Tag: bible

Just Like Jesus 2 of 4

Objective: To transform our lives and relationships, by living into what it means to be Christlike.

The Touch of God

Colossians 3:12 NLT… Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Introduction: Love is a pure motivator. Reference Hebrews 10:24 Phileo (brotherly), Eros (passionate), Storge (familial), Agape (sacrificial).

Transition: To be like Jesus, we must investigate His hands so we can evaluate ours.

Exposition: There is grace in a touch from God!

Jesus displays the kind of grace we must be busy dispensing in Matthew 8:1-4… Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. 2 Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. “Lord,” the man said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” 3 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

Conclusion: What we have received from God comes with great responsibility.

Community – 4 of 6 Spiritual Disciplines

Community – 4 of 6 Spiritual Disciplines

Hebrews 10:19-25 NLT… And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Introduction: Building Christian community is a worthwhile work that is difficult but doable. It is difficult because of humanity’s rebellion toward unity, but it is doable because of the blood of Jesus that changes our nature.

Transition: Community is not so much where you live, as much as it’s about how you live.

Exposition: When we live into the discipline of Christian community, we exchange ‘I, my, and me’ for ‘we, our, us’ which is covenant language.

–Let us (verse 22) approach… faith

We have access because Christ cleansed us with his blood (Hebrews 9:22; Romans 5:1-2), and we’ve been publicly claimed by water baptism.

–Let us (verse 23) hold fast… hope

Our confidence in God is secure, because God’s promises are yes in Christ (II Corinthians 1:20)!

–Let us (verse 24) motivate one another… love

Our intelligence should be used to invest in each other (I Corinthians 13:4-8a). #GoodVibesOnly

–Let us (verse 25) gather together… obedience

Your presence makes the difference!

Challenge: Connect with a member of our faith community this week (call, write, text, meet) to motivate them, and do some random and unselfish for someone.

Devotional song of the week: Jesus At The Center (Israel & New Breed)

Prayer – 2 of 6 Spiritual Disciplines

Prayer – Spiritual Disciplines 2 of 6

Matthew 6:9-13 NLT… Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today the food we need, 12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

Introduction: Prayer is the most underutilized tool in the Christian’s toolbox.

God is the only constant in our relationships, and we present the variables of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual distance.

Transition: Our relationship with God suffers when we fail to make prayer a priority.

Exposition: Prayer must be central to the life of a Christian.

–Divine Centrality (verses 9-10) your name, your Kingdom, your will
REFERENCE Matthew 16:42 My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.

–Communal Petitions (verses 11-13) Give us, forgive us, rescue us
REFERENCE James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Challenge: Secure a prayer partner, and pray with and for each other at least twice this week. Do so audibly, and pray unselfishly based on conversation with your prayer partner.

Devotional song of the week: Sweet Hour of Prayer Meditation (Rev. James Cleveland)

The Choice is Yours (LENTEN DEVOTIONAL)

The Choice is Yours *This Lenten devotional was prepared and presented for the 2024 Lent Worship and Dinner series, of Dauphin Way U.M.C. in Mobile, Alabama. PastorAEW was honored to be their pulpit guest.

Matthew 16:24 NLT… Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me”.

Introduction: When you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.

The Christian (who claims to be on the way to meet God) must know that the road is narrow (Matthew 7:13-14).

Transition: Who Jesus is (vs. 13-20) gives way to what Jesus does (vs. 21-28).

Peter voices the typical posture of humanity, which is escapism. So, Jesus uses this as a teachable moment on what it means to be a disciple of and for Jesus Christ.

Exposition: If you’re going to make the right choice about following Jesus, then there are some questions you should consider…

–What do you want? (Then Jesus said to his disciples, If any of you wants to be my follower)

In the middle of life is an ‘if’.

–How bad do you want it? (you must give up your own way)

Lay it down!

–What are you waiting for? (take up your cross, and follow me)

Pick it up and live it out!

Conclusion: “He is no fool who forsakes what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose”. ~Phillip James Elliott

Study – 1 of 6 Spiritual Disciplines

Study – Spiritual Disciplines 1 of 6

II Timothy 3:16-17 NLT… All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. [17] God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Introduction: The Christian holy canon has been intricately compiled, is intimately constructive, and is interestingly provocative.

Transition: To study means the devotion of time and attention to acquiring knowledge.

Exposition: Paul is pointing his protégé Timothy in the direction of biblical fidelity (faithful to a code; honoring a promise), and divine usefulness (partners instead of pawns).

-Be good (verse 16)
Studying scripture is important to our development because we are imperfect. Reference Philippians 3:12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

-Do good (verse 17)
Studying Scripture is God’s channel to not only develop us but to deploy us. Reference Luke 10:36-37 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Challenge: Steal Away Time… READ 5 minutes, MEDITATE 5 minutes, JOURNAL 5 minutes.

Fifteen minutes of focused reading, intentional thought, and logging your overwhelming observations, will help develop the discipline of study. ***You can find the passages for your Steal Away Time on this site, under the tab Reading with the Rev.

Devotional song of the week: Steal Away to Jesus (Zo! Gospel Choir)

The God of Dry Places

The God of Dry Places

Exodus 17:1-7 NLT… At the Lord’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and moved from place to place. Eventually they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. 2 So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded. “Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the Lord?” 3 But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?” 4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”

5 The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. 6 I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.

7 Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not?”

Introduction: The previous chapters of our life story, should fuel our faith, so that we don’t hit the panic button every time trouble arises. Reference Exodus 14:11-12; 15:23-24; 16:2-3.

The story is always the same, our problem becomes God’s platform to display his power. We grumble, then God gives us what we don’t deserve; grace so sweet and amazing!

Transition: Moses asked two questions during the argument… why are you mad at me and why are you testing God’s patience?

Exposition:

–Impaired Vision… verse 3
Israel can’t see for looking! The situation has caused them to focus on the opposition, without any regard for the opportunity before them.

-Impassioned Prayer… verse 4
“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

–Incredible God… verses 5-6
The people wanted to stone Moses, so God took a rock they would’ve used for murder and gave them water. God specializes in doing something ‘super’ with our ‘natural’!

Conclusion: “Is the Lord here with us or not?” Yes, he is!