Living above the level of mediocrity:

"Removing the Blahs from Today"

PSALMS 90

What are the blahs of day to day life?

Why is it so dangerous?

What did Moses know about monotony?

I. Break the spell [v.1-2]

A. Direct our attention to the right object : the Lord

B. Direct our attention to the right perspective

II. Probing the soul [v.3-12]

A. Life is short: God is in control [v.3-5]

B. My sins are obvious: God wants you to walk in step with him [v.7-9]

C. My days are so empty: See each day the way God sees it [v.12]

III. Bringing the Song [v.13-14]

A. Have pity on your servants, Lord

B. The morning has a way of bringing newness

"Those who achieve excellence are faithful in the tedious, monotonous details of life."

"There no problems, only projects/opportunities."

Thematic Bible Study

"Love Your Neighbor," I had no idea that I would gain as much from this study as I did! I want to encourage you to take an in depth look at a theme from the Bible this week. I know you will walk away encouraged and challenged in that area. If you have any questions about our study Sunday, or how to do a thematic Bible study please feel free to post them in the comment section of the blog.

Did I Do That?

I shared from 1 Samuel 17 the story of David and Goliath. The main thought I wanted to leave our church family with was that God wants each of us to do something great for God! When we finish our adventure God wants us to look back and say, "Did I do that?" Let's be amazed once again with what God can do. The key is to remember that I can't, but God can!

I would be happy to share with you how you might begin your adventure with God. There are also two choices each person must make. As you set out on your adventure you will encounter a couple of challenges along the way, but the consequences of following Christ with your whole heart are worth it all!

Devotional Bible Study

We had a great time going through the devotional method of Bible study this past Sunday morning. I am challenging each person to get just a little deeper into God's Word one time per week. We meet at 9:45 am on Sundays and I think it will be a benefit to your personal time with the Lord. Let me share what we went over on Sunday.

Passage: Philippians 3:13-14

Prayer: __ (Check here when you have prayed over this passage)

Meditation:
1. I have not arrived
2. I am focused on my goal
3. The past is the past and I am moving forward
4. I am ready to work hard to reach my goal
5. I am laying up my treasures in Heaven

Application: (The specifics are up to you)
1. So that I will not feel like I've arrived, I will constantly challenge myself to do more for Christ
2. To stay focused, I will identify and eliminate the things that sidetrack me
3. I will document past experiences that will help me grow closer to the Lord
4. I will ask God to show me what He has for me to do and will outline a plan to get it done
5. I will list the things that I am doing for Christ right now

Assessment of the Application: (Do this over the next couple of weeks)

Protecting Your Family

We finished up our series on "When the Enemy Strikes" on Sunday. Here is a portion of the outline just in case you missed it.


II. Bringing Deliverance To the Family
A. Recognize your position in Christ
1. You belong to Christ
2. You have the Holy Spirit to rely on
B. Do what you know is Godly
1. Read your Bible
2. Pray
3. Attend church regularly
4. Get involved ministering to others
5. Cleanse your home of anything ungodly
C. Pray for your family
1. Pray in the name of Jesus Jn. 14:13-14
~Pray what Jesus would pray
2. Pray the Word of God
~Quote the Bible back to God
3. Pray with unwavering faith Ja. 1:6-8; Phil. 1:6
4. Ask daily for the help of the Holy Spirit
D. Be bold in your testimony
1. Take a stand and speak the truth of God’s Word
2. Don’t become comfortable with sin “just a little sin”

Three Outlines In One Post

In case you missed the start of the revival here are some brief outlines:
Sunday School
3 Priorities Of A Dying Man
1. Time spent with his Heavenly Father
2. Time spent with his family
3. Time spent sharing his faith

Sunday Morning
3 Laws That We Live With
Romans 7:18-8:4
1. Law of God v. 22 (Delights in it on the inside)
2. Law of Depravity v. 23 (My flesh does not want to please God)
3. Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ 8:2 (Gives us the victory)

Sunday Night
Getting Hold Of Heaven
Acts 12
1. The Mission in Prayer
a. Provision (God meeting the need)
b. Promotion (Of the name of God)
2. The Mechanics of Prayer
a. Sincere v. 5
b. Specific v. 5
c. Sacrificial v. 6
d. Sustained v. 5
3. The Motivation of Prayer
~ Obedience (God told us to pray)

A Great Way To Start Out The New Year

We had a great Sunday Morning Bible Study this morning! We had a great turnout with a great spirit. I was really challenged in my prayer life this week. As we start out a new year I think it is fitting to re-evaluate our prayer lives. Here are some of the thoughts on prayer that we talked about this morning.

Sanding Strong In Prayer
Ephesians 6:18

I. The Power of Prayer
A. Prayer is what we do once we are clothed in the armor of God
B. The main reason many Christians are weak is because they do not pray
II. The Problem with Prayer
A. We get distracted during prayer
B. We get distracted from praying
C. Four stages Satan has for your prayer life
1. Prayerlessness - Keeps you too busy or distracted
2. Burden Bearing - When we don't pray we carry the burden ourselves
3. Weariness - When we carry our own burdens we get tired
4. Weakness - We are focused on ourselves
III. The Proper Position of Prayer
A. Bow the knee - Shows submission and reliance
B. Get alone with God - Pay attention to God

These are some thoughts that will help you when the enemy strikes, and now you have them just in case you missed it!

Fallen Truth

Isaiah 59 is a description of how it was then, but upon reading it sure does sound like our society today as well. I don't think I need to tell you all of the statistics of how far we have fallen away from obedience to God, because I'm sure you've heard all about the problems as I have. Verse 14 talks about how the truth has fallen. We discussed what we could do to stand truth back on its' feet. Here are some ideas...
1. We must decide that we will do right no matter what the cost...in our homes, at our places of employment, and each place we find ourselves.
2. We must make sure that we are doing what is right and encouraging others to do what is right.
3. We need to follow the instructions that God has given to us in His Word.
Please feel free to share any other thoughts you might have on getting the truth back on its' feet.

The Gospel Truth

One of the things missing as we share the Gospel is the awfulness of sin. The Gospel makes perfect sense when we see the awfulness of our sin, and recognize our need for Christ. People do not see themselves as sinners in today's society so we must use terms that they can understand and relate to. The fact is that we are sinners and sin has consequences. The beautiful part of the Gospel is that God loved us so much that He sent His Son to take our punishment. People must recognize the bad news before they can truly appreciate the good news.

How does this apply to us today?

1. We need to quit talking about sharing the Gospel and just start sharing.

2. We need to stop trying to sugar cote the Truth and just proclaim the Truth as it is

Abiding in the Vine in 2009

This is what God has been dealing with me as we begin a new year. John chapter 15 speaks of abiding in the vine. That sounds so good, but what and how can we do this? Here are some practical tips that I trust will help you Abide in the Vine in 2009.

1. Saturate everything in prayer v. 7

2. Sole goal (not soul glow) to glorify God v.8

3. Sensitivity to obedience v. 10

4. Step out of your comfort zone