DEVOTION - WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21. 2011

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011Follow us on Facebook1

“How to give up doing anything on your own”

By

Pete

briscoe

“There are three ways to get something done: do it yourself, hire someone, or forbid your kids to do it.” —Unknown

When Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing,” He clearly didn't mean that we can't do anything. Obviously there are things we can do. We can drive a car, we can go to work, we can pay our mortgage-- we can do things. What He is saying is, “If you’re going to do something of eternal significance—if you want to make a difference in people’s lives, if you want to bear real spiritual fruit that matters eternally—apart from Me you can’t do any of that. You cannot create true fruit in the power of the flesh.”

If we choose not to remain in His love, if we choose not to abide in Him, not to allow His power to work through us, we’re just like a branch that’s not even connected.There’s no difference. Why would we even want to live that way? (Well, pride for starters, but let’s just pretend that was a rhetorical question.)

The point is this. We were designed to “remain” in Christ and in His love for us, dependent on Him to live His life through us.

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

What happens when we bear fruit? Two things:

1.   We show ourselves to be disciples.The true fruit of the Spirit makes it obvious that we really are disciples—because only He can bear this kind of fruit. If it’s borne, then it’s obvious He did it through us, and we’re disciples.

2.   The Father gets the glory.And there is something that is just so right about that. It’s like everything falls into its proper place when people look past us and praise God from whom anything good flows.

Jesus, I know there are a whole lot of things that I can do outside of You. But I can’t do anything that's going to matter in eternity unless I rest in You. So Lord and Life, I surrender it all to You right now. I want everything to bring glory to You. So I’m giving up doing anything on my own. Teach me to become more and more dependent on You. Thanks!

DEVOTION - TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2011

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2011Follow us on Facebook1

“The Message of Salvation by Jesus”

BY

DR JOHN BARNETT

Have you ever wished you could sit in the back of the crowd and listen to the greatest man who ever lived, Jesus Christ, and hear what He said to the lost and seeking crowds? Have you ever wondered how Jesus led someone to salvation? We have the records of Nicodemus, the woman at the well, the man at Bethesda, Zacchaeus, and so on. But, the actual method, words, gospel presentation and so on would be fascinating wouldn't it?

Today we are going to do just that. We are going to hear the soul winning methods of Jesus. How? Through the eyes and ears of those who spent time alone with Jesus and through the hearts and minds of those who heard Him soul winning for 3 plus years. Thus the Book of Acts is the most critical source in the universe for our views of evangelism. Acts records the first 30 years of evangelism from the lens of inspiration, on the film of God's Word! Through the inspired words of the Gospels and Acts when we listen to the Message of Jesus captured by the Apostles of Jesus.

If Jesus saved us to share the Gospel, the Good News of Salvation, then there are few things more exciting than to actually learn from Him our Master, His message and the way He called men and women, boys and girls to Salvation.

Now turn to the launching pad. It is found in the book of the Acts of the Holy Spirit. That is the sequel to Luke. Luke wrote as the Holy Spirit inspired Him what happened (that is the content of the Gospels) and then he wrote how they shared what happened (that is the book of Acts) and then in the Epistles we have why all this had to happen. That in brief is a summary of the entire New Testament.

So Acts is a video report of how the Apostles and disciples shared the Gospel message in every possible setting. What we get is to see how the eyewitnesses shared with the world what happened in the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. As we go through all 28 chapters we find that there are 22-recorded events where a Gospel Message is presented.

The first Gospel Presentation is in Acts 2. The time has come, after being called to be a fisherman for eternal souls. After being given on site, hands on training for three plus years. After being tutored privately, commissioned publicly, and filled with the very Holy Spirit of God, Peter steps up to the microphone to deliver his first sermon. I'm sure his pulse was throbbing in anticipation, his heart pounding with excitement to at last say what he had been taught, shown, and commanded him, to say. So here it is, here is Gospel Presentation number one in Acts chapter 2. Peter preaches the first sermon after Christ's death, burial, resurrection, and sending the Holy Spirit down to indwell the Church. What does he say?

DEVOTION - MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2011Follow us on Facebook1

n FacebookRecommend this article to your frien"Servanthood Starts in the Mind”

by

Charles R. Swindoll

Romans 12:1–3

Wouldn't you love to live courageously in spite of the odds? Doesn't it sound exciting to be divinely powerful in day-to-day living? Aren't you eager to become independently authentic in a day of copycat styles and horrendous peer pressure? Of course!

It all begins in the mind. Let me repeat it one more time: thinking right always precedes acting right. I cannot overemphasize the importance of the renewed mind.

It is really impossible to grasp the concept of serving others—or to carry it outwith joy and without fear—until our minds are freed from the world's mold and transformed by the Lord's power.

I feel the need to add a warning to my urging. A warning against anyone who might "use" others to accomplish his or her purposes. Be very careful not to do that! How easy it is to encourage servanthood so others might serve us.

That is not the way our Master walked and neither should we.

Servanthood starts in the mind. With a simple prayer of three words: "Change me, Lord."

DEVOTION - SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 2011

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011Follow us on Facebook1

“Living with Passion“

BY BAYLESS CONLEY

I want to focus your attention today on two passages. The first is Ecclesiastes 9:10,

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

The second passage is Colossians 3:23,

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.

Do you see the common theme? God desires us to live our lives full out, with passion. Whether you are a preacher, a writer, a teacher, or a singer, whatever you do, you are to do it with passion. You are to throw yourself into it.

People are attracted to passion. They want to see someone who is burning with a fiery zeal for whatever they do!

In my opinion, the greatest example of a passionate person is Jesus. Remember the story when Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple? That was a passionate act. In fact, the end of that passage says, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."

Zeal is just another word for passion. "Passion for Your house has eaten Me up!" Have you ever tried to imagine Jesus doing that? I have a very clear image of what that must have been like.

He is whipping these guys and they are running, covering their heads. He is throwing over these big tables and the disciples are watching with their mouths wide open, when they remember the verse, "Zeal (passion) for Your house has eaten Me up."

Let me ask you a question: When is the last time you were eaten up with zeal for anything? When is the last time you were utterly passionate about anything?

Don't just sleepwalk through life. You need to decide you are going to live!

DEVOTION - FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16. 2011

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2011Follow us on Facebook1

“All for God's Glory”

BY

 DR TONY EVANS

Scripture Reading: Psalm 136:1-9

First Corinthians 10:31 tells us that even our eating and drinking should be done to the glory of God.

God's glory is like a pair of colored glasses that tint everything you see. Whatever you do should be done for His glory. About everything, you should ask, "How will this glorify God?"

The whole earth gives us a picture of the glory of God. Nature preaches us a sermon on His glory. Everything should point to His glory.

Revelation 21:23 says that when we get to heaven, there will be no need of the sun or moon because the glory of the Lord will illuminate everything. There will be no night there, for the place will be consumed with the glory of God. His glory is so awesome that it will light up our heavenly home!

Watch Online Videos of Dr. Tony Evans and The Urban Alternative at LightSource.com

DEVOTION - WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2011Follow us on Facebook1

“The Rapture of the Church”

BY

ADRIAN ROGERS

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16

I believe there will be seven years of terrible tribulation. It will be a time of tyranny and persecution. It will be a time when all nature will be out of joint and when demon spirits will infest the world. It will be a time when the Anti-Christ will rule and reign.

But before the tribulation comes, the Church is going to be raptured out. You might find it interesting to note that the word “rapture” is not found in the Bible, but the word “caught up” is, and that’s literally what the word “rapture” means. We will be “caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Do your loved ones know what the rapture means? Why not ask them what they think this next week and open the door for a candid discussion about the future?

DEVOTION - TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2011Follow us on Facebook1

“TRUTH TWISTERS”

BY

PASTOR BOB COY

September 13

Truth Twisters

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” —Matthew 7:15 (NKJV)

Jesus loves His Church so much that He will protect it from anything that has the potential to damage or destroy it. Included under this strong warning are false prophets and teachers. These men and women have the ability to infiltrate and infect the body of Christ and twist His truth. And when that goes unchecked, the Church loses its effectiveness in influencing this world.

When we look at the New Testament, we find warning after warning to be on guard against those who would deliberately twist God’s truth. In one instance, as Paul was leaving the church at Ephesus, the Spirit instructed him to warn them about “savage wolves” who were going to come in to devour God’s flock:

“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Acts 20:28-30 (NKJV)

But the warning doesn’t end there. In fact, the danger associated with false teachers is referenced in practically every epistle in the New Testament, and a large portion of 2 Peter and Jude are devoted to this issue. Clearly, this is a warning that God wants us to both hear and heed.

Again, Jesus loves His Church. He loves it enough to protect it from potential dangers. And when He warns us about their inevitable influence, we need to beware of false teachers. But in order to do so, we need to know what is true. We need to be men and women of the Word so we can identify when God’s truth is twisted.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)

small group time:::

THINK ABOUT IT...

What does this passage reveal to me about God?

What does this passage reveal to me about myself?

Based on this, what changes do I need to make?

What is my prayer for today?