The Gift of Jesus

Sunday, July 24, 2011 Led by Eric Gintert What is prayer? Who's prayers will God hear? How are you supposed to pray? In this lesson we searched the scriptures to answer these questions.  Prayer is seeking God.   1 Peter 3:12  -  God hears the prayers of the righteous (not the self-righteous but those who have God's righteousness in them). The world and it's righteousness stinks! The world has enmity with God... see James 4:4. God doesn't want the sacrifices (prayers) of lambs and bullocks anymore. Jesus is that final sacrifice for all of us... See Hebrews 9:11-14. God wants the sacrifices of a broken and contrite heart in prayer... See Psalm 51:16-17. Proverbs 15:29  -  The Lord hears the prayer of the righteous, but He is far from the wicked. You need to get right with God before you come to Him in prayer. Luke 11:1-13 (Also read Matthew 6:5-15)  -  One of Jesus' disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, There was something desirable in how Jesus prayed that

Sunday, July 17, 2011 Led by Eric Gintert Is it possible to be born again and then somehow lose your salvation? What does God say about the security of the believer? Matthew 13:18-23  -  The Parable of the Seeds... The first three seeds were never born again... they were unfruitful and didn't last... they had good works but no real fruit. The las see is the only one who was fruitful and thereby born again. (see also Mark 4 and Luke 8) Luke 3:7-8  -  Don't show one time repentance... show continual repentance in your life... show your intimate relationship with Jesus. John 11:24-26  -  If you can lose your salvation why does Jesus say that those who believe will never die? If you lose your salvation it means that you could die. John 4:11-14  -  Those who drink of Jesus will never thirst again but shall "be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life". John 10:24-31  -  Jesus gives eternal life and you can never be plucked out of His hand... and ther

Sunday, July 10, 2011 Led by Eric Gintert Isaiah 61:1-11 Zion represents a group of people (believers); Jews represent believers; Gentiles represent non-believers Verse 3: God does the work, not any church or denomination or baptism or prayer. Verse 11: The fruits begint to show and God causes righteousness and praise to spring forth. Isaiah 62:1-12 Verse 6: "Keep not silence" even when you're told that you talk too much about God. If you are truly born again you will want to continually talk about the Lord. Question : Can a person be born again, without a fire and passion (desire) for the Lord, and then lose their salvation and then receive it again? Answer : No, that person is either backsliden or was never born again in the first place. Why : See John 3:1-6, you can only be born of the flesh one time and therefore, you can only be born spiritually one time. See also Matt 7:16-23, you will know those who love and want to live for God by their fruits... a good tree

Sunday, July 3, 2011 Led by Eric Gintert Today's service focused on two separate topics, however had similar results. The first topic dealt with difference between "professing" Jesus as Lord vs. having a personal relationship with Jesus. And the second topic was about the leaders in the congregation deciding whether to choose God's Word in faith or following the "majority rules". Having a Relationship with God Luke 6:46  -  Why do you profess Jesus' name as Lord?  Why do you call Him your Saviour?  Why do you call Him Holy?  Why do you call Him God?  This verse in Luke asks us to "examine" ourselves.  Specifically, looking at our heart and seeing how our life has changed since "professing" Jesus as Lord.  Jesus asked, "Why do you call me Master if you won't do what I command you?  Do you even seek His commandments?  Are you trusting what others say His commandments are for your life or are you hungering and thirsting for H