Episodes

  • When You Pray: Week 9

    When You Pray: Week 9
    Jul 29 2024
    Solomon's Prayer for WisdomKing Solomon was the son of King David, and a powerful king of Israel. We see in his story that although he was the wisest person to ever live, he also compromised by disobeying God's direct orders in making an alliance with Egypt, and marrying the daughter of Pharaoh (1 Kings 3:1-3).
    Even so, when Solomon becomes king, God visits Solomon and says, "Ask me whatever you want me to give you". Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 2 Chronicles 1:7-10
    Wisdom is knowledge as applied in order to live well according to God's world. Too often we just want knowledge, but that is a dead-end. Wisdom from knowledge gives us the ability to bend everything in us towards His will.
    3 things we can take from Solomon's prayer:
    • He recalls and rests in the character of God - Solomon pauses and reflects on who God is before He makes a request.

    • He recognizes his own need - Although Solomon is king, he recognizes that he is not God. We live in a world of independence, and admitting that we need help feels weak. But we know the Christian life isn't meant to be lived on our own. We are meant to live in community with others in the power of the Holy Spirit.

    • His request is "others-oriented" - Solomon puts the needs of his people before himself.

    Questions to Consider:
    1. When was the last time you really thought about God's character? How do you rest in His character?
    2. Do you put other's needs before yourself in prayer? What are some ways you can add more of that to your prayer life?
    3. Where is your community of believers? Where do you need to let go of some pride and admit you need help?



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    34 mins
  • When You Pray: Week 10

    When You Pray: Week 10
    Jul 29 2024
    Blessed in Persecution“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” - Matthew 5:10-12
    There is a difference between being comfortable and being comforted. This passage comforts us while calling us to follow Jesus no matter what.
    1.EXPECT PERSECUTION, DON’T BE SURPRISED BY ITPersecution is when you are mistreated for following Jesus. We must remember when we follow Jesus in a fallen world, we should expect persecution. Consider how often we are told this in Scripture.
    If they persecuted me, they will persecute you - John 15.20In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. - 2 Timothy 3.12Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. - 1 Peter 4.12
    Jesus was persecuted. His followers will experience the same. When we choose to follow Jesus it comes with a cost and that cost can come in the form of persecution. A study from Gordon Conwell stated, “We estimate that more than 70 million Christians have been martyred over the last two millennia, more than half of which died in the 20th century under fascist and communist regimes. We also estimate that 1 million Christians were killed between 2001 and 2010 and about 900,000 were killed from 2011 to 2020.”Dr. Gregory Cochran who did his PhD on the persecuted church said:Some international humanitarian agencies have estimated that 80% of all religious persecution in the world today is aimed at Christians.2.TAKE UP YOUR CROSS, DON’T RUN FROM ITThen Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. - Matthew 16:24-25 We want to live out a full gospel faith. Some versions of Christianity we see look comfortable because it is indistinguishable from the world. But if you do things the world’s way you can expect to get the world’s results. Instead, we must loosen our grip on this world and hold tight to Jesus.3.REJOICE IN THE PROMISE OF PERSECUTION, DON’T FEAR ITWe can rejoice even in persecution because we belong to God’s eternal Kingdom!Our live here is like a vapor (James 4) it is here and then gone. “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.” - Isaiah 40:8 Persecution can verify what Kingdom we belong to and remind us that this fallen world is not our home. Not only that, but God uses persecution to build His Kingdom. There are so many examples of this happening all around us.
    Together we can pray for the persecuted church around the world.We can share the gospel boldly and be willing to speak the name of Jesus even when we face some form of persecution. He is worthy of it all!



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    37 mins
  • When You Pray: Week 7

    When You Pray: Week 7
    Jul 15 2024
    When You Pray: Week 7
    Temptation is not a sin, but what we do with temptation can lead to sin. We see in Matthew 4 that Satan tested Jesus in the wilderness, but we know that Jesus is without sin. He knew how to combat the schemes of the enemy. Remember, Satan is a created being. He is not an equal with God, and he will ultimately be defeated by God. That said, he is crafty and knows how to lure us into sin.
    Would God tempt us? No. James 1:13 tells us that God tempts no one. He doesn't play games with us. God does test us, but He will never tempt us.
    What is temptation anyway? A temptation is an invitation from Satan to sin for the purpose of harming us. A trial is a difficult situation orchestrated by God for the purpose of growing us more into His image. Trials, because they test us, can bring temptations with it. For example, if you lose your job and God is using that situation to show you that you can depend on Him to provide for your needs, it could lead to a temptation to steal in order to make ends meet in your own strength.
    How do we fight temptation?
    1. Acknowledge your need - We all have a tendency to either deny Satan's existence or to obsess that he is everywhere. We must be reminded that we are not able to resist temptation by our own power. Most of us experience that our willpower is not quite as strong as we would like to think, and the most dangerous thing we can ever do is believe that we are immune to temptation, even specific ones. Be careful to never say, "I would never do that."
    1. RUN -1 Cor 10:12-14 -"therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry."1 Cor 6:18 - "Flee from sexual immorality"1 Tim 6:11 - "flee these things" (the love of money)2 Tim 2:22 - "So flee youthful passions"James 4:7 - "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
    3. Use Common Sense - Know your weak spots and do not put yourself into a compromising situation. Use wisdom.
    4. Look behind the lie for the consequence - Sin is fun...for a little while. Take a minute to play out the scenario to see the horrendous consequences of falling into sin through that temptation. It is awful and never worth it. James 1:13-15 says that "sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."
    5. Speak/Pray the Word - Again, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan giving Him half-truths. Jesus knew the Word and squashed Satan's attempt to tempt Him. 1 John 4:4 tells us "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
    We need to look at all of this under the banner of living in community! When we live in relationship with one another, we have accountability around us. Don't live in isolation. And remember, tired people make bad decisions. Make sure you are taking time to live a balanced life.



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    33 mins
  • When You Pray: Week 8

    When You Pray: Week 8
    Jul 15 2024
    When You FastIn His sermon on the mount, Jesus talks about "when you give, when you pray, and when you fast". Fasting is simply going without food in order to seek God for some special reason. Another way to say it... "fasting is feasting on God's Word." Although Jesus never commanded His followers to fast, He assumed that they would. It was a part of common practice in that time, and it is a valuable part of spiritual discipline today.
    Pastor Japhet, from a very spiritually dark part of Nigeria, says, "Your prayer life will not be consistent without a burning vision because a lasting prayer life is oriented around a burden, and every burden comes from a vision."
    In the Old Testament, we see multiple examples of fasting:
    1. Lev 23:27-28 during the Day of Atonement
    2. Ex 34:28; Deut 9:9-10:10 Moses
    3. Daniel 10 Daniel
    4. 1 Sam 1:1-20 Hannah
    5. Ezra 8:21-23 Ezra
    6. Esther 4:16 Esther
    7. 2 Chron 20:3 King Jehoshaphat
    8. Nehemiah

    In the New Testament, fasting continues to have a significant place in the life of the church and individual believers:
    1. Luke 2:37 Anna
    2. Acts 13:1-2 Saul and Barnabus
    3. Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus

    In Luke 5:33-34, we see other leaders criticizing Jesus because His disciples are not fasting. While He is in the presence of His people, there is no need to fast. Once He ascended to heaven, we are to fast until His return. When He returns, He won't call for a fast, but instead will call for a feast!
    There are 2 types of biblical fasts:
    • A Partial Fast - This is described in the book of Daniel. For 3 weeks, Daniel, who was a prophet during a time when Israel lived in exile, abstained only from "delicacies" like meat and wine (Daniel 3)

    • A Complete Fast - This means only drinking water or juice when fasting for an extended period. Juice fasts will provide you with more energy than water only fasts and still lead you into the humbling experience of denying your desire for solid, chewable food.

    How to Fast:
    1. Start slow - one meal/day or one day/week
    2. Consider your family - make sure there is understanding with others
    3. Consult your Dr - if fasting for an extended time
    4. Feast on Scripture while fasting - this is THE KEY

    As followers of Jesus, may our God-given vision drive us to fast, and may our fasting feed our prayers.
    Questions to consider:
    1. When was the last time you fasted? What was that experience like for you? If you haven't fasted, why not?
    2. What is the vision for your family? small group? our church? your neighborhood? Are these important enough passions for you to fast?
    3. When will you fast next?



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    35 mins
  • When You Pray: Week 6

    When You Pray: Week 6
    Jul 1 2024
    When You Pray: Week 6Matthew 6:12
    “Now what we need is forgiveness.” This powerful statement was uttered by prisoners of war to their captors after the victorious Allies swept in. Today, Pastor Alex focused on the phrase in the Lord’s Prayer that addresses a very important need that we all have. That need is the forgiveness of sins. God forgives us through faith in Christ and we then follow His example by forgiving others who have sinned against us.
    Do not think that forgiving others is a prerequisite for God forgiving our sins. The opposite is true. We can forgive others because the Lord has already forgiven us. Romans 5:1 declares, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The cry of our heart, therefore, is for the Lord to help you deal with other people the way He has dealt with you.
    To forgive means to let go of the obligation another person “owes” you because of sin. The idea is pictured in grabbing hold of a hot pot with one’s bare hand. If this happens, the first thing to do is “let the pot drop.”
    How do we forgive?
    1. Understand what forgiveness is not. It is not approval or condoning what they did. Neither is it forgetting what they did. Hebrews 10:17 helps us to choose to no longer allow that sin to influence me.
    2. Choose to not keep a record of wrongs. Get rid of any list of wrongs you may be keeping either in your mind or on paper.
    3. Remind yourself that forgiveness is supernatural and that bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness is natural. You can’t forgive without the Lord’s help.
    4. Pray for them. Praying for those who have wronged you is a very important step towards forgiving and healing.
    5. Remind yourself of the cost of unforgiveness. As bitterness and unforgiveness takes root it will have a negative effect on you physically, mentally, and emotionally.

    Questions to Consider
    1. How does unforgiveness hinder one’s prayer life (Psalm 66:18,19)?
    2. What are some practical steps we can take to repair broken relationships and restore unity in the church that have arisen through bitterness and unforgiveness towards one another?
    3. How does unforgiveness grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30-32)?
    4. Discuss the impact of the various ways to emphasize the word forgiveness. (forgiveness, forgiveness).



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    40 mins
  • When You Pray - Week 5

    When You Pray - Week 5
    Jun 25 2024

    Today we continued in our series on prayer as we specifically focused on Matthew 6:11 from the Lord’s prayer:


    “Give us this day our daily bread”


    Give: We are commanded to ask God for our needs. But, we are not to do so with a demanding, arrogant heart. Instead the idea here is that we do so with an attitude of trust and humility. Give speaks to our dependence on God...


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    35 mins
  • When You Pray: Week 4

    When You Pray: Week 4
    Jun 16 2024

    Father’s Day 2024

    Many men today feel discouraged and devalued because there is a view in the culture that men are awful and despised. That goes against the Word of God in that God’s design is for manhood and womanhood to be a picture of God’s image. In 1 Kings 2:1-3, David says to his son Solomon, “Be strong, and show yourself to be a man.” David is not contrasting man to woman; he is contrasting man to child. Masculinity is demonstrated in our maturity.


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    34 mins
  • When You Pray: Week 3

    When You Pray: Week 3
    Jun 9 2024
    When Jesus asks us to pray, “Your kingdom come”, he is asking us to pray that His divine purposes would be fulfilled.

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    26 mins