Teaching from Curwensville Alliance (Pastor Steve Shields)
Listen to Reverend Bernie Knefley as he goes through what is about you.
God made us in His image. We are to reflect His image.
We are to obey the Ten Commandments. They are not merely suggestions.
The cross is what we take up.
Our witness is what we portray in our lives.
If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you????
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Listen as Pastor Steve discusses some reasons to believe in the resurrection.
It’s unnecessary. There are many religions without a resurrection narrative. Since it is so unbelievable, the disciples would have been better off to not include the resurrection, if it were not truth. It is unavoidable. From the beginning to the end, the resurrection is in the Bible!
Belief in the resurrection changes us. The resurrection demonstrates Christ’s power. It gives us hope and confirms Christ’s atoning work.
A belief in the resurrection doesn’t look like an intellectual or mental assent. It isn’t even a faith in the event of the resurrection because even the demons believe there is one God.
Instead, belief in the resurrection looks like faith in Jesus Christ, faith in being with Christ. As well as faith in the journey of walking with Jesus.
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Pastor Steve guides us through what the children saw on Palm Sunday. We need to remember that children notice what we are doing.
What do children notice? They notice their parents worshipping. They notice excitement. Children notice change.
Even if you do not have children, you influence people. What do you want those you influence to see?
Show them a hunger for God. Give them knowledge of God’s Word. Show them a commitment to Christ.
How do you manage your influence? Think about the influence you have on others. Pray about your influence and trust God with it.
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What do we see when we look at Daniel?
Daniel was a good person to have around. He was above reproach. Even though the administrators looked for ways to destroy his reputation, they could not find anything. Daniel was “at risk”. Because of his goodness, Daniel was hated by those who were jealous of him.
Daniel was an agent of hope to those around him, and he was loved, even by King Darius. Daniel was an influencer.
You have Daniel potential. You can be a good person to be around. You can build a good reputation. You can thrive even when life is hard. You can be an agent of hope. You can live securely by trusting God. You can influence others for Christ.
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What role does security and insecurity play in our lives?
Insecurity is volatile. It is the kindling for fires of evil. Insecurity can make you turn against others.
Trust extinguishes the burn of insecurity. We are secure when we trust God, and we trust God because of love.
What fire are you facing, and what is the fire doing to you? Are you scheming? Are you burning? Are you fearfully conniving or manipulating perhaps?
You can prepare for the fire by looking to the cross, recalling God’s call in your life and recounting God’s deliverance from the fires of the past.
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Only thinking about ourselves is an old issue. We can look back to Adam and Eve and see that Eve was only thinking about herself, and not the consequences that would still be in effect today.
What you choose to do effects others. Doing the things of God are not necessarily easy to do. We can look to Esther to see that her decision put her in harms way. John the Baptist lost his head for speaking out about God.
Joseph understood that the choices of others were actually fulfilling the plan of God. So rather than enacting judgement against his brothers, he blessed them.
As odd as it may seem, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. Maybe the troubles are happening in your life so you can show Jesus to others.
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The world tells us that it is all about you, but God says to pursue His kingdom.
The Lord told Abram to leave and go. Was the command about Abraham or God?
When we look at how our life is laid out, we see it is laid out for our purpose, and we fail to see that our life is for God’s purpose.
I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. Proverbs 1:24
Life can be so busy seeking fame, fortune, significance, worth, and value, but do we seek God’s call? God wants our willingness to serve Him.
What would happen if the church lived the way God called them to live? What is that suppose to look like in daily life?
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God wants to confront Nineveh’s evil, and He wants to use Jonah to do it. But Jonah wants nothing to do with the mission, and tries to run away. That results in him being swallowed by a great fish, and causes Jonah to change his mind. Jonah delivers the message to Nineveh, and they turn from their wicked ways. This should have pleased Jonah, but instead it made him angry.
Anger is a problem! God pursues us when we are angry just as he pursued Jonah in his anger.
It is hard to let go of our anger, and we look for ways to justify our anger.
God seems to do His best work when we are at our worst! God turned Jonah’s attention toward his own heart.
God lifts Jonah’s head to help him see a world in need.
God directs Jonah to trust Him!
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The story of David and Bathsheba is not primarily about lust. Although we do need to guard our eyes, that isn’t the point of this Bible story.
The story of David and Bathsheba is not primarily about modesty. Although the Bible does speak of covering yourself, that isn’t the point of this Bible story. It isn’t Bathsheba’s fault.
The story of David and Bathsheba is about arrogance.
Arrogance takes whatever it wants, just as David took what he wanted. Arrogance seldom looks at its own heart, just as David didn’t look at his own heart.
Arrogance can become so natural that sometimes you need to be shocked out of it. Just as Nathan shocked David. Arrogance doesn’t appreciate blessings, just as David didn’t appreciate all he had. He had to have what wasn’t his.
Arrogance makes itself the authority, just as David made himself the authority. Arrogance behaves shamefully, just as David behaved shamefully. Arrogance has consequences. We see the consequences David paid for his arrogance.
How can you remove the arrogance from your own heart? You can look to the cross. You can adjust the way you view yourself. You can adjust the way you view God. You can adjust the way you view others.
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Have you ever faced a giant like David did with Goliath?
Some of the giants you may have experienced include finances, relationships or addictions.
Goliath was a giant to the Israelites, and they faced him with defeat. They were dismayed, afraid and disgraced. But David faced Goliath in a different way!
David faced Goliath knowing who he was spiritually. He knew that he faced Goliath not on his own but with the army of the Lord! You can face your giants knowing who you are in Christ.
David faced Goliath with humility. You can face your giants being confident in Christ. You need to look at the motivation in defeating the giant.
You can trust in God’s love for you. If Jesus loved you enough you die for you, if God loved you enough to call you, if the Spirit loved you enough to speak to you, then He loves you enough to help you with your giant.
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