Comforted and Established

May 25^th, 2008

1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

There are many who start out the race who do not finish. They are hindered from finishing for many reasons. Paul is concern that these new born in Christ become established in Christ. He knows that there will be obstacles that they will face that may cause them to turn back to their former ways. It is important that a new Christian be disciple and instructed in the Truth of God’s way. For those who are establish in God, must continue to increase in love toward the love of Christ and others.

News from Abroad

• Sends Timothy
• The comfort in knowing
• Staying informed

New Converts

• Babes in Christ need nourishment
• Guided in doctrine
• Instructed in proper conduct
• Grow increase in God- draw nigh to God

Never Turn Back

• Admonition to press on
• Don’t quit when the roads gets tough
• Suffering and afflictions will come
• Satan will attempt to discourage

Need for Fellowship

• Desire to be with God’s people
• Forsake not the Assembly
• Sharing each others burdens

Night and Day Praying

• The importance of daily devotion
• Prayer time- mediation- study
• Thanksgiving and praise

Nature of the Heart

• To increase in Love toward God and other
• Establish our heart to live blameless and Holy
• Only the pure in heart will be ready for His coming

Follower of the Lord

May 18^th, 2008

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

There are many people out in the world who inspire others to follow them. They see themselves as leaders for a particular cause. Paul was such a person, but his cause was for others to follow Christ. He always was aware of the awesome responsibility to be an ensample how one should be a follower of Christ. Many looked to him for guidance and direction. As believers, we have a responsibility also to lead others to Christ and live so that others see our good works and desire also to follow Christ.

Greetings from Paul

• Different than Galatians
• God’s Blessing and favor

Giving Thanks Always

• Words of appreciation
• In all things give thanks
• Praying for others brings unity

Great Work of Faith and Love

• Work of faith- Believing God in spite of all
• Labor of love- Love of God compels-love demonstrated
• Patience of hope- Never give up

Gospel Power

• Words are empty without anointing
• Power comes through believing and prayer

Guide to Christ

• Ensample unto others
• Looking to the saint for spiritual direction
• Pointing others to Christ

God-Ward Faith

• On the move for God
• Spreading the Word
• Always drawing closer to God

Going with God

• No longer in sin
• New creature in Christ Jesus

Grace of Deliverance

• Christ died for our sins
• Christ rose that we might have life
• Christ is coming for those who believe

Mary, The Mother of Jesus

May 11^th, 2008

Mother’s Day, a special day set aside to give tribute to mothers who have bared the God given responsibility to bring new life into this world. This day is to honor mothers for their life and dedication to bring up their children in the fear of the Lord. Mothers are not perfect, but they strive to do their best to bring glory to God by instructing their children to live for God. Like Mary, all mothers can have favor with God.

Mother Highly Favored (Luke 1:28-30)

• News from an angel
• The desire of every Jewish women
• Confounded by the angels words
• Having favor with God- Do we live to please Him?

Mother’s Heart Kept (Luke 2:46-52)

• A concern mother for her young
• A mother’s heart looks after the well being of her young

Mother’s Hurt (John 2:1-5)

• Time to cut the strings
• A time to let go and leave them in God’s care
• We always give honor to parents
• Obeying and loving God is most important

Mother Honored ((John 19:25-27)

• God provides comfort in time of suffering
• Jesus made provision for his mother
• Children honor your parents

Mother’s Harmony (Acts 1:14)

• She was with one accord with other
• In tuned with God through prayer

Do Good Unto All Me

May 3rd, 2008

Galatians 6:1-14

The Christian life is more than an experience. It is a life that is lived out one day at a time. Satan will do his best to defeat anyone who starts out to follow Christ. The admonition of Paul is to lift up those who have fallen and succumbed to temptation. The fruit of a spiritual person is manifested and demonstrated by doing good unto all men, sowing seeds of kindness and love to the household of faith and to the world. May we do it all to the glory of God.

Brethren Overtaken

• Fall to Temptation- Devil seek to destroy
• Restoration of the believer
• Spiritual people

Bearing Burdens

• Ministry of burden bearing
• Fulfilling the Law of Christ

Bragging and Exalting Self

• Pride come before fall
• “Thinking” you are important
• They will even believe a lie- deceiving self

Burden to Carry

• We our responsible for our own soul
• We will stand alone before God to give an account

Bringing Good Words and Works

• What kind of tiding do you bring?
• Especially to the household of faith

Benefits of Sowing To The Spirit

• God will not be mocked
• The law of sow and reaping
• Reaping everlasting life- Don’t give up doing good

Boasting of Self

• “Do as I say, and not as I do”
• Followers of men and not of God
• Glory in self- “these are my converts”

Building His Kingdom

• Glory in the cross
• Building the Kingdom of God to His Glory

Walking in the Spirit

Galatians 5:13-26
April 27th, 2008
There are many scriptures in God’s word that speak of a definite second work of God’s grace. The experience of the in-filling of the Holy Spirit, or “thee sanctification” is clearly taught in the scriptures. Paul does not mention in this book of any second filling of God’s Spirit, but Paul was concern that the Galatians were not allowing the Spirit to led them to a life of complete surrender to God. He sets the standard for Christian living, and insisted that the Holy Spirit is the only one that can bring them to the place of full deliverance and complete consecration to God. The Spirit leads Christian to the realization that Christ not only died for the sins that have been committed, but to knowledge that the nature of sin must be crucified. This is done as we walk in Spirit and come to the truth of full surrender to the complete will of God.

Liberty in Christ
• Set free from the law
• Freedom from bondage of sin
• Freedom with responsibility
Love and Serve
• Love trumps liberty
• Greatest commandment
• What does it mean to love self?
• Serving- doing for others
Lust of the Flesh
• The line between the carnal & human
• The war between the Flesh & Spirit
• Manifestation of the Flesh
• Sinning religion- “shall not inherit the kingdom”
Led by the Spirit
• Walk in the Light (Christ)
• Let us go on unto perfection
• Follow peace and holiness
• Failure to walk in the Spirit results in backsliding
Living in the Spirit
• Demonstrated by the fruit we bare
• They that belong to Christ will not fulfill the flesh
• How do we live in the Spirit?
Letting go of Self
• The flesh has to be put to death- “death route”
• Entire Sanctification is completed when Self is surrender to God
• It is not about me (vain glory), but about Christ

As Sons of God

April 20th, 2008
Galatians 4:1-16
Paul is totally amazed that the Galatians could be so easily removed from the message that he first preached. Paul begins his apologetic letter by setting forth truth in a way that is logical. He speaks to the intellect and the free spirit of the Galatians. Answer the simple question, “Do you want to be free to serve God as a son, or do you want remind in bondage to the law as a servant?” Any logical thinking person would not have think twice.

Child in Tutorage
• Analogy used by Paul
• Until the fullness of time, or come of age
Constraints of the Law
• The Jews were heirs, but under constraints
• The law taught that they were sinners in need of a Savior
Coming of the Son
• The appointed time- Conditions ripe
• Born to fulfill the law by coming under the law
Captive Set Free
• Set free and redeem man from the penalty of the law
• We our now true sons of God, not by the law, but by Christ
Crying, Abba, Father
• Personal relationship-
• With respect, we call Him “Daddy”
• We now live free to do His will- We desire nothing more
Changed to a Son
• From a servant to heir
• The Spirit of Christ now rule the heart
Conditions of Bondage
• Returning back to bondage
• Weak and beggarly elements
• Legalism- law without love
Christ Received
• Paul’s fear of vain labors
• Paul’s sacrifice to share Christ
• Convince of Paul’s authenticity
Conviction of Heart
• Turn against those who tell you the truth
• A friend speaks the truth in love
• What is our reaction when God reveals truth?

Justified By Faith

April, 13th, 2008
Galatians 3:1-14
Paul writing to the Galatians was totally bewildered how quickly they had been fooled. They were being taught that staying saved and being made perfect was done by keeping the law. He eloquently revealed to them through scripture, that faith in God’s promise (Christ) was the only way. It was the Spirit that begun the work and it is the Spirit that will bring it to perfection. We our not made perfect or more spiritual by keeping rules, it is our faith in God’s Spirit through Christ to bring us unto perfection and perfect obedience.

Bewitched and Fooled
• Galatians- Intellectual minds being fooled
• Obedience to the truth neglected
• Crucified with Christ- dead to the law
Brought to Question
• Persuaded by logic
• Where did this experience come from?
• Reflect back to day you got saved?
Begun in the Spirit
• The Work of the Spirit
• Receiving the Spirit in Salvation
Being Made Perfect
• Made perfect by faith or works (outward rules)
• Perfection is obtain through faith
Building in Vain
• All of their efforts of the past are for not
• Casting away that which they suffered for.
Believing God as Abraham
• The promise was give to Abraham before the law
• Abraham’s trust was in God, not a set of rules
Blessed with Abraham
• The Blessing (the promise) of Abraham to the Gentiles
• Heir of Abraham because of our faith in God promises
• The father of the faithful to all who believe.
• The promise of the Spirit only through faith
• Argument: The SEED is Christ, all nations are blessed
Book of Laws
• Was establish to show how sinful we are
• The is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ
• The Law requires payment and justice
• All have sinned (our cursed) and come short
Bought with a Price
• Christ took on the curse (the judgment-payment) for us
• We our redeemed through his death on the cross
• Atonement was made- Christ fulfill the law’s requirements