Sermon Notes from Sunday, November 28, 2010

Here are the notes from this past Sunday's sermon as I began a three-part series on praying. This sermon is "Closet Praying: Private Praying." Click here.

Daily Diligence

November 16, 2010 — by David C. McCasland (from Our Daily Bread)

Internationally acclaimed violinist Midori believes that focused, diligent practice is the key to performance. While playing a rigorous schedule of 90 concerts a year, she still practices an average of 5 or 6 hours a day. Jane Ammeson, in NWA WorldTravelermagazine, quoted Midori as saying: “I have to practice for my job and I practice every day. . . . It’s not really the hours, but the quality of the work that needs to be done. I see with students, that they play and they call it practice, but they are not listening and not watching. If you have your textbook open, it doesn’t mean that you are studying.”

That same principle applies to our walk of faith. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Diligence implies constant, earnest effort, and is the opposite of a careless, inattentive approach. It embraces every aspect of our relationship with God.

Just as a musician strives for excellence, we should want to serve God with confidence, seek His approval, and skillfully share His Word with others.

Am I diligently studying, praying, and listening to the Lord today?

When we live with expectancy,
Awaiting Christ’s return,
Our diligent obedience
Becomes our main concern. —Sper

God speaks to those who take time to listen, and He listens to those who take time to pray.

A Psalm of Thanksgiving - Psalm 136 - Message

Thank God! He deserves your thanks. His love never quits.
Thank the God of all gods,
His love never quits.
Thank the Lord of all lords.
His love never quits.

^4-22 Thank the miracle-working God,
His love never quits.
The God whose skill formed the cosmos,
His love never quits.
The God who laid out earth on ocean foundations,
His love never quits.
The God who filled the skies with light,
His love never quits.
The sun to watch over the day,
His love never quits.
Moon and stars as guardians of the night,
His love never quits.
The God who struck down the Egyptian firstborn,
His love never quits.
And rescued Israel from Egypt's oppression,
His love never quits.
Took Israel in hand with his powerful hand,
His love never quits.
Split the Red Sea right in half,
His love never quits.
Led Israel right through the middle,
His love never quits.
Dumped Pharaoh and his army in the sea,
His love never quits.
The God who marched his people through the desert,
His love never quits.
Smashed huge kingdoms right and left,
His love never quits.
Struck down the famous kings,
His love never quits.
Struck Sihon the Amorite king,
His love never quits.
Struck Og the Bashanite king,
His love never quits.
Then distributed their land as booty,
His love never quits.
Handed the land over to Israel.
His love never quits.

^23-26 God remembered us when we were down,
His love never quits.
Rescued us from the trampling boot,
His love never quits.
Takes care of everyone in time of need.
His love never quits.
Thank God, who did it all!
His love never quits! (Psalm 136, The Message)

Sermon Notes from Sunday, November 21, 2010

Here are the notes from my sermon Sunday, November 21, 2010 "When Jesus Calls You a Fool" from Luke 12: 13-21. Click here

Our granddaughter - Brooklyn Jane Cofield

Brooklyn Jane Cofield, born November 20, 2010 9:15 to Keith and Kimberly Cofield. She is the first girl born to our immediate family. Roxanne and I are very blessed.

The Wind Is This Punter's Friend

Sermon Notes from Sunday, November 14, 2010

Here are the sermon notes from this past Sunday "The Principle of Generous Giving" from II Corinthians 9:6-15. Click here

Caring for the Needy: What God Says

Tomorrow, I am continuing the series of messages about giving and will seek to emphasize the call to generosity of all grace-filled believers. In light of that, I am not able to include everything in the message that I would like. So, I am repeating a blog post of Randy Alcorn from September 22, 2010. You may see the original post here or read below:

This year nine million children younger than five will die needlessly, more than half from hunger-related causes. 25,000 per day. Over 1,000 each hour. These children are as precious as our own children and grandchildren. What would we want others to do for them if they were in this dire situation?

More than 1.4 billion people, 20% of the world’s population, earn less than $1.25 per day. (About one third the cost of a Venti latte.)

God has been speaking to Nanci and me about how we can give more to help the poor and needy. I’ve put together a list of Scriptures I cited in Money, Possessions and Eternity. Please read these and listen to what our God says to us, His children. Don’t ask what other people are doing, or how American Christians usually choose to live and spend money (as if it were ours). Ask God what He wants you to do with His money, which He has entrusted to your stewardship, to act with it on His behalf. Meditate on these Scriptures, and ask Him if He wants you to adjust your lifestyle in order to give more to help the needy:

Give generously to [the poor] and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. (Deuteronomy 15:10-11)

He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done. (Proverbs 19:17)

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. (Proverbs 22:9)

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. (Proverbs 28:27)

I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. (Isaiah 58:7, nlt)

Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as day. (Isaiah 58:10-11, nlt)

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:12-14)

Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these brothers of mine, so you have done it unto me. (Matthew 25)

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? (James 2:14-16)

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:16-19)

We offer the option of giving to the needy through EPM and our ministry will go about making the choice of where to send the funds. Some people prefer not to get on multiple mailing lists of organizations, but would rather EPM do their homework and select the best ministry in a particular area. EPM gives 100% of what is designated to special funds, nothing is withheld. You can donate online if you wish, and designate that the funds go to our Relief Fund.

Below are a couple of options for giving to help the poor and needy, through World Relief, an organization EPM supports and recommends. (And, of course, you can donate directly to them, if you prefer.) Learn more about them atworldrelief.org. (There are many other fine organizations out there doing the work of helping those in need. Check out my article “Nineteen Questions to Ask Before Giving to Any Organization” for some guidance on evaluating which ministries to give to.)

Darfur

The people in this arid region face violent militia attacks and severe food and water shortages.

Mothers bring their young children to our 13 feeding centers where the children are weighed, examined and given supplementary food as needed. We don’t send mothers away helpless. We teach them how to fend off malnutrition by preparing nutritious meals from inexpensive locally available ingredients.


Our goal is to build stability through interventions aimed at boosting the nutritional status of households, providing safe drinking water, improving hygiene, and protecting the health of women and children.

Malawi

With more than 800,000 orphans in the country, the need is great. Now, church-based volunteers offer food and assistance to ensure children finish their education. Agricultural programs, including an innovative program to grow groundnuts/peanuts, soya beans, sugar beans and high-value vegetables, offer families affected by AIDS seeds and tools to provide basic food and some family income.

Children in Malawi face malnutrition at alarming rates—more than sixty percent of children under five are chronically malnourished. World Relief uses the effective care group model to teach mothers about health, nutrition and hygiene.

www.epm.org/blog
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Sermon Notes from Sunday, November 7, 2010

Here are the sermon notes from Sunday, November 7, 2010 "The Leader Who Handles the Offering" from II Corinthians 8:15-9:5. Click here

Developing a lifestyle of praise

This is Nancy Leigh DeMoss' daily devotion today. What a joy to pass it on.

“When I pray, I’m really only asking God for help.”

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: How much time do you spend praising God?

“I don’t really get around to praising Him very much.

Nancy: Are you taking time to praise God? Here are nine reasons why we should develop a lifestyle of praise:

1. God loves praise and is looking for worshipers.
2. Praise is the primary occupation of heaven. We’ll do it for eternity.
3. God commands us to praise Him.
4. He deserves our worship and praise.
5. We were created to bring Him pleasure and praise Him.
6. Praise takes us into His presence.
7. Praise is a cure for spiritual dryness.
8. It defeats Satan.
9. Praise sets us free from spiritual bondage.

Are you doing what you were created to do? Be sure to spend some time today just praising God. With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

For those sins that so easily beset us

John Piper offers a solution to “sin that easily besets us in the form of an acronym: ANTHEM

A– avoid sights and situations that arouse unfitting desires. Prevent what fuels your appetite for sin.

N– say NO to every lustful thought within five seconds. In the first two seconds shout “No, get out of my head!” In the next two, cry out, “Oh God, in the name of Jesus, help me. Save me now. I am yours.” Say it out loud. The Puritan writer John Owen said, “Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.”

T– turn the mind forcefully towards Christ. Attack sin with the promises of Christ.

H– Hold the promise and pleasure of Christ firmly in mind. For how long? Until it pushes other images out. Hold it. Don’t let it go. Hold it until you win!

E– enjoy a superior satisfaction: Pleasure in Christ. If you have little taste for Jesus, competing pleasures will triumph.

M– move into useful activity, away form idleness and other vulnerable behaviors. Abound in the work of the Lord (see 1 Cor. 15:58). Replace deceitful lusts with a passion for good deeds.

Sermon Notes from Sunday, October 31, 2010

"Tithing isn't the ceiling of giving; it's the floor. It's not the finish line of giving; it's just the starting blocks. Tithes can be the training wheels to launch us into the mind-set, skills, and habits of grace giving." Randy Alcorn The Treasure Principle, page 65

Here are the sermon notes from this past Sunday, October 31 "Giving is a Heart Issue." Click here to read.

Pray for Dr. Robert Smith and family

Pray For Dr. Robert Smith And Family

Posted: November 2, 2010 by pastorron7 in Current Issues
Tags: Dr. Robert Smith, Beeson Divinity School

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Dr. Robert Smith’s family has been given a hard providence. His son was tragically killed this past weekend (Click here for article). Dr. Smith is a Professor at Beeson Divinity School of Samford University in Birmingham, AL. His son was living in Cincinnatti with his grandmother to take care of her. He was shot after having difficulty opening the cash register where he worked when the business was being robbed. Obviously the Smith family needs the comfort of God’s Holy Spirit in their time of grief (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

I don’t have a point of reference for such a tragedy. I can’t imagine the heart ache of Dr. Smith and his family. Life can change so quickly… so unexpectedly… in ways we never would have imagined. This reminds me that each day we have is a gift from God. Each moment we have in God’s creation is a blessing. And that the Christian’s sorrow is not like the rest of the world that has no hope.

Then I am reminded that it is as we walk with God we are better able to flee to the throne when unexpected events make their way into our life. The closer we are to God, the quicker we are by His side when we need Him.

Keep the Smith family in your prayers…

To lighten the mood on this Election Day

Now you see why I like basketball better than any other sport. Would you have seen this at a football game?

My prayer for our nation as we face elections 2010

As I write this one day before the election, I am reminded of the article I wrote two years ago on the same day. Click here to read that article of November 3, 2008.

Two years of complete Democratic rule has most of us conservatives wishing for a complete Republican take-over tomorrow.

Yet, years of going through these times (I am old enough to have gone through the Reagan elections), I am here to say our greatest need tomorrow is NOT for Republicans to gain control of the Congress, state house or any house. We’ve been there and done that.

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and whose goal is to see “His Kingdom come and His will be done,” and for every person on this planet to be transformed by the grace of God; then my greatest desire is to see a change of heart among those who occupy the seats of government as well as the seats in our churches.

The church needs to repent of believing a party will ever bring about the “glory of God” that this nation and church needs. The church (of which I have been a part for thirty years) has too long believed that getting the right party or person into political office will solve our problems. Well, it hasn't and it won't. We need heart transformation; not just party swapping.

Government policies can (and do) legislature morality, but a change of morality is not what we as believers in Christ want to see. We must not lessen our goal of seeing hearts changed. We want to see persons (whether they are in the government or church) who will without apology give the only and highest glory to God, and God alone. And not just to how you interpret "God." His name is Jesus!!!

Then, morality will take care of itself when hearts are changed.

I do not believe either the Republicans nor the Democrats are at that point. In fact, I don’t know if any of them even really care about this country - only that they get re-elected and put more money in their pockets. (Please, forgive me - I don’t mean for this article to go negative).

The competition, compromise and calloused self-promotion of both parties is not worthy of my following as a Christian. My allegiance is to a higher calling and purpose.

So, what do I do tomorrow? I will vote, but with a very heavy heart. I will weep over the choices we have. But to stay home and not vote would even be worse.

My prayer for me, our churches, and our nations: "Now, therefore, says the Lord, Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning." So rend, your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God,..." Joel 2:12-13

Oh, God, may I live long enough in this land to see it!!