Does Passion Equal Spirituality?

I had a close friend this week ask me to pray for him because he was feeling unmotivated spiritually and with out drive in his life in general. He was having a hard time feeling "fired up" for God and was struggling with feeling like there was something he was missing in his relationship with God. See our discussion below...

Passion is good but at times it can be tempting to base our spirituality (closeness to God...etc) on our emotions of the day or if we feel passionate or not. When we equate passion with spirituality it becomes a work and something we try to do in our flesh rather than relying on God and allowing his grace to be sufficient for us.

I'm an all or nothing kind of guy. If I can't do something well and be the best at it, my temptation is to quit and give up. I had a hard time early on as a christian finding balance. I would often go into these downward spirals where I just felt blah and unmotivated to do anything or into these mountain top experiences where I felt empowered to do everything. If things were good and I had zeal I felt close to God and really spiritual. When I was struggling with even wanting to read or pray I felt really far away from God and guilty.

One thing that really helped me was understanding 2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

If you were on fire for "GOD" 24/7 and just a flat out spiritual supper star, why would you even need God? God has given you this thorn in your flesh (as Paul would call it) to help you rely on him. You don't need fire to jump start your relationship with God. Sometimes we just need to "Be still and know that I am God!" like Psalms 46:10 talks about.

God is with you today just as much as he was at the day you were baptized and he will continue to be right by your side regardless of whether you feel fired up or not. Your weakness right now is going to be Gods power if you allow his grace to be enough for you. Also remember that loving God is a decision that we have to make everyday and should never be based on our emotions.

Those are my thoughts and I hope it encourages you at some level. I love you bro and I am really thankful that God has allowed me to be apart of your life...I think your awesome!

Bible verses and Spiritual Thoughts on Fasting

Biblical examples on fasting in the bible. Through these scriptures we see that God is please when we fast with the right heart and repulsed when fasting only becomes a ritual or tradition.

Esther 4:3
In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Isaiah 58:3
'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?' "Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.

Isaiah 58:4
Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.

Isaiah 58:6
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

Daniel 9:3
So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

Joel 2:12
[ Rend Your Heart ] "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."

Matthew 6:15-18

¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. ¹⁶ "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷ But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Acts 13:2
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

Acts 14:23
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

Thoughts on Fasting, Lent and having the right heart or motive:

Jerry:
If the heart is right and only God would know. Then I'm all for the fasting and sacrifice. The problem with lent is it just becomes a tradition kind of like people that only go to church on Easter Sunday. I don't know health wise though if I could go three days with out eating or drinking. But that is definitely a convicting challenge to read about our brothers and sisters of long ago fasting that way.

The celebration of Lent has always had a negative connotation in my mind because of all the hypocrisy I've seen in the people celebrating Lent. In New Orleans Fat Tuesday was the day of sin right before Ash Wednesday and everyone would get drunk and then stumble into church the next morning to get ashes rubbed on their foreheads and then start the whole lent fast until Easter. Because of that I've just never wanted anything to do with it.

Ed:

That's powerful! 

 

So like we spoke of yesterday, the same human condition that caused the Hebrews to embrace the law and forget about God's love in saving them from the Egyptians is also the condition that would cause someone to take an act of love towards God (fasting) and turn it into a tradition.  Not that tradition in and of itself is bad, but if the meaning is lost or the tradition itself becomes more important than the God it is supposed to honor, then it becomes profane.  Is this not correct?

 

OK.  So from what I am just now beginning to understand is that the heart of God is his love for mankind, not a bunch of do's and don'ts.  He loved the Hebrews enough to save them from slavery, give them a law that would help them focus on God in everything they did, and distinguish them from other peoples on the earth.  Also, God sacrificed himself as the ultimate display of love (Hebrews 7:26-27) so that people would fall in love with him, help others to fall in love with him, and hang out with him forever. 

 

So acts like fasting, church attendance, church involvement, and even pious living can blind me if not done with a heart of love for God because of his love for me.  I suppose that anything religious can blind me, take my focus away from God, or distort my understanding of God's heart, his love for me.  That danger probably hovers over the church like a dark cloud.

 

Jeff:
I believe in fasting and praying in Christ name only. That is key. Many religions fast and pray. But the main focus has to be Jesus. And this article is very encouraging. So as I go through out the day this reminds me to surrender unconditionally not just when I feel like it but even when I don't want to. That is the whole point of fasting (surrender). Christ surrendered all. So should we surrender all.

Karen:
Good and Bad will be with us until the end of time. Hypocrisy and Righteousness, also.  We are all humans, born in sin, trying to navigate through life one day at a time.  My decision to fast is personal and not based upon how others celebrate Lent or any other biblical principal.   This sacrifice is for my walk, while I'm praying for myself, my family and others.  The Lent season is tradition but how successful someone is with their fasting/sacrifice is personal.  Going without food for 12 hours is definitely a sacrifice, not a tradition.  Much like tithing, it is a sacrifice we make because we are commanded to.  Giving 10% up is hard.  Finding somewhere else to reallocate those funds are easy. This decision is not predicated (or shouldn't be) upon how the church spends the money.  If you don't agree with the fiscal responsibility of the church, you change churches, not stop tithing. The same is true with fasting.

Getting The Most Out of Your Bible Reading

Studying the bible may seem like a daunting task and many people are intimidated by the bible and its many books. When you read the bible take your time, there is no rush and it is always better to do an endepth study versus just reading multiple chapters of the bible at a time.

When you read the bible take one chapter at a time and/or maybe just a few bible versus at a time and ask your self the following questions:

1. Why did God have this particular chapter or passage written?
2. What is God's heart on this issue?
3. Does this apply to my heart and life today?
4. What decisions or changes do I need to make in my life as a result of what I am reading?

The Bible is no ordinary book. It is the inspired word of God and as 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states, it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. If you allow God's word to penetrate your heart it can be useful in giving you all of the following:

1. Direction in your life
2. Correction
3. A Godly perspective
4. Inspiration
   
5. Encouragement
6. Warnings to help you avoid trouble in your life
   
7. Historical facts and information

Above all when you study the bible remember that God is speaking to you and wants you to have a relationship with him. Just like with any human relationship there has to be communication in order for the relationship to thrive. Likewise, when we pray we are speaking to God and when we read the bible God is speaking to us! Fall in love with God and read your bible to see what he has to say to you!

The Full Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-20

My thoughts:

I need to be strong in God's mighty power and not trust or rely on my own strength!

Even though I need to put on the full armor of God it is still God's power and strength that saves me and not just a spiritual check list.

The belt of truth...a belt is made to hold a wardrobe together and like wise the rest of the armor is held together by the belt of truth.

Faith is my shield and without faith I have no protection from the my spiritual enemies!

The breast plate of righteousness protects the heart.

In order to be fully protected I need to put on the full armor of God and not just pick and chose which pieces I will accept.

VS. 13 - The day of evil IS coming...it is never a matter of IF but a matter of WHEN! The questions is whether or not I will be spiritually prepared for that day.

VS. 18 - Even when I think I am fully equipped in Gods armor I still need to pray and rely on God for strength!

The Word of God is my Sword and in a battle the sword is used for offense and defense. I need to use Gods word to defend the attacks of the evil one as well as fight back!

GIVE YOURSELF FIRST TO THE LORD

GIVE YOURSELVES FIRST TO THE LORD

INTRODUCTION:

1. Today we want to have somewhat of an in-depth study on the subject of giving financially to God's work.

2. Our Special Missions Contribution opportunity is coming up soon, and this seems a very good time to study a very important subject.

3. Frankly, the subject may be a sensitive one for a number of us.

0. Our sensitivity may be due to what we have observed on TV about money raisers (televangelists); it may be due to a lack of biblical understanding of the subject; or it may be due to something amiss in our heart that needs changing. (As is often stated, our heart strings and purse strings seem very connected!)

4. While giving may be a sensitive subject to some of us, when we see what God's Word has to say about it, we can rest assured that it is not a sensitive subject to God!

5. More is said about giving than about a whole host of other important topics, and while this lesson cannot be an exhaustive study, we will attempt to cover some of the key concepts in the Bible about giving financially to God and his Cause.

BODY:

1. Tithing in the Old Testament

A. Tithing (giving a tenth of one's income) was a very important part of the Mosiac system in the OT -- dating from about 1500 BC.

1. Leviticus 27:30-32.

2. Note the reason for the tithe in Numbers 18:20-21 — to support the priesthood (and we have a similar need to support ministry staff today).

3. A careful study of tithing under the Law of Moses will show that the basic tithe was the base amount of their giving, but that additional specified offerings raised their giving level beyond that figure.

B. The practice of tithing was much older than Moses Law, being apparently a part of God's plan from the beginning.

1. In Genesis 14:17-20, we see that the father of the faithful, Abraham, paid tithes from the spoils of battle.

2. In Genesis 28:20-22, we find the Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes, vowing to pay tithes of everything that he received from the hand of God.

C. Therefore, although we are not under the Mosaic system, we can see that tithing has long been a part of God's plan.

1. It was a subject that God took very seriously — read Malachi 3:8-12 carefully.

2. One way to look at how the concept could have application even in our day is to reason that since the New Covenant under which we live is a far superior covenant (as the whole book of Hebrews argues), then we certainly would not want to give less than any good Jew in the OT.

3. However, while giving one-tenth of our income might be a good starting place, it may not be the right ending place, for the Bible has much more to say about the subject.

II. Giving To Meet Needs In the Book of Acts

A. Look at Acts 2:44-47 and Acts 4:32-35.

1. Note the context of these two passages: thousands of disciples were baptized from every nation on earth, and needed to stay in Jerusalem in order to be grounded in their new faith before returning to their own lands to spread the good news.

1. Our needs today are similar in this respect: supporting ministry staff to take care of present needs in our congregation, and in the future, spreading out to plant churches in other parts of Texas and surrounding states.

2. The support and training of ministry staff is always going to be a very important reason for our giving (though certainly not the only one).

B. However, meeting needs must go far beyond the training of staff.

1. It is focused on meeting evangelistic needs is a number of ways.

2. Our giving to an annual Special Missions Contribution allows us to meet similar needs in parts of the world where disciples simply do not have the financial abilities to meet their own needs of church building and church planting.

3. It is also aimed at meeting the physical and emotional needs of those of our own number, and additionally at meeting these same needs of the poor and less fortunate than ourselves outside the church.

4. I am very thankful for HOPE Worldwide and local HOPE projects — to which I personally give significant amounts yearly.

C. Giving to meet various sorts of needs is common in the New Testament, and therefore is a very valid consideration — but the NT has yet more to say about our giving — and what we consider next is probably the most important part to God.

III. Giving As a Demonstration of Spirituality

1. 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 provide some of the best in-depth teaching about the connection between giving and spirituality to be found in the whole Bible.

2. Giving money is an extension of first giving ourselves to God (2 Corinthians 8:1-5).

1. Note also that the people gave themselves to the leaders (verse 5) — this requires both an appreciation for, and trust of, our leaders.

2. Biblically, leaders of the church determined the exact distribution of the contributions.

1. Read Acts 4:34-37: "All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. ³⁴ There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. ³⁶ Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Bamabas (which means Son of Encouragement), ³⁷ sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet."

0. Also in Acts 11:29-30 we read: "The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. [30] This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul."

3. Paul's reassurance about how the funds would be administered is the same assurance that we offer you as leaders: "We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. [21] For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men" (2 Corinthians 8:20-21).

0. In addition to our Leadership Core Group, the Board of Directors is charged with helping us stay financially solvent and legally righteous.

3. Giving is an act of grace on our part, and therefore giving is called a grace (2 . Corinthians 8:6-7). Giving and spirituality are inseparably linked.

4. Our giving tests the sincerity of our love and shows our imitation of Christ (2 Corinthians 8:8-9).

5. Our willingness and desire to give is more important than the amount we actually give (2 Corinthians 8:10-12), although both are important as the next point shows.

0. Equality in giving means that as a family, we each do our part to the best of our ability (2 Corinthians 8:13-15). In a physical family, if grown children do not each do their part in caring for aged parents, the other members of the family will know instinctively that the situation is not fair and not family.

3. Our giving determines the amount and types of blessings that God is able to give us (2 Corinthians 9:6-15).

1. Giving sparingly limits God's blessings in your life, and giving generously increases his blessings in your life (verse 6). (Recall the Malachi 3:8-12 passage that we looked at earlier on this point.)

2. Giving is a spiritual decision, and giving must be done cheerfully (verse 7).

3. Giving generously enables God to bless us both financially and spiritually (verses 8-11). Therefore, failing to give righteously carries risks for us and our families spiritually, which is a sobering thought that should get our attention!

4. Our giving results in more and more people, inside and outside the church, giving overflowing praise to God (verses 9-15).

IV. The Ultimate Goal of Giving Is Stewardship and Sacrifice

A. Stewardship is our safeguard again materialism and greed (Luke 14:25-33).

1. In verse 33, the NASV translates it "all of your possessions."

2. It shows us the concept of everything belonging to God, with us being only managers of what God has given us.

3. The "sharecropper" concept is exactly what the NT teaches us about the way that we view and use money.

1. The sharecropper lives on another's land and farms it, taking for himself only what is required to live and sustain his life.

2. Obviously, such an arrangement would never allow for materialism and possessiveness.

3. It is vital to understand that our view of use and money is not just a nice ideal to shoot for — the text does say "cannot be my disciple."

4. This approach makes some important lessons very obvious:

a. Giving a tenth may or may not approach what a disciple ought to be doing. (1) Giving $20 of a weekly income of $200 would likely be quite a sacrifice and might well represent the concept of stewardship.

(2) Giving $200 of a weekly income of $2,000 would not necessarily constitute a sacrifice or even good stewardship, and could indicate that we have already fallen prey to a materialistic lifestyle.

b. Our lifestyles should be legitimate and reasonable, rather than giving out of our abundance and then spending the rest on our luxuries.

1. Many of us have some soul-searching to do, and some radical changing in both our attitudes and our lifestyles may be God's call to us right now.

2. One word of warning at this point: deal with yourself, and fight the temptation to be the judge of everyone else — envy and jealousy can strike quickly and seriously in this area if we become judges of one another!

B. Just how do we determine what sacrificial giving really is? Jesus gave us some very

special accounts to help us with this definition.

1. Mark 12:41-44 — the poor little widow — this one is full of lessons for us.

1. One such lesson is that Jesus took the time to watch what people were giving — and rest assured that he still does that — in your case and mine

2. Another lesson is that the widow gave her money to God and was commended for doing so, yet from a human perspective, the money was going into a corrupt Jewish system. Giving is always to God — in our minds and His.

3. In defining sacrificial giving, it is obvious that Jesus looks more at what we have left after we give (thus the sacrifice) than at the amount we actually give.

2. Luke 18:18-30 — the Rich Young Ruler — also full of lessons for us.

1. What was this man's problem? As a good Jew, he no doubt gave at least a tithe of his money.

2. But, he drew a line in his life and said "this much and no more."

3. Where have you drawn the line in your giving?

4. What are you not willing to examine about your giving and not willing to do?

5. Wherever you draw lines in your life, be assured that God will sooner or later come along and demand that you erase them. It really is a matter of His Lordship in our lives.

6. I expect he is making some of those demands today on this vital subject of financial giving to His work!

CONCLUSION:

1. Review — giving that pleases God begins with consideration of the tithe principle, progresses to meeting needs of several types, is a demonstration of our spirituality, and finally, must conform to Jesus' teaching about discipleship.

2. We have the opportunity to grow in the grace of giving, to accomplish more than ever before, and to become increasingly sacrificial and thus more like Jesus.

3. May God help all of us to be disciples in the fullest sense of the word, especially as it relates to our giving.

0. Let's give in a way that allows the church to be strengthened, the world to be evangelized, the poor to be helped, us to grow spiritually and our God to be glorified!

Tithing and Church Contribution

A Tithe means a tenth and tithing means to give a tenth of all your possessions. From earlier on in the bible God required his people to tithe. See Leviticus 27:30-33

Numbers 18:20-24

Just like today tithing and church contributions were use to support the work of the Lord. In the old testament the Levites and priest received a portion of the offering.

Question: How strongly does God feel about our giving?

Malachi 3:6-12

God views our lack of giving as us robbing him. He takes it very personal.

Some churches try to use Malachi 3 to teach a Wealth and Wellness Gospel about giving to God in order to  receive riches and blessings. If righteousness was a guarantee for riches and wealth, then what happened to Jesus? Jesus the Son of God and only man to ever walk the earth and live a sinless life was homeless. He never had a house of his own. He never desired worldly possessions.

Question: Are there parallels between the old testament scriptures on tithing and the new testament scriptures on tithing?


Acts 4:32-35

The first church had a Godly standard on giving and supporting the work of the Lord through the ministry of the church.

Giving was also a way to help the poor and meet the needs of the first century church.


2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Giving and tithing was never a physical issue and it has always been a spiritual one about the heart with God.

Question: Do you see giving and tithing to God as a privilege or a duty?

It is Interesting that in 2 Corinthians Paul compares giving on the same level with faith, love and biblical knowledge.

God uses giving as a way to test our hearts spiritually.


2 Corinthians 9:6-11

What does it mean when God says he will enlarge our hearts for righteousness?

We have to see that our money and our hearts are directly connected and closely tied together. Where your money is there your heart will be also is a very true statement. We need to examine our hearts and our finances.


Luke 14:33

To have the heart of God regarding giving we should view all of our possessions as belonging to God and we need to see that he has allowed us to simply manage them. The stress and financial pressures come when your possessions start possessing you.

When we truly believe that our possessions are not our own and that they belong to God then there is no stress and no financial pressure. We are free to allow God to do with us and our money in anyway that he sees fit. We become surrendered to God with our finances.


Mark 12:41-43

As we see in Mark, Jesus made it a point to sit and watch the money that was being collected. The widow gave her money to what at the time was a corrupt Jewish system and Jesus commended her for her heart to give. Our gift to God through tithing should always be viewed like this.


Luke 18:18-25; 19:1-9

Question: What was the difference between the heart of the rich young ruler and that of Zacchaeus?

The Rich young ruler allowed his possessions to keep him from having a relationship with God. Zaccheaus on the other hand allowed his possessions to bring him close to God through repentance.

Anytime we draw a line in our hearts on what we will and will not devote to God (not just with money) HE will call us out on it. There can only be one Lord in our lives and through giving we insure that money and worldly possessions are not.

We are GODs Masterpiece

What does it take to make a masterpiece? Hard work, time, dedication, commitment and passion? Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God's masterpiece! Everything that has happened in our lives good and bad has in some way been the work of God creating that masterpiece in us!

Amos 2:4-5; 6:1-8

God has spent generations trying to woo Israel into loving him and having a relationship with him. Through his prophets God begged an pleaded with the people of Israel to repent!  Israel continually rebelled and turned to other gods.

In most case spiritually we are no different than Israel. Our call is to repent and draw close to GOD or we too will fall into the hands of sin.

God warns Israel against complacency. God challenged Israel on their security and how they relied on their own strength, materialism and abilities.

What would GOD challenge you on? What am I allowing to come between me and GOD? What am I allowing to keep me from becoming the masterpiece that God intended for my life?

Ephesians 2:10

we are Gods craftsmanship. He wants to make us into his image. We are to be his masterpiece! Will you repent and let God make you into the masterpiece he originally created!

God uses different tools to create his master piece! Scriptures, other people, hardships...etc. He only asks that we trust in what he is doing and that we allow him to work in our lives! God will not fores us into a relationship with him, however, he wants to produce in your life the masterpiece that comes with a surrendered life in Jesus.

Sinless or Blameless?

Philippians 3:1-14

In this passage we see Paul speaking against the confidence in the flesh, our worldly accomplishments, stature in society..etc! What man holds in high glory GOD and Paul considers to be of no benefit.

"Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil!" Who is Paul speaking about here?  I believe he was not only referring to the world but also to the religious establishment that refused to let go of the law and continued to turn the gospel of Christ into a legalistic and worthless religion! God has never looked for perfection in us nor can we ever offer him perfection in our worship.

Paul consider himself blameless not sinless! There is a difference! Our heart should be the same in that we strive to live our lives for God so that we can be blameless.

Luke 9:23-25

Denying myself and following Jesus is not just a standard but a prerequisite; for Jesus said, If anyone would come after me he must deny himself! What does that mean to deny my self or deny my flesh?

Paul understood what it meant to deny himself and take up his cross daily! It has nothing to do with being sinless or perfect in actions. IT has nothing to do with a check list of laws or do's and don'ts that are followed. It has everything to do with having a heart for God and living a blameless life through deny our will and allowing Gods will to lead us in every situation!

Do you strive to deny your self daily? If so, do you deny your self for your sake or for Gods sake? True humility and self denial should always resign-ate from a desire to please God and not man.

1 Corinthians 13:1-8

With out true love the way 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 defines it, all of our gifts and talents are worthless. We can not honor God with out love. Love has to be our motivation in all that we do. Paul's love for God, Jesus and the church compelled him to live the life that he lived that continously denied his flesh!

Philippians 2:1-11

Jesus has set the example for us in that he laid down his life for all of us. He is the ultimate example of humility. He has never done anything out of selfish ambition and considered all of us worth more than his own life! He proved this by sacrificing himself for you.

Paul understood this and it motivated him to not live a life that was sinless (which none of us can really obtain) but to live a life that was blameless and glorified God!

2 Corinthians 7:8-11

To live a blameless life is to live a repentant life. We will all sin, however, how we chose to respond when we sin  (either through worldly sorrow or Godly sorrow) will determine if our lives are blameless through Jesus!

Innocent Of The Blood Of All Men

Two major themes run through the book of Acts. The spreading of the gospel through the Holy Spirit and the reconciliation between the jews and the gentiles through salvation.

Acts 1:6-8

By design God chose people to spread his gospel. The book of Acts chronicles the preaching, teaching and the spreading of the gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike!

Acts 20:17-27

Paul declared himself innocent of the blood of all man because his life was devoted to spreading the gospel!

We need to ask ourselves, are we I innocent of the blood of all men? Does my life prove this to be true? What would motivate me or should motivate me to live a life that would be innocent of the blood of all men?

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Paul's motivation was Gods grace. Paul was reminded daily of where he had come from and to the extent that God saved him. As a result, Paul chose to give up his will for his life and eagerly accepted Gods will, which is to spread the good news of Jesus Christ!

Ezekiel 33:7-9

Jesus was the ultimate example of laying down our lives for our fellow man. Our lives should be about doing Gods will, serving and spreading the gospel and then we will be able to say, I am innocent of the blood of all men!

1 Timothy 2:1-3

God wants all men to be saved and have a relationship with him! As christians we are the vehicle that God has chosen to help advance his kingdom!

Acts 20:28-3

Everything that Paul did in his life was grounded in Gods grace. He constantly thought about he past sins and the grace that God had shown him in his life!

We need to ask our selves,  what is my purpose? Is the purpose of my life all about me and prosperity or other wordly things? Paul's purpose was to seek and save the lost! We need to incorporate evangelism and spreading Gods word into our daily lives. At work, the gym, with friends...etc.

Ezekiel 3:20-21

We need to also stay in each others lives. Have intimate spiritual relationships where we can hold each other accountable and call each other to righteousness. We need to warn each other from sin. God shows no distinction between the one who sinned and the one who did not warn his brother!

The challenge is to be like Paul and be able to claim that we are  innocent of the blood of all men by spreading the gospel of Christ and building spiritual relationships with my brothers and sisters!

DEALING WITH SERIOUS MARRIAGE OR OTHER RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS

INTRODUCTION:

1. Begin by asking why we have serious relationship problems in marriage and in relationships generally (a good time for discussion and getting people to think.

2. When marriages need help (and all do!), the first step is evaluating the nature of the problems before proceeding. NOTE: these same principles apply quite well to relationship challenges between disciples generally, not just marrieds.

3. Many marriages or other relationships are just stuck at a given point and have specific issues that can be addressed to help the marriage partners get "unstuck."

4. However, if the problems are really serious, indicating much deeper, unsettled issues, you will have to avoid the temptation to address the surrounding issues, such as communication difficulties, rather than seek to deal with the root itself.

5. Obviously, we cannot succumb to that temptation.

6. Always think about man's relationship with God in trying to help human relationships − the principles are quite similar.

6. When people are out of relationship with God, at least two things are obvious: One, it will not help them to simply work on behavioral issues − the problem is far deeper than that. Two, before such issues can be beneficially addressed, that bigger problem must be solved (sin!).

7. Unresolved sins in marriage will render attempts to improve other issues practically useless.

8. As in our relationship with God, improving behavior will not take away unresolved and unrepentant sins in that relationship.

BODY:

1. Help Both Mates See Their Sin and Its Consequences

   1. Begin by giving them a writing assignment.

      1. Prior to getting with them the first time, have them individually make a list of the strengths that they have had in their marriage in the past, and in the present.

      2. Next, have them write out what they have done to hurt the marriage (their own sins).

      3. Then have them make a list of the unresolved issues with their mate (their mate's sins).

      4. Don't give the assignment until you are going to get with them within three or four days.

1. This will give them time to do the assignment, but not too much time to be upset and/or angry once they are completely in touch with their hurts.

2. Ask them not to discuss the assignment with one another before getting with you – otherwise they will likely get into major arguments.

2. Go through the sin list in Galatians 5:19-21, and find out just where each partner is with God.

   1. When we first started using this approach, one couple (combined) was guilty of 8 of the 15 sins in the list, and another couple was guilty of 12 of the 15.

   2. Yet, both couples had been Christians for years, and one of them had been in leadership for years.

3. If we allow poor marriage relationships to lead into this kind of sin situations, we will lose our relationship with God.

   1. We must love others if we are to know God (1 John 4:8, 20).

   2. Some married couples are far too accepting of the kind of behavior within marriage that God simply will not accept − which means that they could be lost eternally due to the sins in their marriage left unchanged.

   3. And some leaders are likewise too accepting of sins in marriage (that simply would not be tolerated in other relationships).

4. The way of the cross demands that we show our mates real agape love.

   1. 1 Peter 2:18-3:7 is the passage to demonstrate just what this kind of love includes.

      1. Submission with all respect, even when the husband is leading harshly.

      2. The principle of "melting" those who mistreat us is the way of the cross (see also Romans 12:17-21).

      3. In 3:6, the woman's challenge is to trust God and not give in to fear.

      4. In 3:7, the man's challenge is to be considerate and respectful of his wife, even in areas where she is the weaker partner (perhaps her "weakness" is being less "logical" in her thought processes than her husband − or less organized, decisive, or whatever other quality tests his patience).

   2. No relationship shows more of who and what we really are than the marriage relationship. Without living as Jesus lived, our claims to be disciples are empty (1 John 2:6).

2. Help Both Mates to Understand Repentance

   1. 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 is a key passage in showing the basis for repentance.

      1. Godly sorrow, not worldly sorrow is that basis. Do not be confused by self-pity and other forms of worldly sorrow. (Tears may be good, and tears may be bad − explain.)

      2. The level of alarm and urgency says much about where a person is on the road to biblical repentance.

   2. James 4:7-10 is another important passage defining repentance.

      1. Satan can be resisted in any marriage, but not without coming near to God.

      2. Double-mindedness in marriage is intellectually espousing one thing while practicing another. Expressing good intentions means nothing if no real change is produced. Actually, it is a form of lying!

      3. Hearts that are cut by sin produce real emotional repentance and humility. Pride and repentance cannot dwell together!

3. Help Both Mates to Follow Through With Their Expressed Intentions

   1. Accountability is a must.

   2. Swift action when repentance fails cannot be neglected (see Ecclesiastes 8:11).

   3. How to help them gain brokenness before God (Matthew 21:42, 44).

      1. Assignments to be done on their own are always needed – such as the following.

1. Find out what brought them to brokenness when they became disciples.

2. Have them read "Thirty Days at the Foot of the Cross" and make notes and/or answer questions.

3. Write down how Jesus responded to the same types of treatment that they feel they are receiving from their mates.

4. If they are in a leadership position, they may need to be relieved of some duties to both give them time to work on their sins, but also to impress upon them the seriousness of the situation.

5. Some intense prayer times with you may be key (perhaps combined with fasting).

2. Provide their disciplers or other leaders with direction and authority from you to help them follow through.

CONCLUSION:

1. The keys to helping get people "unstuck" in relationships are: refuse to accept their remaining in that position; be convicted about how being in such a state affects their relationships to God; do not let people focus on who is right, but rather on what it right (percentages of right and wrong are not of consequence); realize that resolution is the ultimate conclusion you are after; finally, imitation of Jesus is what being a disciple is all about.

2. Recognize your own tendencies to either be sentimental with one of those involved in the conflict, or to have critical attitudes toward them because of their sins or personalities. DON'T TAKE SIDES – BE A PEACEMAKER!

Trusting Gods Plan

^{Psalms 138:8}

For the most part we all know what gods plan for David was because we are able to follow his life though the bible and see. However Did David really know Gods full plan for him? I would have to say no. Never the less he had faith that God had a plan and that he would fulfill it no matter what.

God also has a plan for us. Question is, do we have the same faith David had? Do we pray to God asking him not to abandon the works of his hands? What are the works of Gods hands in our lives and are we holding on to them? Are we thankful for them? For me being given a faith in God is a work of God's hand. And increasing our faith through hardships, challenges and victories are works of God's hands too.

^{Psalms 57:2}

^{Psalms 57:3}

David wrought this wile he was hiding in a cave from Saul who wanted to kill him. David knew that even facing death God's purpose would be fulfilled. He was confident in god and even though he was being sought after by a mad man he was not complaining. Read the whole chapter.

^{Psalms 57:1-11}

Pall is another good example of a man who held on to the reality that Gods plan would be fulfilled no mater what and even though he spent a big part of his life in chains he could always see Gods hand in it and praise him for it.

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus

^{Philippians 1:7}

We know through reading the bible that both of these men faced much persecution and sometimes even possible death. We also in reading the bible can see that this was part of Gods plan. This is in the bible to increase our faith that no mater what we go through Gods plan will be fulfilled.

Even Jesus facing death on the cross not wanting to go through the inevitable did not complain! He put his faith in God and went to him in prayer.

^{Matthew 26:42}

One more question to think about. Was the cup he was asking God to take away, The death he was facing or the death with out forgiveness we were facing?

Connecting to God's Church

What does it mean to be connected as a church? The goal of every church should be to help it's members become the likeness of Jesus Christ.

As a church the members have a choice to either be connected or dis-connected. The challenge of every disciple of Christ is be connected to Gods spiritual body. God calls us to be connected in relationships with one another as a family of God.

Acts 2:42

In the early church you were expected to be devoted to several things. It was not negotiable! You had to be devoted to the teachings of the gospel. Devoted to the fellowship! Devoted to the the breaking of bread ( Communion ). Devoted to prayer! This was not an option. To be Part of the first century church you made a decision to be devoted to these things! Obviously people are not perfect and the members of the early church may have struggled with for filling these expectations, however, there was still an expectation that the members be devoted to these things.

This is the example of Gods church that he has set for us. Many churches practice devotion to teaching, prayer....however, many neglect Communion, fellowship and developing deep spiritual relationships.

Using Jesus as an example. Jesus had several circles of close relationships. In his inner circle were James, John and Peter. Next were the 12 disciples and then in his outer circle were his followers. He built relationships and ministered to each of them in different ways!

We have to devote our selves to fellowship and building strong spiritual relationships. God has designed it this way. We are to carry each others burdens. We are designed to need each other!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Galatians 6:2
Hebrews 3:13

The way to not allow your heart to be harden by sins deceit is to stay connected to your brothers and sisters in Gods church by encouraging one another!

James 5:16

Romans 5:5

Some may think that having these types of relationships and being connected to the fellowship of Gods church in this way is not possible. You may think that this is not your personality or your nature. This is only possible with God and having his spirit inside of us! The only way to get connected into a deep spiritual relationship is through God and with the holy spirit. 

Was it worth it?

Heb 12:14-17 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.

Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.

• What do you think Esau would say if you ask him was it worth it?

• What would you say if some one asked you was it worth it?

This is a new challenge for all of us! When we are struggling with any paticular sin, ask yourself that question, "Is it worth it?". For many of us Men the struggles with purity, sexually immoral thoughts and the like can lead to sinful and damaging acts, if not dealt with.

We need to think through our temptations and sinful nature and ask our self is it worth it? We already know it is not! Then pray, get a christian brother involved or just go for a walk or find something to do to help you focus on God and his word.

We cannot allow Satan to get a foot hold! Temptations that attack our purity are better dealt with before hand by sharing it with other spiritual brothers and through prayer.

Frankly I have found that if I share my weaknesses with the brothers no matter what the weakness is they will do all they can to help me with overcome it by praying specifically for me or holding me accountable and asking the tough questions that need to be asked of each of us . If you do not have those kinds of relationship with in your church body then I would seek out a church that does.

As brothers and sisters, the bible is very clear, with regard to our obligation to carry each others burdens and to confess our sins to one another. Then and only then can there be true healing in God. If you allow your self to be open with your spiritual brothers, it will strengthen your relationship with God.

ALL Things

Romans 8:28, 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 [I emphasize the word PURPOSE because many times we look at our purpose].I share this with you all because as brothers in Christ we all need to understand Gods purpose in our life

And when we take our eyes off of that we can and will spin out of control.

 

God works in ALL things, not just isolated incidents, for our good. Evil is prevalent in our fallen world, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our LONG RANGE good. God is not working to make us happy, but to fulfill his purpose/plans. Remember, we have been called according to his purpose and therefore we should trust in God not life's treasures. We have security in heaven, not on this earth so we learn to accept, not resent pain and persecution because God is with us at all times. One of the hardest things to do is wait to see Gods hand in every situation especially if we are going through family problems, but I can tell you that Gods way is

Alwayssssssssssss the best way.

Repentance, Forgiveness & Restoration

Repentance, Forgiveness & Restoration (RFR)

Have you ever said, "I'm sorry?" (When is this the appropriate thing to say?)

Have you ever said, "I'm sorry," when what was really needed was a humble plea to be forgiven?

Many brothers and sisters confuse regret with repentance. You cannot repent without regret, but you can regret without repentance!

2 Corinthians 7:10-11

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. ¹¹See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.

The object of repentance is not exclusively the sin itself, but the effect the sin has on a relationship.

Love for the relationship puts the sin in context. This is the driver for repentance (godly sorrow). If there is no love for the relationship, there is no drive (or even need) to repent!

Our relationship with God reflects the same idea. Do we repent primarily over our sin - or over what the sin has done to our fellowship with God? It's almost impossible to regret a wayward action and turn from it (godly repentance) if that action has no relational significance.

Hating sin is meaningless without an understanding of how it affects our personal relationship with God.

The same is true with our brothers and sister in Christ, with our spouses and with our children.

Hate your sin. But don't just hate the sin. Hate what it does to your relationships!

The sin cycle (many examples in Judges with Israel as a nation) includes separation, regret, repentance, forgiveness, and restoration.

Example of RFR: Story of David and Bathsheba

2 Samuel 12

The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.  4 "Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."  5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."  7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'  11 "This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.' "  13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."       Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die."  15 After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.  18 On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate."  19 David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked. "Yes," they replied, "he is dead."  20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.  21 His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!"  22 He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."  24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him; 25 and because the LORD loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.  26 Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel. 27 Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, "I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. 28 Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me."  29 So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. 30 He took the crown from the head of their king —its weight was a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David's head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city 31 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking. He did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

The progression:

1. Guilty! (David is caught) v7

2. God tells David (through Nathan) how much he loves him vv7-8

3. God lays out David's sin v9

4. God describes the consequences of David's sin vv10-12

5. David acknowledges his sin v13

6. David repents (Psalm 51)

7. God forgives David v13, 24-25

8. David accepts God's forgiveness (Psalm 32)

9. David acts to restore the relationship (2 Sam 12:26-31)

So the steps are:

1. acknowledge the sin (which damaged the relationship)

2. repent of the sin in a godly way

3. in humility, ask forgiveness from the one sinned against

4. accept the forgiveness offered

5. act to restore the relationship (demonstrate willingness to re-engage and participate in the relationship)

Closing points to take away:

• Repentance begins with the offender.

• Asking forgiveness from another human being is an act of humility. At that point, you are no longer in control of the situation. Nor can you dictate the conditions of your apology.

• To say, "I'm sorry," is to acknowledge a mistake. To ask forgiveness is to acknowledge the motives of your heart.

• Sorrow is subjective and can range from little to great.

• Forgiveness is objective and has no middle ground; it's absolute (meaning it's either offered or it's not). There's no such thing as partial forgiveness.

• Restoration is the ultimate objective. Restoring the relationship is what closes the offense…and buries it.

Inspiration for this RFR study derives from three sources:

1. Growing Kids God's Way Leader's Manual (Chapter 13).

2. the Bible (NIV quoted).

3. God's desire to have the Houston church draw closer to him and to each other through the

restoration process, to mend damaged or broken relationships.

Obeying The Commands of God

Exodus 25 - God gave instructions on how to build the Ark and how to build his temple. It was designed for God to walk with his people. God humbled himself to fit in a box and to be cared by man. God gave specific instructions on how to carry the Ark. The poles where to remain in the Ark at all times and where not to be removed. No one was allowed to touch the Ark itself or they would die.

1 Samuel 4 - the Philistines capture the Ark. In the same way Satan is always trying to take God from us. The Philistines tried to use the Ark or to use God and it did not work. God brought curses down on the Philistines.

1 Samuel 6- the Ark is returned to Israelites.

1 Samuel 7

2 Samuel 6

The Israelite were excited about bringing the Ark to Israel. Uzzah died because he did not obey or honor Gods commands concerning the Ark. Where did the idea of putting the Ark on a cart come from? This idea came from the Philistines. It was easier to have the Ark on a cart and pulled by oxen rather than being carried by 4 men as God had commanded.

How many times do we try to dilute the word of God and obey only partial commandments because we think it's too hard?

God calls us to worship him and honor him in the way he wants. Satan wants us to think that it is okay to dilute the word of God and conform to the world.

Stop conforming to the world! The world tells us it's okay to be decetful, to stretch the truth. To listen to questionable music or watch movies filled with sexual imorality. As christians God calls us to become the likeniess of  Christ!

1 Samuel 6:9 - when we conform to the world then we say what David says here. How can I be righteous. Gods commandments are too tough. I can't have a pure dating relationship without committing sexual imorality. How can I be honest when it may hurt me financially...etc

Satan wants us in this position, he wants us to conform to the world and not decide to do things Gods way. Gods way through his commands are the way to true blessings!

1 Samuel 6:10-11

The Ark was left with Obed-edom and he was blessed! Eventually David resided to conform to God instead of the world. Vs 12-14 David decided to carry the Ark the way god commanded it regardless of how much it cost or how much of a burden it may have been..... As a result David became one of the greatest kings ever known!

John 14:15; 21; 23

What can we give God? Does he need us? God wants our hearts. He wants us to devote our lives to him. To honor his teachings by living a life emerged in his words and his commands! We express our love to God through obedience.

John 14:21

Every time we obey we express love to God! Ways that we can honor God and show him love:

1 Corinthians 6:
Philippians 4:8
Proverbs 3:9
Ephesians 5:25
Ephesians 4:29
Deuteronomy 6:1-25

Money and Marriage series 1

Money and Marriage

Marriage should be honored by all... keep your lives free from the love of money...Hebrews 13:4-5

In one passage the writer of Hebrews gives instructions about two key subjects for disciples: money and marriage (Hebrews 13:4-5). He realized that these were two areas that must be brought under the lord ship of Jesus. This week we will focus on those two areas. Money concerns us all. God's plan for marriage need to be understood whether or not we are currently married.

1. Money is not an evil. It is a necessity and the scriptures teach that it should be honestly earned. Read Ephesians 4:28, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 and 1 Timothy 5:7-8

2. what attitudes did you have toward money before becoming a Christian? What changes have you had to make?

3. What is the impact of the irresponsible person who does not do his or her best to provide for financial needs?

4. Read Hebrews 13:1-5. We all must deal with money, but what attitude must we be careful not to have? Why is the love of money at cross purposes with following Jesus?

5. Read 1 Timothy 6:17-19. We are "rich" when we have the ability to meet our basic needs and then have money left over that can either be used to give us luxuries or help others. Most of us are in this category. From v. 18 write down three or four things we should do with our "discretionary money."