Higher Purpose Ministries

Abraham  Warrior for God.  Genesis 14

Abraham was a Friend of God who was willing to fight for God and for family.  Someone said, "The Christian life is a battleground, not a playground."  How True!  Abraham certainly understood this and Christians also need to understand this.  We need to understand what is truly worth fighting for.  Abraham was a courageous man and a wise man.  God blessed him in his fight and he won a great victory and set the captives free.

Abraham did not seek a fight, but he found himself in conflict.  Christians do not need to ever go looking for a fight, however, sometimes the fight does come to us and we do not need to be afraid to stand up for the Lord.

New Hope Community Church, 3849 FM 1827, McKinney, TX 75071. Dr. Kelly Carr, Pastor

#Abraham,

Abraham started on a journey with God.  God called him, "Friend."  There was something about Abraham that caused God to pass over many people to get to Abraham.  It was his "faith."

Even the best of journeys have a few detours, breakdowns, or potholes along the way.  They make the trip "memorable."  They also complicate the journey.

Abraham had some detours and they were caused by God.  They were caused by Abraham.  The way we respond in those situations says a lot about us.  Will we "double-down" in our mistakes, or will we be willing to own up to them and turn around?

Dr. Kelly Carr, Pastor, New Hope Community Church, 3849 FM 1827, McKinney, TX 75071.

#Abraham, #FriendofGod, #ChristianLifeCoach, #LifeCoaching,

Back to Bethel.  Bethel means "The House of God." Abraham strayed away from God.  There are times of testing, even for those who are on the journey with God.  But how do we get back go to God after we have blown it.  Quite often the answer starts with Going back to the House of God.

Abraham went back to the last place he had built an altar of worship to God.  He went back to that altar and worshipped the Lord.

There is a way back.  I think you will enjoy this message that shows how Abraham, the friend of God, made his way back to God in Genesis 12:9 - Genesis 13:4

#Abraham, #FriendofGod, #NewHopeCommunityChurch, #KellyCarr, #ChristianLifeCoaching, #LifeCoaching

Series:  Abraham Called to be God's Friend  Message 1

Abraham was called "The friend of God."  What a great term that many would love to be called.  This message focuses on what kind of man Abraham was.  What kind of person does God look for as a friend.  Can we be God's friend?  Does God expect "perfection" in His friends?  Thank goodness, no.

What Kind of Man was Abraham?

#1  A Man of Faith and Vision      Hebrews 11:8

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

#2  A Man of Flesh and Blood 

#Abraham, #AbrahamFriend, #FriendofGod, #ChristianLifeCoaching,

What kind of Man was Abraham that God would call him, "Friend."  Would you like for God to call you His Friend?  Of course.

Let's learn what kind of Person Abraham was, and how we could also be a person God will call His Friend.

Message #1

#Abraham, #AbrahamFriend, #FriendofGod, #ChristianLifeCoaching,

A Friend at Midnight

Luke 11:5-13  A Parable of Jesus about Prayer

Who Can You Call at Midnight, that will Answer?

5  Then He said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves;

6  for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him';

7  and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.'

8  "I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

#Parable, #PersistentPrayer, #GodCares,

Labor Day  While It Is Day

John 9:1-7

4  "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. John 9:4 (NASB)

All of our work is Divine Work, and our primary calling is to do His Work.

1st  The Divine Occupation of our Labor

“We must work…”  John 9:4

There is an urgency about what God has called us to do and the shortness of time we have to do it.

#LaborDay, #ChristianService, #Urgency,

Take a 4 minute spiritual retreat.  Refresh your heart.  Renew your spirit.  Quiet your mind. 

Nearer My God To Thee, piano solo, by Diana Walker. 

God Loves You Very Much!

New Hope Community Church, 3849 FM 1827, McKinney, TX 75071.

Dr. Kelly Carr, Pastor.  www.NewHopeCommChurch.com

The Story of 4 People whose lives were changed forever and why … from Luke 5:1-11.  This is a message of encouragement.  When we let God do what He wants to do in our lives, amazing things happen.

Peter, Andrew, James, and John

This is another day in the life of Jesus.  Everywhere Jesus goes, He invests in people and He changes them, if they are willing.  He changes them for the better.  Then He enlists them, empowers them, and uses them to change their world for God.  He wants to do the same thing with You and Me.

From Peter’s Perspective

Intro.  What if God wanted to invite you to be part of amazing adventure.  Would you recognize the call?  Would it come in a special invitation?  Would it be wrapped in gold paper with silver ribbons?  How would you respond, especially if it was something you did not expect?

#1  BE Ready to Adjust Your Plans When Jesus Shows Up.  5:1-3

1 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; 2 and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat.

Christ is teaching people near the shore of Lake Galilee, near Capernaum.  Teaching the Word of God, not the Traditions of Men.  The audience is vast and pressing in upon Jesus.  The place is picturesque.  He picked this very spot in all of Israel for this day for a special purpose.  It is the hometown of someone He wanted to recruit into an Amazing Life Adventure.

Capernaum was the hometown of Peter the fisherman, and his brother Andrew, and their two boyhood friends, James and John, the sons of Zebedee.

They were all partners in a very lucrative fishing business.  The Romans and the Jews in Jerusalem loved the purchase the fish from Galilee and have them delivered fresh.  It is evident from the scriptures that there business was doing well because it says that they had multiple boats and they even had hired servants.

Dr. Kelly Carr, Pastor, New Hope Community Church, 3849 FM 1827, McKinney, TX 75071. 

Jesus Changes Lives, Fishers of Men, Christian Life Coaching, Purpose,

God Loves You Very Much!

As we prepare for National Back to Church Sunday, September 19, 2021, One of the things I wanted to do was to help train my church in how to share the gospel.  There are several ways and in this little 10 minute example before the sermon, we gave some basic training in how to actually give away a gospel tract.  I enjoy giving something of value to someone that they will be able to refer back to later and perhaps the Holy Spirit will use God's Word to touch their heart and stir their spirit.  It may only be a seed, or one of many touches that God uses along the way to bring someone to Christ.  A gospel tract is seldom the final thing that brings a person to Christ, but often it is a little burr under the saddle that begins the conviction process for a backslidden Christian or a lost sinner.

I also used this time to teach people how to hand out our generic church invite cards.  Every Christian ought to be able to invite people to his or her church.  It is not the boldest way to witness.  But it is a good way.  And in America it is simply common courtesy to invite friends and neighbors to the church where you attend.  If you are blessed by your church, then others will be, too.  People just need to know that they are welcome and wanted.  People like to turn you down, so keep inviting them.

Dr. Kelly Carr, Pastor, New Hope Community Church, 3849 FM 1827, McKinney, TX 75071.

Gospel Tract Ministry, Church Invite Card, #GospelTract, #GospelTractMinistry, #ChurchInviteCard,

Also, I have recently been ordering my tracts from Moments With The Book ministries.  They have beautiful 3D cards that people find fun and fascinating.  You can find them online at www.MWTB.org I love to give away their American Flag.  People love it.  Kids of all ages love the 3D Emoji cards.  People often smile and then jerk them out of my hands.  Sometimes they ask if they can have another one for a friend. 

I design my own Church Invite Cards at UPrinting.com and will be happy to send you a copy or a design if you request one.  They are easy to design and very cost effective.  I order them for special days or events, for special sermon series, and even as generic cards for our members that like to give them away.  I design them so I can hand them out or mail them out, and usually mail them to my members and prospects.  Handing out #ChurchInviteCards is a skill that today's Christian needs to develop.  We are working in a mission field today.  People are not just visiting church because it is cultural anymore.  We have to invite them.  It is also a great skill for a Christian Life Coach.  In fact, Faith Based Life Coaches and church staff members should be teaching people in their churches how to give away an invite card.

God Loves You Very Much!