Notes Sunday, June 1st

2 Timothy 3:16-17 

• The more you know the Bible, the more you know God. The better you know God. Trying to live without the Bible is like trying to paint with a screwdriver. 

Romans 10:17 

• Since the Bible is the word of Christ, who is God, then it is through the Bible that we know God. If we know God we can listen to Him, and know what He has promised us in life. 
• If you know the promises of God, you can stand on them. 
• If you don't know God you will make assumptions and have no promises to stand on.

Romans 7:24-29

• When God gives us primises we can stand on them like the wise mans house on the rock.

1 Peter 1:22-24

• Everything changes, but God's will will never change. It abides forever.

Psalms 18:2

Hebrews 6:19-20

• Gods word is our stronghold, our anchor. 
• God is likened to a rock at least 59 times in the Bible. 

If your life is dependant on never having trouble, you will be miserable.

The world needs people who can weather through the storm. 

People who god without God fall apart in every storm.

Your life has to be founded on the Word, not listening to your pastor. Yes, it is good to listen and learn from others, but your faith has to be your own, not someone elses.

Your faith has to be in Christ. The word Christian means Little Christ so as we go through our lives we are to be Christ to those around us. The way we learn who Christ was, is by reading the Bible. 

Reading the Bible is also one way that God talks to us. Just give Him a chance.

 

Notes - Wednesday, May 14th

Freedom: you have to admit that you are hurting for Jesus to be able to help you. Otherwise you will keep pushing Him away, and try to fix things yourself.

The Prodigal Son (Read)
We have two ways we can relate to God. As a slave or as a child. God will always see us as His children, but it lies with us to decide if we accept that or not.

Galatians 4:4-9 (Read)
Romans 8:16-17 (Read)
God wants you to relate to Him as your father.
Submission as a slave is submission through fear, but submission as a child is submission through love.
A child's worth never goes down, but the value of a slave fluctuates, and is based on performance.
God doesn't come to you because you deserve it, He comes to you because He loves you.
"Your worth is found in the eyes of God, and the eyes of God alone"
Don't talk yourself out of the freedom God has for you.
He's not interested in what you can do for Him.
What we do for God is an overflow of sonship.

Where do you find your worth?

Bible Study - Matthew 1

Read Matthew 1

Jesus was born 42 generations after Abraham. Who waited 20 years for God to fulfill his promise of a legitimate son. 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Over and over again we see God working in places that we feel abandoned. God never let go of the promise he gave Abraham, and because of that, Abraham's great great... great grandson was the husband of Jesus Christ's mother!! Imagine what great things God has planned for your future, and your family, if only you listen to Him, and hold onto His promises!  The prospects are innumerable!

God is Always With You

Last August, I decided not to play volleyball(something that I have been doing for my whole life), so that I could focus on missions, school and track. I had been really disappointed all Summer that I was unable to attend any open gyms with the team. After the fact, I realized that my not being there was the opportunity the other girls needed to develop the needed skills to take over my position.

"And we know that in ALL THINGS God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

In September, I got a concussion. Since just a few weeks ago I have been able to start competing, and getting back into life. Through this process, I have learned so much! One of the biggest things I have learned is that God is ALWAYS there, even when you can't see Him. There were so many times that I just wanted to give up. But God would put someone or something in my life to remind me not to. To remind me that I can be the person I know God has called me to be. To remind me that this is only a setback, and that I will get through, and be so much stronger than before.

God is always with you, working towards your better future. It's hard not to know what is happening. It's hard to feel like you will never be whole again. But when you hold onto the promises God has given you, you know that you will exceed any previous, or outside expectation that was thrust upon you.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, ' plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" - Jeremiah 29:11

Do Something - Trust in The LORD

It can be very difficult sometimes to trust that God is with us, and that He is going to help us through our situation. Recently I lost a friend, not to death but to mere circumstance, and by no fault of my own. Even though I can't help but blame myself and feel like I have let them down. While part of me has been living in a world of uncertainty other bits have followed the example. Instead of only being uncertain of my training time-frame, I am now uncertain in my relationships as well. Uncertain how to help the ones I love and trust dearly. As difficult as this has been for me, it has been more difficult to just give it up to God. There has been a pressure on my of late that I have been unable to give into for fear that I will lose control of the situation. But as I give into it, and give it up to God, I realize that I never had control of the situation in the first place. Nothing in my power could have, or will, changed anything. God is the only one who I can trust to help me through this, and I am trusting Him to do just that.

God can handle your inability to handle what is going on.

Romans 8:28 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Psalms 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

Isaiah 41

My pastor has preached much on this very subject lately, but when this all happened, I felt completely lost. So my advice to you is; Don't just listen to what others have to say, listen to them and meditate on it, spend time with God over it. Being a Christian is not about being religious and showing up to church, or reading your Bible. It's about being with God, and having a relationship with Him.

Do Something: After you read this, listen to this song and meditate on what God has promised you. Just be with Him, have a relationship with Him.

Bible Study - Acts 10

As we go through our lives we see people who we, automatically without thought, deem incapable of receiving God the Father. But in Acts 10 God tells Peter not to judge people so. God created everything, therefore everything is clean, it is only the Devil that makes it unclean. 

 Romans 8:31 says "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

We have no reason to fear the Devil in others. So why don't we take a stand for what we believe, and trust that God will catch us when we fall?