Armor of God #5 - Fit Feet
Awake Us Now
The "readiness that comes from the gospel of peace" gives us a solid platform on which to stand firm in resisting the devil's attacks. Pastor's shares about an archeological discovery of "Caligae,' the shoes worn by Roman soldiers in the day that the text of Ephesians was written by Paul. Some amazing analogies bring light to today's verse, 'and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." Ephesians
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The Sermon on the Mount (20) - His Holy Name
Awake Us Now
God's name is already holy. May it also be holy among us, reverenced, honored, and lived out in daily life as we live in the goodness of God in Christ!
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The Sermon on the Mount (19) - Prayer to the Father
Awake Us Now
When Jesus prayed, He called God "Abba," the name a Hebrew child would use when speaking to a loving and trustworthy father. He invites us to approach God with the same confidence, praying directly to the Father, through the Son, and in the power of the Holy Spirit!
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The Sermon on the Mount (18) - Spiritual Showmanship
Awake Us Now
Jesus warns against "people-pleasing" - the rewards there fade quickly. It is not having your name written on a plaque that matters; it is having your name written in God's Book of Life that brings everlasting joy!
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Dig Deeper - Acts Chapter 15: Sharp Disagreement
Awake Us Now
Acts 15:36-41. Paul and Barnabas, after having been partners for a lengthy time, have a sharp disagreement over staffing with Barnabas wanting to take John Mark with them and Paul not wanting to. They have such a strong disagreement they part company. Colossians 4:10 we see the relationship of Barnabas and John Mark, that John Mark is the cousin of Barnabas. Barnabas heads out one direction and Paul another. Barnabas takes John Mark with him and sails for Cyprus. Paul takes Silas with him and heads to Syria and Cilicia. Take note of what has happened and has not...
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The Sermon on the Mount (17) - Love Your Enemies
Awake Us Now
Can we really love those who hate and oppress us? Yes, but only if our human will is governed by the Spirit of God.
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The Sermon on the Mount (16) - What About "My Rights"?
Awake Us Now
"Turn the other cheek," "Go the extra mile" -- these are words intended not for the public at large, but for followers of Jesus. They are words that are life-giving, and that impart life to others as well!
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GOD ACTS! (Chapter 15) - He Purified Their Hearts by Faith
Awake Us Now
Acts 15: This chapter deals with Entrance Requirements for entering the Kingdom of God. Acts 15:1 tells us what some people are saying in order to be saved: you had to be circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses. THEN and NOW: Proclaim God’s Goodness - As we continue on with the next verses we read that Paul and Barnabas dispute what these people are saying. So they head to Jerusalem to talk to the apostles and elders about this question. As they travel to Jerusalem they shared how the Gentiles had been converted to faith and this news made all the...
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Armor of God #6 - Shield of Faith
Awake Us Now
God says: "Fear not"; the devil whispers: "Fear everything." Rather than try to face the "fiery darts" of the enemy in our own power, we should raise the shield of faith God has given us! Ephesians
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The Sermon on the Mount (15) - Tell the Truth!
Awake Us Now
Jesus always told the truth; in fact, He said He was The Truth. His command to tell the truth is an attack on hypocrisy, and a defense of honesty!
info_outlineIn Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus states that He has been given "all authority on Heaven and on Earth," and with that authority gives us our marching orders - make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy spirit, and teach them to obey everything He has commanded. But this isn’t just about His command, this is about God’s faithfulness and His desire for us to experience that faithfulness.
Let’s begin by contrasting genuine faith with mere religion:
⁃ Relationship vs. Religion
⁃ Knowledge of God/Knowing God vs. Information/Knowing ABOUT God
⁃ Trusting in God vs. Believing only certain things
⁃ Obedience because we trust God vs. Acceptance of only certain things
We are to keep on growing in faith - to know and experience Him - to follow and obey Him. In our verses today, His desire is that we not only obey, but that we teach others to obey Him. He gives us the command to “Make disciples,” and to encourage us He gives us the promise of His faithfulness “to the end of the age.”
Jesus opens today’s teaching with “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
- Authority of Jesus: Why? because of His death and resurrection, His sacrifice on the cross and His glorious triumph AND His obedience to the Father. Thus we live in His authority, living by faith in the power and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus continues, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.”
⁃ Priority of Discipleship: Note that He didn’t say make church members. He didn’t say make Christians. He didn’t say make converts. He said make disciples (followers of Jesus) - build up each other in the faith.
Jesus goes on with, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
⁃ Unity of God: three, yet One.
And then He says, “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
⁃ Necessity of obedience: we are not saved by obedience, but when we know Him and are empowered but the Holy Spirit, our desire is to obey Him.
Then Jesus closes with, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
⁃ This is His assurance! His promise! And this gives us strength, hope, power, encouragement and peace, because God is faithful. God is good but above al else He is faithful and God can be trusted no matter what is happening in our lives.
Pastor goes on to share a very powerful and very personal story centered on his grandfather. It is an amazing story of God’s faithfulness. (Grab a tissue…)
Our good God is calling us to walk with him, to know him more and more, to experience the fullness of His presence, His Holy Spirit and His astonishing love in Jesus ,our risen and returning Savior, the One to whom all authority has been given, the One who tells us, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you..” And we can do this because He ends this Great Commission with this great promise, “ And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
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