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Urban Connect Group Leaders Training

July 25, 2012 by Craig Anderson

URBAN CONNECT GROUP LEADERS TRAINING

JULY-AUGUST 2012

FOR NEW LEADERS

Goal – to train new leaders so they are ready to participate in an Urban Connect group with a leader who will model the healthy group life that we are seeking.

Vision – How does this help the vision of the church?

Urban Connect groups are vital to the vision of the church and are a big part of assisting us to accomplish what our vision is.

For many of you – you are becoming a leader by taking this training.

It’s taking a step up. Choosing to be different. You will choose to act differently, to have different values, to take responsibility.

Becoming a leader happens when:

  1. You believe you are called.
  2. You receive inspiration from a visionary leader.
  3. You are discipled to help you grow.

You are here today because we have invited you to become a leader.

How is a leader different to another person in the church?

What are the behaviours of a leader?

List them out on the White Board

WEEK 1

What is leadership? – Influence.

Luk 9:57  And it occurred that as they were going along the road, a man said to Him, Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.

Luk 9:58  And Jesus told him, Foxes have lurking holes and the birds of the air have roosts and nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.

Luk 9:59  And He said to another, Become My disciple, side with My party, and accompany Me! But he replied, Lord, permit me first to go and bury (await the death of) my father.

Luk 9:60  But Jesus said to him, Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and publish abroad throughout all regions the kingdom of God.

Luk 9:61  Another also said, I will follow You, Lord, and become Your disciple and side with Your party; but let me first say good-bye to those at my home.

Luk 9:62  Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back [to the things behind] is fit for the kingdom of God.

These people became disciples, that’s not even being a leader.

What did you learn from these verses about what Jesus asks of you?

If you choose to become a leader in this church by taking the role of Urban Connect leader there are some important choices we will ask you to make.

  1. Receive inspiration from the visionary leader – come to HUB
  2. Work on becoming a soul winner
  3. Your financial giving reflects your passion for the vision.

Why do churches have small groups?

List on the White Board

WEEK 2

The main thing is the main thing – soul winning.

What we believe in this church:

  • The power of an invitation
  • Go into all the world – reaching demographic groups
  • Discipling lost people to become disciple makers.

WEEK 3

The role of the Visionary Leader, Demographic Leader and Core Leader.

Your role as a core leader = Urban Connect Group Leader.

WEEK 4

What happens in an Urban Connect Group meeting?

How to run a meeting. Learning in the classroom and on the job.

Posted in Leaders Training | Tagged , , | 10 Comments »

Assumptions for interesting and fruitful debate

July 19, 2012 by Craig Anderson

  1. We must decide on the form of the debate. If the form is to be based in logic or in rhetoric or in chaos/humour then it should only take one form, not mixed.
    1. Logic drives towards proving a truth
    2. Rhetoric drives at persuasion by values
    3. Chaos/ humour is an exercise in entertainment
  2. A subject should be agreed upon and tangents must be mutually agreed.
  3. Each proponent must exercise patience and good nature.
  4. Listening to your opponent creates value in the argument.
  5. Each proponent must suppose that his opponent has a world view that is different from his own and therefore will see all facts from that perspective.
  6. Argument is allowed to be persuasive.
  7. The goal is to understand your opponent’s viewpoint, not necessarily agree with it.
  8. Each proponent speaks for his side and it is the listeners who must decide which one they agree with.
  9. Speaking over the other proponent or interrupting cheapens the debate.
  10. If one speaker goes too long the other one has a right to call time. Time should be mutually agreed.
  11. Debate can be verbal, or by writing, through whatever media is agreed upon.
  12. The debate may be limited by the proponents to the two beginners or they may allow others comment by initial agreement.

Please tell me what you think…

Posted in Preaching messages | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments »

The Most Amazing Church on Earth # 2

July 17, 2012 by Craig Anderson

ImageThe Most Amazing Church on Earth

Have you ever wondered why there are so many denominations?

 Sometimes people may have pointed to all the different denominations or parts of Christianity and used this fact as an example of the lack of credibility of the Christian faith.

 But today you will see Gods’ unfolding plan to impact the whole earth with His Church.

 It is no surprise to God that so many denominations exist or that the church is so varied and often in disagreement with one another.

God’s plan for the church is coming to fruition. His purpose is to maximise the number of people who will become part of His eternal Kingdom.

 The purpose of these messages about the most amazing church on earth is for you to see the big picture of what you are part of. To see the work of God on a world wide scale and choose to participate in His wonderful purpose and plan.

 Jesus said, “I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18) Sounds like the church is a formidable, powerful, enduring and overcoming force in the earth.

 Is that how you see the church? Or do you see it as the secular media presents it…. As the irrelevant, powerless, bigoted, self destroying organisation that can never agree with itself and only makes life hard for people.

 He who pays the piper calls the tune.

 What the media never report is the world changing revivals of Christianity that are sweeping the world right now where we see for example…

  • In Sub SaharanAfrica– over 50% of the population are Born again Christians
  • Christianity has been estimated to be growing rapidly in South America, Africa, andAsia. In Africa, for instance, in 1900, there were only 8.7 million adherents of Christianity; now there are 390 million, and it is expected by 2025 there will be 600 million Christians inAfrica. 
  • The US Department of State estimates that Protestant Christianity may have grown 600% over the last decade in Vietnam
  • The Christian population of the Kandhamal district in Orissa was 117,950 in 2001, an increase from 75,597 in 1991, or a 66% growth, higher than the overall population at 18.6%. 42,353 converted to Christianity between 1991 and 2001, and two of them converted back to Hinduism
  • From the period between 2000 and 2005, Pentecostalism experienced a global growth rate of 488% expanding from 115 million to 588.5 million[12] global adherents. This classes Pentecostalism as the fastest growing religion world wide.

 Why doesn’t the media report about strong Christian movements? Because they are secular and this is about world domination.

 So why is the church so diverse?

 Of those who claim to be Christians the various groups there are thousands of different groups and denominations however the main groups are:

Denomination             Date of commencement

Catholic                             350AD

Orthodox                           370AD

Lutheran                            1516

Reformed/Presbyterian        1535

Baptist                               1550

Anglican                             1570

Methodist/Evangelical          1725

Salvation Army                   1865

Pentecostal                         1908

Charismatic                         1945

 The following groups sometimes thought of as Christian denominations, should be viewed as cults an should be avoided because they do not adhere to the bible as their only source of revelation;

 Mormons

Jehovah’s Witnesses

Christian Science

 A study of Church history from a point of view of revelation gives us a great perspective into God’s plan for His church.

 The beginnings

The church began in a blast of revival, the whole of the then known world was impacted by Christianity in the first 3 centuries after the crucifixion.

The church was strong in faith and true to the doctrines of the apostles at the start.

The fruit was

  • Massive numbers of conversions
  • Accompanied by signs and wonders and healings.
  • City changing and nation changing impact

 Gradually, as the apostles died out, different doctrines began to creep into the church. And as the church became more influenced by philosophies of men the results were less converts, and a dying out of signs and wonders and healing.

 In the year 313 Roman Emperor Constantine the Great had a vision of the cross and believed that God had shown him that the religion of the empire was to be Christianity. The persecution of the church byRomeceased and people were converted by the edge of the sword instead of a heart change. This created the beginning of the dark ages where the church became enmeshed with government and more of a political force than life changing force.

 The Catholic Church has its beginnings at this time and the orthodox churches grew up beside the Catholic Church until the eleventh century when they formally split.

 Through the period 300AD to 1500 AD the church was far from the power and effectiveness of the early church. It was full of ungodly behaviour, idolatry and heresy.

 But God’s plans were about to unfold.

 In 1516 Martin Luther a Catholic Priest wrote his 95 points thesis and nailed it onto the door of the cathedral where he lived in Wittenberg in Germany. Luther taught that salvation is not earned by good deeds but received only as a free gift of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ as redeemer from sin. His theology challenged the authority of the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church by teaching that the Bible is the only source of divinely revealed knowledge. Those who identify with Luther’s teachings are called Lutherans. 

This was the restoration of revelation that Jesus spoke to Peter the apostle that upon this rock (His confession that Jesus was the Christ) Jesus would build his church. The true church, the most amazing church on earth is not built on good works or trying to please God, but it is built on faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the Cross.

The next big step of revelation was the Anabaptists who began to teach that people who professed faith in Jesus Christ must be baptised in water. This was an evidence of a changed life and not a ritual for babies. Through he 1500’s these Anabaptists were persecuted by the Lutherans and others who did not believe this strange new doctrine. The Baptist denomination and others can trace their roots to this movement.

 It was almost universal that each move of God would be rejected by the past move of God. People cling so tightly to hard won victories against unrighteousness and heresy that when the next step to freedom takes place they are too suspicious of it.

 As the move of God went on John Wesley came along and his life showed the truths of salvation through faith in God, but also preached sanctification. This was the belief that when someone comes to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ then they will experience change in their life and put away sin. Sanctification means being separated. John Wesley also brought the church to a stand of evangelical fervour. He was the first to preach to thousands in the outdoors with as many as 20,000 people attending his sermons and many professing a faith in Christ after his message.

 This evangelicalism was a restoration of the revelation of the command of Jesus to go into all the world and to preach the gospel to every creature. John Wesley was also to champion the use of small groups meeting from house to house to build a church to which eventually one third ofEnglandbelonged. This great move of God spawned the Methodist church and all its offshoots that is still a string force in the earth today. During this period the work of missionaries began with William Carey going toIndia.

 In the late 1800’s God raised up William Booth an Anglican priest who was thrown out of the Anglican Church for bringing in lost and derelict people into church. Booth started the Salvation Army who saw incredible results of salvation and changed lives. The majority of their converts in the early years were straight out of jail, or ex prostitutes and the poor who found life in Christ. Booth opened up the church to all men not just the educated or the rich. He made it a church for all men.  This passion for social justice still exists today in the Salvation Army however their passion to win souls to Christ has been watered down to a large extent.

 In the early 1900’s the next major revelation to hit the church was healing. Famous Men of God such as John G Lake, AB Simpson, Smith Wigglesworth, brought back to the church the revelation that Jesus not only died for our sins but also he carried our sicknesses on the cross. There are two parts to the Lord’s Supper – The Wine and the Bread. The wine speaks of His blood to atone for our sin and the Bread speaks of His body broken for us to we could be made whole.

 Early in the 1900’s also the Pentecostal Movement began.

This was a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit and restored the baptism of the Holy Spirit which has been almost unknown for the whole of Church history since the early church in the book of acts.

 This movement believed in salvation through faith water baptism of believers and sanctification and reach out to all the world, but now added that only though the power of the Holy Spirit was this made possible. One of the evidences that believers had been filled with the Holy Spirit was their ability to speak in other tongues.

 This movement created the Assembly of God denomination known in Australias the ACC Australian Christian Churches, as well as a host of other Pentecostal denominations.

 In 1960 there was another outpouring of Gods spirit in the Charismatic movement – this was a restoration of praise and worship in a biblical manner with singing, shouting, clapping hands and the song of the spirit – that is, singing in tongues. This move of God also restored the gifts of the Holy Spirit to ordinary believers not just trained clergy. The gifts of healing, miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues, faith, discerning of evil spirits were all given prominence.  This movement took place within many existing denominations but of course was not universally accepted by all.

 Over the last 50 years since then we have seen the church world wide experience fresh new outpourings of God’s spirit in restoring such distinctives as:

  • The rise and prominence of the prophet to guide and correct the church
  • The rise of the apostolic ministry to influence regions or even nations through strong leadership and church planting.
  • The rise of Church planting organizations.
  • And now the rise again of the community impacting church that does great deal of work in impacting local communities with the gospel through social justice and demographic evangelism.

 What lies ahead for the church? The last days church will be greater in power and effectiveness that the early church. I will speak about this last days church on Sunday in two weeks.

 What lessons can we learn from church history?

  1. God is always moving. He is speaking to who ever will listen
  2. We must remain open and reachable to hear what God is saying in present day truth. For may have been left behind in a dead denomination that failed to embrace change and fresh revelation.
  3. The plan God has is to restore the church to all its former glory as in the book of Acts and more
  4. The church is the bride of Christ and is being washed by the water of the word so that she will become a bride without any spot or wrinkle.

 Are you open, hungry, teachable?

Are you dedicated to the plan God has for the church? To bring the gospel to every nation and the end will come?

Posted in Preaching messages | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments »

Who’s in Charge of Your Church Website?

July 11, 2012 by Craig Anderson

 

 

Image

The most important question a church or ministry can ask about their online presence is this:

Who is in charge of the website?

If you can answer this, you’re light years ahead of most organizations. It sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s not.

What ends up happening in most ministries and churches is that no one is in charge. Or everyone’s in charge. The debate is still raging for which one is worse, but I’m pretty sure Dante’s seventh circle of hell is reserved for website administration discussions.

http://pastors.com/whos-in-charge-of-your-church-website/ 

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What are you kids doing on the net?

July 3, 2012 by Craig Anderson

Seventy percent of teens hide their online behavior from their parents, according to a new survey from online security provider McAfee. That percentage is up from 45% in 2010. McAfee’s Robert Siciliano blogged about the survey’s findings, saying, “Parents, you must stay in-the-know. Since your teens have grown up in an online world, they may be more online savvy than their parents, but you can’t give up. You must challenge yourself to become familiar with the complexities of the teen online universe and stay educated on the various devices your teens are using to go online.”
The survey also included a list of the “top 10 ways teens are fooling their parents”: clearing their browser history (53% of teens); closing or minimizing a browser when a parent walks in (46%); hiding or deleting Instant Messages or videos (34%); lying or omitting details about online activities (23%); using a computer parents don’t check (23%); using an Internet-enabled mobile device (21%); using privacy settings to make certain content viewable only by friends (20%); using private browsing modes (20%); creating private email addresses unknown to parents (15%); creating duplicate and/or fake social network profiles (9%). [cnn.com, 6/25/12 stats] [from Focus on the Family’s “Plugged In”]

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The Most Amazing Church on Earth #1

July 1, 2012 by Craig Anderson

The most amazing church on earth # 1 Message @ PVCOCImage 1-7-12

This series called the most amazing church on earth is to introduce you to God’s ideas of the church in His heart, the church that He had in mind since the beginning of time, the church that He inhabits to change the world and bring about His awesome plan.

Message 1 will be about the church in the book of acts

Message two is about the church in history and how God shaped it.

Message 3 is about the last days church and how it will ushering in the second coming of Jesus.

THIS IS TEACHING FOLKS, – TO EMPOWER YOU WITH TRUTH SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE PLAN AND PURPOSE OF GOD FOR YOUR LIFE.

The word church means:

GK1577 {ekklēsía} \ek-klay-see’-ah\a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both):–assembly, church. THE CALLED OUT ONES!

The word is used in the new testament to refer to the people of God in the old testament:

This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spoke to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: (Acts 7:37, 38 KJV)

These are a people called out. A people who heard God’s voice and responded. Just the same for those who in Egypt heard the voice of God through Moses and heeded the call to place the blood of a lamb on the door posts of their house to be saved from the angel of death. And now this new testament era the called out ones are those who have heard the call of God through the mouth of the preachers of the gospel to come out of the world and obey God by placing the blood of Jesus on their hearts.

THE CHURCH IN THE BOOK OF ACTS BEGAN

Jesus prophesied about this church as one that would be invincible:

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18 ESV)

Jesus’ idea of church was a powerhouse of spiritual strength that would overcome all odds. He saw a church that would fill the earth, that would overcome demonic opposition, that would reach every nation, that would overcome every obstacle placed in its path.

Can you picture such a Church?

The people of God at the time of Jesus arrival in Israel were longing for a redeemer, they were longing for a savior. The long awaited and long promised messiah had finally come.

The Jews for centuries had longed for the coming king, the one they called messiach, the messiah. How their hearts ached for him to come. He was to come and rule over their enemies, conquering them and bring great victory to Israel. With Rome as the cruel oppressor this season was especially painful. Men would go to the wailing wall, a place where once the temple mount was the place of the temple of Solomon in the time of Israel’s greatest victory, her glory days. At this wailing wall they cried out to God for a messiah to come. Today they still go there and pray the same prayer.

For many of the Jews in Jesus day, they rejected Jesus as the messiah, but for those who accepted his claim to be the great I AM – there was intense joy, of a measure that could never be accurately described by any gentile person.

Into this scene came:

The 500 – who witnessed Jesus ascend up into heaven 40 days after his resurrection (1 Cor 15:6)

The 120 – who waited in the upper room for the Holy Spirit to fall on them to give them power in a spiritual sense. (Acts 1:15)

The 11 – who were his faithful disciples, who had lived on earth with him for three and half years. (Acts 1:13)

Marks of the first church

  1. There was explosive power. On the first day, the day of Pentecost ere was over 3000 saved and baptized in water.(Acts 2:41) In the first week there was 20,000 saved and committing to follow. (Acts 4:4 tells of 5000 men)Jesus Christ and become part of this new movement of believers called the people of the way, later to be called Christians. (Acts 11:26)
  2. There was very powerful miracles of every kind. Healings that were spectacular leading to the whole city knowing what happened. (Acts 4:16) Healings that resulted from just Peter’s shadow passing over them. (Acts 5:15) Healings resulting from a person coming into contact with a handkerchief that had touched one of the apostles. (Acts 19:12) Dead raised. (Acts 9:40)
  3. Works of judgement that produced fear in the people. One couple who lied to the apostles about their offering dropped dead when they were confronted with the truth that they had actually lied to the holy spirit. (Acts 5:5) Sorcerer who opposed the gospel was struck blind in a instant at the instruction of the apostle Paul. (Acts 13:11) A king who rejected the gospel and rose up in pride was suddenly filled with worms and died! (Acts 12:23)
  4. Strong persecution arose. The Jewish ruling council immediately opposed this new and fledgling movement, threatening the apostles and commanding them to stop preaching about Jesus, (Acts 4:21) had little effect as the apostles as they prayed to God for boldness. (Acts 4:29) The first martyr was Steven, who was stoned as Saul who later became the apostle Paul looked on. (Acts 7:58-59) Saul was responsible before his conversion for the death and imprisonment of many Christian believers. Paul himself ended up in prison for the last few years of his life for the preaching of the gospel. (Acts 28:20) Of the 11 apostles 8 of them were martyred for heir faith in places as far afield as turkey, India and Ethiopia.
  5. Whole cities were impacted by the life changing power of the gospel. By the end of the book of acts it is recorded that the apostles had filled the whole world with their message. This all took place over a matter of only 30 years. (Acts 17:6)

Posted in Church, Preaching messages | Tagged , | 3 Comments »

What were you born for?

June 30, 2012 by Craig Anderson

SELECT YOUR DREAM
My testimony – upon entering uni I had no direction.
What is the purpose of your life?  For what great dream were you born?
The story of world war II – the night Winston Churchill was elected to lead the nation.  “I believe I was born for this hour”
READ PS 139 AMP BIBLE
God knows you only so well. All your days were recorded before you were born.
And yet if the bible teaches anything – it teaches personal responsibility.

  • By your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned 
  • Choose you this day whom you shall serve
  • Ezekiel 18:20    The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. 

Gods plans for you are always for good…
For I know the thoughts  and  plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts  and  plans and  peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. (Jeremiah 29:11 AMP)

What you do with your life is regulated by your belief more than your ability.
How many people are stopped by the belief, “I could never do that” whereas some go on to do great things by believing “I can do that”

THE STORY OF WILMA RUDOLPH

Wilma Rudolph was born prematurely at 4.5 lbs., the 20th of 22 siblings; her father Ed was a railway porter and her mother Blanche a maid.[6] Rudolph contracted infantile paralysis (caused by the polio virus) at age four. She recovered, but wore a brace on her left leg and foot (which had become twisted as a result) until she was nine. She was required to wear an orthopaedic shoe for support of her foot for another two years. Her family travelled regularly from segregated Clarksville, Tennessee, to Fisk University’s black medical college hospital in Nashville, Tennessee for treatments for her twisted leg. In addition, by the time she was twelve years old she had also survived bouts of scarlet fever, whooping cough, chickenpox, and measles. [6]

In 1952, 12-year-old Rudolph finally achieved her dream of shedding her handicap and becoming like other children. Her older sister was on a basketball team, and Wilma vowed to follow in her footsteps. While in high school, Rudolph was on the basketball team when she was spotted by Tennessee State track and field coach Ed Temple. Being discovered by Temple was a major break for a young athlete. The day he saw the tenth grader for the first time, he knew he had found a natural athlete. Rudolph had already gained some track experience on Burt High School’s track team two years before, mostly as a way to keep busy between basketball seasons.[7]While attending Burt High School, Rudolph became a basketball star setting state records for scoring and leading her team to the state championship. She also joined Temple’s summer program at Tennessee State and trained regularly and raced with his Tigerbelles for two years.[6] By the time she was 16, she earned a berth on the U.S. Olympic track and field team and came home from the 1956 Melbourne Games with an Olympic bronze medal in the 4 x 100 m relay to show her high school classmates.[6]At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome she won three Olympic titles: the 100 m, 200 m and the 4 x 100 m relay. As the temperature climbed toward 110 degrees, 80,000 spectators jammed the Stadio Olimpico. Rudolph ran the 100-meter dash in an impressive 11 seconds flat. However the time was not credited as a world record, because it was wind-aided. She also won the 200-meter dash in 23.2 seconds, a new Olympic record. After these wins, she was being hailed throughout the world as “the fastest woman in history”. Finally, on September 11, 1960, she combined with Tennessee State teammates Martha Hudson, Lucinda Williams and Barbara Jones to win the 400-meter relay in 44.5 seconds, setting a world record.[6] from Wikipedia

What made Wilma an overcomer was the belief that her mother had placed in her heart as a tiny child – “Wilma all things are possible if you only believe.”
Wilma’s secret was that she discovered what she was born for and knowing that, she believed that she could overcome any obstacle.

You were not born for failure.

You were not born for survival only.

You were not born for ordinary…..

You may not be famous, that’s not the point, there is some purpose you were born for that no one else on earth can do. What is it?
God is no respecter of persons.
You born for a purpose. There was a God ordained blue print laid down in heaven for your life.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,and before you were born I consecrated you;I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me,”Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,and whatever I command you, you shall speak.Do not be afraid of them,for I am with you to deliver you,declares the Lord.” Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,”Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down,to destroy and to overthrow,to build and to plant.” (Jeremiah 1:5-10 ESV)
There was only one Wilma Rudolph, there was only one Winston Churchill, there was only one Jeremiah, and there is only one you!

Your first step is to discover what you were born for. So many settle for the mistaken belief that you were a mistake, or that you were born for nothing more than existing, no more than just living and being part of a family or community. But the truth is that God has a purpose for your life.
It will be a kingdom purpose.

Your life is a precious resource over which you are a steward. What will you do with it? How will you invest it?

When I heard the vision of COC many years ago God lit up a fire inside my heart. What lights your fire?
The way to find your destiny.

So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 AMP)

Consider how great his plans for you are.

Are you moved by the plight of those around you ( testimony of Tony Kirwan)

Here am I Lord send me – prayer of surrender

What fire burns within you?

What gifts and abilities have been given you?

Just start somewhere, start serving, god will lead you to your destiny. Yes there will be things to overcome, that’s how you grow.

Prayer

Lead – child,

small group,

Create finance

Plant a church

Music, creative arts ministry

Disciple someone

Be a bringer

Be a soul winner

Cook a meal

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First things message – 24-06-12AM

June 28, 2012 by Craig Anderson

(John 12:1-8 AMP) SO SIX days before the Passover Feast, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had died and whom He had raised from the dead.  So they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those at the table with Him.  Mary took a pound of ointment of pure liquid nard [a rare perfume] that was very expensive, and she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  But Judas Iscariot, the one of His disciples who was about to betray Him, said,  Why was this perfume not sold for 300 denarii [a year’s wages for an ordinary workman] and that [money] given to the poor (the destitute)?  Now he did not say this because he cared for the poor but because he was a thief; and having the bag (the money box, the purse of the Twelve), he took for himself what was put into it [pilfering the collections].  But Jesus said, Let her alone. It was [intended] that she should keep it for the time of My preparation for burial. [She has kept it that she might have it for the time of My embalming.]  You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.

How much do you love God?

When you first stir in the morning, what thoughts fill your mind? When you think about what’s important to you, who or what dominates your life? When your heart is greatly moved, who or what was the influence? Who takes your breath away? God wants to be first in your life. (Mark 12:30 AMP) And you shall love the Lord your God out of  and  with your whole heart and out of  and  with all your soul (your life) and out of  and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of  and  with all your strength.  This is the first and principal commandment.

This message is to encourage you and inspire you to put God first on your life.

First of all who is first in your life? We may all say God is but are you willing to be challenged on that? Why would I even want to put God first? 1. Fear – the beginning of wisdom. 2. Love – behold what He did for me.  {revelation}

Imagine…. My wedding day…. Till death do us part with my wife and another person!! She wouldnt feel as though she was first in my life. How does God feel when we have other lovers?

 For the honeymoon….. First week away at the golf retreat!

Matt 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

THE TRUTH CONVEYED HERE IS: PUT GOD FIRST AND EVERYTHING ELSE WILL BE BLESSED.

Our motivation is not reward but it is Him.

God says I want our first love. Rev 2:4-5 But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].  Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God’s will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind  and  repent.

PUTTING GOD FIRST What does it look like? What are the evidences that God is first in your life? Can I inspire you to fall head over heels in love with Jesus? Just look at what he’s done for you…….

1. FIRST IN YOUR DAY Ps 63:1 NKJV O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh longs for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. Ps 5:3 ESV O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

TRUTH CONVEYED HERE IS IF YOU PUT GOD FIRST IN YOUR DAY – GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF THE REST OF YOUR DAY.

2. FIRST IN YOUR AFFECTIONS Matt 22:37   Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Luke 14:26 AMP If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his [own] father and mother [in the sense of indifference to or relative disregard for them in comparison with his attitude toward God] and [likewise] his wife and children and brothers and sisters–[yes] and even his own life also–he cannot be My disciple.

WHEN GOD IS FIRST IN OUR AFFECTIONS HE WILL GRANT YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART.

3.  FIRST IN YOUR WEEK (Hebrews 10:25 AMP) Not forsaking  or  neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.

(Psalm 27:4 AMP) One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for,  and  [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold  and  gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider,  and  inquire in His temple. 

THE TRUTH CONVEYED HERE IS THAT IF WE PUT GODS HOUSE FIRST THEN HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR HOUSE

Haggai 1 put Gods house first…

4. FIRST IN OUR FINANCES (Proverbs 3:9, 10 AMP) Honor the Lord with your capital (wealth) and sufficiency (reserves)[from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income;   So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine. Abraham – gave the first tenth to Melchisadek, immediately after he won the spoils not much later.

(Genesis 4:3, 4 AMP) And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground.  And Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat portions. And the Lord had respect  and  regard for Abel and for his offering,

THE TRUTH CONVEYED HERE AND IN MATT 6:33 IS THAT WHEN YOU PUT GOD FIRST IN YOUR FINANCES HE WILL TAKE CARE OF THE REST.

5. FIRST IN YOUR LIFE (Philippians 3:7, 8 ESV) But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.

(2 Timothy 4:8 ESV) Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

THE THRUTH CONVEYED HERE IS THAT WHEN WE PUT GOD FIRST WITH OUR WHOLE LIFE THERE IS A FUTURE IN ETERNITY LAID UP FOR US THAT IS GLORIOUS.

CONCLUSION

GOD PUT YOU FIRST God gave his best, his only begotten son he sacrificed for you and me. He have us his best, he placed us first in his heart.

We love  Him,  because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19 AMP)

Because he placed you and your salvation first in sending his only son to the cross, god showed to you that he prizes highly this sonship he has conferred upon you.

Will you place God first in your life?

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