What are you Waiting For?

Sermon Text: Ps. 27:14 - Wait for the Lord;  be strong and take heart  and wait for the Lord.

Sermon Title:  What are You Waiting For?

1.  Builds anticipation – Phil. 4:6 - 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

2.  Grows your faith – Romans 10:17 - 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

3.  Draws you closer to God – vs. 8 - 8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”  Your face, Lord, I will seek.

4.  Weeds out bad motives – Matt 6:33 - 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

5.  Becomes a teachable moment – vs. 11 - 11 Teach me your way, Lord;  lead me in a straight path  because of my oppressors.

6.  Gives you “street cred” – 1 John 4:4 - 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

7.  Confirmation that God will do it!  - vs. 14 - Wait for the Lord;   be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Put a Name on It Part IV

Sermon Text: Matthew 1:23 - "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us").
Sermon Title: Put A Name On It – Part IV

Point 1:  Call Him by name

a) El Shaddai:“God Almighty.” It stresses God’s loving supply and comfort; others His power as the Almighty one standing on a mountain and who corrects and chastens (Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; Ex. 6:1; Ps. 91:1,

b)  El Elyon: “The Most High God.” Stresses God’s strength, sovereignty, and supremacy (Gen. 14:19; Ps. 9:2; Dan. 7:18, 22, 25).

c)  Yahweh Jireh (Yireh): “The Lord will provide.” Stresses God’s provision for His people (Gen. 22:14).

d)  Yahweh Nissi:“The Lord is my Banner.” Stresses that God is our rallying point and our means of victory; the one who fights for His people (Ex. 17:15).

e)  Yahweh Shalom:“The Lord is Peace.” Points to the Lord as the means of our peace and rest (Jud. 6:24).

f)    Yahweh Sabbaoth:“The Lord of Hosts.” A military figure portraying the Lord as the commander of the armies of heaven (1 Sam. 1:3; 17:45).

g)  Yahweh Ro’i: “The Lord my Shepherd.” Portrays the Lord as the Shepherd who cares for His people as a shepherd cares for the sheep of his pasture (Ps. 23:1).

h)  Yahweh Tsidkenu: “The Lord our Righteousness.” Portrays the Lord as the means of our righteousness (Jer. 23:6).

i)    Yahweh Shammah: “The Lord is there.” Portrays the Lord’s personal presence in the millennial kingdom (Ezek. 48:35).

j)    Yahweh Elohim Israel: “The Lord, the God of Israel.” Identifies Yahweh as the God of Israel in contrast to the false gods of the nations (Jud. 5:3.; Isa. 17:6).

k)  Adonai: Like Elohim, this too is a plural of majesty. The singular form means “master, owner.” Stresses man’s relationship to God as his master, authority, and provider (Gen. 18:2; 40:1; 1 Sam. 1:15; Ex. 21:1-6; Josh. 5:14).

Point 2:  Call the Right God - 1 Sam 5:2–7 -2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold. 6 The Lord’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors. 7 When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.”
The Philistines got the Ark of the Covenant and set their god beside God. Each morning there god had fell over. They finally revealed their god could not stand up to THE God.
       We do the same thing every year. We bring all kinds of gods by the wrong names and set them beside Jesus birthday. None of them can stand up to Jesus. They weren't born on Christmas. They were created by man. We bring in gifts and set them beside Jesus. We name it Christmas. We bring Christmas parties and set it beside Jesus and name it Christmas. We bring in Christmas trees and set them beside Jesus and call it Christmas. We bring in Santa Claus and set him beside Jesus and call it Christmas but he falls over too. We bring in sales, shopping, trips and family and set them beside Jesus and call it Christmas. All of them fall over just like Dagon. They are the wrong name and I don't care how much you call them Christmas they are not Christmas and they will fall also. They will fail you every time.

Life Application: 

1.  Call on him…Jesus to save you.

2.  Get your own name for God – I need you…way maker…bill payer…new relationship

3.  Remember for Christmas – his name is Emmanuel.  

Put a Name on It Pt 2 - 11am

Sermon Text:  Luke 1: 13, 62-64 - 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

Sermon Title:  Put a Name on It! Pt II

Lesson 1:   Whenever God tells you to name something DO IT – Vs. 19-20 - 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

Lesson 2:  Incorrect naming will stop your flow in God verse 20

Zachariah was not able to talk.  

Vs. 22-24 - 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.

Lesson 3: Zachariah got the name right. Vs. 62 – 64 - 62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

1.  Relationships will tell you the wrong name based on tradition

2.  When putting the right name on it you must be willing to be different

3.  The last words Zachariah said was doubt…the first words after putting the right name on it was praise

Point 4:  Put a Name on it!

a)  El Shaddai:“God Almighty.” The derivation is uncertain. Some think it stresses God’s loving supply and comfort; others His power as the Almighty one standing on a mountain and who corrects and chastens (Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11; Ex. 6:1; Ps. 91:1,

b)  El Elyon: “The Most High God.” Stresses God’s strength, sovereignty, and supremacy (Gen. 14:19; Ps. 9:2; Dan. 7:18, 22, 25).

c)  Yahweh Jireh (Yireh): “The Lord will provide.” Stresses God’s provision for His people (Gen. 22:14).

d)  Yahweh Nissi:“The Lord is my Banner.” Stresses that God is our rallying point and our means of victory; the one who fights for His people (Ex. 17:15).

e)  Yahweh Shalom:“The Lord is Peace.” Points to the Lord as the means of our peace and rest (Jud. 6:24).

f)    Yahweh Sabbaoth:“The Lord of Hosts.” A military figure portraying the Lord as the commander of the armies of heaven (1 Sam. 1:3; 17:45).

g)  Yahweh Ro’i: “The Lord my Shepherd.” Portrays the Lord as the Shepherd who cares for His people as a shepherd cares for the sheep of his pasture (Ps. 23:1).

h)  Yahweh Tsidkenu: “The Lord our Righteousness.” Portrays the Lord as the means of our righteousness (Jer. 23:6).

i)    Yahweh Shammah: “The Lord is there.” Portrays the Lord’s personal presence in the millennial kingdom (Ezek. 48:35).

j)    Yahweh Elohim Israel: “The Lord, the God of Israel.” Identifies Yahweh as the God of Israel in contrast to the false gods of the nations (Jud. 5:3.; Isa. 17:6).

Life Application/Homework:

1.  Put the right name on your problem

2.  Put the right name on your pain

3.  Put the right name on your promise

Put a Name on It Pt 2

Sermon Text:  Luke 1: 13, 62-64 - 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

Sermon Title:  Put a Name on It! Pt II

Lesson 1:   Whenever God tells you to name something DO IT – Vs. 19-20 - 19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

Lesson 2:  Incorrect naming will stop your flow in God verse 20

Zachariah was not able to talk.  

Vs. 22-24 - 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion.

Lesson 3: Zachariah got the name right. Vs. 62 – 64 - 62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God.

1.  Relationships will tell you the wrong name based on tradition

2.  When putting the right name on it you must be willing to be different

3.  The last words Zachariah said was doubt…the first words after putting the right name on it was praise

Life Application/Homework:

1.  Put the right name on your problem

2.  Put the right name on your pain

3.  Put the right name on your promise

Put a Name on It

Sermon Text: Genesis 2: 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.

Sermon Title: Put a Name on It

Luke 1: 31, 59 – 63 - 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”.

Exodus 17:7 - Moses named the place Massah (which means "test") and Meribah (which means "arguing") because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the LORD by saying, "Is the LORD here with us or not?"

Genesis 26:33 - So Isaac named the well Shibah (which means "oath"). And to this day the town that grew up there is called Beersheba (which means "well of the oath").

Genesis 26:22 - Abandoning that one, Isaac moved on and dug another well. This time there was no dispute over it, so Isaac named the place Rehoboth (which means "open space"), for he said, "At last the LORD has created enough space for us to prosper in this land."

Genesis 35:15 - And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means "house of God"), because God had spoken to him there.

Genesis 32:30 - Jacob named the place Peniel (which means "face of God"), for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared."

Judges 2:5 - So they called the place Bokim (which means "weeping"), and they offered sacrifices there to the LORD.

 In other words the Jews put on name on it.

Point 1: Name your day Psalm 118: 24 This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Point 2: Name your mood/attitude Isaiah 26:3 - You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

Point 3: Name your ability   Philippians 4:13 - For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Point 4: Name your future Romans 8:31 - What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Conclusion:

Journal Entry - 5 of 5

Personal Journal Entry Note #5 of 5 – October 25, 2015 – Published November 20, 2015

Overview: The purpose of Our Journey His-story (OJHS) journal is for you to learn what to do when you are faced with a crisis, have a map and blueprint to trace your steps when you face a seemingly insurmountable problem and for Pastor & Sheep to live out our faith together as “He who begin a good work in us will bring it to completion” Phil 1: 6.  We will "finish what we started".  I begin this OJHS personal prayer journal entry with a summary of journal entries I've had since February. As I share with you my journaling, I believe it is important that I bring everyone up to date and you see how God operates during painful periods in our life, how he can operate in your life and how he is operating at New Life

The more banks I tell our story to the more angry I get.  One bank meeting the banker told us they feel like we have grounds to sue the bank that did this… I wasn’t sure whether they were baiting me to see if I would play the victim…I told them I didn’t have time to be a victim…I had a vision and I would be victorious if they give us the loan…banks stick together so being a victim would make the bank the villain…just don’t trust the lawsuit suggestion…

        My prayers were so powerful…my journaling so reflective; my banking meetings so constant…I am not giving up.  One bank says maybe; another says no; still another doesn’t return a call…still more prayer…Lord I know you got us Lord.  I know you are with us no matter how the meetings go.

        My faith is soaring even though I don’t see any end in sight.  I met with a lot of leaders individually and collectively and all of them to a person are full of faith.  We have circled the wagons…I feel God is about to move but I don’t know when. 

        More prayer…more meetings…more calls…then a trip to Dallas for MegaFest.  Bishop Jakes church finance consultant/advisor wants me to meet with one more person…the advisor is not happy with the process…he is assertive, confident of victory but frustrated with the length of time its taking…  We meet in the lobby of the hotel and we discuss in detail everything…I am believing God…the Lord reminds me of my meeting with the focus group of LifeChangers who told me others are wondering why the youth building is not completed and why are things taking so long.  So during my meeting I begin to believe God to do everything.  You have not cause you ask not so I ask…with a firm handshake and clean eye contact I ask for everything. Not only restart construction but add the youth building.  I am really going to trust God.

        The more we talk the more I believe God is at work.  Weeks go by and I see the hand of God working through this lender.  We discuss how to change the scope to not do some classrooms and office space and add the youth building.  They say yes.  but I don’t agree right away.  I put them on hold for a few days…I’ve gone from crying for a yes to telling the bank with the yes I will get back to them…I’m not crazy, I’m full of faith and I have to make sure no one else gives me a better deal – God is at work.  I put the pastoral staff on a fast and I agree to the bank coming to be in church…Everything is going our way – God’s way – Yes! Yes! Yes!  I agree.  Now it’s more documents and one thing after another to get to closing. 

Everyday more meetings; lawyer…mayor…architect… contractor…staff… vision board…and then repeat all that over again.  Now the Summit is here and every preacher is confirming what’s going on behind the scenes…I can’t wait; I call, text and email the bank one more time to get the yes documented before loan docs are done and before I tell the LifeChangers.  We talk Friday night as well as Saturday all during the day.  I’m satisfied…although we haven’t closed.  It’s time to tell everyone what God has done.  God you are so faithful.  You timed this from Thursday February 26^th to now.  Every 227 days; every 5448 hours; every 326,880 minutes; every 19,612,800 seconds of this wait was worth it.  You increased our faith – you kept us together.  We kept growing spiritually and numerically…now we are restarting the building….with the Youth Building – Hallelujah – Thank you Jesus. 

Please see contractor schedule for the OJHS below.  All dates can change depending on weather and subcontractor availability. 

YOUTH BUILDING OBLIGATION TO THE GENERATION

Mobilize Equipment                 end of November – December 1^st  

Electrical                                 January 1^st week

Plumbing                                         January 3^rd week

Dry Wall/Studs                        February 1^st week

Punch List                               February last week

Ready for Occupancy              March 2^nd Week

SANCTUARY EXPANSION (MORE SEATS, MORE SOULS)

Schedule still pending             Hopefully start before Christmas

God's Permanent Promises

Sermon Text: Jonah 4: 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city.

Sermon Title: God's Permanent Promises

Point 1: God's Promises always come with instructions 1: 1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.

Point 2: God's promises will pursue you Deut 28: 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if obey the Lord your God:

Ignoring

        God's Promises will result in great peril 1: 15, 17; 2: 10 (15)Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. (17)But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. 2:10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land

Point 3: God's promises predate you…connected before time Jonah 1: 1…Jonah son of Amittai:

Life Application:

1.  Acknowledge…

2.  Stop…

3.  Accept…

God! But You Promised!

Sermon Text: 2 Peter 1: 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Sermon Title: God! But You Promised!

1 Thess 5: 24 put it…the one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. Isaiah 40: 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth but the word of our God shall stand forever.

Point 1: God's promises will outlast your problems Isaiah 40: 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth but the word of our God shall stand forever.

2 Cor 1: 20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ And so through him the Amen is spoken by us to the glory of God.

Psalms 34: 19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all

Isaiah 43: 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Point 2: God makes pain the guardian of His promises vss. 6 - 8

1.  Live with it

2.  Live by it

3.  Live from it

Point 3: God's promises will secure your future 1 John 2: 25 And this is what he promised us--even eternal life.

Life Application:

1.   Define your problem

2.   Determine which promise fits

3.  Don't doubt the promise no matter what

Push Past Your Pain/Problem

Sermon Text: Mark 6: 50b, 51 Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid. Then…

Sermon Title: Push Past Your Pain/Problem

Point 1: Jesus tells them to Take Courage vs. 50 - “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

DON'T WORRY WE DON'T LOSE. WE ALWAYS WIN.

That’s what you have to say to your problems and pain…I will not lose…shout TAKE COURAGE

Point 2: Jesus told them 'It is I' vs. 50 - “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

It is the same phrase that is used in

Exodus 3: 14 - 14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[a] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

Isaiah 43: 25, - 25 “I, even I, am he who blots out

    your transgressions, for my own sake,

    and remembers your sins no more.

48: 12 “Listen to me, Jacob,    Israel, whom I have called:

I am he;    I am the first and I am the last.

Point 3: Jesus told them 'Don't be afraid' vs. 50 - “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Matt 17: 7 - 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”

Deut 31: 6 - 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Point 4: 'Then' Jesus does something…he gets in the boat vs. 51a - 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down…

Life Application:

1.  Recognize your pain level

2.  Wrestle the answer from your problem/pain

3.  Receive strength by acting

4.  Trust that Jesus will restore calm

Winter BLESSINGS!

Sermon Text: Exodus 16: 18…Each one gathered as much as he needed

Sermon Title: Winter Blessings!

Numbers 13: 1 - 3 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, everyone a chief among them.” ³ So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel.

Numbers 13: 21  ²¹ So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath.

Numbers 13: 27 - 33 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. ²⁸ However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. ²⁹ The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.”

³⁰ But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” ³¹ Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” ³² So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. ³³ And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

Numbers 14: 21 - 22 But truly, as I [God talking] live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, ²² none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice,

 Numbers 14: 30 not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. 

Point 1: Winter Blessings is meat from heaven Exodus 16: 13 That evening quail came and covered the camp… The Children of Israel complained about everything.

Point 2: Winter Blessings is manna from heaven Exodus 16: 12, 14 I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know I am the Lord your God.' "

Point 3: Winter Blessings is clothes that don't wear out Deut 29: 5 During the forty years that I led you through the desert, your clothes did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet

Point 4: Winter Blessings is new mercies every morning

Lamentations 3: 22, 23 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Life Application:

1.  Determine…is the key

2.  Know if God…don't trigger Winter

3.  Remember God is…

Winter is Over!

Sermon Text: Ecclesiastes 3: 1There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.

Sermon Title: Winter is Over!

Point 1: Winter Kills Things That Need to Die Psalms 23: 4 Ye though I walk through the shadow of death I will fear no evil

Point 2: Winter Makes You Remember When! Ephesians 3: 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than you can ask or think by the power that works within us.

Point 3: Winter is Certain to Come and it is Certain to Go Genesis 8: 22 As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."

1.  Hunker down with faith

2.  Wait it out it won't outlast you, you are better than that

3.  Praise it out…keep your spirits high

4.  Stay in the word and repeat His promises to your self

5.  Find you a foxhole partner that has more experience than you, stronger than you, smarter than you

Conclusion: