Spiritual Disciplines
Fasting
Matthew 6:16-18

Simply put, fasting is the voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes.

When Jesus taught on fasting, he would say “when you fast”, not “if you fast”.

Fasting reminds us that we can get by without most things in our lives for a time, but we cannot get by without God.

Fasting is voluntarily turning up the heat in our lives.

It is both physical and spiritual and it builds our faith muscles so that we can withstand the bigger contests that come our way.

Our hunger pangs also remind us to lift our voice up to God.

When we fast in our repentance, it is not an attempt to punish ourselves for our past sin, but as a commitment and preparation for our future righteousness.

Determine the purpose of the fast. Is it to seek God, to seek direction, to pray for others?

There is so much potential power in seeking God in this way that Satan will do whatever necessary to derail your plan.

Remember that your fast is about you and God, not about impressing others, or even yourself.

Remember that we are not twisting God’s arm, we are trying to draw closer to Him.

The goal is spiritual not physical. If you want to loose weight, find a way to eat healthier, if you want to draw closer to God, try fasting.

Why Fast?

• Fasting increases our hunger for God.
• Fasting can train our passions.
• Fasting can be an earnest prayer.
• Fasting can help us humble ourselves.
• Fasting can be a sign of Repentance.

How to Fast.

• Start small.
• Determine the purpose of the fast.
• Determine the nature of the fast.
• Determine the length of the fast.
• Get people praying for you.

Pitfalls of Fasting.

• Pride
• Coercion of God
• Penance
• Dieting

If you’re satisfied with the status quo of your spiritual life, then just go ahead and ignore everything I’ve said today.

If you’re ready to move on to another level, and you’re not fasting as a part of your walk with Christ already, then I’d say, start right away.

Spiritual Disciplines
Bible Study
Genesis 1:1 – Revelation 22:21

“A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will grow a Great Church.”

Spiritual disciplines are practices that we willingly pursue in response to a God who created us, saved us, and guides us.

Spiritual disciplines draw us closer to God, deepen our understanding of who he is, and help make us into the men and women he desires us to become.

We study the Bible but we are not really listening for God’s voice and therefore we do not understand what He wants to say to us.

Five reasons why we should study the Bible.

1. It is divine – II Timothy 3:16

God gave it to us, God gave it to you.

2. It is truth – John 17:17

The Bible is not just partly true, it’s totally true.

3. It is our map – Psalm 119:105

The Bible not only shows us how to know God but it also tells us how we should live.

4. It is our food – Matthew 4:4

The Bible is necessary for our spiritual health and growth.

5. It is our life – Deuteronomy 32:47

The Bible shows us how we can have life, real life.

How Can I Study The Bible?

Prepare

Right Tools
Right Mindset (Psalm 119:18, I Corinthians 2:12)

Record

Exegesis (To lead out)
Context (When was it written?)
Content (What’s the meaning of the words?)

Apply

Hermeneutics (Interpretive)
How does this passage of Scripture apply to me today?

Yield

What action does God want me to take?

The goal of Bible study is not just to know the content of the Bible; it is to get to know the AUTHOR of the Bible in a deeper, more personal way.

Learning From the Songs of Christmas
Joy to the World
Psalm 98:2-9

Even at its best, Christmas means parties to plan, gifts to buy, elaborate meals to cook, long trips to take, or out-of-town guests to host. Instead of bringing JOY, Christmas can bring frustration.

Unfortunately, many people leave Christ out of Christmas. Instead of looking to Jesus, people look for JOY anywhere and everywhere else.

The Bible says a lot about JOY. The kind of JOY the Bible talks about goes much deeper than mere happiness.

The first stanza teaches: THERE IS JOY WHEN THE KING IS RECEIVED

King Herod was anything but joyful when the Magi from the East inquired about the birthplace of a new King.

While Herod saw Jesus as a Threat, the Wise Men saw Jesus as a Gift, and they came to worship Him.

The second stanza teaches: THERE IS JOY WHEN THE SAVIOR REIGNS

Receiving Christ is the important first step. But then we must go on to let him Reign in our lives.

Most of us do a pretty lousy job of running our lives on our own. Jesus knows what will give you JOY.

The third stanza teaches: THERE IS JOY WHEN THE SINNER REPENTS

Sin promises happiness. But Sin delivers sorrow.

The baby changed everything. Has the Bethlehem Baby changed your life?

The last stanza teaches: THERE IS JOY WHEN THE TRUTH RULES WITHS GRACE

JOY comes because He rules with a perfect balance of TRUTH and GRACE.

True JOY will be yours this Christmas if you will RECEIVE Christ, REPENT of your sins, and let Jesus REIGN in your life with Truth and Grace.

Learning From the Songs of Christmas
O Come O Come Emmanuel
Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 11:1-12

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

This popular song dates back to the year 800 and represents an important and ancient series of services celebrated by the Church.

Christmas is nothing short of the most historic day in human history. God became flesh and dwelt among us.

Indeed, our Christmas carol begins where any discussion on the central figure of Christmas must begin, by declaring Christ to be nothing less than redeemer God.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Throughout Scripture wisdom is closely linked to God. Genuine wisdom finds its roots in God and His Word.

Jesus Christ is fully the “Wisdom of God” and is worthy to be celebrated in song.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

The “Rod of Jesse” refers to Isaiah 11:1. Isaiah’s writings predict a time when things will look hopeless.

It may, in fact, look bleak and hopeless but you dare not give up hope for he who said it will be faithful.

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

A more literal translation suggests that “God has visited us as a sun rise from heaven.”

Light changes everything! The world looks different and is easier to navigate when there is light.

Jesus Christ is indeed the “Light of the world” and is worthy to be celebrated in song.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

The “power of the keys” was a significant role in a monarchy. It is none-the-less true in the Kingdom of God.

Jesus Christ is qualified to rule God’s Kingdom and is worthy to be celebrated in song.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

He has conquered the hostile enemy that has held a grip on the human soul for millenia.

He deserves to be called “Mighty God” and is worthy to be celebrated in song.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

We speak of “peace on earth and goodwill toward men.”

Isaiah longed for world peace too. And he knew when and where it would be fulfilled – in the Messiah – in the reign of God.

Jesus Christ is indeed the “Prince of Peace” and is worthy to be celebrated in song.

Jesus is:

• Completely God
• Your source of Wisdom
• Your trustworthy Hope
• The Light of salvation
• The ruler of God’s eternal kingdom
• The conqueror of evil
• Your source for peace.

Are You Truly Thankful?
Luke 17:11-19

Three aspects of thankfulness that we can to glean from this Scripture:

1: There are no good excuses for unthankfulness.

We as Americans love to make excuses.

In our story of the ten lepers, the nine that were not thankful probably had excuses that they thought were good for not coming back to thank Jesus.

Jesus expected every one of them to be thankful, and he expects that of Christians today.

2: Everyone has something to be thankful for.

God wants us to be thankful in all circumstances because we all have something to be thankful for.

We are a blessed people with much to be thankful for. We must be a more thankful people.

If you can attend church meetings without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than three billion in the world.

3: We as Christians need to set the bar for thankfulness.

Christians are called to be set apart from the world, yet only 10% of the population is acting that way.

When the church should have been setting the bar of thankfulness, the world was actually leading the way.

This week, I encourage you to make a list of everything you can think of that you can thank God for – and then do it.

Games People Play
Angry Birds
Genesis 8:6-19

Noah was in a way the earliest angry birds player in all of history.

We live in a world full of people like Noah, hesitant to get off of the boat.

We give signals to those on the boat, and the research tells us that Christians have been angry birds.

Put simply, the word “Christian” has very high negatives right now–especially with the generations that represent America’s religious future.

What do the hesitant people, the people just dying to get out of the boat, the people ready to set their feet on living ground wither they know it or not, what do they see in the church birds?

Can you imagine how things might change if people knew that church was fun.

Five good reasons why the church is fun.

1. We can turn up the music as loud as we like.
2. Church is fun because you can wear what you want.
3. Church is fun because you get to keep your lunch money.
4. Church is fun because we DAT (do awesome things).
5. Church is fun because there is always something to eat.

Noah opens the covering of the ark, and when he does he hears God speak.

We live in a hesitant world and we have hesitant hearts.

If we fly like this my guess is that we will see coverings coming off of arks all over the place.

Games People Play
Twister
Hebrews 12:1b-2a

Getting pulled in 100 different directions on a Twister mat is fine. But it’s not so fine when life feels like one big game of Twister.

I. The first thing I want to share with you in winning the Twister game in your life, is to be flexible.

If you’re tangled up, then you can’t be flexible to reach the color.
Proverbs 29:1

Each time you decide to try one of those “it won’t hurt” adventures, you’re mind becomes more confident, while your heart becomes more callous.

To keep your flexibility, you need to follow the last part of verse 1, “throw off,” lay aside every weight.

II. The second thing I want to share with you in winning the Twister game in your life, is to keep your balance.

This phrase, “fix your eyes on Jesus,” is really a call for us to turn the knob on our lives to bring things back into focus.

Maybe the person you know who is focused on the wrong things is you.

Whenever you’re facing an option or a choice in your life, there are four questions you can ask that will help you decide where this choice belongs.

The first question is “Does this choice meet God’s approval?”
Psalm 86:12

A second question to ask is “Does this choice strengthen my family ties?” – Because you are irreplaceable in your family.

The third question to ask is “Does this choice help others?”
I Peter 4:10

The fourth question to ask is “Does this choice make my life better?”
Proverbs 28:25

If we have a choice that doesn’t match up with one of these questions, then our passage from Hebrews says “throw it off.”
II Peter 3:17

Our focus has to be on our relationship with Jesus and that has to be reflected in our life’s priorities.

Next Week
Angry Birds

Games People Play
Aggravation
Matthew 5:21-26

I. As Christians, we must be aware of the seriousness of unrighteous anger.

Matthew 5:21-22
Exodus 20:13

Killing is a terrible sin, but unrighteous or unjustified anger is a great sin as well because it also violates God’s command to love.

John 2
Ephesians 4:26
I Samuel 20:34

If we have valid reasons to get upset, then our angry feelings are not immoral.

A. Anger that is unjustified is wrong.

When Abel offered a better sacrifice to God, his brother Cain became angry. That is unjustifiable anger.

B. Anger that prompts us to say hateful things to others is wrong and many times destructive.

Matthew 5:22

When we are angry and say hurtful things to others, we are sinning.

Angry words can cause serious damage.

James 1:26

C. Anger that is not resolved and still lingers in our hearts is wrong and sinful.

Ephesians 4:31

If we have anger lingering in our lives, then we have sin reigning in our hearts.

II. As Christians, we must learn how to handle anger constructively.

A. Before we get angry, we need to ask ourselves this question: “Do I have a valid reason to get angry?”

Proverbs 17:14
Proverbs 19:11

If we do not have a valid reason to get angry, then we must drop it!

B. If we have a valid reason to get angry, then we should verbalize our angry feelings.

Proverbs 15:1

Go to the person you are angry with and tell him or her, your feelings. Do this in a loving way.

Matthew 5:23

C. Forgive the person who made us angry.

Mark 11:25
Matthew 6:14-15

Forgiveness means it is over; it is complete; it is finished.

Next Week
Twister

Games People Play
Trivial Pursuit
Mark 8:36-37

You see its one thing to be educated, to have knowledge, it is quite another to have wisdom.

He is the architect of our life, he wrote the owners manual, he is the creator of our existence and it stands to reason that he knows best what I should be trying to accomplish in my life.

Four items we know to be in the will of God.

I Thessalonians 4:1-5

1 – It is God’s will that we live PURE & HOLY lives.

Holiness is the term used for our actions and thoughts, the things we do and think and say and read and participate in and we are encouraged that it is God’s will that we grow in holiness.

There is a literal war going on, and every one of us is right in the middle.

And it’s something that many, unfortunately don’t realize until a great deal of damage has been done.

A pure and holy lifestyle in which we set our lives apart for service to God.

2 – It is God’s will that we stay active in serving Him.

I Thessalonians 5:14

I wish that could be said about a lot of us in regards to our service to God, but the reality is that many never get started because of laziness or idleness.

Ephesians 5:14
I Corinthians 4:2

Service doesn’t make you a Christian, but you can’t be a Christian and not serve.

3 – It is God’s will that we love one another.

And this, of all the instructions we will look at, is really at the heart of God’s will for our lives.

If we want to keep from living trivial lives then we need to learn to love like Jesus loved.

It is God’s will that you love your brother.

4 – It is God’s will that we give thanks in all circumstances.

I Thessalonians 5:18

This isn’t easy, obviously because not everything goes the way we want it to in life or even in service to God.

We need to understand that thanksgiving overflows from other factors in our life.

Which one will you work on?
Do you need to be more holy & pure in your lifestyle?
Do you need to be more active in serving him?
Do you need to be more loving to those around you?
Do you need to be more consistent in thanksgiving?

Next Week
Aggravation

Games People Play
Solitaire
Matthew 3:14

If you get right down to it solitaire is a great game to play, but it’s a terrible way to live.

Do you have friends that are committed to helping you along in life?

The question for you today is will you share your life with others? Or will you choose to play it safe, to shut people out?

James 5:16

God himself longs to embrace you. He does this on this side of heaven through other people.

Ephesians 1:4-5

It means it’s better to eat Twinkies with friends then exercise alone!

Hebrews 10:23-24

Let’s help each other out, let’s help each other be followers of Christ and hold on to our faith.

When you serve with others you get to know them.

But you will never fully experience the kind of relationships I’ve talked about this morning until you fully embrace another relationship.

You see once we come to an understanding that we all need Christ, we understand that on this side of heaven we are all broken vessels, we are imperfect people and we all need Christ.

You must first come to terms with your relationship with Jesus Christ.

If I looked at your life and tried to find some kind of evidence that you were a Christ follower, would I find any?

The story of Jesus is a love story, the relentless pursuit of the creator of the world.

I John 3:16 - This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves.

Next Week
Trivial Pursuit