbs 17:24 “An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a
fool starts off in many directions.” (Good News—GN)
Proverbs 13:16 “A wise man thinks ahead; a fool doesn’t, and
even brags about it!” (The Living Bible—LB)
Four Areas Of Life
Circle where there is too little time being spent or too much.
1. Personal time: too little or too much?
Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the
wellspring of life.”
2. Family time: too little or too much?
1 Timothy 5:8 “Anyone who neglects to care for family members
in need repudiates the faith. That’s worse than refusing to believe
in the first place.” (MSG)
3. Spiritual time: too little or too much?
Ephesians 2:19 “Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.” (LB)
4. Work time: too little or too much?
Titus 3:14 “… learn to earn what you need by honest work…”
(Philips Translation Bible—PTB)
•The Goal: Know what needs to change.
How can I do more in Quadrant 2?
III. Daily Rededication
Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days that we may get a
heart of wisdom.”
Ephesians 5:15-16 “Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who do not know the meaning and purpose of life but as those who do. Make the best use of your time, despite all the difficulties of these days.” (PTB)
I choose to dedicate _____ minutes each day
to seek God by reading my Bible, meditating
on truth and prayer.
The Goal: To experience God’s Blessing
on my time.
Proverbs 10:27a “Reverence for God adds hours to each day…” (LB)
This Week’s Assignments:
On the second page of your notes, you chose to set a time to spend
with God. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
1. Pick a time and be consistent. To form a habit, you need
to do the same thing 21 days straight. Choose a time that
will work with your schedule with as few distractions and
interruptions, as possible. My time is 6am.
2. Pick a place. The more private, the better. It may be your favorite
room or a place where you feel comfortable but not so
relaxed that you cannot stay alert.
3. Open in prayer. For example: “Dear Father, I come to you
today to seek Your Will and to build our relationship. Speak to
my heart today as I focus on You.”
4. Each day, if you do not have material to study, read through
the sermon notes and answer and re-answer the following
questions:
a. Out of the scriptures in this week’s study, which stands out
to me the most today?
b. Where is my time going today? In which quadrant am I
living the most: 1, 2, 3, or 4?
c. Is there an area of my life (see Point 2) where I need to
make some changes? What might that look like?
a. Try to select one verse from this week’s study or the
quote from Harry Fosdick, to meditate on, and perhaps
memorize.
“No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated & disciplined.”
—Harry Fosdick
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Keeping God #1
Living a Surrendered Life-January 11, 2009
Exodus 20:1-6*
I. Recognize it is a Daily Choice to Keep God #1
Joshua 24:14-15 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Serving: God.
Serving: This world.
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate
one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise
the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
2 Corinthians 5:19-20 “For God was in Christ, reconciling the
world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them.
And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we
are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.
We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’ ”
II. Recognize the Obstacles that
Keep God from being #1.
1 John 5:1-5 “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ
has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father
loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we
love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means
keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not
burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and
we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this
battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is
the Son of God.”
1 John 5:18-21 “We know that God’s children do not make a
practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the
evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God
and that the world around us is under the control of the evil
one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has
given us understanding so that we can know the true God And
now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in
fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God,
and he is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything
that might take God’s place in your hearts.”
Recognize the Idols?
| Loss | Fear | Knowledge | Low Self-esteem |
| Pride | Success | Riches | Relationships |
| Power | Career | Hobbies | Self-sufficiency |
| Ministry | Addictions | Possessions | Your Own Plan |
Ask God to reveal the obstacles in my life.
Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test
me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that
offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
III. Recognize How To Keep God #1 in My Life.
Solutions: Confess your sin.
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all wickedness.”
Hebrews 8:12 “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never
again remember their sins.”
Romans 7:19, 24-25 “I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway… Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Solutions: Connect with someone else and be accountable.
This Week’s Assignments:
Time with God is important but not urgent. It is a Quadrant 2 activity
and is critical, first for you to have a relationship with Christ. You cannot build a relationship that isn’t given time. And second, seek first His Kingdom. You cannot know what God wants for you without spending time seeking Him. Your assignment this week is very simple. Below are a list of Scriptures, one for each day of the week. Look up each passage in a Bible and answer the following questions about the verse or verses for that day.
Question 1: What does this passage reveal or say about God?
Question 2: What does this passage reveal or say about me?
The Bible is God’s primary tool for helping us get to know
Him better.
Monday: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Tuesday: Romans 5:6-8
Wednesday: 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
Thursday: 1 Chronicles 29:11-12
Friday: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Saturday: Hebrews 12:1-2
Sunday: Hebrews 13:5
One suggestion: If you do not have a journal, plan to pick one up this
week to record the answers to the above questions. Your journal does not have to be anything fancy. The important thing is not how the journal looks on the outside but that it helps you change on the inside.
I’ll see you next week,
Pastor Jeff
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TIME to RUN-January 18, 2009
1 Corinthians 9:24* “… in a race all the runners run, but only one
gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”
The Start of a Good Runner
Proverbs 1:7 “Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing
down to God.” (The Message—MSG)
How to Get a Fresh Start/Daily:
1. Receive God’s gift of relationships.
2 Corinthians 5:19 “God put the world square with himself
through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering
forgiveness of sins….” (MSG)
Lamentations 3:23 “Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin
afresh each morning.” (New Living Translation—NLT)
Forgive.
Matthew 6:11-12 “Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our
debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
2. Recognize God’s principle of ownership.
1 Chronicles 29:11-12 “Everything in the heavens and earth is
yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being
in control of everything. Riches and honor come from you alone,
and you are the Ruler of all mankind; your hand controls power
and might, and it is at your discretion that men are made great
and given strength.” (The Living Bible—LB)
Deuteronomy 8:17-18 “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and
the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But
remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the
ability to produce wealth….”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your body is a
temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received
from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a
price….”
Surrender.
Matthew 6:10 “… your kingdom come, your will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.”
3. Reorganize for the principle of stewardship.
1 Corinthians 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a
man be found faithful.” (King James Version—KJV)
“Steward” is Oikonomos, the manager of the
house.
John 14:23 “Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my
teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and
make our home with him.”
Reorganize my beliefs.
Proverbs 23:7a “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he….”
(KJV)
2 Corinthians 5:16 “So from now on we regard no one from a
worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this
way, we do so no longer.”
2 Corinthians 10:5 “We take captive every thought to make it
obedient to Christ.”
Reorganize my behavior.
James 1:22-25 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but
does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a
mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately
forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the
perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not
forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in
what he does.”
This Week’s Assignments:
Take a few minutes each day to work through the following
questions.
Do you start your days off mindful of God or mindful of only your
own agenda? To be a disciple is to surrender our agenda to His.
Sometimes our agenda is fine, but if it is not, we’ll end up with all
kinds of baggage that weighs us down. If you need a fresh start
today, God wants nothing more than to cleanse you and give
you a fresh start. How do the following scriptures express God’s
heart toward you? Jeremiah 29:11; Deuteronomy 5:29.
How important is it to get a fresh start? How does God’s commitment
to forgive you help you to let go of the past and start with a
clean slate?
How do the following passages reflect that everything is really
God’s and not ours? Psalm 50:10-12; Deuteronomy 10:14;
Leviticus 25:23 and Luke 14:33.
How does our culture come into conflict with the concept of
everything belonging to God? How difficult is it for you to accept
this biblical principle? What messages do you hear in our culture
that pull you away from the ongoing need to remember that God
owns it all? Why might you be afraid to trust God as the ultimate
owner of everything?
Is the challenge to sign your life and assets over to God something
you internally resist or accept? If you began to see yourself
as someone God loved so much that he gave his son for you
and now wants you to live and steward your life for him, how
would you live differently?
What beliefs do you have that may need some reorganization?
Say, beliefs about your relationships, resources, time, work,
etc….?
How have you been influenced by the world in regard to all of
those things?
How important, according to these verses, is it for us to follow
through on the things that God has revealed to us? See
Matthew 7:21, 12:50; Luke 6:47; John 13:17 and 1John 2:17.
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TIME to RUN- January 25, 2009
How to Run the Race
Hebrews 12:1-3*
“Running the race” is a metaphor for the Spiritual Journey.
I. Remember those who have run before us.
Hebrews 12:1a “Therefore, sense we are surrounded by such a
great cloud of witnesses…”
Those who have run before us.
2 Timothy 4:6b-7 “The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race…” (New Living Translation—NLT)
Your time is not up!
Participation keeps you moving.
Question: How am I participating in discipleship and
spiritual development? How am I running?*
II. Throw off that which distracts us.
Hebrews 12:1b “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…”
“everything that hinders” – you will be hindered!
“the sin that so easily entangles” – you will be entangled!
Elimination reduces your distractions.
*See the notes in This Week’s Assignment for Running Instructions.
Colossians 3:5-11 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to
your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires
and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of
God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you
once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things
as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from
your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your
old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which
is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here
there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised,
barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”
Question: What do I need to eliminate that’s distracting
me?*
III. Persevere in the race marked out for us.
Hebrews 12:1c “… and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
Slow and steady.
Proverbs 21:5 “Steady plodding and careful planning puts you
ahead in the long run.” (The Message—MSG and The Living
Bible—LB)
James 1:2 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face
trials of many kinds, (so that ‘you will be strong in character and
ready for anything.’)”
Determination builds your character.
IV. Focus on the One who loves us.
Hebrews 12:2-3 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the
cross, scorning the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the
thrown of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from
sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
The goal of our focus is to become like Christ.
Philippians 3:13-15 “I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is
beckoning us onward – to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not
turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who
want everything God has for us.” (MSG)
Concentration keeps your eyes on Jesus.
This Week’s Assignments:
Remember those who have run before us.
Biblical Insight: The “cloud of witnesses” referred to in Hebrews
12:1 are the believers from time past listed in Hebrews 11. When
we see a “therefore” in scripture, we need to ask ourselves
what’s it there for? When “therefore” is used, it is always
addressing a previously stated thought. Take a few minutes to
glance at Hebrews 11. Who are some of these witnesses that
have gone before us and are now a part of this lofty group that
are cheering us on from the heavenly grandstands? Each Biblical
runner described in Hebrews 11 stepped out in faith. They did
something new to strengthen their relationship with God.
Practical Steps: How can you “step out in faith” to strengthen
your ability to run? What we make time for each day helps us to
be “on our marks and get set” to run. Answer the following to help
assess your daily readiness:
My place to connect with God is__________________.
My time to connect with God is__________________.
My tools to connect with God are:
Throw off that which distracts you.
From the following passages, make a list of the things that might
“hinder” or “entangle “ you: Colossians 3:5-11, 1 Timothy 6:10,
and 1John 2:15-16.
Persevere in the race marked out for you.
After reviewing your notes, where would you say God is trying to
build your character?
Focus on the One who loves you.
How do the following passages express Christ’s love for you and
how do they affect your focus? John 15:13, Romans 5:6-8,
2 Corinthians 5:14-15.
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TIME to RUN – February 1, 2009
Hebrews 12:1-2*
“Running the race” is a metaphor for Spiritual Growth.
Throw Off Everything that Hinders
I. What Hinders
Question: What would hinder my spiritual growth?
1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”
Answer: Anything that captures my affection more than God.
1. The cravings of sinful man—pleasures. When pleasing myself is more important than pleasing God.
2. The lust of his eyes—possessions. When possessions become obsessions.
3. The boasting of what he has and does —pride and power. When I think what I have and do makes me better than others.
II. How to Throw Off What Hinders.
Step 1: Evaluation of everything in the light of God’s truth.
1Thessalonians 5:21-22 “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.”
1Corinthians 10:23 “ ‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is beneficial… not everything is constructive.”
Ask yourself:
1. Does it cause me to lose sight of my love for God?
1John 2:15a “Do not love the world or anything in the world.”
2. Does it cause me to lose sight of what is eternal?
1John 2:17 “The world and its desires pass away, but the man
who does the will of God lives forever.”
See Luke 14:26 (Contemporary English Version—CEV)
Matthew 22:36-40 “ ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”
Step 2: Elimination of everything that hinders.
We must employ the value of planned abandonment.
Titus 2:11-13 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…”
1. Decide what you need to eliminate. Look at your passions, possessions and pride.
2. Determine when you will eliminate it. Look at your schedule.
Ephesians 5:16 “Make the best use of your time despite all the difficulties these days.” (Phillips Translation—Ph)
3. Decide who you will tell. Look for accountability.
Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
4. Determine what will replace it. Look for what is better. (Illustration of Mary and Martha)
Luke 10:42 “… Mary has chosen what is better…”
This Week’s Assignments:
If we are going to throw off (eliminate) everything that hinders us,
then we need to be willing to look at anything that could hinder
us. Stephen Paul says, “The space for what you want is already filled
with what you settle for instead” and “Every time you say no to
something limiting you, create space for something better.”
Take some time this week and read Galatians 5:16-24, using the
“Elimination” instructions from your notes, answer the question,
what needs to be eliminated? Some things in our life are clearly wrong, others are not so clear.
What things in your life are not bad but they are hindering your
walk with God? Think about what you are passionate about, like
sports, a hobby, a pleasure and evaluate if it’s hindering you. Do
the same with your possessions and what you feel prideful about.
Add these to your list of what might need elimination.
Now, as you look over your list, when do these things happen in
your schedule? Are they good things but not what is best? Do
you need to eliminate them completely or partially?
If you want to truly throw off some of these things, you will need
two more critical components for your plan to be successful. You
will need accountability or support and you’ll need to determine
what will take their place. Who do you know who would accept your discoveries and be a
support for the change and growth you are seeking? Make a list
of possible people, anyone who might be a good fit for you. Then
decide who you want to ask for support and do it. Let them know
how often they should check in with you. Finally, what will you replace with what you are eliminating?
Read and meditate on the following passages for insight and
inspiration, to make your list: Colossians 3:1-17 & 1Peter 4:1-11.
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TIME to RUN – February 8. 2009
Hebrews 12:1-3*
Running the race is a metaphor for the Spiritual Conditioning
In Review:
Recognize God’s principle of ownership.
1Chronicles 29:11 “Everything in the heavens and earth is yours,
O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being in control
of everything. ” (The Living Bible—LB)
Reorganize around God’s principle of stewardship.
Reorganize my beliefs.
Reorganize my behaviors (habits).
How to throw Off Your
Financial Hindrance
I. Two Bad Beliefs
1. He had an overinflated view (belief) of wealth.
Luke 15:12 “The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ ”
1Timothy 6:10 “Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it.” (The Message—MSG)
2. He believed in instant gratification.
Luke 15:13a “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had…”
II. Two Bad Habits
1. He spent his money on wasteful things.
Luke 15:13b “…set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.”
Luke 15:30 “But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home…”
1Timothy 6:9 “… those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which pull them down to ruin and destruction.” (Good News Bible—GN)
2. He spent everything he had. He blew the budget.
Luke 15:14 “After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.”
Proverbs 21:20b “… the foolish man spends whatever he gets.” (LB)
III. Two Good Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks
1. God will use a crisis to turn you around (to bring you to your senses).
Luke 15:17 “When he came to his senses…”
2Corinthians 7:10 “Distress that drives us to God does that. It
turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never
regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them
away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of
regrets.” (MSG)
2. God will be waiting to embrace you when you do.
Luke 15:20b “…his father saw him and was filled with compassion
for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed
him.”
Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to those whose hearts are
breaking; he rescues those who are humbly sorry for their
sins.” (LB)
This Week’s Assignments:
We spend a great deal of time making a living, which is good.
The danger lies in thinking that our net worth is equal to our self
worth or that our value as people is dependent on the amount of
valuables we possess.
From our study today of Luke 15, how can you relate to the prodigal
son and his financial mistakes. Look at the first 4 points. Have
you successfully thrown off these cultural norms or have they hindered
your spiritual focus?
In our series SIMPLIFY, we laid out a challenge to “Live on
Less,” the “L” in SIMPLIFY. Gande said, “God has provided
enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed. When
we feed our lust to live on more, we reduce our capacity to live
on less. When we buy into culture’s value system, it hinders our
spiritual growth. How have you been hindered by the choices the
prodigal son made? Look at each of his “bad beliefs” and “bad
habits.” Rate yourself 1-10, 1 being not true and 10, being very
true.
Do you think you have “come to your senses” or are you still
struggling to change your beliefs and habits?
Look up the following passages and match each passage to one
of the bad beliefs or bad habits: Proverbs 20:15, 23:23, Proverbs
22:7, Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 12.
From the following Scriptures, what do you need to do to receive
God’s help? 1 Peter 5:5-9.
If you need help with your finances, we are still accepting signups
for classes where you can receive the help you need to
throw off what is financially hindering you. Fill out your welcome
card and specifically ask for someone to call you about the
upcoming Crown Financial Course.
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TIME to RUN – February 15, 2009
Hebrews 12:1-3*
“Running the race is a metaphor for the Spiritual Conditioning”
In Review:
Recognize God’s principle of ownership.
Reorganize around God’s principle of stewardship.
Reorganize my beliefs.
Reorganize my behaviors (habits).
How to throw Off Your
Financial Hindrance
Luke 15:11-24
I. What to Learn From Hard Times
1. Anticipate hard times. (Belief)
John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may
have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I
have overcome the world.”
Luke 15:14b “… there was a severe famine in that whole country,
and he began to be in need.”
Build a savings account. (Behavior)
Proverbs 21:20 “The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish
man spends whatever he gets.” (The Living Bible—LB)
2. Work wherever you can. (Behavior)
Luke 15:15 “So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that
country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.”
Believers serve with humility. (Belief)
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Romans 12:3 “… Do not think of yourself more highly than you
ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment…”
Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your
heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that
you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the
Lord Christ you are serving.”
3. Take responsibility. (Belief)
Luke 15:17a “When he finally came to his senses he said to
himself…” (LB)
That’s called “self-talk”
Our self-talk is a reflection of what we
believe and it effects how we behave.
Step One: Assess where you are.
Luke 15:17b “How many of my fathers hired men have food to
spare and here I am starving to death!”
Step Two: Tell yourself the truth.
John 8:31-32 “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If
you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you
will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
II. Four Truth Statements
1. I can move forward.
Luke 15:18a “I will set out and go…”
2. I can own my mistakes.
Luke 15:18b “… I have sinned against heaven and against you.”
3. I can refuse to procrastinate.
Luke 15:20a “So he got up and went…”
4. I can accept help.
Luke 15:20, 22-23 “But while he was still a long way off, his father
saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his
son, threw his arms around him and kissed him… But the father
said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him.
Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened
calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.’ ”
Step Three: Make time to do it.
This Week’s Assignments:
We are living in unprecedented times. The nuances to our economic issues are without certain remedy. Our new president and his treasure secretary, Timothy Geithner are seeking to implement a package that will start to fuel our limping economy. We pray for success but there are no guarantees.
Most of us are feeling motivation to do some things differently, to evaluate our current habits and how we manage (steward) our resources. At a foundational level, the bottom of the triangle, we should be asking ourselves, why? Is it because of fear, induced by our current crisis, or is it because of faith that God blesses good stewardship? Until we come to the biblical conviction that we should live on less, we will continue to lust for more.
The prodigal son came to grips with his own greed and wasteful lifestyle only after he lost it all. Looking at the lessons he learned, what can you translate into your own experience and where are you now?
If you believe that you should never experience hard times or difficulty, how does that hinder you from facing those challenges in faith? Our God promises to help us, grow us, and provide for us in times of suffering. (See James 1:2-3 and Romans 5:3-5) When we really believe differently, we behave differently.
Take a sheet of paper and make three columns. In the first column write “Beliefs and Values”, second column, “Self-Talk” and the third column, “Behavior & Habits.” Take each point from your notes and write out what you believe about each, i.e., saving money, working wherever you can and taking responsibility. Then write out what your “self-talk” is about that topic or lesson. Then, what is your behavior?
Most likely, what you’ll begin to see is that your self-talk drives your behavior more than what you think you believe. You might say you believe in “savings” but if your self-talk is: “I don’t have anything to save”, “I have to eat out”, or “I can’t live on a budget, it’s too restricting.” Then clearly you have talked yourself out of saving money and your behavior shows what you really believe. How can you reorganize your beliefs and then discipline your self-talk to coincide with what you believe? When they match, your behavior also begins to match. Be aware, to do the above exercise will take TIME.
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TIME TO RUN-February 22, 2009
Hebrews 12:1-3*
How to Throw Off the Sin that So Easily Entangles
Romans 7:15 “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do
what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” (New
Living Translation—NLT)
I. What Entangles—Evaluation:
Psalm 26:2 “Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind…”
1. Understand your history of temptation.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 “So, if you think you are standing firm, be
careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except
what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be
tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he
will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
Hebrews 11:25 says that there is pleasure in sin for a short time.
When are you tempted? ___________
How
much time are you preoccupied by temptation? (The bait) ___________
Where are you when tempted? ___________
What are you tempted by? ___________
Why are you tempted? What is the temporary benefit? What is your self –talk around your specific temptation?___________
2. Understand your pattern of temptation.
James 1:13-15 “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
Desire crosses the line. (Deception and rationalizing kick in.)
Verse 14a “… but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire…”
Discernment is gone. (Entanglement has happened.)
Verse 14b “… he is dragged away and enticed.”
Disobedience takes place. (The deed is done.)
Verse 15a “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin…”
Destruction is the result. (The end is no fun. Keep the end in mind.)
Verse 15b “… and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
3. Understand your vulnerability to temptation.
Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.
| 1. Physically exhausted | 0 1 2 4 | Energetic/In shape |
| 2. Discouraged/Pessimistic | 0 1 2 4 | Encouraged/Optimistic |
| 3. Geographically distant/Alone | 0 1 2 4 | Near/Together |
| 4. Insecure/Unsure | 0 1 2 4 | Secure/Confident |
| 5. Deeply wounded/Hurt | 0 1 2 4 | Loved/Understood |
| 6. Secretly bitter/Angry | 0 1 2 4 | Living in forgiveness |
| 7. Deeply sad | 0 1 2 4 | Happy camper |
| 8. Alienated/Unsupported | 0 1 2 4 | Close/Supported |
| 9. Bored/Discontent | 0 1 2 4 | Challenged/Content |
| 10. Spiritually dry/Empty | 0 1 2 4 | Spiritually growing |
II. Join Us Next Week as we look at Part Two: Elimination
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This Week’s Assignments:
As you evaluate your own history pattern and vulnerability to temptation,
take a few minutes this week to truly search your heart. You may want to
journal your answers and it is always beneficial to share with a trusted
group or friend. We never win the battle with temptation alone.
Based on the following passages, why would it be beneficial to evaluate
or examine our hearts and minds? Look up Psalm 26:2, Psalm 139:23
and Jeremiah 17:9. The Psalm 139 passage speaks to our anxiety. What
connection do you think there is between your anxiety and your temptation?
Looking back over your own history of temptation, can you answer each
of the questions under Point #1 of your sermon notes? What is your selftalk
around the bait that you are drawn to? What does your self-talk
reveal that you believe concerning your area of weakness? What
temporary benefits or pleasures do you get when you give in to temptation?
Once you understand your history, you can better understand your
pattern (Point #2). We are all much more predictable than we would like
to think. We will follow the same patterns because we are creatures of
habit. Look at the following cycle and apply it to your own set of struggles,
issues or temptations.
How does the cycle or pattern that James describes under Point #2 of
your notes compare to the above cycle? How does self-talk foster these
patterns? What is some of your self-talk that needs to change?
When we understand what kind of things heighten our vulnerability (Point
#3), we can more proactively intercept our patterns. Take the assessment
under Point #3 and evaluate your current vulnerability. Total your score:
35-40=Pretty good.
25-35=You are vulnerable!
15-25=You are in danger!
Share with someone you trust what you have learned from doing today’s
evaluation.
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TIME TO RUN – March 01, 2009
Hebrews 12:1-3*
How to Throw Off the Sin that So Easily Entangles
Part II—Elimination
1. Run from temptation.
2 Timothy 2:22 “Run from temptations …”
(Contemporary English Version—CEV)
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”
›Throw off pride.
Proverbs 16:18 “First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.” (The Message—MSG)
›Own it.
Psalms 32:4-5 “All day and all night your hand was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins … and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, ‘I will confess them to the Lord.’ ” (The Living Bible—LB)
2. Run to God.
Revelation 3:19 “The people I love, I… prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!” (MSG)
Hebrews 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…”
1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
›Throw off fear.
Hebrews 4:15-16 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one (Jesus) who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
›Confess it to God.
Proverbs 28:13 “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” (New King James Version—NKJV)
3. Run with the right crowd.
1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’ ”
Proverbs 13:20 “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.”
›Throw off bad relationships.
James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
›Confess it to others.Rethink what runs through your head.
Proverbs 23:7a “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he… ”
(King James Version—KJV)
Romans 12:1-2 “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (MSG)
4. Replace it.
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This Week’s Assignments:
Last week we did some pretty extensive evaluation to better understand the sin that can entangle us. Today we are focusing on how to eliminate (throw off) that sin. Our notes give us four things to do: Run from temptation , run to God, run with the right crowd and rethink what runs through your head. Take a few minutes to follow these steps.
Looking back at your evaluation from last week what is your sin that entangles you? How has pride kept you from dealing with (throwing off) this area of struggle? Look up the following verses about pride and list what scriptures say to do about it: Proverbs 11:2; 16;18; 29:23; 1Peter 5:5 and James 4:3-10. As you look at each of the following points come back and ask yourself how pride affects each one.
When we fix our eyes on Jesus and run to God, we will have much less time to be entangled in destructive behavior. What happens to you when you are not focused on your relationship with God? Have you ever consistently, day after day, focus on your relationship with Christ? How often do you practice confession to God? Do you recognize that the Bible says you can go directly to God for forgiveness? This week try to make confession a daily exercise. Each night before you retire, take a few moments to review your day and confess anything that didn’t go well and thank Him for what did go well.
Running with the right crowd might involve distancing yourself from the wrong crowd. We, as a church, do not want to reject our unchurched friends. In fact, we want to engage them in a spiritual dialogue. That being said, there are times in all of our lives when we need to evaluate our relationships and ask if they help or hinder our spiritual journey. Take a piece of paper and write out who you spend the most time with each week, then evaluate whether they help or hinder your walk with God. Is there anything that you need to adjust?
Your “self-talk”, your thinking, is one of the most critical areas of development. If you cannot arrest your lustful, jealous, envious or prideful thoughts, you’ll never be free from the sin that entangles you. What have you learned in this series about your self-talk? Try keeping a journal where you can record prominent messages that you tell yourself, then take some time to evaluate if those messages are in alignment with the truth of God’s word.
Share your discoveries with a small group or spiritual friend and get their feed back.
God bless you and you are in my prayers,
Pastor Jeff
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TIME TO Pray-March 08, 2009
The Priority of Prayer
Mark 1:28-38*
I. Question: What is Prayer?
To have authentic communication with God.
John 4:23-24 “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship.” (The Message—MSG)
II. Question: Why Pray? (What is the Goal of Prayer?)
To experience intimacy with God and direction in life. (John 15:11-16) Put on video John 15:11-16
III. Question: What happens when you Prioritize Prayer?
1. You make time to be alone with God (Jesus). We make time for solitude.
Verse 35 “Very early in the morning …”
Matthew 6:6 “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” (MSG)
Luke 5:16 “As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.” (MSG)
2. You learn to leave good things behind for what is best.
Verse 35 “Jesus… left the house…”
Philippians 1:9-10 “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best …”
Luke 10:41-42 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
3. You find courage to not stay where you are.
Verse 35 “Jesus got up… and went off to a solitary place and prayed.”
Mark 2:14 “As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.”
4. You find freedom from the expectations of others.
Verses 36-38 “Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’ Jesus replied, ‘Let us go somewhere else…’ ”
Galatians 1:10 “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
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This Week’s Assignments:
If we are going to know God and learn to hear him speak to us, which is both possible and healthy, it will require a commitment to prayer. Prayer will have to become a priority. Over the next month, we are going to grow in our understanding of what prayer is and how to increase our ability to authentically connect with God. Your connection can start today.
Take control of your time. Jesus seemed to prioritize time in the morning. I like mornings the most because my mind is the sharpest and there are fewer distractions. What about you? Try setting 15-30 minutes aside for solitude with God, in the morning, noon, or night, whatever works best for you. Stick with it each day.
Take a few minutes to meditate on the following Richard Foster quote:
“In experiences of solitude we gently press into the Holy of Holies, where we are sifted in the stillness. Painfully, we let go of the vain images of ourselves in charge of everything and everybody. Slowly, we loosen our grip on all those projects that to us seem so significant. Gently, we become more focused and simplified. Joyfully, we receive the nourishment of heavenly manna.”
Practice “Planned Abandonment.” You’ll struggle to prioritize your time with God if nothing is changed in your week. We need to determine what we’ll take out if we want to put something better in. Stephen Pauls said, “the place for what you want is already filled with what you’ve settled for instead.” And, “every time you let go of something limiting you create space for something better.”
What do you need courage for? Where is God calling you to go? You cannot stay where you are and go with God. Are there any changes you are feeling led to do? Try praying, talking to God, about those changes each day this week and seek to listen; to be attentive to what message He sends your way.
Where do you feel held captive by unhealthy expectations? As you are spending time alone with God this week, pick up a journal and begin to write out some of your thoughts, concerns, prayers and needs. Ask yourself, is there any place in my life where I am more concerned with what people think than with what God thinks? Where am I most anxious? What seems to be creating worry in my life? Take a few minutes each day to reread your sermon notes and look up Philippians 4:6-8 as an extra text to meditate on this week.
See you next week.
Love,
Pastor Jeff
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TIME TO Pray-March 15, 2009
1 Samuel 3:1-19*
The Process of Prayer
(Communicating with God)
I. What Has Changed
1. The frequency of God’s communication.
Verse 1b “In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17 “… pray continually;…”
1 John 4:15 “Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God.” (The Message—MSG)
2. The place of God’s communication.
Verse 3 “The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? ”
II. What Has Not Changed
To hear God:
1. We have to tune-in to His voice/word.
Verses 4-7 “The LORD called Samuel… again the LORD called… again… and again… ”
Mark 4:9 “Then Jesus said, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’ ”
Two appropriate questions:
1. How does God speak?
2. What prevents us from hearing?
* We’re set in our ways.
*We want to do our own thing.
Jeremiah 7:13, 24 “… I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer… But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward.” (NIV & NLT)
*We know about Him but don’t know Him.
Verse 7 “Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.”
2. We have to listen to His message.
Verse 9 “Samuel answered…Speak,… I’m … ready to listen.”
(MSG)
Matthew 11:15 “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” (NLT)
Two signs of a good listener:
> They know what was said.
Verse 17 “What did the LORD say to you? Tell me everything.”
(NLT)
> They can repeat what was said.
Verse 18 “So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn’t hold anything back.” (NLT)
3. We have to answer His call.
Verses 8b-9 “Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ ”
Two aspects to God’s call:
> An intimate relationship
Verse 19 “As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.” (NLT)
Verse 21 “The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.”
>An important job
4. We have to obey His message.
Verse 19 “The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.”
John 10:27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
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This Week’s Assignments:
The process of prayer, the journey that God calls us to, has not changed. He is always seeking people who will not only listen but who will enter into relationship with Him. Take a few minutes each day this week and review the points in your notes. You might take one point each day or review all of them each day.
What Has Not Changed
Point 1: Are you tuned-in to God or have you tuned Him out? Look up the following scriptures and ask yourself if any of the descriptions fit you: 2 Kings 17:11, Jeremiah 7:13 & 24, Matthew 13:13 & 15, John 4:47. Sometimes, we are not trying to rebel against God but because we are tuned into something other than God, we do not hear Him. How can you begin to tune-in to God and His word?
Point 2: How are you listening? How does listening well impact your important relationships? What skills do you think someone who listens well possesses? What do the following passages say about listening to God? Matthew 6:6, Psalms 46:10, 1 Kings 19:11-13.
Point 3: Hearing God is a part of the process but God wants an interactive relationship. He wants us to answer His call. There are always two aspects to God’s call: an intimate relationship with Him and a task or assignment from Him. Read 1 Samuel, chapters 1-3. While you do, look for God’s heart toward each character in the text: Hannah, Eli, Samuel and the others. Then look up the following New Testament passages and what they say about intimacy and assignments or tasks the Lord has for us: 1 John 15:5-16, 1 Peter 2:9-12, 2 Corinthians 5:19-21.
Point 4: What happens in a parent-child relationship when the child refuses to obey the parent? How is our obedience critical to our relationship with God? What do the following passages reflect about our relationship with God, Jesus, and/or God’s word? 1 Peter 1:17-24, John 14:21 & 23, 1 Peter 2:8.
Through the questions and scriptures you have looked at today, what do you think the Lord is saying to you? Find someone you trust to share what you think you might be hearing from God and get their input. Keep coming, keep listening and keep answering!
Love,
Pastor Jeff
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TIME TO Pray-March 22, 2009
The Places of Prayer
Where God Speaks
Job 33:14 “God does speak — sometimes one way and sometimes another — even though people may not understand it.” (New Century Version—NCV)
Five Places to Tune-in to God
1. God speaks through the good book.
2 Timothy 3:16-17* “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
2. God speaks through good teaching.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 “When we preached to you, you didn’t think of the words we spoke as being just our own, but you accepted what we said as the very word of God—which of course it was—and it changed your lives… ” (The Living Bible—LB)
1 Corinthians 2:13 “… we do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual truths … ” (Good News—GN)
3. God speaks through our good thoughts.
John 14:26 “… the Holy Spirit … will bring to your minds all that I have said to you.” (Phillips—PH)
Proverbs 20:27 “Our inner thoughts are a lamp from the LORD, and they search our hearts.” Contemporary English Version—CEV)
4. God speaks through good counsel.
Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.” (New American Standard—NAS)
Proverbs 11:14 “Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.” (The Message—MSG)
5. God speaks through painful experiences.
Proverbs 20:30 “Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.” (GN)
2 Corinthians 7:10-11 “Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets. And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you’ve come out of this with purity of heart.” (MSG)
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This Week’s Assignments:
God can speak anywhere and anytime but there are several places where he consistently communicates to those who are seeking Him. If we can tune God out, we can also tune-in to hear God better. As you review your notes this week, think about each way in which God speaks as a button on your spiritual radio. Just as you can push a button and tune into your favorite station, you can begin to pre-program yourself to tune-in to God’s voice.
The Good Book: What do the following passages say about how often we should tune-in to the scriptures/God’s Word and what are the benefits for those who do? Joshua 1:8, Psalms 18:30, Psalms 119:11, 16-18 and 1 Peter 1:22-24. Life Journals are available at the church office and Information Services. The Life Journal is a great way to develop the habit of listening for God’s voice to you daily. It provides an easy step-by-step process for connecting to and hearing the Lord.
Good Teaching: Just as there are many good teachers, there are also bad teachers. What are the warnings in the following passages and where and when do you tune-in to good teaching? Galatians 4:17, 1 Timothy 6:3, 2 Timothy 3:13, 2 Peter 2:3, Jude 1:8.
Good Thoughts: How are you learning to be aware of your thought patterns? Try keeping a thought journal, writing down your dominant thought patterns each hour. It takes only a few minutes to write down and you’ll find the places where your thoughts are aligned with God/truth or out of alignment. How do the passages instruct us to be mindful of what is going on in our thoughts? 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Colossians 3:1-2, Romans 12:1-2.
Good Counsel: Have you ever evaluated where you get your counsel? Who is influencing you? We are all influenced by others but we are not always mindful of who that is. Write out the five people or places (TV, FB, internet etc…) you are currently most influenced by. How would these align with God’s truth? What can you do with your time management to better connect to places of good counsel?
Painful Experiences: We don’t schedule ourselves for pain. That will come all on its own. The question you need to ask when pain does come is: What does God want to speak into my pain? What is my pain saying about my habits, my thoughts, my relationships, etc….
Take some time to evaluate each of these areas and ask yourself when do I MAKE TIME to hear, tune-in to God?
Love, Pastor Jeff
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TIME TO Pray-March 29, 2009
The Power of Prayer
Two Principles
> Prayer is not about getting what you want but purifying what you want.
> Prayer is not about getting to go your own way but learning to go God’s way.
Prayer is fundamentally turning toward God.
Genesis 32:1-31*
Verse 30 “So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘It is because I saw God face to face…’ ”
Hosea 12:3 “In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God.”
1. Prayer can turn a crisis into an opportunity
Verses 9-11 “Then Jacob prayed, ‘O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD… Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.”
Verses 22-25 “That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.”
>For God to use your crisis for His glory.
Proverbs 20:30 “Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways.”
Verse 26 “Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ ”
> For you to experience God’s blessing.
2. Prayer turns our deception into a confession.
Verse 10 “I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant.”
Verse 27 “The man asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Jacob,’ he answered.”
> Jacob means deceiver.
Proverbs 28:13 “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
> Confession is our ability to take off our masks.
Matthew 6:6 “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.”
(The Message—MSG)
3. Prayer turns us into who He wants us to be.
Verse 28 & 30-31 “Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men… So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘It is because I saw God face to face…’ The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.”
> Israel means Prince of God.
Prayer (our connection to God) changes:
> Our identity – who we are
> Our intimacy - who we love
> Our walk – what we do
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This Week’s Assignments:
The power of prayer is an often misunderstood energy source. We have learned through our series that when we prioritize prayer we begin a process of knowing God as our friend. That knowledge has the power to transform the way we live but only if it is translated into experience. I can know in my head about the power of electricity but if I have not paid my electric bill, I’m going to be disconnected from that power. Many of us are living disconnected from God’s power because we have an unpaid debt of sin between us and God. When I confess my sin and accept Christ’s payment on the cross, I am immediately hooked up to God’s power source. That is an awesome discovery and has the power to illuminate everything I do. The problem of lacking spiritual energy persists as I continue to ignore the power source.
I can be hooked up to electricity but if I never flip the switch or fail to maintain the bulbs in my light sockets, I’ll still be living in the dark. Prayer is when I flip the switch. It’s the maintenance of my relationship with God.
How do the following passages enlighten or instruct us about God’s power source? 2 Peter 1:3, 2 Timothy 1:7, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, Colossians 1:10:11, Ephesians 3:17-20.
If prayer is fundamentally turning toward God, how can you practice turning toward God instead of other things? How does our own stubborn desire to do things our way and to get what we want interfere with prayer?
Have you ever turned from what you want and asked God to either purify your wants or give you what he wants? How did that go? How do these passages illustrate this kind of turning? Matthew 26:36-44, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
As you plug into prayer this week, seek to turn your thoughts, your attitude and your dependence to God. Give Him your crisis, small or large, confess anything that you’ve turned to, instead of Him and let God change you, one prayer at a time.
In His Love,
Pastor Jeff
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TIME TO Pray-April 5, 2009
The Problem of Unanswered Prayer
>Prayer is not about getting what you want but purifying what you want.
> Prayer is not about getting to go your own way but learning to go God’s way.
>Prayer is fundamentally turning toward God.
1 Peter 4:12 “Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job.” (The Message—MSG)
Isaiah 59:1* “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.”
1. Sometimes God says nothing.
Isaiah 59:2 “Your sins are the roadblock between you and … God. That’s why he doesn’t answer your prayers or let you see his face.” (Contemporary English Version—CEV)
>Reason: Because you’ve turned God off.
2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them …” (CEV)
* Spiritual Discipline: Confession
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
2. Sometimes you think God says yes.
Isaiah 44:20 “… Their own misguided minds lead them astray.”
(God’s Word—GW)
> Reason: Because your hearing is off.
1 John 4:1 “My dear friends, don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God.” (MSG)
* Spiritual Discipline: Test what you hear.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 “… test everything that is said to be sure it is true, and if it is, then accept it.” (The Living Bible—LB)
3. Sometimes God says no.
Mark 10:35-37 “James and John…came up to him. ‘Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us.’ What is it?… ‘Arrange it,’ they said, ‘so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory—one of us at your right, the other at your left.’ ” (MSG)
>Reason: Because your request is off.
> Reason: Because your motivation is off.
James 4:3 “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
* Spiritual Discipline: Discernment: of God’s heart
Romans 2:18 “By reading the Scriptures you learn how God wants you to behave, and you discover what is right.” (CEV)
Hebrews 5:14
Psalms 139:23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart;try me and know my anxious thoughts… ” (New American Standard Bible—NASB)
1 Corinthians 11:28 “Examine your motives, test your heart… ”
(MSG)
4. Sometimes God says not yet.
2 Corinthians 12:7-8 “Satan… did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees… At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that…” (MSG)
> Reason: Because your timing is off.
2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
* Spiritual Discipline: Surrender
Question: What is surrender?
1. It’s letting go of control.
2. It’s perseverance plus trust.
3. It’s one day at a time.
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This Week’s Assignments:
As you grow in your ability to hear God’s voice, you will inevitably run into times when you feel like God is not there and He is not answering your prayers. Don’t be discouraged. There may be a very clear reason you feel so disconnected. Remember that your feelings are important but they are not an accurate gauge of reality. Give yourself permission to feel and then seek to understand what your predominant thought patterns are. Spiritual disciplines are the tools to retrain our thinking and our behavior. They are the practices necessary to increase our awareness of God’s presence and purposes. As we grow in our ability to maintain these practices, we find ourselves living out an increased realization of his peace and power.
Take some time to review each of the points in this week’s message and evaluate where you may be “off.” Look up the related scriptures and try practicing each of the disciplines.
Point 1: Have you turned God off? Turned away from Him and been living without a commitment or connection to Christ? Just as “prayer” is turning toward God, “sin” is turning away from God. (See Isaiah 53:6 and 50:5) How do the following passages instruct us to confess and what are the benefits when we do? (1 John 1:9, Proverbs 28:13 and James 5:16) Take a few moments and confess to your Heavenly Father where you’ve turned away from Him and humbly ask Him to purify your heart. Find someone you trust and share a confession with them and ask if they would pray for you.
Point 2: What might you believe is from God, that is in fact, not God at all? Are you deceiving yourself in any area of your life? Are you spiritually gullible or do you test what you hear? Without a good understanding of the scriptures, it will be difficult to test what you hear. Look up 2 Timothy 2:15. Think about this passage and then make a list of 3 things you can do to be more equipped to test what you hear.
Point 3: Meditate on the verses under Point 3 and the David Benner quote below and then try and list out what “markers” are in your life that can help you recognize when you are turning away from God.
Point 4: “Not yet” is probably the answer we most often get from God when our heart is generally good. This is because we are all under spiritual construction. The work God wants to do in you will only be accomplished as you learn to surrender to Him. How did Mary and Martha, in John 11, deal with their request, not being answered on their time frame. What was God’s bigger picture? How does Romans 5:1-5 relate to surrender and trust? Set aside some time and write out the Serenity Prayer and then work to memorize it. Do this by simply reading it once a day for the next month. That’s all it takes. Then you have a new tool ready to use any time you need it.
In His Love,
Pastor Jeff
