“Taking Inventory”

 

Scripture Text

Psalms 26:2 (NKJV)
Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; Try my mind and my heart.

Intro: This time of year all businesses begin to take inventory for the purpose of determining what they accomplished for the past year and from that information, they formulate a plan for the New Year. We Christians need to do the same thing. We take inventory of what we have accomplished spiritually and formulate a plan for 2026.

I. Allow God’s Spirit to examine ~ study you in a very careful way! (v:2) Ask Him to show you where you need to change! God’s purpose for all His people in this life is to conform them to the image of Christ. 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. Conform means to be in agreement on every point. Is your life being brought into agreement with Christ’s way of doing things? Let God examine and show you the truth. Are you fulfilling the purpose of God in your life? Do you even know your purpose? Romans 12:2 (NLT) Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Our purpose in life is to constantly be changed into that new person He created us to be. We are changed in our thinking as we pray and read God’s word. We find His will for us. We were created to bring praise, honor and glory to Him while we are in this world.

II. Allow God to prove you through your actions! Prove means to show the character or ability expected of one, especially through one's actions. Are you most like the Father God in your actions or the world? Is your life being shaped more by others’ expectations of you than by God’s priorities? Are some of the things you are doing based on guilt, or a desire for approval or a need to make a good impression? Does God see the motive for your actions based on His will, yours, or someone else’s? Take note each week as to the use of your time. How much time is spent on the things of God? Ask God if any activities you are involved in that may not be on His agenda for you. When your activities have a reason, God’s reason, you can be less affected by the opinions of those who may not understand why you do what you do. God blesses His activities!

III. Allow God to test you in mind and heart! Test means to subject to strain, as of endurance, patience, affliction, trouble; or duty. Proverbs 24:10 (NKJV) If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small. James 1:3 (NKJV) Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. A lot of people talk the talk of faith, but do not walk the walk of faith when tested. 2 Corinthians 13:5a (NCV) Look closely at yourselves. Test yourselves to see if you are living in the faith. What you and I are seeking in the end is the  freedom to be who God is calling us to be. Philippians 1:20-21 (NLT) ²⁰ For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. ²¹ For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. This should be the goal for our lives this year of 2026! Not just in theory, but in everyday practice.

Invitation: Will you allow God to examine your heart right now? Allow Him to show you your heart as He sees it. Where do you stand in your relationship with God? Do you even have a relationship with God? If not, ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and invite Him into your life. If you have a relationship with God, allow God to test your motives and purposes for what you do? Will you take action and look back on what you did last year and see how much it fit God’s plan for your life! Will you rededicate your life to Him right now?

Real Joy

 

Intro: Are you missing the joy in your life because you are only focusing on being happy? The next time someone asks, “Are you happy?” you should tell them, “Sometimes I’m happy, sometimes I’m sad, but I’m always joyful in the Lord.”

I. You may ask “what do I have to be joyful about?” First & foremost, we have joy in the fact God loves us so much He paid the price for our sin with the life of His Son Jesus Christ & through Him we have eternal life. We also find joy by being with one another. Being together, in church and even in our homes. We can do things like tell stories, share memories, talk about our family, & many other things. We can have joy because God invites us to take all our cares to Him in prayer and leave them with Him. 1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV) casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

II. The Bible has many things to say about godly joy. Psalm 5:11 (NKJV) ¹¹  But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. In John 15:11 we read were Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” This is God's will for you!

III. Even when we are put through hard times we still have joy with the Lord. The apostle Paul probably went through more hardships than anyone in the Bible except for Jesus. But he had joy. Joy that could not be taken away. Many of the Books he wrote were written in prison. Paul was locked up when he wrote Philippians. He was imprisoned but Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Here he is in prison telling us to rejoice. If Paul can find reason to rejoice in times like this we can do the same. Godly joy cannot be taken away from us! Life has times of hardship & sorrow, but through anything we can rejoice & be joyful in our Lord!

Invitation: The only way to have true joy is if you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. You must confess your sins to Him and ask Him to forgive you. If you are sincere, He won't turn you away! Then you will know true joy as you live in Him!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, fill each one reading this with Your joy. Fill them with Your Spirit and hold them close to You. Give them the strength, comfort and encouragement they need for each day. Let them experience Your love and joy in a special way. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen!

Freedom

 

Scripture Text

Titus 3:3-8

Intro: This Thursday we celebrate our freedom and independence. Many men and women have died to make sure we stay free from bondage to another nation. As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper here today, we want to remember the freedom that God has given us through the gift of His Son, the wonderful Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

I. Remember our former way of life before Christ. Titus 3:3 (NLT)
³  Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. a. Without God, all of us were unbelievers enslaved to our passions and desires. Left alone, all human nature can only go from bad to worse. Instead of living for God, our lives were full of evil and envy before Christ. No matter how much “love” we tried to create without God, the overriding power of our sin produced a greater amount of hatred. We needed to be set free from this bondage to the devil. Thus there was no hope for us apart from the intervention of the holy God, the Creator and Savior.

II. We were set free from bondage by God our Savior. Titus 3:3-6 (NKJV)³  For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.⁴  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,⁵  not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, ⁶  whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. a. All of our former bondage changed when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared. What we could in no wise do for ourselves, God did for us through Jesus Christ His Son. God freed us from bondage to Satan and sin. He freed us in His kindness, love, and mercy. God in His grace saves and sets free those who believe, not because of any righteousness in them, but because of His mercy, love, and kindness. The three words, “kindness,” “love,” and “mercy” all represent aspects of God’s grace. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. The dual means of grace through which He accomplished this salvation are (1) the rebirth spoken of as a washing from the filth of our sins, past, present, and future. (2) We were renewed by the Holy Spirit ( 2 Cor. 5:17). The moment we believed in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord we were washed clean from the filth of our sins and we were given new birth and new life by the power of the Holy Spirit which God generously poured out on us Paul says in verse 6.

III. We have been justified by God’s grace. Titus 3:7 (NLT)  Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” a. From Adam we inherited a sinful nature (the tendency to sin), and we were under God’s wrath and due His punishment. Because Jesus took the punishment we deserved for sin and made us right before God, we are now free from all bondage. We have been declared not guilty. We can trade our sin for Jesus’ righteousness. When we do that, we know that we will inherit eternal life. Colossians 1:13-14 (NKJV) ¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Eternal life began the moment we gave our life to Christ, but there is more to come! Our experience now is only a foretaste of what God has guaranteed to us in the future! Praise be to God!

IV. We are to devote ourselves to helping set others free from bondage. Titus 3:8 (NLT) This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone. a. Believers must show their beliefs through their conduct. We must be careful to do good deeds all the time, wherever we are. Sound belief must manifest itself in good works. As we live a godly life before others, and help reach them with the gospel message, we will be helping to set them free from their bondage to sin and Satan.

Invitation: Allow the Holy Spirit to look into your heart and tell you whether you are a child of God or not. If God’s Spirit points out you are not His child, you need to correct that. Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him for His forgiveness. Do it now. Don’t wait!

God's Will Concerning the Spirit

Scripture Text

Ephesians 5:17-21

Intro: To be able to live the Christian life God intends we need power that we don't have within ourselves. God made provision for that when He sent His Spirit to this earth at Pentecost. Only a person filled with God's Spirit can live victoriously in this world.

I. We are not to be foolish and unwise. Ephesians 5:15-17 (NKJV) ¹⁵  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶  redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. God wills for us to be wise. We should not be foolish and silly but instead we should redeem (make the most of) time and understand what the Lord wants us to do. God has a will for His children. We are to understand what His will is for each of us that belong to Him. Believers must not waste their time acting thoughtlessly anymore. We have a job to do, and our lives must reflect our motivation and our goal which is to serve our Lord, share His gospel message, and live in a way so as to honor Christ and be ready for His Kingdom.

II. God wills for us to be filled with His Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV)¹⁸  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. To understand the Father's will and carry it out we need a power that we don't have within ourselves. The first church in the book of Acts didn't have radio, T.V. Newspapers or social media but they turned the world upside down. They were not discouraged from acting on their faith no matter what they had to face. What was their secret? Acts 2:4 says they were all filled with the Spirit. We also need the Spirit's power to understand and carry out God's will. We are not to be drunk with wine. Being drunk with wine portrays the work of the flesh, our old life, that was sinful and evil. Being filled with the Spirit portrays our new life in Christ. Just as too much wine influences and controls your actions that all can see, being filled with the Spirit influences our actions and causes us to act a certain way for all to see Christ in our lives. With the old life we served the devil and sin. With the Spirit we are to serve God and live for Him. To be filled the Spirit means to be fully surrendered to and controlled by the Spirit. The fullness of the Spirit is a personal manifestation of Christ to the believer who walks obediently day by day. It is a consciousness of His presence, of His leadership—moment by moment. Romans 8:14 (NKJV) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Being filled and led by the Spirit is the believer's privilege and duty. But the Spirit's filling and leading is not an automatic experience. The responsibility of being filled and led by the Spirit rests upon the shoulders of each believer. Can't just pray once and it's done. To be filled with God's Spirit we must be walking (living) in obedience to Christ and desiring more of Him in our lives. Then the heavenly Father fills us with the very Source of all good things. Just think about that. The very presence of God dwelling within our hearts and bodies! If He dwells within us, then every good thing is assured. Once we are controlled by the Holy Spirit, we have God's presence within to accompany and guide us and give us understanding of His will for our lives and the power to accomplish His will.

III. The evidence of being filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:19-21 (NKJV) ¹⁹  speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰  giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹  submitting to one another in the fear of God.

1. A Spirit-filled person has a singing spirit. [v:19] The mention of singing is the picture of true joy and happiness. God's Spirit will put a song in your heart. Grounded in God’s word and correct doctrine, music can be an important part of Christian worship and education.

2. A Spirit-filled person has a thankful spirit. [v:20] Note the words "always" and "for all things." No mumbling and complaining. Our lives are in God's hands. He guides and directs us in and through all things. Therefore, we can thank Him for all things—no matter what the things are. He controls all. Giving thanks as we walk along throughout the day—always giving thanks—helps us to experience the fullness of God's Spirit.

3. A Spirit-filled person has a submissive and respectful spirit. [v:21] When we submit to God, we become more willing to obey his command to submit to others, to surrender our rights to theirs. A Spirit-filled person does not have a spirit of criticism, dissension, envy, divisiveness, or selfishness. He has a spirit of submissiveness. The same is true of churches: a Spirit-filled church has a body of people who are submissive—going out of their way to minister and serve each other. There is no dissension or divisiveness, no envy or selfishness among its people. In the fear of God, they submit to each other in the fullness of God's Spirit. They also produce the fruit of the Spirit in their lives.

Galatians 5:22 (NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Conclusion: We are to take seriously the command to be filled with the Spirit. It is not an option for us to decide. It is the will of God. If you haven't already begun to pray to be filled with God's Spirit, begin right now and pray for it everyday and receive what God has willed for you and live in His power. It is of the utmost importance for the Christian.

Invitation: The only way to have the Spirit of God in your life is to confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life. At that moment the Spirit comes into your life. Then surrender completely to God's Spirit and let Him lead you until God calls you home!

 

The Greatest Christmas Gift

 

Intro: In a few weeks we will celebrate Christmas. This is one of the most important holidays for mankind with Easter being the other important holiday. Christmas is a time of giving.

I. God was the first to give. Mankind was lost without God’s gift. The hymn “O, Holy Night” says “long lay the world in sin and error pining till He appeared and the soul felt it's worth.

a. The greatest gift ever given on that first Christmas night was the gift of God’s one and only begotten Son that through Him we might be forgiven of sin and have eternal life. Luke 2:8-11 (NKJV) ⁸  Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.⁹  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

¹⁰  Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.¹¹  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. b. The gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus was the Christ or “Anointed One.” His Hebrew name is “Messiah” meaning Jehovah is salvation or He is the Savior. The name means deliverance, of being saved from sin that leads to perishing. John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He (gave) His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

II. Jesus gave the gift of His life on the cross for us. Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

a. He suffered for our sins, not His own, because He had no sin. Our Lord Jesus suffered all five kinds of wounds known to medical science: contusions—blows by a rod; lacerations—scourging; penetrating wounds—crown of thorns; perforating wounds—nails; puncture wounds, spear for us. He paid the price required by the Father, that we might be healed. What a precious gift that Jesus gave!

III. God has given us the gift of His Spirit. a. We were baptized into the body of Christ by the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

b. The Father has given the guarantee of eternal life that we have in Him by His Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 (NKJV) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise

c. The Holy Spirit has given us the gift of His power to live righteously and be witnesses for Jesus Christ. We received that power the moment we were born again. Acts 1:8 (NKJV) ⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Notice we start locally and go to the end of the earth.

IV. The greatest gift we can give to Jesus Christ is helping to spread His message of salvation to the world. Nothing would please Him more. Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV) ¹⁸  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

¹⁹  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,²⁰  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. No greater gift can be given than that of Christ and His salvation to lost souls. Jesus said in (Matt. 10:8b) Freely you have received, freely give. When we give Christ to a lost and dying world it is truly the gift that keeps on giving throughout eternity. The purpose of missions is to take the gift of the message of Jesus Christ to every person in the world. Jesus said “He came to seek and save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) This offering goes to help reach every person world wide with the gift of Jesus Christ and the salvation He brings.

Conclusion: Any mission outreach will only be as successful as we make it through our prayers and our giving. Let’s all be a part of giving the greatest Christmas gift ever to as many as is possible through the mission opportunities before us. May we each resolve to honor Christ by praying and giving in His name!

Invitation: Have you been the recipient of the greatest gift God has ever given to mankind? If not now is the time according to God’s word. Simply confess your sins against God and ask Jesus to forgive and save you for the kingdom of God. Invite Jesus to take charge of your life till He calls you home. And be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit!

A Touch of Faith

Mark 5:25-34

The bible says in Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:1 (NewCenturyVersion) Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.

1.  By faith we activate the presence of God. Mark 5:25-26 (NKJV) Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.

The woman had been hemorrhaging for twelve years; it was uncontrollable. No one could touch her or anything she had touched. This particular woman had tried all she knew. She had seen "many physicians" and "spent all that she had," and yet she "grew worse." She was to be totally cut off from society and religious worship. Her last resort was to turn to Jesus! Even though she couldn’t go to God’s house, by her faith she activated the very presence of God in her life and situation. We are going to activate God's presence for these prayer request!

2.  By faith we activate the power of God.

Mark 5:27 (NKJV) When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.

There is the shy, embarrassed, unworthy attitude. Note the woman made her way through the crowd and came up behind Jesus. She wanted to touch Jesus without being seen or noticed because she was embarrassed and felt unworthy. Her hemorrhaging was a personal, intimate matter for her, something she did not want to be known and discussed. She was considered unclean; therefore, she felt unworthy to approach Jesus but she had an expectant, believing attitude. The poor woman believed what "she had heard of Jesus." (V:27) She believed the gospel that Jesus loved and cared and would make her whole.

Mark 5:28 (NKJV) For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."

She believed in her mind, in her heart, in her soul, with her whole being. She cast off all doubts!

She believed two things: the gospel (what she had heard about Jesus) and the power of Jesus to make her whole. By her faith she activated the power of God in her life. We all must use our faith to activate God's power to answer each prayer request that was on the cross. When she activated Jesus' power in her life the answer came. Mark 5:29 (NKJV) Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

1.  She touched Jesus by her faith. [v:30]

Mark 5:30 (NKJV) And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"

There was no way Jesus could have felt the touch to His robe. He was being pressed and thronged by the crowd, yet when she stepped up behind Him and touched His robe, He knew. How?

a. Her faith touched Him. It is faith that touches Jesus. Faith will never go unnoticed nor be ignored by Jesus.

3.  BY faith we activate the purposes of God.

a. Others must know of God's power. Mark 5:33 (NKJV) But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

Jesus had made the way easy for her. He had allowed her to be healed without embarrassment, but it was not enough to believe in secret. The secret disciple had to be brought to the point of confessing her faith so that everyone could know God’s purpose for mankind. God's purpose is to bring glory to Himself and His love, care for His people. When a person or a group of people place their faith in Jesus and His power, it touches Jesus, and Jesus infuses His power and life) into that situation. Thus the purpose of God was activated by this woman who was an outcast by society.

Others must know God’s purpose for mankind is what life and salvation are all about: the infusion of His power, and abundant life and healing into the spirit, soul, and body of man.

c.  Mark 5:34 (NKJV) And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."

 Conclusion: She was given comfort, joyfulness, courage, confidence, and boldness in her faith and healing.

She was assured that she was whole permanently. Her deliverance would last.

 She became a daughter of God. She was given physical healing, soul salvation and peace with God.

Invitation: We all need something from God! It’s crisis time for your faith. (Hebrews 11:6)
Do you have faith in what the word of God says about Jesus and His omnipotent power? Will you be the one to touch Jesus by faith and activate His presence, power, and purpose in your life or someone else's life?

You can activate the power of God in your life, in your situation right now, whatever you may be facing.

If you need salvation from the penalty of your sins, confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your heart to take charge of your life. It will be the greatest day of your life.

God Came to Earth!

Scripture Text John 1:14-18

Intro: John's gospel tells us the story of the greatest day for all mankind. It was the day that God came to earth to dwell among us and reveal Himself to us.

1. At Christ birth God became flesh (v.14a) John 1:14 (NKJV) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, Jesus was fully God and man.

a. At Christmas the very God of heaven left His glory there and came to earth. No other religion has a God that has done this. God saw our lost condition and in His compassion, love, mercy, and grace decided to come to us in the person of His Holy Son Jesus Christ.

2. At Christ's birth God's glory was revealed to us (John 1:14b-c) and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

  a. Glory refers to Christ’s divine greatness and shining moral splendor. His glory was seen visibly by His disciples and the people who lived in that day. (John 1:14b) The glory of all that God was stood right before them, right in their very presence. They beheld Him with their very own eyes. Jesus Christ, the Man who dwelt among them, was the very glory of God among men. Hebrews 1:3 (NLT) says  “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of his command.”

 b. He was full of grace and truth (John 1:14c) No other word so expresses the depth and richness of the heart and mind of God. Grace means the unmerited favor and blessings of God. Jesus revealed the fullness of God's grace and He was the embodiment of truth. [John 14:6] Jesus came to reveal the truth of God the Father to us, He revealed the truth of who God was, what God expected of us and the only way to Him.

3. John the Baptist bore witness of Christ's birth and His superiority. John 1:15 (NKJV) John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' "

a. John was born to prepare the way for Christ. The words "for He was before me" literally mean first in relation to me. It refers both in relation to time and importance. Jesus Christ was first in time, existing before John. He existed "in the beginning"—before the creation of the earth, and He has existed throughout all eternity. John also declared that Jesus was first in importance. He was first in superiority, Being, Person. He is worshiped of angels. His is the First and the Last, Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.

4. At Christ's birth He brought God's fullness and grace to mankind. John 1:16-17 (NKJV) 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

  a. Not by law (John 1:17a) The law of God did not bring us His mercy and grace because no one could perfectly keep God's law. The law was given to lead us to Christ and His forgiveness for our failures. We do not receive Christ's fullness and grace by the law of good works. No one will ever deserve Christ's fullness and grace because of what they do.
  b. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17b) We could never earn God's salvation, it is a gift of His grace and it came through His Holy Son Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus was born, to bring the fullness of God's person and grace to us! When you know Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, you have all of God's fullness and grace in your life. Colossians 2:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; ¹⁰  and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

5. At Christ's birth He revealed God to mankind. John 1:18 (NKJV) No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

The bible tells us no one has ever seen God. Jesus at His birth revealed the Father to us. Jesus came from the "bosom of the Father" (from the deepest part, the most intimate place of God). Jesus told His disciples “he who has seen Me has seen the Father.” [John 14:9] At His birth, Jesus not only proclaimed God to mankind but also He revealed God's truth to mankind, and He revealed the way to God and that way is through Him, only begotten Son of God.
Conclusion: The holiday we celebrate as Christmas means we are celebrating the birth of a Savior sent from God the Father to redeem and save mankind from their sins and to reveal Father God to us. This is the real reason for the Christmas holiday season.

Invitation: Have you taken advantage of Christ's birth? He came to save [you] from the power and penalty of sin. John 1:12 (NKJV) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. Have you personally received Him and do you believe in His name? Do you know for sure your eternal destiny? If not, confess your sins to Jesus Christ and ask Him to forgive and save you from hell and for Heaven. Receive Him into your life to take charge of you.

HOW TO RELEASE GOD’S POWER IN OUR LIVES

Intro: All Christians need to release God’s power in their lives because we can’t live the victorious life God intends for us to live without His power working in us.

I. PRAYER RELEASES GOD’S POWER IN OUR LIVES. Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. We need God’s mercy and grace to help us live in His power. WE MUST BE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. WE WILL NEVER LIVE IN GOD’S KINGDOM POWER UNTIL WE SPEND SOME TIME COMMUNICATING WITH HIM. PRAYER SHOWS THAT WE DON’T HAVE DEAD FAITH, BUT THAT WE HAVE ACTIVE FAITH THAT’S SINCERE ABOUT LIVING IN ALL GOD’S POWER THAT’S AVAILABLE TO US. James 4:2b “You have not because you ask not.” If we want God’s power released in our lives we must ask for it in earnest prayer. We must pray to be filled with His Spirit. As we live in step with His Spirit God releases His power in our lives. WE MUST HAVE AN EARNEST DESIRE FOR GOD’S KINGDOM TO COME AND HIS WILL BE DONE IN OUR LIVES AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!

2. Worship releases God’s power in our lives. Worship is paying reverent honor and respect to God. a. True Worship is the means by which God makes Himself known in our lives. John 4:23-24 ²³  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. ²⁴ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."  Worship of God can be done only through Jesus who expresses God’s invisible nature. He does this by the Holy Spirit who releases to a believer the power of God. Where true worship is, God’s presence will be made known. Our hearts are the ground in which the decision is made to give God His rightful place in our lives. When we decide to worship God in Spirit and truth, His power and rule is established in us so we can live victorious over Satan and sin. Spirit worship involves the person’s awareness that God has planted in him or her His Spirit. God indwells believers—that is where true worship takes place. Our body can be anywhere, yet worship occurs as our attention and praise are turned toward God. We need to consciously focus on God when we are in a house of worship because we easily assume that our presence in church is all that we need in order to worship. We can usually remember how long the worship service lasted, but can we remember exactly when we actually worshiped the Lord?
When we worship in spirit, we allow God’s Spirit to become active in our lives by submitting to His will for right living, witnessing, giving, and breaking up the strongholds of sin in our lives. We through submission to the Spirit’s power cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. [2 Cor. 10:5] To worship in truth means sincere and pure worship without hypocrisy.

3. READING GOD’S WORD ON A DAILY BASIS RELEASES GOD’S POWER IN OUR LIVES. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Whenever we allow the word of God to work in our lives, it is effectual in power. The Holy Spirit takes God’s word and makes it alive in us. The Spirit through God’s word, sanctifies us and delivers us from the slavery of sin and Satan, renewing us both inwardly and outwardly, and comforting, strengthening, and establishing our hearts.  [2 Peter 1:3-4] ³ His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
⁴ by God’s glory and virtue [excellence] we have been given exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Conclusion: PRAYER, WORSHIP AND READING GOD’S WORD WILL HELP US LIVE IN HIS KINGDOM POWER. WHEN WE PUT PRAYER, WORSHIP AND THE WORD OF GOD IN OUR MIND AND HEART IT BECOMES A LIVING POWER WITHIN OUR BEING. THE HOLY SPIRIT USES GOD’S WORD TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL IN OUR LIVES. THE SPIRIT TAKES THE WORD AND TRANSFORMS US. THEN WE BEGIN TO LIVE IN THE KINGDOM POWER THAT HE INTENDS FOR US TO DO. HE WANTS US TO BE OVERCOMERS IN THIS LIFE. WE WILL HAVE TRIALS AND TESTS, BUT GOD’S WORD TELLS US THAT HE WILL BE WITH US THROUGH WHATEVER WE FACE. THEN WE WILL GO THROUGH THEM IN A VICTORIOUS WAY JUST AS JESUS DID.

INVITATION: IF YOU HAVE NEVER RECEIVED JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR, YOU HAVE NO POWER OPERATING IN YOUR LIFE AND YOU ARE HEADED FOR HELL, BUT YOU CAN CHANGE THAT RIGHT NOW IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO. JUST CONFESS YOUR SINS TO JESUS, THEN ASK HIM TO FORGIVE YOU AND INVITE HIM INTO YOUR HEART. ASK HIM TO GIVE YOU ETERNAL LIFE. THEN YOU CAN BEGIN TO LIVE IN GOD’S KINGDOM POWER AND WHEN YOUR TIME COMES TO LEAVE THIS EARTH YOU WILL BE IN HIS HEAVENLY KINGDOM FOREVER.

Praying in Faith!

Scripture Text 

Matt. 17:14-20

Matthew 17:14-20 (NKJV) ¹⁴ And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ¹⁵ "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him." ¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me." ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

I. Praying in faith means belief God will grant my prayer request. Matthew 17:19-20 (NKJV) ¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" ²⁰ So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

The Lord's disciples could not cure the man's boy. They had no power against the demons. The clear reason for no power against the demons was unbelief. What is unbelief? Why does faith weaken and turn into unbelief? The disciples had been given and promised unusual power earlier and they had ministered effectively (Matthew 10:1; Luke 10:17). But now the power seemed to be gone and they were unable to minister. "Why?" they asked. Do you and I believe God will grant our prayer request?

Jesus answered, "Because of your unbelief." "What is unbelief?"

1.  Unbelief is doubting God Himself, the object of one's faith. It is also questioning the power of God. Is He really strong enough to do what is needed: to save, deliver, heal, and help with my situation or problem I am praying about? Our faith is to be in God, not in our prayers or anything else. In Mark 11:22 Jesus said to His disciples, “Have faith in God”!

2.  Unbelief is doubting the power of the Lord within my heart and mind. Our hearts and minds must be in tune with God for our prayers to have power. If you think you can solve everything on your own you will never pray. If you are too proud you won't ask God for help. Pride leads to prayerlessness. We should examine our faith, making sure we are trusting not in our own abilities to produce results but in God’s.

3.  Unbelief is doubting one's own faith. It is questioning the strength of one's own dependence and confidence in Christ. May we do a faith check to see where we are!

4.  Unbelief is doubting if the thing needed is God's will. It is questioning if one should be seeking such a thing or if God is willing to do what is needed. That's when we Ask the Holy Spirit to help us pray. Romans 8:26 (NKJV) Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. The answer to unbelief is hungering and thirsting after God so much that we spend a great deal of time in God's presence reading His word and praying so that even food is forgotten. We do without in order to meet God when we are serious about prayer.

II. Our faith in God releases His great power. [Matt. 17:20] So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

As we put our trust in God, His great power is released. The Jews clearly understood what Jesus meant by "removing mountains." The phrase was a Jewish expression or proverb meaning "to remove difficulties.” The greatest difficulties in human life can be removed only by faith in God. Jesus said we only need mustard seed faith to move our mountains of difficulty. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Rom. [10:17] Prayer is an acknowledgment of God's power and love. Prayer and faith in God can do anything. Working together they can release God's power to remove all kinds of mountains: fear, disappointment, depression, despair, sickness, temptation, guilt, weariness, loneliness, persecution, heartache. Prayer is an acknowledgment of our helplessness. If we are facing problems that seem as big and immovable as mountains, we must turn our eyes from the mountain and look to Christ for more faith.

Then, as Jesus promised, nothing will be impossible.

We must be people of faith to please God. Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Invitation: A person is also saved by faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He paid for our sins by His shed blood on the cross of Calvary. When one confesses their sin and asks Jesus for His forgiveness, they are saved that moment for Heaven and from Hell!

Spiritual Warfare

Scripture Text

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Intro: Every day we wake up, we will be fighting spiritual battles all day long. The battleground is our mind. Selfish, evil, sinful ideas are not of God. God is not evil, selfish, or sinful; therefore, such evil thoughts and reasoning's are often injected into the mind of men by fleshly spiritual forces that stand opposed to God.

I. Spiritual warfare is not fought with fleshly or worldly weapons. 2 Corinthians 10:3 (NKJV) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. Paul says in this verse that although we believers "walk in the flesh"; that is, we live in a body just like all other people. But we do not war in the flesh. We do not fight the struggles of life using only our own strength. Why? Because we know that there is spiritual warfare going on for the minds and lives of people. We Believers know that the evil forces of the spiritual world lie behind sin and evil, disorder and devastation, corruption and deterioration· *death and hell. Believers know that we cannot "war after the flesh"; that no man nor any combination of men can conquer the spiritual forces that fight and eat away at man until they destroy him. No matter how strong, educated, or scientific man may become, he cannot deliver himself from the spiritual forces that cause evil, sin and death. There is no worldly weapon that can defeat evil spiritual forces.

II. The believer's weapons against evil forces are spiritual and mighty. 2 Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV) For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. God's word says our bodies are the temple of the Lord, the place where His Spirit dwells. We know that there is nothing in this world that can conquer the spiritual forces that lie behind the evil and death of this world. Therefore, we fight the spiritual battles of this life with spiritual weapons, weapons that are of God and are made mighty and powerful by God. We believers use spiritual weapons to "pull down strongholds." The evils of this world that are deeply entrenched and fortified in the minds and hearts of men. These strongholds are clearly seen in the daily newscasts and behavior of people day by day. Evil, sin, destruction and death can never be permanently overcome by carnal or worldly weapons. Only the spiritual weapons of God can permanently conquer evil. God has given us the weapons of prayer, His word, and His Spirit!

3. The method of conquering the forces of evil. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV) casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

a. The believer casts down imaginations: thoughts and imaginations that are uncontrolled, wild, evil, lustful, immoral, unjust, wrong, untrue, devilish, and set against God and His word. Through prayer, God's word, and the power of the Spirit the believer wars, fights, and struggles to "cast down" evil imaginations. He fights to bring down his imaginations,those mental images and thoughts that fights against the knowledge of God.

b.  The believer casts down "every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God": false ideas about God, false doctrine and teaching, false reasoning's; human pride and arrogance, sensuality, self-sufficiency and self-righteousness that set themselves up against God.

c.  The believer seeks to captivate every thought to the obedience of Christ. A phenomenal statement—every thought controlled and subjected to Christ! This is the spiritual objective of the true Christian believer. God created man for fellowship and communion with Him, therefore, the believer wars—struggles and fights—to captivate every thought and focus it upon God and His righteousness. He seeks to walk in an unbroken fellowship and communion with God. How is the control of every thought possible? Through the power of the Holy Spirit of God “we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service.” [Romans 12:1] Our bodies are all we have to offer—we live in our bodies. The body is the home of our emotions, our mind, thoughts, desires, and plans. The body represents the total person; it is the instrument by which all our service is given to God. In order to live for God, we must give him all that we are, represented by our body. If our body is at God’s disposal, he will have our free time, our pleasures, and all our behavior. Since the battleground is the mind and it is, we have to renew our minds with the word of God. We filter what comes through our minds by the word of God. If it doesn't fit God's word, we reject it. To be able to use God's word as a filter for your thoughts, you must know what His word says. The most important weapon against wrong thoughts is the knowledge of God's word. We hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against God.

Conclusion: Begin to filter your thoughts and make sure the devil has not got a stronghold in your life. It is important what you think! You are what you think. The bible says as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7

Invitation: Are you completely sure that Heaven will be your home when you die. Does the Holy Spirit confirm with your spirit that you belong to Christ? If not, now is the time to make sure. Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and save you! Follow Him in believer's baptism.