Episodes
Monday Jan 29, 2018
Blessed Be The Poor In Spirit For Theirs Is The Kingdom Of God
Monday Jan 29, 2018
Monday Jan 29, 2018
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God
January 28,2018
Blessed….
This word was used to express a quality that was attributed to the Greek gods...
- An almost unbelievable state of__________.
- Denote someone or something that was___
__________, that neither needs nor is dependent on the outside world for its sustenance.
The Christian is to be God-sufficient and not _______________conditioned....
If a man wants to be truly fulfilled, to find real Joy, to enjoy true blessedness, then he must abandon conventional earthly thinking about what it means to be truly blessed.
The spiritual pre-requisite: being ________ in Spirit
Two different Greek terms that describe the concept of poverty.
One is that of a person who is poor, but has_____ ______. Example Luke 21:2....
The second term is used to describe the _______ _____of an individual who has no resources whatsoever.. Example Luke 16:19
It is this second Greek term that Jesus uses here in this first Beatitude: “blessed are the spiritually destitute.”
In the Old Testament, the term poverty was closely associated with genuine ________ before God.
Humility is the simple prerequisite that functions as the door of all of the beatitudes !
The promise...
First, participation in God’s kingdom is ________________to true happiness.
Second, kingdom participation is ______________for those who become “Poor in Spirit.”
Third, the kingdom of heaven is a _______
________to all who are poor in spirit.
Monday Jan 22, 2018
The Call to Christian Conduct: Matthew 5:3-12
Monday Jan 22, 2018
Monday Jan 22, 2018
The call to Christian conduct
January 21,2018
Matthew 5:3-12 (ESV)
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Monday Jan 15, 2018
Navigating Change: Trust Your Crew. Various text
Monday Jan 15, 2018
Monday Jan 15, 2018
Navigating Change: Trust Your Crew
Various texts
The Need for a Crew
- A ship does not sail right by itself
- It needs a crew to steer and maintain it
Who is Our Crew?
- The Captain = Jesus (Heb. 2:10)
- ἀρχηγός (archeos): founder, leader, captain
- He sets the destination
- He commands the crew
- This is especially true in the Church (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18)
- And should be true in every aspect of our lives
- Shipmates: Our Church family
- We are not meant to do life alone
- We cannot navigate change alone
- We need each other
- In the Church (1 Cor. 12:14-18)
- In life (Gen 2:18)
- This is not just about a spouse
- But about a support system in each other
Trust Your Crew
- God has given you servant leaders in the Elders, Trustees, Deaconesses, and Church Board
- He has given you each other to be a support and encouragement
- To serve and love each other
- To be for each other as He is for us
- Everyone in the crew is imperfect (except the Captain)
- Trusting your crew is about trusting the Spirit at work in them, as they trust that He is at work in you
- The Pastor’s role on the ship
- First-mate
- Doesn’t set the course
- Doesn’t command the crew directly
- Listens to the captain and leads the crew as needed
- A ship can function without a First-mate for a time
- As long as they listen to the Captain
- And as long as the rest of the crew leans into the work
- First-mate
So What?
- As we learn to navigate change in God-honoring ways
- Trust your Captain
- Trust your crew
- Lean into the work of ministry
Meditation Verse: Philippians 2:12-13
Monday Jan 08, 2018
Navigating Change: Adjust Your Sails: Various Text
Monday Jan 08, 2018
Monday Jan 08, 2018
Navigating Change: Adjust Your Sails
Various texts
The Function of Sails
- Sails do NOT cause a ship to move
- Wind makes it move
- The sails harness the wind
- If there is no wind, the sails won’t work
- And it is impossible to sail directly against the wind
- So, a good sailor has to adjust his sails to catch the wind
What is the Wind??
- The Wind = The Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8)
- The term ‘spirit’ means breath or wind in both Hebrew (ruah’) & Greek (pneuma)
- He is Giver of life (Job 33:4; John 6:63)
- He is the empower & equipper (1 Cor. 12:11; see also Eph. 4:11ff; Heb. 13:20-21)
- He is God at work in us and in the world (John 14:16-18)
Adjusting our Sails
- As change happens, we need to adjust ourselves to what God is doing in our lives and in the world around us
- “Watch to see where God is working and join Him” -Henry & Richard Blackaby and Claude King, Experiencing God (see John 5:17, 19-20)
- This requires being attuned to the Holy Spirit
- Being silent and listening
- Setting aside our agendas and goals
- Relying on God’s timing
- It allows us to be conformed to His will (Rom. 8:28-29; 12:2)
- This leads to peace beyond understanding (Phil. 4:5a-7)
So What?
- As we learn to navigate change in God-honoring ways
- Let’s adjust our Sails to the wind of the Spirit
Meditation Verse: John 3:8
Monday Jan 01, 2018
Navigating Change: Know Your Anchor: Various text
Monday Jan 01, 2018
Monday Jan 01, 2018
Navigating Change: Know Your Anchor
Various texts
Life is Change
- As we start a new year, we reflect on the ever-changing nature of life
- We seek out positive changes
- While trying to avoid negative ones
- But, change is unavoidable in life
- Both personally and corporately
- So, we need to learn how to navigate change in life in ways that:
- Honors God
- Helps us grow into the people He wants us to be
- We’re going to use a sailing analogy to help us
The Need for Anchors
- Anchors keep boats from drifting
- From running aground
- Or going into dangerous places
- Sometimes we think of them as keeping us from moving
- But, they’re used more to keep us from danger
What are our Anchors?
- The unchangeable nature of God (Heb. 6:17-18)
- Jesus Himself (Heb. 6:19-20)
- And His work on our behalf
- Scripture (Pro. 30:5)
What Do these Anchors Do?
- They help us grow into mature followers of Christ
- Protecting us from false teaching and thinking (Eph. 4:11-14)
- They give us hope during uncertain times (Rom. 8:28)
- They combat doubt in God’s goodness (Jas. 1:5-6)
So What?
- As we learn to navigate change in God-honoring ways
- Let’s hold on to the Anchors of our faith
- And trust that He is using change for our good
Meditation Verse: Hebrews 6:19