Young Adult Class Bible Blog

Building Trust

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:43:51 +0000

The lesson started with a discussion on the importance of trust in our relationship with God and one another.

We read Proverbs 3:5-6

Then we discussed the thought of completely trusting God for all our needs and just how difficult it is to blindly trust.

Many things go into learning to trust. We must allow God to prove himself to us which takes time. The same holds true with trusting one another, it takes time and proving one another.

Next we had an exercise where we were to walk through a series of obstacles blindfolded with verbal instructions.

Each person in class had an opportunity to take a stab at being the guide and the one who was blindfolded.

Afterwards we discussed what we felt like when we ran into an obstacle our guide was to keep us from doing.

This led into the main lesson of what is required to really trust. (Based off an article Bro Dan had read recently)

Trust has to be based on the truth.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.

We can always TRUST God. God will never lie to us Sometimes it seems like God has failed us, but he hasn’t. It is not enough to only say that we trust God, but we need to prove it by our actions.

Trust in another requires:

- A relationship built on honesty

- That all parties match their words and feelings by their thoughts and actions

- Following through with something we say we are going to (We keep our promises)

- Remaining devoted to those who are not in our presence (Not running down or allowing others to run down others)

- Exhibit a humble attitude

- Not partial or unfair

- Hold ourselves accountable for our actions

- Just to those who aren’t just with them

- Give people who aren’t respectful, respect (Two wrongs don't make a right)

We followed up with a discussion around communication; we need to promote good communication and understanding to maintain trust..

Communication is a key in building a strong, healthy relationship. (ever try and have a relationship with someone you never speak too)?

Most importantly it is important to have communication with God.

Training our minds

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:30:14 +0000

Training our minds

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Faith cannot grow in an atmosphere of doubt. Doubt is a result of our own thinking.

Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things [are] possible to him that believeth.

Hebrews 6 ( This whole chapter is good to refer to. Here are are few scriptures. ) Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.And this will we do, if God permit.

God cannot help those who refuse to be helped. Do you have something in your life that is challenging? God is saying, “give it to me, let me have it and make it happen.”

If our own thinking is, “By the will God I believe this can happen,” then you leave room for God to work.

Train your mind to leave room for God.

Genesis 6: 5-6 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

It is important to listen to the Holy Spirit. Don’t take the voice of God for granted, or you might find yourself unable to reach God. When you don’t listen to the voice of God you might find yourself in a situation worse than if you had listened to him when he was trying to help you.

The way we think reflects on how we act.

Sin will take you farther than you want to go.

Sin will deceive you and will leave you in a state of “moral bankruptcy.”

Luke 15:11-32 The story of the Prodigal’s Son

A wicked desire leads us to the “hog pin.” The world will take everything from us and desert us when we have nothing else to offer.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Romans 1: 31-32 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

A mental act can be just as bad as a physical act.

We need to be cautious of what we allow our minds to think about, because the devil plants evil thoughts.

Don’t try and justify what you know is sin.

Another important thing to help us be mindful is to be mindful of our days.

Don’t make everything that comes your way negative. Try to see the positive in every situation. If your focus all day is negative, then you will most likely have a negative day.

We need to remember to always look for things to be thankful for.

Philippians 4&8

These are great examples of how to train our minds.

We cannot afford to miss our devotions, meditations, and prayers with God. When we do this it is like we are missing a meal, which then is not healthy for our minds or body.

Guide to good thinking:

1.Pray for the little things, and acknowledge God for the things he has already done for us.

2.Pray about the big things and acknowledge God for those he has already done.

3.Pray and acknowledge God for direction he gives us.

4.Pray even if you don’t feel like it

5.Praise God when you don’t feel like it

“Fear and feeling Inadequate”

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:50:22 +0000

“Fear and feeling Inadequate”
Definition of Inadequate: not adequate or sufficient; inept or unsuitable.
Definition of Fear: a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.
Judges 6:11-16
11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which [was] in Ophrah, that [pertained] unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide [it] from the Midianites.12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD [is] with thee, thou mighty man of valour.13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where [be] all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family [is] poor in Manasseh, and I [am] the least in my father's house.16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
-          Many of us see ourselves as the least adequate of doing the work of God. We need to remember that whatever God ask us to do, he will always be there to help us along the way.
-          God needs humble, willing “vehicles” to his work.
-          If we are saved, we already have what God is looking for
-          Having fear is not unusual, although we cannot use fear as an excuse to not follow through with what God has asked us to do.
-          The strength is in being led by God
Romans 15:4
4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
-          We can have confidence, courage, and hope from the word of God.
-          If we are going through a hard time, we can always look back and learn from others that were in the bible.
Deuteronomy 31:6&8
6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee
8 And the LORD, he [it is] that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Exodus 11: 1-4
1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague [more] upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let [you] go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.2 Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.3 And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses [was] very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people4 And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:
-          Moses probably had a lot of fears when God asked him to talk to Pharaoh. Regardless, Moses followed the will of God, and because of that , the Israelites were set free.
Exodus 4:11-12
11 And the LORD said unto him, who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
Some of the ways to overcome Fear:
-          Start off small
-          Be faithful to the small things such as, prayer, going to church, and fellowship with saints
-          Don’t be afraid to ask for help
-          Go to church even when you don’t feel like it

What might your future look like?

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 15:26:09 +0000

Last week we talked about what we all could do next, that would help expand the word of God. All of us had very good ideas, such as: Visitation, plays, prayer meetings, bible studies, musicals, etc.
What we all need to realize is that although these are all great ideas, we will never see them happen unless we individually let God use us for his work.
This week we talked about some fears that we might have in moving on with the work of God.
•         One person asked, “When someone starts to talk to me about God, I automatically fell apprehensive about saying too much, or even saying anything at all. Is this a bad thing, because I feel like I shouldn’t be ashamed to speak the word of God?”
Sometimes it is wiser to build a relationship with people before you start talking to them about God. When you build a relationship first with that person they are more trusting of you, and will be more open to hear what you have to say. They will also know you as an individual, and your life will be a testimony to them.
Although at times you might feel like God wants you to testify to someone right away.
Keep listening for God’s voice and his guidance when working with a soul.
•         Another person asked, “Should we spontaneously bring up God?
Depending on the situation, it would not be a problem to bring up God.
For example: someone says, “Good Morning, how have you been?”
You reply, “I’ve been good Thank God.”
This is just one example of how we can bring God up in every day circumstances.
We hope that throughout this next year and years to come, that each of us moves on the Burdens that God has given us each individually. We also want to be able to overcome the fear that the devil tries to put on us when we are trying to accomplish the things of God. Most of all, we want to be willing workers and hearers for the things of God.

Hope

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Tue, 03 May 2011 01:13:39 +0000

HOPE

Rom. 15:4

Hope is incredibly important in our walk with God. Our ultimate hope is heaven. The devil's goal is to distract us from it. If we're in a dark place, if we're discouraged, we can draw strength from our hope. Losing it means destruction.

When we're faced with battles, we can grasp hope through reading scriptures and praying. Everyone goes through hard times. If we lose hope during those times, the Devil can easily take advantage of us.

II Cor. 4:6,7

Our treasure is our hope, and we are the earthen vessel.

8-9

Sometimes we're caught in very tight situations, just as the Israelites were at the Red Sea. They had nowhere to turn - there were impassable mountains on either side, an ocean in front, and the enemy behind. God stepped in and, in His great power, delivered them in a way they would never have thought possible. When we find ourselves faced with nothing but unpleasant alternatives, we need not despair. God didn't bring us out to be destroyed by the enemy.

I Cor. 10:13

Temptation can be anything that you are drawn to that will weaken your experience with God. Temptation can come in the form of persecution. God can give us victory over every temptation - unless we choose to give in to it, God will give us strength to overcome. He will not forsake us or allow us to be defeated.

Heb.11:1, 25

We can have hope in eternal things, even though we can't see them. In these scriptures, Moses had hope greater than the immediate. We have to get to the point where what we have is greater than the temptation.

Rom. 8:37-39

When we're unsure of what direction to take, God's light will shine through and guide us. Satan will try to get you to believe that God will endorse your will. If we force God to endorse what we want, we risk losing our hope.

How do we know something is the will of God? You will have a clearness - you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt. If there's hesitation there, it's probably not the will of God.

Prov. 14:12

If what you're wanting to do is causing you to try to convince God it's okay, that's a sign that the devil is the one putting the idea in your mind.

Exercise and practice all the things you already know. God has given us hope to carry us through, and everything will work out just as He's planned.

Natural desire to connect with God through Prayer!

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:16:20 +0000

Prayer

We have the natural desire to connect with God. Genesis 4:26 is the first account of man reaching out to God in prayer. There are times that, without a thought, we call on God in earnest prayer. It could be for our health, it could be in a moment of urgent need, it could be in an hour of desperation. How important is prayer to one who has been saved from sin and if walking in the will of God? A life without prayer is a life independent from God. Without God, we are nothing. Prayer is absolutely necessary for our spiritual survival.

It is a common misconception that asking for help is a sign of weakness, but going to God in prayer is the ultimate sign of strength. Not only does it strengthen and prove our faith, but it strengthens our bond with Christ.

The Bible is full of thoughts regarding prayer.

Philippians 4:8 admonishes us to always have a mind prepared for prayer. Don't put God on a schedule by only allowing certain times for prayer. Allow that connection with God to remain open throughout the day.

Matthew 6:5-8 reminds us that prayer does not make one any more spiritual than another. Prayer is an intimate conversation with God. God doesn't receive any glory or honor when you boast about your personal talk with Him.

II Chronicles 7:14 tells us that one of the most important conditions for a successful prayer connection with God is humility. Remember, God is the one in control. Don't go to Him in prayer demanding that your needs be met. Acknowledge that you are merely the vessel through which He can work His perfect will.

Jeremiah 29:13 offers the most valuable advice: seek God with ALL OF YOUR HEART. Don't hold back. God already knows everything that you are going through, and He is already working a miracle. But how can He possibly help you if you don't open up your whole heart to Him?

Prayer is vitally important in remaining connected to God. Our goal as Christians should be making Heaven our home, and helping others get there. Slow down. Be aware of the needs of the people around you. How can you, in prayer, help that soul?

"Let every man take heed how he buildeth."

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 01:49:25 +0000

Last night's lesson was on how we are building our lives. When you build a house, you build it three times - once in your mind, once on paper (blue print) and then in real life. In class we looked at pictures of homes and each person chose one they liked. We also wrote down six things we wanted in our dream home and six things that we didn't want. The challenge was to do the same with our own lives - to write down what we WANTED to be a part of our life (i.e. Jesus, salvation, peace, happiness, etc.) and what we DIDN'T WANT to be a part of our life (i.e. sin, alcoholism, drugs, strife, etc.). We are building our lives every day. Unless someone has a blue print for the house they are building, it is hard to build that house and not get distracted. We need to have a "blue print" for our life so that when the enemy tempts us to get distracted or to do something different, we can remember what we said we wanted in life and stick to it. It will help us to resist the temptation because we know that the outcome is not something we want. "Let every man take heed how he buildeth."

Love One Another

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 00:05:58 +0000

Love One Another

John 15:12 "This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you."
Throughout all trials and decisions in our life, God's love is unconditional. He will always be there if we need him. We should always be there for our brother's and sister's if they need us. even if we don't agree with certain decisions, or don't have the same idea's about things, we still have an obligation to show the love of God.
Matthew 22:35-39 "Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself.
If God is our first priority in life, we should have no problem loving our neighbors as ourselves.

"Learning to appreciate the differences between and within this generation."

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:37:16 +0000

"Learning to appreciate the differences between and within this generation."

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nation's for My name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another." Matthew 24:4-10

Satan has a plan to cause chaos and strife. If he can fulfill that plan, then He can prevent the Word of God from spreading. He wants to create disunity and distrust in God's body.

Often there is a failure to appreciate differences between people in one generation or more than one. We need to have a respect, an appreciation for the differences that exist between ourselves and those around us.

"One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts." Psalm 145:4

Each generation of people has a responsibility to the next generation to pass on what God has taught them. If we keep what God has blessed us with to ourselves, who will benefit from it? We need to "pass the torch" on to the next generation. However, if one generation doesn't hold a testimony of unity and trust, there will be a message of confusion and the next generation may be unwilling or unsure of receiving it.

There is good reason to respect our older generation -

"Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the Word of God: who's faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." Hebrews 13:7

"Conversation" in this scripture refers to a person's conduct. Watch the outcome of a person's life.

It will be hard for one generation to accept what the other has to give, unless there is a spirit of humility.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Ephesians 6:1-4

Every generation has the ability to influence other people - younger, older and within their own generation.

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;" 1 Peter 2:9

In the eyes of God, we are His chosen people - whether we are younger or older, whatever generation we are in, whatever differences we have. When we are saved, we all have something in common - we're all a part of this one body - the only body that is going to Heaven.

Pure religion and undefiled before God

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 23:31:53 +0000

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. - James 1:26-27

To "visit the fatherless" is a commandment. While this can be literally referring to someone without a father, it also is talking about people who don't know the heavenly Father - people who aren't saved.

Many scriptures have a spiritual application as opposed to just being literal. In this scripture widows can mean someone without a companion - without someone to support them. Back in the days when the Bible was written, literal widows didn't have the support that they would today (i.e. government support, social security, etc) and the saints had to step in to "fill in the gap".

What could we accomplish if we just started looking beyond ourselves, seeing a need and reaching out? Where would our meditation be if we were reaching out and looking beyond our own little bubble? We would be thinking beyond our trials and what we are going through. We'd find ourselves less concerned about our heartaches and more about those of someone else. Where would our prayer life be if we were conscious about the trials of others? Instead of being focused on our upsets, we'd be wondering about and praying for someone else.

(James 2:1-10)

Respect of persons:

* getting angry about something someone does, but not getting so angry when someone else does the same thing.
* making judgments based on a person's appearance

We can easily have respect of persons if we focus on a person's nice clothes or nice talk. We shouldn't lift one person above another - even in our relationships; even if they are not our spiritual brother or sister; even if the person is in a low place such as a drug attic - that person is still a soul. It's all in the attitude and how we look at something or perceive something. If it's not Christ-like, we need to change. God looks on the heart - not the appearance.

We need to be careful not to look at a situation and judge by what we see because we don't see the heart. We don't know what the person(s) involved is going through or struggling with. They may be sincere and praying hard and really trying. When we stand back and start judging, they might see our attitude and think "forget it - it's not for me". We can get carried away in our thoughts even with people that have left God. Some things we have to simply leave in God's hands.

If we were the ones who were "poor in spirit", we'd want someone to long-suffer with us.
God loves everyone and puts everyone in His church that loves Him and wants to serve Him. God uses all of us. We need to be careful not to look down on anyone - one day they may be the one(s) God sets over us to lead us. (those that are sick, slow, "weird", poor, foul, etc.) When we have "respect of persons", we are sinning because we are transgressing God's law. We need to watch our attitude.

What if the person did you wrong or betrayed you? Are you going to take it and turn it into a trial or will you give it to God and leave it with Him? That person that has wronged you may be going through something that you have no idea about.

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. - Mark 11:25

If you cannot forgive someone and you die that way, it may be the one thing that bars you from heaven. Even if that person has not asked for your forgiveness, you still need to forgive.

Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. - Matthew 18:21-22

It's not for us to judge a person's sincerity - we still have to forgive.

(Galatians 6:1-5)

If we don't go through something right, we will be tempted. We may judge a person for the way they handle something or go through something, but later on we ourselves may be tempted by the same thing.

Never be proud in trying to restore somebody.

Psalms 143

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 05:18:49 +0000

Last week in class we were all given an assignment to each do our individual study of Psalms 143 and be prepared to share our connection or thoughts on the readings. One thought that was brought by one of my peers was the thought that the writer of the chapter was clearly in distress and needed an immediate answer from their only help which was God. The writer requests of God to 'deliver me, teach me, quicken me' and then it says 'for I am thy servant'. This shows the need for Gods help but also a recognition for us to be a humble servant of God in order for him to supply our needs.

A Willing Heart

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:48:09 +0000

A Willing Heart

Taken from Exodus 35

35:1-4 When the Israelites first came out of Egypt, there wasn't a whole lot of rebellion. They only had two choices - remain a slave in Egypt, or flee with Moses. We don't see alot of arguments over God's will initially. But in verse 4 of this chapter, God asks for something beyond just compliance out of necessity. He asks here for a response only from the willing hearts.

35:6-21 When certain challenges are presented to us, our hearts are stirred. Here, the people of Israel have been commanded by God to create a tabernacle. And the attitude they exhibit is one of great zeal. They are very enthusiastic about completing the project.

Thousands of years later, we have an opportunity to do the very same thing. We can be like that. If you feel that God is leading you in a certain way or you're stirred about a certain thing, don't draw back. If you feel God is in it, go for it. If He is indeed in it, it will prosper. If you feel hesitant because what you want to do has never been done before, don't take that as an excuse for drawing back.

35:22-35 The people here are giving and contributing from the abundance of willing hearts. The women, probably busy caring for their families, were able to help by performing the easier task of spinning goat's hair. Even the rulers played their part, giving quality goods that the average person did not have. God gave Bezaleel and Aholiab the foresight of being able to pull everything together and see it all through to completion.

Our part today is to understand the Father's will so that we may find our particular place. What is YOUR task? If you're only capable of the simple and easy things, play your part. If you have a greater talent, play yours. Don't hold back. Don't let fear or embarrassment stand in your way. Give all up, as did the Israelites. All God asks is a willing heart. Go for whatever it is you feel God would have you to do.

Starting Over

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 22:13:14 +0000

Starting over begins with making a decision - with a desire for a new start. Often in life, we wish that we could erase things or do things over. When this is the case, where do you start? You should go to God in prayer first and let Him search you out, then move in the direction that He tells you to go.

* "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139:23-24)

We have to search ourselves and it needs to be a thorough search - otherwise, why bother? It needs to be all or nothing.

* "And though, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever." (I Chronicles 28:9)

God knows even our imaginations. He knows us inside and out - better than we even know ourselves.

We should want to search ourselves and desire for God to help us with that search. We should want it to be a complete and thorough search.

* "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (II Corinthians 13:5

We all have needs. What are we doing with those needs and how are we trying to get those needs met?

* "For if any man be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." (James 1:23-24)

* "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

As soon as we quit asking God to help us see ourselves as He sees us, we forget and lose the advantage of God helping us so that we can change.

There has to be a transformation - a change. Ask God to show you and don't "put it away" but take care of the needs as God shows you what to do. Don't just recognize the need, but do something about it.

Who is on the throne of your heart?

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 18:52:45 +0000

Who is on the throne of your heart?

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."
(Revelation 2:4)

In our society, people have created a so-called "gray area" as opposed to the "black & white", or clarity of truth, of some years ago.

We as Christians and holders of God's truth have something worth fighting for. We need to be "bothered" by how people today are - especially so-called "Christians". We need to check ourselves and see if there are areas that we still need to have Christ clean up.

Being raised in the church, you can easily get into a form or "routine". We can learn how to "walk the walk" and "talk the talk", but we need to be careful not to get so comfortable that we lose our awareness of the danger of just becoming "religious".

* Revelation 2:1-7

How many things here (in the above scripture) have we done? We can labor for God, have patience, work with souls, abhor evil ... all this and more and yet, are we just religious or do we have God's true spirit in us? The Bible says to "try the spirits". We can "live the life" and yet, there's something that's wrong. In the instance of a saint versus a religious person, there may be some things that are the same in their hearts i.e. both of them have God's word hidden in their hearts and both of them have a foundation of truth. The real difference is when it comes to finding out who is really reining 100% on the throne of their hearts. The true saint will let God have complete control of their heart and life. The person that is just religious, will have someone or something else on the throne of their heart that comes before God. Then there is no room for God. They might be "following" God's word and know the truth, but Christ is not on the throne of their heart. When someone else is on the throne of your heart, the legs of that throne will be unstable and eventually collapse.

Is Christ ruler on the throne of your heart? Whatever He asks, do you do? Are you following Him 100%? We need to be in the place where Christ reigns on the throne of our heart. If we don't let Christ fill us, there will be room for other things to come in and take over. We have to be settled in our experience and relationship with God - all or nothing!

When you become just religious, you will get "tired" of this way (God's way). When Christ is on the throne, you will retain that joy and happiness that only He can give. We have to give 100%. With God, there is only "Sin" and "Righteousness". Our society wants to make some things a gray area so that we can "get away" with some things. But it is not that way with God. We have to make our decision to be a sinner or a saint. With God, there is no middle ground. Who is on the throne of YOUR heart?

Dwelling together in unity

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 03:44:09 +0000

Psalm 133:1 "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

In God's sight, unity or togetherness among His people is good, and it pleases Him. Brethren who are joined together receive the benefits of goodness and pleasantness unity produces. That is why we should yearn for this unity, because it is right and because it is lovely, attractive, and appealing.

Godly unity also produces joy because it overcomes the sorrow of self-seeking and fulfills the true love of outgoing concern for others. Joy through unity comes when God's people have all things in common—the same beliefs and desires working toward a common goal.

Let us not live for Christ by excuse!

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 19:18:04 +0000

How much of our daily tasks can be completed when one can only offer excuse after excuse for its completion? If "goals to achieve" in ones day to day living are excused or ignored, the quality of that person’s life is slowly diminished with little to no change in outcomes. That being said, how much of an opportunity can a group of people miss out on, when a more important goal (helping others understand their need for Christ) is passed up for more selfish pleasures, the answer, a huge loss, a loss far more important than trivial excuses for daily achievement.

God himself, wishes all excuses to remain minimal when balancing your own life, and winning souls. He wishes his house be full, and strives to see his people figure out how to get past what would prevent the mission.

We should all do our best to learn from the individuals found in Luke 14. This story explains the importance of remaining focused on the mission, and casting out excuses. If we make excuses, somebody else will have to carry out the mission.

Being obedient to our “heavenly vision”

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 22:14:05 +0000

Acts 26 1-19 Paul’s testimony to King Agrippa
-Paul is brought before King Agrippa

Verse 2 - shows that we are all responsible for our actions; only we, as individuals, will be brought forth unto the King to answer for our actions.

Verse 8 – Paul knew Agrippa understood God was Omnipotent – we need to understand God is Omnipotent!

Verse 9 – Paul as with many today feel they are doing the right things, heading in the right direction. Even if we are saved and sanctified, we cannot get into the mindset that we don’t need improvement. There will always be some area that we can grow in, we just need to pray and ask God what he wants us to do.

Verse10-18 Paul is introduced to the Father on his journey to Damascus
-This illustrates that everyone is on a journey and God will speak to us and reveal to us his purpose, letting us know what we need to do and which way he wants us to go.
-We need to seek our purpose for God

Verse 19 – There in comes the question; are we going to be obedient to our “heavenly vision”?

When we are setting a vision, whether for ourselves or as a group, the vision should be something achievable; but also something that will challenge us.

Our classes’ desire over the course of the last few weeks has been in seeking, “what he would have us to do” collectively and individually that we might be, "obedient to our heavenly vision."

Putting Together Our Vision

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:14:36 +0000

Putting Together Our Vision:

This week, in class, we discussed possible goals for our vision statement, keeping in mind that they are attainable yet challenging. It was decided that our goals needed to have a balanced output as well as input, which means that as a class we need to have a substantial amount of support and encouragement coming in so that we are able to put out enough energy to reach our desirable goals as individuals and more importantly, a team.

Some ideas that we came up with are: greater participation, becoming a direct vessel for God's work, don't ignore the small things, supportive of common experience, and carrying a burden. By greater participation we can assume that when help is needed there won’t be the same person every time that is willing to help, if we all participate we can share the burden and more equally supply the help that is needed. Additionally, we discussed becoming a direct vessel for God's work will not only show others that we are not ashamed to do God's work but that it is the most important desire in our life.

Oftentimes we may go through trials that we feel like no one has ever had to face, and therefore wouldn’t be understood by the majority, however, chances are someone else has been in your similar situation. If we are able to communicate to others some encouragement and support through difficult situations we can help them not only through the trials but show them how God wants to help them as well.

Our common goal as a class is to reach a sense of togetherness, to be a light and an example to the world, draw closer to God through a common goal, and to win more souls to God by standing firm and understanding others situations.

Shaping the Future

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 00:11:09 +0000

“Shaping the Future”

Throughout the chapter 4 in Ephesians, the word “one” is used persistently. In verse 4 it says, “There is one body, and one spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling.” In order for us to be able to accomplish our vision, we need to be able to work together in unity. If we are all able to work together as one, we will be able to have a bigger impact on those around us because we will be showing the love of god. It is God’s will that we all be able to work together despite our differences.
There is a link between having “faith” and having a “vision”. For example, there is hope that comes with having faith and also with having a vision. Hebrews 11:1 says, “now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” When we have faith or a vision, we are picturing something being effected in the future, even though we don’t know the exact outcome.
If we want our vision to make an impact on the community as well as on us, we need to have a strong burden. We need to be faithful in prayer, and participation. In order for our vision to work we all need to be in it 100 % .

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..."

drsand60@yahoo.com (Bro Danny) — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 21:21:59 +0000

Proverbs 29:18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish..."

As the people of God, it is vital to have a vision, a common goal towards which every member of the body strives. Everyone must work together towards the goal of winning souls to Christ. It doesn't matter what neighborhood you come from, or how old you are, or the color of your skin- every member of the body is important and has a job to do. When others see us pulling together, we have a successful testimony of unity. But if one member is held up higher than the rest, or the body refuses to work together, our only testimony is one of confusion. Mark 3:25 says "And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand." It is essential to look forward, towards the vision and what is possible. It is important to learn from mistakes, but solely focusing on the past will only discourage a saint of God. Let us strive towards a testimony of unity, "forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before" (Philippians 3:13).