Markings on the Door Post

What an awesome service we had Sunday. God's presence was powerful. In the last two weeks we have seen miracles at work.

This week we looked at Peter's spiritual growth spurts and how we can have similar ones. It all starts with How hungry for more of God are you? The question I asked to start the sermon and then let you answer at the end and asked that you keep in mind as we looked at Peter's life.

Peter moved beyound his comfort zone and put a mark on the doorpost of his life. Anytime we allow God to move us out of our comfort zone we have a growth spurt. Is God trying to move you in to a new area in your life? God does this by expanding our understanding of Him. The more we learn about God the more He changesus. He changes our motivations. He gives us a thought. God starts to change our desires and plans. He does this through preaching, Bible study and small groups among other ways. Then He gives us an oppoutunity. What will your choice be? A growth spurt or saying no to God?

We looked at groth spurts come from spending consistent time with God. I asked everyone in the service to add 5 minutes with God to there calendar. What a difference it will make in your life if you will jsut spend time along with God. This was to be a quiet time. I know you can pray anywhere and at anytime. Many pray traveling the highways and this is good. But I asked to set aside a time to be alone with God and to see how He will give usa growth spurt. If you make this deceision you can put a mark on the door post.

Do you want a spiritual growth spurt? Are you willing to let God help you remove barriors in you life? First, ask God what barriors you have. He will let you know. It could be an action, an attitude, an addiction or whatever He reveals is stoppingyou from getting closer to Him. Are you hungry enough for God to allow HIm to show you and then to be obedient? Which brings us to

Whatever. I hear younger people say this a lot in a negative way. WHATEVER! I ask you this, are you willing to do whatever God asks? Are you willing to give your whatever to God? I had one person let me know that God spoke to her about tithing. He will not start. This is awesome, becsue I didn't mention tithing. That is the Holy Spirt at work in our midst.

Would you like some spiritual markings to put on the door post?

How hungry are you for God?

Fatih needs Works

What a wonderful day we had with family day. the kids helped me to understand that if I have faith that a calculator will give me an answer, I have to input the numbers. With faith and works I was able to find the correct answer

James writers that faith without works is dead. So as we are having growth spurts, we need to learn what our part is. I believe there were some great growth spurts yesterday.

As we develop a Mighty Faith, we need the joy of expectancy. we looked at moving mountains and we noticed we didn't really have enough knowledge to know where to move physical mountains so we focused on mountains we each have in our lives, relationships, finances, etc.

We ofter wait until we can't do any thing but yell help. We today decided we would take our mountains to God expecting Him to answer us we joy. We even decided that we would have faith for those that are struggling right now.

Now that we joyfully expect God to flatten the mountains in our lives we need action of obedience. We will start to be obedient to God in all areas of our lives. No more holding back the financiers, no more holding grudges, no more bad attitudes, basically we decided to do the things we all ready know God would have us to do.

Lastly, we decided we would trust God with the outcome. We understand some things might not work out our way, but that is OK. we trust God.

Is there a mountain in your life you need moved? Are you willing to be obedient to God? Will you trust God with the outcome? If you do that mountain might just be a daffodils.

I Can't Stay Like I Am

We had a wonderful day with the Lord today. His Spirit was with us in a powerful way. He truly blessed as we started looking at Growth Spurts.

We started by looking at all the ways we are nor perfect, like attitudes, or our tongue, or complaining and what we found out is we all have room to grow. We can't stay like we are. If we need spiritual growth spurts, how does this happen.

There are so many ways but we started to look at a few. For us to have spiritual growth spurts we must have the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. So many times we can't grow because we are not willing to wait and pray. Int he book of Acts the apostles were told to wait and pray and they did not do anything until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Once filled with the HS, they had a spiritual growth that took them out of the upper room and into the world. Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit?

Another spurt we looked at was how we grow when we are around other growing believers. It is important to rub elbows with growing believers. If we rub elbows with those that aren't growing, if we are not careful we will start to become complacent. We can do this best at worship and in small groups. Have you made a commitment to attend church weekly? How about joining a small group where iron sharpens iron.

The last one I want to write about today is how we grow when we are filled over and over. In Acts 2.4 the apostles were filled with the Spirit. In Acts 2.31 the apostles were filled with the spirit. Being filled with the HS is not a one time event. There is a crises event where we give God our all and become sanctified(set apart for God) but even after that we need to be filled daily. I can't imagine going through a day that I did not completely surrender my life to Christ and receive His filling. I need to grow closer to God daily. Do you re commit your life fully to Jesus daily? What difference would it make if you did?

We looked at more ways, but that is enough for now. Let me know how you experience spiritual growth spurts.

Don't miss next week when we look, "At the Marking on the Doorpost"

We area chosen People

We celebrated the Church of the Nazarene's 100th Birthday yesterday. As we looked at the past, we celebrated what God has done and we looked at what He will continue to do in the future. We are a chosen people, we are a Holy people and we are a sent people.

Did you know God has chosen you to be his child?
Did you know God has chosen you to be Holy?
Did you know God has chosen you to be sent?