THOUGHT: Trinity

Today's 411God is about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2 Corinthians 13:14 (New Living Translation)
14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And here's God at work as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Titus 3:4-8 (NLT)

4 When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” 8 This is a trustworthy saying.

The total package for your salvation! Your salvation took work. Why don't you thank Him for it?

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THOUGHT: Get Some Help

You ever feel like sin's got control of your life? Well, you don't have to be afraid to ask God for help. Just listen to what David says.

Psalm 141:1-5 (New Living Translation)

1 O LORD I am calling to you. Please hurry!
Listen when I cry to you for help!
2 Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,
and my upraised hands as an evening offering.
3 Take control of what I say, O LORD,
and guard my lips.
4 Don’t let me drift toward evil
or take part in acts of wickedness.
Don’t let me share in the delicacies
of those who do wrong.
5 Let the godly strike me!
It will be a kindness!
If they correct me, it is soothing medicine.
Don’t let me refuse it.

That whole, "let the godly strike me," it's about accountability--you need it! So be like David, talk to someone about what you're going through, and take it to God. He cares about you.
Stay strong.

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THOUGHT: Focus on God & He Takes Care of You

Do you ever get confused with priorities, and life in general? Well, here's some advice from Jesus.

Matthew 6:33 (New Living Translation)

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Do what's right. Trust in God. He'll take care of you because, actually, He really loves you.

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THOUGHT: Celebrate!

One of the Apostle Paul's greatest joys was in hearing that new people had trusted in Christ.

Colossians 1:3-6 (New Living Translation)

3 We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.
6 This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

Do you celebrate when someone's life has been changed by that truth? Think about it.

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THOUGHT: So Love Then

Here's something to think about. Ever wonder what real love is all about? First John 4:10 fills us in.
1 John 4:10-12 (New Living Translation)

10 This is real love--not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
But, that real love comes with responsibility. Here's the next two verses.

11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

Love each other.

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THOUGHT: God Speaks

God speaks to us.
He is the God who said:

Exodus 3:14 (New Living Translation)
"I AM WHO I AM."
John 14:6 (NLT)

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."
Exodus 20:3 (NLT)

"You must not have any other god but me."
Psalm 46:10 (NLT)

"Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world."

He wants to be the only God in your life. So don't make "gods" out of money, pride, self, or status. What is ruling you life right now? It's something to think about today.

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THOUGHT: Who's Back Do You Have?

In this world where everybody is looking out for "number 1," maybe we need to start thinking about each other instead.

Philippians 2:3-11 (New Living Translation)

3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

You know, if Jesus did that for us, we better be doing it for each other.

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ANNOUNCEMENT: New Series Coming!

Starts Sunday October 4th, 2009:

So You’re Dead…Now What?

The afterlife is cloaked in mystery. What happens moments after we die? What is Heaven really like? What about Hell? And does what we do in this world really matter in the next? Join us as we uncover the life-altering answers to these questions in So You're Dead...Now What?

Week 01: Death

Week 02: Hell

Week 03: Heaven

Week 04: Q&A

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THOUGHT: Fanatic 02 True Worshipers-Follow Up

1) When is the last time you have been overwhelmed in the presence of God?

2) Everyone has there own way of worshipping. How do you express worship?

3) God is seeking true worshipers. Is worship a way of life for you? How does your life show you worship?

Objective: To explore how worship can be our usual “way of life”.

1. What worship practices or styles of worship make people feel uncomfortable or embarrassed? Why?

2. In view of who God is and what He has done, what is your response of worship?

Read:

David said to Michal…"I will celebrate before the LORD. I willbecome even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes..." ~2 Sam 6:21-22 (NIV)

3. How can we combine reverence before God with unparalleled joy and celebration?

Read:

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."

~Heb 12:28-29 (NIV)

4. When is the last time you were overwhelmed or “consumed” in the presence of God?

Read:

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ~John 4:23 (NIV)

5. God is seeking true worshipers. Is worship a way of life for you?

6. How can you express your wholehearted joy before the Lord this week?

How can this expression be a regular habit or “way of life” for you?

Pray:

Ask God to help you maintain a lifestyle of worship.

For Further Study

John 12:12-19

Open: How do people usually react when they meet a celebrity?

Why? Who are today's religious celebrities?

Explore: What had the crowd heard about Jesus? (12:12) How did the crowd greet Jesus when He arrived in Jerusalem? (12:13) What prophetic event took place? (12:14-15) When did Jesus' disciples realize the significance of these events? (12:16) What did the crowd that was with Jesus do when He raised Lazarus? (12:17) Why did many of the people go out to meet Jesus? (12:18) How did the Pharisees react to this event? (12:19)

Contemplate: What did you hear about Jesus that led you to seek Him? When are you reluctant to allow Jesus to take His rightful place as King in your life? How should we honor and worship Jesus as King?

Apply: How will you honour and worship Jesus with your life today?

Psalm 96:1-13

Open: What are some common elements of worship in your church? For you, what can cause church worship services to become stale or boring?

Explore: What call introduces the psalm? (96:1-3) How far did the psalm writer want the praise of God's people to extend? (96:1-3) What reasons did the psalm writer give to the nations to praise the Lord? (96:1-13) What does this psalm reveal about God's character? (96:1-13)

Why should God's people be motivated to praise God? (96:4-6) Whom did the psalm writer call to worship God? (96:7-9) What will motivate creation to praise the Lord? (96:11-13)

Contemplate: What should be our motivation in praising God? What about nature inspires you to praise God? What kind of worship does God desire?

Apply: What is one thing you can do to revive your worship of God or make it more meaningful?

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THOUGHT: What's Praise-able?

Here's a questions for you: Have you stopped to think about all the stuff that you can praise God for? Here's an example.

Jonah 2:6-9 (New Living Translation)

6 But you, O LORD my God,
snatched me from the jaws of death!
7 As my life was slipping away,
I remembered the LORD.
And my earnest prayer went out to you
in your holy Temple.
8 Those who worship false gods
turn their backs on all God’s mercies.
9 But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise,
and I will fulfill all my vows.
For my salvation comes from the LORD alone.

OK, now it's your turn. Go ahead, tell God why you love Him right now. Seriously! Whatcha got to lose?

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THOUGHT: Who Owns You?

Do you know who your life belongs to? Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 12:1-2 (New Living Translation)

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
OK...so how do you do that? The answer is in the next verse:

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Knowing God's will for your life starts with giving your life to Him.

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THOUGHT: Patience

Sometimes, people think patience is worthless. But the smartest guy who ever lived wrote a book called Proverbs. And in chapter 14 he said this:
Proverbs 14:29 (New Living Translation)
29 People with understanding control their anger;
a hot temper shows great foolishness.
And, that smartest guy who ever lived, well, his dad was pretty smart too. He wrote this about being patient with God's timing.

Psalm 37:7 (NLT)

7 Be still in the presence of the LORD,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don't worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.

Don't be a fool, be patient! The bad guys will get what they deserve! A little reminder from 411God.

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THOUGHT: Saved

You can't do anything to earn salvation. It's like a gift from Jesus! Here's how it's described in Ephesians.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (New Living Translation)

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

You get it? It's not what you do, it's what Jesus already did for you. Sweet right?

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THOUGHT: Freedom

There is freedom in Christ. In Acts chapter 6, we see people so scared to release to the freedom of Christ, they would rather stay confined to some silly rules created by men.

Acts 6:8-12 (New Living Translation)

8 Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. 9 But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him....10 None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.
11 So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, "We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God." 12 This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen.

Do you ever get so caught up in following rules that you end up in slavery to your rules? You know what? Why don't you let God set you free?

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THOUGHT: Talking to God

A little reminder: God talks to us through the Bible, and we talk to him, well, by praying. Listen to what can happen when we pray.

Psalm 66:16-20 (New Living Translation)

16 Come and listen, all you who fear God,
and I will tell you what he did for me.
17 For I cried out to him for help,
praising him as I spoke.
18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19 But God did listen!
He paid attention to my prayer.
20 Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
or withdraw his unfailing love from me.

Have you messed up? It's ok to talk to God about it. He wants you to.

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THOUGHT: Shout It Out!

You know, sometimes good news just needs to be yelled!

Psalm 40:9-10 (New Living Translation)

9 I have told all your people about your justice.
I have not been afraid to speak out,
as you, O LORD, well know.
10 I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in
my heart;
I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
of your unfailing love and faithfulness.

Who have you "yelled at" lately about God's love? OK, you might get some strange looks, so have you at least talked to somebody about Him?

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THOUGHT: Getting Even

You know, getting even...it's part of life right? Well, not according to today's 411God, from First Thessalonians 5:15.
1 Thessalonians 5:15 (New Living Translation)
15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.
Ok? And you know, God gives us a different way to live. It's right there in the book of John chapter 13 verse 34.

John 13:34-35 (New International Version)

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
And then, verse 35 explains why.

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Let God take care of the paybacks. You worry about that "love" part.

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THOUGHT: Fanatic 01 What God Desires Most Follow Up

The new season has begun.

Ask yourself the question, “What do I worship?” You might be surprised by the answer. Do you spend the same time and energy toward God as you do with sporting events, concerts or even your Wii? Are you as fanatical about showing your praise for God as you are about showing off your shoes? If not, then maybe you’re worshiping the wrong things. Join us for Fanatic.

Objective: To be aware of the things that we value the most and to identify God’s characteristics and His deeds that move us to worship.

What does worship mean for you?

Worship is “giving something value and worth above all else. What in your life do you value the most? What (if anything) have you valued above God in your past?

What do you think it means that you were “made” for worship?

Since worship is a response to who God is and what He has done, who is God to you and what has He done in your life?

________________________________________

For Further Study

Matthew 21:1-11

How would you define worship? Why do many Christians cheer like crazy at sporting events on Saturday and sheepishly sing praise songs to the Lord on Sunday?

What did the gathered crowd place on the road? Why? (21:8) What size crowd participated in welcoming Jesus?(21:8)

What did the crowds shout as Jesus entered Jerusalem? (21:9) How did this "parade" affect those living in Jerusalem? (21:10) What did the crowd accompanying Jesus say about Him to those in the city?(21:11)

If you had lived in Jerusalem during that time, do you think you would have been a follower of Christ or one of the people who looked skeptically at all His activities? How much do you think "the crowds" today understand Jesus' purpose and mission? In what ways do we simplistically "cheer" Jesus? How might we be able to change our city or campus or country if we honoured Christ as King over all? How should worship play a role in your daily life? How can you honour Jesus as King this week? What special gift (time, money, possessions, effort, etc.) of worship can you present to Jesus today?

1 Chronicles 16:7-43

What is your favourite song of worship? Why? When was the last time you felt overwhelmed with thankfulness or gratitude? In what place or location have you most enjoyed worshiping God? What is the subject of the song David wrote? (16:7-36) According to David, why should we give thanks to the Lord? (16:8)

What should people tell others about God? (16:9) What are the character qualities of God listed in this psalm? (16:15-22) How often do you take time to think about what God has done for you? What can you tell others about what God has done for you? How should we express our thanks and appreciation to God? Why is music a useful way of praising God? How much should we verbally praise God during the week? For what specific reasons should we praise the Lord? What are some of the reasons you have to be thankful to God? How can you use music to help you focus on and celebrate God in your life this week? Instead of talking only about family, sports, shopping, or weather with your friends this week, what about the greatness of God can you mention as praise?

Psalms 145:1-150:6

What kinds of things do you usually talk about with your friends? How do you feel when you tell someone about what God has done for you? How do these psalms characterize the Lord? (145:1-150:6) What is the overarching theme of these six psalms? (145:1-150:6) What should motivate God's people to praise the Lord? (145:1-150:6) What practical advice is offered about how to worship God? (145:4-7, 10-12; 146:1-2;

147:1; 149:1-3, 5-6; 150:1-6) How is Psalm 150 a fitting conclusion to the book of Psalms? (150:1-6) How has the Lord demonstrated His love for you? What should motivate us to offer our praise to God? What lessons can we learn from these psalms about how to praise the Lord?

How do these passages encourage you to improve your worship of God? Practically speaking, how can you put your hope in the Lord?

What specific steps could you take this week to add some creativity and enthusiasm to your worship of the Lord?

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THOUGHT: Busted Up

Here is a thought on which you might like to think. I didn't think it, but I read it and then I thought about it. Now you can read it and then think about it too.

True worship begins with brokenness and humility over whatever God reveals to us in His Word. Poverty of spirit and mourning over our sin lead to genuine repentance, which in turn leads to forgiveness. Forgiveness will produce freedom--freedom from guilt and bondage. When we have freedom that has been birthed out of brokenness, repentance, and forgiveness, we will have a greater capacity for love--supernatural ability to love God and to love those who are unlovable--and for worship. And of course, true love and worship will lead us back to a new level of brokenness, which leads to greater and deeper repentance, increased forgiveness, newfound freedom, and an even greater capacity for love and for worship.

Brokenness is the starting place for a lifelong cycle. We cannot experience true freedom, love, and worship if we do not enter by way of humility, repentance and forgiveness.

The Blessing of Brokenness

Never forget that we live as part of a Kingdom that values things vastly differently than the Empire around us.

The last shall be first, the first shall be last.

The greatest among you must be the servant of all.

We are strong in our weakness.

The meek will inherit the earth.

Brokenness leads to freedom and strength.

It is hard to remember to live that out and that is why we need to mezuzah our lives. Find ways to remind yourself of whose you are and what you want to be.

Plan it.

Choose it.

Live it.

Share it.

Love it.

Be transformed by it.

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