Don"t underestimate on what I can do in and through you. Guard your heart and mind and meditate on my word.For this is your season that I have prepared for you.

· For I am about to take you to a higher place than youve ever been. I will show you things that have never been seen before. Only you will set the limits

Grace

Grace Intro: Grace,grace,grace. Everyone wants us but not everyone is willing to offer it. Grace is God giving us something we don’t deserve. There was once a boy who got angry and threw a very old, very valuable vase out of his bedroom window. His mom looked outside, saw the broken vase on the floor, and said to him “You deserve to have to pay for that, and buy it back!” But the boy had no money, he couldn’t repay the cost, and so his mum chose to demonstrate her love. She said, “If I forgive you now, and let you off, that will show that I have mercy.” “But instead, I’m going to not only forgive you, but take you to McDonald’s as a treat, so that you know I have grace.” As humans, we all have a price to pay; God is perfect, we are not, and so we don’t deserve to come into God’s presence. However, God loves us so much, that he was willing to sacrifice himself, to pay the cost, so that we would be able to know him. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, so according to that we deserve death. But God’s grace gives us forgiveness, it protects us and it restores us. Aren’t you so grateful for God’s grace today in your life? Common truth: Grace,Grace Grace Points: 1. Why do we need His Grace? How many of you think you have your life all together? Thinks are going so well that you can’t even see any room for improvement. You consider yourself very gifted and talented and you are what they call an over achiever in life? I would guess most of us here don’t feel that why, I know I don’t. Many times the enemy even reminds me of my limitations and short coming, he also seems to point out my weaknesses. But thanks be to God for His grace. I know longer need to be ashamed of my weaknesses but can use them to strengthen my walk with God. 2 Corinthians 12:9 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. You see it’s difficult for God to be lifted up in a prideful person; if I am naturally gifted in an area of my life I tend to take the credit for it. But areas I fall short in which are many God gets the glory. Those areas that I struggle with causes me to reach out to God more and to rely on Him instead of my own strength. His strength is far stronger than mine and because of His grace I don’t have to feel bad because I might not be the best at something. Our limitations not only help develop Christian character but also deepen our worship, because in admitting them, we affirm God’s strength. 2. So how to I achieve this grace? First grace is freely given to us but the problem is we don’t always accept it because of pride. Pride hinders us from experiencing God’s grace in our lives. James 4:6 6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble. Think about it there are people out in this world who because of their pride to accept help are going without. No one wants to admit they are struggling and might need help. As a husband and father who wants to provide for his family doesn’t want to accept a hand out from another man even though he desperately needs it, his pride won’t allow it. Then you have those who at just the opposite and goes around with their hand out to everyone and what do we say about those people? We say I could never imagine doing what they are doing; don’t they have any pride in themselves? But little do we know that these people are very prideful. You see pride makes us self- centered and leads us to conclude that we deserve all we can see, touch, or imagine It creates greedy appetites for far more than we need. Just because someone is offering free food someone people won’t just take what they need they will load their plates to over flowing and end up wasting most of it, they will even take food they don’t even like just because its free. You see just because we have God’s grace doesn’t mean we need to take advantage of it. 3. What are we to do with His grace? Rom 6:1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? If God loves to forgive, why not give Him more to forgive? Of course not. What it needs to do is cause us to worship Him more, cause us to serve Him for effectively. Imagine someone came up to you and paid all your debt, wouldn’t you feel very appreciative to them, feel indebted to serve them and go out of your way to show them honor? Or would you just go get in more debt because you know they will bail you out again. Hopefully none of us would do the latter but that’s what we do to God, we seek His forgiveness and grace just to turn around with our hands out expecting more. We need to show others the same grace that has been showed to us. The Parable Of The Unforgiving Servant Matt. 18:21- Common truth: Grace,Grace Grace

Where is God at?

Where is God at? Intro: You ever wonder where God is at. Why don’t I feel His presence? Or maybe you know where God is at in your life but I am sure at some time or another you have been confronted with this question from others. When things don’t seem to be going our way, we begin to question His existence or if things don’t move as quickly as we would like them to we question God’s presence. Central truth: I’m Here! Points: 1. Why don’t we always see God. We build barriers, we put up walls. First we put these walls up for our protection, protection from hurt of a loved one, insecurities, fear at failing. So we listen to the lies that tell us if you let someone get close they will hurt you, if you try something you will fail and so up the walls go. Funny thing is now we have created a barrier that we can’t see around ourselves. And we wonder why we don’t see Jesus. Just because you don’t see Him doesn’t mean He isn’t there. Nothing can separate us ! Romans 8:35-39 New Living Translation (NLT) 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. 2. God is always there. You ever feel as if you’re all alone? Many times we are going through some crisis and we shut others out. We stop communicating with our friends, families, we stop coming to church. We fall right into the enemies trap. There is power in numbers and Satan knows that, that’s why he temps us to isolate ourselves. He is like a roaring lion looking for who he can devour. 1 Peter 5:8 New Living Translation (NLT) 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Lions attack sick, young or straggling animals: they choose victims who are alone or not alert. So there we set wounded, bleeding all alone and the enemy sweeps in for the attack. No matter how alone you may feel, no matter how hard to try to isolate yourself, God will never leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 New International Version 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. He was in the lion den, he was in the fiery furnace, and he was there in the garden of Gethsemane when all His disciples couldn’t even stay awake for Jesus and He is with you now and always will be. Ex. Footprints in the Sand Another danger we have when we isolate ourselves from the things of God is when we tell ourselves “ I am still doing fine” I have plenty of time to live my life the way I want to before I start to live the life He wants me to live.” 3. Drawing Near. Story of man in car. We serve a God that doesn’t move, He changes not. Mal. 3:6 "I am the LORD, and I do not change. A lot of time we want to use the excuse well God is leading me in a different direction now. That I disagree with God doesn’t change His mind and He always finishes what He starts. I do believe God does move us in different direction but not until He alone is finish with us where He currently has us. We are the ones that have slid over and no longer are close to Him. James 4:8 New Living Translation (NLT) 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. So how can we draw close to God today? 1. Humble ourselves and repent for leaving. 2. Read His word. 3. Pray and commune with Him. Establish a relationship once again with Him. 4. Come to church, fellowship with Gods family. 5. Seek His will and surrender your life to Him. Central truth: I’m Here!

Why does life have to be so hard?

Why does life have to be so hard? Intro: You ever wonder why some people have all the luck and get all the breaks and nothing good ever happens for you? You ever wonder why some people seem to cost through life but your left to struggle? You ever wish you could just stubble across the winning lotto numbers and all your problems will be fixed? As a pastor I have wondered how come some ministries and churches just seem to take off and grow like crazy and it seems at times mine is barely staying afloat. You may even wondered yourself why can’t my love one be healed like someone else’s, way cant I get a great paying job like so and so did. The list could go on and on…. If God isn’t a respecter of person and says what He does for one why hasn’t He done it for me yet? I wish I had the answer to all these questions but I don’t but what I do know is that God knows the beginning from the end and He commands us to Trust Him and in all our ways to acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths. Central truth: God is still in control So in attempt to make since of all this I would like to make a few points. Points: 1. Who are you blaming for your circumstances? Should we blame the devil for such a crisis? Or is it our own fault? Where is God in all this? Passing the blame began with Adam, who blamed Eve for offering him forbidden fruit. She in turn blamed the serpent for deceiver he. Gen 3:11-13 Ever since, we’ve been blaming one another or the government or the devil for the trials we suffer. Jesus identified the one most responsible when He said John 10:10 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. He is the source of all evil. In the midst of distress, Satan wants us to blame God, rather than turn and acknowledge Him as our source of help. But we do have a choice. We can buy into the temptation to blame God and others. Or we can take responsibility for our own actions and attitudes and seek forgiveness for those that are wrong. We can choose to agree with Jesus when He said I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly Jesus purpose for coming to earth was to provide a way for us to live a meaningful life at every level and dimension- spiritual, physical, and emotional. 2. Why do we suffer? God created Adam and Eve, placed them in the Garden of Eden, and made every provision for them. They had no need to worry about anything! But when they chose to disobey God’s command, they brought a curse upon themselves and upon all mankind. Genesis 3:19 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food When they were dismissed from the garden to fend for themselves, anxiety about the future became our legacy as well. 3. God made a way out. Genesis 22:15-18 15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” You see there were requirements to receive God’s provision A. To obey His Word. B. To keep our eyes and hearts focused on Him, not just on His blessings. C. To resist the enemy’s emphasis on how negative the circumstances may appear. D. To be concerned about the needs of others. Believers who meet the requirements of obedience can still claim God’s promises of blessing and provision today. •I know many of you feel that you are in captivity you’re your current circumstances. •God puts you into captivity to grow you. • Are you in a time of restriction, limitation, or constraint? • Get large. Use the season of restriction to go deep in God. • • Your prison is actually an invitation to get large in intimacy, get large in understanding, get large in the knowledge of Christ, get large in righteousness, get large in holiness, get large in the word and prayer, get large in good works, get large in meekness and humility, get large in faith and hope, get large in servanthood, get large in love. • Never waste a good prison sentence. Turn your prison into an incubator. • Is it possible to get so large that the prison can no longer hold you? •Jesus is still with you, and He is skillfully crafting your story. • •If you will continue to abide in Him, He will so increase you in this season that you will emerge from the captivity large enough to enter your promises, take your promises, inhabit your promises, and hold onto your promises. Leviticus 26:3-5 3 “If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, 4 I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. 5 Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land. Leviticus 26:10 10 You will have such a surplus of crops that you will need to clear out the old grain to make room for the new harvest! Its a new season, its a new day, freash annointing its coming your way, a season of power and of prosperity, its a new season coming your way. Central truth: God is still in control

Prayer and Fasting as a weapon

Prayer and Fasting as a weapon Intro: Are you tired of being attacked? Are you tired of feeling like the harder you try the worse things get? You ever feel like for every step forward you end up taking two steps back? The Spirit would tell you today, rise up mighty warrior! I am with you! Today is the day we stop being on the defensive side of the attacks of the enemy and we take are rightful spot on the offensive side. How many of you are tired of hiding and running from the enemy? It’s time the enemy runs and hides from us! God has given a secret weapon to use to do battle with and they are called Prayer and fasting. Central truth: Our greatest victories are won on our knees and with empty stomachs. Points: 1. Prayer The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. One powerful resource is communion with God through prayer. The results are often greater than we thought possible. Some people see prayer as a last resort to be tried when all else fails. Q: What Is Prayer? Simply put, prayer is communicating with God. Real prayer is expressing our devotion to our heavenly Father, inviting Him to talk to us as we talk to Him. Prayer releases God's great power to change the course of nature, people, and nations. We are commanded to pray. Luke 18:1 says Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. God may delay answering, but His delays always have a good reason. So never give up. Ask, seek and Knock. P.U.S.H God's Word commands us to "Pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We can be in prayer throughout the day, expressing and demonstrating our devotion to God as we go about our daily tasks. It is not always necessary to be on our knees, or even in a quiet room to pray. God wants us to be in touch with Him constantly wherever we are. We can pray in the car, while washing the dishes, or while walking down the street. 2. Fasting What is it? It is going without food all together or eliminating certain foods in order to spend time in prayer.. There are many types of fast I recommend you fallow the prompting of the Holy Spirit to determine which one you do. Why are you fasting? Is it for spiritual renewal, for guidance, for healing, for the resolution of problems, for special grace to handle a difficult situation? Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify His leading and objectives for your prayer fast. This will enable you to pray more specifically and strategically. Pray about the kind of fast you should undertake. Jesus implied that all of His followers should fast (Matthew 6:16-18; 16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. For Him it was a matter of when believers would fast, not if they would do it. Before you fast, decide the following up front: •How long you will fast - one meal, one day, a week, several weeks, forty days (Beginners should start slowly, building up to longer fasts.) • •The type of fast God wants you to undertake (such as water only, or water and juices; what kinds of juices you will drink and how often) • •What physical or social activities you will restrict •How much time each day you will devote to prayer and God's Word If you sincerely humble yourself before the Lord, repent, pray, and seek God's face; if you consistently meditate on His Word, you will experience a heightened awareness of His presence (John 14:21). 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” The Lord will give you fresh, new spiritual insights. Your confidence and faith in God will be strengthened. You will feel mentally, spiritually, and physically refreshed. You will see answers to your prayers. 3. Double trouble (for the enemy) Prayer combined with fasting I believe the power of fasting as it relates to prayer is the spiritual atomic bomb that our Lord has given us to destroy the strongholds of evil and usher in a great revival and spiritual harvest around the world. Story of demon possessed boy Matthew 17:18-21: "And JESUS rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to JESUS and asked privately, Why could we not drive it out? He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. But this kind does not go out except by PRAYER AND FASTING." The two combined show that you are serious, you are seeking God so intensely that you don’t even take out time to eat or drink, a total devotion to God. Denying the flesh for the Spirit is powerful. Fasting along with prayer seems to indicate the sincerity of the people praying and the critical nature of the situations in which they find themselves. Central truth: Our greatest victories are won on our knees and with empty stomachs.

The Word is a weapon

Intro: You ever hear the saying knowledge is power? The more you know about a particular subject the more confident you are in that area the more knowledge you have the more doors that will open for you. Ex. If you are knowledgeable about let’s say computers, when a problem occurs and you are asked to fix it or talk about a certain subject you have confident and assurance, if a job opens up in the IT department of a major company the more knowledge you have about computers the more likely you are to get the job. So how do we obtain such knowledge about life, about relationships, about our health, about being a parent, a husband or wife, Knowledge to fight off Satan’s attacks? By studying His Word! Satan is a liar but how do we know he is lying unless we know the truth? You should know the truth and the truth shall set you free. What is the truth? The Word of God! Using the bible as a weapon Hebrews 4:12 12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. The word of God is not just a collection of words; it is a living and life changing. God’s word reveals who we are and what we are not. It reveals both good and evil within us. We must not just listen to the word; we must allow it to shape our lives. Central truth: When the enemy cuts us we need to bleed scripture. Points: 1. We must have an understanding of what the Word is. It is not a human book. Even though it was written by humans it is the inspired Word of God. The Bible is our standard for testing everything else that claims to be true. It’s our safeguard against false teaching and our source of guidance for how we should live. It is our only source of knowledge about how we can be saved. God desires to show you through His word what is true and equip you to live for Him. Question? How much time to you spend in God’s Word? Read it regularly to discover Gods truth and to become confident in your life and faith. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2. Use his Word to reveal the enemies traps. Doesn’t your house look a lot cleaner when the lights are off? But As soon as you turn them on all the dust and dirt is revealed. The enemy loves to keep us in the dark. Ever get up in the night and try to walk through the house with the lights off, you trip and bump into everything. Why because the darkness hides the sin and Satan traps, if we aren’t wise and turn on a light we will trip and fall and acquire some bruises, scrapes and cuts. Psalm 119:105 105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. When walking through the woods at night we need a light so we don’t trip over tree roots or fall into holes. In this life we walk through a dark forest of evil. But the Bible can be our light to show us the way ahead so we won’t stumble as we walk. Study His Word so you will be able to see your way clear enough to stay on the right path. 3. Let the Word do fight your battles. Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Matthew 4:1-11 The Temptation of Jesus 4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 3 During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.” 7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” 8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” 10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.]” 11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus. Knowing Bible verses is an important step in helping us resist the enemies attack. Not only are we to know the word we are to obey the word. James 1:22 says But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. You see Satan knows the scriptures also but the difference is he doesn’t obey them. Illustration: What is the Bible? "THIS BOOK contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword and the Christian's character. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand object, our good is its design and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is given you in life and will be opened in the judgment and will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labour, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents." Application: apply the Word to your life, take it all in and allow it to flow through your veins. Central truth: When the enemy cuts us we need to bleed scripture. Romans 1:16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes Joshua 1:8 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

The name of Jesus as a weapon

The name of Jesus as a weapon Intro: Did you read the story about how Christian signs and symbols at Georgetown University had to be covered, at the request of Obama's people, when Obama spoke about his economic policies at the university? Among the signs that were covered was the monogram IHS, a Greek symbol for the name of Jesus. Is it any wonder that the name of Jesus is honored by those who put their faith in Him, and ridiculed and used as a curse word by others who refused to acknowledge his Lordship? Those who use Jesus' name as a curse word know that, whether they acknowledge it or not, there is power in that name. Have you heard anyone use the name of Buddha, or Krishna, or even Mohammad as a curse word? Why not? Because none of those names has the kind of power that Jesus' name has. Why is Jesus' name either honored or ridiculed? Let's see what the Bible says about the name of Jesus. 1. We are commanded to believe in the name of God's Son, Jesus Christ. 1 John 3:23 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 2. Those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, have life in his name. John 20:31 31 But these are written that you may believethat Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. 3. Believers are washed, sanctified and justified in name of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:11 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 4. Even demons listen to commands in Jesus' name. Acts 16:18 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. 5. Jesus' name has the power to heal. Acts 3:16 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. Acts 4:30 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And most importantly, 6. Jesus' name is above all names, and every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth at the name of Jesus and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. Philippians 2:10 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, Central Truth: Say the name…Jesus Points: How can we use the name of Jesus as a weapon? 1. Speak His name to bring peace. Mark 4:35-41 Jesus Calms the Storm 35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” A. We face many storms in our Christian walk. B. Don’t surrender to the stress, but remain faithful and call on His name and He will speak peace. In Phil 4:6 the scripture tells us not to worry about anything, pray about everything, we are to call out to God when you are in need and thank Him for all He has done. Central Truth: Say the name…Jesus 2. Say His name with confidence. When we use the name of Jesus we can have the confidence that it’s His authority we are acting in. John 14:13 says You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. As Christians when we pray, we speak to God the Father and make our request known to him. But we can do so because Jesus gave us the permission to come before God the Father. When we say "in the name of Jesus", we are acknowledging that everything we get from God comes because of what Jesus did at Calvary. 3. Pray the names of God The Bible was originally written in Greek and Hebrew and translated into English for us. If you look at the original text you find great meaning behind the names of God in the scriptures. By praying these names and tiles give us a great insight about the God we serve. When praying these names we gain spiritual power. When we know exactly who we are dealing with empowers us when in battle. Be a name dropper when doing spiritual warfare. JEHOVAH-JIREH: "The Lord Will Provide" (Genesis 22:14) – the name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac. JEHOVAH-RAPHA: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) – “I am Jehovah who heals you” both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from and curing diseases, and in soul, by pardoning iniquities. JEHOVAH-NISSI: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exodus 17. JEHOVAH-M'KADDESH: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28) – God makes it clear that He alone, not the law, can cleanse His people and make them holy. JEHOVAH-SHALOM: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judges 6:24) – the name given by Gideon to the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him. Illustration: There has been many times when I over hear my kids and even my wife from time to time treating each other with my name. They can threaten all they want and it does no good until they actual say the name. DAD!!!!!! Application: we are the same way when we are being bothered by the enemy and feel his attacks, it’s not until we cry unto Jesus that the enemy disperses. Psalm 120:1 “In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me. “ Central Truth: Say the name…Jesus

Blood as a Weapon

Blood as a Weapon Intro: One of the most powerful weapons if not the most powerful weapon given to the Body of Christ is the Blood of Jesus. It is the only cleansing agent powerful enough to wash away the nature of sin. Jesus shed His blood over 2,000 years ago for the remission of sin and without it the Body would perish. The summertime is a particularly difficult time for blood centers as schools are out and families are focused on summer related activities. Blood donations drop but patients in hospitals don't take a vacation so the need for blood is constant throughout the year. Only 37 percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood and only five percent of those eligible supplies the blood that is needed every day by hospitals in communities across the country. LifeShare motto is: consider giving the "gift of life." You see Blood represents life! Jesus Christ JESUS WAS A BLOOD DONOR He willingly shed His blood for you and I. And it’s through that blood that we have victory today and can walk in freedom. 1 Peter 1:18-19 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. Revelation 12:11 11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. The verse is a powerful verse in the Bible; *. The power of the blood of Jesus – *. gives us weapons that we can use in our lives *. It’s a weapon that has never lost his power *. It’s highly effective. Do you know that when the blood of Jesus is mentioned, The devil and demons and all hell trembles? Did you know every time the blood is mentioned, heaven and hell remember that day. “There is power, there is power, there is power in the Blood of Jesus.” There is a power that supersedes every other power. That power is a powerful weapon that transforms defeat into victory. It brings deliverance and protection. Point: How do I use the blood as my weapon? Central truth: Apply and don’t deny. 1. We have to plead it. You can plead the Blood of Jesus, over any and everything; your spirit, soul and body, your house, car, work, children, spouse, business, as a form of protection or prevention against evil. You can plead the Blood of Jesus over your journey, the road, the vehicle or aircraft, etc. Pleading or speaking the blood causes the blood of Jesus to speak out on our behalf and stops the attacks of Satan. Any time you sense the enemy coming against you plead the blood of Jesus against. The Blood of Jesus is a weapon in battle-; through it, you can achieve many things: 1. Cleansing 2. Deliverance: 3. Protection. You can tell the Devil that you are OFF limits because of the blood of Jesus! 4: It has Life-giving power: to revive anyone or anything that is dead. It could be marriage, finances, business, etc. 5. Breakthrough power. 6. Miracle receiving power 7. Demon-paralyzing power. When you plead the Blood of Jesus into any situation, it will eventually bow. The Bible says: “And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.” The Blood was not shed in vain. The Blood of Jesus has the power to overcome anything that confronts you. However, there is a small condition. For you to plead the Blood of Jesus and have it work for you: • You must surrender your life to the Lord Jesus. You must be completely yielded to Him. You have a wonderful opportunity today, to invite the overcoming power in the Blood of Jesus, to come into your situation. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you washed in the blood, In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin, And be washed in the blood of the Lamb; There’s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean, O be washed in the blood of the Lamb! > I encourage you to plead the blood of Jesus in every area of your life!! > As you plead the Blood of Jesus, > His liquid raw power, will come > And marvelous things will begin to take place in your life. Pray this prayer with me "Your forces of darkness attacking my home and life, I command you to stop in Jesus name. I hold the blood of Jesus against you. The blood of Jesus has defeated you. The blood of Jesus has set me free. The blood of Jesus avails for me. I plead the blood of Jesus over my home, my life and my family. I protect them from your attacks. I walk in the freedom Jesus' death has brought me. Amen" One of Satan’s biggest weapons that he uses against us is the spirit of condemnation. The power of the blood speaks volume over such attacks. Illustration:One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at her heart. She responded to God’s call and accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs, and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As time went on she became a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved in the ministry, teaching young children. It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor’s son. The relationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when the problems began. You see, about one half of the church did not think that a woman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor’s son. The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So they decided to have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensions increased, the meeting was getting completely out of hand. The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As she began to cry the pastor’s son stood to speak. He could not bear the pain it was causing his wife-to-be. He began to speak and his statement was this: “My fiancée’s past is not what is on trial here. What you are questioning is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sin. Today you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash away sin or not?” The whole church began to weep as they realized that they had been slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Application: Too often, even as Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon against our brothers and sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person completely then it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the case, then we are all in a lot of trouble. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! End of case!!! Central truth: Apply and don’t deny.

Praise is a weapon

Intro: Have you heard a song that really moved you, maybe it brought tears to your eyes or maybe There’s that song that bring back memories from the good old days. There is also that song that really encourages you and lifts you up. A lot of times you will see sport players listening to head phones before they perform to get them all pumped up. The point is that there is power in music. Music can be used as a weapon for good or bad. Satan knows the power of music and has used it to influence many people to commit crimes and even to take their own lives. You see we learn from music and words together. For ex. ABCD… My question to you is what are you listening to today, what words are being played in your music? Are they words that edify your spirit? Are they words that bring honor and glory to our Heavenly Father. You see it’s important we guard what we listen to because it because a part of who we are. Ever hear a song and all day long you find yourself singing or humming the tune. Central Truth: is found in psalms 34 :1 and it says “ I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.” Praise him for who he is and he'll show you what He can do! Points: So how can we use Praise and Worship as a weapon to fight the enemy? 1. We must use Praise/Worship to lift our eyes from the battle to the victory. In order to do that we must let God fight for us. We need to realize that the battle is not ours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15 15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. We must recognize our human limitations and allow God’s strength to work through our fears and weaknesses. We must make sure we are pursuing God’s interests and not just our own selfish desires. We must ask God for help in our daily battles. Remember, as believers, we have God’s Spirit in us and as we begin to praise/worship Him God will help us when we face struggles. God will fight for us and God always triumphs. Above all when we go into battle we must put forth first our praises to our King. 2 Chronicles 20:21 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of hisholiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” Victory was there’s the enemy was so confused they destroyed themselves. We may not fight an actual enemy army but every day we battle temptation, pressure and rulers of the unseen world. But we must always remember what psalms 34”1 says “ I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.” 2. We must use praise /worship to see us through hardships. Heb 13:15 says we must make a sacrifice of praise. Sometimes we may not feel like praising Him. Despite our situations we may find ourselves in from time to time we need to always praise God. No matter what our circumstances, we need to continually offer up praises to God. Something happens when we praise God, especially when we are going through a really tough time. It confuses the enemy. When we are able to praise Him no matter what the circumstance, He tears down the walls of the prison built up all around us. And at the right time, at the midnight hour, the walls come tumbling down. Acts 16:25-26 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. When the enemy has you oppressed at the midnight hour, start lifting up the name of the Lord! He shows up, and He frees us from bondage. And who the Son sets free is free indeed! Chains are gone got a new song. Praise God no matter how you feel. He is worthy of praise no matter what the circumstances. God responds to the praises of His people. Illustration: There was a small boy who would love to get his logos out all over the living room floor and play for hours and hours; his mother didn’t mind him doing so as long as he always picked them up when he was threw playing. One day the mom came home to find all his legos all over the floor so he yelled for her son and no answer, as she continued her search for him she found him in the family room where his dad was playing the piano, the mom told the little boy he needed to pick up since he was finished playing. The little boy said no mommy I want to sing Jesus loves me. Just then his dad spoke up and said "It's no good singing God's praise if you're disobedient. Application: you see if we want our praise and worship to be effective weapons against the enemy we have to be obedient in all areas of our lives. Don’t think just because you come to church each Sunday and praise and worship our God that the rest of the week you can do as you please. John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 2 Cor 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. Praise is a weapon and we must use it.

Weapons

Weapons Intro: You ever fell as if it wasn’t for bad luck you wouldn’t have any luck at all? Ever fell like when it rains it pours? Ever make the statement “well it’s bound to get better because it can’t get any worse”. I would think it’s safe to assume we are living in trying times and circumstances are weighing the church down. By church I mean you and I the Body of Christ. There sickness, unemployment, addictions, people struggling financially, marriages falling apart, broken relationships. John 10:10 says The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Eph 6:12 says For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Church we are at war! Central Truth: Ihave not yet begun to fight definition Words attributed to the eighteenth-century naval hero John Paul Jones. He was doing battle with a British ship when his own ship was badlydamaged,and the British commander called over to ask whether Joneshadsurrendered. He answered, “I have not yet begun to fight.” Heandhis crew then captured the British ship. His own ship later sank. Points: How can we be so confident for a victory? 1. The enemy weapons can’t destroy us. Is 54:17 No weapon that is formed against you will prosper There are so many times in our lives where we feel as if there are enemies around every corner. We feel as if there are people out there seeking to harm us – mentally, physically and most importantly, spiritually. I hate to confirm this, but there are. There are people out there who wish harm on you; say awful things about your character; will gossip; will lie; will cheat and steal from you, or on you. Their actions (these weapons) will hurt, will discourage and cause discomfort… …BUT they will not prosper. He [God] isn’t just speaking about guns and knives. He is speaking of any tool used to inflict emotional, physical or spiritual harm upon you He didn’t promise they wouldn’t hurt you. Nowhere in here [Isaiah 54:17] does it say they [the weapons] won’t affect you. No. He says they will not prosper. They will not find success in truly harming or destroying you. You will come out with a few scars; but, stronger, wiser and more connected with the Lord. Look for that connection now; tap into that strength to get you through the battle, because you know through God you have already won the war. You haven’t thrown in the towel yet, have you? I haven’t either. 2. God’s weapons destroys the enemy (our guns are bigger) Paul rights “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God & we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” ( 2 Corinthians 10 : 4,5 ). 2 Cor 10:4 We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds ;) In the spiritual warfare that every Christian believer is involved, several invaluable weapons can be effectively used by him or her to destroy the enemy, however great or powerful the enemy may seem. A. Worship. As soon as we worship the Lord with all our body, mind, spirit, soul and strength and concentrated on Jesus in worship, the presence of the angels of God just increased by leaps and bounds. In the Bible days it was the worshippers that led the army into battle. B. The Blood of Jesus, Rev 12:11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; C. the name of Jesus, James 2:19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. Philippians 2:10, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;" Mark 16:17-18, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." D .the Word of God ( Sword of the Spirit), Hebrews 4:12-13 New International Version (NIV) 12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. E. prayers & fasting When the righteous pray fervently, God’s power is released to accomplish much. But, what about those times when the cares of life distract us from seeing our righteous standing before God through Christ and cause us to pray limp prayers that bounce back at us? In such times, our prayers need help. We need a breakthrough in our prayer lives. A biblical key to a breakthrough in our prayer lives is to join fasting with prayer. Jesus told His disciples on one occasion that the reason they could not cast out a particular spirit of infirmity from a demonized lad was because of their unbelief (See: Matthew 17:20-21). A few verses later, He added these words: "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." The point is that prayer and fasting combined can debunk our unbelief and re-empower our prayer lives. When prayer alone doesn’t work, prayer and fasting will bring the breakthrough. These are the main weapons that every believer can use against the enemy. Illustration: Jesus is Going to Win Vernon Grounds tells of an incident that happened while he was in seminary. Since the school had no gymnasium, he and his friends played basket ball in a nearby public school. Nearby, an elderly janitor waited patiently until the seminarians finished playing. Invariably he sat there reading his Bible. One day my friend asked him what he was reading. The man answered, ‘The book of Revelation.’ Surprised, my friend asked if he understood it. ‘Oh, yes,’ the man assured him. `I understand it.’ ‘What does it mean?’ Quietly the janitor answered, It means that Jesus is gonna win.’” Grounds concludes, “That’s the best commentary I have ever heard on that book Central Truth: Ihave not yet begun to fight definition

All Power is ours

All Power is ours Intro: Ever wonder what it would be like to be someone of power. Someone that had so much power that whatever you wanted someone to do they did. Whatever you wanted you got. People looked up to you and respected you. They hung on to your every word you spoke. Ever watch the apprentice with Donald Trump? No one calls him Donny, the Donster, it’s always Mr. Trump. Yes Mr. Trump, right away Mr. Trump. Power: The ability or capacity to perform or act effectively. Look around you and see how vast this universe is that God has made. God is truly all powerful. The power of God is amazing and it has always been a wonder for me. I often look at the clouds and the sky and am just amazed by God’s power. Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” God is all powerful and as Christians we don’t need to understand it as much as we need to believe it and live with the faith that with God all things are possible. Central truth: I got the power! Point: How can I obtain God like power? How can I tap into the power of God? 1. Stand on His promises Romans 4:17As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. We must have faith that God has a great plan for our lives and He wants the very best for us. Whatever you are facing today there is a promise for you in His word. Begin searching the scriptures and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. 2 Peter 1:3-4 Growing in Faith 3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. Are you standing on the promises of God today? If so you got the power! 2. Partake in His Blood. There is power power wonder working power in the blood of the lamb. Exodus 12:13 “… and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony …” THERE CAN BE NO VICTORY WITHOUT CONFLICT The VICTORY IS IN FELLOWSHIP WITH THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB. The greatest power, that God gave to humanity,( to those that believe in Jesus) is the power that is within the blood of Jesus. Shed for all humanity, 2000, years ago. The devil and demons begin to squirm, when you start to talk about the blood of Jesus. You have been redeemed out of the power of darkness. • Satan has no power over you. Do you know that when the blood of Jesus is mentioned, The devil and demons and all hell trembles? Did you know every time the blood is mentioned, heaven and hell remember that day. • Look at your neighbor and - say I GOT THE POWER! Illustration: When evangelist John Wesley (1703-1791) was returning home from a service one night, he was robbed. The thief, however, found his victim to have only a little money and some Christian literature. As the bandit was leaving, Wesley called out, "Stop! I have something more to give you." The surprised robber paused. "My friend," said Wesley, "you may live to regret this sort of life. If you ever do, here's something to remember: 'The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin!'" The thief hurried away, and Wesley prayed that his words might bear fruit. Years later, Wesley was greeting people after a Sunday service when he was approached by a stranger. What a surprise to learn that this visitor, now a believer in Christ as a successful businessman, was the one who had robbed him years before! "I owe it all to you," said the transformed man. "Oh no, my friend," Wesley exclaimed, "not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin!" Application: The critical blow to Satan came when the Lamb, Jesus Christ, shed His blood for our sins. As we face the battle with Satan, we should not fear it or try to escape from it, but we should loyally serve Christ who alone brings victory and power. Romans 8:34-39 New Living Translation (NLT) 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Common truth: You Got the Power!

You have been forgiven much.

You have been forgiven much. Intro: Many times we find ourselves walking around in despair. We have all made choices in life that we end up regretting. Feeling ashamed, condemned, Judged by others. We don’t feel worthy to enter into the presence of God. We think thoughts like if I would of took better care of myself, I wouldn’t be in this shape today, if I would of been more wise with my finances I wouldn’t be struggling today. The problem with thinking like that is its depressing and instead of motivating us to make the necessary changes in life we say what’s the use and continue to not eat right or exercise, we continue blowing our money instead of budgeting and saving it. And the cycle continues, we go around day after day hating ourselves and sinking more in more despair. Central truth: You maybe still broken but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Point: How can I see the light? 1. Self-effort results in defeat. We must realize that we cannot on our own overcome sin. We need to stop thinking well since I already broken my fellowship with God I may as well keep going and I will confess it all tonight. Even when we fail Jesus is still with us. Stop beating yourself up when you make a mistake but walk in God grace. Say “Lord thank you for loving me even when I mess up”, instead of saying God, forgive me for being such a failure. Right believing always produces right living. 2. The grace of God is the power to preserve you from sin. Grace gives you the power to be victorious over sin. By knowing that Gods grace is sufficient for you gives you the power to rise above and temptation. You may be struggling today with temptation, lustful and angry thoughts, or thought of guilt and condemnation, but the Lord wants you to have victory over these battles in your mind. Come to Jesus today and sit at His feet allow Him to forgive you and bless you. Illustration: Luke 7:36-5036 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. 41 “Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.” “You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” *she was most likely a prostitute *Might explain how she could afford such expensive oil. *she was weeping because her life was a mess. * She most likely lost everything and everyone in her life. *This valuable possession of perfume was probably all she was worth. *she had no peace. Her life was filled with turmoil, pain and misery. * Jesus gave her peace, at His feet a flood of emotion: all her pain, all her sorrow, all her mistakes, all her failures, all her losses... she poured out to Jesus. * He had compassion for her. Application: You see the sinful woman has heard of Jesus. She probably heard his teaching. She has heard His gracious words of God’s love and forgiveness and healing and restoration. She has heard him speak of His Fathers Kingdom in words so plain and compelling that she can see herself as a child of God once more, a full citizen in this Kingdom of love. Yes, she is still broken, but now she can see light and hope beyond. She worshipped and loved Him with the only thing she had, and Jesus accepted her to Himself.

Weapons of Destruction

Weapons Intro: You ever fell as if it wasn’t for bad luck you wouldn’t have any luck at all? Ever fell like when it rains it pours? Ever make the statement “well it’s bound to get better because it can’t get any worse”. I would think it’s safe to assume we are living in trying times and circumstances are weighing the church down. By church I mean you and I the Body of Christ. There sickness, unemployment, addictions, people struggling financially, marriages falling apart, broken relationships. John 10:10 says The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Eph 6:12 says For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Church we are at war! Central Truth: I have not yet begun to fight definition Words attributed to the eighteenth-century naval hero John Paul Jones. He was doing battle with a British ship when his own ship was badly damaged, and the British commander called over to ask whether Jones had surrendered. He answered, “I have not yet begun to fight.” He and his crew then captured the British ship. His own ship later sank. Points: How can we be so confident for a victory? 1. The enemy weapons can’t destroy us. Is 54:17 No weapon that is formed against you will prosper There are so many times in our lives where we feel as if there are enemies around every corner. We feel as if there are people out there seeking to harm us – mentally, physically and most importantly, spiritually. I hate to confirm this, but there are. There are people out there who wish harm on you; say awful things about your character; will gossip; will lie; will cheat and steal from you, or on you. Their actions (these weapons) will hurt, will discourage and cause discomfort… …BUT they will not prosper. He [God] isn’t just speaking about guns and knives. He is speaking of any tool used to inflict emotional, physical or spiritual harm upon you He didn’t promise they wouldn’t hurt you. Nowhere in here [Isaiah 54:17] does it say they [the weapons] won’t affect you. No. He says they will not prosper. They will not find success in truly harming or destroying you. You will come out with a few scars; but, stronger, wiser and more connected with the Lord. Look for that connection now; tap into that strength to get you through the battle, because you know through God you have already won the war. You haven’t thrown in the towel yet, have you? I haven’t either. 2. God’s weapons destroys the enemy (our guns are bigger) Paul rights “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God & we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” ( 2 Corinthians 10 : 4,5 ). 2 Cor 10:4 We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds ;) In the spiritual warfare that every Christian believer is involved, several invaluable weapons can be effectively used by him or her to destroy the enemy, however great or powerful the enemy may seem. A. Worship. As soon as we worship the Lord with all our body, mind, spirit, soul and strength and concentrated on Jesus in worship, the presence of the angels of God just increased by leaps and bounds. In the Bible days it was the worshippers that led the army into battle. B. The Blood of Jesus, Rev 12:11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; C. the name of Jesus, James 2:19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. Philippians 2:10, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;" Mark 16:17-18, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." D .the Word of God ( Sword of the Spirit), Hebrews 4:12-13 New International Version (NIV) 12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. E. prayers & fasting When the righteous pray fervently, God’s power is released to accomplish much. But, what about those times when the cares of life distract us from seeing our righteous standing before God through Christ and cause us to pray limp prayers that bounce back at us? In such times, our prayers need help. We need a breakthrough in our prayer lives. A biblical key to a breakthrough in our prayer lives is to join fasting with prayer. Jesus told His disciples on one occasion that the reason they could not cast out a particular spirit of infirmity from a demonized lad was because of their unbelief (See: Matthew 17:20-21). A few verses later, He added these words: "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." The point is that prayer and fasting combined can debunk our unbelief and re-empower our prayer lives. When prayer alone doesn’t work, prayer and fasting will bring the breakthrough. These are the main weapons that every believer can use against the enemy. Illustration: Jesus is Going to Win Vernon Grounds tells of an incident that happened while he was in seminary. Since the school had no gymnasium, he and his friends played basket ball in a nearby public school. Nearby, an elderly janitor waited patiently until the seminarians finished playing. Invariably he sat there reading his Bible. One day my friend asked him what he was reading. The man answered, ‘The book of Revelation.’ Surprised, my friend asked if he understood it. ‘Oh, yes,’ the man assured him. `I understand it.’ ‘What does it mean?’ Quietly the janitor answered, It means that Jesus is gonna win.’” Grounds concludes, “That’s the best commentary I have ever heard on that book Central Truth: I have not yet begun to fight definition

To tell others that there is a God that loves them really goes along way but to show others the love of God speaks volumnes.

Your words are gate-openers. When you speak, you either open a gate of praise for God to walk through or a gate of hell for the Enemy.

The greatest foundation for hearing the voice of God is knowing the Word of God.

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Reaching your potential in Christ

Intro: When you look in the mirror, what do you see? The key to reaching our God-given potential is to see that Jesus Christ gives us our identity. "In Him we live and move and exist," says the Scripture. We have the spiritual DNA of Jesus, having become a partaker of His divine nature. 2 Peter 1:3-4 3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. The power to live a Godly life comes from God. He allows us to share in His divine nature. God has a will, plan, and purpose for your life individually and personally. Your heavenly Father has already embedded into you all of the gifts and talents you need to complete the work that He has assigned, prepared, and provided for you to do. Nobody can be who you are, nobody can replace you, and nobody else on this earth is capable of fulfilling the Father’s plan for you. Central Truth: Never settle for less than His best. Points: 1. How we see ourselves: We point out our weaknesses. We are called to serve God in specific ways. Although God promises us the tools and strength we need, we often make excuses. We remind God of our limitations. Don’t spend time making excuses; instead spend it doing what God wants. Judges 6 11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.” 14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” 15 “But Lord” Gideon asked, “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family. ” 16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.” 2. How others see’s us: Others point out our weaknesses. People may try to discourage you with negative comments or mockery, but continue to do what you know is right. By doing what is right, you will be pleasing God, whose opinion matters most. 1 Samuel 17:28-29 28 But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!” 29 “What have I done now?” David replied. “I was only asking a question!” 33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” 3. How God see’s us: You may be asking, “Well, how does God see me? ”Your heavenly Father sees you through eyes of love and forgiveness. He sees where you are, but more importantly, He sees the person He made you to be. God sees all the awesome potential and possibilities He created you to fulfill. And if you are willing to discover and align yourself with His plan and purpose for you, He will bless you more than you could ever imagine. God promises to bless you with life at its best. He sees the restored joy, peace, and sense of accomplishment that He wants in your life. 1 Samuel 16 6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the LORD’s anointed!” 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” All his sons passed before Samuel and still God said no, so he asked is there anymore. “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” 12 So Jesse sent for him. And the LORD said, “This is the one; anoint him.” 13 So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah. Everyone can see your face, only you and God know your heart and what it really looks like. What steps are you taking to improve your hearts attitude? Along our path to discover Gods best for us we may make mistakes and suffer failures but we are to never give up. In our weakness He gives us His strength. Illustration: A Bunch of Failures Most of us know Babe Ruth set a record with 714 home runs in his baseball career. But few remember he struck out 1,330 times on the way to that record. Most people know Jonas Salk discovered the polio vaccine, but few realize he had to fail two hundred times before he found the right one. Nearly everyone who watches professional basketball agrees Michael Jordan is one of the greatest players of all time. But most people don't realize he failed to make the basketball team his sophomore year in high school. He didn't quit playing because of one failure. Henry Ford went bankrupt five times before he finally succeeded. Thomas Edison failed over ten thousand times in his attempts to find the correct filament for the light bulb. When an aide urged him to quit after several hundred failures, he replied, "Why quit now? We know of at least a hundred things that won't work." Application: Learning from our failures is part of the process of being successful. None of these people could have accomplished what they did if they had listened to the fear of failure. Conclusion: Do you want to reach your full potential? Ask yourself these questions: 1. What do you want me to do with my life? 2. What do you want to do through my life? 3. What did you have in mind when you created me? 4. What do you desire for me? Never settle for less than His best.

I believe you says the Lord, even if noone else does even yourself believes in you -I do says the Lord.

We need to start giving people what they need instead of what they ask for.

Faith isn't that you don't see the mountain ... it's that you see the mountain mover.

Faith isn't that you don't see the problem ... it's that you see the Answer.

Unbelief manifests through negativity. If unbelief is in your heart, negativity comes out of your mouth.

Don't EVER say something negative about another pastor or church. Instead, pray for them. We're on the same team!

The Church Mission

Pastors and churches spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year attending conferences, buying books, hiring consultants, advertisers and marketers, all to try and accomplish one thing: to increase attendance -- to be a bigger church.( Bigger isn’t always better)
You can grow a church without God if you have good preaching, great music, killer children's ministry, and an engaging youth minister.
Nothing is wrong with any of this as long as it’s anointed.
The origin of anointing was from a practice of shepherds. Lice and other insects would often get into the wool of sheep, and when they got near the sheep's head, they could burrow into the sheep's ears and kill the sheep. So, ancient shepherds poured oil on the sheep's head. This made the wool slippery, making it impossible for insects to get near the sheep's ears because they would just slide off.
From this, anointing became symbolic of blessing, protection, and empowerment.
Your mission is what you do best every day, and your vision is what the future looks like because you do that mission so exceedingly well.
The Mission of the Church. Love
Matthew 22:36-40
36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Over 600 laws. By fulfilling these two, a person keeps them all.
We do this any God will pour forth His blessings and we will walk in His Favor.
I believe that the church will begin to grow not just spiritually but in numbers as well.
God's part is to grow whatever God wishes to grow. Growing a church isn't hard ... being faithful as the church, that's a different story.
The church's job is not to grow -- not even to survive. The church's job is to die -- continually -- on behalf of the world, believing that with every death there is a resurrection.
John 12:24-25
24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. 25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.
We must release control of our lives and transfer control to Christ.
We need to resign. This is not our church. It belongs to Jesus.

Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your path."
It's human nature to want to be in control of every aspect of our lives. Giving up that control can seem like the end of the world. There's no easy way to explain how to give full control over to God.
It's human nature to want to know everything. The fact is, we are not God and that's why we don't know everything.
...Philippians 4:6-7 - "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."
God can do immeasurably more than I could ever ask or imagine in and through my life; and build HIS church THROUGH me! If that sounds desirable to you, would you join me in tendering your resignation today?
1 Corinthians 15:58
58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
God is looking for faithful servants today, will you choose to surrender your all to Him, ever aspect. Allow Him to be the leader and you the laborer.

Sarcasm builds walls instead of doors in our relationships. Our words matter.

Your words either agree w/ God's plan or Satan's plan. They either build bridges or blow up bridges. YOUR words connect you to God & others.

Your words either allow or disallow God to bless you. Your words either build or destroy what God has already given you.

Christianity is too often preached as a cure-all, feel-good religion instead of laying down our lives, taking up the cross & serving others.

We are born with a desire to rule (self-centered), but we are born again to serve (Christ-centered).

A growing, maturing Christian will BECOME less and less self-centered and more and more Christ-centered .

God's power is completely limitless . even through you. So stop limiting how God can use you!

God has ALL the power and ability in the world. He is not limited by YOUR ability!

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In it to win it or fake it and pray you still make it

In it to win it or fake it and hope I make it
1. Run with endurance
Hebrews 12:1:
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Not easy living a Christian life
Must give up anything that endangers our relationship with Him
Must keep our eyes on Him.
The Christian life was never promised as an easy way to live.
2. Run to win the prize
Winning a race requires purpose and discipline, We are running towards our heavenly reward.
1 Corinthians 9:24:
24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
3. Finish with Joy
Life isn’t what you can get out of it but what you put into it.
Acts 20:24:
24But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
2 Timothy 4:7:
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
No matter how difficult the fight may seem, we must keep on fighting because it will be worth it all in the end.

In it to win it or fake it and pray you still make it

In it to win it or fake it and hope I make it
1. Run with endurance
Hebrews 12:1:
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Not easy living a Christian life
Must give up anything that endangers our relationship with Him
Must keep our eyes on Him.
The Christian life was never promised as an easy way to live.
2. Run to win the prize
Winning a race requires purpose and discipline, We are running towards our heavenly reward.
1 Corinthians 9:24:
24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
3. Finish with Joy
Life isn’t what you can get out of it but what you put into it.
Acts 20:24:
24But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
2 Timothy 4:7:
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
No matter how difficult the fight may seem, we must keep on fighting because it will be worth it all in the end.

Living each day with out Jesus in your heart is just as crazy as playing with a loaded gun.

We can give, love & empower others, because JESUS gives, loves & empowers us!

Yr hand is on the faucet of God's power in yr life. So make sure u leave the faucet running.It may feel cold now, but it's going to get hot!

Life is a gift that was granted to each of us by God. What we make of it is our gift to Him.

Equipping

Equipping people to believe receive and achieve all that God has for them.
Equip: to make ready, to supple with what is necessary.
Ex . If I told you I was going to make a sub sandwich what would I need?
1. Equipped with a hoe and a shovel, I headed for the garden.
2. Her training has equipped her to deal with emergencies.
3. She is well-equipped to deal with emergencies.
4. Those students are not equipped for the challenges of college.
How can we equip people to achieve all that God has for them?
We can give them the truth, tell them that there is a God that loves them, invite them to church, pray for them, do what ever it takes.
Its easy to do things for people that are nice, appreciated of , friendly. But what about that person that betrayed you?
Proverbs 25:21:
21 If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat.
If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.
Matthew 5:44:
44 But I say, love your enemies![ Pray for those who persecute you!
Colossians 1:21:
21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.
Jonah 1:1-5:
Jonah Runs from the LORD
1 The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”
3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the LORD by sailing to Tarshish.
4 But the LORD hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. 5 Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship.
But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the h

Mission trip

1-17-12
To whom it may concern,
My name is Danny Parsons; I am a pastor, nurse, husband and father.
I would like to share with you an exciting opportunity that has been presented to me.
I am scheduled to go on a short term mission trip with the James Fund organization July 8 to the 14th of this year.
I will be going to orphanages in Cancun, Mexico .I will be participating in work projects at the children’s homes as well through personal connections and playtime with the kids.
These children come to homes from a variety of backgrounds- neglect, abuse, abandonment, and in some cases, economic inability of parents to provide for them. Helping an orphan discover their incredible potential, self- worth, future endeavors or even a simple smile is what I am called to do.
The James Fund grew out of overwhelming need.
• There are 148 million orphans worldwide
• These children have lost one or more parents
• Every year 12 million children become orphans
• Only 1% of these children will ever be adopted
I cannot however, do this alone. Would you please consider partnering with me, to enable me to go to these dear children? My total need is $1900.
In order to meet this goal as quickly as possible, a onetime investment of $25, $50, $100, $200, $300, or more are very much needed. Please make your check payable to “Church of the New Harvest” and submit no later than 3/31/12. Please mail: to 223 Clinton Ave, Elyria Oh 44035.
Your investment will then be tax-deductible.
Thank you so much for your consideration in supporting me to change the life of a child!
Many blessings,
Danny Parsons

Mission trip

1-17-12
To whom it may concern,
My name is Danny Parsons; I am a pastor, nurse, husband and father.
I would like to share with you an exciting opportunity that has been presented to me.
I am scheduled to go on a short term mission trip with the James Fund organization July 8 to the 14th of this year.
I will be going to orphanages in Cancun, Mexico .I will be participating in work projects at the children’s homes as well through personal connections and playtime with the kids.
These children come to homes from a variety of backgrounds- neglect, abuse, abandonment, and in some cases, economic inability of parents to provide for them. Helping an orphan discover their incredible potential, self- worth, future endeavors or even a simple smile is what I am called to do.
The James Fund grew out of overwhelming need.
• There are 148 million orphans worldwide
• These children have lost one or more parents
• Every year 12 million children become orphans
• Only 1% of these children will ever be adopted
I cannot however, do this alone. Would you please consider partnering with me, to enable me to go to these dear children? My total need is $1900.
In order to meet this goal as quickly as possible, a onetime investment of $25, $50, $100, $200, $300, or more are very much needed. Please make your check payable to “Church of the New Harvest” and submit no later than 3/31/12. Please mail: to 223 Clinton Ave, Elyria Oh 44035.
Your investment will then be tax-deductible.
Thank you so much for your consideration in supporting me to change the life of a child!
Many blessings,
Danny Parsons

Its God plan, not ours

Its Gods plan not ours
1. Give God your worries
God is strong enough to toss a mountain like a pebble and is bigger than the universe, so you can rest your cares safely upon His shoulders.
God knows our worries and sometimes we add to our worries concerns that aren’t even ours.
These anxieties sap our energy.
When God gave Noah the task of building the ark, He didn’t want him to worry about how the animals would get on board.
His job was just to build the ark.
Genesis 7:8-9:
8 With them were all the various kinds of animals—those approved for eating and for sacrifice and those that were not—along with all the birds and the small animals that scurry along the ground. 9 They entered the boat in pairs, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah.
Pairs of every animal joined Noah in the boat. It has been estimated that almost 45,000 animals could have fit into the boat.
Many have wondered how this animal kingdom roundup happened.
There seemed to be no problem gathering the animals- God took care of the details of that job while Noah was doing his part by building the boat.
Often we do just the opposite of Noah.
We worry about details over which we have no control, while neglecting specific areas (such as attitude, relationship, responsibilities) that are under our control.
Like Noah, concentrate on what God has given you to do, and leave the rest to God.
Rests assure that God has everything under control in your life.
The Spirit would say to you give me your worries. In exchange, I’ll give you my peace.
John 14:27 "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.

2. In the waiting times
Trust me God knows how difficult waiting can be.
He waited for you to admit your need of a Savior; He meets each day for us to meet with Him.
After the great flood Noah and His family wondered when the waters would recede.
The times the ravens returned without a sign of greenery added to the weight of their wait.
But in Gods time, the water dissipated- and Noahs wait was over.
Genesis 8:11:
11 This time the dove returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone.
Occasionally Noah would send a bird out to test the earth and see if it was dry.
But Noah didn’t get out of the boat until God told him to.
He was waiting for Gods timing.
What patience Noah showed especially after spending an entire year inside his boat!
We like Noah, must trust God to give us patience during those difficult times when we must wait.
Let’s make an agreement today with God.
In the waiting times, offer God your trust and in return, He will offer you grace, peace, hope- and a guarantee that He’ll come through for you.
Is that a deal?
3. Look for God’s Signs
If we would just look around we would see signs of His love for us everywhere.
We are to look for His signs. You’ll find them most evident on your darkest days, when fear or hopelessness is darkening your vision.
Sometimes these signs are attached to things you don’t typically welcome. But without the rain, there would be no rainbow.


Genesis 9:12-13:
12 Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. 13 I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.
Noah stepped out of the boat onto the earth as the only human left.
But God gave him a reassuring promise.
If you can’t find His signs, ask Him. He will point the way.
Today promise three things
1. You will not worry today because you know He is in charge.
2. Accept Gods deal, allow Him to grant you patience to trust in His timing.
3. Promise to always look for His signs.

Its God plan, not ours

Its Gods plan not ours
1. Give God your worries
God is strong enough to toss a mountain like a pebble and is bigger than the universe, so you can rest your cares safely upon His shoulders.
God knows our worries and sometimes we add to our worries concerns that aren’t even ours.
These anxieties sap our energy.
When God gave Noah the task of building the ark, He didn’t want him to worry about how the animals would get on board.
His job was just to build the ark.
Genesis 7:8-9:
8 With them were all the various kinds of animals—those approved for eating and for sacrifice and those that were not—along with all the birds and the small animals that scurry along the ground. 9 They entered the boat in pairs, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah.
Pairs of every animal joined Noah in the boat. It has been estimated that almost 45,000 animals could have fit into the boat.
Many have wondered how this animal kingdom roundup happened.
There seemed to be no problem gathering the animals- God took care of the details of that job while Noah was doing his part by building the boat.
Often we do just the opposite of Noah.
We worry about details over which we have no control, while neglecting specific areas (such as attitude, relationship, responsibilities) that are under our control.
Like Noah, concentrate on what God has given you to do, and leave the rest to God.
Rests assure that God has everything under control in your life.
The Spirit would say to you give me your worries. In exchange, I’ll give you my peace.
John 14:27 "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.

2. In the waiting times
Trust me God knows how difficult waiting can be.
He waited for you to admit your need of a Savior; He meets each day for us to meet with Him.
After the great flood Noah and His family wondered when the waters would recede.
The times the ravens returned without a sign of greenery added to the weight of their wait.
But in Gods time, the water dissipated- and Noahs wait was over.
Genesis 8:11:
11 This time the dove returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone.
Occasionally Noah would send a bird out to test the earth and see if it was dry.
But Noah didn’t get out of the boat until God told him to.
He was waiting for Gods timing.
What patience Noah showed especially after spending an entire year inside his boat!
We like Noah, must trust God to give us patience during those difficult times when we must wait.
Let’s make an agreement today with God.
In the waiting times, offer God your trust and in return, He will offer you grace, peace, hope- and a guarantee that He’ll come through for you.
Is that a deal?
3. Look for God’s Signs
If we would just look around we would see signs of His love for us everywhere.
We are to look for His signs. You’ll find them most evident on your darkest days, when fear or hopelessness is darkening your vision.
Sometimes these signs are attached to things you don’t typically welcome. But without the rain, there would be no rainbow.


Genesis 9:12-13:
12 Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. 13 I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.
Noah stepped out of the boat onto the earth as the only human left.
But God gave him a reassuring promise.
If you can’t find His signs, ask Him. He will point the way.
Today promise three things
1. You will not worry today because you know He is in charge.
2. Accept Gods deal, allow Him to grant you patience to trust in His timing.
3. Promise to always look for His signs.

If You Hide, He will seek

If You hide, I will seek
Genesis 3:8-9
8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”
Why we hide:
After sinning, Adam and Eve felt guilt and embarrassment over their nakedness.
Their guilt feelings made them try to hide from God.
A guilty conscience is a warning signal God placed inside us that goes off when we’ve done wrong.
The worst step you can take is to eliminate the guilty feelings without eliminating the cause.
That would be like using a painkiller but not treating the disease.
Be glad those guilty feelings are there.
They make us aware of the sin so we can ask God’s forgiveness and then correct our wrong doing.
The thought of two humans covered with fig leaves trying to hide from the all-seeing, all-knowing God seems a little silly.
Yet we do the same, acting as though God doesn’t know what we’re doing.
Nothing is ever hid from God, not any activity, not a word or neither a thought you ever had nor a place you could go could ever be hidden from God.
Jer.23:24 Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth? Says the Lord.
Have the courage to share all you do and think with Him. And don’t try to hide- it can’t be done.
Why He seeks:
God seeks after us because He desires to have fellowship with us.
God created you in His image so that so that He could have a personal relationship with you. God is seeking an intimate heart to heart relationship with you.
Our relationship with God is the most personal relationship we can ever have. God is a jealous God; we are not to let anyone or anything come between God and us.
God longs to be with us. He actively offers us His unconditional love.
Sin has broken Adam and Eves close relationship with God, just as it has broken ours.
But Jesus Christ, Gods Son, opens the way for us to renew our fellowship with Him.
The Spirit would say to us today, child I know the temptations you face each day, the struggles to follow my rules.
When you fail at doing what is right, you may want to run and hide. But I will always seek you.
I will never let you go, never let you rest in the lie that I no longer love you.
We need to thank Jesus for His willingness to seek us even when we try to hide.
Not only do I like to think of Jesus coming to save me. Better yet, he came to seek me. He wanted to find me. He sought me out.
He seeks us all out.
"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what is lost." (Luke 19:10)

God desires that you enter into the secret place of His presence where there is fullness of joy.
(Psalms 16:11 NKJV) You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Our relationship with God is the most personal relationship we can ever have. God is a jealous God; we are not to let anyone or anything come between God and us.