The Starting Point (new year 2010 message)

Jan 3, 2010 by Steve Kelly

2 Cor 5:17
Genesis 1 - God is begining, originating
John 1 - Jesus is the begining

Many people live life in the shadow of ending. As Christian we should live in a life of the begining.

When Jesus hang on the cross, that's a new beginining. "I made all things new"

Numbers 33:1-2 We live to press on.

• Starting point forces you to change your attitude.
• Starting point requires faith and boldness to setp forward.
• Starting point begins with little but increase the touch.
• Starting point turns life from being monotoneous into a series of challenges.
• When you start something new, you allow people to regroup around you.

Framing Your World with Love

Nov 7, 2009 by Julia A'Bell

Jer 4:6-7 Expect Love.

Step up the plate to be someone's miracles (Luke 1:26-38)

1. Obedience sacrifice isn't always conveninent. There is a fruit at the end of obedience sacrifice.
2. Rebuild the foundation - not only you are restored by God, be responsible to restore others too. (Psalm 72:13-15 and Isaih 58:12)
3. Have intimate relationship with God and love others. (1 John 4:21) If you want a fulfilling relationship, be prepared to do the hard work.
4. Love is not a feeling. It is a a choice. We need to forgive, humble ourselves before God and people. (1 John 4:10-12)

                                              Miracles
                           ---------------------------------
                            |                                               |
                            |                                               |
       Restoration    |                                               | Relationship
                            |                                               |
                           ---------------------------------
                                             Sacrifice

See. Seek. Serve

Nov 21, 2009 by Robert Furgerson.

The way we see, seek, and serve determines your future.

Speak -> Thrive -> Act

Matt 7:24-29 Words are powerful. We should speak the words of God
Matt 12:31-33 You want to know someone's believe and future, listen to their God

Scattered things will be multiplied. Whatever words you scatter in life will bear fruits - either good or bad fruits. They are like seeds, if they find soil in someone's heart, it will either bring them up or down.

Prov 18:20-21
Matt 15:7-20
John 12:47-50 Jesus did not come to judge. He came to save.

What kind of words should we say?
1. A conversation of authenticity
2. A conversation of life (John 12:47-50)
3. A conversation of Righteousness (Eph 5:3-4)
4. A conversation of Value (2 Tim 2:14)

Potted. Planted. Packaged

Nov 7, 2009 by Paul De-Jong

Jesus final prayer (John 17:21)

Potted

• Comfort has never been an ingredient to growth
• If you are a potted Christian, you will want comfort & control which lead you to contentment, never grow.

Psalm 27: 4-5

Planted (Psalm 92:13-14 Those who are planted in the house)
How do you get planted?

• Settle and remain in fertile soil
• Embrace the value of the orchard - where you are planted, it is your destiny. Your destiny can never unfold until you embrace the value of the orchard
• Determine to grow strong roots
• When you want something to go up, there is something to go down
• Root determines fruits
• Root drills harder when they hit the concrete, because the harder the surface the better support it gives you.
• When roots intertwined, it stands against wind.
• Allow the require pruning
• Fruits yields flowers
• Like citrus trees, when people don't say thank you to you, you keep producing fruits.

Packaged

• Package of seeds will not produce until it gets planted

The Danger of Losing Heart

June 7, 2008 by Pastor Brian Houston

Reference: Matthew 9:2, Deu 1:28

1. When you first lose heart, it is because you are listening to voices of others' perspectives.
2. Don't listen to "they says", listen to God's say (1 Sam 17:32)
3. Don't be spooked by what you see. Have faith (Jer 51:46)
4. Don't get into mechanism in serving God (Heb 12:3)
5. The moment you lose heart, you place yourself in enemy's hands
6. If you don't stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all (Isa 7:9)
7. Outwardly we are wasting away. Inwardly we are being renewed day by day (2 Cor 4:16)
8. Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God (Isa 7:11)

Princasas

Some good lines from a spanish movie - Princasas.

• There are too few good things in life. The sad thing is that you miss out because you are busy with something else.
• We are not important because we exist. We are important because someone is thinking of us.

Exception Living

Reading from Joyce Meyer's book 'Exceptional Living'

1. Trials develop patient - patient with people, patient with circumstances.
• We spend more time in life waiting than receiving so we might as well enjoy ourselves when God works out our problem
2. Realize in life that not everything changes. Something won't change. So have peace and be patient with yourself.
3. Waiting destroys pride
4. You can't just dump everything on a person at once. If things are not done it's God's timing, then we hurt other people. We destroy them and it's too much for them to handle.
5. One of the greatest way to show loves to others is be patient with them, including their fault and weaknesses and their slowness.

Peace

1. Let go of past mistakes and press towards the future.
2. You have to hurt to get free. At least you are heading a victory. Your pain is not wasted.
3. Let people be who they are. Trying to control them will steal your peace.
4. Be generous & forgiving. Don't become angry every time you do not get your way. it is very hard on the relationship.