tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39377151201024419312024-02-21T02:51:38.052-08:00Revolution ChurchRevolution Church is the student ministry of Gallupville Gospel Church in Gallupville, NY.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-45960182756017713242012-04-03T09:35:00.002-07:002012-04-03T09:39:14.441-07:00Who Am I? Pt. 3<span id="internal-source-marker_0.3919606239069253" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><p dir="ltr" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><div style="text-align: left;">Just knowing who you are isn’t enough, you do need to know what you are going to do and how to go to about fulfilling your purpose. There are people that know their purpose, and despite of that, they are currently not following God. Because they could not overcome the obstacles in the way of their purpose.</div></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap; ">There are levels of belief. First there is non-belief. The next level is hypocrisy, you say that you believe but you really don’t. Hypocrisy is conscious. Then there is mental ascent, where you truly believe in that thing, where you tell everyone that you should do something, but you do absolutely nothing about it. It’s very easy to give mental ascent to something.</span></div></span></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "></p><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; text-align: left; "><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; ">When you get to the place, where you know what God made you to be, you need to find out, when the next step is, and what that next step is. What do you do? How do we overcome the obstacles of being who God made you to be? </span></div><span style="vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap; ">Judges 6:11-16</span></div></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><div style="text-align: left;">Gideon has an encounter with God, he doesn’t know who he is, he is hiding, and he encounters God. God shows him who he is, Gideon thought that he was nothing, that he was the least of his family, and his tribe was a nothing tribe. God tells him that he is a mighty hero. Gideon’s creator tells him who he is meant to be. </div></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; white-space: pre-wrap; text-align: left; ">Your destiny is not going to happen automatically. So many people hear a word from God, and they know what their purpose is. But they think that they are just going to be able to sit around and wait for God to do that. Gideon saw an actual visible angel; you would think that if you saw an angel, you would be pretty certain that it is actually going to happen. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap; ">3 Things that you must do to become who God wants you to be.</span></div></span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><ol style="margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><li style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; "><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "></p><div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; "><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">You must overcome fear. Gideon had to overcome the fear of himself, and over the cultural fear that surrounded the entire Israelite civilization this isn’t the kind of fear that comes from a single defeat, it comes from being defeated over and over again. You are going to have to take some steps that are scary. Fear will paralyze you while the life that God created for you will pass you by. Gideon had to crawl out of the wine press in which he was hiding, and overcome the lies that he had been told about himself. </span></div><span style="vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap; ">James 2:17 “Faith without works is dead” If we have faith that something can happen, but we never actually act upon that nothing is ever going to happen. There is a difference between Faith and mental ascent. Jesus knew he had the power to heal, but unless he asserted that power, u nothing would have changed. You can say that you believe all you want, but unless it results in action, it is going to do nothing. </span></div></span></span><p></p></li></ol><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><ol start="2" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><li style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; "><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">You have to find your passion. Everyone has at least one thing that they are passionate about. There are two things that you can do with the passion, you can either turn bitter when things aren’t going the right way, or you can turn the passion into completing your purpose. Your passion is connected to your purpose. You have to shape and control your purpose, you have to take your passion, and turn it to positive action. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Your purpose will always involve the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40), and the Great </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Commission (Mark 16:15). Your purpose and your vocation are two different things. If your </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">purpose is to build orphanages in Africa, that isn’t necessarily your vocation. Your </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">vocation could be designing software. A job that you work, might not be your </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; ">purpose, vocation is what you do so you can do your purpose. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br /></span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; font-weight: bold; font-size: medium; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "></p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><ol start="3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><li style="list-style-type: decimal; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; "><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">To be who god has created you to be, you must let your purpose be too big. Judges 7:1 God will never call you to do something that you can do in your own strength. God will always call you to do something that is too big, that the only way that you can accomplish it is through Christ. God is not interested in being limited by your strength. God wants you to great things, things that are big in his eyes. You know you have found gods purpose when you think that it is impossible. </span></p></li></ol><span style="vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">God is a god of one in a million. God may call you to do something that others have tried and failed, but God is not concerned with odds. The things He calls you to do will always be too big, and they will always be scary. The success of our purpose is not tied to our ability, it is tied to our trust and faith in the power of God.</span></p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-13019814955751046412012-03-09T16:21:00.000-08:002012-03-09T16:24:23.031-08:00Who Am I? Pt. 2<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" id="internal-source-marker_0.1029312599903911"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5</span></p><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">A lot of people think they know who you are, and they are not shy about telling you who you are. Your friends, your parents, TV, they all think they know who you are. But who do you believe? Who do you trust? Some people know a small, shallow facet of you. People want to define us based on a lot of things, based upon your appearance, age, skills, clothes, where you are from. It is easy to start living up to those expectations. When people say that you won’t ever end up amounting to anything, it is easy to stop trying to succeed. Everybody wants to tell you who you are, and the truth is, we all want to know who we are. We want to know what group we fit in, and what defines us. </span><br /><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Jeremiah 29:11 “I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, they are plans for good, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">If you want to know the purpose of something, you need to go to the maker of that product. You don’t go to one of the people that uses it, no matter how well they know it; you go straight to the maker. So often we talk to other creation to find out who we are, when really we need to go ask the creator for that information. God created them as well, and they don’t know any more than you do. The problem is that the world is screaming at us from every aspect of our lives, and it’s so easy to get trapped in that. Sometimes it’s even a good message, but it’s incomplete. The world is just as confused as you are about what it is, and what others are supposed to be. No one has it figured out, everyone is just trying to figure out what works. <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">When you make something, you make it for a purpose. When God created you, he created you with a purpose. The way that you are, are the way that God created you, to fulfill a specific destiny. He has given you all the capabilities, and talents that you need to fit the role that God has given you. It’s easy to classify people by their appearance, and that they are supposed to look a certain way, but we all. <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">To find out who you really are, you have to quiet the sound of the world around you. </span><br /><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">Don’t let the TV you listen to, the music you listen to, the friends you have in school make you the person that you are. Let God be the one that shapes who you are, he wants to show you your true purpose. God wants to free you from the labels that society has put into place, and he wants to free you from the judgments that have been passed upon you. The pattern of this world is counterfeit.. People put labels on you, but they aren’t real, and there are no real purpose behind them. Even if it’s real, it is a shallow reality. <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">If you let God transform your life, and let him show you what his will is for you. You will live a fulfilling life, and you will be able to discover his perfect purpose. This doesn’t mean that your life will be without trials, God doesn’t promise that life will be easy for you. He promises that he has plans to prosper you. You don’t have to be someone else to do what God wants you to do. The purpose of something determines its nature, its features. They are built to do what they are meant to do. God built you with a purpose, and the thing that you are called to do is the thing that you will be happiest doing. God made you into a perfect match for your purpose. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-72357788833285400242012-03-09T16:18:00.001-08:002012-03-09T16:21:28.212-08:00Who Am I? Pt. 1<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;" id="internal-source-marker_0.00003170749923531169"></span><br /><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Jeremiah 1:5</span><br /><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”<br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">You are somebody! For some people that is a pretty revolutionary statement. You were not an accident, whether your parents wanted to have you, or planned on having, you were not an accident. You were created to be one thing, God did not create you to be anything, and he created you to be something. He didn’t create you to be anybody that you wanted to be, he created you for one reason, and he had a purpose for why he created you. You were not created to do whatever you set your mind to; you were created to be a certain someone. </span><br /><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Acts 19:13</span><br /><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">“A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use their name of the Lord Jesus in their incantations, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out! Seven sons of Sceva a leading priest were doing this. But one tie when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you? Then the evil spirit leaped upon them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house naked and battered.”</span><br /><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"> They were trying to use the name of someone else to cast out demons, because they were unsure of who they of themselves. And the end result of pretending to be someone they weren’t was pain and suffering. When people know who they and they are who they are meant to be. They are exciting to be around. People like Steve Jobs, and Mother Theresa knew who they are, and because of that people wanted to be around them. We sometimes see people that look successful, and we think that we can be successful if we just follow the same course that they followed. We confuse who they are with who we are supposed to be. We chase who someone else is, rather than finding who we are supposed to be. This will never lead to long term success. You can learn principals, character, integrity from other people, but you can’t successfully be who someone else is. It can lead to short term success, these priests, were able to cast out demons for a short period of time, but in the end, they met up with an evil spirit that was bold enough to speak back against them. Eventually you will get to a place in life, where trying to be someone else is going to fail, and only being who you were meant to be will make you succeed. </span><br /><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">We live in a society where no one knows what they are supposed to be. There is so much confusion, with us all told to be something that we aren’t meant to be. We open ourselves up to abuse trying to be something that we aren’t meant to be. <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">Romans 8: 31-38</span><br /><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break">“What than shall we say in response to these things, if God is for us who can be against us?”</span><br /><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Calibri;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">See when you know who you are in Christ, you won’t be moved by accusations. You won’t be affected by labels, and you will be firm in your stand, knowing that you are justified, and a conqueror that you are not a loser. When you don’t know who you are, you bounce around trying all sorts of different things, your life becomes scattered. But when you know who you are, your life will be focused like a laser beam, and you will have power. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-83160228924775492082012-02-10T11:58:00.000-08:002012-02-10T12:00:08.807-08:00Passion<b id="internal-source-marker_0.2490008648019284" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><h1 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><b style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br /></span></b></h1><h1 dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><b id="internal-source-marker_0.2490008648019284" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">When there are things that we are passionate about, we get excited. You don’t have to know a person for very long to know what they are passionate about. They will bring it up in conversation; they want everyone to know about it. Regardless of whether you care about what they are passionate about, they will still make sure that you know about it. </span></b></h1><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br class="kix-line-break">What are you passionate about? What things make you excited, that when someone brings the topic up, your face lights up. That same passion that you have for whatever your favorite thing is, that is the way we need to be about our relationship with God. We need to get excited about our Faith, because it is good news, we should be excited that we once were blind, but now we see, and that at one point, we were in bondage, but now are free. That should be something that we are excited about. <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">“He loves us, oh how he loves us” The truth expressed in this song should excite us, we don’t deserve the love that god gives us. There is nothing that we can do to make him love us anymore, or to love us any less. That should pump us up, ‘cause we deserve death. <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">Deuteronomy 6:4-9<br class="kix-line-break">“Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah:and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart;and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.”<br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">If you are truly in love anything with all your heart, mind, soul and whole life, it is going to be evident in everything you do. People should know right about your passion for Christ, your entire life, should be evidence to others for Christ’s love towards us.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">“If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Our lives should not be so blended with the world, that people can’t tell if we are a Christian or not. Our lives should scream that we are Christians. </span></p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">1 Chorinthians 6:18-20 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.Do you not know that your bodies are temples 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. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”</span></p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Sex is one of those things that is easy to justify, we are able to say that certain sexual acts aren’t as bad as others, but the bible says that all sexual immorality needs to be run away from. But it’s not just sexual immorality that we need to flee, it’s other things, coarse jokes, and foolish talk, as well as bitterness and rage, anger. (Ephesians 4:29-5:7)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">If we want to make a difference in this world, we have to be a passionate people. We have to be people that are fully in love with Christ. If you truly understand what Christ did for you on the cross, you would want to tell people about what Christ did for you. But in order to understand what he did, we need to spend the time to get to know him. In prayer and in reading his word, dive in, and get to know him. Learn who he is, and what did for you, and get so passionate about it that it saturates your life, so that everyone can see who you are. </span></p></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-32184788577261286172012-01-23T09:00:00.000-08:002012-01-29T10:22:30.215-08:00Broken<a href="http://gallupvillegospel.org/messages/PDWolford1-20-12.mp3" target="_blank"><p></p><center><img src="http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/3/1943472/Listen%20btn.jpg" /><br /></center></a><br />Click above to listen to Pastor Dan's latest message called "Broken" or right click and choose "Save Link As..." to download the mp3.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><b id="internal-source-marker_0.07245804113335907"><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span ><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">If God is good, why do bad things happen? Why is there war, disaster, pain, tragedy? Why does Evil exist? </span></p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">To an extent you can answer, people do stuff, people are messed up. But what about the things people don't do, like natural disasters, and diseases? If God is good, why does this stuff happen? The real question is, why doesn't the world work the way it should? <br class="kix-line-break">We all have an innate sense that the world isn't working right, we all know that the world isn't fair. We can sense that this isn't the way it's suppose to be, that's a real thing, we are sensing truth in that.<br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">In Romans chapter 5:12 we see the cause of the troubles in this world, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” The world glitches, because the world is broken. Things don't happen the way that God wanted them to, because when Adam sinned, it didn't just effect Adam, it opened a barrier and let sin into the world, and everything was contaminated. This didn't just include humans, but all of creation. </span></p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">In Romans 8:19-22 it says “For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. And we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.” <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">The world is bound, it's trapped in bondage to decay. The world doesn't work the way that God wanted it to, even though he created all these things. Everything he created was “very good” in the beginning. Unfortunately, people are dumb, and we did something stupid and broke the world. Things like cancer are not fair, it's one of those things that just doesn't make sense. Cancer is a glitch in the body, it's the result of our broken state. God didn't want the world to have cancer or tornadoes or hurricanes. He didn't make that, God made something different, but because of Adam, sin was allowed to contaminate the world, and now we are suffering from the glitches. Much like a healthy body when germs are allowed to enter the body we see the physical manifestation of that through our symptoms. The world is showing the contamination of sin through natural disasters. </span></p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">There is however hope, for you, your friends and family, and the world. Even though sin has come and contaminated every aspect of our lives, our hearts and our relationships with families and friends. There is a hope, but you can't find it in Obama, or getting rich, or love. The are all places that we often turn, but none of them will bring healing to the situation. You can't fix this issue yourself, nor can other sinful people help you to fix the problem. Much like an oil covered animal cannot help to clean off another, we as broken humans cannot fix each other.</span></p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">You can make a difference though, you can help to deal with the symptoms of sin, and make a difference in the world, but you can't fix the problem. Hope is found only in Christ, not in the church, or in other human beings. </span></p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">In Romans 5:15-17 it's written “But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. If because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. “</span></p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Though the world is broken, there is hope in Christ. For by his grace there is life that overcomes the death that sin has cursed this world with. We shouldn't give up hope for this world, for by the death of Christ, there is a free gift of righteousness through Him. </span></p></b></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-53187867592108839132012-01-10T08:30:00.000-08:002012-01-10T08:31:36.339-08:00Fast Forward<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" id="internal-source-marker_0.9190538538396881"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">When a lot of people think of fasting, they just think of it as a sacrifice. But they often don't pay attention to having a vision for the week. We often view fasting as a chore we have to complete, but truly it's a time for God to speak to us, a time for God to move in us, and to show us his will for our lives. We need to fast with a purpose, not just because everyone else is doing it, or because it seems like the right thing to do. Why do we fast, how should we fast, and when should we fast? These are all questions that we need to answer before we begin fasting. <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">There are a number of great reasons for fasting, however there are also a number of wrong reasons for fasting. You should never fast to show how great of a Christian you are, its not about proving something to anyone else. Fasting isn't a way to earn your salvation, or holiness. Fasting also should not be used to lose weight, or to punish yourself. We aren't suppose to fast for these reasons, fasting for these reasons will distract us from the true purpose of our a fast. <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">So what reasons should we fast for? We should fast because we are expected to fast. Jesus set the example for fasting. Before he did any miracles, before he taught, he spent 40 days in the wilderness fasting, and then was tempted by the devil. In Matthew 6: 16-18, Jesus said “when you fast” not if you fast, he was expecting that we would fast, knowing that it was a commandment stemming from the old testament. <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">James 4:8 gives us another reason to fast “Come close to God and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.” While this portion of scripture does not directly mention fasting, fasting is used to narrow or focus from the things of the world, to purify our hearts from the things that distract us, to rid us of the junk in us both spiritually and physically.</span></p><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Once we have settled why we are suppose to fast, we must understand how to fast. Fasting in it's most literal sense is to go without food for spiritual reasons. However, fasting doesn't always have to be about food. It can be anything that normally distracts us from God. It can be facebook, television, movies, anything that normally takes up your time. It has to be something that is sacrificial, giving up an activity that you don't really like, or that you rarely do, is not fasting. While fasting, you takethe time that you would normally spend in that activity, and spend it with God, praying and reading his word. </span></p><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">You should always fast with energy, look for the next step, use it as a time to see where God is pointing you. Keeping a journal during fasting can be beneficial, so that when it ends, you don't forget what God speaks to you. Make sure that you are pressing in, not just giving something up, but also seeking what God has for you during that time. Otherwise you really are just punishing yourself. </span></p><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">When do we fast? Fasting can be done at a number of times for a number of different reasons, anytime that you need God to move in your life, or you need direction in your life, if you have a big decision in front of you, these are all good times to fast. If you have a sin in your life, or if there is a major issue that needs to be addressed, fasting can help you in your seeking for the answer. Remember to let God direct you in your fast, doing it in his will is most important, more so than how long you fast, or what you fast, is that you are doing what God is asking you to do. </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-74884309588134302472012-01-10T08:26:00.000-08:002012-01-10T08:27:08.740-08:00The Faith Process Part 2<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" id="internal-source-marker_0.9781541661626764"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Luke 5:17</span></p><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Last week we talked about the Faith Process, this week we will be talking about the fact that Faith expects. </span></p><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Why is generation conference different? Why isn't every week at Revolution Church just like Gen Con? Does God just like big crowds, he can't come when there are fewer than two thousand people? Does he only come with cool lighting and smoke, or only with Australians? <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">I'm not talking about the thrills or chill of getting away, going to a new place, staying up far too late. People can go around chasing exciting spiritual thrills, people will go from conference to conference, chasing after an emotional spiritual high. I'm not talking about the emotion, I'm talking about the encounter with God. <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">Christians shouldn't be chasing the emotional experience, but the actual encounter with God. Now, a lot of time the encounter with God can lead to an emotional display. But the goal shouldn't be emotion, God should be the goal. Just because everyone else is expressing a particular emotion, and you aren't it doesn't mean that you aren't encounter God. Now, that doesn't mean that God won't sometimes call us to emotion. He could be calling us to get down on our knees, and if that is the call refusing it could lead to you missing an encounter with God. What we dishonor moves away from us. </span></p><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Hebrews 11:1<br class="kix-line-break">Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen. </span></p><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Faith expects. Faith gives us assurance about things we cannot see. It was by faith that Cain brought a more acceptable offering than Able. Without Faith it is impossible to please God, anyone who wants to come to him, must believe that God exists, and that he rewards those that sincerely seek him. There are things that God wants to do in your life that you currently cannot see. When God calls us to do some things, we won't understand why he is calling us to it, it may not be obvious to us. But through Faith, we can have assurance of the plans that God has for us, even though we cannot yet see it. </span></p><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Right now, in Schoharie, it can be hard to see what God's plan for this area is. But God has a plan for us, and he is planning on using the youth in this ministry to minster to this area. Everyone of you is a leader, everyone of you is called to be a leader. You are all called to be real leaders, you are all called to be small group leaders, youth leaders, leaders leaders, not the pretend everybody feel good leaders. Because if God is going to do what he wants to do in this church in this region, you will be the most mature the most knowledgeable Christians in the ministry. If God does what he wants to do, we will all be needed to pray over someone, to minster to someone. We live in a culture an era of people not knowing God, this generation did not go to church as a kid, they don't have a knowledge of Christ. As much as we may not think we have a lot of knowledge, you have a large amount of knowledge compared to those that are going to come into our ministry. This is hard vision to see, but Faith is the assurance that this is true. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"><br class="kix-line-break">The five friends went to Jesus because they were confident that God was going to heal their friend, they expected God to heal him. If they hadn't been certain, it would not have been worth the work unless they were entirely certain of it. Faith is action with Expectation, you must both put in the work, but you must also believe that you are going to receive something. If you have action without expectation, that is religion. Expectation without action, is dead. (James 2:17 “Faith without works is dead”) </span></p><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">The difference between Generation Conference and Revolution Church is that at Generation Conference there are people coming with expectation. Expecting that there will be great worship, and that there will be great speakers. We need to come each we expecting to encounter God. How would coming with expectation change your approach, how would that change how you worship. If you know that you would hear the best message, would you take some notes? If God was going to come during worship, how would it change how you worshiped, how you pressed in. What do you expect God to do in your school? Do you expect people to be saved, do you expect addicts to recover? <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">God meets us our level of expectation. If you come expecting nothing, God will meet you with nothing, if you come expecting everything, God will meet you with everything. On occasion God will come in and meet you, even when you are expecting nothing. But those are rare and miraculous. <br class="kix-line-break"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">James 1:5 <br class="kix-line-break">“</span><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#001320;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">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.” </span></p><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#001320;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;"></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size:16px;font-family:Arial;color:#001320;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">This isn't just talking about wisdom, if we come to God and ask, for him to work in our school, he will give generously. If your expectation meets God desire, the supernatural will happen. Now our expectation a lot of the time is way lower than God's desire. In the story of the five friends, their expectation met God's desire, in because of that a supernatural miracle occurred. How do we raise our expectation? We must spend time with God, we have to get in his presence, when we start seeing enough of God, enough of his desire, what he wants to do, not just your own doubt, your expectations will be raised. Your expectation will meet Gods desire when you see enough of him to fully expect the great things he wants to do. <br class="kix-line-break"><br class="kix-line-break">We need to have great expectations for our lives, we need to seek to increase our faith, we need to ask God that he would increase our faith. That we would be able to see the things that he wants us to do, that we would begin to enter into his presence, and that our expectation would rise. That we would come expecting something greater, expecting to experience who he is, and expecting that he would move in us. There is so much that God wants to do, but our expectation falls below his desire, so we need to move towards an increase of faith, so that the supernatural will occur. </span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-47712648875910515682011-12-08T13:11:00.000-08:002011-12-15T12:00:53.548-08:00The Faith Process<a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482//Dan Wolford, 12-9-11.MP3" target="_blank"><p></p><center><img src="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482/Download%20btn.jpg" /><br /></center></a><br /><br /><div style="background-color: transparent; "><p dir="ltr" id="internal-source-marker_0.8411996329668909" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%205%20:17-26&version=NLT">Luke 5:17-26</a></span></p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">One day while Jesus was teaching, a paralyzed man was brought to where he was teaching to try to receive healing. When they were unable to find a way into the building through the crowd, they carried their friend to the roof and lowered him through the tiles and set him before Jesus. That day, the man who was paralyzed from birth was healed. He was the only one healed that night, and his sins were forgiven.</span></p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The Lords healing power was with Jesus, and he had the ability to heal that day as much as ever. It was there for everyone, but not everyone decided they wanted healing. God didn't decide who got healed that night. Faith decided who got healed that night. </span></p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Only one man was healed, everyone else went home the same way they came in, no one else was transformed and no one else got healed. We can have encounters with God, but that doesn't always mean that there is a permanent change, many of the people in the room, were excited, but they were not changed. Just being in the presence of God isn't enough to change your life, whether it be through a great worship service, or an incredible message, unless you walk in a faith process after the encounter you won't change. <br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The Faith Process Requires four things: determination, a plan, hard work, and friends. </span></p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><ul><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Determination:</span></p></li><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The men in the story didn't just give up when they couldn't reach Jesus because of the crowd, they went up onto the roof, continuing to seek a way until they found it. We also cannot allow the crowd to stop us, things naturally will snap back into their origional shape, so if you don't go through the faith process, you will revert back. We need to make the choice not to let the people in our lives, the movies we watch, or the music we listen to pull us back to where we were. </span></p></li><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">A Plan</span></p></li><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">“Your life will not change for the better by accident” God's plan for your life will not fall into your life, you have to make a effort, and actually develop a plan through which to change your life. The mans friend developed a plan on how to move the man, how to lower him into Jesus. Sometimes we will find that the plan we originally had isn't working out, and we need to adjust. But we can't just sit around and expect everything to work out on it's own. </span></p></li><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Hard Work</span></p></li><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">What God has called you to do is not easy, but it is supernatural. The work of the man's friends didn't heal him, but it put him in a position to get the healing power of God. We aren't going to make anything supernatural happen, but our work will put us in a place where God can work. “Faith without works is dead”. If you expect to do what God is calling you to do without working for it, you are being deceived, and you will never accomplish what he is asking of you. </span></p></li></ul><ul><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">. Friends</span></p></li><li style="list-style-type: disc; font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">You can't do it alone, we all need a support group in order to make it through. People that will hold us accountable, and help us in our journey. That man could not have gotten up onto that roof without his friends, it would have been impossible, no matter how determined he was. There are things in our lives that we can only do with the help of others, so we need to surround ourselves with people that will help us in our journey, and we need to remove ourselves from people that are holding us back to the place where we currently are. </span></p></li></ul><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">An encounter is great, but it will not change your life without a faith process, you must be determined, come up with a plan, take progressive Faith steps, and surround yourselves with people that will help you succeed in life. 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mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" align="center"><span style="Charis SIL";font-family:";font-size:100%;color:black;" >Blessed are the peacemakers,</span><span style="font-size:100%;">for they will be called children of God.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;" align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;">Matthew 5:3-11 </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;">Everyone wants to be blessed, the translation in the Greek is “happy”. Everything we do is an attempt to feel happy, our efforts in school work, and personal relationships are all efforts on our parents to become happy. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;">In this scripture Jesus reveals that peacemakers will be blessed. This brings the question, what is peace, and how can we find it? Many people believe peace is the end of war, or for their lives to be less busy, for some to be alone. They seek it in all the wrong places, in relationships, drugs and alcohol, in lifestyles that will never truly bring peace. We life life thinking the next thing will bring us peace, graduation, a job, relationships, kids. All of these things carry the promise of peace, but none of them have it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;">Peace, is not any of these things, peace is a gift, it's not something you can attain by effort, or purchase, you can't reach it by “achieving a zen like state, occupying wall street, by having tea, or protesting war.” You cannot attain peace in any earthly way. Peace comes from Christ, to your mind and heart so that you do not have to be afraid, or worried. Jesus had peace of mind in the midst of his crucifixion. This same peace that Christ left he also left for us. In John 14:27 Jesus said “I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So do not be troubled or afraid.” </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;">Once we have accepted the peace of Christ into their own heart, and willing give it to others, you are a peacemaker. We cannot give what we do not have, just as someone who does not know how to play an instrument cannot teach someone else how to lay that instrument. In the same way, if you do not have peace, you cannot bring peace to others. A peacemaker realizes that the world cannot give peace, and they turn to Christ and ask for his peace, and then follow up by giving it out to other people. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;">Those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. The words we say, and the prayers we pray, are seeds being planted in peoples lives. It's not a peace that comes from the world but from Christ. They are seeds of Salvation, and that needs to be our ultimate goal. Salvation is the only way to true peace, and the world cannot know that until we plan the seeds. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><span style="font-size:100%;">Matthew 5:9 in the NLT says “God blesses those who seek for peace, for they will be called children of God. This is an important distinction, because our efforts at being peacemakers might not always succeed. Just because we pray for someone, or talk with them, it does not mean their issues will be cleared up. Our being blessed is not dependent on our success. If we work to spread peace, whether we succeed or fail, we are children of God. If we are working for peace, we are a peacemakers, and we will be blessed.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-47294779780975427162011-09-02T18:13:00.000-07:002011-09-02T18:19:23.707-07:00Message Recap - 08/12/11 - It is Finished: Part 1<div style="text-align: center;">This is the beginning of an all new series!
<br />We'll start in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2019:28-30&version=NLT" id="qdn5" title="John 19:28-30">John 19:28-30</a>:
<br /><i>Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, <span class="woj">“I am thirsty.”</span> A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, <span style="font-weight: bold;" class="woj">“It is finished!”</span> Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.</i>
<br />Christianity is all about Jesus. It all comes back to Jesus. We've talked about a lot of issues here at Revolution Church, but what it all comes down to is Jesus. It is finished, complete and whole in Him; nothing more is needed.
<br />We all need reminding now and again how big a deal it is that Jesus died for us; what we have in Christ. He changed history, He forever changed us and who we could be through the cross!
<br />There are many different benefits of the cross we can talk about, but this week we are focusing on mental freedom.
<br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2053:1-6&version=NLT" id="tjxp" title="Isaiah 53:1-6">Isaiah 53:1-6</a> talks about Jesus. Check it out:
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>Who has believed our message?</i>
<br /><i> To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?</i>
<br /><i> My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,</i>
<br /><i> like a root in dry ground.</i>
<br /><i> There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,</i>
<br /><i> nothing to attract us to him.</i>
<br /><i> He was despised and rejected—</i>
<br /><i> a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.</i>
<br /><i> We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.</i>
<br /><i> He was despised, and we did not care.</i></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b> Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
<br /> it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
<br /> And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
<br /> a punishment for his own sins!
<br /> But he was pierced for our rebellion,
<br /> crushed for our sins.
<br /> He was beaten so we could be whole.
<br /> He was whipped so we could be healed.</b>
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"> All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
<br /> We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
<br /> Yet the Lord laid on him
<br /> the sins of us all.</span></i></p><div style="text-align: center;">It was <i>our</i> sorrows that weighed Him down. <i>Our</i> worries, stress, grief, guilt, embarrassment, anxiety.
<br />Back in the Garden of Eden there was no stress, no guilt, no shame. Then once sin was introduced into the world, embarrassment came. Stress, guilt, shame; sorrows. It's all the result of sin; either sin we've just committed or the sin nature that is a part of all of us. When Adam and Eve sinned, sin became a part of them. Sort of like spiritual DNA, it was passed down to all of humanity. Many of the negative things we face are the result of this.
<br />Jesus came to take upon Himself <i>all</i> the results of our sin.
<br />On New Year's Day, 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared that all slaves in the United States were free. Do you think the slaves became free instantly? No. It took a long time; years, before they became technically free, even longer before they were treated like humans. This little history lesson applies to what we're talking about.
<br />There's a parallel between that struggle for freedom and our own as Christians. Though we've been declared free, we are still walking in bondage.
<br />Even though our mental freedom has been declared, the task masters of sin are still trying to control us. <b>We have to refuse to remain in slavery to those things!</b>
<br />So, how do we deal with sin?
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. </span>Recognize and confess our sin.
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2.</span> Believe that we are free through Christ.
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. </span>Don't let the thoughts of sin's oppression dominate your mind.
<br />It can be easy to let your mind be dominated by anger, lust, depression, etc. It is a slippery slope, and at the bottom is death.
<br />Instead of letting the thoughts of sin dominate your mind, renew your mind with God's thoughts. Getting God's thoughts changes who's in charge and what's dominating your mind.
<br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208:12-16&version=NLT" id="aei3" title="Romans 8:12-16">Romans 8:12-16</a> says:<i> Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.</i></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i> So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father. For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. </i></p><div style="text-align: center;">We had no hope. We were slaves; doomed. Until God came and offered us freedom! Our minds, our hearts are free!
<br />How much of your time is spent worrying, angry, stressed, depressed? If that no longer has power over you, it changes your life! Through Christ, through the Cross, we have mental freedom!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-29512440875660345752011-08-26T18:45:00.000-07:002011-08-26T19:01:27.420-07:00Message Recap - 07/29/11 - The Church<div style="text-align: center;">Sometimes when you look around at the world, it's easy to see the problems everywhere. It seems so overwhelming!
<br />And then you see Christians doing things like protesting at soldier's funerals (which is, by the way, misguided and a total wrong response). It doesn't accomplish anything good.
<br />Sometimes Pastor Dan looks around at the problems of the world and his own ministry and impact, and wonders how he can accomplish change. On his own, he's not strong enough. The problems of the world seem insurmountable. How can we even begin to make progress with all these issues?
<br />For many people, when facing these questions we end up lowering our goals to something easily attainable.
<br />So where does the church fit into all of this? What does God say and do about all these problems going on in the world?
<br />There is no trite answer for those questions.
<br />But, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians%201:19-23&version=NLT" id="esj4" title="Ephesians 1:19-23">Ephesians 1:19-23</a> sheds a bit of light on the role of the church in the world.
<br /><i>I also pray that you will understand <b>the incredible greatness of God’s power</b> for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. <b>And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ,</b> who fills all things everywhere with himself.</i>
<br />What is the incredibly great power that Paul talks about in this verse? It is working through us, the church! Just as we have to use our physical bodies to accomplish things, God uses the church to accomplish his goals.
<br />Our brain can't run a marathon or write a book on its own, it has to utilize the body.
<br />When Jesus sees starving children, people suffering and without hope, He uses the church to make a difference!
<br />This is why Jesus left after He rose again. He could have continued his ministry on earth. But He didn't; because on earth He was limited by His physical body, but from heaven He could work through His spiritual body - you, the church!
<br />When you see suffering and pain in the world and wonder, "Why doesn't God do something about that!" The answer is: He's trying. But there's a disconnect between the brain and the body. He's trying to send the message to his body to act, to make a difference. But the message isn't getting through.
<br />He sees what's going on, but his body doesn't respond!
<br />There are more Christians on the earth now than in all the rest of history combined. The church is rapidly expanding and the ability of the church to help the poor, to make a difference in the world is growing.
<br />Jesus wants to do the same things today through His spiritual body as he did 2000 years ago through His physical body!
<br />Check out <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20corinthians%2012:12-21&version=NLT" id="b_fh" title="1 Corinthians 12:12-18">1 Corinthians 12:12-21</a>:<i> The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.</i></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i> Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i> But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”</i></p><div style="text-align: center;">What does all that stuff about ears and eyes mean? It can be easy to look at others and wish you were just like them. But God has created <i>you</i> to fill a purpose in the body of Christ! <b>Your role is just as important as anyone else's in the church.</b>
<br />Maybe you help with Generation Church or help clean up the church after a service. It can feel like something insignificant, but when you stop doing your role, the whole body suffers. You need to be plugged in at church.
<br />The power mentioned in Ephesians 1 doesn't come from the church, but from God - just as an electrical outlet is not the source of power, but an access point.
<br /><b>Our ability to fully be what God has called us to be can be limited if we are not fully plugged in to a church!</b>
<br />The power of God working through you and the church can make amazing things happen in the world.
<br />The power to make great things happen comes from being plugged into the body of Christ, with the power of God flowing through you and the rest of the church.
<br />The book of Acts tells us about a man named Stephen. No, not Steve Wolford. Anyway, he gladly helped distribute food to poor widows -- not a glamorous position, but a critical one in the church. Yet he still performed amazing miracles! When he was willing to plug in where needed, God gave him the power to perform miracles!
<br />Find a need and fill it and God will give you the power to do what you need to do.
<br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2092:12-13&version=NLT" id="owgd" title="Psalm 92:12-13">Psalm 92:12-13</a>:
<br /><i>But the godly will flourish like palm trees</i>
<br /><i>and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.</i>
<br /><i> For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house.</i>
<br /><i>They flourish in the courts of our God.</i>
<br />You need to be planted in your church. When you do that, you will flourish. You will continually produce something significant in your life when you are planted in your church.
<br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=colossians%201:15&version=NLT" id="d472" title="Colossians 1:15">Colossians 1:15</a> - we are, as a part of Christ's body, a visible image of an invisible God. We are His hands, His feet, His mouth.
<br /><b>Get plugged in at your church and help bring change to the world!</b></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-87710561549939730352011-08-18T19:57:00.000-07:002011-08-18T21:33:13.751-07:00Message Recap – 7/22/11 – Live Up<p style="font-style: normal; text-align: center;">When you get in survivor mode, all you care about is survival. A great example of this is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aron_Ralston" id="mzry" title="Aron Ralston">Aron Ralston</a>, the hiker who became trapped in a canyon and had to cut his own arm off in order to save his life. He wasn't concerned about how weird he'd look with just one arm when the time came to choose between life or keeping his arm.</p><p style="font-style: normal; text-align: center;">Starving children in Africa are not too concerned about the carb content of their food, global warming or gay marriage. Not that it's wrong to be concerned about those things, but once you're in survivor mode, those less important things drop away and you just care about staying alive.</p><p style="font-style: normal; text-align: center;">There are times when survivor mode is necessary; when you need to let some important things go for the sake of survival. But once that point of danger passes you can't continue to live in survivor mode. It can be easy to get trapped in survivor mode by pessimistic predictions, bad news, and hopelessness. We can get stuck in unnecessary survivor mode because of the constant negativity that surrounds us. We can start to think that the only thing that matters is making it to the next day.</p><p style="font-style: normal; text-align: center;">When you're in unnecessary survivor mode you give up things that are important; you live lower instead of higher.
<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%204:1&version=NLT" id="x1vw" title="Ephesians 4:1">Ephesians 4:1</a> says:<i> Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to <b>lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. </b>
<br /></i></p><div style="text-align: center;">We need to live higher because we are called higher! You are not called to <i>just</i> survive.
<br />Check out what <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2029:11&version=NLT" id="h6h4" title="Jeremiah 29:11">Jeremiah 29:11</a> says:<i> For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, <b>to give you a future and a hope</b>.</i>
<br />Do you know who God was speaking to through Jeremiah in this scripture? People in slavery, people who were displaced. They were much worse off than you are now. They had a much bigger reason to give up than you do. <b>Newsflash: You do not have it that bad.</b>
<br />Here's a little perspective to prove that point: Most of the world's population lives on about $1 a day. If you have any money at all
<br />– even change in a jar on your dresser – you are richer than 86% of the world.
<br />What is the calling Paul mentions in Ephesians? It is bigger than you can ask for, higher than you can imagine.
<br />But so often we live in unnecessary survivor mode. Carrying around our pocket knife, ready to cut off our own limbs at a moments notice. In survivor mode we cut short our list of priorities, including serving God.
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Live a life worthy of your calling.</span>
<br />What's the point pf living up? Why try, when so many others have given up, and they seem to be fine?
<br />The point is that you are called, you have a destiny and there is something great that God has called you to.
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;">When you are called to something higher, you have to leave what's lower.</span>
<br />If you could look into the future and knew that one day you would be president, how would that change how you live now? What if you knew that you would one day be a professional athlete, how would that change what you eat and how you workout today?
<br />God's calling for you is bigger than either of those two things, because what God has called you to is the very best for you. He has a purpose and a plan for exactly what He has called you to, whether it be lawyer, pastor, athlete, president or something else entirely.
<br />People are doing stuff all around you that is not worthy of your calling. All around you are people who have given up, people who are living lower than the call of God on their lives. They've pulled out the multitool and (figuratively) cut off their arm when it was totally unnecessary.
<br />If you get stuck in survivor mode, you can lose your sense of destiny and purpose, and you will live lower rather than higher. You will live according to the circumstances around you instead of up to the calling God has for you.
<br />God has a plan for your life! It's a great plan, a high plan! Live worthy of that high plan; live up to it! Live as if you had already stepping into that plan. Don't slouch down to smoking pot or watching TV all day. Live better, live higher! <span style="font-size:130%;">God has a plan, a hope and a future for you!
<br />We are living significant lives; it's not hopeless, it's not meaningless! Live a life worthy of the calling that God has for you.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-32297158176545583182011-07-13T11:16:00.000-07:002011-07-13T11:22:58.920-07:00Message Recap – 7/8/11 – Get Out of Jail Free, Part 2<div style="text-align: center;">We've just started a powerful series last week, and this week we're already at the last part. Take a moment to read <a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/07/message-recap-7111-get-out-of-jail-free.html#comments" id="uqt6" title="Part 1">Part 1</a>. No, really. It's pretty short, and really good. Go, now. Read it.<br />Done? OK, now on to Part 2!<br />So, tonight we are talking about the practical application of forgiveness; the mechanics of forgiveness.<br />What do we do when someone hurts us? How do we handle it? Does the Bible have anything to say about what to do when someone hurts us? Stay tuned!<br />Pastor Dan does not like confrontation. He's pretty passive. So, when he became youth pastor, he quickly had to learn how to do certain things that require confrontation. Confrontation is not necessarily a bad thing, sometimes it is needed. There were some bumps in the road at first, but he's now become pretty good at facing confrontation. But it's still never easy to have those serious, tense conversations where you have to say something the other person doesn't want to hear.<br />Most of us, like Pastor Dan, prefer to avoid this as much as possible. We pretend everything is just fine at the time, then later on complain about that person behind their back. We tend to just hold it all in, until finally we explode at the oddest moment, letting loose all the pent up anger.<br />This may come as a shock to you, but that's not the best way to handle this type of situation.<br />Guess what? Jesus has something to say about people issues like this.<br /> First, in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2018:15-16&version=NLT" id="rh5z" title="Matthew 18:15-16">Matthew 18:15-16</a> Jesus says:<i><span class="woj"> "If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.</span> <span class="woj">But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.</span></i>"<br /><div style="text-align: center;">You'll notice that Jesus doesn't say that when someone sins against you, you should gossip about them behind their back. Or complain about them on Facebook. But it's easy to fall into that, because facing the person outright is hard. It's uncomfortable. It's awkward. So we avoid that by telling everyone else about it.<br /></div>But Jesus says to go to them first, face to face. Confront the issue.<br />Now, it is hard to confront the issue in love and humility rather than from a place of superiority.<br />Be humble. When pointing out something they've done wrong, do it in a way that does not bring resentment. If you come with pride, full of yourself, as an antagonist, the person will not receive it well.<br />It's hard. It's not easy. But if it was easy, Jesus wouldn't have to tell us to do it, would He?<br />Here are a few tips for having that tough conversation:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Start with forgiveness</span>, and then go to the person for that conversation. Instead of coming with a sense that they owe you and have to make it up to you, start from the right place.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Give them an out</span>. Don't make it a competition with winners and losers, keeping score by the number of apologies received. Come from a place of love, assuming the best about the other person. Assume that they didn't mean to hurt you. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Find a way for them to back down and apologize without them feeling like they lost.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Be willing to recognize your own faults.</span> Learn from the situation. Even though you were the one wronged, you probably didn't behave perfectly either. You can't change anybody but yourself, and if you go through life trying to change others you will just be frustrated. If you go through life trying to change yourself, you will grow as a person and a Christian. By recognizing your own mistakes it opens the door for grace & love, and makes it easier for the other person to apologize as well.<br />If you go about it this way, in humility and love, with an open mind, 90% of the time you will be able to work it out positively.<br />Pastor Dan has seen this principle work, even in extremely volatile situations.<br />But, sometimes it doesn't. In that case, Jesus says to bring 1 or 2 other people into the situation. No, not a lawyer. Just find someone trustworthy who can listen and hear both sides.<br />Sometimes both sides are so emotionally involved in the situation that they can't hear the other person's perspective and the conflict can't be resolved.<br />With an intermediary (usually a friend of both parties), you can almost always find a common ground and end on good terms. But for the .001% of the time when it still doesn't work out, Jesus tells us what to do in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205:43-45&version=NLT" id="p20r" title="Matthew 5:43-45">Matthew 5:43-45</a>:<br /><i><span class="woj">“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.</span> <span class="woj">But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!</span> <span class="woj">In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.</span></i>"<br />If you still have an enemy, even after following the steps laid out above; forgive them. Pray for them.<br />If you are facing one of these .001% situations, go and talk to your pastor. Get help, get prayer, get counsel.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;">In the end, we all have people issues. There's a right way and a wrong way to deal with them. If we deal with them the wrong way, we have more stress, tension and discord in our lives. If we deal with them the right way we can live our lives in greater peace. We can avoid the prison of unforgiveness.</span><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-23331979849765129752011-07-05T20:04:00.000-07:002011-07-05T20:05:51.437-07:00Message Recap – 7/1/11 – Get Out of Jail Free, Part 1<p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">We just finished a series on Psalm 23, and are now starting a brand new series!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">When Pastor Dan was younger, the coolest video game ever was Streets of Rage 2. The plot of this particular game is that one of your buddies has been kidnapped and you have to take on the mob to get him back. The goal is revenge. That plot line was less than original.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Besides being a dish best served cold, revenge is one of the best plot lines for movies, comic books, video games, books, our own imaginations, etc, etc. It's a very common motif. What is a motif? Look it up.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">People love revenge story lines. We love to see people get even with those who have wronged them. Why do we love revenge so much? It's because we've all been hurt in our lives. We've all been betrayed, stabbed in the back, hurt, gossiped about, etc. And in real life, we never get that classic pay back that always seems to happen in the movies. Deep down we all want the one who hurt us to pay. We want them to feel the pain and humiliation we felt, times ten. They owe us!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">But God's way of looking at the situation when someone has wronged you is different than the world's. People think we need to get even. What God says about it can be found in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians%204:31-32&version=NLT" id="t5_y" title="Ephesians 4:31-32">Ephesians 4:31-32</a>:<i> Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, <b>forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.</b></i><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>People</i> say, "Get what you're owed!" <i>God</i> says, "Forgive, just as I forgave you." God forgave us when we could do nothing to make it up, to pay it back. It sounds tough, but in reality God is saying this for our benefit, not the other person's! Check out the parable in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2018:21-35&version=NLT" id="fv9j" title="Matthew 18:21-35">Matthew 18:21-35</a> (click to read). You can interpret that passage a few different ways. You can read it as saying that if you don't forgive God will throw you in Hell. Another way of looking at is, if you go through your life refusing to forgive, holding that grudge, you are the one who is imprisoned by the uforgiveness. Not the other person. You become incapable of moving on in your life, living in the past, you cannot look to the future.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">The world says that revenge makes you happy and brings freedom. God says that forgiveness lets you out of prison.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>Revenge does not bring freedom! Only forgiveness brings freedom.</b></span></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">The word "Forgive" literally means, "to send forth". To not just put it down, but to put it far away from you. Forgiveness isn't easy. But there are a lot of people who are in prison, being tortured, and it's all of their own making. They are living in the past, in a situation that they don't have to relive.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">By refusing to forgive, you allow the initial hurt to continue to destroy your life!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Forgiveness isn't easy, and sometimes you have to choose to keep forgiving. You have to choose to keep sending it away when it tries to come back. Forgiveness is a process. When you find yourself thinking of that person or reliving the moment of hurt in your mind, release it. Send it away.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Forgiveness is not about the other person, it's about you. It doesn't mean that the other person gets off free, it means that <u><i>you</i></u> are able to find freedom. Let yourself out of prison; forgive!</span></p> <p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Here's a humorous illustration of the principle of sending forth your unforgiveness:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bETCusT5kNM?rel=0" allowfullscreen="" width="425" frameborder="0" height="349"></iframe><br /></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-88039027081416125792011-07-01T08:36:00.000-07:002011-07-01T08:46:22.478-07:00Message Recap – 6/24/11 – Psalm 23: Part 6<p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">We've been going through Psalm 23 verse by verse. It's been awesome! But now we've reached the last verse. Sad face. :( Don't worry, another inspiring series is coming soon! Be sure to take a look at the first 5 parts if you missed them:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/05/message-recap-51311-psalm-23-part-1.html" id="d-es" title="Part 1">Part 1</a><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/05/message-recap-52711-psalm-232.html" id="fga3" title="Part 2">Part 2</a></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/06/message-recap-6311-psalm-23-part-3.html" id="sp67" title="Part 3">Part 3</a></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/06/message-recap-61011-psalm-23-part-4.html" id="c4ru" title="Part 4">Part 4</a></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/06/message-recap-61711-psalm-23-part-5.html" id="nq9v" title="Part 5">Part 5</a></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Now on to <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023:6&version=NKJV" id="lnaq" title="verse 6 of Psalm 23">verse 6 of Psalm 23</a>:<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>All the days of my life;<br /></i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>And I will dwell in the house of the LORD<br /></i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>Forever.</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">This whole Psalm is about who God is, and what He does because of His love. It's not about what we do or don't do. This verse is the summation of the chapter, it encapsulates the themes of the rest of the chapter.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">At one time or another, we've all felt far from God; separated from God. Sometimes despite the promises of scripture it is hard to feel that God is near. Maybe you even feel like that right now. Why do we feel that way? Because emotions are not truth. Emotions do not reflect reality. If you live your life based on emotions you will make a lot of mistakes. Feeling far from God is an emotion. Usually because we feel that we've failed. We think that God is ignoring us, that He's set up a wall between Him and us.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">And when we feel close to God, we often think it's because we've been "good". We've succeeded, so now God will be near us again. Only on good days is God near.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Yet again, this is an emotion talking. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Emotion lies.</span> Here's what God says: <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2013:8&version=NLT" id="c.8." title="Hebrews 13:8">Hebrews 13:8</a>: <i>Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">And,<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2013:5&version=NLT" id="d5zt" title="Hebrews 13:5"> Hebrews 13:5</a>: <i>For God has said, “I will <u>never</u> fail you. I will <u>never</u> abandon you.”</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>Who you are or are not does not change who Jesus is. Your failure does not cause the love of Jesus Christ to fail. Your success does not cause the love of Christ to grow. He is the same, regardless of what you do!</b></span></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">So often God is depicted as either extremely vengeful and angry, or else as an all-accepting hippie.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">The truth is that sin has consequences that God will love you through. God loves you, but if you go play in traffic your chances of getting hit by a car go up quite a bit. God loves you, but if you choose to smoke, your chances of getting lung cancer go up considerably.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">God loves you, and because of that He will call you out of the danger zone you're playing in to protect you from the consequences.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><b>God's mercy and goodness follow you.</b> Follow means "pursue", "hunt". God's goodness and mercy will track you down. He will find you no matter how much sin you've covered yourself in. No matter how far you run, God is always just one step away.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">When you feel far from God, He's right there. When you feel close, He's always been close.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Dwelling in the house of God doesn't mean that you get to sleep in the dusty guest room or the broom closet. It means that you are a member of His family and you get to live in His house! There's always a place prepared for you, where you belong!</p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">There are consequences of sin, but that doesn't change God's love for you! No matter where you are, His mercy and goodness will track you down. You will always have a place in His house!</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-22349112826215600732011-06-24T09:52:00.000-07:002011-06-24T09:55:17.927-07:00Message Recap – 6/17/11 – Psalm 23: Part 5<p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">We've been going through Psalm 23 verse by verse. It's been awesome! Be sure to take a look at the first 4 parts if you missed them:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/05/message-recap-51311-psalm-23-part-1.html" id="d-es" title="Part 1">Part 1</a><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/05/message-recap-52711-psalm-232.html" id="fga3" title="Part 2">Part 2</a></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/06/message-recap-6311-psalm-23-part-3.html" id="sp67" title="Part 3">Part 3</a></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/06/message-recap-61011-psalm-23-part-4.html" id="c4ru" title="Part 4">Part 4</a><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Now we've reached the penultimate week in the series! What is <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penultimate" id="r7o1" title="penultimate">penultimate</a>? Look it up. We'll continue in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023:5&version=NKJV" id="i2qa" title="Psalm 23:5">Psalm 23:5</a>, which says:<i><br /></i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;</i><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i>You anoint my head with oil;<br />My cup runs over.</i><br />So, last week we talked about calamity and this week we are talking about enemies; an attack. What's the difference between calamity and an attack?<br />Calamity is just something that happens that no one intended. Calamity is not something maliciously designed.<br />An attack is when an enemy decides to come after you, to intentionally try to destroy you. Who is your enemy? Is it that bully in school, your little brother, the Taliban?<br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%206:12&version=NLT" id="iwj:" title="Ephesians 6:12">Ephesians 6:12</a> tells us who the enemy is:<i> For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.<br /></i>There is a spiritual world; this is something that most people agree on, though they disagree on the form it takes. There are things that cannot be explained by science or reason.<br />When the Bible talks about preparing a table before you in the presence of your enemies, it's not talking about the girl in school who spread rumors about you, or the guy that has it in for you. <b>Our enemy is not people.</b><br />Our enemies are anger, bitterness, rage, lust, depression, laziness, discouragement. Temptation is our enemy. Which sometimes comes through people -- but the enemy is not the person, it's the temptation.<br />Sometimes those enemies can seem overwhelming. The battles can seem impossible to win. Yet even when we face something that seems impossible, God can take those attacks and turn them into overwhelming victories for you!<br />You come out stronger, able to help others because of it!<br />You know the story of David and Goliath? David was a kid, probably about 14 years old. He faced a trained soldier who was over 8 feet tall. It seemed impossible, but he came out victorious and even went on to become king of Israel.<br />How about Jesus? He went through 40 days of being tempted. But he came out of it not only having withstood temptation, but out of that battle He began His ministry. A few years later He was crucified for our sins and won the greatest and mos decisive victory in history!<br />There are three factors covered in Psalm 23:5; the table, the anointing and the cup.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The table.</span><br />This is not referring to just a literal table. It means a meal -- a meal where you can sit with God and have fellowship and provision with Him in the presence of your enemies.<br /><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20corinthians%2010:13&version=NLT" id="vi:y" title="1 Corinthians 10:13">1 Corinthians 10:13</a> says:<i> The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.</i><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The anointing.</span><br />In the Old Testament kings and priests were anointed to show that they were authorized by the Holy Spirit and given authority from above.<br />In the middle of the attack, God wants to give yo anointing, an authority to walk in that is far above your own. He wants to give you a sense of purpose and vision. So that as you emerge from the battle, you are no longer just a kid. You're a warrior, with the beginnings of a king in him.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The cup.</span><br />The cup holds the amount that you need to sustain you, to survive, to live. When it overflows that means you have more than you need -- you have enough to bless others!<br />Remember when Jesus fed 5,000 men? His disciples gave what little they had, and it multiplied into more than enough for 5,000 people!<br />God wants to give you something that's more than enough for you, something that you can use to bless others! So that, like David, you can affect a whole nation!<br />One of the very real faith steps you can take in the midst of a battle is to look for someone that you can help, that you can sow into. Sometimes you just need to get your eyes off of yourself and start looking for a way to bless someone else.<br />When you're facing an enemy be ready for God's plan in the midst of the battle. His plan to make you stronger. To anoint you with the Holy Spirit and to bless you with enough that you can bless others. <span style="font-size:130%;">With God you will not just survive the battle, but be in a better place than you were before the battle!</span><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-72259626340090728612011-06-17T15:35:00.000-07:002011-06-24T14:21:30.612-07:00Message Recap – 6/10/11 – Psalm 23: Part 4<p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">We are right in the thick of a close study of Psalm 23. It's been awesome! If you've missed the previous messages in the series, be sure to read them here:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/05/message-recap-51311-psalm-23-part-1.html" id="d-es" title="Part 1">Part 1</a><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/05/message-recap-52711-psalm-232.html" id="fga3" title="Part 2">Part 2</a></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/06/message-recap-6311-psalm-23-part-3.html" id="sp67" title="Part 3">Part 3</a></p><br /></p><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482//Pastor Dan - Psalm 23 Pt. 4.mp3" target="_blank"><p></p><center><img src="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482/Download%20btn.jpg" /><br /></center></a><br /><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Now we are digging into <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023:4&version=NKJV" id="zfof" title="verse 4">verse 4</a>:</p><p align="center"><i>Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,<br />I will fear no evil;<br />For You are with me;<br />Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. </i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Pastor Dan is a weight lifter. For many of the exercises he does, one of the main points in correct form is where you look. The same goes for many sports – where you are looking often determines how well you play. When you're driving and you're looking off the side of the road, the car tends to follow your gaze... right into the ditch. Where you are looking is important because you tend to drift in that direction.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Up until this verse, Psalm 23 has all been about what God does and how He leads us. Then in verse 4 it suddenly changes to “I”. “I walk.” <span style="font-weight: bold;">Suddenly it's as if He's not leading us.</span></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">It's like when you're a kid, out somewhere with your parents and something catches your eye. You wander away and before you know it you're completely lost. “Mom? Dad? They left me!” Actually, you left them.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">All through this Psalm we are following God, when suddenly we think, “Ooh, gumdrops and mayonnaise? I'll go this way!” When we come to we realize there are no green pastures, still waters or paths of righteousness in sight. Whoops.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">But there's good news! Take a look at what <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139:7-12&version=NLT" id="wkmf" title="Psalm 139:7-12">Psalm 139:7-12</a> says:<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>I can never escape from your Spirit!</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>I can never get away from your presence!</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>If I go up to heaven, you are there;</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>if I go down to the grave, you are there.</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>If I ride the wings of the morning,</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>if I dwell by the farthest oceans,</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>even there your hand will guide me,</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>and your strength will support me.</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>I could ask the darkness to hide me</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>and the light around me to become night—</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>To you the night shines as bright as day.</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>Darkness and light are the same to you.</i><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><b>God never gives up on us.</b> Even though we get distracted and start chasing after the candy aisle, He never gives up on us. Even when our wanderings lead us into the valley of the shadow of death. Even when it's our own fault. He never gives up on us.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Even when we're lost in darkness because we made a wrong turn, or even because we are trying to hide. Even in darkness, God sees us and He won't leave us.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">The word "valley" in <i>valley of death</i> is referring to a gorge or a canyon. Someplace that we can't climb out of on our own. The shadow of death refers to calamity or disaster. Even in those times, God is with us, His rod and staff help us, correct us and guide us.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Sometimes God's rod corrects our path and we can easily get upset. “God, why are you so pushy? Why are you trying to move me over?” He's guiding us to the best path to exit the canyon of calamity.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Check out the amazing description of God's love found in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208:38-39&version=NLT" id="dq1f" title="Romans 8:38-39">Romans 8:38-39</a>:<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.</i><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Whether you're doing great or you're doing badly, wandered off course, made some mistakes, <b>God's love is still there.</b> He won't give up on you, He won't leave you! He will guide you through and correct your course at times if necessary. If God gives you a little nudge from time to time, know that He is guiding you away from the cliff edge and back to the path.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Maybe you're afraid. Know that you don't need to fear; God is with you. He wants to guide you through that canyon, through the valley, and back to the green pastures, still waters and paths of righteousness.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Wherever you find yourself, either the highest place or the lowest place, God knows you're there. He sees you, and He's there leading you and guiding you!</span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-14576619306842832122011-06-09T12:11:00.000-07:002011-06-24T14:30:41.682-07:00Message Recap – 6/3/11 – Psalm 23: Part 3<p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">This week is the halfway point in Pastor Dan's series on Psalm 23. If you haven't been around for the past couple of weeks... well, you really need to check out the recaps for the previous installments:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/05/message-recap-51311-psalm-23-part-1.html" id="d-es" title="Part 1">Part 1</a><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/05/message-recap-52711-psalm-232.html" id="cun9" title="Part 2">Part 2</a></p><br /></p><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482//Pastor Dan - Psalm 23 Pt. 3.mp3" target="_blank"><p></p><center><img src="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482/Download%20btn.jpg" /><br /></center></a><br /><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Now let's get right to <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023:3&version=NKJV" id="zpl8" title="Psalm 23:3">Psalm 23:3</a>:</p><p align="center"><i>He restores my soul;<br /> He leads me in the paths of righteousness<br /> For His name’s sake.<br /></i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Nobody likes to be out of their comfort zones. But we all have situations in life that are uncomfortable. We all encounter things that are outside our ability to easily cope, where we'd give almost anything to not be in the situation. For many of us the biggest issue is fear of failure. We aren't comfortable because we don't feel like we can succeed in the situation.</p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><i>He restores my soul.</i></span></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">What <i>is</i> a soul? Your soul is not your body. It's your mind, will and emotions. It's your thoughts and ideas; the part that gets frustrated by failure and that gets hurt when someone rejects you. When you feel like you're at the end of yourself, it's your soul that you're at the end of.</p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;" align="center">Our souls need restoration!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Often, when people read Psalm 23, they connect "still waters" with "he restores my soul" in the phrasing. But there's a little thing called a period that separates those thoughts. He doesn't restore our souls through <i>still waters</i>, but through <span style="font-size:130%;"><i>paths of righteousness</i></span>.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">What's a righteous person? Someone who hasn't screwed up. Someone perfect. Someone not at all like us. But God leads us in paths of righteousness even though we've messed up.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">In the original language, “paths” could be translated “camps”. <span style="font-style: italic;">He leads me into the camp of the righteous</span>. </p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><i>For His name's sake.</i></span><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">That's not a phrase you hear every day. What does it mean? It means that it is by His name we can enter the camp of the righteous. Not because we are perfect, but by His authority we walk paths that we have no right to walk! Even though our souls are tired, poor, wounded, imperfect, spotted with sin, by His name we can walk the paths of the righteous.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Take a look at what <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20corinthians%2012:9-10&version=NLT" id="jj2b" title="2 Corinthians 12:9-10">2 Corinthians 12:9-10</a> says: <i>Each time he said, <span class="woj">“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”</span> So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.</i><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">When we walk around in our own strength and think it's gonna be great, our comfort zone is easily erased. As soon as we mess up just a little, our confidence in ourselves fades. When we walk in our own strength, our comfort zone can be very easily crushed. In those moments of embarrassment or failure our soul takes a beating. From us. We beat ourselves up, replaying the moment in our minds over and over again. <b>When we recognize our weakness, even in areas we are normally “strong” in, the power of Christ can be at work through us.</b></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">As humans we are never strong. Sure, we fool ourselves. At times we think we have it all under control. But the truth is we really don't.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">When we recognize that we don't have it all under control, when we come to God and ask Him to lead us in paths of righteousness, we can step out of <i>our</i> comfort zone and into <i>God's</i>.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><b>When you are weak, He is strong.</b> You have to recognize your weakness and step into His strength.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">When you feel like a failure, like a nobody... in those moments God is restoring your soul, leading you on paths of righteousness, taking you to places you can't get to on your own!</span></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">When you soul is tired, broken down and lost, He restores you. He makes you strong!</span></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">By His authority, by His namesake you are made righteous!</span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-26263350310229606222011-05-29T14:00:00.000-07:002011-06-24T14:27:52.820-07:00Message Recap – 5/27/11 – Psalm 23:2<p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Two weeks ago we started going through Psalm 23 verse by verse. Sometimes when reading a very familiar scripture it can be difficult to find fresh meaning as we read through it. But there <i>is</i> fresh meaning there – we just have to make the effort to find it. Ask God to show you what you haven't seen before.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">So, if you missed it or just need to refresh your memory, you can read the recap for Psalm 23:1 here:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/05/message-recap-51311-psalm-23-part-1.html" id="y_s:" title="Part 1">Part 1</a></span></p><br /></p><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482/Pastor%20Dan%20-%20Psalm%2023%20Pt.%202.mp3" target="_blank"><p></p><center><img src="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482/Download%20btn.jpg" /><br /></center></a><br /><p align="center">Now on to <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2023:2&version=NKJV" id="vvet" title="Psalm 23:2">Psalm 23:2</a>:<i> <span style="font-size:130%;">He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.</span></i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Pastor Dan, like all of us, can tend to be shortsighted. He can look at the short term view and say, “Eh, that's close enough. That was pretty good, I think I'll call it a day.” It's easy to look at the short term. “I'm hungry now, so I'll just eat now.” “I'm too tired, I'll just do it tomorrow!”</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">That's a tendency that we all have, and it's especially hard for young people. At age 12, ten years seems like an eternity. Thinking about the future doesn't come natural. It's hard to make decisions with perspective and not get carried away by emotion. It's easy to say, “Eh, it's close enough!”</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">What does this have to do with Psalm 23:2?</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Let's start in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%203:18-20&version=NLT" id="r:36" title="Ephesians 3:18-20">Ephesians 3:18-20</a> for the answer:</p><p align="center"><a id="en-NLT-29230" name="en-NLT-29230"></a> <i>And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.</i></p><p align="center"><a id="en-NLT-29231" name="en-NLT-29231"></a><b><i>Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish <u>infinitely more</u> than we might ask or think.</i> </b></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">It can be easy as a teenager to shorten your goals. “I just want to get out of high school, that's it! Then I'll be happy.” But God has more for you! He has a bigger vision for your life than you have for yourself! He has <span style="font-size:130%;"> infinitely more </span>than you might ask or think for you!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Take a look at what <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2055:1-3&version=NIV1984" id="l2n1" title="Isaiah 55:1-3">Isaiah 55:1-3</a> has to say:</p><p align="center">“<i>Come, all you who are thirsty,<br />come to the waters;<br />and you who have no money,<br />come, buy and eat!<br />Come, buy wine and milk<br />without money and without cost.<br />Why spend money on what is not bread,<br />and your labor on what does not satisfy?<br />Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,<br />and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.<br />Give ear and come to me;<br />hear me, that your soul may live.<br />I will make an everlasting covenant with you,<br />my faithful love promised to David. </i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"> And <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2055:8-9&version=NIV1984" id="k5o4" title="verses 8-9">verses 8-9</a>:</p><p align="center">“<i>For my thoughts are not your thoughts,<br />neither are your ways my ways,”<br />declares the LORD.<br />“<b>As the heavens are higher than the earth,<br />so are my ways higher than your ways<br />and my thoughts than your thoughts.</b>”</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">We can have our own thoughts about our lives, and in the process of pursuing those can easily settle for much less than what God has for us.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">“Green pastures” literally means “tender shoots”. God's not leading you to a dried out, over-grown field, but to a lush paradise!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">God wants to give us not just what is needed, but what is good. He doesn't want us to just survive. He doesn't lead us into just enough. No, God wants to give us what is good, not just what is necessary! He wants to give us <span style="font-style: italic;">more</span> than we think we're worth, more than we ask or think or dream or imagine!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">“Still waters” means a place that you can call home. A place where you can relax and feel at peace. God is leading you to a place where you can stay – where you can settle down with provision for your needs. There's a difference between a place to crash for a few days and a home.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">We tend to underestimate God's plans for us. Your dreams are for getting your license or finding an outfit that won't get made fun of, while God has plans for you to change the world!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">He has <span style="font-size:130%;">big</span> plans for you!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Sometimes, when God is leading us to green pastures and still waters on the way we get antsy. So we take a detour on the way to green pastures and end up in dry stubble. Or on our way to still waters, we settle for stagnant marsh water. "Eh, that's close enough."<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Nowhere is this principle more apparent than in the search for a spouse. One of the major issues for older teens is and young adults is who you will marry.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">In that, just as in other areas, God is leading you to more than you can imagine! Yet on the way to the right person there's Mr. Close-enough or Ms. Good-enough-for-right-now. It can be very tempting to settle for that person instead of staying on the path for the green pastures and still waters that God has in store for you.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">As God is leading you to the person that is perfect for you, in the timing that is perfect for you, there will be moments when you think, “Eh, that's close enough.”</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">This principle applies to your calling in life, it applies to who you choose as friends and it even applies to having fun.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">God's plan for you is better than your plans for yourself! It's better than your five year plan, better than your goals, better than you could ever imagine! Not just in the short term – in the long term as well. He has the <i>best</i> for you!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">When you're tempted to settle, remember God's plan for green pastures and still waters. Don't settle for just close enough or for survival – follow God's plan for your life!</span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-15535545218945651192011-05-18T18:52:00.000-07:002011-05-18T18:59:54.067-07:00Message Recap – 5/13/11 – Psalm 23: Part 1<p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">There are many verses that we as Christians know so well that they lose power because of familiarity. But they <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> powerful. So we are going to study one of the most famous passages in the whole Bible, one verse at a time. </p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Psalm 23 is positional for the most part. It's about who God is, what He's done, what He's given us and what is available to us. It's a very poetic scripture, but it has a very real, meaningful, powerful and relevant application to our lives. Sometimes it can be easy to forget that the people we read about in the Bible were just that - people. David (the guy who wrote most of Psalms) was just a guy. He made mistakes, he had hopes and dreams that he didn't see fulfilled.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">We will start in the first verse, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023:1&version=NKJV" id="n0a2" title="Psalm 23:1">Psalm 23:1</a>:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>The LORD is my shepherd;</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>I shall not want.</i><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Here's a question: what do you want? We all understand the difference between wants and needs. Things like food, clothing and shelter are needs. Love, peace, a sense of purpose, freedom and hope are deeper, emotional needs.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Then there are wants. Like a new Walkman (doesn't everyone want one?). More stuff. More junk food. A nicer car, a bigger house, the newest electronic device. We all want to win. We want success, fame and recognition.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">What is God saying about want in this scripture? Is He saying it's wrong to want? That wanting something is offensive to God? Or is He saying that you already have everything that you need?</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">The answer is both. At different times and in different ways, the answer is both.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Check out <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%204:1-3&version=NLT" id="e.ir" title="James 4:1-3">James 4:1-3</a>:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? <b>You want what you don’t have</b>, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. <b>Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it</b>. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.</i><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">James is talking about two things. Getting jealous and scheming to get things that we want from people, and not having what we want because we don't ask for it. Wants aren't necessarily bad – God gives some of them to us to help get us where we need to go. But others are destructive.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">The key to Psalm 23:1 is “<span style="font-style: italic;">The Lord is my shepherd</span>.” The one I trust, the one who cares for me, the one I follow. My life is not based on wants or led by needs. <b>It is led by God's guiding hand.</b></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">When you allow God to lead you, everything you need is provided and He guides you away from the wants that are harmful or ill timed.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Sometimes we think that God is just being mean or trying to deprive us of something awesome when He's actually just warning us of the dangers of life, "That's dangerous! That will burn you! Don't touch it!"<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Don't buy into the lie that "<i>You will not surely die</i>! Go ahead and touch that, it won't hurt you." Sound a little familiar? That's what Satan told Eve in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%203:4&version=NKJV" id="cu7l" title="Genesis 3:4">Genesis 3:4</a>. Here's a hint: listening to Satan didn't turn out too well for her.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">When you allow God to guide you, He will protect you from dangers like a parent watches over a child and keeps them from harm.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">When you step outside of God's guidance you start indulging in junk. And it never satisfies! You may get tired of it, but you never get satisfied.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">It's like when you eat junk food. You never get full, you just get tired of eating – yet you still keep eating! The junk of life is the same way.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">When we go outside of God's shepherding and indulge in the junk food of life, there is never satisfaction or fulfillment. Lust, greed and selfishness are never satisfied.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Take a look at what Paul said in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=philippians%204:11-13&version=NLT" id="e0xb" title="Philippians 4:11-13">Philippians 4:11-13</a>:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. </i><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">As Christ is leading you, you can do all things! Even when you have some needs, even when life isn't perfect, you can learned to be content through Christ.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">When we allow God to guide us our needs are met. It's His promise! When we follow His plan, not our own, we find that we have all that we need. There's satisfaction and contentment. We've dropped the junk food.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">When the Lord is your shepherd He will guide you to exactly the right place at exactly the right time to find all that you need. He will lead you to a good place! Trust Him! </span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-56101783339304134042011-05-05T17:39:00.000-07:002011-06-24T14:43:04.156-07:00Message Recap – 4/29/2011 – What's on Your Mind? Part 2<p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">This week we are continuing the the new series from special guest speaker Kris Miner. You probably remember that in our series' within a series we've already covered two things that are big battles we all face as Christians: the <a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/03/message-recap-3411-tongue-tied-how-your.html" id="cz51" title="tongue">tongue</a> and <a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/03/message-recap-3252011-purity-part-1.html" id="n:wj" title="purity">purity</a>. The current series is about the battle going on in your mind.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">You can catch the recap for part one here:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/05/message-recap-4222011-whats-on-your.html" id="c7bl" title="Part 1">Part 1</a></p><br /></p><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482//Kris Miner - Whats On Your Mind- Pt.2.mp3" target="_blank"><p></p><center><img src="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482/Download%20btn.jpg" /><br /></center></a><br /><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2015:11-32&version=NLT" id="t_:g" title="Luke 15:11-32"> Luke 15:11-32</a> tells the parable of the prodigal son. There's a lot of powerful stuff in that story, but we're going to focus on the older brother. The one who had it all together. He was mature. He stayed on the farm, worked hard and remained faithful. But when the younger brother came home and was celebrated he became jealous. He angrily said to his father that he had never even gotten a goat to party with. And really, who can blame him. Isn't that what we all want out of life? The father responded that the whole farm was already his!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">The older son didn't understand – he didn't have a relationship with his father.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Take a look at what <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%203:1-2&version=NLT" id="f0ge" title="1 John 3:1-2">1 John 3:1-2</a> says: </p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. </i><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Do you know that you're a child of God? Do you understand that relationship? You have access to everything He has! The older brother in the prodigal son story didn't get that. He served faithfully, growing more and more disgruntled, but he never asked for anything that was rightfully his. </p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Do you understand what it means to be a child of God? How much He loves you, how much He cares about you?</span></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">The Bible says that when Jesus died the veil in the temple between the holy of holies and the common area was ripped from top to bottom. What does a torn curtain have to do with us? It was symbolic, showing that we don't have to go through the high priest any longer. <b>We can directly access God now, because of Jesus!</b> He bridged the gap so that we could be called children of God! God wants you to know that you're His children. You're not slaves. You serve because you have a relationship with the Father and love Him.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Jesus was once having a conversation with the Pharisees. They were the religious people of the day – they did everything right, followed all the commands to the T. But they were missing something vital – they didn't know the Father!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">As Christians we can do all the right things. Go to church, not curse, stay in school, steer clear of sin. But it's not enough. Yes, you need to obey the 10 commandments. But that's not enough; <b>you have to have a relationship with God.</b></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Do you talk to God? Do you pray? Do you find yourself thinking about Him throughout your day? Or picking up your Bible and reading it? Do you take time to hear what God has to say to you?</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">If not, you should try it. It's important for us to have a relationship with God. It's important to know our Father, as children of God.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">If you want to get to know God a bit, a great place to start is the Bible. It's like a glimpse of Him – it doesn't contain Him, but it gives a glimpse. If you <i>really</i> want to know Him, the best place is on your knees. Spend some time talking to God, pouring out what's on your mind, and take time to listen to what He has to say to you, too.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most often quoted scriptures in the Bible. But most people stop before verses 12-13. Check out <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2029:11-13&version=NLT" id="owu7" title="Jeremiah 29:11-13">Jeremiah 29:11-13</a>:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. <b>In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. </b></i><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">God has a plan for you; He wants to prosper you; He has a future for you; He wants to give you hope! But the next two verses are extremely important. Seek God. Find the Father's heart. Seek to know God. <span style="font-size:130%;">You are a child of God. He wants to have a relationship with you!</span></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Be purposeful in your relationship with God. Spend time talking to God and reading the Bible. Not just to ask for things or fulfill your duty, but to have a conversation with Him, to know Him.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Don't just be religious; build your relationship with God today!</span><br /></p><p><br /></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-11283237040006316122011-05-02T12:23:00.000-07:002011-06-24T14:37:25.355-07:00Message Recap – 4/22/2011 – What's on Your Mind?</p><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482//Kris Miner - Whats On Your Mind- Pt. 1.mp3" target="_blank"><p></p><center><img src="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482/Download%20btn.jpg" /><br /></center></a><br /><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" id="internal-source-marker_0.06783360514426828"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Tonight we get to hear from special guest speaker Kris Miner. You probably remember that we've already covered two things that are big battles we all face as Christians: the</span><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/03/message-recap-3411-tongue-tied-how-your.html"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">tongue</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (what we say) and</span><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/03/message-recap-3252011-purity-part-1.html"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">purity</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Now we're going to talk about the battle going on in your mind. Will faith win, or will fear win out? We all face this battle, and it's a tough one. Though we all have different fears, we all have to fight them.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So what are people afraid of? The number one fear of most people is public speaking. Followed by death. Others include cockroaches, spiders, snakes, the unknown, being alone, failure, rejection, and other people.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, what does the Bible have to say about fear?</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20timothy%201:7&version=NLT"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">2 Timothy 1:7</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> says, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For God has not given us a spirit of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">fear</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">God has called us to live by faith.</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20corinthians%205:7&version=NIV1984"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">2 Corinthians 5:7</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> says that we live by faith, not by sight. What exactly is faith?</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2011:1&version=NKJV"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Hebrews 11:1</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> says, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Need a simpler explanation? Faith ultimately comes down to two things:</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Believing that the Bible is true.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2. Believing that God is going to do what He said He was going to do.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So, what does the Bible have to say about spiders, snakes and cockroaches (which many people fear)? They qualify as creeping things which we have been given dominion over. We don't have to be afraid of them!</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The number one fear, public speaking, is something that Moses also feared. But God promised to help Moses speak – he didn't have to be afraid, and we don't either!</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">People are afraid of being alone. “</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">OMG, I'm 14 and I don't have a boyfriend yet!</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">” If we look in God's work, it tells us, “</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+31%3A6&version=NIV"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Never will I leave you nor forsake you.</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">” God's word is true, and He's gonna do what He said He's gonna do!</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">People are afraid of death. Some people won't even leave their house because they are afraid of dying.</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+6%3A23&version=NIV"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Romans 6:23</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> says that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Death has been swallowed up in victory! The sting of death is sin. If you're walking with God, you're not walking in sin. You don't have to fear death, because when you die you will go to heaven.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">People are afraid of the unknown. What school should I go to? Who should I marry? Should I wear the pink shoes or the white ones?</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2029:11&version=NIV"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Jeremiah 29:11</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> says, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">God has a plan for you! His word is true and He's gonna do what He said He's gonna do!</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">People are afraid of failure. They're afraid of rejection, afraid of people. This is what keeps us from living as bold Christians. But God has called us to live by faith, not fear. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We are called to make a difference and not to blend in with the background</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">, but often we are afraid to stand out and be different.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Living in fear keeps us from living boldly.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2055:11&version=NLT"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Isaiah 55:11</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> says:</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It is the same with my word.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> I send it out, and it </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">always</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> produces fruit.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> It </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">will</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> accomplish </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">all</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> I want it to,</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> and it </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">will</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> prosper </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">everywhere</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> I send it.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Notice the strong words used in that verse. Always, all, everywhere. God's word is powerful. If accomplishes everything He wants it to and produces everywhere He sends it!</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Take a look at what</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs%2029:25&version=NLT"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Proverbs 29:25</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> has to say about being afraid of people:</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fearing people is a dangerous trap,</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> but trusting the Lord means safety.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You have no reason to be afraid of people, of what they think, of rejection, of failure. God's word is true! He's in control and He's gonna do what He said He's gonna do!</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Check out the ultimate encouraging scripture,</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023&version=NKJV"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Psalm 23</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (click to read).</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Even when you're overwhelmed by circumstances, God is with you.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> He's providing for you, leading you, guiding you, protecting you. He gives you more than you need!</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">God has good things in store for you; don't let fear win the battle in your life. Be someone that lives by faith. Be someone who, when trial comes, chooses to believe the word of God.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">God is on your side! He's working for you!</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">God's word is true. He's going to do what He said he's going to do.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">You have a future and a hope. God has a plan for you. Walk in faith. Don't let fear stop you. Don't be afraid of men, of rejection, failure, spiders, werewolves, zombies, clowns or anything else! </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">God is with you, His word is true! He's gonna do what He said he was gonna do!</span></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-87702467861422316492011-04-22T08:55:00.000-07:002011-04-22T08:58:20.909-07:00Message Recap – 4/15/2011 – Purity: Part 3<p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">After a one week hiatus due to the lock-in, we're back with part 3 of the Purity series! Oh, yeah! If you forgot what the first two parts were about, refresh your memory here:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/03/message-recap-3252011-purity-part-1.html" id="dglw" title="Part 1">Part 1</a></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/04/message-recap-412011-purity-part-2.html" id="mbr3" title="Part 2">Part 2</a></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Without further adieu, let's get into part three! </p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">As you probably know by now, we are using <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%206:15-20&version=NLT" id="in8a" title="1 Corinthians 6:15-20">1 Corinthians 6:15-20</a> as our theme verse for this series:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.</i></p><p><i> Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.</i></p><p align="center"><a id="en-NLT-28443" name="en-NLT-28443"></a><a id="en-NLT-28444" name="en-NLT-28444"></a></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205:27-28&version=NLT" id="k:jk" title="Matthew 5:27-28">Matthew 5:27-28</a> is another important verse for this series.</p><p align="center"><a id="en-NLT-23238" name="en-NLT-23238"></a> <i>You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. </i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Purity starts in your heart!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Finally, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs%204:23&version=NLT" id="m0t1" title="Proverbs 4:23">Proverbs 4:23</a>:</p><p align="center"><i>Guard your heart above all else,<br />for it determines the course of your life.</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Tonight we are talking about how we win this battle for purity. How do we defeat the pressure of the world and our bodies? First off, everybody fights the same enemy. Even Jesus was tempted in every way. Do not think that your situation makes victory impossible – you can win this battle! But why do some win the battle consistently and some lose consistently?</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._C._Green#Personal_life" id="e.nm" title="A.C. Green">A.C. Green</a> played NBA basketball during the '80s, '90s and early 2000s. He was famous for two things. Playing the most consecutive games, and for being a virgin his entire NBA career. He was a Christian and didn't have sex until he got married in 2002. With women literally throwing themselves at him, he won the battle. If A.C. Green can win the battle, you can too! <span style="font-size:130%;">Victory <b>is</b></span> possible!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">So how do we win, too? We'll start discovering this in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%2016:4-21&version=NLT" id="h5:5" title="Judges 16:4-21">Judges 16:4-21</a> (click to read).<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">What does Sampson losing his strength have to do with purity? So often men & women are in relationships where one party is trying to get the other to do something that they know is wrong. It works both ways, boys and girls both do it. They use the same tactic as Delilah – nagging, pouting, whining. Sampson chose to stay as close as he could to the danger zone because he thought he was “in love”. He put himself in a position of weakness where the battle grew more and more hard until he could not defeat it. <span style="font-size:130%;">Instead of fighting the battle, he played games with it. And lost.</span></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">In <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2039:2-12&version=NLT" id="pwon" title="Genesis 39:2-12">Genesis 39:2-12</a> we see a man in a similar predicament as Sampson, though not because of any mistake he had made. In fact, Joseph followed the same strategy that Paul lays out in 1 Corinthians. <b>He ran from sexual sin!</b> He didn't play around with it, he got out of the situation fast. The best strategy to win this battle is to run from sexual sin. Don't even go there!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Lust, impurity sexual sin – they are traps! Next time you find a bear trap in the woods, I would recommend not playing with it. It's dangerous! Sexual sin is just as dangerous.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">The best way to avoid a trap is to know that it's there and walk around it. Lust is a trap! Don't be like Sampson, hanging around, poking the trap with sticks, putting your foot in it. There is a reason why God says to run from sexual sin. Get off the computer, turn off the TV, throw that book away, end that relationship. Get away from the trap! Sampson should have dumped Delilah! Don't make the same mistake he did.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Some real world strategies for avoiding the trap:</span></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">1. <b>Leave!</b> If you find yourself in a situation that is testing your purity, get away from it.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">2. <b>Put up a guard</b>. Don't allow things that will tempt you to control you. Don't have a computer in your room. If you need to get rid of your phone, get rid of your phone.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">3. <b>Predecision.</b> Decide beforehand to have lines that you will <i>not</i> cross. Decide before you are in the midst of temptation. You decide where your level of temptation is going to be.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">3 questions to ask before beginning a relationship: </span></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">1. <b>Who?</b> Does this person represent who I'm looking for in life? Is he/she called to the same things you're called to in life? These are critical questions to ask <i>before</i> you get involved.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">2. <b>Why?</b> Why are we dating? Why are we together? What is the end goal of the relationship? If you're 12, why are you dating since you certainly won't be getting married this decade?</p><p style="font-style: normal; text-align: center;">3. <b>How?</b> How are you going to keep the relationship pure? Here's a little hint: Spending lots of time alone together is not a good starting point.<br /></p><div style="text-align: center;">Purity is an intense battle that we are all fighting. No one is exempt and no one has it easy. But it's a battle that we all can win, and it starts in your heart!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-47489209752919605702011-04-06T17:03:00.000-07:002011-04-22T05:44:14.166-07:00Message Recap – 4/1/2011 – Purity: Part 2<p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">We've been talking about the three hardest battles of Christianity. If you're just picking up with this series, be sure to check out the recap for <a href="http://ggcrevchurch.blogspot.com/2011/03/message-recap-3252011-purity-part-1.html" id="nz1w" title="Part 1">Part 1</a>.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Now, on to Part 2. </p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><br /></p><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482//Dan%20Wolford%20-%20Purity%20-%20Pt%202.mp3" target="_blank"><p></p><center><img src="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482/Download%20btn.jpg" /><br /></center></a><br /><p align="center">We'll start with the theme verse for this series, which is found in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%206:15-20&version=NLT" id="lk24" title="1 Corinthians 6:15-20">1 Corinthians 6:15-20</a>:<i> Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.</i></p><p align="center"><a id="en-NLT-28445" name="en-NLT-28445"></a><a id="en-NLT-28446" name="en-NLT-28446"></a><a id="en-NLT-28447" name="en-NLT-28447"></a> <i><b>Run from sexual sin!</b> No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Run from sexual sin! Run away screaming like a girl (even if you're a boy) if you must! Why do you have to be so extreme? Because the battle for purity is a difficult battle. It's hard because of what's <i>in</i> you and because of what's <i>around</i> you. This battle can never be ignored. You don't just grow out of it; it's always there. Our culture finds nothing wrong with constantly bombarding you with sex and with unrealistic expectations & ideas about what a relationship should be like. </p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">What is purity? What does it mean? Is it a ring on your finger or a pledge that you sign? Is it only wearing ankle-length skirts and turtlenecks? Is it not going past 2<sup>nd</sup> base? Is it not dating before 18? Does it depend on the situation? Does it change depending on whether it's you or someone else? How do you define purity? Where is the line? If you're not quite sure of the answer to that, this series is for you!<br /></p><p align="center">Check out <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205:27-28&version=NLT" id="sutx" title="Matthew 5:27-28">Matthew 5:27-28</a> for how God defines purity: “<i>You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ <span style="font-weight: bold;">But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.</span>" </i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Jesus is saying that you don't define the problem by the act of adultery, but by the heart. The moment you look with lust sin has already started. <b>Purity starts in the heart.</b> It's not a list of dos and don'ts (though there are things you need to do and not do). Purity is defined by what is in your heart.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><b>The cross is always the destination.</b> Anything you won't surrender has already taken the place of God in your life. Anything that has become so important to you, so vital, that you won't surrender it has become too big. A relationship? A crush on someone? Take it to the cross. That is Christianity; that's the Christian life. Anything that God has placed in your life to stay will always survive the cross. Think of Abraham and Isaac; God had given Isaac to Abraham, but still called him to sacrifice. Yet God provided a way for Isaac to live!<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Some practical tips for keeping your heart pure:<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>Guys:</b></span> You tend to be visually driven. This is why pornography is a big temptation for most guys. For guys the heart issue tends to be lust – your thought life. What are you looking at? How are you looking at it? What are you thinking when you look at it? When you look at that girl, what are you thinking about? Where are you allowing your imagination to take you? That's the heart issue for guys, generally. Martin Luther said, “<i>I can't stop the birds from flying overhead. But I can stop them from nesting in my hair.</i>” Sometimes, as guys, you get a stray thought that goes through your mind, and instantly feel guilty and condemned. Be more concerned about what you are dwelling on and fixating on.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">It starts with your motivation. Why do you like that girl? Because she really loves Jesus or because she wears really tight jeans? Why do you want to be alone with her? What are your goals for the relationship? You need to be honest with yourself about what's really going on and stay surrendered to God in the midst of your emotions. <b>Attraction and emotions are not sin, they're normal things that are part of life. It's how you handle those things that can become sin.</b></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>Girls:</b></span> You tend to be emotionally driven. That's why girls tend to like romance novels. For girls the heart issue tends to be emotional entanglement. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Song%20of%20Solomon%208:4&version=NLT" id="wt.n" title="Song of Solomon 8:4">Song of Solomon 8:4</a> says:</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><i>Promise me, O women of Jerusalem,<br /> not to awaken love until the time is right.</i><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Why did Solomon need to caution women about this? Because in their imaginations, girls go from introduction to marriage in 2.4 seconds. You meet a boy at 9:00 and by 9:15 you're writing your name with his last name in your notebook, picking out wedding dresses, visualizing your first dance, and naming your 13 children. For girls, the battle is to keep your emotions in check. Once you feel emotionally connected to him, you want to make sure you can keep him around. So you push the physical boundaries of the relationship, hoping to hold on to to him. Let's say you like a guy, but there's this nasty little drug habit he has. The temptation is to say, “Oh, he's just misunderstood! He told me that once we get married he'll stop!” Or you meet a guy and your parents say they don't approve. In your mind you instantly become Juliet to his Romeo. You're star crossed lovers, destined to be together!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><b>Girls, you need to guard against obsession.</b> Yes, you <u>can</u> live without that guy. No matter how cute he is, how strong he is, how sensitive or funny, you don't <i>need</i> him!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Stop yourself and ask, “Am I thinking clearly? Am I seeing clearly? Am I drawing away from my family, my friends, even God because of this relationship? Has this attraction taken an inappropriate priority in my life? Sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and view your situation objectively (without emotion). Always stay surrendered to God. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs%204:23&version=NLT" id="nt31" title="Proverbs 4:23">Proverbs 4:23</a> says:<i> Guard your heart above all else,<br />for it determines the course of your life.</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">As a Christian, your heart belongs to God. Be aware of what is growing there. Is lust growing there? Is obsession growing there? Pull it out.<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">It's easier to block seeds than to pull weeds. It's easier to stop those things from growing in the early stages than to root them out after they are established.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Purity is a heart issue. Don't wait until your actions become impure to root it out – surrender your heart issues to God and keep your heart pure!</span><br /></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3937715120102441931.post-6159777646085900332011-03-31T20:48:00.000-07:002011-04-22T05:16:37.988-07:00Message Recap – 3/25/2011 – Purity: Part 1<a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482/Dan%20Wolford%20-%20Purity%20-%20Pt%201.mp3" target="_blank"><p></p><center><img src="http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/5/20/2865482/Download%20btn.jpg" /><br /></center></a><br /><br /><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">We are just beginning level two of the three level series within a series. These series are about the hardest battles that we face as Christians. Some of the battles are with the world, but most of them are within ourselves, against our own temptations, our own wants. We just finished “Tongue Tied” last week. And this new series is about... <span style="font-size:130%;">sex</span>!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">The battle for purity is one of the most hotly contested battles. You can see all around you the carnage of those who have lost the battle. Pastors, presidents, movie stars, world leaders, governors, etc. This is an extremely important battle that we need to be determined to win, determined to hold our ground.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Sex may not be the most comfortable subject to talk about in church, but the world is talking about it 24/7, you are hearing on TV, in music, in movies and from your friends. It's time for someone to stand up and say what's true when it comes to purity.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">It should be noted that Pastor Dan is not preaching this because he knows of a purity compromise in Revolution Church. On the contrary, he is preaching because <i>now</i> is the time to decide how you will face this battle. This is not aimed at one person, it's for all of us, young and old.</p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: bold;" align="center">Why is purity important? Why do we care? Why is it a big deal? Why do we even bother with these old-fashioned ideas? They do it on TV all the time with no consequences! Why stand in the way of nature?</p><p align="center">We're not even going to cover the many physical consequences of sex in this series. We are just going to cover the spiritual and emotional consequences. Let's dig into <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%206:15-20&version=NLT" id="hgia" title="1 Corinthians 6:15-20">1 Corinthians 6:15-20</a> to start off: <i>Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.</i></p><p align="center"><a id="en-NLT-28445" name="en-NLT-28445"></a><a id="en-NLT-28446" name="en-NLT-28446"></a> <i><b>Run from sexual sin!</b> No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.</i></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">This is a revolutionary idea, not only in our culture, but in modern Christianity: <span style="font-weight: bold;">You do not belong to yourself; Jesus Christ bought you with His life!</span></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">1. God created sex. He created it for us, to be fulfilling and fun. It's a good thing! It's not something that was first invented in the '60s along with LSD and protest songs. But it was created to be used in one specific context, which is marriage. It was not made to be used outside of that context.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">God has commanded us to run from sexual sin. A fire in a fireplace or woodstove is a good, useful thing. It brings warmth to heat your home and roast marshmallows. Fire on your carpet, on the other hand, is not good. Fire is good when contained and in the right place, but destructive outside of that place.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">In the same way, sex is good in the right place. In any other place, it is destructive and you need to run away from it like you would run from a fire!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">2. “Purity leads to intimacy.” (–Andy Stanley) This is something that TV, music, movies and your friends won't tell you.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Sex is relational. Sex is <i>never</i> “just sex.” It always has relational consequences both now and in the future. Paul said, "The two are united into one<i>." </i>Every time you engage in sex outside of marriage you leave a piece of yourself behind. You are joined to that person. The only place where sex will not leave you broken, and empty is within the committed, intimate relationship of marriage. Any place outside of that causes your future marriage to suffer. You rob your future self and your future spouse!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Girls: What you really want is not sex. You want to fall in love. You want to get married, to trust someone, to be able to tell them everything and not have them betray you.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Guys: You don't really want sex. You want to find a hot girl and marry her. You're afraid that you will lose the attraction for the girl, and be stuck in misery with her forever. Because the world says that great sex involves a hot girl.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">The truth is that attractive people get divorced everyday. Attractiveness is not the secret. Great sex comes with complete intimacy. What you are really looking for is not sex, it's intimacy. And your ability to find real, lasting, true intimacy is only found through purity.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Maximum intimacy leads to great sex, and maximum intimacy is only found in marriage. Sex outside of this leaves you feeling rejected, betrayed, empty and lonely.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">People like to tell you that "sex is just sex," That there are no emotions attached. Nothing could be further from the truth. Would you marry every attractive person you meet? Of course not! Yet if you have sex with someone, you become united to them (whether you marry them or not).<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">All of the negative connotations people have about marriage are actually true about sex just as much as about marriage. It carries commitment, consequences and baggage.</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">Which story would you rather have to tell your future spouse someday?<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">#1: I got carried away when I was young and had sex with my boyfriend. Once I started I figured I might as well keep going, so I've slept with about 12 people. But... now I really love you, so it's all OK, right?</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">#2: I got carried away when I was young and had sex with my boyfriend. But then I heard this message about how sex is important, and since that day I have been saving myself for you!</p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center">#3: I've known the importance of purity since I was young, and I have been saving myself for you my whole life!<br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">It's not too late. If you've made mistakes, your life is not over. There is forgiveness for you! You can start over! Purity keeps you whole - no matter what you've done before, choose to walk in it today.</span><br /></p><p style="font-style: normal;" align="center"><br /><br /></p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05687918567999174856noreply@blogger.com0