Draw from the Well

Things That Make You Pause

I'm all for Bible reading plans.  Having a plan is much, much better than no plan. 

Having said that, if your reading plan begins to run your devotions you've entered into a danger zone.

Because of this I personally struggle with reading plans because I am always interrupted.

It's challenging for me to read three chapters from three different books because something always captures my attention.

I will give you an example from this morning.

I set off to ready to read the 2nd chapter of Romans.  I only made it four verses when I ran into this:

"Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?"

Here's the amplified: "Or are you [so blind as to] trifle with and presume upon and despise and underestimate the wealth of His kindness and forbearance and long-suffering patience? Are you unmindful or actually ignorant [of the fact] that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repent (to change your mind and inner man to accept God's will)?"

How can you read that and not pause.

The overwhelming kindness of God caused me to pause and ponder. 

I will have to read more Romans tomorrow.

I Wanna Be Like Agur!

Sometimes our Sunday School Biblical Literacy just doesn't cut it.*

For example, if I were to ask you about who wrote specific books of the Bible, you'd probably resort back to what you learned in Sunday School.  Nothing will give a Fundementalist a mental wedgie faster than to discuss Biblical authorship.

Take the book of Proverbs, for example.  Who wrote it?  Good student that you are, you'd say "Solomon, son of David."  And you'd be mostly right.  Except for...

Agur and Lemuel.

Proverbs 30 & 31 are credited to them. 

Little is known about these two fellows.  Lemuel is a king, but Agur...perhaps he was the original "everyday joe".  I wonder were these two guys hanging out with Solomon and he turned to them and said "got anything to add?"

Speculation aside, I was very encouraged by Agur's words today:

"Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die; Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God." Proverbs 30:7-9

Now that's wisdom.  Keep me honest and give me just enough.

*[I'm in no way knocking sunday school nor children's ministry, only suggesting that we need to continue to grow in our knowledge!]

Abraham - The Faith of A Father

We live in Insecure times.

Daily news tells us that God is up to something. We are living in prophetic times.

Lead with purpose.

- get connected to Jesus in a fresh way.
- get out of debt.
- get joined to the church in a deeper way.
- get living for jesus.

Abraham is the father of all who believed.

(insert brief history of Abraham)

Word of the Lord:

1. Don't ever write yourself out of the prophetic program of God.

2. Don't ever assume that doing God's will is for someone else.

3. Don't ever presume that you are too old.

4. Don't ever suppose that you are too young.

Genesis 12

How does the Spirit led?
There will always be a suddenly.

We need to ask if we are hearing the Lord.

"I will".

God will lead you away from the things you base your security on.

Follow Jesus and no know where we ate going.

Not follow Jesus and know where we are going.

God's call for commitment is mutual.

When God asks for faithfullness from you he's already promised faithfulness to you.

Your obedience to God affects more than just you.

When we don't obey other people pay the price.

When we do Gods will he will appear to us along the way.

Isaiah 30:21

God is more concerned with good finishes than good starts.

100 Most Read Scripture Verses

According to Biblegateway.com who crunched the numbers of a mere 25 million searches (in just a month!)

Here's the top ten:

1. John 3:16

2. Jer. 29:11

3. Rom 8:28

4. Phil 4:13

5. Gen 1:1

6. Prov. 3:5

7. Prov. 3:6

8. Rom 12:2

9. Phil. 4:6

10. Matt. 28:19

You can read the whole article here.

Lessons from the Exodus #3

Human activity often gets in the way of what God is doing.

Lessons from the israelites. Exodus 13

God didn't lead them on the "near" way.

They would have faced enemies they weren't ready to fight.

God's road is often longer and more indirect than we would like.

(wow. Jon did really well pronouncing difficult words and names.)

What you see with your human eyes is not a great indicator of what is really happening.

What's your red sea? What can't you overcome in your own? What's keeping you from being close to Jesus?

In our stuck situations. God sees an opportunity to bring glory to Himself.

When we are stuck, God may give us instruction we don't understand.

Often times our human activity blurs our spiritual vision.

We want to depend on ourselves. We want I be our own savior.

(okay, I known people say it's cold in the sanctuary but they are right. I getting frozen.)

Cynical people: praise on the weekend, but save self during the week.

Stop and Take our eyes off ourself and focus on Jesus.

When the Lord fights our battles he wins.

(hungryfor pizza and whackamole right now.)

Stop. Be silent. Believe God.

Stop complaining and start confessing.

Message Notes - Ted Roberts

2 Samuel 9:3-8, 13

Mephibosheth Jonathans son

Crippled in both feet

Jonathan fetched meph. When he didn't have to.

The mask of the hectic life.

The mask of popular beliefs.

The mask of habit.

We can feel like we are disqualified from Gods grace.

Jesus carries us to a place of blessing.

We are delivered but damaged.

What are ways that we have been dropped?

Our crippledness causes us to overreact.

There is no situation that God can't redeem.

Crippled but blessed delivered but damaged.

Must get up off the floor.
Hell will attack as we move to the table.

Hen we take off our mask God can cover us.

God wants to bless us with things we didn't earn or deserve.

God is not like an uptight evangelical. He is not proccupied with your sin.

People need a place of grace.

Message Note

Missions rock at lw.

Parabe of the talents.

1. Everything I have comes from God.

Entrusted.
Open hands.

2. God gives me gifts.

Use what God has given you to each people for him.

3. God expects me to make the most of my gifts.

4. It is sin to not use what God has given me.
What have you buried?
Don't believe lies.

5. Fear.

Four things:

Pray. Share. Give. Go.

What do I need to give?
When do I need to go?

Mark 1:35

My verse in history.

Bible Across America is Coming!

This Thursday, January 29 at Living Water you can particiapte in this cool hand-written version of the NIV Bible. 

In a journey that is covering 15,000 miles and taking 6 months, Bible and book publisher Zondervan is seeking over 31,000 Americans to participate in writing the Bible in long hand, one verse and person at a time.

Bible Across America will be at Living Water from 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm.  People will be invited to hand write one Bible verse in a version of the NIV which will ultimately end up in the Smithsonian Institute.

Read more about it at Bible Across America's webpage here.

You can listen to this from NPR here.

Come out and join us!

Believing the Right Thing to Do the Right Thing

The world is in a mess.
We need to do the next right thing.
Simple but profound.

Our government is spending money like drunken sailors (that's a funny line!)

The world's system is all about consuming.

Jesus came to defeat this system which is out to consume and destroy.

John 16:33. JC has overcome the world.

1 john 5:5.

Four things you need to do right now:

1. Get out if debt. Now.

2. Stop living on credit. Now.

3. Start saving. Now.

4. Begin to tithe and trust God to provide for you. He will. Trust Him.

When we don't do the next right thing, we can blame God for where we end up.

Question: where do you place your faith?

Where you place your faith determines your level of satisfaction and security.

Examples - peter and Judas

Both were tempted by satan, betrayed Jesus, and sinned.

Different results: greatness and death.

Luke 22:14. First communion.

Both peter and judas were In for bad nights.

Peter and judas deal with their sin differently.

Judas isn't remorseful. Hangs himself.

peter repents and recorves forgiveness.

31-32: tested by satan. But Jesus is praying for us. That your faith may not fail.

Peter had faith that was growing. Judas had faith that was dying.

Satan worst ability is convincing us that we can't be forgiven.

To live successfully do these five things

1. Ask for forgiveness. Because you are.
2. Accept your forgiveness. Because you should.
3. Forgive yourself.
4. Decide to release new faith no matter the rationale.
5. Eternine to live by Gods promises.