Good Neighbor News, Holidays 2012 (2)
WE MUST RECOVER…
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I Must Recover From Whatever…
Adapted Sermon Luke 5:12-5:13 & Matthew 9:27-29
A man who was covered with leprosy came to Jesus
When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him,
“Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” 13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I will: be thou clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. Luke 5:12-13
• One of the great principles of the Bible:
God is not a respecter of persons.
Romans 2:11 “For there is no respect of persons with God.”
• God will do for me what he has done for others if I will meet the same conditions.
Illustrates a pattern I need to follow in order to reclaim wholeness.
STEP ONE: I Have To Admit That I Have A Problem I Can’t Fix.
1. A leper has clear qualifiers (Skin changes, parts missing, horrible pain at times, smell.)
2. Leprosy is a picture or type of sin in the Bible.
Outward signs, Emptiness, Numbness or Over Sensitiveness, your Life STINKS.
3. There is no help for a person who does not recognize he needs help.
4. The debt of sin cannot be solve without God’s help. (Guilt, fear, loneliness)
STEP TWO: Recognize God’s Ability to Make you Whole.
1. This leper realized Who Jesus was. “You can make me clean!”
2. Only God can meet my deepest needs. “Without Me ye can do nothing” Jn. 15:5
STEP THREE: Pray. (No short cut, no substitute)
1. Prayer is the God appointed way for me to touch the power of God to my need.
2. Passionate prayer is a mighty force.
3. Remember, change is directly equal to your willingness to humble yourself!
STEP FOUR: Believe God Is Willing To Meet My Need.
1. God is able, but is He willing. (Separate “Wholeness” from “Selfishness”)
2. My problem at this point is faith.
3. But don’t fail to ask because of some unknowns!
4. The words of Jesus in this passage ought to settle this question once and for all.
5. He loves, accepts, forgives, heals, delivers and transforms!!!!!
John 6:37 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Matthew 9:29 “…According to your faith be it unto you.”
Lighthouse’s Scripture & Daily Prayer List
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SCRIPTURE FOR THE DAY: “GOD is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah Psalm 46:1-3
Please Pray for:
- PRAY FOR GOD’S WILL IN ALL THAT WE DO AT LIGHTHOUSE!
- Power & Fulness of God to fill our church and leaders.
- Pray God would bless our ministry with His Presence.
- Ask for Wisdom, Guidance, Courage, Strength, Compassion
- Ask that God would bless our ministries.
- Ask God to touch your heart, mind, spirit, & soul.
- Ask God to give you compassion for the lost.
- Ask God to bless the finances of our church.
- Ask God to give us laborers to do the work of the ministry.
- Ask God to bless your Pastor, Pastoral Staff, & Deacons.
- Ask God to give us a Brand New Excitement for Service.
- Ask God to Protect Our Church from the attacks of Satan.
- Ask God to Bless Our Fall Program during October.
- Thank God for His God Goodness & Faithfulness to us!
Lighthouse’s Scripture & Daily Prayer List
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“Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:8-17
Please Pray for: 8/31/2012
- PRAY FOR GOD’S WILL IN ALL THAT WE DO!
- Power & Fulness of God to fill our church and leaders.
- Pray God would bless our ministry with His Presence.
- Ask for Wisdom, Guidance, Courage, Strength, Compassion
- Ask that God would bless our ministries. – Services, Sunday School, Youth, Bus, Nursery, etc…
- Ask God to touch your heart, mind, spirit, & soul.
- Ask God to give you compassion for the lost.
- Ask God to bless the finances of our church.
- Ask God to give us laborers to do the work of the ministry.
- Ask God to bless your Pastor, Pastoral Staff, & Deacons.
- Ask God to give us a Brand New Excitement for Service.
- Ask God to Protect Our Church from the attacks of Satan.
- Ask God to Bless Our Fall Program during October.
- Thank God for His God Goodness & Faithfulness to us!
Things We Ought to Love!!
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Things we Ought to Love!
1. The Word of God
I John 2:1-5 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. BUT WHOSO KEEPETH HIS WORD, IN HIM VERILY IS THE LOVE OF GOD PEFECTED: HEREBY KNOW WE THAT WE ARE IN HIM. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
2. To Walk with the Lord!
Deuteronomy 5:33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Joshua 22:5 But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
1 Kings 8:23, 25, 61 And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart: 25 Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me. … 61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
2 Kings 10:31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.
2 Chronicles 6:14 And said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts: …
Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
2 Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
3. We Ought to have a Love for Souls.
Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Matthew 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Ezekiel 3:18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Ezekiel 33:6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
Ezekiel 33:8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
II Cor. 5:11 “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.”
Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Daniel 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
4. Love for Others
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
John 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Ephesians 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
1 Thessalonians 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
1 Thessalonians 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1 Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
1 John 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
2 John 1:5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
A MOTHER’S DAY SERMON – FOR EVERY DAY USE!!
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FOR MOTHERS
Proverbs 31:10-28
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
1. Let the Peace of God rule in your hearts—Peace
Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
2. Let the Word of God dwell in you—Strength
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
3. Let His Mind be in you—Conformity
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (Obedience)
4. Let Your Moderation be known unto all—Character
Philippians 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
5. Let your conversation be without covetousness—Conduct
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6. Let your light so shine before men—Testimony
Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
7. Let your eyes always be Watchfulness
Luke 12:36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
God is Calling You!! Are You Going to Answer???
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Three Calls of God!
Psalm 8:3-4
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
God is Calling to us! We Must Listen!!
1. A Call to the Careless
Isaiah 1:16-20 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Luke 16:19-31 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
2. An Invitation to the Weary
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as
eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
I Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Galatians 6:1-9 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
3. A Call to the Thirsty
John 7:37-38 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
John 4:3-14 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
PERFECTLY JOINED TOGETHER IN THE SAME MIND!!!!!!
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“TOGETHER IN CHRIST” For All Servants of Jesus Christ!
I Corinthians 1:10-17
1. We Must Be Praying together – We MUST HAVE BE OF LIKE MIND!!
Acts 3:1
Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
Romans 15:5-6
Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
II Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
Philippians 2:2
Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
I Peter 3:8-11
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
2. Me Must Be Working Together – We MUST BE A TEAM!!
II Corinthians 6:1
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
II Corinthians 6:14
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
3. We Must Be Striving Together – We MUST HAVE ONE AIM!!
Philippians 1:27
Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Philippians 3:14
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
10 Outrageous Goals!
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As Pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church, God has given me the desire to see people come to Jesus Christ, and to live a life th
at is glorifying to Him. In my years of leading, I have found when people come to Christ they have an immediate desire to glorify the Lord but they just don’t know what to do. Christian leaders often tell them, “read your Bible”; “pray everyday” and “be faithful”, and I agree! Reading your Bible will give you the knowhow; praying will give you a strong relationship with God; being faithful will allow you to be used by God. But God has also put in us a need to accomplish. A desire to see “fruit that remains.” Most Christians want to see their lives count for something , so, I’ve put together 10 Outrageous (Biblical) Goals that we as a church can work on, together! These Goals are a way for us to produce “fruit” that will remain long after our time on earth has expired! God tells us in Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Also read John 15:15-17.
Pastor Barnes’ 10 Outrageous Goals for Lighthouse’s 15th Anniversary Celebration, they are as follows:
1. 120 People Saved and Baptized between March 3, 2011 & March 3, 2012. This will only happen is God’s people allow God to work through them to win people to Jesus Christ.
2. Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with 12000 People. There are thousands of people in our area and we are going to witness to at least 12,000 of them in the next year!
3. Increase our church attendance by 25%. That means every class, every service, every senior group, every bus route, every soulwinning group, every group in the church has to increase by 25%.
4. Develop at least 1 more Adult Sunday School class. At least 1! Our prayer is for more! (Note: I presented this to the people of Lighthouse and many adults have come and ask if they could teach a class).
5. Two Sundays with 800 or more in attendance. This is a big deal! We’ve had just one Sunday with more than 800 people in attendance in the whole history of Lighthouse! For us to have two Sundays in one year…wow! This one’s going to take a lot of wisdom and prayer, and a lot of inviting!!! We’ve set Easter Sunday, April 24, as our first attempt!
6. Start at least 1 More Bus Route.
7. Visit Two Missionaries and their works on the Mission field.
8. Raise-up 2 Full-Time Christian Workers.
9. Have TWO Events that are for our Community. These are church sponsered events (besides church services) that our community is invited to attend.
10. Start a Bible Education Class on Sunday Afternoon.