"Hearing God!"

Hearing God!

Listening (in) Prayer!

Can I hear God?

Is a conversational relationship with God possible?

John 10 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life

 1 Samuel The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.  2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6 Again the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 A third time the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

 Isaiah 30 20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” 22 Then you will desecrate your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away

 John 16 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.

 Listening Prayer and Listening in Prayer

·         Listening to God through Scripture is vital!

·         For grounding…

·         As a regular part of our relationship…

·         As we ask the Holy Spirit to speak...

 ·         “Words and promptings from God”

·         We get to “ask Jesus …”!

·         Is it good, loving and like Jesus!

·         First thoughts!

 ·              Challenges

 ·        Rival voices—distractions!

·         Seeking information from God over intimacy with God!

 Hebrews 12 let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READINGS

Monday:         John 10:1-5, 10
Tuesday:         John 10:14-18,28
Wednesday:    1 Samuel 3:1-10      
Thursday:       Hebrews 12:1-3  
Friday:           John 16:12-15
Saturday:        Psalm 121

"Set Apart Christ as Lord in Your Hearts!"

Set Apart Christ as Lord in your Hearts!

John 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

“Remain in Me”….. How do I do that?

Prayer is essential to remaining in Christ!

Prayers of Consecration are very helpful.

Prayer that intentionally

aligns us with Jesus,

refreshes us in our faith,

rehearses God-reality into our lives,

soaks our hearts and souls in Truth,

helps us surrender to Jesus in faith,

recommit ourselves and all that is ours to Him and

express, renew and restore our love for God and faith in Him!

 1 Peter 3 15 but set apart Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

James 4 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without rea-son that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Joshua 3 5 Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

Why do we need this renewing, restoring regularly—daily?

Remember we wake up each day in a world at war!

It is a collision of Kingdoms!

The Kingdom of Light (Jesus) is colliding with the Kingdom of Darkness!

The Un–Holy Trinity!

        Devil

Broken Sinful World         Sinful Nature

How do I now Pray?

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READINGS

Monday:         1 Peter 3:13-15
Tuesday:         John 15:1-10
Wednesday:    James 4:4-8      
Thursday:       Joshua 3:1-5  
Friday:           Joshua 24:14-16
Saturday:        Psalm 1

Does Prayer Make a Difference?

Does prayer change “things”?

Does prayer change “me”?

How?

Prayer to God our Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ His Son by means of the Holy Spirit changes“me” and changes “things”!

Ephesians 2
18 For through him (Jesus) we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Romans 7
15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  Through prayer I change!

 Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Jeremiah 29

 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord

 Courage and Persistence in prayer!

Luke 11
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Luke 18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 

 Through prayer things change!

Acts 12 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. 

Through prayer I play a vital, important role in “things” changing but I do not play an absolute role! 

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READINGS

Monday:         Philippians 4:5-6
Tuesday:         Luke 11:5-8
Wednesday:   Luke 11:9-13      
Thursday:       1 Peter 5:5-7  
Friday:           Jeremiah 29:11-14a
Saturday:       Psalm 62
 

"Bold Authority! Under-Over-Through"

Authority — “There is a Way things Work!”

 Matthew 8
5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”

 7 Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”

 8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

 What amazes Jesus?

            The centurions grasp of authority!

             Under-

             Over—

             Through—

 Why did Jesus teach us to pray this way?

 Matthew 6 9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Our Authority Story

            Given

            Lost

            Redeemed

            Restoration

            Authority : Under—Over—Through

 Colossians 2  9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the un-circumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

 Luke 10 18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority ….. to overcome all the power of the enemy;              

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READINGS

Monday:  Matthew 8:5-13
Tuesday: Matthew 6:9-13
Wednesday:  Matthew 28:18-20                                                           Thursday:  Colossians 2:9-15
Friday:  Acts 3:1-8
Saturday:  Psalm 1

"Who is He? Who are We?... What's our Situation?"

God is growing us up!

In prayer, as in other aspects of the life of faith, we get to learn to live by faith in the tension of paradox - neither falling off on the side of simplistic resignation nor on the side of self made resolution!

 John 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made….14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Three questions we need to deal with in order to mature in prayer while growing in the tension of paradox!

 (1) He is Big, Close and Loving! Therefore I am not alone!

 Psalm 95

For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.                     4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,                                                     and the mountain peaks belong to him.                                                      5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

 6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;  7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture,            the flock under his care.

Colossians 1 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the begin-ning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

(2) I am Small, Loved, Heir, Friend, Ally and Partner!

Romans 8 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to son-ship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ

1 John 3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

(3) Our Situation We find ourselves in a great and terrible war in a now and not yet Kingdom!

Ephesians 6 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Revelation 12 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READINGS

Monday: Colossians 1:15-20                                                                                          Tuesday: Romans 8:14-17                                                                                              Wednesday: 1 John 3:1                                                                                                  Thursday: Revelation 12:7-11, 17                                                                                 Friday: 1 Peter 5:8-9                                                                                                Saturday: Psalm 95:1-7

"God is Growing Us Up!"

God loves us too much to leave us the way we are!

He is passionately intent on growing us up!

How good am I at “Change”? All growth involves change!

Ephesians 4 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of peo-ple in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Romans 12: 2 And do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and ap-prove what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

1 John 2
12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.
14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Information

Imitation                 Innovation

How do my lenses need to mature?

The way I look at God, myself and my world! Following Jesus is dynamic and not static!“

Come follow me……. Let’s go on an adventure together!” 

Maturity takes time!

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READINGS

Monday:  Ephesians 4:11-13
Tuesday: Ephesians 4:14-16
Wednesday:  Romans 12:1-2
Thursday:  1 John 4:12-14
Friday:  Hebrews 6:1-2
Saturday:  Psalm 119:169-176

"Strategy!" How?

Our mission is to: “Love and Lead real people into the meaningful life Christ intends!”

We each get to own this mission personally! So, what do we do together as a church to help the mission get accomplished?

Our Strategy answers the “How” question!

Or as we say on the website, “We accomplish our mission with a five point strategy! At Point of Grace we each commit to engage in weekly Worship, experience the Alpha Course, Grow in a group, Serve on a team and Bring others who need to discover the meaningful life Christ intends!    

All of us doing all of this all the time!

What about “Serve”?
How does this help to accomplish our mission?

When we Serve (on a team) in Jesus name,

• We get to be transformed by Jesus and
• We get significance from Jesus!

These are two critical dimensions of the “meaningful life”!

Philippians 23 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Notice the role of humility!

Luke 10 38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or in-deed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

John 1 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

He trusts us to Bring!

We trust Him to Jesus!

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READINGS

Monday:  Luke 10:38-42
Tuesday: Luke 10:25-37
Wednesday:  Philippians 2:1-4
Thursday:  Philippians 2:5-11
Friday:  1 Corinthians 13:1-7
Saturday:  Psalm 1

Strategy! How Do We Do What We Do?

Our mission is to: “Love and Lead real people into the meaningful life Christ intends!”

We each get to own that mission personally!  So, what do we do together as a church to help the mission get accomplished?

Our Strategy answers the “How?” question!

Or as we say on the website,
“We accomplish our mission with a five point strategy! 
At Point of Grace we each commit to engage in weekly Worship, experience the Alpha Course, Grow in a group, Serve on a team and Bring others who need to discover the meaningful life Christ intends!

All of us doing all of this all the time!

• Weekly worship plays is vital for the “meaningful life”!
• What about the “Alpha Course?”
• What is “Bring”?

Two big questions helped form the heart of Point of Grace!

1. Do I (we) have a heart for people far from God?
2. If so, what is my (our) intentional strategy to love and lead them to Jesus and His meaningful life?

Matthew 9
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

....ἐσπλαγχνίσθη περὶ αὐτῶν .... “gut stirring compassion” 

John 1
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, translated, is Peter). 
 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”    46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.     “Come and see,” said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”    49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” 

He trusts us to bring!

We trust him to be Jesus!

Weekly Scripture Readings

Monday:  Hebrews 10:22-25
Tuesday: Matthew 10:35-38
Wednesday:  John 1:35-42
Thursday:  John 1:43-51
Friday:  John 4:28-38
Saturday:  Psalm 9:1-11