Sermon Outlines
by Allan Larson
Character – Tenacity
1 King 19:19.
12 yoke of oxen and Elisha alone was driving the 12th pair (24 in all).
Tenacity (stubborn and firm stick-to-it-ness).
Christians should keep on keeping on (at the homeless mission stay clean and
sober).
“Once you put your hand to plow, hold on”. Luke 9:62
Rom 8:1 no condemnation if we let go of the plow.
1 John 1:9
If we fall, repent and get back on the path; take hold of the plow.
1 Corinthians 1:8-9 (another translation: faithful is He who called who also
will do it).
We can rest in God’s promise that He called us to be Christians and will give
us the necessary strength to mature as Christians and stay on the path.
SUMMARY:
We have the character of Jesus, so within a
Christian we have this character to help us in our Christian walk.
The Buyer Sets the Price
1 Cor. 6:20
I tried to sell my 1963 Ford Van for $1000, but buyer said $200.
No matter how valuable the owner thinks the property is worth, it is the
buyer that determines its worth.
God did not buy our salvation with gold, silver, land (planets), or cattle
God bought our salvation with the death burial and resurrection of His Son
Jesus.
Jesus’ Life was without sin:
-- Over 30 years walked without sin; every second He chose God’s will.
-- Jesus was motivated to walk this perfect walk by His love for us.
-- Jesus was the sinless ultimate sacrifice to take our place and
fulfill God’s law for us.
As Christian’s we should have great self-esteem knowing the price God paid
for our salvation.
SUMMARY:
The buyer (God) set the price of our salvation with His best!
A King’s Love
A fictional story I heard once somewhat describes the reasoning behind why
Jesus die for us, which is basically His love for mankind.
A long time ago a fictional king in a fictional kingdom made a law that
anyone committing adultery will have both of his eyes put out. Many months
went by and then the king’s own son was caught committing adultery.
The king loved his son and didn't want him totally blind, but he had made the
law. After many days of prayerful thought, he told the people of his
kingdom that he loved his son but my son is not above the law. So the king
order that one his son’s eye be put out and one of this own eyes.
The king did this to demonstrate his loved for his son, but still honored and
full-fill the law the king created.
In parallel to this fictional story, God made a law with mankind that the soul that sins will die. After making this law man sinned.
However, God loved man even in his sinful, rebellious condition, so God said
I will send my Son Jesus to fulfill the law for mankind (living on earth without
sin) and then become a sacrifice and substitute for the sins of mankind.
Rom 5:8
SUMMARY:
John 3:16 – 17
ABC’s of Salvation
For you who haven’t made the decision to become a Christian, I would like to briefly introduce you to the way. Also you can use this to lead another to the Christianity.
ABC’s of Salvation: Admit, Believe, and Confess.
(It is sometime called “The Roman’s Road to Salvation” since the main
scriptures are taken from the book of Roman’s).
ADMIT: ROM 3:23
· Admit we have sinned.
· Admit the God has the right to govern
His creation.
· Admit that we have disobeyed our
creator
· Admit we deserve the penalty for our
sins.
BELIEVE: ROM 5:8 `
(ACTS 16:31)
· Believe Jesus met God’s requirement to
erase the sins of mankind.
· Believe as sin entered the world
through the one man Adam, sin was removed from the world through the one man
Christ Jesus.
· Believe this in your heart not just
your head. We can miss God’s Kingdom by 18 inches (the distance from our
head to our heart).
CONFESS: ROM 10:9-10 (1 John 1:9)
· How do you know if you Believe: (MATT
12:34) for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, which is
to confess your belief.
· What is inside of you will come out in
many ways: speech, body language, and attitude (if deaf, it could be
sign-language).
· The excitement and joy of experiencing
God forgiveness should cause you to want to tell others.
SUMMARY:
Redemption – hear and now
2 Peter 1:3.
God had provided for us in every area of our lives not just after death.
Christianity is more than “fire insurance”; it has benefits in this life too.
Redeem from law: Gal. 3:13 -14
Blessings of
Other blessings:
Romans: 8: 1, 11, 28, 31, 37, 39
1 Cor. 15:57
2 Cor. 2:14
James 1:5
SUMMARY:
2 Peter 1:3.
God had provided for us in every area of our lives.
Forgiveness
Becoming a Christian (being SAVED) is the first step: believe and receive
God’s forgiveness.
Christianity is a continued growth in accepting God’s forgiveness.
1. SAVED in Greek three tenses:
PAST: You were saved (became a
Christian).
PRESENT: You are saved (today).
FUTURE: You are maturing in the future.
2. The word Saved implies at lot of
things:
Saved from hell.
Saved from not fellowshipping with our
creator, God.
Saved from the curse of sin, sickness, and
disease that were the result of the fall of mankind.
Saved from bitterness and un-forgiveness.
Rom 8:1. No self condemnation as a Christian.
Initially we receive forgiveness from God through Jesus, but it is still a growing process in our own lives because we often don’t forgive ourselves of our sins:
PAST - Initial Salvation
PRESENT - 1 John 1:9
Rom 9:31 - 33
We try to earn our forgiveness through works. Forgiveness is a
free gift from God.
One of the main aspects of Christianity is receiving forgive from God without
earning it or expecting to earn it in the future. Other religions require
you to earn favors with God through works.
If we say God forgave me, but continue to not forgive ourselves we are
somewhat saying God isn’t big enough to for all my many sins.
Forgive yourself. God forgave you, so believe Him.
Also we must forgive others as Jesus forgave us.
Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not
be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will
be forgiven.
Some say un-forgiveness and bitterness in a
constant pressure on our bodies. Like a car motor running at full speed
all the time. Our bodies were not made for this constant pressure.
SUMMARY:
As Christians let’s walk a walk of forgiven: God’s
forgiveness, forgiving ourselves, and forgiving others.
Faith
Substance = grounds or confidence
Hope = the anxious expectation of something
good.
John 3:16 – We hope God will forgive our sins and we have the
grounds and confidence for this because of His word.
Faith is simply taking God at His word and believing His word applies to us.
Faith: “It is not try; it is trust”.
Faith: “It is not your faith; it is His faithfulness”.
Heb 11 2-f By faith……
(From Genesis to Revelations) Rom 1:17 – the just shall live by faith.
We can trust God and place our faith in Him that his Word (Jesus) is true
because He never changes: Heb 13:8 “Jesus is the same yesterday, today,
and forever.”
Rom 4 says we can have faith that God forgave us from our sins without us
earning it. However faith will produce works, but we cannot earn God’s
forgiveness: James 2:26.
Mark 11:22-25. Pray to God and believe that God will act on your
request. Also un-forgiveness will hinder your prayers.
Matt 17:20. Perseverance: Pray and believe and receive it.
If you really believe, your confession will be in agreement with what God’s Word
says about your request. Example: pray for God to heal your body,
but do not say things like, “I prayed but I don’t think God wants to heal me”.
Agree with God!
Luke 6:45 – what is in our heart comes out our mouth.
Faith is like a mustard seed. This small seed can be planted and will
overcome rocks and hard dirt to become a very large tree. Faith perseveres
and overcome obstacles.
SUMMARY:
How do you increase your faith? Rom 10:17.
READ THE BIBLE.
2 Cor 5:7 – Live by faith not by sight. (Abraham was old,
but believed God)
1 John 5:4 - We overcome failures and have victory in our
lives through faith.
Luke 1:37 - Nothing is impossible with God.
Praise and Worship
SING: Amazing Grace. (Guitar then Trumpet)
Amazing Grace is a traditional song.
SING: Hallelujah
This Hallelujah song is a modern day song.
Different types of worship:
In Memphis TN Before I got married, I regularly attended a
Pentecostal type Church. A black brother that attend there was single too, so we helped with expenses by sharing a multi-bedroom apartment together.
He was an assistant pastor at a small Church called “True
Holiness of the One God of the Apostolic Faith”. Later he changed the name
to “True Holiness”.
At these Churches they dance, clap, and raise their hands during praise and worship. Peek marks in the floors (300 pound women dancing in high-heal about 1000 pounds per square inch). :-)
The Bible teaches us many ways to worship God:
2 Sam 6: 16 and 20-23.
A Church without
sincere praise and worship with not grow (no children).
We shout and
jump-up-and-down at sports like Football, so why shouldn’t we get excited about
God?
SING: Victory In Jesus
PS 150 (the last of the Psalms)
Praise God on many instruments.
The Old Testament is the only book the earlier Christian Church had and God
never changes (Heb 13:8), so God still desires this type of praise and worship.
SUMMARY:
PS 100
Praise God with a thoughtful and grateful heart.
Encouragement
Rom 10:17. We get encouraged reading God’s Word.
Matt.19:26. With man this is impossible but with God all things are
possible.
What does God’s word say about us as Christians?
I will read a lot of scriptures and they will encourage us. Remember
how you feel right now and after I am through reading, see if you do not feel
better.
Nehemiah 8:10. The joy of the Lord is your strength.
Psalm 18:30-32. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is
flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God
besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms
me with strength and makes my way perfect.
Psalm 23. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me
lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my
soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I
walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are
with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will
dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 55:22. Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will
never let the righteous fall.
Isaiah 58:9. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry
for help, and he will say: Here am I.
Isaiah 59:1. Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor
his ear too dull to hear.
Matt.6:25-33. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life what you
will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more
important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds
of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you
by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about
clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I
tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of
these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today
and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not more clothe you, O you of
little faith? So do not worry, saying "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we
drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things and
your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and
his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well. Therefore do
not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own.
Matt.19:26. With man this is impossible but with God all things are
possible.
Romans 8:1. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus...
Romans 8:11. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is
living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.
Romans 8:28. And we know that in all things God works for the good of
those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:31. ...If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:35-39. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved
us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of
God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we
are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light
and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs
them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For
what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Galatians 3:13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by
becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a
tree."
Galatians 6:9. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Philippians 4:13. I can do everything through him who gives me
strength.
Philippians 4:19. And my God will meet all your needs according to his
glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:7. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of
power, of love and of self-discipline.
James 1:5. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
James 4:7. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will
flee from you.
James 5:16. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
1 Peter 2:9. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who
called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:24. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that
we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been
healed.
1 Peter 5:7. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
SUMMARY:
Do you feel better than you did before I read God’s
Words of encouragement?
Rom 10:17. Whatever comes your way in life,
quote what God’s Word says about you and the circumstances.
Isaiah 43:2. When you pass through the
waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they
will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be
burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Note we may go through a problem, but it
doesn’t say we are staying in the problem!
Encouragement Handout:
Romans 10:17. We get encouraged reading God’s Word.
Nehemiah 8:10. The joy of the Lord is your strength.
Psalm 18:30-32. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the
LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who
is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who
arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
Psalm 23. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He
makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he
restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no
evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare
a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my
cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalm 55:22. Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain
you; he will never let the righteous fall.
Isaiah 58:9. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you
will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
Isaiah 59:1. Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to
save, nor his ear too dull to hear.
Matt.6:25-33. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life
what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life
more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the
birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you
by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about
clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I
tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of
these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today
and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not more clothe you, O you of
little faith? So do not worry, saying "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we
drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things and
your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and
his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well. Therefore do
not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own.
Matt.19:26. With man this is impossible but with God all things
are possible.
Romans 8:1. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus...
Romans 8:11. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the
dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to
your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.
Romans 8:28. And we know that in all things God works for the
good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:31. ...If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:35-39. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or
sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who
loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor
depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord
1 Corinthians 15:57. But thanks be to God! He gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though
outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For
our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far
outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is
unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Galatians 3:13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by
becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a
tree."
Galatians 6:9. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the
proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Philippians 4:13. I can do everything through him who gives me
strength.
Philippians 4:19. And my God will meet all your needs according
to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:7. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but
a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
James 1:5. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who
gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
James 4:7. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
James 5:16. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and
effective.
1 Peter 2:9. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:24. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,
so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have
been healed.
1 Peter 5:7. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for
you.
Romans 10:17. We get encouraged reading God’s Word.
Love
1 COR 13:13: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the
greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13 is the chapter that speaks of Love. (don’t read if no
time).
Love means following God’s commandments: 2 John 6.
Human love is selfish and Divine love is unselfish and giving.
John 13:34-35, Romans 5:5, John 3:16
Love is about others: 1 John 2:9-10
The English language only has one word for Love. The five Greek words
for love:
a. a-gapa-o is referred to as divine love.
b. phi-le-o is referred to as friendship love.
c. e-ra-o is referred to as romantic love.
d. e-pit-hum-e-o is referred to as sexual love.
e. stor-ge-o is referred to as family love
Like other aspects of Christianity, God meets us where we are at. Here
is a script that uses different Greek words for Love:
John 21:15-17. After they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon
son of John, do you spiritually love (agapao) me more than these others do?"
"Yes, Lord," he answered, "you know that I love you as a friend (phileo)." Jesus
said to him, "Take care of my lambs." [16] A second time Jesus said to him,
"Simon son of John, do you spiritually love (agapao) me?" "Yes, Lord," he
answered, "you know that I love you as a friend (phileo)." Jesus said to him,
"Take care of my sheep." [17] A third time Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do
you love me as a friend (phileo)?" Peter became sad because Jesus asked him the
third time, "Do you love me as a friend (phileo)?" and so he said to him, "Lord,
you know everything; you know that I love you as a friend (phileo)!" Jesus said
to him, "Take care of my sheep."
The Christian Love is agapao.
1 John 4:7. Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
SUMMARY:
1 COR 13-2, 1 COR 13-13
To have Faith in someone you have to believe their word.
The Bible:
· The written word of God.
· God’s revelation of Himself to
mankind.
· Teaches and guides us into all truth.
· A supernatural book:
-- Originated from God.
-- Chosen men inspirited by God and moved
by the Holy Spirit.
· The most publish book in the world
through out history.
Rom 10:17. Like physical food is to our body, the Bible is Spiritual
food for us.
John 1:1-5. God and His word are the same.
John 1:14. Jesus is the Word.
The Bible will never be obsolete:
PS 89:34, Matt 24:35, PS 119:89
(read the 22 Hebrew alphabet characters PS119).
The nature of God's Word is truth:
Rom 3:4, John 17:17
We can trust God’s Word and it is reliable.
Heb 6:18, Num 23:19
The Word of God releases life:
Heb 4:12, PS 107:20
Get the Word into our lives:
· Read and mediate:
· Words helps us grow: Matt 4:4,
1 Pet 2:2
The Word gives us understanding:
PS 119:130, PS 119:105
SUMMARY:
PS 19:7-8
The Word of God; you can place your trust in it!
Righteousness = Right standing with God.
We have been made righteous through Jesus: 2 COR 5:21.
We receive righteousness through faith in Jesus: ROM 3:21-24.
We have no condemnation as Christians: ROM 8:1-2.
We are made righteous by faith: ROM 1:17.
The word justified is the same as righteousness: ROM 5:1-2.
Righteousness is a gift: ROM 5:17.
Jesus is our righteousness: 1 COR 1:30.
God accepts us as righteous if we accept His Son Jesus: ROM 3:25-26.
SUMMARY:
We live in a new covenant. The Old Testament
was judgment and guilt, but Jesus ushered in a new covenant. Jesus is the
high priest of this new covenant where we are to walk without guilt and fear of
judgment. HEB 10:12-14
HEB 4:16: We can come into God’s present as sons.
Mark 10: 45.
We must follow the example of Jesus, who came into this world to serve
and ultimately give His life for many.
Matt. 20:25 – 27
If you want to be a good citizen of God’s Kingdom, server others.
As Christians we must server God and our fellowman (Christians and
non-Christians).
SERVE NON-CHRISTIANS:
Matt. 9:35 – 38
Severing our fellow man is having a concern for their
eternal soul. Jesus exhorts us to go into the harvest and bring souls into
God’s Kingdom.
Mark 16:15 and Matt 28:19 – Go into all the world and proclaim the good news
of Jesus.
2 Cor. 5:17 – 20.
We are all called to be witnesses for Christ.
As ambassadors for Christ, we represent Jesus.
1 Cor 9:19 – 23.
To represent Jesus and win souls into God’s
Kingdom, we must server our fellowman.
SERVE CHRISTIANS:
Gal 5:13 - 14
We are also called to serve each other
in the Church.
1 Cor 12:27 – 28
God has equipped the Church with
individual gifts, so we can serve each other.
SUMMARY:
Acts 20:35 - Better to give than receive.
Rom 2:4
It is the “kindness of God” that leads men to
repentance. If we server we will show God’s kindness and the character of
Jesus.
Work In Progress
2 Thess 3.3
Stay on the path and God will complete the work He began in you by maturing
you into the image of His Son Jesus.
As a repair technicians we called items needing repair WIP, which is an
acronym for Work In Progress.
As Christian we are continually maturing and growing into the image of Jesus,
so we are a Work In Progress.
Part of growing is choosing God’s way rather than our own, so I remind myself
of the acronym for a Work In Progress is a painful word (wipe), and I try to
yield to God’s Will no matter how painful it is to my pride, personal goals, or
my will.
In the book of Exodus when
The Bible says that these historical events are written, so we could learn
from them: better to yield to God’s way than learn the hard way like
SUMMARY:
God can see over the next hill and around the next
corner in our lives, so if God is saying go this way and we don’t want too, best
choose His way.
Gal 5: 22 - 25
A Very Big God
The Jews, Christians, and Muslims, basically agree on the one God of Abraham.
One God unlike the Hindus who believe in many equal Gods.
Acts 17:24 – 28.
According to this God is everywhere and everything?
The Jews are so in awe of God that they write His name without the letter ‘G’
(_od) for respect and reverence.
Albert Einstein when he was old was asked by his nurse if he believed in God.
The nurse said, “Dr Einstein, haven’t you ever walked in the garden and talked
with God”? Dr Einstein reply, “sometimes I think God is the garden”.
Gen 2:7.
One interpretation of this scripture implies God spoke the creation into
existence, but God made man. Perhaps man is the only thing in God’s
creation that isn’t God Himself?
SUMMARY:
Mark 11: 22 – 24
If we have a big image of God and who He really is,
nothing is impossible with Him:
Even moving physical mountains; also mountains and
circumstances in our lives God can change with faith, patience, and time.
Patience
James 1:4
A man prayed, Lord give me patience and give it to me right now.
Hebrews 6:15
Abraham was told he would receive a son, but had to wait for God’s timing.
Daniel 10:13.
Daniel’s prayer was immediately answered, but it took 21 days to get
fulfilled as warfare raged in the heavenly on his behalf.
Prayer changes things immediately in the heavenly ream, so we must believe
and receive when we pray. However, often our confession defeats the
work being done on our behalf in the heavenly ream.
James 5:7
Prayer is like a farmer planting; the farm doesn’t go out every day and dig
up the ground to see the progress of the plant.
Rom 8:28
Our goals (prayer request) must be in line with God’s plans.
Is 46:10
First God sets the goal and He determines the steps that lead to it.
Ecclesiastes 10:10
Patient is also setting time aside to prepare for a something. I
dropped out of high school in the eleventh grade and join the military.
After getting my GED and going to college, I had to be patient and take some
basic non-required classes, so I wouldn’t have trouble with the college level
courses.
This is kind of like some of you at this mission, putting your lives on
hold while you get back firming back on you feet.
SUMMARY:
Hab 3:17 – 18
What do we do while we are patiently waiting?
Believe and praise the Lord for what he is doing today on our behalf.
Grasshoppers
Num 13:1-2
Num 13: 26-29 (don’t read; summarize), 30 – 33.
Faith agrees with God and His word.
Doubt causes: fear, giving up, and rebellion.
Fear:
Fear makes us forget God faithfulness in the past.
Giving Up:
Many of
Rebellion:
Other of
Num 14:9.
We must encourage ourselves in God’s word.
Rom 10:17.
Read God’s word to get Faith to overcome
giants in our lives.
Faith will cause us to soar; fear will make us sink.
Ex 16:2 – 3.
Sometime we must stand along if we embrace Faith.
Joshua and Caleb stood alone against the majority.
SUMMARY:
To move from a grasshopper to a giant killer
mentality:
1. Spend
time in God’s Word.
2.
Fellowship with Christian believers.
3.
Fellowship with God through prayer and meditation.
Eph 6:10 – 17
(The armor description is based on the Roman soldiers of that time)
As Christians we struggle not against the outward, but in the Spirit realm.
Dan 10: 12 – 13.
Prayer changes thing in the Spirit realm (the heavenliest).
If we change something in the spirit realm, the outward will follow.
The Armor:
2 Cor 5:21 –
Righteousness: we receive this from God.
Rom 10:9 – Confession:
telling others about Jesus.
Rom 10:17 – Faith: we
increase our faith by reading God’s Word.
Heb 4:12 & Rom 8:31 –
Overcoming: victory and rising above failures in our lives.
SUMMARY:
God provides the armor; it is up to us to put it on.
Words
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.”
Not true: name-calling, gossip, and bad words are very destructive.
Prov: 18:21
We should build each other up and not tear down.
Prov: 15:23; Prov: 25:11
Speak words of encouragement and blessing.
Prov: 26:27-28
The law of sowing and reaping apply: it you sow discord and
destruction, it will return to you.
Mark 11: 23; James 1: 6 - 7
Words affect our answers to our prayers.
If we pray to God for something, and later we speak words that contradict our
request, we are showing doubt not faith.
Good confessions are not positive-thinking, they reflects our heart and what
we actually believe.
To increase faith, read Gods Word: Rom 10:17
SUMMARY:
James 3:2-8
The tongue can only be controlled by filling our
hearts with faith in God and allowing God’s Holy Spirit to be in control of our
lives.
Speaking words of encouragement and blessing are
good for others and us as well.
Fill your heart with faith, and your mouth will
speak words of faith.
The Balance of Love and Forgiveness
Luke 7:46-48 “He who loves much is forgiven much”.
Although everyone is forgiven much, most often those that society has branded
as “bad” seem to embrace a deeper sense of appreciation for God’s forgiveness
through Jesus Christ. Rom 3:23 – “all have sin”.
James 2: 4 - 6
There isn’t anything else on our planet that favors the poor, down, and out,
but Christianity favors the lowly.
3 John 2
Once we become Christians, God doesn’t want us to remain poor, down, and out.
His promises in His Word will prosperous us spiritually and materially.
Acts 26:13-14 (Paul was not poor, down and out, but he fully realized his
sins).
The intensity of our initial conversion (as with Paul or receiving God’s
forgiveness in a big way) often sets our zeal for our Christian walk, but we are
not limited to this experience. We can grow in zeal even if our conversion
wasn’t very dramatic.
Perhaps we became a Christian at a young age and knew no evil or poverty.
We can still grow into a deeper relationship as God shows us areas in our lives
that are displeasing to Him. As we accept this and mature we also
acknowledge more and more how much Jesus forgave us, which leads to us loving
Him more.
2 Thess 1:3 (We all should continue to grow in love for God and each other).
SUMMARY:
Luke 7:47 “He who loves much is forgiven much”.
The degree which we acknowledge what Jesus did is
the measure of our love for Him.
Seek God through His Word and prayer. He will
reveal to us all that we all are were poor, down, and out without Him and in
need of a savor, which is Jesus Christ.
John 3:16
Promise for Every Believer – PART 1
God Cannot Lie: Num
23:19; Titus 1:2
Cannot Fail: Josh 23:14
Physical Healing: Ex 23:25
Total Blessing & Prosperity: Deut 28:1-14
Prosperity & Success: Josh 1:8
Forgiveness & Healing: Ps 103:1-5
Holy Spirit: Matt 3:11; John
7:37-39; Acts 2:38-39
Victorious Living: 1 Cor 15:57; II Cor 2:14
Daily Renewing: II Cor 4:16;
Is 40:31
Obtained Through Faith: Heb 11:33; 6:12 & 15; Heb 10:36
We obtain these promises through faith in God and His Word.
SUMMARY:
Rom 10:17. Build yourself up by reading the
Christian handbook: the Bible!
Promise for Every Believer – PART 2
God Cannot Lie: Num
23:19; Titus 1:2
Cannot Fail: Josh 23:14
Wisdom: I Cor 2:16; James 1:5
Prayer Answered: Mark 11:22-26; I John 5:14-15
Cleansing: John 15:3
Heirs to Every Promise: Gal 3:16 & 29
Rest: Heb 4:9 & 11
Victory: I John 5:4
Abundant Life: John 10:10
Eternal Life: John 6:28 - 40
Obtained Through Faith: Heb 11:33; 6:12 & 15; Heb 10:36
We obtain these promises through faith in God and His Word.
SUMMARY:
Rom 10:17. Build yourself up by reading the
Christian handbook: the Bible!
Doughnuts & Push-ups
A professor of religion asked an athletic student named Steve if he would
help him with a classroom experiment and could Steve do 200 push-ups.
Steve said yes, so the professor asked if Steve could do 300 push-ups 10 at a
time and Steve said yes.
During class the professor started to hand out doughnuts. He asked the
first student, Alice, if she would like a doughnut. She said yes.
The professor then told Steve to do 10 push-ups, so
The professor continued to hand out doughnuts and Steve would do 10 push-ups
for each student.
The professor then asked a student named Joe if he would like a doughnut.
Joe was athletic and said yes, but he would do his own push-ups. The
professor said no, only Steve is doing the push-ups. Joe said, in that
case no. The professor then told Steve, please to 10 push-ups for the
doughnut Joe refused to receive, so Steve did 10 push-ups. The professor
then laid the doughnut on Joe’s desk.
By now the professor had offered doughnuts to about 25 students and Steve was
starting to sweat and each push-up was very hard.
The professor then asked Susan if she wanted a doughnut, Susan started to cry
and said no and please do not make Steve do any more push-ups. The
professor said, sorry, but Steve please do 10 push-ups for the doughnut Susan
did not want. The professor then laid the doughnut on Susan’s desk.
The professor continued asking more students and each student refused the
doughnut because they were sad for Steve, but the professor told Steve to
continued doing the push-ups.
About this time some other students walked into the classroom and the
students told them to leave as they knew the professor would offer them a
doughnut and Steve would have to do more push-ups.
Final the last student number 35 was asked if he wanted a doughnut, but he
refuse and the professor told Steve to do just one more set of push-ups.
Steve did and fell to the floor exhausted.
The professor turned to the classroom and said, “And so it was, that our
Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, into thy hands I
comment my Spirit. Jesus had paid the cost and said, “It was finished”.
SUMMARY:
Like so many of the people in the classroom left an
uneaten gift on their desk, the world that Jesus died for refuses to take the
free gift of salvation and eternal life and God’s promises for every believer.
Some for pride or other reasons many have left God’s greatest gift, Jesus,
untouched and unaccepted.
John 3:16 - 17
Pride
Galatians 5:22-23: Pride isn’t a fruit of God’s Spirit.
Prov 16:18: A word of wisdom.
1 John 2:16: Pride of life: accomplishments, wealth, and position.
Isaiah 14:11-13: Satan’s pride was his down fall.
Pride is like getting spaghetti sauce on your face; everyone see it but you.
Solutions: Four ways for overcoming pride:
1. Prayer
Pray and asked God to show you the spaghetti sauce on your face; the pride
that others may see that you don’t see.
2. Turn it over to God.
When I do something stupid, I try to look at this as an opportunity rather
than getting proud and defending myself. An opportunity to grow and die to
one’s self and let God defend me.
3. God’s Word
Heb 4:12: Read God’s Word, which will reveal things in our lives that are not
in God’s Will.
4. Fellowship
Prov 27:17: Fellowship with other Christian believers.
SUMMARY:
As a Christian see failure as an opportunity to
grow.
If you have accomplishments in life, be thankful to
God and gracious to others.
PS 100:3: It is God who has made us, not we
ourselves, so how can we be proud. The world boast they are “self made
men”, but no so with Christians.
John 3:16
A very popularly quoted verse, but should also include John 3:17.
The term “Born Again” is to change the inner-man.
The core of our motivation is changed. We have an inner conscience that
wants to choose God’s way first rather than our way.
God’s way is what is best:
Consider a machine that is created to perform a task.
Just because the machine doesn’t want to do the task and has the freedom to not
do the task, is the machine happier because it exercised its freedom. Or
will it be happier to do what its creator designed it to do?
SUMMARY:
God design each of us and if we find what He
designed for us, we will be most happy and at peace.
S-P-A-C-E-P-E-T-S
(Acronym like F.I.S.H used by the early Church for “Jesus Christ God’s Son
Saved”.)
9 things to ask when reading and meditating on God’s Word.
IS THERE ANY…
Sin to confess? Do I need to make any restitution?
(ask someone to
forgive me)
Promise to claim? Is it a universal promise? Have I met the
condition(s)?
(conditions: ABC =
salvation)
Attitude to change? Am I willing to work on a negative attitude and
begin building toward a positive one?
(repentant heart)
Command to obey? Am I willing to do it no matter how I feel?
(forgiveness is a
choice)
Example to follow? Is it a positive example for me to copy or a
negative one to avoid?
(stories in the Bible: some are examples of what we should do othes are example
of what we should not do).
Prayer to pray? Is there anything I need to pray back to God?
(1 John 1:9) How to
pray for forgiveness).
Error to avoid? Is there any problem that I should be alert to, or beware of?
(in the scriptures
you are reading, are they telling you to change an area in your life or beware
of a particular circumstance).
Truth to believe? What new things can I learn about God the Father,
Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, or other biblical teachings?
Something to praise God for? Is there something here I can be thankful
for?
SUMMARY:
Rom 10:17 – read God’s Word, but always take a
moment to get your heart and mind right before you read.