Something About Power John 1:1-12 9-15-1996

Something About Power 9-15-1996 H=John 1:1-12

What to do with the logos passage?

to them he gave power to become the sons of God

1. power to know that you will spend eternity in heaven, saved
it's like winning the lottery

2. Power to think you are there
guilt-oppressing others
man makes 10 rules to be able to keep God's one
Jim Sheves at Forbes construction

3. Power to live
power to help with problems
to them he gave power
to be healed, to end suffering, to endure suffering

Power to know that life has meaning
raise kids
to laugh, to cry, to carry injured off the field

the blinking light at the airport......
when it is all said and done.....you have to know the way home.

wherever you are at in your life.......the power of God is there for you and me

do you need power in your life?
he is still giving us the power to become the sons of God
there is power in the blood of the lamb

There is Power in the Kingdom 1-25-98

Sermon 1-25-98 There is Power in the Kingdom

To them he gave power to become the sons of God
Power...examples we can relate to...hard to think of
Powerlessness...plenty of example
to train children, to control our relationships
to drive on ice, to pick clothes that match

In the world there is a sense of powerlessness
Powerlessness over hatred, abuse, war, wickedness, addiction, oppression, sorrow, anger, manipulation

In K of God, there is power
power to become...power to change

Power always comes from somewhere...
you don't find it laying in the gutter
power is delivered from a greater source to a lesser
Jesus Christ is the greater source
all things were made by him
in him was like
his life was the light of men and women
full of glory, grace and truth

Power to become a Christian...to see change in your life
to face with confidence that which has frightened you

• I have seen those with cancer die, but I have also seen them live
• I have seen those who were addicted fail, but I have also seen them rise above
• I have seen those who were followers of Stan, become followers of Christ

With the help of God

• the shallow can become deep
• the lost become found
• the weak can become strong
• the broken can become healed

There is power to become in the kingdom of God

There is power to become the sons of God
he did not make them become
he gave them the power, they chose to step u
they were given a chance to participate

Need power in your life
trust, have faith in God, receive power to change
or to grow in grace
or to become a son, or daughter of God

God is- Part 6 God is Greater than our Hearts 1 John 3:16-20 7-15-07

Korlova 1215
Vbs this week
Chat w pastor
Back to School
Need hospitality
Biggs receptionSermon 7-15-07 1 Jn 3:16-20
God is part 6. God is greater than our hearts

1 jn 3:16-20
16This 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. 17If 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? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

Feelings, o-o-o feelingsFeelings, nothing more than feelings,trying to forget my feelings of love.Teardrops rolling down on my face,
trying to forget my feelings of love. Feelings, woooo feelings

In the scripture today, God says, hello, I am here
I am bigger than your heart

Feelings. This is how we set our hearts at rest……
1. we do what we know we must do
2. we remember that God is bigger than our hearts

Feelings are powerful things.
The sad ones seem to be more powerful.
Anyone here felt sad this week?

Maybe You hurt someone’s feelings.
Maybe You disappointed your mother.
Maybe You remember something that you did a long time ago.
Maybe You don’t like yourself.
Maybe You just feel bad.

If I didn’t feel sad, I might feel better about my relationship with God.
But I don’t, I have done a very human thing
I have transferred my feelings about myself and the world onto him.







Transference
Your wife leaves to go somewhere without saying goodbye.
Ohhh, she must be mad at me.
You call her on her cell phone. Why are you mad at me?
What are you talking about?
You didn’t say goodbye to me……
I am trying to check out….lets talk when I get home…
She comes home. You go thru the same thing again…….
What really happened?
I imposed my world view onto her. My feelings were imposed on her.

We do the same thing to God.
I am sad: God must be mad at me.
I have sinned: God must be angry with me.
I am afraid: God has forgotten about me.

Not only is this not true, this is not fair.

It is not right to impose my opinion of someone else on them.
They are not defined by my opinion of them.
Its not fair and its not true.
My feelings about someone does not say who they are.

Ray P is Ray P., regardless of how I feel about him.

God is God not matter how I feel about him.
We do not worship a heart-sized God. Our God is greater than our hearts.
We cannot conform God to our image
If God is a square but you think that God is a triangle, he does not become a triangle to accommodate your way of thinking.

God is bigger than our hearts.
Is 55: 8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
He is steady. He is sure. He is the same, yesterday, today and forever.
There is only one reliable standard of reality, and that is the God who is greater than our hearts.



So when you feel bad, God still loves you.
He waits for you to finish the pity party. Hello, I am here

· Are you fearful, filled with anxiety? – God is greater than our hearts.

· Are you in grief over the loss of a loved one? –
God is greater than our hearts

· Is your heart sick because of a broken relationship,–
God is greater than our hearts. Are you in despair over kidnappings, war and illness – God is greater than our hearts.Our hearts worry. But they are not the whole story, they are not the last word.

The last word is this: God is greater than our hearts. God is the ground of all reality and all possibility.

Conclusion
Prayer
God we are sorry that we tried to force you into your human box. We are glad that you are greater than us. God we trust you.








Martin Luther once wrote, “Conscience is one drop; the reconciling God is an ocean of comfort.” There is so much more to reality than what our hearts can know. We are this one little drop, and God is so much greater. Everything else – our self-condemnation, our anger, our anxiety, our despair, our grief – everything else is small too, in the face of so much greatness and love.I think Luther might’ve liked this story. There was this wave way out in the ocean. He was just gliding along being a wave, splashing and spraying in the sunlight, until one day he saw wave after wave in front of him crashing on the beach and he got scared. He was sad, and he was anxious, as he watched all those waves exploding on the shore. But then this older wave in front of him said, “I know exactly what your problem is. You’ve been so fixated on being a wave that you forgot - you’re really just a part of the ocean.

God is - Part 5 God is Forgiving Micah 7:18-20 7-8-07

Sermon 7-8-07 Micah 7:18-20 God is, Part 5 God is forgiving

Vbs registration

Back to school drive
God is:
1. god is trustworthy, present everywhere
2. god is our loving father
3. god is not trying to trick you, he is caring
4. god is our friend
5. god is forgiving

Micah is called a minor prophets…..What is a minor prophet?
Micah’s time…sitz en leben
He speaks the promise of forgiveness……
Micah 7
18 Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. 20 You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our fathers in days long ago.

Main theme of scripture- Core doctrine of the Christian faith

Litany of forgiveness
Noah, David, Jonah, Joseph’s brothers
Hosea’s wife

Jn 4 the woman at the well.
Jn 8, the woman caught in adultery
The prodigal son
The disciples that deserted him
The thief on the cross
Saul, murderer of Christians

We don’t celebrate these people because of their sin.
but our sin is always an opportunity to experience grace
Romans 6:1 shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound?
Your sins can play a positive purpose…..drive you closer to the heart of God

Woman who washed Jesus feet with her tears.
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
36Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."
40Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. 41"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,[d] and the other fifty. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"
43Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said.
44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
48Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
49The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

For you to remember your sins
is a be healthy if it keeps you from repeating them
It is bad if you constantly beat self up over them

How well does the church represent the grace and forgiveness of God
· The church has not always served people well.
· We are supposed to be the brokers of grace, yet the churches are filled with people who don’t feel forgiven.
· There are many who tend to be overcome with a sense of their own inadequacy instead of God’s grace.

Easier to talk about forgiving others than forgiving self.
We aren’t personally invested in the sins of others unless they effect us.
We have an innate sense of right and wrong and we are appalled, embarrassed by our sin.
We don’t connect to the sins of others. We don’t feel personally responsible for them.
We aren’t

The result is that we think god can forgive others, but not me
When we think god can forgive others but not us, we feel small,
but that is an enormous thought. Selfish thought. I am special.
My sins are worse than anyone else’s.
God is going to have to make another sacrifice for me

you don’t get another sacrifice for your sins
Well friends it was a Costco purchase. You were bought in bulk…

So: God holds no grudges
Psalm 103:12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

He keeps no record of wrongs….
1 cor 13
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Hebrews 10
16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Demello…story of forgiveness….tell the bishop I don’t remember his sins.

God holds no grudges
He keeps no record of wrongs….

There is a time to hurt and a time to heal.
The awareness of sin brings us down, but when we ask for forgiveness, we should become aware of his grace

Psalm 30 weeping lasts for a night, but joy comes in the morning….

What can I say to get thru to you.
Its over. The battle is over the victory is won.
You don’t have to carry this burden any more
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
It is what God does…….

God Is: Part 3 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 6-24-07

Golf Tourn
VBS sign ups
New foyerSermon 6-24-07 God is: part 3 2 corinthians 1:1-11

We continue our series on the character of God…..

Week 1
He is not gender male, not human but a spirit.
God is omni present………
He is trustworthy

Week 2
He is our father

Today: He cares about you. He is a God of comfort.

This doesn’t seem like rocket science, but you cannot believe the number of people that I run into that evidently believe that God is a real ogre.

The death of a child
I was talking to someone about a couple that had a baby die in child birth. The comment was, why would God do this to them?

Is that what you think of God, that he decided to kill your child?

Where does this kind of thinking come from?

At the death of an adult
I have stood in many homes where the family is grieving the loss of a loved one. Inevitably someone will say, it must have been Gods will.
Really, God just reached out and killed that girl in ohio?

What kind of a God do we believe in?

Does God really decide all of this. Everything?
Then what of free will?
We cant have it both ways…….

What kind of a God do we believe in?


God is out to get me
I talk to people who think that God is after them all the time.
That he is just waiting to find a reason to send them to hell.
They are constantly asking for forgiveness because they believe that if they sin and die w/o asking forgivnesess, they will go to hell.

Who taught them that God was like this?
God is not looking to catch you on a technicality. He loves you.
People get hung up on so many silly things………
At the pearly gates, you lived a good life, but you were baptized the wrong way…..cant come in…..

People that believe such things about God tend to live very neurotic and fearful lives.
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of adoption, where by we cry out Abba, Father. Romans 8

Our lives can sometimes mirror what we believe about God.
If you think he is out to get you, and catch you on a technicality, then you are probably not going to be a very happy person. No point in asking for prayers tho, God probably doesn’t care.

God is a God of comfort.
That’s what he is.
And he doesn’t change who he is to accommodate your way of thinking.
You think he is mean? Sorry.
You think he throws people away, sorry.
God loves you and he cares very deeply for each of you.

God is a god of comfort
· Look at all the sick people that Jesus healed
· How about the woman caught in adultery
· How about the woman at the well
· At the tomb of lazarus, Jesus wept

We are asked to be people of comfort………
Leave our comfort zone to touch others…….
Missions trip this week.
Miss Judy’s story
They need comfort.

One thing I saw this week.
I expected to see that Miss Judy needed comfort, what I did not expect to see was this………….


We need comfort.
Picture of people’s church

Story of the Thursday night chapel service at people’s church.
Young people need the comfort of God
Roger ward, thank you God for my friend, and for my pastor. This is so hard. Bless him.
This is hard for us.

The hearts of people are waiting to be loved, to be cared about, to be comforted.

Something amazing about reaching out to care about someone else, when you do it, you are healed.

16 A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great. Prov 18:16

Is your soul dry? Do you feel as if you are going thru the motions of faith? Go give away some love. God will refill you in the process.

God is a god of comfort and he asks us to comfort one another with the same comfort that we receive from him.

Let us pray.
If you are here today, and you have never met the God that cares for you, let’s talk to him right now.

O Lord God of love, God of comfort, reveal yourself now to each one who needs you. Let the truth of who you are sink down into the depths of our souls and fill us with your love and peace. In jesus name. amen.

God Is - Part 1 6-10-07 Psalm 145:3-19

Gospel Choir
Health Survey

Charles Smith Sermon 6-10-07 God is – Part 1 Psalm 145:3-19

Intro a person
A-B-C-D

· Characteristics of the person
· Misconceptions about the person

Psalm 145-great picture of who God is

He is not a He

The concept of the trinity-in future weeks

He lives in heaven,
He also inhabits the earth
Psalm 24
1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;

He is omni present

He owns a lot of stuff
Psalm 50--Owns the cattle on 1,000 hills

10 for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

Trustworthy
No bait and switch
Linus and Lucy and the football

Trustworthy
Doesn’t try to catch you on a technicality

Balam vs Balak, Israelites vs Moab,
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

God is Loving
1 Jn 4
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Misconception: Hello this is God, straighten up by Friday, or else
We live in fear

Something bad happens to me….why did God do this to me
Reality: I love you. I grieve with you. I am here for you. I love you.

Who is god? What should our relationship with him be like?
Two scientists were on a field trip in the mountains. They discovered a baby eagle in a nest on a jutting rock, just below the top of a dangerous cliff. The eaglet had been deserted, and they wanted to rescue it. They asked the young son of their guide if they could lower him on a rope to fetch the little bird.The boy was not at all enthusiastic about their plan, so he declined. They offered him money, then doubled it, but still the boy refused.Finally, one of the scientists asked in despair: "Well, then, how do you propose that we save the baby eagle?"The mountain boy replied: "I'd be glad to go down to rescue the bird for free if you'll let my dad hold the rope."

Is he a friend or a foe. You must decide
If your life is primarily about you and your comfort, then he will feel like a foe, but if you put your trust in him, and let him be Lord, then you will find that relationship that you have been seeking
Is he a friend or a foe. You must decide

Kelsey Smith’s parents………
God why did you let this happen?
God, don’t your protect your people?
Kelseys mom said that we weren’t going to think about Edwin Hall, he wont be allowed to take anymore of our heart.

Conclusion
If you do not know the God who is trust worthy, the God who loves, I invite you today to let go of false Gods and receive the one true god.










Other ideas


Forgiving
Compassionate



The relationship of the trinity, father, son and holy spirit

God is, Part 2

Fatherhood of God

Wont leave you
Doesn’t beat you

Sees the good in you
Helps bring out the good
A father disciplines those whom he loves

Allows challenge so you can grow
Without challenge, life is meaning less

June 17- orphans of God

God is- part three
A friend
I will never leave you or forsake you

Friend that sticks closer than a brother

No longer call you servants but friends

June 24….not from Kris….the battle is the lords