Share in Suffering (2 min)

[1Co 12:26 NIV] 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 

The bibles teaches that we are all one body and we should help each other through the challenging times. It is easy to enjoy the good times together, but it is more important to share in the suffering of others.

Gold and Silver (2 min)

James 5:3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 

That is one scary verse and I can’t even imagine how our greed will testify against us.

1000 Points

Only one religion is based on the work of a loving God. Christianity is based on the premise that a loving God did the work required to restore mankind to Him.

All other religions are based on the work of mankind doing what is necessary to get into Heaven. The bible says the ongoing works of mankind are dirty rags, but that the completed work of Jesus is more than enough.

Accountable Motives (2 min)

Mat 12:36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 

What we hope to do is really emphasize how important it is for us believers to understand that our decisions either hurt or help the gospel of Jesus.

Responsible Gifts (2 min)

Mat 12:36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 

Jesus made it clear in Math 25 that our Master will be very unhappy if we bury our talents given to us by Him. Even saying there will be gnashing of teeth when he returns.

My Accountability (2 min)

Mat 12:36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken.

We are accountable to our church leadership and to each other in the body of Christ, and we should care about that also.

The Persecuted and Insulted

Mat 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

As Christians, we would like to believe everything’s going to be smooth sailing after we’re saved but that’s not the case, the fact of the matter is Jesus said we will be persecuted for his name sake.

Accountability and Responsibility (2 min)

Mat 12:36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 

Now we believe that one day we are all going to stand before the throne of God and give account for our lives … as Christians we have the assurance and confidence of the work of Jesus and forgiveness while we stand before our creator.

Slaves (2 min)

[Rom 6:18 NIV] 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 

The Apostle Paul tells us in his letter to the Galatians that we have liberty in Christ, but then He tells the Romans to be slaves. The freedom we have in Jesus is so we can choose to be a slave to righteousness, yet even as Christians we can still choose to be a slave to sin.

Empty Words (2 min)

[Mat 12:36 NIV] 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 

We see Jesus saying every “empty word” will have to be judged. Empty words can mean many different things, but I think we can all agree that they are words that are hurtful and damaging to others, but I think we can also see that people can say empty words without intentionally being mean.

Peace Makers Part 2

Mat_5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 

Jesus came to bring truth into the world. Jesus’ truth was that he was the way the truth and the life. This created division and disrupted the peace and the trust that man has in his religious system.

Accountable (2 min)

Mat 12:36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 

This is one of those verses in the bible that we should all think deeply about. Jesus is telling us that there will be a day for everyone on this earth when they will have to give account for their actions.

Conform or Transform (2 min)

[Rom 12:2 NIV] 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

It becomes increasingly difficult to not conform to the pattern of this world where we are attacked for believing in the bible and holding firm to our faith.

Your Report (2 min)

[Mat 12:36 NIV] 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 

This whole idea about giving an account is interesting. Strong’s concordance says that this is a narrative account from a living voice. Just imagine for a moment you are giving a report to God about your life.

Peace Makers Part 1

Mat_5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 

We know that peace does not come on its own or easily most of the time. Matt 5:9 says “peacemakers” because we live in a hostile world that needs people who will create peace where there is no peace.

Current or Completed Work (2 min.)

Matthew 14:30- But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 

In this verse we see trouble came upon Peter even when he was called out of the boat by Jesus. And see how Peter responded, … he didn’t blame Satan for his situation, but rather he cried out to Jesus for help.

Road Trip (2 min.)

Mat 7:13 says: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” 

As we travel down the road-of-life, we encounter many changes in the terrain and we meet many different kinds of people along the way. The same is true with our journey in the Kingdom of God. We should expect that on our journey we will have many challenges we need to overcome, the road is not always smooth or straight, there are curves and potholes, and even traffic jams or unfortunately even occasional fender benders that come from other travelers on the road.

Gather not Scatter (2 min.)

Mathew 24:31 - And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

During His first coming Jesus came to anoint His people for service as Priest of the Most High God and to send them out into the world. He scattered His people to spread the gospel and to share his cry and call for all to come to him.

Pure in Heart Part 3

Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

The motives of our heart are very important for us to consider, the fact is that a pure heart is not about being perfect, but more about the purity of our motives.

Trumpet of Repentance (2 Minutes)

[Lev 25:9 NIV] 9 Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. 

God calls us to a deep repentance, a type of repentance that is signified by turning away from sin and following Him. It is not enough to simply know about sin, but rather we should give it our best human effort to deny ourselves.

Trumpet of Adoption (2 Minutes)

[Exo 19:4 NIV] 4 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 

If you feel God calling out to you, it is no mistake or accident, answer the call of God. He is crying out to you from the depths of His soul, he desires to adopt you, to deliver you from trouble and to carry you on eagle's wings into His arms.

Waxing Hot (2 Minutes)

Exo 19:19 and it says this- “ As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.” 

In this passage we see God calling the Israelite's to Mt. Sinai with a trumpet blast. We commonly think of the trumpet as simply an instrument for entertainment, but in ancient times the shofar or even a rams horn was used to assemble warriors for battle, or to signal that danger was approaching and even as an expression of celebration.

 

Pure in Heart Part 2

Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

The pure in heart can see into God’s heart and one of the important things for us believers is to see how God see all people on this earth.

Many times we see others through our judgmental eyes, through eyes that see only the enemies of God, instead of the children of God.

Tuning In (2 Minutes)

There has been a lot of teachings on fasting for God’s people, but what we should understand is that God is not uniquely impressed with fasting unless it is done with pure motives.

We cannot fast long enough to impress God into making Him respond to our prayers, but rather it is our dedication to fasting that helps us hear our God who is already present in our lives and who always responds according to His will.

Woe to You Teachers (2 Minutes)

Mat 23:23 NIV 23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 

This is a tough teaching for the religious leaders of Jesus’s day. Jesus was making sure they knew that they would be accountable for practicing what they teach. Just because someone is a good teacher it does not mean they are living faithfully.

Substitute Teacher (2 Minute)

Mat 23:8 - But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 

This verse is one of those teachings by Jesus that seems opposite to all the thinking we have about teachers. He says you are not be be called a teacher, yet we see in the letters from the Apostle Paul that teachers are a part of his plan for the church.

Pure in Heart Part 1

Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

We may think that seeing God is only reserved for an elect group, and that may certainly be the case, but we can also see that Jesus tells His disciples that if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father.

Prevenient Grace (2 minute)

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

When people ask what’s so unique about Christianity, most Christians have trouble answering this question. We can tell them confidently that Christianity is unique and different because God is personally interested in a relationship with His creation, not only that... he actively pursues a relationship with each and every person on this earth and especially those who do not believe in Him.

How are you Known??

Sending Us (2 minute)

[Jhn 20:21 NIV] 21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 

Most Christians think God cannot use them because they are not a pastor or formally trained clergy. We can easily get nervous about how little we know about the bible or theology and freeze up when called by God and everyone one of us is called by God to participate in His mission.

Bread Alone (2 minute)

Deu 8:3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

God wants to lead us away from the reliance of this world and to rely completely on Him. There may be many sources of information in our Godly studies, but only God can administer the final exam in order to test what is in our hearts.

Your Fight or His Victory??

Blessed are the Merciful

Matt 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy

I think we can all say that we want to be judged mercifully and that we want a large measure of grace to be used. The wonderful thing is God has already judged us with His mercy at the cross. If we were give so much mercy at the cross by God, then how much more should we give mercy to others.

Itching Ears make Customers not Servants (2 minute)

Our church services should be a time when we are coming together to serve in our churches as much as to simply hear the word, but when you feel that you did not get fed God’s word on Sunday morning, maybe you don’t have a balanced diet of God’s word during the week. Here is how Jesus put it:

[Mat 4:4 NIV] 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Satan is good at Scratching your Itch!

Itching Ears are Easily Deceived (2 minute)

The problem is sometimes we may not be hearing what we want from God or possibly we are going through what seems to be a season of silence from God, so our ears itch and we go seeking God in others. The issue is that the New Testament cautions against deception and here is what Jesus said in Mat 24:11:

[Mat 24:11 NIV] 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

Itching Ears Love Gossip (2 minute)

[Pro 16:28 NIV] 28 A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.

We know we shouldn’t be gossiping about others, but it can be tough sometimes not to listen to the latest juicy news about someone.

Teacher vs Preacher??

[Eph 4:11 NIV] 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, 

It is interesting that we see the role of teaching singled out from the role of a Pastor. Pastor’s do need to develop their skills as a teacher, but in many cases a teacher does not necessarily mean you are a pastor.

Pastors take on the broader role of leading a church or group of believers, which requires a special gifting in many areas....

To read the full article click here

Hunger and Thirst Part 2

Matt 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 

One of the more common causes for people not growing deeper in their relationship with God. Is their lack of appetite and dedication for reading the bible. Our spirit man needs to be fed God’s word in order to grow and mature. The kind of food the spirit requires is the word of God and direct communion with God. 

You Might have Itching Ears if... Part 2 (2 minutes)

2Ti 4:3 NIV - For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

You may have itching ears if constantly Moving from one pet doctrine or biblical principle to other and thinking everyone who is not following that aspect is deceived by the devil.

You Might Have Itching Ears if ... Part 1 (2 minutes)

2Ti 4:3 NIV - For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

You might have itching ears if...

Doctrines of Division (2 minutes)

2Ti 4:3 NIV - For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

We know people can get a little uncomfortable when asked to examine their doctrine, but we just ask that you hear us out and simply consider what we are saying. Another indication of sound doctrine will be that it leads to Godliness and not arguments or guessing about the true benefits.

Spiritual Malnutrition

To view the video click here

Unsound Doctrine (2 minutes)

2Ti 4:3 NIV - For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Now we all think we have sound doctrine in our lives,and I don’t think we can easily find anyone that will say what they are currently following is unsound doctrine, or that their church is teaching unsound doctrine.

Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness Part 1

Matt 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. As Christian's we need to change our hunger and thirst for this world to a hunger and thirst that is not of this world.

Wisdom is Worth more than all the Earth

Psa 25:9 KJV] 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

Here we see the scriptures talk about how the meek will be guided in judgement by God. The spirit of God can move powerfully in a person who is humble and gentle. In the old testament judgment was mostly about judging behavior in respect to the law, but in the new testament we think of judgement being used in many respect as a sense of discernment, we are to test and judge all things and to assure they from God.

The Meek find rest for their Souls

Mat 11:29 KJV] 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

These are the words of Jesus saying He is meek and He is asking that we take on His yoke. What we need to understand about Jesus is He is not just saying for us to cast away our concerns, the bible says Jesus will carry our burdens and our sins, He will share in our troubles.

The Meek seek Repentance not Vengeance

1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

A person with a meek disposition is not concerned with revenge or retaliation against their enemy. Those who are meek in a Godly sense are even more dangerous than a person who takes revenge on their enemy.

The Meek Produce a Spiritual Harvest

[Gal 5:22-23 KJV] 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Many times we think of meekness as a virtue that you are either born with or you’re not. And yes there are people who are humble and gentle in spirit, but this in and of itself does not grant them a Godly inheritance. A person can be so meek and humble that they are not able to defend the gospel against a small child … these type of people have no spiritual backbone.

Sacrifice for Molek??

  

Job 31:15 - Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers.

The good news is there are warriors in God’s army that are making a difference. One person can move mountains. Around the country there are abortion clinics closing down. This is by the power of prayer. If you feel there is nothing you can do, think again…..the question is, are you willing to take time out of your day to pray for these babies? To pray for an end to abortion, to pray that our nation’s leaders will see abortion for what it really is….murder!! Isn’t it interesting that if a pregnant woman is murdered, the murderer gets charged with TWO counts of murder??? Something doesn’t add up here. Yet no one seems to be up in arms about this contradiction.

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