Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Unshaken

Some of the same people claiming to believe in Jesus at this time would later yell "Crucify him!" It's easy to believe when it is exciting and everyone else believes the same way. But keep your faith firm even when it isn't popular to follow Christ.

-LASB, Pg. 2222

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Scoop On Success

Success must never be measured by popularity, fame, or fortune, for these are temporal measures. . . God measures our success with the yardsticks of obedience, faithfulness, and righteousness. If you are faithfully doing the work God gives you, you are successful in His eyes.

-LASB, Pg. 1640

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Wisdom

"Wisdom is only effective when it is put into action. Knowing what actions are required of us means little without the will to do those actions".

-LASB, Pg.669

Thursday, April 21, 2011

What's Your Power

"Material power that is not counterbalanced by adequate spiritual power, that is, by love and wisdom, is a curse."

-Arnold J. Toynbee
British historian

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Claiming God's Promises

Say this prayer: "O Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servants. Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever."

-2 Samuel 7:28, 29

God's Opinion Takes Precedent

"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."

-LASB, pg. 566

Sunday, April 3, 2011

10 Questions To See If You Are a Lukewarm Christian

1 - Do Cares & Worries of This Life Dominate Most of Your Thoughts & Conversations?
2 - Do You Practice Sin on a Regular Basis?
3 - Do You “Love” The Things of This World More Than God’s Word?
4 - Are You Too Busy for Jesus? What are Your Priorities?
5 - Do You Use God’s Name In Vain? (‘Oh My G-d?’)
6 - Do You Fail to Pray Earnestly & Pray for the Lost Who Will Spend Eternity in Hell?
7 - Do You Fail to Preach the Gospel on a Regular Basis? OR Do You Hinder Others?
8 - Are You Indifferent About Your Sin? What is Your Attitude?
9 - Do You Seek After Worldly Wealth & Fame vs Seeking First The Kingdom of God?
10-Do You Fail to Obey Jesus, and God’s Word Consistently?

-Reblogged from prettyblack613

Sunday, March 27, 2011

What Is Success?

"Success, as measured by God, involves obedience and faithfulness. People's acceptance or rejection of us is not the measure of our success. God's approval alone should be our standard for service."

-LASB, NIV

What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?

"My greatest accomplishment was when I began to see my enemies as blessings."

-Nicole Benoit-Roy

Thursday, March 24, 2011

What Was Your Lowest Point?

"The lowest point I have ever been in my life was when I hated people. I mean all people. Except children. I'm a reformed serial hater. Glory be to the Most High God."

-Nicole Benoit-Roy

Saturday, March 12, 2011

The Fruit of the Spirit

"The Fruit of the Spirit Is . . ."

A woman, driving her vehicle, was pulled over by a few squad cars, and, when the police came out, they had their guns drawn. The woman was shocked. What had she done?
"You were weaving in and out of traffic," one officer said, "making obscene gestures to other drivers and cursing them."
"For that," she replied, "you pull out your guns?"
"Well," the officer said, "we saw the bumper sticker, which said you were a Christian, and we just assumed the car had been stolen."
This silly story brings out an important point: Christians, by their very profession, are held up to a high moral standard. After all, look at the One whom they profess as their model, Jesus Christ.
How, then, should Christians live? How should we act in public and at home? The key is found in Galatians 5:22, 23, the subject of this quarter. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
We are going to look at this "fruit of the Spirit"; that is, we are going to look at what happens to those whose lives are surrendered to God and who thus allow the Holy Spirit to work in them. " 'That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit' " (John 3:6, NKJV). The fruit of the Spirit is what grows in us when we are born of the Spirit; it is what happens when we are "born again."
Notice, Paul says that "The fruit of the Spirit is . . ." He's talking in the singular. Paul is not talking about separate traits that operate independently of one another but about a single reality. The fruit of the Spirit is what the Holy Spirit creates within us; it defines the type of person we are to become in Jesus.
The fruit of the Spirit is like a precious jewel with many facets. Each facet is a characteristic of Jesus and represents a quality that He wants to produce in our lives. This is the heart of the matter. God's purpose is to make us like Jesus, and He has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us in order to make that change happen.
You will see as we study these lessons that the fruit of the Spirit is not a theory, though we have made it a study. It is not a lifestyle, though a person who is cultivating the fruit of the Spirit will not live as he or she did before. Instead, the fruit of the Spirit is a change of being. "Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new"(2 Cor. 5:17). The fruit of the Spirit is the "new" in the life of a person who has passed from death unto life (1 John 3:14) in Christ.
The purpose of this quarter's lessons is not to focus on how we can become more patient or more loving or more gentle or more faithful, but on how we can let the Holy Spirit make us more like Jesus, who is patience, love, gentleness, and faithfulness personified.
You will be challenged to cultivate the graces of the fruit of the Spirit at all times, but especially at home. We will see that the key is surrender, a willingness to die to self and live for God and for others. Finally, we will see that all that we do, we must do under the realization that we are sinners in need of the covering grace of Christ, who loves us whether the harvest seems plentiful or sparse. We must never forget that the fruit of the Spirit is just that—the "fruit," the result of salvation, not the means. The means is always Jesus and what He has done for us, which we claim by faith.
Pastor Richard O'Ffill, an author and speaker, has worked for the church on three continents, including seven years at the General Conference headquarters. He now resides in Orlando, Florida.


1.
By Their Fruit  (Mobile)
2.
The Fruit of the Spirit Is Love  (Mobile)
3.
The Fruit of the Spirit Is Joy  (Mobile)
4.
The Fruit of the Spirit Is Peace  (Mobile)
5.
The Fruit of the Spirit Is Patience  (Mobile)
6.
The Fruit of the Spirit Is Kindness  (Mobile)
7.
The Fruit of the Spirit Is Goodness  (Mobile)
8.
The Fruit of the Spirit Is Faithfulness  (Mobile)
9.
The Fruit of the Spirit Is Meekness  (Mobile)
10.
The Fruit of the Spirit Is Self-Control  (Mobile)
11.
The Fruit of the Spirit Is Righteousness  (Mobile)
12.
The Fruit of the Spirit Is Truth  (Mobile)
 13.The Fruit of the Spirit:  The Essence of the Christian Character  (Mobile)

Sunday, March 6, 2011

What's The Truth About Jesus' Second Coming?

"If you have to be told that the Messiah has come, then He hasn't. Christ's coming will be obvious to everyone."

-LASB, NIV

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

What Makes Us Obey God?

"Genuine obedience is motivated by a love and reverence for God himself."
-LASB, NIV

Sunday, February 27, 2011

What Prayers Will God Answer?

"The stronger our belief, the more likely our prayers will be in line with God's will, and then God will be happy to grant them."

-LASB, NIV

Sunday, February 20, 2011

How Do You Feel About Sharing God's Gifts?

Applying The Six Principles of Stewardship

1. Time
Life can easily become a series of distractions. We should ensure that our lives cause a change, rather than being squandered on the trivial and unimportant.

2. Talents, Abilities, and Intelligence
We should use whatever gift God gave us to serve others, faithfully implementing God's blessing in its various forms.
-1 Peter 4:10

3. Money
God provides the means by which we live. In gratitude, we return our tithe and offerings to Him.
-Malachi 3:10

"Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver."
-2 Corinthians 9:7

4. Our Bodies
We should abstain from harmful substances and keep our bodies in optimal physical condition. Good health habits=physical health=clarity of thought=an ultimate connection with God.

"You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
-1 Corinthians 6:20

5. Earth's Resources
Just as God loves us and has given us this world to enjoy, we are to love and care for all of God's creation.

6. Gospel
We have been given the privilege of sharing the good News with the world.

"Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."
-1 Corinthians 4:2

Friday, February 18, 2011

How Is Your Faith In Prayer?

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

-Matthew 21:22