Celebrating Thanksgiving (Lev 23 & Psalm 118)
- We start with the origins of our Thanksgiving Day,
- work through the kind of things Jesus gave thanks for,
- and look briefly at modern discoveries of how thanksgiving changes your brain.
- Then we do it!
God's Joy over You
- It can be very hard for us to accept that we bring joy to God,
- but this is clearly taught by Jesus in the two parables — the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin.
- Can you truly believe what Jesus said to be true about yourself?
How the Church Grows Up
- I’m optimistic about the future of the church.
- That’s because in Eph 4, God says that we’re moving out of childhood and into maturity.
- But how do we reach “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”?
- It must be connected with the phrase ‘As each one does its part, the body grows in love’.
Parable of the Good Shepherd — John 10:1-21
- A beautiful parable, but what is the point and why does it make people so angry?
- In the context of the previous story and particularly the O.T. background in Ezekiel it becomes clearer.
- But the most important question is how it applies to us now?
A Surprising Invitation to a Banquet
- You are invited to be part of a supernatural kingdom with a fantastic celebration, the only condition being that you know you are a mess.
- But God wants you to step up to his call to help him build it!
- Stop telling yourself you are nothing and can’t do anything and say:
- “I can do all things through him who strengthens me!”
The Parable of the Enemy who sowed Tares
- If we are in the Kingdom then we have an Enemy!
- What power does the enemy have?
- What are his tactics?
- How does he attack Kingdom work?
- How do we recognize him?
- How do we respond?
Experiencing Joy through Finding our Purpose
- If we are Christians, we have an incredible purpose:
- Our destiny is to rule future universe(s) in a way that displays us as reflecting the character, love and creativity of God himself.
- Our present struggles are part of this preparation as God shapes who we are.
- Understanding our future changes everything about how we see ourselves in this present world.
Looking for Pleasure in All the Right Places—Finding the Greatest Joy in God
- If you want to grow in your Christian life, the answer is not to try harder, but to be motivated in the best possible way—the joy of discovering the pearl and the treasure.
- There is nothing like the the joy of loving and being loved so intensely.
How to Pray in Faith — The Parable of the Son who Asks (Matt 7:7-11)
- What does it mean to pray in faith?
- How should you go about praying for a sick person?
- Here is a survey of all that Jesus taught on prayer, resulting in some simple steps.
Trusting God in Hard Times — Isaiah 55
- Have you had times of darkness in your life?
- We work through how we should read Old Testament passages so that they speak accurately into our situation.
- God says, “just hold on to me and I will never forsake you.”