On the Road with Jesus - Feb. 28, 2016

Praying to Abound in Love
Pastor Kent Landhuis

THEME - We pray to grow in love so that we can love God and each other more.
TEXT - Philippians 1:9-11

1. Lord Teach us to Pray

a. Teach us to pray reactive prayers.

• Help.
• Thanks.
• Wow.

b. Teach us to pray proactive prayers.

• Look to the future.
• Trust in God’s promise.

2. Teach us to pray for abounding love.

• Philippians 1:9-11.
• John 13:35.
• Matthew 22:34-40 

3. Teach us to love as we have been loved

• 1 John 4:10-11
• Luke 7:36-50
•  Zephaniah 3:17

NEXT STEPS

• Pray Philippians 1:9-11
• Love one another.
• Pray for the next generation.

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Praying to Know Christ
Pastor Kent Landhuis

THEME - The prayers of the Apostles teach us to pray proactive prayers.
TEXT - Ephesians 1:15-18

OUTLINE

1. Review: Lord Teach us to Pray

a.    Matthew 6:5-8. Don’t pray like this.
b.    Matthew 6:9- 15. Pray like this.

2. Teach us to pray reactive prayers.

a.    Help. Psalm 18:6
b.    Thanks. Psalm 118:1
c.    Wow. Psalm 8

3. Teach us to pray proactive pro-active prayers.

a.    Look to the future.
b.    Trust in a promise.
c.    Ephesians 1:17-18

NEXT STEPS

1.    Meditate on Ephesians 1:15-18.
2.    Pray proactive prayers.

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Thoughts and Prayers: Resurrection Power
Steve Poole

THEME - What is power? How do we define it? How do we measure it? How is power demonstrated?

TEXT – Ephesians 1:15-23

1.     God’s power toward us is immeasurably great.

Ephesians 1:19-20

2.     God demonstrated his immeasurable power in the resurrection of Jesus.

Ephesians 1:20

3.     God manifests His immeasurable power by setting Jesus at his right hand—and us with him.

Ephesians 2:6-7

4.     God’s immeasurable power gives Jesus authority over ALL other powers.

Ephesians 1:21

5.     God’s immeasurable power gives Jesus authority over His body the Church.

Ephesians 1:22

6.     God’s immeasurable power is displayed in ALL FULLNESS in the Church.

Ephesians 1:23

NEXT STEPS

1.     Do you know the assurance and hope we have through faith in Jesus Christ’ death and resurrection?

2.     How can you find comfort, peace, hope, and encouragement in knowing God’s immeasurable power toward us?

3.     Pray for an outpouring of more of God’s mighty power to save the lost and strengthen His people.

4.     Pray, “God enlighten the eyes of my heart so that I may know you and your mighty power more”.

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Believe the Impossible
Pastor Kent Landhuis

THEME - Easter invites us to believe impossible things.
TEXT - 1 Corinthians 15

Three Easter impossibilities before lunch.

1. Believe an impossible story.

• "Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep." 1 Corinthians 15:1-6

2. Embrace an impossible truth.

• "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." 1 Corinthians 15:19-22
• "It is impossible for people to save themselves, but everything is possible for God." Matthew 19:26 (GW)

3. Discover an impossible hope.

• "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." 1 Corinthians 15:19
• “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:55-58

NEXT STEPS

1. Believe that Jesus died for you!
2. Believe that Jesus was raised to life for you!
3. Believe that in Jesus - God loves you!
4. Believe that God can do the impossible!

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Thoughts and Prayers: Trusting Prayers
Pastor Kent Landhuis

THEME - Jesus demonstrates postures that lead to trusting God.
TEXT - Luke 23:46

REVIEW

1. We pray simple prayers of trust in our Father. We L.E.A.P. and he catches us. 

L - Look to your Father.
E - Expect the Best.
A - Act like a Kid.
P - Put your trust in God.  

2. We have the confidence to ask anything because Jesus is our advocate. He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

3. We pray God-glorifying prayers that help us connect with God even if it disrupts our lives. God is the potter, we are the clay. John 12:20-36

4. We pray passionate prayers as Jesus prayed in the Garden and we trust that God will help us remain vigilant. Matthew 26:36-46

5. We need forgiveness, God wants to forgive and Jesus offers forgiveness so we are the kind of people who forgive others. Luke 23:33

LUKE 23:46
Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

Three postures that lead to trusting God.

1.Hosanna Hope.

• Psalm 118:25-29
• God promises to save. (Isaiah 12:2)
• Wave your hands in praise.

2. Humble Abandonment.

• Psalm 31:1-5
• God is our refuge. (Isaiah 57:13)
• Open palms of acceptance.

3. Prayerful Surrender.

• Psalm 31:6-8
• God’s way is not our way. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
• Bow down in surrender to God’s way.

NEXT STEPS

• Praise God for his saving work in Jesus.
• Pray for wisdom and courage to abandon idols. 
• Bow down and surrender to God’s plan.

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Thoughts and Prayers: Forgiving Prayers
Pastor Kent Landhuis

THEME - Jesus came to provide forgiveness.
TEXT - Luke 23:33-43

OUTLINE

Review:

1. We pray simple prayers of trust in our Father. We leap and he catches us. 

L - Look to your Father.
E - Expect the Best.
A - Act like a Kid.
P - Put your trust in God.  

2. We have the confidence to ask anything because Jesus is our advocate. He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

3. We pray God-glorifying prayers that help us connect with God even if it disrupts our lives. God is the potter, we are the clay. John 12:20-36

4. We pray passionate prayers as Jesus prayed in the Garden and we trust that God will help us remain vigilant. Matthew 26:36-46

Luke 23:34. Father Forgive them.

We need forgiveness.

• Romans 3:23. All have sinned.
• Psalm 51. Against you and you only have I sinned.
• Romans 5:12. Death spread to all.

God wants to forgive.

• Luke 15:20. God ran to him.
• Jonah 4:2. I knew you would forgive them.
• Psalm 103:8. Compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love. 
• 1 John 1:9. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.

Jesus offers forgiveness.  

• John 3:16-17. God sent his son to save the world.
• Ephesians 1:7-9. The riches of God’s grace is lavished on us in Jesus. 
• Acts 2:38. Repent for the remission of sins.
• Ephesians 2:8-9. By grace you have been saved.

NEXT STEPS

• Pray - Father please forgive me.
• Accept God’s forgiveness offered in Jesus.
• Forgive as you have been forgiven.

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Thoughts and Prayers: Passionate Prayers
Steve Poole

TEXT: Matthew 26:36-46

OUTLINE

1.     We pray in hope because Christ has bought us victory over death by His blood.

2.     Jesus invites us to fight with him - in prayer.

3.     Pray that God will help us remain vigilant.

4.     We go. We fight. We pray. We give it all, because Jesus gave it all!

NEXT STEPS

1.     Put your faith in Jesus

2.     Pray for God to revive your heart and the heart of our church

3.     Pray for your loved ones and those in the community who need to believe in Jesus for salvation

4.     Find other to sit with you if you are suffering as Jesus was

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Thoughts and Prayers: God-Centered Prayers
Pastor Kent Landhuis

THEME - God-centered prayers change us.
TEXT - John 12:20-36

REVIEW

1. We pray simple prayers of trust in our Father. We leap and he catches us. 

•  * L - Look to your Father.
•  * E - Expect the Best.
•  * A - Act like a Kid.
•  * P - Put your trust in God.  

2. We have the confidence to ask anything because Jesus is our advocate.

•  * Hebrews 10:23 ~ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
•  * John 12:20-36

1. Father, glorify your name.

•  * John 12:23 ~ Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”
•  * John 12:28 ~ Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
•  * 2 Corinthians 5:17

2. Father, connect me to you.

•  * James 4:7-8 ~ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
•  * Hebrews 10:22 ~ Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

3. Father, disrupt my life. 

•  * Isaiah 64:6-8. 
•  * Luke 9:23-25 ~Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

NEXT STEPS

•  * Pray heart-softening prayers.
•  * Father, glorify your name.
•  * Father, connect me to you.
•  * Father, disrupt my life.
•  * Trust God to be God.

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Thoughts and Prayers: Big Prayers
Pastor Kent Landhuis

THEME - We pray big, bold prayers because we have an advocate.
TEXT - John 17:1-26

OUTLINE

Review - we pray simple prayers of trust in our Father. We leap and he catches us. 

L - Look to your Father.
E - Expect the Best.
A - Act like a Kid.
P - Put your trust in God.  

Jesus prays a big, bold prayer. (High Priestly Prayer)

• Jesus prays for himself. (1-5)
• Jesus prays for the 12 disciples. (6-19)
• Jesus prays for all believers. (20-26)

Jesus intercedes for us.

• Faith/faithfulness (11-16)
• Sanctification/consecration (17-19)God’s glory.
• Community/Community (20-23)
• Glory/fruitfulness (24-26)

Jesus pleads our case before the judge. 

• Hebrews 4:14-16 - "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
• Hebrews 10:19-23 - "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful"

NEXT STEPS

• Confess your need for an advocate.
• Trust in the work of Jesus.
• Pray big, bold prayers.

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Thoughts and Prayers: Simple Prayer
Pastor Kent Landhuis

THEME - As children of God we pray simple, childlike prayers.
TEXT - Matthew 19:13-16, Matthew 18:1-3

OUTLINE
Our thoughts and prayers makes a difference.

L.E.A.P.

L - Look to your Father.

•  Matthew 19:13-16. Jesus blesses his children.
•  Mark 10:16. And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

E - Expect the Best.

•  Luke 11:11-12. If we know how to give good gifts, how much more does our Heavenly Father?
•  James 1:17. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

A - Act like a Kid.

•  Matthew 18:3. Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
•  Hebrews 11:1. Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

P - Put your trust in God.  

•  Hebrews 4:16. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
•  Matthew 6:5-8. We don’t need to keep babbling on and on.

NEXT STEPS

1.  Ask your Father for anything.
2.  Lift others to the Father in your thoughts and prayers.

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