HOPE: Your Highway To Change

Romans 5:1-5; Romans 14:13; Psalm 42:5

November 10, 2024

As a Believer, you have HOPE inside you by the Holy Spirit!

Hope IS:

A mighty force, part of the trinity of Main Spiritual Force (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Salvation and Hope are Inseparable (Romans 8:24)

Hope is that God given spiritual force that internally reaches for a result that is not yet externally seen!

“What am I hoping for?” (Search me, Lord, and affirm or correct and adjust my desires.)

Competing forces to Hope

Circumstances; information; others; satan; time (Proverbs 13:12)

Getting Hope Aligned and Developed

The Word of God, prayer, worship

Surrender, adjustment

Perseverance (Romans 5:1-5; Hebrews 6:19)

è Truth: Daniel 2:21; John 19:11a

• No person, political party, agenda is capable of fixing this nation! Only the Lord Jesus Christ, working in and through hearts can save, restore, and bring order, unity, strength, healing to our nation!

è The United States is not a Theocracy. True righteousness cannot be legislated by government. The Kingdom of God is the rule of God in our hearts!

è However; we are to be salt and light to our culture. We are to pray for, vote for, stand for righteous leadership. We are not controlled by leadership but we are affected by it!

• For God to turn hearts of the Electorate. (Daniel 2:21)

• For a Return to Kingdom Agenda

“You are the salt of the earth” - “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13, 14)

• If possible

• Check out platforms over personalities

• Issues Such As: Immigration, Foreign Policy; Taxation/Economics

• Process the “Uncrossable Lines”: Abortion, Parental Rights; Gender Issues

• Pray for whoever is elected (1 Timothy 2:1-3)

• Jesus’ view of authority (John 19:11a; 1 Peter 2:13)

• God uses even what He does not initiate

Beware of those who, in the guise of compassion actually invite oppression!!!!

WHY AREN’T MY PRAYERS ANSWERED?

PSALM 66:18; JAMES 4:2-3

OCTOBER 20, 2024

è Blockages to Answered Prayer

1. Regarding iniquity in my heart. (Psalm 66:18)

• Regard; hold onto; continue to pay attention to; hold in place of focus. Excusing, enjoying sin; (i.e. anger, lust,)

2. Failure to Ask. (James 4:2)

• Sometimes, our “asker is broken”

• Negligence; guilt; false view of God’s interest; pre-existing un-belief.

3. Wrong Motives. (James 4:3)

• Primary, hidden motive is “my desire, my way, my time.”

4. Timing.

• God’s calendar and clock are often not the same as ours!

• Due time: (1 Peter 5:6; Galatians 6:9)

• God is working on something greater than my desire, time frame.

è Actions Needed

• Forgive me, Lord, for my failure to ASK! (Matthew 7:7; James 4:2; Philippians 4:6)

• “Examine my heart, Lord! Reveal to me where I am out of line with Your heart, Your plan, and where I am self-absorbed, focused on me!” (Psalm 139:23, 24)

• Grant me Your GRACE (Your favor and ability) to humble myself, to stop demanding my own way. By Your Grace, I will submit my desires and actions to You, Lord! I believe YOU want the BEST for me and I TRUST YOU! (Philippians 4:19; Proverbs 3:5, 6)

EPHESIANS 1: YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

OCTOBER 13, 2024

SESSION 6

è Ephesians 2:1-3 -The Depth of my condition before God’s Intervention

è Ephesians 2:4-7 -The Power of God’s Intervention (Motivated by His

Love for me)

è Ephesians 2:4-10 - The Incredible Position that God has given us in Christ

• I was In Him at the Cross (Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20)

• I was In Him at the Resurrection (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1)

• I was In Him at the Ascension (Ephesians 2:6)

• I Am Now in Him before the Throne! (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1-3)

If I am not receiving ongoing correction, I am probably not continuing to “walk in the Spirit”. “Whom the Lord loves He corrects! (Proverbs 3:12; Hebrews 12:6)

Smooth sailing: NOT PROMISED!

Safe Landing: GUARANTEED!

Have you forgotten about the Grace you have access to? Have you allowed your present circumstances to keep you from connecting with that Grace? (Grace for Salvation, deliverance, restoration, financial setbacks, disease treatment and recovery, relational brokenness.)

Part 2

Jeremiah Castille September 22, 2024 by Covenant Heirs

Ephesians 1: Your Identity In Christ

September 15, 2024

Session 5

Ephesians 1:1-10

Review: In Christ I am….

Blessed with every spiritual blessing

Chosen; holy and blameless; loved and predestined to adoption; accepted in Christ; redeemed; forgiven

Ephesians 1:10: God has made Jesus Christ the ultimate, consummate expression of Himself! (See Hebrews 1:1-3)

Ephesians 1:11: Jesus has left us an inheritance (See Ephesians 1:1-10; John 16:15) All things that the Father has ….

Christ’s ultimate work for the Believer

Ephesians 1:13, 14 The order: Hear the truth; the Gospel of Salvation; believe it (see also Ephesians 2:8, 9); the Spirit’s seal, quarantee!

The Prayer

The revelation:

The Hope

The deposit of His Inheritance (John 16:15; Ephesians 1:3; 2 Peter 1:3)

His power and authority

His Body: His Plan;

If His Church Will Act as He Desires, NOTHING and NO ONE can Defeat it! (See Matthew 16:19)

EPHESIANS 1: YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

SEPTEMBER 8, 2024

SESSION 4

è Ephesians 1:1-10

Review: In Christ I am….

• Blessed with every spiritual blessing

• Chosen; holy and blameless; loved and predestined to adoption; accepted in Christ; redeemed; forgiven

è Ephesians 1:11: we have an inheritance (not earned by self-righteousness, striving) (See Romans 8:16, 17)

è Our pre-set destination in Christ is to be conformed and transformed into His image and likeness! (See Romans 8:29; Romans 12:1, 2; 2 Corinthians 3:18)

è “IN DUE TIME” (At the right, God-appointed time)

• God exists outside of time, but intervenes in time and space!

• Our lives have “due times”…. “appointed times”,

• See Ecclesiastes 3:1; Galatians 4:4, 1 Peter 5:6, 7; Galatians 6:7-9

è Ephesians 1:12: In Christ, God is working all things according to the counsel of His will! (See Romans 8:28)

✸Not immediately, but always ultimately for those in Christ!

è God grants us direction through:

• The inner voice of the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:13)

• His Word

• His ordering and overseeing of our life circumstances and events

• Other people (get confirmation)

Ephesians 1: Your Identity In Christ

August 18, 2024

Session 3

Review: Blessed In Christ: Chosen; Loved; Predestined; Accepted (Ephesians 1:3-6)

Ephesians 1:7 – Redeemed; Forgiven; Abounding Grace (See also Romans 5:17)

We were slaves! To our own broken condition: self-absorbed motives; unable to “fix me”; anger; guilt; shame; addictive behaviors; mindsets. (By nature, and by choice.)

Helpless, condemned, bound … trapped … BUT

We were Seen and Loved by God. Jesus redeemed, Bought us off the slave market by His own Blood! (Hebrews 9:12; Revelation 1:5)

Jesus paid the price of our ransom! We have to believe Him, trust Him, walk off the slave block and go home with Him! (Trust Him, submit to Him, admitting our need!

(See 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21 and Romans 5:17)

EPHESIANS 1: YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

AUGUST 11, 2024

SESSION 2

è Background and Review: Grace and Peace

è Ephesians 1:3 - The Power Of Blessing

• Meaning: Empowered, enabled by God to prosper in spirit, soul, body, relationally, provisionally, productivity in every way! (Genesis 12:3; Deuteronomy 28:1-8; Galatians 3:13, 14, 29)

• The opportunity to be a Blessing to God, to others He brings into your circle and leads you to bless!

• “The Heavenly Places in Christ”

• 3 terms

• Christ’s location (Romans 8:34)

• Christ’s blessings (John 16:14, 15) [i.e., Love, Grace, Peace, Identity, Provision, Protection, Wisdom, Favor, Security….]

• Our honor, responsibility, to Bless the Lord! (See Psalm 103, i.e.)

è Ephesians 1:4 – He chose you in Christ

• When? Before time; before you; before your choices

• What? (did God see) In Christ, you are loved perfectly, and are holy and blameless.

• See 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 – The Great Exchange!

• Our problem: failure to see ourselves in Christ and act accordingly! (Unbelief is a Killer!)

• Romans 5:17 – RECEIVE!!!

è COMMUNION: A holy act of Worship and Thanksgiving! A Holy, intimate connection with Jesus and what happened at the Cross …. The internal, spirit-ministered connection with and response to the body and blood of Christ.