May 2004 Sermon Notes
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May 9, 2004 Where Do You Work?
May 16, 2004Student Ministry Vision
May 23, 2004 Ministry @ Work
May 30, 2004 Power for Ministry
Proverbs 31:10 - 31
Do you work in the home?
God has especially equipped you
Do you work outside the home?
You are capable of great things
Balance competing expectations
Understand the Value of Family· Basic building block of society
· Federal marriage amendmentModel the Value of Industriousness
Provision for your family vs. 15, 21· Benefit to society v. 20
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work , doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Ephesians 4:28Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Titus 2:3 – 5
· Personal growth vs. 25 – 26Lasting beauty tips
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment … Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. I Peter 3:3 – 4
I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, … appropriate for women who profess to worship God. I Timothy 2:9 – 10
How to treat your mother
· Privately and publicly praise her vs. 28 - 30
· Reward her v. 31May 16, 2004
Student Ministry VisionIt is a privilege & honor to work with and invest in Students
Would like to share with you my heart/vision for the student ministry of C.L.A.G.
I Corinthians 9:6
“ Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”Verse speaks of investing into the Kingdom of God:
Time, abilities, prayer, money, etc.
Jesus teaches this in the parable of the talents.
One of the cycles of Life that God created is the natural inclination to invest ourselves into those younger than us.Parents understand this: A major portion of our life is given to preparing the next generation for life.
We invest in order to give new life to others. We must give our lives away.
Example: Best examples of this in nature is the Salmon. She works furiously upstream for the sole purpose of spawning a new generation---even at the cost of her own life.
“Our future is not to be found in our preservation but in our investment.”
The Need is Great!Currently about 73 million “millennials” living in the United States.
“Less than half of American teens (43%) believe it is very important to have deep religious faith. 33% say it is somewhat important, and 23% believe religious faith is not very important. In this respect, a deep religious faith ranks only as being very important on a list of nine values tested.”
“By comparison, 9 teens in 10 say it is very important to them to have personal peace and happiness (92%) and to be well educated (91%).”
3 out of 5 teens (61%) agree that “if a person is generally good, or does enough good things for others during their life, they will earn a place in Heaven.
2 out of 3 teens (65%) say that the devil, or Satan, is not a living being but is a symbol of evil.
Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among persons aged 10-20.
In total, 83% of teens maintain that moral truth depends on the circumstances, and only 6% believe that moral truth is absolute.
Alarmingly….
Only 1 teen in 4 expressed confidence in organized religion.According to the Billy Graham Evangelical Association 85% of the people who accept Christ do so before the age of 18. Sadly, 88% of teenagers are not being reached by any church.
Mission: Develop Students into Passionate Followers of Christ.
“students” refers to 7th grade – 12th grade.
Vision
Outreach
Goal: Create a “student friendly” atmosphere in order to present the truth of Christ.
Vehicle: Wednesday Night Ministry, Special Events, Campus Missionaries, Evangelism Training.Discipleship
Goal: See Students become Apprentices of Christ.
Vehicle: Relationships, Wednesday Nights, Sunday School, Bible Studies, Leaders investing their lives into students.Relationships
Goal: Create an environment where students can develop positive, Christ-centered friendships with other students and adults.
Vehicle: Wednesday Nights, Events, Trips, Time.Student Ministry
Goal: Offer opportunities for students to serve God, church & each other.
Vehicle: Worship Band, Drama, Human Video, Service Projects, Mission Trips, Campus Ministry, Prayer, etc…
The Sky is the Limit!Missions
Goal: See students develop God’s heart for missions.
Vehicle: Missions Trips (foreign & domestic), Speed-the-Light, Missionary Speakers.Worship
Goal: See students become genuine worshippers of God.
Vehicle: Worship Band, Teaching, Example.
Worship is more than singing, it is a life.Leadership
Goal: Build team of leaders who love God & love students.
Vehicle: Adult and Students
Our future is not to be found in our preservation but in our investment!
Will You Invest with Us?
Prayer
Time
Money
Tools Needed: Sound System, Video Equipment, Digital Camera, Instruments, Building.
Pray for our Students & Student Ministry
Colossians 3:23 – 25
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. I Timothy 5:8"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work"
Thomas Edison"You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do."
Henry Ford"Problems are only opportunities in work clothes."
Henry J. Kaiser"Nothing I do can’t be done by a ten-year-old – with 15 years of practice."
Magician Henry Blackstone, Jr."One may go a long way after one is tired."
French proverbSo whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. I Corinthians 10:31
Work has inherent value Genesis 2:2-3, 8, 15
· God is a worker
· We are His co-workers
… make the most of your job. It's God's gift.
Ecclesiastes 3:13 The MessageGod wants all people to eat and drink and be happy in their work, which are gifts from God
Ecclesiastes 3:13 New Century Version
Work has instrumental value Matthew 22:34 – 40Through work you love God and others
· Saved to serveFor we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works Ephesians 2:10
· Labor with loveAccept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7
Mercy triumphs over judgment! James 2:13
Bob Buford’s options for “Second Half” significance
· Volunteer: Donate substantial time and energy to a kingdom cause
·Donor:Contribute financial resources to a kingdom cause
·Business as Ministry:Use your business to accomplish kingdom work
·Partner: Team up as a silent partner with someone involved full-time in a kingdom cause and resource that individual in whatever ways produce results
·Board Member: Provide expertise and support to a non-profit organization committed to a kingdom cause
·Parallel Career: Take on major responsibility in a kingdom cause, even as you continue to carry out your vocational commitments
·Career Change: Serve full-time in a kingdom cause
·Social Entrepreneur: Start and build a new non-profit organization to fulfill a kingdom cause or unmet need in an innovative way
May 30, 2004
The Holy Spirit Our Power for Ministry
Joshua the High Priest
Read Zechariah 3· The Satan accuses us v. 1
We give him a lot to work with v. 3
all our righteous acts are like filthy rags Isaiah 64:6Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man Romans 8:1-3
· God is on our side! v. 2
He cleans us up v. 4-5· We still must live right v. 7
· God turns us into ministers v. 7
· The Christ forgives us v. 8-9This brings us true contentment v. 10
Zerubbabel the Temple Builder
Read Zechariah 4
· The task is really big
So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 4:6· By the power of the Holy Spirit…
Obstacles are removed! v. 7
The work will be completed! v. 9
Little is much! v. 10
· We are anointed to serve v. 14
· We need a continual flow of the Spirit vs. 2,3,12You are the light of the world… let your light shine before men
Matthew 5:14, 16