Change

Intro: When is the last time you took a good look at your life? Do you wish things in your life would change? Today let's look at what God says about the changes we might need to make. Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.Change begins when we face the truth about ourselves. Lamentations 3:40 (NKJV) Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord.

1. Take a good look at your life. Are you closer to the Lord today than you were last year at this time? Are you more intimidated by the things going on in your life and those around you? Are you weary and heavyhearted of life; feeling threatened, defenseless, helpless and overwhelmed with life's problems? Are you depressed and anxious about things? Tired of dealing with it all? Wishing you could get away from it all? Are you relying on yourself to solve all of life's problems? Do you keep making the same old mistakes in you life? If you keep doing things the same old way, you will wind up with the same old results. That's why change is necessary. For real change to take place, we must face the truth about ourselves

2. God desires change for us. Romans 8:29 (NKJV) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. How much like Jesus are you? God our Father is continually working in our lives to change us more into the image of Christ. If we surrender to His Spirit working in us, then we can live our lives more like Jesus and handle our problems like He did, and be victorious over every situation in life. Father God wants the best for all of us. When we give up our way of doing things and obey Him, we can be assured God will help us with a new outlook on life and on it's problems. He will give us the power we need. Everything we need is found in Him and Him alone. We will never find lasting peace in this world around us, in better circumstances, or human relationships. The things in the world are constantly changing because of sin and the curse of decay and death.
3. Change begins within you. Colossians 1:27 (NKJV) To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Unless you change whats inside you and how you respond to life's problems, you'll never alter their outcome. You will continually be burdened down by your situation in life. This scripture reminds us that Christ Himself lives in us. He resides in the deepest depths of your being. He is in an eternal union with your spirit. We must learn to tap into the power of His Spirit within us if we hope for a change in our lives and to be able to overcome life's problems the way God intends for us to do. Colossians 3:15-17 (NKJV) ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Col. 3:15 says to let the peace of God be the umpire in our lives. When we read God's word and pray with the focus of our attention on Christ's Spirit within, His peace will reign in us. That's what we are all seeking, His peace ruling in us as we handle every day situations that come into our lives, rather than living in worry, doubt, and fear. Jesus invited us to come to Him when we are burdened and heavy laden and He would give us rest. He invites us to take His yoke upon us and learn from Him and we will find rest for our souls. When we let the word about Christ dwell in us richly and allow it to become a part of us as the first part of Col. 3 verse 16 says, we will respond to life's situations in Christ's power, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. May we tap into this gold mine of power and peace that is deep within us, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. May we allow Christ's Spirit within to bear His fruit in our lives daily.                                                                        Invitation: The first change we all need is to know Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. Do you know Jesus as your Savior and Lord? If not the bible says that today is the day of salvation. Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life to take charge of you and help you to handle all of life's problems and troubles. He will not turn you away! If you know Jesus as your Savior, His Spirit in you is the hope of glory. Look to Him for all your needs!

Real Love

Intro:  Let's look at what God has to say from His Holy word about the subject of real love. It has lost its meaning in this world.

I. What is real love and where does it come from? Love is used so loosely in our society today that it has lost it's real meaning. A couple declares their love for each other and then at the first hint of trouble, they divorce. Churches split over the slightest disagreement. Nation fights against nation for power and control. The bible tells us where real love comes from. There is no real love apart from God, love began with Him because He is love. 1 John 4:16b God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Example of what God's real love does! [John 3:16] God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. [1 John 4:10 ] ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Here God’s actions defines the pattern of true love, the basis for all love relationships. When you love someone, you are willing to sacrifice dearly for that person. Real Sacrificial love is also practical in seeking ways to meet the needs of those who are loved. Real love is never about you, but how you can express that love to others.

II. Real love fulfills all the law. [Matthew 22:35-40] ³⁵ Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ³⁶ "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" ³⁷ Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."                                                                                  III. We are to love one another. [John 13:34-35] ³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. a. Real love obeys Christ's commands. John 14:15 (NKJV) "If you love Me, keep My commandments. John 15:9-10 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.                 b. Characteristics of real love in action. 1 Corinthians 13:3-7 (NKJV) ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. ⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.                                          IV. God's love for us is eternal. Romans 8:35-39 (NKJV) ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." ³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. These scriptures help seal our assurance in God's love. Paul lists several situations we might think could come between us and God. Paul knew from experience that these could not separate believers from God because he had already experienced them. This means that the love of Christ doesn’t separate us from these experiences, but even in the most devastating of these, the love of Christ is with us. Nothing can separate us from God's love for us which is in Christ Jesus or Lord.

Conclusion: The bible says in Romans 5:5 “The love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” We are to allow His love to flow from us into the lives of those we come in contact with each day. If we do, people's lives will be changed for the glory of God the Father.

Invitation: Have you experienced God's love for you in the forgiveness of your sins? God sent His only begotten Son into this world for that very purpose. If you have not taken advantage of God's loving forgiveness, confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive your sins and invite Him into your life to save you and live in you. Be baptized as a witness of your faith in Him.

The Spirit Filled Life

Intro: When Jesus died and was resurrected, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to comfort and counsel us, and to lead us into all truth. Without the Spirit nothing can be accomplished for God. We must live our lives each day in the power of the Holy Spirit to be overcomers.

1. We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV) And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. This command is in the present tense which means that the believer is to be constantly filled with the Spirit; he is to keep on being filled. The Holy Spirit is to infill the believer continuously. The Spirit's filling is the personal manifestation of the presence of Christ to the believer who walks obediently day by day . It is a consciousness of His presence, of His leadership—moment by moment. It is living our lives in the power of His Spirit. But the Spirit's filling is not automatic. The responsibility of being filled with the Spirit rests upon the shoulders of the believer. He is filled only as he walks in submission to Christ. We are to pray and believe God for the filling of His Spirit in our own lives and take advantage of this power God has for us. Then we have freedom, ability and power to pray for the outpouring of the Spirit of God on the church, its efforts, on individuals, and on all mankind. When we have once learned to walk with the Father through the filling of the Holy Spirit, then we can most confidently pray for ourselves, our church, families, nation and for others too.

II. We are to be led and guided by the Holy Spirit. [Romans 8:14] (NKJV) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Believers not only have the Spirit within, but they are also to be led by the Spirit. When we are being led by the Spirit, only then are we children of God. As the Spirit leads us, He guide us into all truth. John 16:13-14 (NKJV) ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. We can not know truth unless the Holy Spirit reveals it to us. The Spirit takes the truth in God's word and reveals the way we should live our lives. God the Father says My way is best for you. He doesn't want us to be led astray or taken advantage of by anyone.

III. We are to walk (live) in the Spirit. [Galatians 5:16- 25]Galatians 5:16-25 (NKJV) ¹⁶ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Living our lives every day in the Spirit, being led by Him, walking hand in hand with Him, is the only way to overcome sin of all kinds and receive the favor and blessings that God intends for us to have. In Galatians 5:25 it says; If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. When the Holy Spirit leads, believers must follow. Since believers have been made alive by the Holy Spirit, He ought to direct the course of their lives. Unless we actively pursue contact with the Holy Spirit and obey his leading, we will be unable to resist the passions and desires of our flesh listed in verses 19-21.

Evidence of walking in the Spirit is listed in verses 22-24 of Galatians chapter 5. How are you doing?

IV. We are to pray in the Spirit. [Jude 20-21] But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, (v:21) keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

We believers are to build up our lives upon our holy faith. We are to study, meditate, learn, memorize, and live out the Scripture. We are to build upon what we have learned and then continue to build more and more. The only way believers can do this is to study the holy faith, the living Word of God. The believer builds by praying in the Spirit. To pray in the Spirit means that we pray under His guidance and influence, under His energy and power. That we seek and ask His help as we approach the throne of grace. We focus our minds and concentrate upon the Holy Spirit helping us to pray, and depend upon Him to help us. We ask and depend upon the Holy Spirit to cleanse our requests and make sure that what we ask is according to the will of God. We walk in the Spirit day by day and offer unbroken communication to God all day long. We set quiet time aside every day and wrestle in prayer before God for the needs of loved ones and for the needs of God's people and for the world—all in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion: The Father says He will be found by those who diligently seek Him. God alone can give you and I what we need for each day, in every circumstance and situation. In Him is fullness of life and joy forever more. In Him are the answers to all our problems. May we live our lives in the fullness of the Holy Spirit of God, praying in the Spirit, being led and guided by Him each day.
Invitation: As you focus on what you have read, let the Spirit of God lead you to the decision that you need to make. Has there been a time in your life where you stopped and confessed you sins to Jesus and asked Him to forgive you of those sins and to save you? If you have not now is the time to do that.