Church Construction 2013

May 2013 - Planting the Garden

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Living the Life of Christ, October 4, 2015

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Living the Life of Christ   Central Thought: Every believer is expected to show forth the life of Christ on a daily basis.   Text: Matthew 2:1, 28:18-20   Jesus Christ is the second person in the Godhead.  God the Father sent Him into the world to reconcile us to God.  “Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person”, Hebrews 1:3.  Christ was with the Father at the beginning.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.  In Him was life; and the life was the light of men”, John 1:1-4.  Therefore realizing these facts, it is by being grounded and rooted in Christ that we can live lives well pleasing to God.  When we receive Christ into our lives as our Lord, Master and Savior, He empowers us to live the Christian life.  “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God even to them that believe in His name”, John 1:12.  Living the life of Christ entails setting our affections on things above and not on things on the earth.  Our lives are hid with Christ in God.  Therefore, we must consistently keep our gaze on Christ to be able to live this life.  We can achieve this only by looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.  When Jesus lived here on earth He went through several challenges but in all He overcame.  He has left us an example that we should follow in His steps.   Who is Jesus from the following Scriptures? Luke 1:26-32, 2:11; 1 Corinthians 1:24, 3:23; Hebrews 13:8; John 4:25-26, 1:1-4, 29 & 36, 10:11; 1 John 5:7 Jesus is the Son of God.  He was conceived and born of a virgin named Mary.  He is the Savior of the world.  Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.  “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God”, 1 Corinthians 1:24.  Jesus is the Messiah.  He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.  He is the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.  Christ was with the Father at the beginning and He is the Word made flesh.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was the beginning with God.  All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.  In Him was life; and the life was the light of men”, John 1:1-4.  Jesus is in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit and the three are one.  1 John 5:7 states it thus; “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one”.  In summary, having understood and know who Jesus is from the various scriptures stated above among others, we can have full assurance that we must fully depend on Him to enable us live lives...

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Abiding in Him, 9/28 – 10/3, 2015

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Abiding in Him    Memory Verse: John 15:5 – “I am the vine, you are the branches:  He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruits; for without me you can do nothing.”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: What it means to abide in Christ.  John 15:1-7, 8:31 Tuesday: What it means to abide in Christ.  Mathew 4:19-20; Mark 3:14 Wednesday: How we abide in Him.  John 15:8-17; Mark 1:35 Thursday: How we abide in Him. Luke 10:38-42; Colossians 3:1-2 Friday: How we know that we are abiding.  1 John 2:3-6, 4:7-9 Saturday:  Hindrances to abiding in Christ. 1 John...

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Abiding in Him, September 27, 2015

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Abiding in Him   Central Thought: Abiding in Christ guarantees fruitfulness   Text: John 15:1-17   No branch of a tree ever flourishes and bears fruit without being attached to the main tree.  By attaching to the tree, the branches have access to the supply of water and nutrients for survival, growth and fruitfulness.  Also, the branch could withstand the disaster of wind storms because it is anchored to the tree.  Generally, the branch draws life from the tree (it’s source) and without the tree, the branch withers and becomes good for nothing but ‘food’ for fire. The Lord describes the relationship between Himself and His followers in terms of the “true” vine and the branches while the Father is the vine keeper.  The life of the believer is exactly like that of the branch and the vine.  The believer is to remain connected to Christ for His life to flow through him and produce spiritual fruits.  It is obvious that a life that does not abide in Christ is a worthless and dead life.  It is a life tossed and blown around by the enemy; a life cut-off from the source.  This study seeks to encourage the believers to remain in Christ, the true vine, to trust and depend absolutely on Him, live in obedience to the word and in His love.   What does it mean to abide in Christ? John 15:1-7, 8:31; Mark 3:14; Matthew 4:19-20 Jesus used the analogy of the branch and the vine stating that, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abides in the vine.  Jesus said he is the vine, while we are the branches, except the branch remain attached to the vine, it can bear no fruit.  In the same vein, except we remain in Christ we cannot have contentment and sufficiency.  As the branch cannot exist without the vine, we can do nothing without Him. To abide in Christ therefore, means to remain in Christ.  This implies not having any substitute, alternative, or “plan B” to following Christ.  It is an absolute dependence and trust in Christ.  It is a resolve to hold tenaciously to Christ in spite of all situations.  It is a non-conditional mindset to be in Christ and follow Him always.  Such an individual must treasure the word of God and fellowship with God. Abiding in Christ is more than being a church member.  Although it is good to go to church and belong to a local assembly, it is more important to have a personal relationship with God, through the Lord Jesus Christ.  That is the only thing that counts and can pass through the test of time unto eternity; it is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  Everyone is therefore encouraged to deliberately seek fellowship and remain in fellowship with Christ. How do we abide in Him? John 15:4-17; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12, 10:38-42; Colossians 3:1-2 The starting point for abiding is first to be attached as a branch to the vine, i.e. you must become a part of the vine.  This is done by giving your life to God; being born again is not just going to church, but consciously saying the ‘sinners prayer’, i.e. asking God to forgive your sins, and asking Him to come into your life as...

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Soul Winning, Part 2, 9/21 – 9/26, 2015

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Soul Winning, Part 2   Memory Verse: 2 Timothy 4:2a – “Preach the word, be instant in season and out of season.”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Be my witness. 1 Timothy 6:13; Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:18-20 Tuesday: Who shall go for us? Isaiah 6:8 Wednesday: The harvest is truly ripe.  Matthew 9:37-38; John 4:35-36 Thursday: Work while it is day.  John 9:4, 11:9-10 Friday: Reward for soul winning. Matthew 25:21-23; John 4:36 Saturday:  Salvation through faith in Christ. John 1:29 & 36, 3:16; 1 John...

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Soul Winning, Part 2, September 20, 2015

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Soul Winning, Part 2    Central Thought: Soul winning is GOD’s mandate to all believers.   Text: Matthew 28:18-20; John 4:20-26   From study one of this topic, we understood that soul winning is a commission to all believers by our Lord Jesus Christ, and the assignment continues for as long as the Lord’s return is being awaited.  By this He intends to give opportunity to every human being on earth to hear the message of God’s salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, so that as many as believe, would be saved from the consequences of sin and Satan’s dominion.  In this study, we shall be looking at the challenges and the prospect of reaching more souls with the gospel message.   How does evangelism contribute to church growth? When the gospel message is preached in the power of the Holy Spirit, people are convicted of their sins and its consequences.  As they believe and repent from their sins, they would naturally desire to continue in their newly found faith through fellowship and the study of God’s word, which the church should readily provide.  As these new believers join the church, there will be increase in membership and this will eventually lead to opening of more fellowship centers.  In Acts 2:40-43, Apostle Peter preached the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection for the remission of sin and justification of those who believe.  About 3,000 people believed and joined the company of the apostles, testifying of their experiences, and the church grew rapidly.  The preaching of the gospel brings about the growth of the church of Jesus Christ. What is the role of the local assembly in evangelism? It is the responsibility of a local assembly to teach her members the importance and necessity of evangelism, and encourage them to be involved in personal evangelism.  Evangelism materials such as tracts, pamphlets and Christian literature can be provided by the church to enhance the effectiveness of personal evangelism.  The church can also organize mass evangelism where people go out in groups to preach the good news.  Crusades and outreaches can also be organized.  Media programs through which people could hear the message of salvation could also be sponsored by the local church. Discuss how the following human factors can affect effective evangelism and how they can be overcome. Fear, 2 Timothy 1:7: Fear is an apprehensive feeling that something unpleasant may happen.  Fear sometimes affects or determines human behaviors.  The fear of failure, being proved wrong or being humiliated can restrict one form speaking in public.  Fear of opposition is always present with man and it can hinder us from engaging in evangelism.  When we succumb to intimidation, we neutralize the effectiveness of our work for God.  We need to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome our fears. Shyness: Shyness is the lack of boldness to speak or act in the presence of others.  It is an offshoot of lack of self-confidence or inferiority complex.  Anyone who finds himself or herself in such state cannot evangelize.  Shyness can be overcome by developing a high regard or favorable opinion about oneself as an Ambassador of Christ.  As Christians, we should remember that God has given us the Spirit of boldness and not of...

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Soul Winning, Part 1, 9/14 – 9/19, 2015

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Soul Winning, Part 1   Memory Verse: Mark 16:15 – “And He said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Effective soul winning.  Luke 24:49; John 15:27, Acts 1:8, 2:1-4 Tuesday: Abiding fruit.  John 15:58 Wednesday: A faithful servant.  Luke 19:15-19, 16:10-12 Thursday: Be my witness.  Luke 24:48; John 15:27 Friday: The Good News.  1 Corinthians 15:17 Saturday:  Abiding in the Lord.  John 15:4, 6:56, 14:20; 1 John 2:24,...

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Soul Winning, Part 1, September 13, 2015

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Soul Winning, Part 1   Central Thought: Soul winning is a mandate given to all believers by God.   Text: Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 10:1-12   When man disobeyed God’s command through Satan’s deception, he became corrupted, was brought under the dominion and rule of Satan and was destined for destruction.  His relationship with God was severed.  But God in His love, promised to restore man back to Himself.  However, the consequences of this disobedience passed on to all men from generation to generation until God fulfilled His promise by sending Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son to earth for the redemption of man. All through His time on earth, Christ engaged Himself in the work of reconciling men back to God.  He completed this work by His death on the cross, and resurrection according to God’s plan.  Before He returned to His Father in heaven, He commissioned His followers to proclaim the ‘good news’ of redemption to all creatures so they can believe and accept that Christ died for the redemption of their souls.  Soul winning therefore is an important mandate which all believers owe as a duty.  We shall, in this study, examine the implications and the requirements for effective soul winning.   What is soul winning? Soul winning, also referred to as evangelism or witnessing, is a process of letting people understand their sinful and dead nature before God.  It involves explaining to them what God, in His love, has done through Jesus Christ to liberate men from the consequences of sin and Satan’s dominion.  It also entails encouraging them to see the need for them to believe the message and accept the person of Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Savior, so as to be truly free from Satan’s rule, and be made children of God, having the hope of eternal live in God’s kingdom. Why is soul winning an urgent assignment? This assignment is urgent because: -It is to be carried out within a specified time, until Christ comes back.  His coming is very imminent, Revelation 3:11, 22:7.  No one knows when this will be. -The harvest is ripe and the harvesters need to be urgent in order to preserve the harvest from rottenness or wastage. -Life is very, very short.  “You have made my life not longer than the width of my hand.  My entire lifetime is just a moment to you: at best, each of us is but a breath’, Psalm 39:5 (NLT).  Job said, “We blossom like a flower, and then wither.  Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear’,  Job 14:2 (NLT).  These scriptures buttress the urgency of the assignment.  The opportunity given for the work is short, John 9:4. Why should we be involved in soul winning? Jesus, at the end of His earthly ministry commissioned His disciples to go into all the world and preach the ‘good news’ with the sole purpose of winning souls.  We are Christ’s followers today and by implication, we are commissioned by Christ to go and win souls.  We should be involved because the command is to us and if we fail to go, we will be disobeying our Master.  There are grave consequences if we fail to heed the command and be involved in this exercise.  2 Corinthians 5:18-20 clearly states...

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Supernatural Power in Praise, 9/7 – 9/12, 2015

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Supernatural Power in Praise   Memory Verse: Psalm 135:3 – “Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto His name; for it is pleasant.”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Enter His gate with thanksgiving and His courts with praises.  Psalm 100:4 Tuesday: Garment of praise instead of spirit of heaviness.  Isaiah 61:3 Wednesday: I will make known thy faithfulness to all generations.  Psalm 89:1 Thursday: Fearful in praises, always doing wonders.  Exodus 15:11 Friday: Let us offer the sacrifice of praises to God continually.  Hebrews 13:15 Saturday:  Let everything that has breathe praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6  ...

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Supernatural Power in Praise, September 6, 2015

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Supernatural Power in Praise Central Thought: God inhabits the praises of His people.   Text: 2 Chronicles 20:1-24; Psalm 149:1-9   Praises and Worship are the main activities in the kingdom of God.  It is the eternal duty of the Angels and other hosts of Heaven to render praises to God continually, Revelation 4:8, 5:9-13.  When genuine praises are offered to God by Men, a common platform is provided for Heaven and Earth to relate cordially.  The true nature and power of Heaven is brought to bear on Earth through praises to God. Much of the power of godliness in the lives of believers comes from making God our chief joy.  Our faith in Christ is made clear and manifest by our level of thankful rejoicing in Him.  Praise, therefore, is of cardinal centrality in our Christian race.  By it we give glory to God for the triumphs already received, and through it we receive further recompense for being truly thankful to God. In this study, we shall examine the various scriptural basis for praising God and the numerous benefits that follow.   Scripturally, what is praise? Hebrews 13:15; Jonah 2:9 Praises are communicated expressions of reverence for, confidence in and gratitude to God for His majestic power and His benevolence toward us.  It is a vertical ministration or upward ministration expressing our acknowledgement and submission to the rule of God.  It is an organized and joyful noise made to honor God.  Gratitude is the basic index of praise to God.  The use of musical instruments to praise God is very scriptural.  King David raised a choir of 4,000 men and 284 instrumentalists whose life duty was to praise God continually on behalf of the king and the kingdom of Israel, 1 Chronicles 23:5, 25:1,6-7. Why should we praise God? The reasons for praising God are inexhaustibly numerous.  Some of them are as follows: -We are the works of His hands, created for His own glory, Psalm 100:3 -He is to be praised as the supreme authority, whose pleasure and delight is the praises of His people, Psalm 22:3. -For the salvation of our souls, Romans 5:8 -For diverse benefits and blessings, Psalm 103:1-5 -For answers to our prayers, Psalm 50:15 -We praise God for the divine health and healing He has given to us, Isaiah 53:5; Exodus 15:26 -We praise God for making us fruitful and resourceful, Deuteronomy8:18 -For qualifying us to be joint heirs of the kingdom with our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 8:17 -For His loving discipline and chastisement on us when we deviate, Hebrews 12:6 -For His abiding presence and guidance, John 14:16 -We must not forget to praise Him for His grace, which is beyond understanding, Ephesians 1:6 Discuss the features of an acceptable praise. Today, many things go on in the name of praises among Christians.  Some have come to regard any song in church as praise.  This is not true. Some songs are motivational or exhortational, others call to prayers or positive confessions.  Some other songs in church today, sad to say, are trouble-making and abusive to perceived human enemies. Praise songs are determined by their component words.  Their words ascribe glory, power and honor to God and represent the depths of our gratitude to Him.  In praises we visualize His presence...

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Call to Discipleship, Part 2, 8/31 – 9/5, 2015

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Call to Discipleship, Part 2   Memory Verse: John 9:4 – “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Know your position. Ephesians 1:18-21, 2:6 Tuesday: Go ye and preach the Gospel.  Mark 16:15-18 Wednesday: The harvest is plentiful.  Matthew 9:37-38 Thursday: Preach through your profession.  Acts 2:1-4 Friday: Join the Praying Army for the harvest field.  Acts 12:5-7 Saturday:  By faith obtain a good report.  Hebrews...

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