*Greenery symbolizes life green symbolizes eternal life in Christ John 3:16-17
*Wreath symbolizes that God is eternal and His kingdom has no beginning or end Revelations 1:8
*Star we place on top the tree symbolizes the star of Bethehem that guided the wise men to the newborn king. Matt 2:10
*Angel we place on top of the tree symbolizes the angels that announced the birth of Christ Luke 2:10-14
*Candles we light remind us Jesus is the light of the world John 8:12
* Candy canes we eat remind us of the shepards staff Red represents the blood of Christ shed John 8:12 and the white His purity.
*the christmas gifts we give and receive remind us of the gifts the wisemen brought for the baby Jesus Matt 2:1-12
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Seeking Him
His glory:
confess all known sins, put away all doubtful things and forgive everyone, obey the Holy Spirits promptings, publicly confess Christ is your savior
God wants 2 things submission and obedience
Humility-pride is opposite of humility--recognizing oneself as a sinner before the holy God. an awareness of God's holiness drives us to acknowledge our sin and receive God's forgiveness
Honesty-Whoever conceals his trangressions will not prosper but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy
Repentence-God faithfully gives us opportunity to repent we must be honest and open about our sin silence only condemns by keeping us guilty repentence is not an option it is a requirement must see a change in behavior
Grace-before sin becomes an act it is a thought-- need to call out to God for help
we are utterly dependent on His grace to live a Christian life
Holiness-having a heart like His. Set apart. He commands us to be holy, he will not command us to do something he will not enable us to do
Obedience-primary concern is us being right with Him, it is a positive active response to listening to the word of God, it is foundational to the Christian life, actions speak louder than words, partial obedience is disobedience each act of disobedience is a step away from God
clear conscience-a right relationship with God affects our relationships with others it is words, actions and attitudes 1. make a list 2.seek Gods forgiveness 3. seek forgiveness from others that I have wronged, 4. choose words carefully 5. make restitution where necessary 6. reconcile the relationship 7. face hardest situations first 8. dont stop til finished 9. maintain a clear conscious
Match the scope of my confession to the scope of the offense
Forgiveness-the forgiven must be forgiving it is not forgetting but releasing the debtor
Sexual purity- dont allow any compromise giving in to one small issue weakens your resistance
spirit filled life-I am responsibe for the way i have choosen to respond to those hurts
Have a personal devotional life, seek Him
confess all known sins, put away all doubtful things and forgive everyone, obey the Holy Spirits promptings, publicly confess Christ is your savior
God wants 2 things submission and obedience
Humility-pride is opposite of humility--recognizing oneself as a sinner before the holy God. an awareness of God's holiness drives us to acknowledge our sin and receive God's forgiveness
Honesty-Whoever conceals his trangressions will not prosper but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy
Repentence-God faithfully gives us opportunity to repent we must be honest and open about our sin silence only condemns by keeping us guilty repentence is not an option it is a requirement must see a change in behavior
Grace-before sin becomes an act it is a thought-- need to call out to God for help
we are utterly dependent on His grace to live a Christian life
Holiness-having a heart like His. Set apart. He commands us to be holy, he will not command us to do something he will not enable us to do
Obedience-primary concern is us being right with Him, it is a positive active response to listening to the word of God, it is foundational to the Christian life, actions speak louder than words, partial obedience is disobedience each act of disobedience is a step away from God
clear conscience-a right relationship with God affects our relationships with others it is words, actions and attitudes 1. make a list 2.seek Gods forgiveness 3. seek forgiveness from others that I have wronged, 4. choose words carefully 5. make restitution where necessary 6. reconcile the relationship 7. face hardest situations first 8. dont stop til finished 9. maintain a clear conscious
Match the scope of my confession to the scope of the offense
Forgiveness-the forgiven must be forgiving it is not forgetting but releasing the debtor
Sexual purity- dont allow any compromise giving in to one small issue weakens your resistance
spirit filled life-I am responsibe for the way i have choosen to respond to those hurts
Have a personal devotional life, seek Him
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Roaring Lambs
Christians should lead a fully intergrated life
We must put our own desires, goals, motives, and plans aside in favor of Gods direction.
Devote yourself to prayer- than act
The current church is almost a nonentity when it comes to shaping culture
If we want to point someone to the Savior I need to make sure my professional behavior is stellar.
Our world instead of running from it we need to rush into it. And instead of just hanging around the fringes of our culture we need to be right smack dab in the middle of it
We have a Shepard we can trust fully, so we really ought to be out there on the front lines of battle for the cause of the gospel. Be the salt of society.
The salt Jesus has in mind is stinging, biting, cleansing, and preserving and is anything but dull, anything but tame. To be the kind of salt Jesus spoke about is to be on the cutting edge, in the fray, at the forefront of the battle.
Once we accept Him into our lives we are automatically the salt of the earth.
Number one way to be the salt- teach His relevance, to demonstrate His relevance, and to live His relevance in every part of our lives.
Salt retards spoilage it doesnt prevent it, It slows decay , it doesnt stop it
When Christians carp,criticize, and complain but offer no alternatives, the world rolls its eyes.
We need to act as a purifying agent to hinder the spread of evil. Best way to stop evil is to replace it with something good
write letters to the editor, correct errors
Be a presence in american public life
know we can make a difference, we must be deliberate about it
watch good programs
help children make good choices
express your opinion
dont waste money on boycotting--proclaim dont protest
pray pray pray
Bob Briner
We must put our own desires, goals, motives, and plans aside in favor of Gods direction.
Devote yourself to prayer- than act
The current church is almost a nonentity when it comes to shaping culture
If we want to point someone to the Savior I need to make sure my professional behavior is stellar.
Our world instead of running from it we need to rush into it. And instead of just hanging around the fringes of our culture we need to be right smack dab in the middle of it
We have a Shepard we can trust fully, so we really ought to be out there on the front lines of battle for the cause of the gospel. Be the salt of society.
The salt Jesus has in mind is stinging, biting, cleansing, and preserving and is anything but dull, anything but tame. To be the kind of salt Jesus spoke about is to be on the cutting edge, in the fray, at the forefront of the battle.
Once we accept Him into our lives we are automatically the salt of the earth.
Number one way to be the salt- teach His relevance, to demonstrate His relevance, and to live His relevance in every part of our lives.
Salt retards spoilage it doesnt prevent it, It slows decay , it doesnt stop it
When Christians carp,criticize, and complain but offer no alternatives, the world rolls its eyes.
We need to act as a purifying agent to hinder the spread of evil. Best way to stop evil is to replace it with something good
write letters to the editor, correct errors
Be a presence in american public life
know we can make a difference, we must be deliberate about it
watch good programs
help children make good choices
express your opinion
dont waste money on boycotting--proclaim dont protest
pray pray pray
Bob Briner
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
One step at a time
If God wants you to go someplace, He will give you the desire to do so.
God gives His followers the desire and drive to follow His divine plan for their lives.
Knowing God's will is a journey.
As we rest in God and trust Him to guide us, He will reveal His plan one step at a time, one day at a time.
It is very important that we familiarize ourselfs with the bible. God will never lead us to disobey His word.
We need to wait patiently on the Lord and listen for the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit.
God gives His followers the desire and drive to follow His divine plan for their lives.
Knowing God's will is a journey.
As we rest in God and trust Him to guide us, He will reveal His plan one step at a time, one day at a time.
It is very important that we familiarize ourselfs with the bible. God will never lead us to disobey His word.
We need to wait patiently on the Lord and listen for the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit.
Abide in Him
If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7. To abide in Christ means to be wrapped up in Him: it means He is the most important aspect of your life.
Blessed Hope
Scripture is clear, that while awaiting the resurection of the body, we enjoy the conscious presence with the Lord. For us this is the end time. Its our last generation, because this is the only generation we have as individuals
Thursday, October 21, 2010
LIFE
Life is but a stopping place,
a pause in whats to be,
A resting place along the road
to sweet eternity.
We all have different journeys,
Different paths along the way,
We all are meant to learn some things,
But never meant to stay....
Our destination is a place
far greater than we know.
For some, the journey's quicker,
for some, the journey's slow.
And when the journey finally ends,
We'll claim a great reward
And find everlasting peace,
Together with the LORD
a pause in whats to be,
A resting place along the road
to sweet eternity.
We all have different journeys,
Different paths along the way,
We all are meant to learn some things,
But never meant to stay....
Our destination is a place
far greater than we know.
For some, the journey's quicker,
for some, the journey's slow.
And when the journey finally ends,
We'll claim a great reward
And find everlasting peace,
Together with the LORD
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