Prayer_sermon notes

Wow I just listened to a sermon from my church and it is amazing. I have never really heard a sermon quite like this one about the Lord's prayer. I know a lot of people and churches quote "The Lord's Prayer yet God uses it more as a guide or template to teach us how to prayer.

""This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us today our daily bread.
 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.’""Matthew 6:9-11

1) It says "Our Father in heaven..."
We need to have a relationship with God. He is our Father, our Dad, our Abba (Daddy), We need to spend time with him, so we can get to know him like he knows us. When we pray we should be excited about praying, but not feel like it is an obligation. This is a time that we get to hang out with our father, our Abba.
We need to seek the face of God AND THEN we will see the hand of God move.
Cry out to God, pour your heart out to him.  (Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7)

2) We read that it says "Hallowed be your name."
Great is God's name. We need to remember and ponder on how great our God is. I think sometimes we forget about how magnificent he is. He made the earth, other planets, the galaxy, the bright sun, the twinkling stars, our human body, etc...and we belong to him.

We don't belong to the chaos and dysfunction around us; we belong to God.


3) The Bible also says: "your kingdom come, your will be done..." 
Lay down your agenda. Do God's agenda and His will. We might think we know what is best for us, but God always sees the bigger picture. We might have a vision, but God has a bigger vision; seek what he wants in our lives.  Breathe in his oxygen, his will, for you.
Ask God what is the next step for your life. Seek Him: His agenda, and His will.

Lean on God as our great Father, seek his face, do his will, his way, breath in his oxygen.

The actual sermon is very well spoken. Please listen to it by clicking on the link below:
https://youtu.be/tL-v6lp0KhM



(reference to Pastor Chris Norman's sermon, Citizen's church, on January 7, 2018)

all scripture quoted in this blog is from Biblegateway.com, the NIV translation.

Will You Take this Path?* to be Born of God?*

Are You Born of God?

When people ask this question, they don't literally mean that you were birthed and

came out of the womb of God, like a baby comes out of the womb of his mother. 

They are talking about it spiritually.


1 John 5 verse 1 says: 

" Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him." KJV 

or if you want to read it in an easier standard, let's try the NIV:

 "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well." (1 John 5:1)

and then there is John 3:16 (NIV) says: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

In other words, If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, you are born of God a.k.a. being born again (spiritually). Our father God and his son Jesus Christ are one, so if you love one, you love the other.  It's kind of like eating ice cream, you like eating the ice cream and all it's ingredients that make up the ice cream. They are all as one.

that concludes being born of God 101



note: all scripture is from www.biblegateway.com

Living Stone*

I read this scripture today.
"Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
1 Peter 2:4-5

I have heard this scripture preached so many times, but I always hear people say that "Jesus is a living stone" and that is all I hear about this scripture. Yet even though he is the living stone we also are living stones.  The scripture above says:

"...you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."

(picture from photobucket.com)

 It is like he is building our spiritual bodies into spiritual houses. If everyone is a stone, think of how strong our churches or families would be if we work on them together.  Putting one stone on top of another stone can hold things together; we can make big structures out of this rock material. If we are stones, then we are solid rock....what use do stones or rocks have?

"A lot of cities are made from stone... Roads, parking lots, bridges, airports, and highways are all made from crushed stone and concrete." (http://www.rocksforkids.com/RFK/BuildingStones.htm)    Stones and rocks have a lot of use...we can have that same usefulness in God.

If Jesus is the cornerstone, he's connected to us, and joining himself with us. He is connecting himself with us together; and you and I together, to be stronger. Stones are hard to crush...they are solid. 

Be the solid stone that God wants you to be, yet allow Jesus in your life as the Cornerstone.



To learn what other stuff you can make out of rocks, stone, or minerals, go to http://www.rocksforkids.com/RFK/BuildingStones.htm...

Acts of Random Kindness?*

I have been hearing lately from on of my churches (and even online) that we should be spreading more kindness. I even watched a couple of online videos of people helping others out randomly. One video has 2 guys giving t-shirts, water, and snacks to homeless people.  Another video has various people helping others in various situations.
I think of myself as kind, yet I realized I need to work on being more kinder.  Sometimes the physical pain I am in gets in the way of what I want to do. So since I am at the doctors' appts a lot lately, I decided to be kinder to the patients that go on the elevator. I have to ride 6 floors up to get to my doctor's appts and the elevator door constantly opens on various floors as I go up and down the elevator.

Recently I started smiling more and chatting with everyone that enters the elevator...Then I noticed that people who looked like they were in pain or overcome with health issues were returning my smiles and some were even laughing. They looked surprised that a stranger was actually talking to them. Then I started smiling and waving at children that walked by me and  I noticed the children and their parents started smiling.

This last week while I was at Kaiser, waiting for my bus to arrive, I noticed an older lady who seemed like she was struggling and looked worn out. She was trying to get her husband who was in a wheelchair settled in their car, plus she had a bag, purse, and other items she was juggling. She looked so worn out.  I decided to leave my seat on the bench and go help her.  While she was in the car fastening her husband in the seat belt, I grabbed her bag and put it in the opened trunk. I told her that she looked like she could use a hand. She thanked me and smiled a big grin. As I went back and sat on the bench, I noticed she was smiling while she was in her car...Before she drove away, she honked, waved, and had a huge smile on her face.

We don't always know what people are going through.  Just a simple act of me putting one bag in her car, made her day,,,and it added joy to my heart.  What can you do to brighten someone's day?  Just one act of random kindness can add a smile and happiness to someones day.

"It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35b
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 
"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18


Watch these inspiring u-tube videos of some ways you can help others. Click on these below: 

Random Acts of Kindness Caught on Film

You are Here for a Reason (Life Vest Inside)



videos are from http://www.youtube.com/)

The Trinity.Triune God*

I thought I would blog about the triune God since one of my pastor's have been preaching about this topic lately.

Have you heard about the Trinity a.k.a. the Triune God? The Trinity is God in 3 persons also known as: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes it's hard to comprehend that God is three, yet one. I remember around 20 yrs ago, one of my pastors (Pastor Jamie)  gave me an analogy because I had a hard time comprehended the Trinity.  He said God is like a watch. (Remember those old things that everyone used to wear that told you the time, before cell phones existed?)  God has 3 parts to Him like  a watch does.  The watch has 3 parts to it. There is a minute hand, hour hand, and the second hand. Each plays a different part in the watch, but they all are part of the watch...Just like God...There are 3 persons. There is God (The Father), God (the Son who is Jesus), and God (the Holy Spirit)...they all make up God, yet even though each has a different role, they all are the same God).

Recently my pastor used an analogy about the Triune God which is like water. Water has 3 elements; there is liquid, ice, and steam....It's in 3 different forms yet it's all a form of water.

The word "trinity" is not actually in the Bible, yet it is implied in the scriptures. Free Dictionary defines Trinity as:

1. A group consisting of three closely related members. Also called triunity.

2. Trinity Theology In most Christian faiths, the union of three divine persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in one God.   (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/trinity)

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."  1 John 5:7

(The Word is the Son of God, Jesus. This scripture is 
talking about God, as the Father, the son, and the 
Holy Spirit)

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.   The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."  John 1:1-3

(Since Jesus is the word, in the scripture above, place the name "Jesus" wherever it says "the Word."  You will see that, in the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God.)

Allow yourself to experience God as a whole, as the Triune God...view Him in three persons yet as one true God...




Picture is from photobucket.com (watch)

Cheer Up*

Do you ever feel like you are going through hard times? Does it seem like it's just one bad thing after the other?


"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4 NIV

I know it can be hard to be joyful when you deal with a bunch of trials and tribulations.  Sometimes things get me down...yet at other times, when I have things happen, I just have to laugh, chuckle, or hangout with people who help me laugh...It's not good to be away from everyone when one is dealing with a lot of hardship.  People are surprised what I deal with on a daily basis because I laugh.  I have learned to find things to laugh about.  

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and 
the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in 
any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

Learn from what you deal with. If you have a lot of hardships, try to encourage other people 
with what you have learned from all that you have gone through.  and Remember to lean on 
God through it all.

"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had 
to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that the proven 
genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though 
refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see 
him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 
for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."  
1 Peter 1:6-9 NIV

We grow from hardships.  Our faith grows, wisdom grows, and we spiritually 
mature.  Remember to persevere, persevere, and better yet, persevere... 
and be joyful.

Don't Let Your Heart Be Troubled*

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."John 14:1-3 (NKJV)

Our God has a place for each of us in Heaven, if we have received His salvation.  

Heaven is real and breathtakingly beautiful.  

God will welcome us into Heaven some day with our changed bodies.

That means, no more pain or suffering.

There won't be any sadness, loss of jobs, or loss of loved ones.

There won't be sorrow or any hard feelings of ex-spouses or unmet child support to deal with.

We won't deal with divorces nor deal with being considered single or married. We will all have the same status.

We won't long for anything; for everything we will need, we will have.

God has a place for you in Heaven. Are you ready for His return?

Are you ready for God to welcome you into eternity even if it's sooner than you think.

Remember not everyone who goes to church is a christian.  People sometimes pretend and then when they leave the property, they don't live a christian life.  There were times in my own life that I went to church, but I wasn't a "christian." I had to rededicate my life back to God several times in my life because I wasn't living a godly life.

Remember John 3:16,

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."(NKJV)

God is opening up His arms to accept you.  God loves you and has a place for you in Heaven.

So, What's your Story? *

So WHAT'S YOUR STORY?
1. Everyone has a past
Ephesians 2:1-2 says "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sin, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at on time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."

2. In Jesus, we have a present, a change from the past. (God gave us the present).
In Ephesians 2:4-5 it says that because of God's great love for us, he made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in sin...it's by grace you were saved.

In Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:12

HAVE YOU MET JESUS? "Knowing Jesus is different from meeting Jesus." What is your story? How did you meet Jesus?
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, but it is a GIFT OF GOD, not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

a. Everyone recognized that they needed Jesus, no one could do this whole life thing alone or on their own merit.
b. Jesus introduced himself to no one here personally. Someone introduced you to Christ...

3. Everyone has a future...introducing other people to Christ is part of our destiny.

Ephesians 2:6-10 " and God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Every trophy of God's grace in this room owes that introduction to someone else, someone who was not selfish with their faith.
So what's your story? What's your testimony?
(Pastor Jim had read different people's testimonies of how they met Jesus Christ. All of them had to do with someone inviting them either to church or to salvation.)

Here are reasons why we may not want to witness:
1. Fear of unworthiness (well, God says we are worthy to witness).
2. Fear of the worst thing could happen. (Everyone deserves God's presence).
Without people inviting us to church, none of us would be at Church.
If it wasn't for a parent, a teacher,Missionettes or Royal Ranger leader, youth leader, a prostitute's neighbor, a friend, a military worker, etc... none of us would be at church.
Someone took the time to be in an awkward situation of putting themselves on the line to invite you to church.

SO WHAT'S YOUR STORY...?
 sermon notes from aug 5 2007

You've Got Mail *

James 1:19-27 ...Everyone should be QUICK TO LISTEN, SLOW TO SPEAK, AND SLOW TO BECOME ANGRY, for MAN'S ANGER DOES NOT BRING ABOUT THE RIGHTEOUS LIFE that GOD DESIRES. Therefore, GET RID of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly ACCEPT THE WORD PLANTED IN YOU, WHICH CAN SAVE YOU. Do NOT merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. DO WHAT IT SAYS. Anyone who listens to the word BUT does NOT do what it says is LIKE a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

BUT THE MAN WHO LOOKS INTENTLY into the PERFECT LAW (THE BIBLE) that gives freedom, and CONTINUES to DO this, NOT FORGETTING WHAT HE HAS HEARD, BUT DOING IT —HE WILL be BLESSED in what he does.

If anyone considers himself religious and yet DOES NOT KEEP A TIGHT REIN ON HIS TONGUE, HE DECEIVES HIMSELF and HIS religion is WORTHLESS.
***RELIGION that GOD our Father ACCEPTS AS PURE AND FAULTLESS is this: to LOOK after ORPHANS and WIDOWS in their DISTRESS and to KEEP ONESELF from BEING polluted by the WORLD.

1. Receive God's Word ("...accept the word Planted in you." Receive the right word with a great attitude.
A) Be Careful: Be quick to listen, slow to speak.)
B) Be Calm: Be slow to become angry.
C) Be Clean: Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent. (Filth is like the wax in your ear. You need to get rid of it to listen.)
D) Be Compliant: ...Humbly accept the Word planted in you. Be teachable.

2. Reflect on God's Word . (God's Word is like a mirror. A mirror is used as a self-evaluation tool. You look into the mirror and correct things: such as: if your hair is sticking up, you fix it. What good is looking in a mirror, if we don't do what we need to do to change? Reflect on God's Word-the Bible- read it, and change.)
A) Read God's Word: (A Glance doesn't give you what you need. Look for the details in the mirror of the Bible))
B) Review God's Word (Meditation as used in the Bible is to think seriously of something over and over)
C) Remember God's Word (Memorize Scripture)

3. Respond to God's Word: ("Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. DO WHAT IT SAYS." What good is looking in the mirror, if you don't do anything about it-if you don't let what you see-change YOU.

BONUS:
THE TEST OF MATURITY IS CHARACTER.
DO THE SCRIPTURE
DO WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS. LET IT BE YOUR LIFE. LET THE BIBLE BE YOUR LIFE.
LIVE THE WORD OF GOD, LET IT CHANGE YOU.
TAKE THE WORD OF GOD AND DO IT
THE greatest literature (THE BIBLE) has SUPERNATURAL POWERS.
The BIBLE is the acting and living - WORD of God
SEE YOUR LIFE through GOD'S WORD.
What is it that God wants me to HEAR?

5/27/07, 8:00 PM

 Sermon Notes from May 20, 2007

Study God's Word*

Sometimes we read the Bible over and over again and don't know the meaning or we don't take the time to get to know the meaning. I have done that myself. I do my devotions and I am reading what someone else studied. Yet we really need to study his word and not just read it. If you aren't sure how to start, here are some tips:

Pick a verse, read the same verse two or three times, ponder it, and pray. What is God saying to the people during the Bible times, what is God saying to you in the present, and how should we apply it to our life? 

What do you think Jesus was saying in Psalms 23? The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk THROUGH the shadow of death, I will fear NO evil; for you are with me. Your rod and Your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Focusing On God*

1. Remember the God you serve (remember God's power and promises) Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-4
"...O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule overall the kingdom of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you..."

2. Take an eyes open look at your situation.
Look at your inability to fight the battle on your own and realize that you may have enemies.

3. Focus on God
"WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT OUR EYES ARE UPON YOU."
(2 Chronicles 20:12b)

4. He Waits (meaning "you wait before God")
Even the men of Judah...STOOD BEFORE THE LORD" 2 Chronicles 20:13

5. Watch for God's Plan by listening for His voice and leading with worship. (read 2 Chronicles 20:14-21)
**"Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel-as he stood in the assembly...YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE. Take up your positions; STAND FIRM AND SEE THE DELIVERANCE THE LORD WILL GIVE YOU, O Judah and Jerusalem. DO NOT BE AFRAID, DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. GO OUT TO FACE THEM TOMORROW, AND THE LORD WILL BE WITH YOU."

"...Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful. After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER."

6. Enjoy God's victory. God's victories are bigger, better, and they last.
"...The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, FOR HIS GOD HAD GIVEN HIM REST ON EVERY SIDE."


REMEMBER -THE BATTLE- BELONGS TO GOD, NOT US...SO ALLOW GOD TO HELP YOU...

 Sermon Notes from April 22

What is Faith???*

"Without FAITH it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

1) Faith is Believing when I don't see it. 
In Hebrews 11:1, it says "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." 
IT'S ONLY A DREAM UNTIL YOU BELIEVE. FAITH TURNS DREAMS INTO REALITY.

2) Faith is Obeying when I don't understand it. 
(read Hebrews 11:7-8) 

3) Faith is Giving when I don't have it (read Hebrews 11:4 & 2 Corinthians 9:6,8)

4) Faith is Persisting when I don't feel like it.
(do things you don't feel like doing)...Read Hebrews 11:27

5) Faith is Thanking God before I receive it.
(KEEP YOUR EYES ON GOD)
"When you pray and ask for something, believe that you have received it and you will be given what you ask for." 
-Mark 11:24

6) Faith is Trusting even if I don't get it.
"They were all commended for their faith yet none of them received what had been promised. 
GOD HAD PLANNED SOMETHING BETTER" Hebrews 11:39-40

"FAITH COMES FROM HEARING THE WORD OF GOD" - ROMANS 10:17
(READ THE BIBLE TO GROW IN FAITH)

"These trials are only to test your faith...and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold...it will bring you much praise and honor on the day of his return" -1 Peter 1:7


from sermon notes on Feb. 25

The Holy Spirit is God*

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." John 16:13