Priority Make eternal things your priority! Haggai 1:1-15 On August 29 of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest 2  “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’” 3 Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? 5 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! 6 You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes! 7 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! 8 Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. 9 You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. 10 It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. 11 I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything... Read More

What is TRUE WORSHIP? Intro: What does it really mean to worship? Worship is so vital in our walk with God and our Faith. We talk about it all the time: We conduct worship service, appoint worship leaders, sing worship songs and enjoy worship experiences. But what does it really mean to worship God? MSG: WORSHIP MEANS GIVING TO GOD, WHETHER THAT BE MATERIAL GIFTS OR THE OFFERING OF OUR PRAISES OR OUR TALENTS. HOW GREAT YOUR WORSHIP WILL BE, DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH YOU GIVE TO THE LORD.   IT MEANS EXPRESSING HOW MUCH HE IS WORTH TO YOU. (God’s value in the eyes of the world is not that great otherwise he would be more reverend).   In 1. Chronicles 29:2-6, 9. (NLT) 3 “And now, because of my devotion to the Temple of my God, I am giving all of my own private treasures of gold and silver to help in the construction. This is in addition to the building materials I have already collected for his holy Temple. When King David was near his death he called the people of Israel together and reminded them of the implications of their status as God’s people.   In Romans 12:1-2 (NLT) 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. 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. Paul reminded the church in Rome that offering of our very bodies to the service of Jesus Christ... Read More

IF YOU CHANGE YOUR POSITION,  GOD WILL CHANGE YOUR DIRECTION How To Let your Attitude Change Your Life. Four Attitudes People in the lowest level constantly complain. The second level is just a bit higher. These are not people who are constantly complaining; they just never give thanks for anything. They take things for granted. The third level are those who thank God for the obvious blessings, when things are going good and everything is fine. But the fourth level, the highest level, are those who always give thanks for all things. This is the attitude that will change your life. Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your Heart, all your SOUL, and all your Mind.’ This love requires an attitude of heart where God is so valued and esteemed that we truly long for His FELLOWSHIP, strive to OBEY Him and sincerely care for His HONOR AND WILL on earth It’s all about what you believe, And the attitude you have, Will determine the outcome Lord whatever you’re doing in this season Please don’t do it without me Lord if you’re healing Lord if you’re blessing

STAYING ON COURSE   2 Timothy 1 (NLT) 6 This is why I remind you To Fan Into Flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.   8 So Never Be Ashamed To Tell Others About Our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. 9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. 10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. 11 And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.   13 Hold On To The Pattern Of Wholesome Teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus.14 Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.   2 Timothy 4:3-5(NLT) 3 For A Time Is Coming When People Will No Longer Listen To Sound And Wholesome Teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News,... Read More

Part 2: We have so much to praise God for, there’s great power in giving honor to Him. The bible is filled with examples of praise when we see His power released – life-changing miracles, dramatic stories of the enemy being halted or defeated, hearts being changed and drawn closer to Him.   Yet reality is that way too often, daily struggles or constant life demands can crowd out our praise to God.    Sometimes it really is a sacrifice to offer praise.  We may not feel like it.  We’re struggling.  We’re stressed.  Or maybe, we feel like He let us down. We think God seems distant, like he’s far away, or doesn’t really care about what is troubling us. Painful life blows and losses might have recently sent us spiraling.   Here’s what can make a lasting difference.   We make that decision to fix our eyes on Him, and daily give Him praise, no matter what we are facing, we suddenly realize that God has already begun to release the struggles over us.   There’s power in our acknowledgement that He is worthy, above all else, of our worship and praise.   THE HOLY SPIRIT urges us onward, to press in close to him. Doesn’t matter how good or “not so good” we feel like we can sing, doesn’t matter if we like upbeat worship, more reflective songs, or traditional hymns. Doesn’t matter if we’re alone, with a few, or in a big group. Doesn’t even matter whether we “feel” like it or not.  What matters is this – our hearts in tune with our Creator and King.   What the Power of Praise Can Do Praise makes room for God’s blessings over our lives. He will not hold back His goodness, praise opens the gateway of blessing as we come into the Presence of our King. “Enter his gates... Read More

Part 1 We have so much to praise God for, there’s great power in giving honor to Him. The bible is filled with examples of praise when we see His power released – life-changing miracles, dramatic stories of the enemy being halted or defeated, hearts being changed and drawn closer to Him. Yet reality is that way too often, daily struggles or constant life demands can crowd out our praise to God.  Sometimes it really is a sacrifice to offer praise.  We may not feel like it.  We’re struggling.  We’re stressed.  Or maybe, we feel like He let us down. We think God seems distant, like he’s far away, or doesn’t really care about what is troubling us. Painful life blows and losses might have recently sent us spiraling. Here’s what can make a lasting difference. We make that decision to fix our eyes on Him, and daily give Him praise, no matter what we are facing, we suddenly realize that God has already begun to release the struggles over us. There’s power in our acknowledgement that He is worthy, above all else, of our worship and praise. THE HOLY SPIRIT urges us onward, to press in close to him. Doesn’t matter how good or “not so good” we feel like we can sing, doesn’t matter if we like upbeat worship, more reflective songs, or traditional hymns. Doesn’t matter if we’re alone, with a few, or in a big group. Doesn’t even matter whether we “feel” like it or not.  What matters is this – our hearts in tune with our Creator and King. What the Power of Praise Can Do Praise gets our focus off ourselves and back on God.  We need this constant reminder – life is not all about us.  We may know that in our heads, but yet our hearts think differently so often. We’re prone to selfishness, He... Read More

Part 2: Perceive – Get Focused 1 Cor. 9:25 … They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. We do this to receive a crown that will last forever” If we want to run the race you must know where we are going Our finish line is heaven. Heaven is our goal and we must be heavenly minded. 2 Cor. 5:10 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. (NLT) 1 Cor. 3:13-15 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. (NLT) Purpose – Get Energized 1 Cor. 9:26 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. (NLT) James 1:12 12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (NLT) Produce – Get Fruitful 1 Cor. 9:26 26 So I run with purpose in every step. …(NLT) If our race is to be successful we must be fruitful. Persist – Never Quit 1 Cor. 9:27 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.(NLT)

Part 1: Proceed – Get Going 1 Cor. 9:24 24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win. Pursue – Keep Moving 24 -Run in such a way as to get the prize. This race isn’t over until we cross the finish line. You Can’t Be A Spectator; You Have To Be A Participator. We must be willing to take action We must be willing to change our attitude We must be willing to keep moving – Regardless of situations and problems. Even when we feel like giving up. Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Prepare – Get Ready 25 – 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. What Is That Strict Training? KEY WORD – Self-Control. Although The Presence Of Our Self-Control Is From The Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!(NLT) The Practice Of Our Self-Control Is Our Responsibility (2 Peter 1:4-7) 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. (NLT)... Read More

THE RACE TO THE FINISH LINE TODAY’S TITLE  The Characteristics Of The Race As a believer in Jesus Christ, you run a race. You Have Been Chosen For The Race The Race Is Both A Contest And A Conflict The Race Is Unique To You It has been marked out especially for you. While the destination is the same for everyone – a life like Jesus, the journey that gets us there is different for everyone. Don’t compare your track to someone else’s track. The Race Has No Time Outs The Race Is Full Of Obstacles You Run To Win This Race “Run in such a way that you may win” 1 Cor. 9:24 Winning The Race Will Require Great Endurance Will you engage in the training so that you will have the endurance to run the race NEXT SUNDAY’S TITLE SEVEN KEYS TO RUNNING YOUR RACE WELL

John 3:16, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 is the most famous verse in the Bible. It is the little Bible. It is the gospel in a nutshell. John 3:16 declares what every human heart—whether it knows—wants to hear and needs to hear: God loves you! God loves each of us as if there was only one of us to love. The Divine Source of the Love John 3:16 declares God is a lover. The Agape Love Just Gives (1 Corinthians 13) Mercy is God’s forgiving love. Grace is God’s undeserved love. Peace is God’s comforting love. The will of God is God’s perfect, flawless, faultless, error-free, impeccable love. Providence is God’s caring love. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is God’s proven love. Sanctification is God’s nurturing love. Heaven is God’s rewarding love. Eternity is God’s unending love. God does not love just certain groups, races or nations. God loves everybody. God doesn’t exclusively love Christians. God loves the world. Romans 5:7-8 says: 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.     The Infinite Worth of the Gift It is bad manners to give a gift to someone and leave the price tag on it, but this is exactly what God did when He gave us His Son, Jesus Christ. God wanted us to know what it cost Him to purchase our salvation. So he left the price tag on the gift. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved... Read More