Sunday, February 20, 2011
*.* WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?—2 *.*
MASTERPIECE
WITHOUT CHRIST, THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU.
Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins… 3By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else. 4But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!) Ephesians 2:1, 3-5 NLT
WITH CHRIST, YOU ARE GOD’S MASTERPIECE.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT
AS GOD’S MASTERPIECE
1) YOU ARE CREATED FOR THE MASTER’S PURPOSE.
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:13-16
2) YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO DO EVERYTHING GOD WANTS YOU TO DO.
[God’s] divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3
3) GOD USES EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE TO BRING ABOUT HIS PURPOSES.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
IF YOU DON’T LIKE YOUR YOURSELF
LET GOD REMAKE YOU.
So I went down to the potter's house and saw him working at the potter's wheel. 4 He was using his hands to make a pot from clay, but something went wrong with it. So the potter used that clay to make another pot the way he wanted it to be. Jeremiah 18:3-4 NCV
TALK IT OVER
What about you or your past do you think God may want to use as a part of His plan?
Share the ways you feel like something is wrong with you. How do you feel least like His masterpiece?
Do you fear there are parts of you He can’t remake? What steps do you need to take to allow God to remake you?
Download a study guide for your LifeGroup at www.lifechurch.tv/talkitover. To discover God’s purpose for you, go to www.chazown.com .
Me blogged @ | 5:37 AM
*.* I QUIT—1 *.*
I QUIT MAKING EXCUSES
· AS SOON I DECIDE TO BE DIFFERENT, SATAN GIVES ME EXCUSES TO STAY THE SAME.
…"A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' 18"But they all alike began to make excuses.” Luke 14:16-18
· WHAT DOES GOD WANT TO BE DIFFERENT ABOUT YOUR LIFE?
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· WHY DOES GOD WANT THIS PART OF YOUR LIFE TO BE DIFFERENT?
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I QUIT MAKING EXCUSES
Moses said to the Lord, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." 11The Lord said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." Exodus 4:10-12
· DO WHAT YOU CAN DO.
· TRUST GOD TO DO WHAT YOU CANNOT DO.
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness..." For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9a, 10b
TALK IT OVER
· What excuses do you use to keep from making the changes you know God wants you to make?
· Share what you know God wants to be different about your life. How will these changes draw you closer to God?
· Of the steps you need to take, which ones will you really need God’s strength to make?
Taking time to discuss the message can help you take your next step. Quit making excuses and talk it over with someone. Find more at www.lifechurch.tv/talkitover .
Me blogged @ | 3:00 PM
*.* 15-YEAR ANNIVERSARY *.*
TO LEAD PEOPLE TO BECOME FULLY DEVOTED FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST.
27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. 29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 31 Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:27-32
LIFE CHURCH VALUES
1) We will do anything short of sin to reach people who don’t know Christ. To reach people no one is reaching, we’ll have to do things no one is doing.
2) We are all about the “capital C” Church! The local church is the hope of the world and we know we can accomplish infinitely more together than apart.
3) We are spiritual contributors not spiritual consumers. The church does not exist for us. We are the church and we exist for the world.
4) We will lead the way with irrational generosity. We truly believe it is more blessed to give than to receive.
5) We are faith-filled, big thinking, bet-the-farm risk takers. We’ll never insult God with small thinking and safe living.
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. Acts 20:24
Me blogged @ | 2:49 AM
Sunday, December 26, 2010
*.* Never Lose Heart *.*
Pastor Chris Hodges – Church of the Highlands
Alabama, USA
So I Hated Life
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun… So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 2:10-11, 17
I’m frustrated.
…Life is useless, all useless. You spend your life working... but what do you have to show for it? ... The world stays just the same. Ecclesiastes 1:2-4 GNT
I’m tired.
The sun still rises, and it still goes down... the wind blows… round and round and back again. Every river flows into the sea... [then] the water returns to where the rivers began and starts all over again. Everything leads to weariness – a weariness too great for words... Ecclesiastes 1:5-8 GNT
I’m unfulfilled.
…No matter how much we see, we're never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we're not content. History merely repeats itself... Ecclesiastes 1:8-9 NLT
Focus on the Eternal
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
1. Pray.
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1-2
2. Serve.
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life... John 6:27
3. Give.
They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor. Psalm 112:9 NLT
4. Share Christ.
…Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith… Hebrews 12:1-2
TALK IT OVER
On a scale of 1-10, how much would you say you love life right now? How did you land on that number-was it from being frustrated, tired, or unfulfilled?
What truths from the Bible do you need to find to outweigh your problems? How will you go about that?
How will you do all four things this week to refocus your mind on the eternal?
It's been a busy week, but taking time to talk it over with someone can help you take your next step toward loving life again. Find more at www.lifechurch.tv/talkitover.
Me blogged @ | 6:48 AM
Monday, December 13, 2010
*.* MULTIPLY - 2 *.*
PRINCIPLES OF MULTIPLICATION
Pastor Robert Morris, Gateway Church – TX, USA
When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here." 13 But He said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people." 14 For there were about five thousand men. And He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty." 15 And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17 So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them. Luke 9:12-17 NKJV
1. It has to be blessed before it can multiply.
2. It has to be given away before it can multiply.
TALK IT OVER
Share a time when you saw God bless someone’s generosity.
What would you be willing to give to see God bless your finances?
What is your first step towards seeing God’s power to multiply in your life?
Talk it over with someone who will help you put God first this week. Watch a Talk It Over video or download a LifeGroup study guide at www.lifechurch.tv/talkitover.
Me blogged @ | 6:57 PM
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
*.* MULTIPLY - 1 *.*
GOD MUST BE FIRST
Pastor Robert Morris, Gateway Church – TX, USA
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Consecrate to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine." Exodus 13:1-2 NKJV
That you shall set apart to the LORD all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the LORD's. 13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. Exodus 13:12-13 NKJV
1. The Firstborn Must Be Sacrificed or Redeemed
2. The Firstfruits Must Be Offered
The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God. God will never be on second only first! Exodus 23:19 NKJV
Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJV
And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. Genesis 4:3-5 NKJV
3. The Tithe Must Be First
The tithe is first. we should take it out of our gross rather than our net.
And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD's. It is holy to the LORD. Leviticus 27:30 NKJV
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: 2 On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 NKJV
So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' that you shall say to him, 'By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ Exodus 13:14-15 NKJV
Talk It Over
What are some areas where you see that you haven’t put God first?
What point from the message really stuck out to you the most? How did it speak to you?
Is God first in your life? What are you going to do about that question this week?
Me blogged @ | 5:28 PM
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
*.* MASQUERADE—4 *.*
FINANCIAL FAKERS
One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. Proverbs 13:7
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Romans 1:25
MONEY AND THINGS PROMISE:
1) HAPPINESS
2) SIGNIFICANCE
3) SECURITY
DROP THE MASK AND EXPOSE THE TRUTH
WE TRUST MONEY FOR HAPPINESS BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WE HAVE IN CHRIST.
WE TRUST MONEY TO MAKE US SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST.
WE BELIEVE MONEY WILL MAKE US SECURE BECAUSE WE TRUST IN MONEY AND NOT IN CHRIST.
A BETTER WAY TO LIVE
TRUE HAPPINESS, SIGNIFICANCE AND SECURITY ARE FOUND IN CHRIST ALONE.
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:7-8
…A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Luke 12:15
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness… 2 Peter 1:3
Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. Proverbs 15:16
Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred. Proverbs 15:17
Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be somebody and have no food. Proverbs 12:9
TALK IT OVER
What is some evidence that would indicate you’re looking to money or possessions for happiness, significance, or security?
What really stuck out the most to you in the message? What actions do you feel prompted to take?
What are some things you can do to help build your concept of who you are in Christ? Who will you ask to help you?
Find forgiveness and healing this week by talking it over with someone who will help you take your next step out of hiding. Find more at www.lifechurch.tv/talkitover.
Me blogged @ | 5:57 AM
