New Layout

Hi All,
I am working on a new blog layout. Everything will still be available at this blog location, but there's going be a few different things about it.
My Sermon Note Sunday posts are going to be at a new location. I will have a tab on the top that takes you directly to them, but to some extent I feel like they swallow the rest of my posts, and so I'm creating a site just for them. Since they won't be on my main page, if you especially like to read them I suggest that follow the new link.
Love you all!

SNS - Room 101 Series

Room 101 Series (2/4)
Pastor Steven at Elevation Church

"Running From Your Life"

1 Kings 18:46 to 19:5 (ESV)

And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Arab to the entrance of Jezreel. Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow." Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came up to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers." And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, "Arise and eat."

Mark 4:35-41 (ESV)

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be Still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

• We don't have to fear what we face when we know who were trusting in.
• The only thing we ever have to be afraid of is that we would live one moment outside of the protection of God.
• If Jesus is on board, the storm is out-ranked.
• The Savior, isn't just beside us following us. He's in us.
• We limit ourselves if we believe that God never uses people who feel fear.
• The people God uses aren't fearless, they are just faithful.
• They go forward for God not because they never have fear, but because the presence of God and trust in a God who is greater.
• Faith is not the absence of fear but the presence of a stronger trust in a greater God even when we're facing our greatest fears.
• Display our doubts with one drop of God's Word at a time.

1 Kings 19:5-8 (ESV)

And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, "Arise and eat." And he looked and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you." And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

• Even the strongest human courage is a limited resource!
• There will come a time where we've all had enough.
• Don't run from the life God has called you to!

1. Get Up and Eat

• God's people aren't called to be fearless, but faithful.
• We receive God's power by consuming God's promises.
• The reason some of us are dominated by fear isn't because we don't have any faith, but because we aren't feeding the faith we have.
• We can't walk in courage, if our courage is malnourished.
• Feed the faith God has given you until your faith is bigger then your fear, then your faith can run your fear out of your heart and you can do what God has called you to do.
• If God removed all our fear, then we wouldn't depend on Him.
• Feed the faith God has put inside of you!
• We can feed our soul and be strong; or we can malnourish our souls and not want to live the life God has given us.
• If we eat words of fear and discouragement or cowardness long enough we will become fearful, discouraged, a coward, etc.
• If we can't/won't feed our faith with what God has put right by our head, how can we expect God to take away our fears when He's already done so much for us?!
• There is no excuse for us not feeding our faith.
• Eat what's right by your head!
• Feed your faith, and your fear won't stand a chance!

2. Go Out and Stand

1 Kings 19:9-13 (ESV)

There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He said, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with teh sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." And he said, "Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

• What are you doing here? What are you accomplishing by {fill in the blank}? What are you doing in the cave you're in?
• We can't see God when we're in a cave, and that's exactly how fear wants it.
• Fear wants to obstruct our view of God.
• What are you doing in the cave, {insert your name}?
• God whispers to us, because He's close.
• The devil shouts lies, but God whispers truth.
• God's not going to overpower our fears by shouting louder or by showing off. If we don't know God is God by everything He's created, we won't ever know who God is. God doesn't need to show off for us. He needs to whisper.
• Jesus doesn't overpower our fears by shouting louder, but my calling me closer!!!
• Get out of the cave, what are you doing in there?!
• In the cave our fear can grow because the devil grows stuff in the dark.
• If the devil can keep us in ignorance, he can shout at our soul and he can take me from 0 to 70 and we'll be running 200 miles away from our lives.
• The devil can throw whatever thought he wants to throw our way, but if we can get in the presence of God we won't be scared of anything the enemy says.
• Why would we be scared of something like that, or someone like satan? He can't hurt us!
• We have to go to where the light is.
• If satan can't keep us in the dark, he can't keep us in fear.
• Are you ready to check out of the cave?
• The Spirit of the Lord is in me (and you)! Tap into Him.

1 Kings 19:15-19 (ESV)

And the Lord said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him" So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him.

• Get up and eat, go out and stand, and ...

3. Get Back to Work

• Don't let the fear of what we're facing be greater then God's voice!
• We have to go back the way we came. We have to get back in the direction of what God's called us to.
• We've been feeling sorry for ourselves long enough.
• Doubting, fearing, hurting long enough.
• Wandering, wondering, wishing long enough.
• Dying on the inside long enough.
• {insert blank} long enough.
• CHRIST ALONE!!

SNS - Room 101 Series

Room 101 Series (1/4)
Pastor Steven at Elevation Church

"Forever Fearful, Never Scared"

1 John 4:18 (ESV)

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

• God's love drives out fear.
• Perfect love turns fear out of doors.
• The child of God never has to live in fear of what life brings their way.
• The only limit fear has to place on our lives is what we allow fear to limit.
• Don't fear what they fear, don't be dismayed at what they're dismayed at. Because God is with us and He will uphold us.
• We don't have to be afraid!!

Proverbs 1:7 (ESV)

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge."

• We are to be forever fearful of the Lord, but never scared.

Genesis 3:10-11 (ESV)

And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

• The fear that we feel is usually the result of a lie (from satan) that we have believed.

Revelation 1:17-18 (ESV)

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

• In Adam (our condition apart from Christ) we hide from God because in our sin we have everything to fear. But in Christ we worship God because in His righteousness we have nothing to hide.
• Perfect love drives out fear.
• The fear of the Lord is different then being scared of God.
• When we're scared of God we're scared of what He's going do to us because of what we've done against Him.
• But when we realize that the love of God means that God already did to Jesus what He should have done to us, the fear of the Lord is no longer being scared of God; the fear of the Lord is being terrified to be outside of His protection.
• Don't fear God out of intimidation because if God wanted to destroy us He could, but He wants me to respect Him and love Him out of intimacy.
• The fear of the Lord is "God I never want to do anything that would land me out of your protection because I know I can't do anything that would land me outside of your love."
• I don't want to do anything that would land me outside your protection God.
• The fear of the Lord is routed in our understanding of His love for us; and the only thing that we would ever be afraid of is to land outside His protection.
• Faith in God is not the absence of fear, faith in God is the presence of Christ bigger then any fear that I face.
• Fear stands at the doorway of every destiny and says "I dare you to come up here" and the enemy plants fear at every threshold of our life.
• Fear comes to stop somebody who God has called to do something before they ever get the opportunity to do it.
• Our fear isn't an indication that we won't ever do anything great for God, it's actually a sign that the enemy is threatened by us and has dispatched something in our hearts to keep us from getting where God has called us.
• If we get free of our fear, we'll set others free too.
• Fear needs to meet God's love.
• God's love comes in and says thank you very much, but you can't stand here anymore.
• God's love turns fear out of doors.
• God's love says, "fear you gotta go, you can't hold down {insert name} anymore"
• The love of God is bigger, the love of God is greater, the love of God is stronger then any fear could ever be.
• Stand up to fear and say, "Whatcha gonna do fear, when the love of God casts you out."

Sermon Note Sunday

Sunday Morning
James River Assembly
Pastor David
July 22nd, 2012

"What Do I Lack?"

Matthew 19:16-26

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

• What do we have to do to get eternal life?

Jesus did 3 things in this passage:

1. Jesus shattered the young man's assumptions about Christianity.
     A. The young man thought Christianity is just something you add to your life (it's not).
     B. The young man thought Christianity is something you do.

• In reality, Christianity is like a bomb that explodes inside you, you are born all over again. You are a new creation when you are a Christian.
• Christianity isn't something you can add, rather it overtakes your life!
• There's only one being who is completely good, and that's God.
• No one is perfect. The problem isn't that one thing (that one sin, pain in the side, etc.) hanging out there, it's that we aren't perfect and we won't admit it.
• Christianity isn't something we do or try to do, it's something that we receive.
• The real line that matters isn't the line that separates the good from the bad (or the bad from the bad), but the line that connects me from God.

2. Jesus got personal.

Mark 10:20-21
And he said to him, "Teacher all these I have kept from my youth. And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

• One thing was keeping this man, from being able to see God. He had a cancer eating at his soul. What cancer do I have eating at my soul, and what cancer do you have eating at your soul.
• At the base of all of our problems, is a battle between God and us for control.
• God wants ALL!!!
• He wants our relationships, dreams, battles, and all that is important to us.
• All we have to do is surrender it to God!

Matthews 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty words in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
- There are people that know a lot about Jesus, but who never really know Jesus and He never knew them. Because they didn't allow Him to have control, and didn't allow Him to see their heart.

• We have to let Jesus have control and supremacy in our lives.
• We have to allow Jesus touch all of us, even the dark places, the hurt, the pain, the places we have even hidden from ourselves.

3. Jesus asked for the impossible.

• It's impossible to get to Jesus without full surrender.
• Without Jesus, it's impossible to get into heaven. No amount of works will get us into the kingdom of God.
• There is not one person who can enter into eternal life because of their own good works.
• We can't clean ourselves up enough to get into the kingdom!
• BUT, God can clean us up! And with Him, we can enter into the kingdom!

Lady in Waiting

Lady in Waiting

is not about finding the right man,

but becoming the right woman.

The Lady in Waiting

recklessly abandons herself

to the Lordship of Christ,

diligently uses her single days,

trusts God with unwavering faith,

demonstrates virtue in daily life,

loves God with undistracted devotion,

stands for physical and emotional purity,

lives in security,

responds to life in contentment,

makes choices based on her convictions,

and waits patiently for God to meet her needs.

Kendall, J., & Jones, D. (2012). Lady in Waiting: Becoming God's Best While Waiting for Mr. Right (p. 151). Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, Inc. 

Waiting with God

Learning to sit still,

Resting in His will,

Confident to abide,

With Him by my side,

Resisting manipulation,

Waiting only for His stipulations.

- JMK

SNS - Wednesday Night Edition

Wednesday was a really bad night for me, so I ended up skipping church. Although, I know I needed it more then ever.
So there will be no SNS - Wednesday Night Edition this week, although I will be sure to post notes from other sermons and podcasts I have listened to soon.