MAN UP – SAMSON & KING DAVID SEXUAL TEMPTATIONS

(Judges 16:1-22; 2 Samuel 11; James 1:2-18)

MEMORY VERSE – JAMES 1:14

“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.” NLT

BOTTOM LINE:

Samson was born to be God’s vessel used to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. David was a man with God’s heart. However, they both were susceptible to sexual temptations. Samson’s love for women ultimately was his downfall and got him killed. As a King, David had many wives but lusting after another man’s wife caused him many grief even though God forgave him. We are doomed by our own desires. James 1:14 says “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away” NLT if we allow our desires to drag us away, there’s no limit to the magnitude of sin we’ll commit in the process. There’s hope! Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:7-8.

We do have the power and self control in us to stand and resist temptation. We only have to tap into God’s power and He’ll help us get through it.

Men, YOU ARE NOT strong enough on your own to resist the temptation of women but with God, all things are possible. You also are not along. Let’s Man UP and take responsibility and not allow sexual temptations rule over us. We can do when we turn it over to God and let his sanctifying Spirit cleanse us through and through.

CONSEQUENCES OF FAILING TO RESIST TEMPTATION

• Samson lost his power and the presence of the Spirit of the Lord (Judges 16:20)
• Philistines gouged out his eyes (Judges 16:21)
• Died while in the hands of the Philistines (Judges 16:30)
• Failed to accomplish his calling in life
• The child born from the adulterous relationship died (2 Samuel 12:18)
• His son Amnon raped his step sister Tamar (
• His son Absalom attempted to overthrow him and take the Kingdom
• His son slept with one of his wives in public

WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM SAMSON & KING DAVID’S TEMPTATION?

• Temptation of men begins with a thought.
• Men are tempted by what they see (Be careful little eyes what you see) (Judges 14:1-2; 2 Samuel 11:2)
• All it takes is one incident for a great man to fall. (2 Samuel 11:2-3)
• Bad things happen when you’re not where you’re supposed to be. (2 Samuel 11:1)
• The Spirit of the Lord doesn’t stay where there’s sin. (Judges 16:20)
• There are consequences for every sin. (Judges 16:21; 2 Samuel 12)
• Sexual decisions have life-long consequences
• Sex is an awesome thing created by God but will ruin a man if he allows it to control him.
• satan will  use those who are close to you to bring you down. (Judges 16:5)
• No man is above being tempted; Jesus was tempted.
• Lastly, God restores and redeems those who confess (Judges 16:2 Samuel 12)
• Lusting after a woman can get you killed.

HOW SHOULD MEN “MAN UP” TO SEXUAL TEMPTATION?

• Give yourself to God (James 4:7-8)
• Recognize that we are tempted by our own desires (James 1:14-15)
• Recognize sexual sin for what it is – SIN.
• Confess your sin to God for cleansing (1 John 1:9, 2 Samuel 12:13)
• Be accountable to someone you can trust
• Keep your eyes on Christ (John 15:1-7)
• Guard your heart (Proverbs 4:23)
• Don’t set yourself up (Rom 13:14; Gal 5:24)
• Consider the consequences of sexual immorality ( 1 Cor 6:9-10, 18; 1 Thes 4:3-7)
• Confess your faults to another friend (James 5:16)
• Ask God and rely on Him for help.
• Walk by the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:16-18)
• No temptation is too BIG for you to overcome. (I Cor 10:13)

(Judges 16:1-22; 2 Samuel 11; James 1:2-18)

CHEW ON THIS – Take 10 Minutes each day to meditate on these questions?:

• Friday: In what ways are you tempted sexually? (I Corinthians 6:18-20)

• _______________________________________________________________________

• _______________________________________________________________________

• Saturday: Where/Who are the sources of your sexual temptations?

• _______________________________________________________________________

• _______________________________________________________________________

• Sunday: Meditate on ways you can draw closer to God. (James 4:7-8)
• _______________________________________________________________________

• _______________________________________________________________________

• Monday: What Can YOU do to guard your heart and your self against sexual temptation? (Matthew 4)

• _______________________________________________________________________

• _______________________________________________________________________

• Tuesday: What ways can you make provision for your spirit as opposed to the flesh (Rom 13:14; Gal 5:24)

• _______________________________________________________________________

• _______________________________________________________________________

• Wednesday: Is there anyone you can trust to help you deal with temptation?

• _______________________________________________________________________

• _______________________________________________________________________

MAN UP Week 1 - Adam

(Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7-25; 3:1-25; Genesis 4:1-2, 5:1-5)

MEMORY VERSE – GENESIS 1:26:

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Profile:

• First man
• Created in the image of God. (Gen 1:26-28)
• Father of humankind (Gen 4:1—2)
• Father of three boys, Cain, Abel  & Seth. (Genesis 4:25)
• A wife made just for him. (Gen 2:23)
• Lived a total of 930 years (Gen 5:5)

GOD GIVEN RESPONSIBILITIES AS A MAN

• Rule over all the earth and its creatures (Gen 1:26)
• Take care of the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:15)
• Obey God’s commands (Gen 2:17)
• Name the animals (Gen 2:19)
• Husband to Eve (Gen 2:24)
• …Be fruitful and increase in number…” (Gen 2:28)
• Father to his sons (Gen 4:1-2)

FAILURE TO MAN UP

• Failed test of obedience (Gen 3:17)
• Failed to protect his wife Eve (Gen 3:1-5)
• Failed to acknowledge his wrongdoing (Gen 3:12)
• Failed to be trustworthy (Gen 3:12)
• Failed to take responsibility for his responsibilities (Gen 3:12)

LESSONS LEARNED FROM HIS LIFE

• God wants us to freely choose to follow and obey him out of love.
• Nothing we do is hidden from God
• No excuses for not taking care of our responsibilities (
• MAN UP and be accountable for our failures (Gen 3:12)
• “It is not good for a man to be alone…” (Gen 2:18)
• Satan’s truths are full of lies (eyes open… Gen 3:5)
• You lose part of yourself in marriage to gain a whole (Gen 2:21)
• Every man has a wife being formed by God just for him (Gen 2:22)
• satan uses people who are close to us to tempt us. (Gen 3:6)
• We’re slaves to the one whom we obey (Rom 6:16)
• We’re convicted by our own guilt (Gen 3:8-11)
• Sin separates us from God and we become slave to sin (Gen 3:17-19, 23-24)
• Punishments for disobedience are real (Gen 3:14-19)
• God gives us the ability to choose freely.
• We choose with the consequences in mind.

CHEW ON THIS – Take 10 Minutes each day to meditate on these questions?

• Friday: Disbelief – Disregarding God’s word and believing satan instead (Gen 2:16-17, 3:1-7).
• Meditate on any areas where you deliberately did something against what you know to be God’s will?
• Did you feel any guilt about it?

• Saturday: Disobedience – Acting on personal desire and rejecting God (Gen 3:6)
• What areas of your life do you need to be more obedient to God, your parents and other authority figure?

• Sunday: Father’s Day – Appreciate the special men in your life (Eph 6:1)

• Monday: Responsibility – Taking responsibility for your actions, good, bad or ugly.
• What areas of responsibilities have you neglected to Man Up in?

• Tuesday: Trust – Being trustworthy in every area of life
• Can God, your parents, teachers, friends trust you?

• Wednesday: Lusting – Not being content with what is given and what we have (Genesis 3:6; 1 John 2:17-18; Matthew 4:1-11)
• What areas of your life do you wish you could have more of?

Healthcare is a Scam

First, this is not about Obama's healthcare so sorry to disappoint those who thought that's where this was headed.

Without further adieu... Healthcare is a pain in my foot!!! Let me explain...
I "attempted" to play basketball last night for the first time in at least 9 months. Before I could get through the first game to 15, I hurt what I think is my heel but feels like an Achilles injury. I don't really know what happened. All I think I did was jump. It's weird because that's not generally the foot I jump off with. At the very least, i pulled an "old man" muscle, you know the muscles that only get hurt on an old man. :) Adrenaline takes me through 2 games and I go home a hurt man. The pain is not bad, I just can't walk on it so I figure I'll just go get an X-ray of it in the morning. Here we are this morning and I'm sitting in the waiting room of the walk-in clinic to have an "MD" look at my foot to send me to get an X-ray. And that boys and girls is the gist of my problem with The Healthcare system.
I'm in between primary doctors and decided to go to my wife's primary care physician (no, i'm not talking about her Gyno). After a slow limp from the parking lot, on the elevator and up to her office on the third floor, I find her doors locked. I trot back downstairs to the information desk where the volunteer information specialist has to call a few different places to find out that her office is closed this week. She sends me to outpatient at Physician's Regional (PRMC) on 951. Now, me and PRMC have some bad history but all I need is an X-ray so I again limp inside where the gentleman tells me I need to walk to the other side to be seen. I already know the other side is the ER AND I AM CERTAIN THAT MY FOOT IS NOT AN emergency. So I leave there before PRMC tells me I have a heart condition caused by my hurt foot. That's sarcasm If you missed it but stranger things have happened at PRMC but that's another note all together.

So here I am at my third stop on a bad foot to HAVE A DOCTOR LOOK AT MY FOOT TO REQUEST AN X-RAY AT A LAB SOMEWHERE.

Do I need a person with an MD to tell me I need an X-ray? Thats the problem with the healthcare system. I can't just go to the lab place to get an X-ray. I have to first go to a doctor who will be wise enough to know that it's not BENGAY that I need, it's an X-ray. We could save some $$$ in healthcare cost

*we interrupt this note for an important message*
I'm now sitting inside to be seen by the doctor. But first, the nurse had weigh me, take my blood pressure. Did I mention that all I need is an X-RAY??? Can anyone hear me? I'm surprised my blood pressure didn't spike from the frustration of e situation. Exhale...

Ok, the doctor who happens to be our neighbor just came in and the poor guy had to look and touch my foot. Don't worry people no corns here. :)
Interestingly enough, Doc is recovering from his own old time issues, some kind of hernia operation and has a hard time bending to sit... I guess I can't complain.

There is some good news; this clinic has an X-ray tech so I don't have to go somewhere else to get that done. Praise the Lord for that small blessing!
Now I wait for the XRAY tech...

The verdict is in; I'm getting old! It's a bone spur. There's nothing they do with it right now unless the pain persists.

I'm too much of a tech person but This is 2012, I expect that we have the technology that's capable of allowing me to talk to a doctor over my iPhone, scan my foot and order an X-ray before I even leave the house. I over simplify things I know but certainly there's a happy medium between what I've explained and my tech savvy vision of healthcare.
Do I have a witness somewhere?

P.s. I'm blessed that I'm only physically limping versus mentally limping. That's a blessing that makes me forget about the pain in my foot.

Blessings,
John K Paul, A.P. (aggravated patient)
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Why Did Jesus Come To Earth?

WHY DID JESUS COME TO EARTH?

April 24, 2011

Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?

·         Matthew 1:21: And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for he will save His people from their sins.

·         Matthew 18:11:  For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost

·         Luke 9:56: “for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."

·         Luke 19:10: for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

·         John 10:10: I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly

·         1 Timothy 1:15: “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”

·         John 1:29: The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Why Did Man Need Jesus To Save Them From Their Sins?

Before Jesus (Old testament):

·         “The wages of sin is death…”

·         God demanded a sacrifice for the atonement/forgiveness of sin.

·         The lamb was the principal animal of sacrifice among the Jewish people at the evening and morning sacrifice.

o        The lamb is gentle, meek, and innocent

·         Sacrifices were offered morning and evening and for special holidays.

o        Ex. 29:38-42: Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two one year old lambs each day, continuously. 39"The one lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;  40and there shall be one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering with one lamb. 41"The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it the same grain offering and the same drink offering as in the morning, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. 42"It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the doorway of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there.

o        Num. 38:3-8): You shall say to them, 'This is the offering by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs one year old without defect as a continual burnt offering every day.  4'You shall offer the one lamb in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; 5also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a )grain offering, mixed with a fourth of a hin of beaten oil. 6'It is a continual burnt offering which was ordained in Mount Sinai as a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD. 7'Then the drink offering with it shall be a fourth of a hin for each lamb, in the holy place you shall pour out a drink offering of strong drink to the LORD. 8'The other lamb you shall offer at twilight; as the grain offering of the morning and as its drink offering, you shall offer it, an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD.

o        specials days (Num. 28:11): 11'Then at the beginning of each of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD: two bulls and one ram, seven male lambs one year old without defect. the Passover (28:16-19), Pentecost (28:26), Feast of the Trumpets (29:1, 2), the Day of Atonement (29:7, 8), and the Tabernacle (29:12-16). Other personal sacrifices included lambs (Lev. 12:6; 14:10-18, etc), such as the sin offerings (Lev. 4:32-35)

·         The blood of the lamb paid the penalty for sin. Romans 3:22-25

·         You could not approach God yourself but only through His chosen mediator.

o        Priest – served as mediator to plead on behalf of the people

·         Sacrifice had an expiration date

Jesus as the Sacrificial Lamb:

·         “The wages of sin is death…”

·         God demanded an offering of sacrifice for sin

·         Needed a mediator to plead on our behalf

·         Jesus as High Priest:

o        Hebrews 7:26-28 - 26Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

o        Hebrews 9:11-15 - 11When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here,[b] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,[c] so that we may serve the living God! 15For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

o        Hebrews 9:24-28 - 24For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. 25Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

o        Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 10:1-10; Hebrews 13:11-13, 1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 5:6-13

·         In Jesus, God provided the lamb to be used for the sacrifice of our sins.

·         The blood of Jesus paid the penalty for our sins for eternity.

Final Word:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6380Ich51lI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Jesus came to earth as a man to offer His body as a sacrifice for all our sins – past, present and future. He took the place of the lamb to be sacrificed; the priest that received the sacrificial offering and interceded on our behalf; and paid the penalty for our sins for eternity.

·         Philippians 2:6, He, "made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

http://www.letusreason.org/Doct60.htm

http://www.lifeofchrist.com/life/lifescan/teachings.asp

http://www.letusreason.org/Doct53.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6380Ich51lI

http://www.biblecourses.com/English/downloads/pdfs/BAFC/08-Come_to_Earth.pdf

http://www.beverlycovenantchurch.org/pdf/2009_sermons/pdf_090913.pdf

OVERCOMING DOUBTS

WHAT IS DOUBTS?

John 20:24-29

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent full of doubt. - Bertrand Russell

Doubt is the doorway to unbelief…

• Uncertain — mistrust — apprehensive — suspicion.
• Regard as unlikely
• Lack of confidence and conviction.
• Blocks faith
• Faith –
• Heb 11:1 - Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
• Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
• Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof

Why Do We Doubt?

WHY DO WE HAVE DOUBTS?

·         SIN: Your disobedience raises questions about your relationship with God.

·         IGNORANCE: If you don’t know God’s direction, you may question if you’re on the correct path.

·         HERESY: If you think you can’t sin, you deny the experience of Paul. “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (Rom. 7:19, NKJV).

·         NOT SAVED: If you are not God’s child, you will doubt if He is your Father.

·         CONCLUSION: Because your sin nature is not eradicated, then you will always have doubts until you get to heaven.

7 Steps to Overcoming Doubts

1)       Acknowledge that you’re a doubter

2)       Trust and Rely on God. If you believe that Jesus came to die for our sins, then you have to be all in with your faith.

3)       Check your heart – meditate to figure out why you’re having doubts.

4)       Renew your mind - When doubt starts to creep in your thought, speak the word to chase it away. Romans 12:2

5)       Put the word into action

6)       Feed your faith - Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Romans 10:17

7)       Resist the devil – “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”James 4:7

Final Word:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaJfDg1-lFo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

James 1:2-8 - 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Doubt does not come from God; it comes from satan’s evil deceptions. It’s a tool satan uses to eat away at our faith. Just like temptations, we have to fight doubt with the word. We can’t win if we just sit back and allow doubt to dominate our thoughts. Below are 3 things to keep in mind as we fight the good fight that allows our faith to be strengthened:

1. You have to believe that we can win the fight!
2. You have to keep our guards up!
3. You have to keep on fighting until you have complete victory.

http://www.andrewwommack.org/extra/article/overcome_doubt

http://www.bibleanswer.com/doubt.htm

 http://www.fillthegap.com/products-mainmenu-64/free-book/113-overcoming-doubt.html

http://www.jenniferleclaire.org/articles/entry/overcoming_doubtaholism/

http://www.armenianbrethren.org/resources/I%20Cant%20doubt%20and%20be%20a%20Christian%20Part%203.pdf

http://truthchasers.com/Sermons/Expository/051400p.pdf

http://www.born-again-christian.info/assurance.of.salvation.htm

http://www.fbinstitute.com/Voss%20Jim/Assurance1.html

I'M A CHRISTIAN – NOW WHAT???

I'M A CHRISTIAN – NOW WHAT???

Now that you have made a decision to follow Christ, you are a new creation, rebirth into a new family. Being a Christian is not about throwing up your “Halleluiah sign” but about an intimate, personal relationship with God (Romans 5:6-11). Below are some answers to questions that you’re probably wrestling with in your new walk with Christ. We trust that they will be  useful to your growth.

AM I REALLY SAVED?

Was it that easy? All I did was go up for prayer? Is there more to it than that?

Being saved is as easy as the ABCs:

• A-Admit you have sinned (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 1 John 1:10)
• B-Believe in Jesus (John 1:12)
• C-Confess that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9, Ephesians 2:8,9)

That’s all there is to it. If you did that then you are now a child of God and God’s Holy Spirit is working inside of you. You will not automatically become perfect but with His Spirit working in you, you will begin to see progress and have a deep desire to change your ways.

IS FOLLOWING JESUS THE ONLY TO BE SAVED?

Let’s hear what Jesus had to say on the matter:

·         “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

·         Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

·         “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and find pasture … I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:9)

·         Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:25)

·         Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

·         “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8)

·         “…knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ … for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)

·         For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:15-16)

The bottom line is we are not saved by being religious and following all the laws and tradition of church. Being a faithful member of The First Church of Anything, paying our tithes, involved in ministries and being faithful to all religious rituals doesn’t save us. Our faith in Christ saves us. All we have to do is admit that we are sinners, be willing to confess our sins before God, and be willing to repent and turn from those sins. Then, accept that Jesus Christ came to die for all of our sins, that He rose from the dead on the third day, and then accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior.

I’VE BEEN BAD, WILL GOD REALLY FORGIVE ME?

Yes! There’s no sin too big that God cannot forgive. Remember the adulterous woman; remember King David – the adulterous/murder; how about Abraham’s lying; or Peter’s denials of Jesus; and lastly Paul, the persecutor. They were all sinners that God used for His purpose. If we are honest with ourselves and with God and confess ours sin, He is faithful and just and will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all bad things (1 John 1:9).

WHAT IF I GO BACK TO MY

BAD WAYS

?

“We fall down and we get up. For a saint is just a sinner who falls down and got up…”

We all sin, whether it’s a tempter, materialism, envy, gossip, lust, etc… But that’s not where it ends. You have to come clean to God about your sins and He will forgive you. Surround yourself with friends who will support you and hold you accountable and cut out anyone else who is not helping you with your growth in Christ.

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY WHEN I PRAY?

Imagine just entering a new relationship with a girl/guy that you think highly of. What do you say to him/her? Do you wait until you see her at church on Sunday to talk to him/her?

When you’re entering in a relationship with someone you want to talk to them all the time, you give them quality time. You often can’t wait until the next time you talk. Every day you learn something new about the person that you didn’t know before and it’s just exciting.

Well, prayer is no different than communicating with a person you’re in a relationship with. All you have to do is find a special spot where no one will be all up in your business and start talking to the “lover of your soul”. It’s that easy. Here are some simple guidelines:

In Matthew 6:6-13 and Luke 11:1-4, Jesus gives us a good template for prayer.  In the example of the Lord ’s Prayer, it gives us an example of what components every prayer should have. Our prayers should be done in secrecy, be simple and Thus the discipline of prayer should include the elements of secrecy, simplicity, and sincerity.  The A-C-T-S of prayer is an acronym which gives us guidelines of a disciplined prayer life. They are as follows:

A – adoration: means to worship and acknowledge the majesty of God. This is where we acknowledge that God is the ruler of every facet of our lives and without him our lives would be nothing.

“Hallowed be thy name…”

C – Confession: Here we acknowledge that we are sinners and have sinned and ask for God’s forgiveness.

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”

T – Thanksgiving: We give thanks to God for all that he has done and the graces and mercies He has afforded us in spite of our sins and shortcomings.

S – Supplication – This is a big word that means “request”. When we lift up our supplications to God, we’re telling him directly what we need from Him.

                “…Give us this day our daily bread…”

                “…lead us not into temptation…”

The ACTS are not meant to be the only way to pray but it gives us a guideline to begin our prayers. As we’re in constant communication with God, we’ll have times of prayer that only focuses on one aspect of this ACTS. For example, we may at some point during the day; say a quick prayer of thanksgiving for something that God has just done for us.

How Do I Read The Bible?

Like NIKE used to say in their commercial; JUST DO IT!!! As it relates to the reading the Bible, just OPEN IT! In order to follow Jesus you need to know what He said and did. Reading the Bible is the best way to learn about who Jesus was and still is. Further, the stories of the life of Jesus can be found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Spending time reading the Scriptures and meditating on its meaning and importance to our lives. We are nourished by the Word because it is our source of spiritual strength.

1. Define Study: The word “Study” is not widely used in the Bible, we find words like:
1. Meditate:

                                                              i.      Dictionary: To engage in contemplation or reflection; to focus on thought, reflect on or ponder over, to plan a project

                                                            ii.      Psalm 1:2 (1897): To ponder, imagine, study, talk, utter, to murmur in pleasure or anger

                                                          iii.      Psalm 119:5 (7878): to ponder; converse with oneself, and hence aloud; complain, declare, pray, speak, and talk with.

2. Basic Principal of Bible Study
1. Ask the right questions

                                                              i.      Ask different questions

                                                            ii.      The more questions you ask the more you will get out of your study

2. Write it down
3. Application is the ultimate goal.

                                                              i.      It is valueless if in the final analysis we do not change.

DO I NEED TO GO TO CHURCH, I CAN DO ALL THIS AT HOME?

Which option would you choose to watch the NBA Finals? Sitting at home watching it on TV or being in the actual stadium with a bunch of your friends cheering for the same team?

Most of us are going to choose watching the game at the stadium with a bunch of friends as the ideal way. As we continue on the journey to become like Christ, the people at church who care about you, support you, and teach you and encourage you help make that journey more enjoyable.

Hebrews 10:24-25 - 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

HOW CAN I GET MY FRIENDS IN ON CHRIST?

To your friends and most in the world, actions speak louder than words. Let them see the change in you as opposed to you talking about it like the next fad. When your friends see your change in action, they’ll be curious and ask you about it so be prepared to talk about your encounter with Jesus. Share what God has done in your life.

Once you’ve shared your experience, don’t try to force feed them Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit work in their hearts. You can’t save anyone with your words or actions. Only Jesus saves!

WHEN DOES BEING A CHRISTIAN EXPIRES?

Being a Christ follower is something you’ll take with you to your grave. It’s a journey that never ends until we reach eternity. You are not alone on this journey. It’s a four man team – you, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They’ll never leave you behind and never fail you. In addition to the Holy Trinity, you have other believers walking the same walk with you to encourage you, and help you carry part of your load.

http://www.communityworshipcenter.org/now_what.html

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