Not Fear, Praise!

March 28 2k10
Not Fear, Praise!

Mark 4:35-41
James 1:2-5

How many of u are in a situation that you don't want to be in & your wondering how your going to make it? Not just a one day storm, but perhaps a 6 day storm. Chapters in ur life that if it were up to u, u would not have those chapters written in ur book of life. James 1 Look at ur situtuation as if the door is open & your prayer has been answers. How would u act? You would praise! Praise is an act of will. You don't have to feel good to praise him. Some of the best praise u do is the praising when you shout during the bad times. Decide to praise the Lord through your storm & dont allow fear to grip you. Thank him for the challenges not just the good things. A gunuine joy. You can really see what type of foundation you have when the storm comes. Can u make it to the end of something that's needed even when it doesn't make u happy. God is not only concerned about u being happy but about u being complete & mature. Therefore when your time comes you will have the tools that you need for your next level that God has for u.

A joy that circumstances can't change.

You know your immature when you only want good stuff. When someone has to TELL you to eat your vegitables.

Some people just want the pleasure but are not concerned about the price. After the meal do you ask, "how much did that cost?"

It's funny how you can go without when it's your money that has to be spent. Everything will not always be easy. Some things have a price.

James1:5
"Wisdom", will change the way u see your trial.
You should laugh when ur car is stolen!! Laugh when everyone at your job is getting laid off. Cuz ur faith is being tested. Come out the other side stronger. If u dint understand ask the Lord to show you why u should be laughing. When fear grabs you it can make u forget that the Lord has gotten u thru a similar situation before. Maybe u didn't handle the situation appropriately before but he brought u out in spite of.

Reasons to praise:
1) Understand where the trial came from. Mark 4:35 vs the story of Jonah.

There's a difference between a storm that comes at the will of God & a storm that comes due to disobedience.

Some time the storm is here to let u know that your on the path of something serious. The greater your storm the greater the blessing that's in store on the other side. Some times storms come b/c u are obedient. Then u know your on the right path.

2) Understand he cares. Mark 4:38

3) Understand he is here with me. Rejoice b/c u are not by yourself.

If the Lord is alright with ur trial, u be alright with ur trial.

If u let fear rule u. It will rule the bad time & the good times. Ex. Not wanting to tell people the good news b/c ur afraid that you will jinx your situation. Knocking on wood.

We need to see things in our life the way God sees them.

His Mind

WOCC
His mind
1 Corinth. 2:14-16; Is. 55:8-9
thinking and believing determine your actions
God's ways (actions) are higher because thoughts are higher
1 Corinth. 1:20-21
God is going to give power to "foolish" things (simple) in order to blow the worlds' mind
22: (Jews=church folks) look for signs (Greek=the world) looks for intelligience
23: the crucifixition is a stumbling block to church folks and foolishness to the heathens
25: you cant handle the power of God without the wisdom of God (i.e. thats the reason that we cant heal the blind or the lame, or even turn water into wine)
God looks for "long shots" someone everyone else counted out or said would never be anything to shame the strength of man because even in God's weakest day he has more strength than man.
I have to want God's mind in order to operate his power the way that he would
We have to reach a place where we read the scripture and look at the action of God and ask ourselves what was he thinking? and do I think that way? b/c as Christians we have the mind of Christ.
to learn God's thoughts we have to deduce it from his actions
Examples:
1. Gen. 17:3-5; 32:22-28
His action: changing names (he had Jacob say his name in order for him to identify where he was right then Jacob means cheat; liar)
His thoughts: people and things are affected by what they are called and in order to change your situation he has to change you mane because that name is not enough to define you and he is not a God that will leave you the way you are because he wants to change your destiny. Ask God what you new name is...
2. John 8:1-11
His action: he kept someone from having to pay for thier sins
His thought: Im going to give this person a second chance (mercy is just as powerful as judgement)

No More Jars

 
3/14/10 BGC Rev. Johnson
No More Jars
John 4:28-29
Christ encounter moves you from indiscretion to influence
the fastest way to promotion is to exert influence
when you feel alone its because he is moving others away so that he can communicate with you and you can hear him
the woman from the passage entire journey shifted after encounter with Jesus
the woman avoided others (it was the practice for the woman to go early in the morning to fill their water jars and she went alone at the hotest point in the day which indicates that she was ostricized maybe because of her many excursions with the men of the town)
 1. Jesus presented her with a different kind of water (water represents life flowing to abundance) life: active exchange (God placed an agent in you that activates in adversity)
 2. he offered a different source (if the enemy can cut off your source he can beat you i.e. in today's time in combat the enemy will cut off communication in those times they would cut off the regions water supply by dropping rocks in a well or levying the river or stream) God wants to install a spring in you (a spring is difficult to see but you can hear it, it never stops running, and it does not adjust its flow for anything)
 3. he changed her (producer) he gave her the ability to move from consumer to producer (if you drink enough water eventually you will have to go to the bathroom and let it out and "holding" it changes your behavior) he wants to get enough of the Spirit inside you that you have to let it out.

The Power of ONE

Pastor Brian

The Power of ONE

Acts 20:32-35; John 4:43-54

He told a story about his pregnant wife beginning to have contractions and how he kind of meandered around until she yelled that it was time to PUSH!!! He said all he needed was that one word to get moving in order to try and get her to the hospital before the baby came (he said he envisioned the martin scene where the baby popped out and he had to catch it)

Peter walked across the water with one word from Jesus: COME

If Peter could walk on water with one word what can we achieve with the whole Bible?

The Power of 1 word:

it is spoken to you in order for you to be a vessel to be spoken Thur you.

1 John 5:14-15

-we have to take him at his word (and we have to act on that)

-take our eyes off our situation so God can then bless our situation. God is looking for empty vessels to pour into (2 Kings 4) (he talked about when he lived in an apt and wanted a house and it wasn't until he began to pray for others who wanted a home that God then blessed him with a home the next week)

-spend more time focused on what you can do for others?

How to influence others (refocusing our energy) John 4:4-42 ( he said that this is one of the most specific instances where we see Jesus ministering and it is important to take note of what he did)

1-be bothered: we have to be willing to be involved with others and their problems

2-be bold: (vs. 9) be willing to cross (racial, gender, orientation) barriers; willing to be different

3-be relational: (vs. 7) be willing to establish relationships with people; get to know them

4-be relate able: make an effort to understand them and get them to understand you; be willing to be around 'sinners'

5-be lead: let God lead your path; he leads those who are his sons and daughters; God wont set you up to fail; he wont lead you wrong if you follow him and you wont have to worry about whether it will work; take a step and stop waiting for a leap

6-be doing: saying and acting

7-be living: be an example; live what you say; lead by example "at all times preach and if necessary use words"

For the settled

2/24/10 Alex Hurt "For the settled:Tipping point moments"

Gen. 17:15-18

Phil. 1:6 God is the author and finisher (what happens in the middle is up to you)

Rev. 8

-When you are between your present situation and the promises that God made you.

-There are 2 responses: you can hide or fight

-Doubt is a part of humanity and it is a daily struggle-it is our ability to overcome it that enables us to move forward

-Operating outside of God's promise disqualifies you for God's provision

-God has a set promise_a set plan_and in that is set provisions

-God calls you what you are becoming (the trick of the devil is to focus you on who you are now and what you have now)

-He tells the story about one of his grandmothers who he would ask for a cake and she would use Betty Crocker and bake it up right then, but his other grandmother would tell him to come back next week because she would make it from scratch and it took longer. He talked about how much better it tasted and the anticipation that came along with the cake. God doesn't do Betty Crocker (but we can settle for the world's imitation and be satisfied) his blessings come from scratch

-God does not place his manifest power on just anyone: only those who climb mountains can have God's manifest power because you are prepared to handle it.

-Faith is spelled R I S K

-Abraham wanted God to bless him with the promise using what he already had (Ismael)

-the problem is that where your gifts are is where you will lodge your faith and where

you will lodge your faith the next time

-You cant cheat God! Your set provision comes with your set plan and you have to walk that out. (God gives you a size 8 faith expectation when you only wear a size 3 because you are growing into it and he wants you to get adjusted to what you have coming)

-Rom. 4:18-21 We are glory machines and we manufacture glory. God requires that we give him glory. He doesn't destroy our enemies because he hates them. He destroys them because he loves us so much so if they curse us then he will curse them. He will make the sun stay in the sky an hour longer or the rivers run upstream to get to us because he LOVES us that much.

Learning Love

2/21/10 Learning Love

Mark 12:28-31; 1 John 4:7-11, 16-21

Men struggle with love and is the reason there are so many wars

Everyone has the capacity for love it is learning how to express/show it

1. Love is a God thing. (he is the originator) 1 John 4:7

-emotion (like a mother for her child)- comes from God

2. Love is proof of salvation (vs. 8)

-ex. in a Holiness Church proof of salvation was whether you were/looked holy

-salvation is all about love (vs. 9)

3. His love makes us love. (vs. 10-11)

4. We rely on his love (1 Corinth. 4- God judges based on our motives and not our actions)

5. We have to live in love (vs. 16)

-if I am in him and he lives in me then I have to live in what he is=love

6. Love is incomplete until you love someone else (vs. 17)

-if you love God and he loves you it is incomplete until it has passed between the two

of you to someone else

-gives us a confidence for our final resting place

-b/c God loved us in such an unlovable state we should be able to give that same love

to the most unlovable people

7. Loves moves fear (drives it out) (vs. 18)

-I'm a conduit to which love flows

-fear is based in punishment

8.Loving God=loving people (vs. 20-21)

-Matt. 22:36-40 (these 2 commandments are the big and little joker in a deck of cards

playing spades of course! To love God trumps all!

-and the challenge lies in loving someone the way that you want to be loved in that

same situation (i.e. tipping a waiter how you would want to be tipped if you were on

the other side of the table.

Patient Life

2/14/10 Patient Life

Is. 40:1; 27-31

Col. 1:9-14

-a good parent raises patient children

(he said that because he is talking about what life really is and living an abundant life and because parents are the source of our lives he is giving practical parenting messages. He also said that we can use all of these in a spiritual relationship in our walk with God our father and what he does with us.)

-How do I raise patient children?

1. Put them on a schedule (structure, routine)

-break their will, not their spirit (the quicker they learn to submit to your will the

easier it will be to submit to the will of God when they are older)

-we struggle with God because he puts structure in our lives and we (flesh) fight it

2. Know when to remove improper pleasant stimuli

3. Understand the nature of crying

-crying starts as communication

-once they can communicate it should only be used as a sign of pain (any other

crying is: manipulation, frustration, anger, or rebellion- it is inappropriate)

4. Make them wait intentionally (teach them their place)