Church Construction 2013

May 2013 - Planting the Garden

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Call to Discipleship, Part 2, August 30, 2015

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Call to Discipleship, Part 2   Central Thought: The disciple of Christ is to bear much fruit.   Text: Ephesians 1:17-21; Philippians 3:7-10   A disciple of Christ needs the baptism of the Holy Spirit to survive in his walk with God.  The Holy Spirit gives the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ to see that the believer’s eyes of understanding is enlightened to know what the future has in store for him, having answered the call to discipleship.  The Holy Spirit also reveals to the disciple the greatness of the power of God that is backing him in all present and future assignments.  The disciple begins to discover that he is holy and blameless not because of what he has done but because of who he is in Christ.  The disciple submits himself to be transformed by the Holy Spirit to conform with the death of Christ and be led to experience His resurrection life. His new life begins to produce visible changes as Christ is formed in him, having been raised up and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ, Ephesians 2:6 This position of righteousness, sanctification and redemption for a disciple is the truth which cannot be changed as long as he remains in Christ.   How should a disciple seek to know Christ and why? Ephesians 1:17 The disciple seeking to know Christ can be likened to one who enrolls in a school he never graduates from, because Christ is so great and sovereign that we can never finish learning about Him.  One can only know Christ up to the extent the individual yields himself to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.  The following are some of the ways to seek to know Christ: Through Prayer and Fasting, Mark 6:46: It is at the place of prayer that a believer gets to know the mind of Christ or issues and by faith appropriate in his own life, what has already been established in Christ.  Every disciple should pray daily for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ.  This gives our spiritual eye understanding, as we receive grace to know the hope in answering the call of God and our inheritance in Christ. Knowing God’s Word, Joshua 1:8; Proverbs 4:20-22; 2 Timothy 2:15: The disciple should seek to know Christ through the written Word of God to be able to live a victorious and fulfilled life in Christ Jesus. Absolute Faith in God, Hebrews 11:1-3: Christ is known by faith since He is not physically with us but lives in us by His Spirit.  Faith is the language of the followers of Christ because faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.  By faith a good report can be obtained. Through Evangelism, Mark 16:15-18: Evangelism is the practical section of the school of discipleship.  Christ as commanded every believer to go and make disciples for Him and when we obey in His Name, signs and wonders will show up as proof of His presence and power.  Evangelism opens one up to the dynamics of God’s power, v. 17-18.  If we as disciples must experience God’s power and see the power of the enemy overthrown, we must preach Christ...

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Call to Discipleship, Part 1, 8/24 – 8/29, 2015

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Call to Discipleship, Part 1   Memory Verse: Luke 14:27 – “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be MY disciple.”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Who is a disciple?  John 8:31-32 Tuesday: What is discipleship?  Ephesians 2:20; Colossians 2:6-7 Wednesday: Prize to Discipleship.  Proverbs 3:5; Luke 5:4-11 Thursday: Prize to Discipleship.  Matthew 11:29-30; John 8:31-32 Friday: Accountability in Discipleship.  Ephesians 5:21; 1 Peter 5:2-5 Saturday:  Meditate on John 15:7-9 as a Disciple of Christ....

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Call to Discipleship, Part 1, August 23, 2015

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Call to Discipleship, Part 1  Central Thought: A believer is a disciple who chooses to follow Christ the rest of his life.   Text: Mark 3:13-19; Luke 9:1-5   The call to discipleship begins at a time when a man or woman willingly and consciously gives his or her life to Christ.  At this point, he is expected to separate himself from the cares of this world and be ready to walk all the way with Jesus the rest of his life.  In Mark 3:7-8, it is recorded that a great multitude followed Jesus from about seven towns, having heard the things He was doing; healing the afflicted and casting out unclean spirits. Jesus Christ in the text above called out twelve men who believed in Him, to be with Him so that he would empower them to preach the gospel, heal the sick and cast out devils.  Only believers who spend time with Jesus and make themselves available to be conformed to His image are to preach, heal and cast out devils.  In Matthew 4:19, Jesus said to Peter, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.”   Who is a disciple and what does discipleship mean? A disciple is a follower; a learner; a scholar; who professes to receive instruction, doctrines and precepts from another.  In the light of the texts we have read; a disciple is anyone whom God has called and drawn by the power of the Holy Spirit and has answered the call by believing in his heart, the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, His death, burial and resurrection.  He must have confessed Him as Lord and Master of his life.  He must be willing to follow Jesus all the way and be with Him, which of course is borne out of true love, as well as put Him first in all areas of his life.  A disciple deliberately separates himself from the world and its pleasures and pressures and is ready to be conformed to the image of his Lord and Savior, so that he can stand through the storms of life. Discipleship is a lifelong process by which a believer is taught and trained in doctrines and precepts to become like his Master, the Lord Jesus.  It is a demonstration that he has left the world, its system, ideas and philosophies, Colossians 2:8-9. It is painful to know that so many Christians today do not know about discipleship.  The truth is that until a believer responds to the call of God to be set apart for a lifelong training and made fit for the Master’s use, he can spend years ‘playing’ church.  In John 8:31-32, the Lord Jesus said, “if ye continue/abide in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”.  As such there is need to encourage every new convert, and believers in general, to grow in the knowledge of the Lord.  It is very necessary for every Assembly of Believers to put in place a discipleship program. What are the qualities of a true disciple? Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from...

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Build Up Your Most Holy Faith, Part2, 8/17 – 8/22, 2015

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Build Up Your Most Holy Faith, Part2   Memory Verse: Jude 20 – “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Feeding from the Word of God. 2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Peter 2:2 Tuesday: Pray constantly. Mark 1:35; Romans 12:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Wednesday: Experience the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1-4; Ephesians 5:18 Thursday: The need to fellowship with other believers. Proverbs 27:17; Hebrews 10:25 Friday: Evangelism.  Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8 Saturday:  Keep Heaven in focus.  Hebrews 11:8-16,...

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Build Up Your Most Holy Faith, Part 2, August 16, 2015

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Build Up Your Most Holy Faith, Part 2   Central Thought: The believer should be consistent in the practice of his faith.   Text: Jude 17-25   In the first part of this lesson, we were made to understand what the Christian faith is and that the birth, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus remain the foundation and bedrock of the Christian faith.  We also examined the characteristics of the days we are living in (the last days) and how we can overcome the onslaught of the enemy. This concluding part focuses on how we can build up this faith which is described as most holy.  It will do us good as believers to give heed to the counsel of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures.   Discuss how the following can help us build up our most holy faith? The Word of God, 2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Peter 2:2: When a baby is born, it depends on the milk from the mother’s breast to grow.  Similarly when an individual becomes “born again”, surrenders himself/herself totally to the Lord Jesus, they must desire and feed on the sincere milk of the word of God to grow, 1 Peter 2:2.  This dependence on the word of God continues throughout one’s Christian practice/life on earth. There can be no alternative to God’s word.  The word of God is described as pure, true and perfect, Proverbs 30:5. The word of God teaches us the way of Christ, how we can love God and our neighbor and walk in holiness as we live in this world.  The word of God must remain the delight of any believer who desires to build and keep building up their most holy faith. Consistency in prayers, Romans 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17: Prayer as revealed in scripture is communion with God.  This fact must be restated again and again in view of the kinds of prayer being prayed in our contemporary society.  In prayer, our communion is with God and not with the devil.  In prayer, we commune with God; He speaks to us and we speak to Him. Consistency in prayer, constant communion with God, is important as we build up our faith in Christ.  As we commune daily with God, we receive strength to live for Him and overcome/quench the fiery darts of the enemy, Ephesians 6:10-18.  Also, in our communion with God, we may receive revelations from Him that will keep us in the narrow way and guide us in the practice of our faith.  Peter was in communion with God when he received the revelation to go to Cornelius’ house, Acts 10. Constant study of God’s word and prayers are very vital in building up our most holy faith.  The song writer puts it this way: “Read your Bible, pray every day if you want to grow . . .” Infilling of the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 5:18: It is impossible for a believer to grow in the things of God without the presence and infilling of the Holy Spirit in their life.  The Lord Jesus promised that the Father will send the Holy Spirit and that when He comes, He will teach us all things and bring to our remembrance the teachings of the Lord Jesus, John 14:26. The Holy Spirit is...

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Build Up Your Most Holy Faith, Part1, August 9, 2015

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Build Up Your Most Holy Faith, Part1   Central Thought: Believers should endeavor to pay attention to their faith as they live among ungodly men in these last days.   Text: Jude 17-25   The commitment of the believer to his walk with God comes under constant threat in several ways.  Some of these ways include direct attacks from Satan; societal pressures from peers, colleagues, business partners; ungodly or unholy ambitions, etc.  The enemy’s aim is to use any, some or all of these to corrupt, destroy or remove the believer from the path of faith.  The Christian therefore must daily build himself up in matters of faith so as to stand fast in the Lord.  Hence the focus of this lesson is to give the believer an understanding of his faith and how he can build up himself in the faith.   What do you understand by the Christian faith? Acts 2:42, 20:27; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 3, 20 The Christian faith has to do with the redemption/salvation freely given to man by God through the birth, death, resurrection and ascension of His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Christian is anyone who sincerely gives his/her life to Christ, accepting Him as his or her Lord and personal Savior and submitting to His authority. The Christian faith is described as precious and holy, and can be entered into only through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ, 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 20.  It is written in Hebrews 2:3-4, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?” Thus the Christian faith, -has God at the beginning revealing Himself as the Creator and entrusting His creation to man -has God at the middle appearing as man to restore and reconcile the fallen man to Himself; and -has God at the end appearing to take man to Himself to reign with Him in eternity. Who is the foundation of the Christian faith? 1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20-22 The Lord Jesus Christ is and remains the only foundation of our faith.  It has become very necessary in our contemporary world to emphasize and keep re-emphasizing this obvious truth. The Christian faith is not founded on any individual, no matter the title born by that individual.  The Lord himself may use individuals to build on the foundation laid by Him and that is purely at His own discretion.  Such individuals must however beware not to see themselves as becoming foundation of the Christian faith, be they “presidents”, “bishops”, “archbishops”, “pastors”, “overseers”, etc.  Those they minister to must also beware not to turn these individuals into foundations of their faith. It is expressly declared in scripture, “for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ”, 1 Corinthians 3:11. What are some of the characteristics of ungodly men in the last days? Jude 17-19 Some characteristics of ungodly men in the last days are revealed in the above scripture.  These men are described as mockers who walk...

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Build Up Your Most Holy Faith, Part1, 8/10 – 8/15, 2015

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Build Up Your Most Holy Faith, Part1   Memory Verse: Jude 20 – “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: Christ the foundation of our most holy faith.  1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20-22 Tuesday: Hold fast your faith.  2 Timothy 1:13 Wednesday: Contend for the faith.  Jude 3-4; 1 Timothy 6:12 Thursday: Our faith is precious and holy.  Hebrews 2:3; 2 Peter 1:1-2; Jude 20 Friday: Our faith must be built up. John 15:9-10; Romans 8:26; Colossians 2:6-10 Saturday:  Our salvation and faith must not be neglected. Hebrews 2:3; 1 John...

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Taking a Step of Faith, 8/3 – 8/8, 2015

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Taking a Step of Faith   Memory Verse: Hebrews 10:38 – “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draws back my soul have no pleasure in him”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: No circumstance is beyond Christ.  Matthew 14:23-29 Tuesday: Doubt is dangerous.  Matthew 14:30-31, James 1:8 Wednesday: Jesus is the king of glory.  Psalm 24 Thursday: Divine healing is God’s will for us.  Deuteronomy 7:12-15, 3 John 2 Friday: Commitment to God helps to improve ourselves.  Philippians 3:13-15 Saturday:  The just shall live by faith.  Hebrews...

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Taking a Step of Faith, August 2, 2015

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Taking a Step of Faith    Central Thought: Faith in a believer’s life determines what he becomes.   Text: Matthew 14:23-33   At the beckon of Christ, Peter took a step of faith, which was honored as long as his eyes were on Christ Jesus.  The Lord expects us to do likewise, for it is written, “the just shall live by faith”, Hebrews 10:38.  In this study, we shall have a closer look at how to practically live by faith, using the experience of Peter as an example.   What do you understand by “taking a step of faith”? Faith is the assurance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen, Hebrews 11:1.  To take a step means to move forward or go ahead to do something.  Taking a step of faith therefore means daring to act on what seems impossible to the natural eye or taking an actual step in the direction one believes that God is leading him or her in order to achieve the desired goal. Explain the circumstances that led to Peter walking on top of water. Matthew 14:23-29 The disciples were in a ship on the sea which was being tossed with waves because the wind was contrary.  At the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to meet them, walking on the sea.  As the disciples cried out for fear, Jesus told them to be of good cheer and not to fear that He was the one.  Peter then said, “Lord if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water” and Jesus said “come”. Then Peter went out of the ship and walked on water to meet Jesus before he started to sink out of fear. What qualities can you identify in Peter that made him walk on water? Peter was bold, fearless, humble, obedient to his master and courageous and had and unwavering faith on Jesus.  He later confessed that Jesus is the Christ; the son of the living God, Matthew 16:16.  Peter trusted Christ with the assurance that “if Jesus bid him come, he would come even to walk on the water.” Why did he start sinking? Matthew 14:30-31 “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid. . .”, v. 30. Peter started sinking when he removed his faith on Christ and lost focus.  This can be likened to circumstances of life faced by believers.  He was afraid forgetting that Jesus was also standing on the same water. What action did Peter take when his faith faltered? “. . . and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me”, v.30b.  Peter immediately called on Jesus to save him and Jesus responded.  Peter’s case here is like any other believer who has answered the call of God to follow Jesus.  The water and wind represents the troubles of life believers face.  But as long as we hold fast to the promises of God that He will not leave us nor forsake us, we are sure to overcome.  Moreover, trials and challenges of life are necessary ingredients/tools that make true believers climb the ladder of Christian life in order to be fit for the kingdom and to prove ones loyalty to Christ who also suffered, leaving us an example that we should follow His footsteps. ...

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A New Commitment, 7/27 – 8/1, 2015

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A New Commitment   Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 15:58 – “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”   Daily Devotional Guide: Monday: We must work while it is day.  John 9:4 Tuesday: We should maintain good works.  Acts 9:36-42; Titus 3:8 Wednesday: Be ye steadfast.  1 Corinthians 15:58 Thursday: Hold that fast which thou hast. Revelation 3:11-13 Friday: He that overcometh and keepeth. . . Revelation 2:26-29 Saturday:  There is a reward for faithful service.  Matthew 24:45-47...

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