Trading your passion for glory

"Trading Your Passion For Glory"

Ice Breaker: Short Karaoke competition singing the lyrics to "The Eye of The Tiger"

Risin' up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance
Now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

Opening Questions:

• In the movie Rocky III, how did Rocky trade his passion for glory?

1. He forgot where he came from
2. He stopped training.
3. He started focusing on all the fame, money and glory.

• Spiritually speaking, how can we trade our passion for glory?

1. Stop trying to please God
2. Trying to please men
3. Not keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus
4. Obeying Gods word with the wrong motives

• What happens to us spiritually when we loose our passion for God?

1. We stop reading and praying.
2. Things become a burden rather than a joy.
3. We fall out of love with God

*Lets look at a group of Christians in the bible that traded their passion for glory:

Revelations 2:2-5

2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

• What words did Jesus use to describe this church in Ephesus?

1. Hard workers
2. Perseverers
3. Can't tolerate wickedness
4. They've studied the scriptures in order to test false apostles.
5. They've endured hardship for Jesus name
6. Not grown weary or giving up.

• What did Jesus hold against them?

1. They had forsaken their first love!
2. They had forgot to what extent God had saved them.

• What was at stake?... their salvation!

*In Jeremiah 17:10 the bible says that the Lord examines the hearts and minds of man. We need to examine our lives daily to make sure that we are not trading our passion for glory.

Titus 2:11-14

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

• Where should our passion and desire to obey Gods word come from?

• What is Gods grace and the offer of Salvation teaching you to say no to?

Closing Question: Are you willing to seek after God with complete passion. With all your heart and in every aspect of your life? Any other closing comments?

Spiritual Identity Theft; Bible Talk Lesson

Spiritual Identity Theft

• Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States and around the world.
  • 10 million Americans become victims every year.
  • Identity Theft costs almost $53 billion annually.
  • Americans spent 300 million hours resolving issues related to identity theft.
  • If you do not take steps to protect your personal information, you too can be a victim.
• Just as each person has a physical identity, God has created a spiritual identity for all people.
  • We can learn what God intends our identity to be in his scripture
  • Reference 1 Peter 2:9 and Ephesians 2:10 (or assign two readers ahead of time to get through them quick without turning).
    • A chosen people and royal priesthood.
    • A holy nation, a people belonging to God, declaring his praises.
    • God's workmanship, created in Christ to do good works.
  • God wants every person to take their place in his kingdom and fulfill their destiny!
• However, many people are ignorant of God's ultimate plan for them and that their spiritual identity is being destroyed.
• Your spiritual identity can be stolen through ignorance of God's word.
  • II Corinthians 4:1-4
  • This passage speaks of deceptions and distortions of the word of God. What is the difference between a distortion and a deception?
  • Distortion=to twist or mis-represent. VS. Deception=an illusion or fraud
  • What are some examples of distortions and deceptions about God's word that mislead people?
  • In verse 4, the scripture refers to mental blindness preventing the truth of God from being seen. Why is "blindness" to God's word so dangerous?
  • Who is the "god of this age"? What tricks does the "god of this age" use to deceive unbelievers about their spiritual identity?
• Your spiritual identity can be destroyed by Sin.
  • I Corinthians 6: 9-11
  • Paul, the writer of I Corinthians, makes it clear that the "wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God". He goes on to name a number of sinful acts that make it impossible to be a Christian.
  • Why did Paul get so specific about what wickedness is?
    • These sins destroy our identity as Christians (they start to define who we are)
    • What sins do people commit today that define or "label" them? How do these labels affect their lives?
  • Fortunately for these Corinthian Christians, God took away their transgressions and sins and gave them their true identity. God erased the old evil person and made them into justified, sanctified, and holy people
    • God wants to do the same with us.
• Conclusion:
  • Study God's word to find salvation and truth and avoid the deceptions of the devil.
  • And lets choose God's identity for us and stop letting sin define who we are.
  • Don't let spiritual identity theft happen to you.

Getting To Know God; Bible Talk Lesson

Getting to Know God

• Introduction: Name and What your favorite type of movie or TV show is
  • Does anyone here like mystery or crime stories/movies/Shows?
  • Why? What do you enjoy most about mysteries? (figuring out who did it)
  • How does a mystery hold our attention? [Giving us clues to the answer, keeping us searching and thinking, holding back the whole truth until the end]
• Let's all be detectives tonight.
• But usually we're searching for who the bad guy is. This time we'll be searching for who God is.

Psalm 118 [Read the whole psalm, right through.]

What does this scripture tell us about our God? What clues does it give us about his nature, his characteristics?

• God is good, unchanging, he always loves us … vs. 1-4 and 29.
• He answers our prayers … vs. 5 and 21.
• He frees us from fear … vs. 6.
• He is with us all the time … vs. 7
• He supports us, he helps us succeed … vs. 11, 12.
• He protects us from harm … vs. 11, 12.
• He strengthens us … vs. 14.
• He frees us from death, he is our salvation … vs. 14 and 21.
• He is all-powerful, in control, amazing … vs. 15, 16 and 23.
• He tests us, disciplines us … vs. 18.
• He blesses us, he gives us a great life … vs. 26.
• He shows us the way to live our lives … vs. 27.
• Our God is certainly an amazing God. How should we respond to him?

What does Psalm 118 say about what God expects of us? What should we do?

• We should give thanks … vs. 1 and 21.
• We should fear God, fear displeasing him, disappointing him … vs. 4.
• We should call on him, pray for his support … vs. 5, 12, and 25.
• But we should take action, not just wait for God to do it for us … vs. 10 -12
• We should trust him, rely on him, not on ourselves or on promises … vs. 8.
• We should be joyful always, however tough it may seem … vs. 15 and 24.
• We should speak out about him, share our faith with others … vs. 17.
• We should choose the narrow road, gate ... vs. 19, 20. (See Matt. 7: 13, 14)
• We should praise him, honour him … vs. 27, 28.

So, what have you learned from this discussion?

What must you do to get to know God better?

What will you do differently this week? (Try to set a good example, love and support one another, help those who are struggling, invite others to join our Bible Talk!)

Conclusion: Get deeper in the Bible with each other and individually to bring about a deeper knowledge of God!

The Devil Made Me Do It; Bible Talk Lesson

The Devil Made Me Do it

• What is the best excuse you have ever heard?
• What is an excuse you give when you have done something wrong?
  • He or she made me; if they hadn't . . . then I wouldn't have . . .
• Sometimes many of us can act this way about our sin, like it's not our fault. Almost like the devil made us do it.
  • Why do we want to make excuses and blame something/someone else when we sin?
    • Don't want to take responsibility
    • What will people think/How will I look if they know what I'm like.
    • Etc…
• But we are going to look at the Bible and see what it says about our sin and what's really behind it.

• The Heart determines behavior
• Luke 6:43-45
  • From this parable- How do we know if someone is bad or good?
  • By their fruit
  • Like a receipt from the ATM shows the balance in our account, the fruit of our lives shows what's really in there
  • What does Jesus mean by fruit here?
    • whatever someone produces- their actions or words
  • What are some lessons that can be learned from this simple parable?
    • Bad cannot produce good
    • Sin will hinder us from doing good
    • Good cannot produce bad
    • Ex.- If you had a dog that would viciously attack you and others; it bit you and your friends repeated times. So you decide to put a muzzle on the dog to keep it from biting. Problem solved? Did you change the dog from a bad dog to a good one? It would be a good dog as long as you had the muzzle on. But what if the muzzle came off? Did the muzzle change the character of the dog?
  • The heart is the most important part of truly changing behavior

• If the Heart determines behavior, we must change our heart.
  • How can we change our heart?
• Joel 2:12-13
  • What does Joel mean by rend your heart?
    • Tear your heart instead of your clothes
  • How do people just "tear their clothes" instead of really changing?
    • Just act religious, know all the songs
  • How do we truly rend our heart or change our heart?
    • By seeing the consequences of sin and letting it break your heart
    • Look inward to see what's causing the sin
  • Then Clean out the inside

• Don't make excuses and try to look good on the outside, be good in your heart and you won't need any excuses.

Change The World; Bible Talk Lesson

Change the World

• Opening Question: Who do you think of when you think of People who changed the world?
  • (answers from everyone)
  • How did these people Change the world?
  • How does the world treat people who want to shake things up and change the world?
  • Why don't more people try to change the World?
• Opening Statement: God is always looking for men and women who will help him change the world. And when we look at the Bible, we see he has always been looking.
  • Open your Bible to Acts 13

• Introduce the Scripture.
  • In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas are in Psidian Antioch on the first missionary journey. They are going to new places trying to help people become Christians, and we are going to read a scripture that really shows us what it would have been like to be with them.
• Acts 13:42-49
  • What qualities about Paul and Barnabas made them world changers?
    • They are going around the world for what they believe (radical)
    • They were getting people to change the way they think
    • They didn't give up when people were negative
    • They were bold
  • How did Paul and Barnabas go about changing the whole world?
    • By changing the people right around them.
    • Changing the world starts with changing our nation, state, city, community, school, job, circle of friends, family, self, etc…
    • Changing lives spreads (Acts 13:49)
  • Who are the people around you?
  • Are you impacting them?
  • In what way are you impacting them? Are you a positive or a negative influence?
• God has a plan for all of our lives, and he wants us all to change the world.

• Mark 16:15-16
  • Jesus is calling for everyone of us to change the world by changing our lives and then changing the people around us?
  • Will you change the world?

Pride vs Humility

Watch this clip -->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x91iciAYcw0<--

Opening thought: Many times we live our lives and approach God as though we are the captain of the USS Montana. We allow our pride to keep us from changing course spiritually. Pride is a serious sin and if we allow our pride to control us we can end up opposing God.

Pride in our hearts is  the opposite of humility and and is a serious sin that we sometimes overlook. Almost every sin has its roots in pride in one way or another. In order to combat pride in our lives we must learn humility.

• In what ways has pride (lack of humility) affected your job, marriage or other close relationships?

1 Peter 5: 6-7

 ⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

   "God opposes the proud 
   but shows favor to the humble."^[a]

 ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

• Why does God say that we should cloth ourselves with humility? What does it mean to cloth your self?
  

1. We put on what we want to wear in the morning and like wise we have to make a conscious decision to put on humility.
2. Unclothed we are spiritually naked and left to our sinful nature which is pride.

• It says God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Have you ever felt like God was opposing you?

• What does it mean in Vs. 6 when it says "Humble your selves under Gods mighty hand"
  

1. Possessing humility or surrendering to God allows us to put our lives in Gods hands.
2. Holding on to our pride causes separation from God and keeps us from finding favor (blessings) in him.

• Does humility mean instant favor or blessings?
  

1. Vs. 6 says in due time. On Gods timeline and not our own. Another aspect of humbly submitting to God in our lives.

Closing thoughts: Don't be fooled by mistaking false humility for true humility. True humility is not just "white knuckling it" or just bearing through life. True humility is complete surrender to God and his will. God uses the humble...when we make the decision to submit to his authority and let go of our pride God is able to use us to accomplish his will.

My affirmation and Biblical Identity

My Biblical Identity

I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am Gods workmanship created in Christ to love God with all my heart and to seek His kingdon first in all that I do. I am secure in Gods unfailing love and my soul finds refuge in Him alone! Psalms 139:13-14; Ephessians 2:10; Matthew 6:33; Psalms 13:5-6; Mark 12:30

I am strong and courageous because the Lord my God is with me where ever I go and when God is with me no one can stand against me, for I know that God works for the good of those who love him. Joshua 1:9; Romans 8:31-32; Romans 8:28

I am committed to meditating on Gods word day and night. I carefully consider His ways as I thirst for righteousness in every aspect of my life! I take a stand against the Devil's shcemes and I am string in the Lords power! Psamls 1:2; Matthew 5:6; Psamls 119:14-16; Ephessians 6:10-13

As for me and my house we serve the Lord because I train and instruct my children in Gods word. I lead my family the way Christ leads his church and I love my wife and lay down my life for her by following the example of Christ. I keep my marriage bed pure from all impurity and I respect my wife as my partner and heir so that nothing will hinder my prayers. Joshua 24:15; Ephessians 5:23-25; Ephessians 6:4; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:7

As an ambassador for christ I conduct myself in a manor worth of the gospel of Christ since I have been called out of darkness and into the light. My body is Gods temple and his dweling place, therefore I chose to be holy in all that I do because God is holy! 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Phillipians 1:27

I am sure of what I hope for and certain of what I do not see, my eyes are fixed on what is unseen and eternal rather than on what is seen and mortal, for I know that without faith it is impossible to please God and as a result I trust Gods plan for my life which is to prosper me and not to harm me! 2 Corinthians 4:18; Hebrews 11:1; 11:6; Jeremiah 29:11-14

I give generously to those who are in need and I cheerfully give back to God what he has so richly blessed me with because I know that this pleases God and I will reap generously! 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Acts 2:42

I humbly consider others better than myself and I boast in all my weaknesses because Gods grace is sufficent for me and therefore his power is made perfect and rest on me! 2 Corinthains 12:9; Phillipians 2:3

I work hard in all that I do because I am working for the Lord. As a result I beat my body and make it my slave to honor God and win a crown that will last forever! Galations 6:7; Colossians 3:23-24

I rejoice in each day the Lord has made and I give thanks in all circumstances because I know this is the will of Christ, therefore in whatever I do, I do it in Jesus name and with thanksgiving for I have learned to be content in what ever the circumstance because I can do all things through him who gives me strength! Psalms 117:24; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Colossians 3:17; Phillipians 4:13

Free Bible Study; Freedom In Christ

Hebrews 5:5-9

After he died he became perfect because he submitted himself and he endured suffering and rejoiced in it

Romans 5:1-5
Bible calls us to rejoice in suffering even if we don't want to...... That's what made Jesus perfect..... It creates hope

Romans 5:8
God gave us his way while we gave him nothing in return

Freedom to choose

God gives us he freedom to choose the bible is his plea for us to choose good choices to benefit us

Galatians 5:13-18
God created us to be free for a reason.... Cause he wanted to have a relationship with us.. For us to choose to have a relationship win him..... We mean a lot to god that he puts up with all the rejection we give him

Freedom:
1. Free from sin
2. Free to serve one another

Romans 7:21-25

Galatians 5:19-21
You look for love in all the wrong places and then the effects of doing it..... Looking for life and Satan offers you something that looks meaningful and he makes you stray from the path of righteousness.... You didn't find the meaning to life through Satan so you keep looking for it in the wrong way......

Relationships matter to God

Freedom to choose can lead to wonderful blessings

Galatians 5:22-26
The spirit leads us in certain areas we just need to cooperate... We have to crucify the sinful nature and fill it with the good stuff the. You won't have much time for be bad.... Your life will matter between you and god....... God wants your life to be the best it can be so he wants you to make good choices..... Gods design to help us is to have a relationship with him......

All the good stuff comes from God building the fruit of the spirit within us when we commit to him

Free Bible Study: Dealing With Emotional Baggage

Q Can you remember a time where someone close to you really upset you? How did feel?

Q Can you remember a time where someone not close to you really upset you? Do you remember it vividly?

Q Which happens more often? Why?

Matthew 18:21-35

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"  ²² Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.^{[a]    23} "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents^[b] was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.   ²⁶ "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' ²⁷ The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.    ²⁸ "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.^[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.  ²⁹ "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'  ³⁰ "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.    ³² "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' ³⁴ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.    ³⁵ "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Q What was the problem with the unmerciful servant?.. Hard time letting go, holding a grudge.

Q How did that hurt him? …anger, resentment.. Biggest thing was he had a hard time appreciating or remembering that God forgave of him.

Q Have you ever felt this way and justified for being angry?

Q To what lengths did his un-forgiveness take him? Hatred, retaliation, eventually prison..Some of us can in-prison ourselves because we are unforgiving.

Make a Commitment to God (Read this out Loud)

"Jesus, today in front of you and these witnesses, I come to rid myself of this past, to drop the heavy load of baggage, to free myself of past hurts. Today I burn up the bad things of the past, "forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead." (Philippians 3:12) Moreover, I apologize for taking it out on others, and hurting others. By the cross, you show me that is not the way to behave. Today, I burn that way of life and take on a new way of life, your way of life. Tomorrow I will still have my hurts, but starting today I chose to not hurt others. Some things that hurt me were unacceptable behavior; However, today I chose to not behave unacceptably From now on I take responsibility for my actions and chose not to blame those who hurt me or behave poorly. The chain of events stops here. It stops today. I need forgiveness. I need you help, God. I do not need others to treat me perfectly or even very well. I only need the cross. May it start with me and spread to others."

Free Bible Study; Overcoming Habitual Sin

Opening question

1.) What are some bad habits that you have overcame since you were younger.

2.) Is there something in your life, that you do, that you wish you could change? And it frustrates you?

Let's look at a man that had some serious challenges to overcome!

Luke 8:26

They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,^[b] which is across the lake from Galilee. 27When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" 29For Jesus had commanded the evil^[c] spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into a solitary places.

Imagine the situation here and the depression of being this demon possessed man. Being in and out of reality and not having any hope or control of ever living a normal life. The worst of worst situations. To the demon possessed man he had zero control over his sin.

• Have you ever felt that you had no control over your sin or weaknesses? (Just ask for the group to raise hands if they agree, unless someone really wants to share)

The bible says that this man was driven to Solitary places.

• How does sin drive us to solitary places?

1. Guilt
2. fear of not being accepted
3. hurt others

 30Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" .

• Jesus pinpoints what the sin is. What are some examples of sin we do not want to call sin.

1. Want it my way - pride
2. Strong/Personal opinions – criticalness, stubbornness
3. Looking, but not touch – Lust
4. Frustrated – anger
5. Free spirit – undisciplined
6. Sex because we love each other - Immorality
7. I am experienced - pride
8. I know better – pride.
9. I cant trust anymore – resentment.
10. I don't get along with.. – bitterness
11. Being open about how I feel about her or him -Gossiping

 "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss

• Why did Jesus expose who he really was?

To get to the root of the problem. If we never get the root of the matter the sin will always surface and take over.

 32A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. 33When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.  34When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid Amen!

• What do people try other than God to fix things in their lives.

1. Drugs
2. Pursue other things to pacify the pain or hurt..sports, relationships. ( Explain what do Pacifiers do? Prolong and make it harder to change or quit.)
3. Alcohol
4. Internet abuse or TV abuse

36Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

 38The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39"Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

The only way we can get true healing is

1. Be open with your heart
2. Call the sin out as it really is. (Don't make excuses)
3. Seek help through God's word and others
4. Get to the root of problem.. Do not be surface
5. Leave no room for Pacifiers.. they only prolong the sin and make it harder and harder to change.
6. Be free and allow God to make incredible changes in your life.

Closing Thought:

What specific sins are you going to go after in your life?

What Is Jesus Worth To You Part Two

Opening Question: What is Jesus Worth to you? Has it change over time good or bad? Why?

To a christian in Asia, the middle east or central Africa Jesus is worth their lives, homes, land, property and families! To meet as a body or simply profess Christianity in many parts of the world is to put your life and the lives of your family in great danger. These christian travel hours even days to meet in secret and worship in secret and yet they are filled with joy and they continue to share the gospel of Christ to family, neighbors and co workers despite the threats and dangers of doing so! These Christians faithfully sacrifice all that they have for Christ.

Typically in America Jesus is worth a weekly tithe, Church attendance once maybe twice a week, a daily prayer, a huge church building and possibly more.

What a contrast from a day in the life of a christian in Asia versus a typical day in the life of a Christian in America.

• Why the difference?
• Is it just because we have freedom and they don't?
• Shouldn't our commitment and level of sacrifice be the same?
• Where we not all called to the same calling?
  

In many ways we have settled in our Christianity for just living good lives and being good Christians.

Let's take a look at a few people that wanted to follow Jesus and lets see what he called them to do.

Luke 9:57-62

The Cost of Following Jesus

 57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

 58 Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

 59 He said to another man, "Follow me."

   But he replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

 60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

 61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family."

 62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

Starting with the first man:

• What do you think Jesus is asking of this man and us?
• Do you feel that this is unnecessary or too demanding of Jesus? Why?
• What does Jesus mean when he says the son of man has no place to lay his head?
• Our security should not come from worldly possessions.
• Even the very roof over our heads should not come between us and a relationship with Jesus.

The second man:

• What do you think Jesus is asking of this man and us?

• Do you feel that this is unnecessary or too demanding of Jesus? Why?

A lot of times we want to clear up something or attend to different things in our lives first. We want to know what we are going to run into or face, so we want to prepare our selves first before we give our heart and time to God.

• What does Jesus want us to do in those situations?

The third man:

• What do you think Jesus is asking of this man and us?

• Do you feel that this is unnecessary or too demanding of Jesus? Why?

Jesus is basicly saying that no one who has not yet shut the door, sealed the hatch, latched the bolt and thrown away the key is fit to serve God!

Jesus wants 100% devotion!

• What changes do you see in your heart that you need to make?
• Are there any areas of your life that you need to re-commit to Jesus?

Matthew 11:28-30

28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

What Is Jesus Worth To You?

Opening Question: WHAT IS JESUS WORTH TO YOU?

To a christian in Asia, the middle east or central Africa Jesus is worth their lives, homes, land, property and families! To meet as a body or simply profess Christianity in many parts of the world is to put your life and the lives of your family in great danger. These christian travel hours even days to meet in secret and worship in secret and yet they are filled with joy and they continue to share the gospel of Christ to family, neighbors and co workers despite the threats and dangers of doing so! These Christians faithfully sacrifice all that they have for Christ.

Typically in America Jesus is worth a weekly tithe, Church attendance once maybe twice a week, a daily prayer, a huge church building and possibly more.

• Why the contrast from our counterparts around the world and their level of sacrifice and commitment versus ours?

• Is not our calling the same?

Luke 9:57-62

The Cost of Following Jesus

 57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

 58 Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

 59 He said to another man, "Follow me."

   But he replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

 60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

 61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family."

 62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

• When you think of the title (The Cost of Following Jesus) what comes to mind when you think of the word cost?

Vs. 57-58 We find a man willing to follow Jesus, who is coming to Jesus to follow him and Jesus lays a challegne before him and details the cost of following him.

• What do you think Jesus is asking of this man and us?
• Do you feel that this is unnecessary or too demanding of Jesus? Why?

Vs. 59-60 Here we find another example of what Jesus expects from his followers.

• What do you think Jesus is asking of this man and us?
• Do you feel that this is unnecessary or too demanding of Jesus? Why?
• Isn't our responsibility to honor the dead a good enough excuse to delay our calling?

Jesus wants 100% devotion to him and him alone. There is nothing that should come between our relationship with God and doing what God wants us to do with our lives.

Vs. 61-62 Again Jesus challenges the very things that come most dear to us! Jesus even wants to be priority over our family.

• What do you think Jesus is asking of this man and us?
• Do you feel that this is unnecessary or too demanding of Jesus? Why?

No one who has NOT YET shut the door, sealed the hatch, latched the bolt and thrown away the KEY is fit to serve God! God demands complete sacrifice and devotion to him. We must serve him and serve him alone! The amazing thing about making Jesus lord of your life is that, when you do, it produces blessings in our lives. It produces strong families and calls us to take care of our responsibilities. Give your heart to Jesus and the rest will take care of it's self!

The Bible, Church and the Koran

Common question regarding the Bible, Church and the Koran:

1. How do we know who is right and which doctrine is from the one true God? Christians believe that the bible is "God Inspired". Meaning that God spoke to the prophets, and apostles and directed them on what to write.
   
2. Who's to say that the Muslims are wrong because they believed that their God inspired Mohammad to write the Koran? What if it's the same God? Is it? How do you know which "Bible" is correct?
3. When people study the bible they all have different opinions and interpretations on what they are reading. Who decides which one is right if they all follow the word of God but just understand it differently?
4. Is it that important which church I attend since they are all reading from the same bible?
   

Let me just start by addressing the most obvious, Jesus is the son of God, our Savior;  the Koran is not from God because they do not acknowledge/view Him as the Son, the Savior, the Muslims' view of Jesus is that he was a mere prophet, they also condone bigotry against any one who does not believe the same; therefore it does not align with ANYTHING in the Bible... As a Christian I vowed to make Jesus Lord, not Mohammad. There are numerous scriptures in the Bible about Jesus being the son of God, so I wont even attempt to quote them... and it does take faith to believe that the Bible is telling the truth regarding this matter. But if I am a Christian/Disciple/Follower of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, than I should have this fundamental faith.

Regarding interpretation of the Bible, the Bible is not up for interpretation... 2Pet 1:20-21, 2 Tim 3:16-17, etc. While there are things that the Bible leaves up to us/our heart/conscience/does it benefit one spiritually?, 1 Cor 10:23 "Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial"; there are, however, solid scriptures, that if read in context, are very specific about salvation.

Regarding going to church/where, it only gives us examples of what the church should look like, all the scriptures we have shared with you regarding this matter, perhaps also take some time to review?... does it matter? Absolutely, to me that is... why? because if I want what is beneficial  for my spiritual walk with God, I choose to be part of a group that has deep convictions about salvation matters that are not up for interpretation, where brothers and sisters are living out Acts 2 (example of first century church), where people know me on a personal basis and can help me with my personal struggles or just know where I am so that they can pray for me/me for them, where there is a divine order being encouraged and lived out (God, husband, children, the lost), etc.  John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." So, than I look at scriptures about love, 1 John 4 which talks about this love and how important it is, 1Cor 13: 4-8 which specifies what love according to God looks like. So, where am I gonna go to church? Does it matter? Yes :) ... if I want to grow spiritually and be where the truth is being taught.

Renewing Our Minds

Opening question: How much influence does the world have on you?

Finish the following sentences:

1. Like a good neighbor....
2. AT&T More bars in....
3. Wendy's, Where's the....
4. Matress Frim where it's easy....
5. Your in good hands with....

We've looked at some pretty crafty marketing tricks that persuade our thinking on a daily basis, but more seriously in what other ways does the world try to change our thinking?

• Sexuality
• Impurity
• Honesty
• Integrity

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.

• What does it mean to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice?
• Deny self, not our will anymore but God's will, we live our lives to please God rather than our flesh...etc
• Why does Paul say "I urge you"?
• We have a choice and need to make a decision to allow God's word to compel us.
• Our motivation should be God's grace.
• What is the pattern of this world?
• Our sinful nature, destroyed lives, guilt, broken homes...etc
• How do we break this pattern?
• We have to renew our minds with Gods word!
• If we choose live by the worlds pattern what is the outcome?
• In what ways have you lived by the pattern of this world and regretted or suffered for it?
• If we choose to renew our minds/change our thinking and align our lives with Gods word, what is the outcome?
• Gods will; GOOD, PERFECT and PLEASING

Closing Question: Are you willing to renew your mind and align your life with Gods word rather than conform to the worlds pattern and thinking?

Tips On Leading A Successful Bible Study Group

 Small Group Bible Study Tips for leading a bible study in your home or office:

1)      Pray before the bible study starts ( typically ask someone else to pray)

2)      Remember you as the leader are not to be the focus of the lessons.

a.       If possible do the least amount of the sharing, be more of a director, since you want others to share openly. TRY TO TALK less, this is a Bible Discussion TIME  and NOT necessarily a bible teaching time.

b.      Be upbeat yet relaxed.

c.       Always try to have an opening question or an ice breaker activity. It can be funny or thought provoking. Typically it should have to do with the topic of your lesson. If not make sure it is at least spiritual. Nothing long or confusing OR inappropriate.

d.      Pray often before the bible study. Start Sunday and pray with your spouse allot and share your thoughts with her on what you want to share. Our wives are incredible allies for us brothers when going into any type of sharing or lesson. To have another person who is on the same page as you with regards to your lesson is awesome. So stay close to your wife prior to any lesson or bible study. (You should actually stay spiritually close to her ALL the TIMES.)

 

3)      IF Possible Share your bible lessons with your assistants prior to the day of the bible study. The more on the same page with you the better.

4)      Remember JESUS , JESUS, JESUS.. JESUS is the focus so highlight what JESUS says or does, with wisdom, but as often as you can during your lesson.

5)      Have a handle on the time, so feel free if you have to stop those that may be lengthy in their sharing and just kindly but firmly mention that you have to move on. Always do this with grace and at the same time THANK them (sincerely) for their sharing.

6)      Never panic if things seem that they may get out of hand in the discussions or with visitors that may ask an off the wall question. Just gently direct it back to the lesson and express that the discussion can be taken up afterwards.

7)      Pray for EACH PERSON in your group as God will bless your love for them and your unity with them.

8)      Remember it is God's word so don't try to soften its meaning or over emphasize it either. That is not our job.

9)      KEEP IT SHORT 35mins or less

10)   Above all else HAVE FUN!

Human Limitations Designed By God

I just wanted to share with you what I feel God has brought to me this morning.

2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an EXTERNAL 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.

Our troubles should not diminish our faith or disillusion us.We should realize that there is a purpose in our day to day problems and suffering!

[VERY IMPORTANT].

Problems and human limitations have several key benefits that have been designed by God to help us rely on him and not trust in our own strength. These benefits are:

1. They remind us that Christ suffered for us and therefore he can sympathize with our struggles!
2. They keep us from getting prideful!
3. They cause us to look beyond this brief life!
4. THEY PROVE OUR FAITH TO OTHERS AND THAT IS WHAT BRINGS OTHERS TO CHRIST.
5. THEY GIVE GOD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE HIS POWER!

 [REMEMBER THE GOD TOLD PAUL THAT HIS POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN HIS WEAKNESS...2 Corinthians 12:9].