duane

How wide, long, deep, and high is God's love? God's love is immeasurable, with four dimensions depicted not just as an emotion but also as a guiding principle for actions and relationships. It is rooted deeply in God's nature and manifested through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. This sacrifice offers forgiveness and redemption to all humanity. Understanding and experiencing God's love transforms how we view ourselves and others, leading to a life of compassion, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice.

Today, we face a collapsing culture, and many immoral acts are justified under the guise of love. Duane Sheriff teaches that you have to know God's kind of love to love one another with God's kind of love. According to Paul in scripture, there are four dimensions to God's love, and we must not limit our understanding to just one aspect. God's love has length, width, depth, and height.

Duane Sheriff teaches the profound impact of prayer, emphasizing the synergy between faith, love, and healing. He explores the biblical foundation for the anointing with oil in prayer, symbolizing the Holy Spirit's presence and power in the healing process. Duane underscores the importance of developing a personal relationship with God. Through this relationship, prayer becomes not just a request but a deep communion with the divine. This connection fosters a fertile ground for miracles, underpinned by unwavering faith and the loving intent behind every prayer. 

Duane Sheriff teaches the importance of following instructions on how to pray, what to pray for, and when to pray. Faith-filled prayer is effective, and it highlights the unshakable power of invoking Jesus' name for healing and restoration. He emphasizes that faith, when aligned with the will of God and expressed through love, becomes the foundation for miraculous transformations in one’s life and relationships. Prayer is more than just a ritual; it is an act of love and a channel through which God's mercy and healing flow, affirming the believer’s relationship with the divine through the name of Jesus.

Duane Sheriff teaches that the name of Jesus is the most powerful name under heaven. Effective prayer is not just about repeating Jesus' name but understanding and embracing the authority that comes with it. To pray effectively, we need to align our requests with God's will and use the powerful name of Jesus. This approach to prayer requires a personal relationship with Jesus, ensuring that our requests are in harmony with God's desires and plans. Duane encourages believers to approach prayer with faith, gratitude, and a heart aligned with Jesus' teachings, highlighting that effective prayer stems from a genuine connection with Jesus rather than the mechanical use of His name.

Duane Sheriff teaches the significance of prayer, power, and belief in the name of Jesus. Jesus granted this authority to believers, as evidenced by the Holy Spirit's empowerment, to perform miracles and act on His behalf. Duane draws examples from the book of Acts and the teachings of Jesus to illustrate that praying in Jesus' name requires alignment with His will and character, not just a verbal acknowledgment. A genuine relationship with Jesus, obedience to His commandments, and the role of the Holy Spirit in empowering believers are all necessary. Faith in the transformative power of prayer in the name of Jesus goes beyond mere ritual or formula.

Duane Sheriff teaches that when we pray or heal in the name of Jesus, we are accessing His authority and acting on His behalf, as if He were doing it. In the Bible, the apostles prayed and healed a man using only the name of Jesus, emphasizing that true power and miracles come not from our merit but from our faith in Jesus Christ's finished work on the cross. 

God is love. To truly love and understand love, you must be born again, born of God, and have a personal relationship with God. This message focuses on the significance of God's love, as written in Ephesians. Duane emphasizes the importance of the older generation teaching the younger generation to recognize and distinguish divine love from mere attraction or lust. It's crucial to understand that the world's definition of love differs from God's definition, and this understanding is essential to our faith because our faith works through love.

Duane Sheriff teaches that we should rely on God as the ultimate source of our needs. We should pray to God and ask for His wisdom, blessings, and guidance in our lives. Looking for fulfillment outside of God is equivalent to spiritual unfaithfulness, which emphasizes the importance of maintaining a pure relationship with God and avoiding worldly temptations. Through prayer, we develop a close relationship with God, recognizing Him as the only provider of our happiness and contentment and avoiding selfish desires that lead us away from our divine purpose.

In this personal and inspiring message, Sue Sheriff shares testimonies of times that tested her faith and resilience. Facing financial difficulties, unexpected pregnancy, health scares among her children, and questioning her role as a pastor's wife, Sue navigates these challenges with a reliance on God's grace and guidance. Through her testimony, she emphasizes the importance of faith, the power of prayer, and the support of the church community in overcoming life's obstacles. This message encourages listeners to trust in God's plan, seek Him in every circumstance, and find strength in their spiritual walk, even in the face of adversity.

Duane Sheriff delves into the fundamentals of prayer, emphasizing its transformative power in our relationship with the Lord. He underscores the necessity of being taught how to pray effectively, just as the disciples sought guidance from Jesus. Through exploring different kinds of prayer, as revealed in the Bible, Duane illuminates the journey from discouragement in unanswered prayers to the encouragement of witnessing God's responses. Highlighting wisdom from the book of James, he stresses the importance of praying with pure motives and faith, without doubting, to navigate life's trials and receive God's guidance and blessings. This message is a call to deepen our prayer life, ensuring it aligns with God's will, thereby becoming more effectual and fulfilling.

Prayer is a voluntary act that we choose to do. It involves opening our hearts to seek God's will, and when we do so, God draws closer to us, and His grace becomes available to us. Duane Sheriff teaches that we should pray for God's will instead of our own. If we do not know God's will or His promises for our daily decisions, we should pray for His wisdom. 

Duane Sheriff teaches that if we pray according to God's will, God will hear us, and if He hears us, we can be confident that we will receive the petitions we ask for. God's will is found in His promises contained in the Word. 

Prayer is a powerful part of our relationship with the Lord. Duane Sheriff teaches that when you pray, you are to pray in faith without ceasing. That means that you do not abort your prayer in doubt and unbelief. Trust God and give him thanks. The prayer of Thanksgiving effects all other kinds and types of prayer.

Duane Sheriff teaches the transformative process of growing in God's Word and maturity by emphasizing the importance of transitioning from "milk" to "meat" and from being a convert to a disciple so we can hear and discern the voice of God. By understanding our identity as the salt of the earth, a city on a hill, and the light of the world, we can recognize the significance of our personal growth in benefiting those around us. As we mature, we are able to shine a light in a world that is often filled with darkness and become a positive influence on those around us.

Duane Sheriff teaches that if you pray in accordance with God's promises and His will, the scripture states that God will hear you. Therefore, if God hears you, you should believe you will receive what you asked for when you pray. However, the manifestation of answered prayer is not always instant, so it is essential to be persistent in prayer and to stand in faith.

Remembering the RIK CON events with co-organiser Duane Smith, who gives us the lowdown on those funtastic fan gatherings which took place in 2015-16!

Link to Rik Mayall Marathon Events page on Facebook

Link to THE REJECTS Rik Mayall Marathon Originals group on Facebook

Thanks to Duane, Penny and Bex!