All posts tagged: God

10 Sacred Reminders Before You Step Into The Pulpit

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1. It is foolish to think the gospel message you are about to preach will not offend your audience. 2. It is foolish to presume that after you’ve preached, everyone will like you, friend you on Facebook or follow you on twitter 3. It is foolish to think that everyone in you audience is on the same level of spiritual maturity..therefore will understand what you are saying 4. It is foolish to believe that anything of eternal significance can happen through the flesh 5. It is foolish to act like you are indispensable or anything better than an ass…excuse me…I meant donkey…because God can speak through them too… 6. It is foolish to approve the guy taking notes as super spiritual or a great student of the word 7. it is foolish to act like your personal style of communication, is the only way to preach or teach…the only way God can save or bless others 8. It is foolish to lead one-self into believing that what you are about to preach is only for your audience and not for …

Abba, My Father

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For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:15-17 There are seasons and times in our lives when fear, uncertainty and doubts suffocate the assurance of knowing God as not only King, Savior or master, but Father. Sometimes we get squeezed into a mindset that equates him as no different from our earthly fathers. In fact, sometimes it is easy for us to see Jesus relating to the Father with this joyful confidence, but we may see ourselves as disqualified for it. In any event, it is quite liberating to have those doubts and fears lifted and our confidence reinforced by the Spirit that He is far different from our earthly …

Hungry

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Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation-if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:2 One of the first questions a doctor may ask you upon your visit is, “how is your appetite?” Before he can make a diagnosis of what you are going through, he questions you about your appetite, because if you don’t have an appetite, you may need some medicine. When a Christian takes pleasure in all the latest gossip columns, and the latest entertainment magazines but has no appetite for the Word of God, that is a sign of a dangerous spiritual illness. But a strong appetite is one of the greatest spiritual gifts one could ever have. It drives one to read, to meditate and to study. It keeps him coming back for more and more and more. It helps one place a certain kind of value on the word; a certain kind of love for the word; a certain kind of devotion to the …

Small stuff matters

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As the creator and ruler of all that is, God is in control of everything. He is Lord over all. He holds the world in the palm of his hand. But sometimes we forget to remember that he is not only concerned about the big things of life, but he is equally concerned about the little things – even the little things happening in our lives. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.Matthew 10:29-31 God watches over the tiniest most insignificant things in our lives. The word translated penny in our text is used proverbially to signify a very little thing. It is also rendered as a little piece of money and was the common prize of two sparrows. In fact, in the book of Luke, five sparrows were sold for two pennies, which makes them somewhat cheaper still (12:6). This …

Who do you say I am?

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And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” Mark 8:29 Over the past two thousand years people have shown much curiosity about Jesus. From the experience his disciples had with him, leaving them with this question – “who is this man” to the speculations of his enemies trying to paint him as an imposter, a homosexual and a weirdo. But the question Jesus himself asked in our title couldn’t be more pertinent or well placed. I don’t think anyone other than those who walked, talked, touched, and had their lives completely transformed by this Jesus could best answer the question. Here are a few things they’ve said about him that truly explains who He is: Advocate – 1 John 2:1 Apostle of our profession – Hebrews 3:1 Atoning sacrifice for our sins – 1 John 2:2 Author of Life – Acts 3:15 Author of salvation – Hebrews 2:10 Bread of life – John 6:35 Chief Cornerstone – Ephesians 2:20 Chief Shepherd – 1 Peter …

Servant Leadership

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“A person who is worthy of being a leader wants power not for himself, but in order to be of service.” — J. Ervin, Jr. “Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others.” — H. Jackson Brown, Jr. “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” — Martin Luther King Jr “Men are governed only by serving them; the rule is without exception.” — V. Cousin “Servant-leadership is more than a concept, it is a fact. Any great leader, by which I also mean an ethical leader of any group, will see herself or himself as a servant of that group and will act accordingly.” — M. Scott Peck “The adventure of life is to learn. The purpose of life is to grow. The nature of life is to change. The challenge of life …

Purified 7 Times

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The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. You, O LORD, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever. (Psalm 12:6, 7 ESV) Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. (Proverbs 30:5 ESV) Everyday we go about life looking for something we can rely on. Something that is constant, trustworthy, immovable. We want relationships that are reliable. We want people we can count on. Friends who will deliver on their promises. Husbands we can trust. Wives we know will be there, when the going gets tough. A career or a job that will be there even in tough economic times. I think this is a fundamental human need. Well, I’ve come to find security and reliability in God through Jesus Christ and his word. You can too! When the scripture says that God’s words are pure, refined, and purified 7 times, it insists that they have no lies, flattery, insincerity or …

Kellogg’s Corn Flakes: taste them again for the first time

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Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation. If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 1 Peter 2:2, 3 A few years ago when the cereal giant Kellogg began to see the Corn Flakes drop in sales, they came up with a brilliant idea – an add that went like this: Kellogg’s Corn Flakes: Taste them again for the first time. Sometimes life can become a bowl of soggy corn flakes – but you need to taste it again in order to fall in love with it (life) again. Maybe it’s your marriage, ministry, work, hobby, Christian life, church, evangelism, prayer life, Bible reading, hospitality, small group, girls night out, family bike ride – that thing you once enjoyed doing, but now have become lifeless, meaningless and even boring. You need to taste it again for the first time – you might rediscover your first-love – Revelation 2:4 In Picture – my boy SB

Fit to Sit: Partakers of Endless Glory

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Part 2: A Commentary on Psalm 15 Verse 3 – Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. The word cherpah, which we here translate a reproach, comes from charaph, to strip, or make bare, to deprive one of his garments; hence choreph, the winter, because it strips the fields of their clothing, and the trees of their foliage. By this, nature appears to be dishonoured and disgraced. The application is easy: a man, for instance, of a good character is reported to have done something wrong the tale is spread, and the slanderers and backbiters carry it about; and thus the man is stripped of his fair character, of his clothing of righteousness, truth, and honesty. All may be false; or the man, in an hour of the power of darkness, may have been tempted and overcome; may have been wounded in the cloudy and dark day, and deeply mourns his fall before God. Who that has not the heart of a devil would not strive rather to cover than make bare the fault? …