Introspection and Spiritual Living

Dennis McCallum

Hebrews 12:2

Paul argues that God will search our hearts and bring things to the light as He sees fit. Christians can find themselves in a state of morbid introspection where they think too much about themselves and focus too much on solving their own problems. There is a biblical level of introspection, but often we go above and beyond that in our conceited self focus.

Praying for Others

Jeff Gordon

Ephesians 3:14-21

Why does anyone pray? The apostle Paul was compelled to pray when he reflected on the mystery of Christ. ?The mystery of Christ' is explored as well as how it embodies the way God pursues us despite a stark contrast between His perfect nature and our human nature. He advocates praying for ourselves and others as a means of relating to God and closes with two personal examples of lives transformed by prayer.

The "Lord's Prayer"

Gary DeLashmutt

Matthew 6:9-13

Gary DeLashmutt breaks down the Lord's prayer, providing insight and application from key aspects of the prayer to be used as a guideline in our prayer lives. Highlights include: Jesus' invitation to an intimate relationship with God; a call to view God as our king as well as our father; the importance of asking God for help in loving others; and the implied prompting for us to pray in community, despite our individualistic culture.

Asking According to God's Will

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 5:14-15

Understanding how to pray according to God's Will includes: 1) entrusting ourselves to God's loving authority; 2) focusing on God's priorities; and 3) listening to God's Spirit. We must learn humble obedience to listen to His Will and present ourselves to Him, eager to live out His purposes. Our prayers should align with what God cares about including developing our character, sharing His love with others, and becoming more attuned to hear Him through His Word. As we couple our prayers with other Christians' and note the Holy Spirit's leading, we can better understand where God is leading us in our lives.

Championing Evangelism in Your Sphere of Influence

Gary DeLashmutt

Philippians 2:19-31

Being an evangelistic champion can be learned. There are six observations we learn from Paul as he champions evangelism with the Philippians: 1) he expresses excitement about them being partners in sharing the gospel; 2) shares recent experiences in outreach; 3) reports and rejoices in the spread of the gospel; 4) issues the challenge to be witnesses; 5) extols those who work hard at it; 6) prays with and for one another. Anyone can be an advocate for evangelism. Commit yourself by God's grace to be an evangelistic champion and ask God for one or two steps you can take this week to do this.\r\n

Praying for your Home Group

Joel Comiskey

Philippians 2:19-31

Successful home groups are the result of diligence, which shows itself through prayer, evangelism, and community. Explore the different forms that diligence can take in several church examples and the ways that it will consistently be the same.

Prayer and Evangelism

Joel Comiskey

1 Thessalonians 5:17

There are three common characteristics in effective cell churches: 1) devotion to prayer as a church; 2) individual quiet time in prayer; and 3) having a prayer shield (requesting prayer). A survey revealed that time spent in daily devotion was correlated to cell group growth. The findings of the survey line up with what Scripture teaches in this area. Effective cell leaders prioritize prayer and teach their people to prioritize prayer.\r\n

Christians and Their Neighbors (Part 2)

Dennis McCallum

Colossians 4:2-6

Three ways to reach out with God's message include: 1) prayer; 2) lifestyle; and 3) words. With the focus on prayer Paul instructs Christians to pray in six ways: 1) with watchfulness; 2) with thanksgiving; 3) expressing belief; 4) incorporating intercessory prayer; 5) for open doors; and 6) with power of God. This is a powerful tool when reaching out and should be included in Christians' efforts. Prayer is the power that moves people.

Jesus' Prayer in Gethsemane

Gary DeLashmutt

Ezekiel 23:30-40

In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prays to the Father and through His prayer we figure out Jesus' mission. His mission was to drink the cup that His Father had given Him. The cup that Jesus was about to drink was taking on God's righteous judgment for the sins of all of humanity. This left Jesus with a terrifying mission but He turned to the Father for everything He needed. Like Jesus we will have many ?Gethsemane? moments where we need to choose if we are going to follow God's will for our life. We can look to Jesus' example. He was honest with the negative feelings He was experiencing and He firmly resolved to follow God's will in spite of His negative feelings.