Higher Aim with Dr. Curt Dodd

We have been spiritually bankrupt for decades in this country. Instead of the work and movement of the Spirit of God, we have installed organizational strategies and packed our calendars to substitute for the hunger and longing for a fresh movement of God. I want to see an awakening happen. I don't want to end my ministry without seeing the Spirit of God move across our generation once more. I was fortunate to experience that in my student years. I saw just a sprinkling of the power and movement of the Spirit of God. It ignited a passion in my heart to want to be part of that. With this in mind, I want to give you some key characteristics about how great awakenings of God happen. This will help you to discern and understand how the Spirit of God moves.

We have been spiritually bankrupt for decades in this country. Instead of the work and movement of the Spirit of God, we have installed organizational strategies and packed our calendars to substitute for the hunger and longing for a fresh movement of God. I want to see an awakening happen. I don't want to end my ministry without seeing the Spirit of God move across our generation once more. I was fortunate to experience that in my student years. I saw just a sprinkling of the power and movement of the Spirit of God. It ignited a passion in my heart to want to be part of that. With this in mind, I want to give you some key characteristics about how great awakenings of God happen. This will help you to discern and understand how the Spirit of God moves.

Hope is the belief that circumstances will get better. It's not a wish for things to get better -- it's the actual belief, the knowledge that things will get better, no matter how big or small. Today’s key passage from 1 Peter 1 is a call to experience that kind of hope. God wants all of His children to live in hope. He does not want you to live hopelessly in this world. The poorest person is not he or she without a dollar; it is the person who is living without hope. I pray that as we go through this content together, you would get engaged with the hope that God has for you and live a rich, hope- filled life.

The book of 1 Peter was written to believers who were facing persecution. And it’s important for us to understand this particular book of the Bible because as time goes on, we as Christians will face more and more persecution and opposition for what we believe. The Scripture that we will be studying will shake your heart, and help you understand what God has for you in the days to come. As believers, we could experience more and more persecution, as the Second Coming of Jesus approaches. Therefore it is absolutely vital that we take this Scripture and use it to prepare our hearts for what could be coming down the road.

As we celebrate Easter, I want to take the time to point out the many gifts that are available to us as Jesus-followers because of Easter. There are five gifts of Easter that we’re going to look at specifically, and I pray that you’ll be able to receive each of these this Easter season.

Do you believe God answers prayer? Maybe that’s an easy question. Of course He answers them. However, the difficult part about answering that question is that, sometimes, the answer we get is not the answer we want. Sometimes, the answer is “No.” By the way, “No” is an answer. Just because God doesn't give you what you want in the time that you want, it doesn't mean that He doesn't answer prayer. He does! Sometimes, the answer is “Wait, not yet.” Either the situation is not right, you are not right, or the timing is out of line with His perfect will. Therefore, “Wait” is an answer. And then, of course, “Yes” is an answer! When everything lines up – you, the situation, God's will, and the request – and the answer is “Yes,” then go. We need to remember that God answers prayer. With this in mind, there are several principles in play to help us find the path toward powerful praying. We began looking at that concept last week. Today, we will continue this same study in James chapter five.

Over the next couple of weeks, we are going to look at the path to powerful prayer. Specifically, we’re going to hone in on one specific phrase from our key Scripture passage in James that says, “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Maybe you’re wondering what that statement means or how that applies to your own walk with Jesus. Well, that’s exactly what we’re going to look at in this mini-series.

As we read about Elijah in today’s key passage, we see a man of God who was used by God in an unbelievable manner. He did miracles, but now he is going through depression. He was a man of God who was used by God, yet he was suffering from depression. If God can use a depressed man, don’t you think He can also use you? Don't discount anyone just because they may struggle with emotional or mental problems. Those are the kinds of people God uses. In this message, we are going to learn from Elijah’s example and see exactly how we can defeat depression in our lives and fulfill the calling God has given us despite our struggles.

As believers, it is important for us to know what the Word of God says. And in addition to our knowledge, we must be very sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit inside of our hearts and lives. When we do this, we will know how to respond to Him when He speaks. As a believer, if you are just living your Christian life based on what you know, that's a good place to start, but it is not a good place to stop! God wants you to be in the flow of His Spirit. God wants to speak to you. In this message, we are going to look at several different Scripture verses that will give you a good handle on sensing the Holy Spirit. You will realize that the words speak of Him as a person. He is not an “it!” He is not a “thing!” He is the third person of the Trinity!

There are some questions you get asked that are watershed moments in every relationship. You always want to be a truth teller, but sometimes that confrontation puts you in a vicarious position. Today, we will look at a question that Jesus asked His disciples. This question placed Simon Peter right in the crosshairs of confrontation. And as we examine this passage, we will learn several things.