Worship songs today:
Friend of God, To Worship You I Live, Because Of Who You Are, Draw Me Close To You.

1 Corinthians chapter 13-14:1 (The Love Chapter)

Continuing the inside out series, we shift our focus to Love. We usually love people according to how much they satisfy our needs. That’s not a pure love for one another. A rewarding pursuit of God allows us to love people the way God requires, in a pure way.

It’s not easy to be in the midst of pain and still pursue God and love people, but it’s what Christians are supposed to do.

We withhold love to protect ourselves from ever being hurt again. Remember, when relieving pain becomes more a priority than doing Gods will, then you have left the path of seeking God.

In speaking about the tribe of men who killed her husband Elizabeth Elliot said: “The fact that Jesus died for all makes me interested in the salvation of all. The fact that Jim died for this tribe intensifies my love for this tribe.”

Love can truly conquer all. Your love for others matters. It draws others to Christ, and also adds power and purpose into your life. Love is not blind to others faults, it sees the faults clearly. Those faults however will not pose a threat to you. Love admits disappointment but it forgives and continues to be warmly involved. Love is concerned about the welfare of those who treat you wrong.

Don’t ask people to provide more than what they can give. Change your expectation. Remember people who are hurting, hurt other people. Love regardless, in-spite of, in addition to any hurt, frustration or bad attitude that may come your way. Your job is to love them until they are healthy enough to get past their hurts. Love from the inside out.

Our worship songs today were. You hold my world, Moving Forward, and, Oh how he loves.

Today’s message, a continuance of our inside out series focused on two specific problems Christians are facing today…

1). Problems in the world: We can’t do anything about our problems because this is a sinful world. The more you find comfort in this sinful world, the more likely you are to face the consequences of that sin. John 16:33.

James 1:2-4 There will always be problems in this world until you die. Problems should not shake your faith causing you to doubt God. When we focus on the problems of this world it brings:

2). Pain in our hearts: Bitterness and anger begin to fill our hearts which ultimately begins to control our actions. 1 Peter 1:6-8
We make the relief of pain our goal instead of an inside out relationship with God. Because the pain never goes away it changes the way we serve God. Now our relationship with God changes from a healthy pursuit of Him to now living an Christian life trying to ensure we never get hurt again. Relationships deteriorate, ministries fall apart, and worship becomes a chore instead of an experience.

Pain is not the problem, our determination to relieve the pain by any way possible is the problem. “When relieving pain becomes the priority the you are not seeking God”. (Dr. Larry Crabb)

Pain will drive you to pursue the cross or run from the cross. Pain makes you seek God more or go deeper into self protection.

How do we act when problems and pain come? Some people begin to:

Sin in their behavior…which leads to a sinful nature. 1 Corinthians 5:5
Only true repentance and forgiveness can stop the sinful behavior. God is calling us to demonstrate holy conduct.

You can’t control the problems of the world or the pain you feel but, you can control your conduct. 1Pet 1:15-16

Uncheck sinful behavior produces a sinful heart. Matthew15:15-20

Today we go to the dark deep areas of our lives, the unseen part of the iceberg. If you’re unwilling to admit how bad you hurt, then you will never know how bad you hurt people.

In order to grow from the inside out you have to be 100% honest with who you are and how much you’re hurting.

God provides three ways for us to see ourselves.
His Spirit, His Word, and His People

1. The spirit of God… Ask the Holy spirit to search deep inside of you. Spotlight mindset. Psalm 139:34, John 16:8 Jeremiah 17:9-10

What keeps us from hearing from the holy spirit?

A) Our Focus….we are preoccupied with how someone else treated us. Take your focus off the offender and put it on the holy spirit and then you’ll see change.

B) Our Goal…your goal should not be comfort. It should be change.

2. The word of God… How you approach the word of God will determine how you change. Its more than knowing what the Bible says. Its doing what the Bible says that brings the change. 1 Corinthians 8:3

3. The people of God…Pride keeps us from hearing from people of God. He places leaders in our lives to help us hear from him. Don’t cutoff the people of God. They are part of the process of change. Hebrew 3:12-13

11:25 am. You cannot change from the inside out of you don’t deal with the deep issues.

ICEBERG ILLUSTRATION:

Only 20% of an iceberg is seen. 80% of the iceberg is below the surface. It’s time as Christians to deal with the deep issues. Not just with what people see. People are hurting and we don’t know it because like the iceberg we only allow people to see the 20% above the surface.

Today’s message “How to seek God from the inside out”, sets the stage for taking actual steps toward change.

1. Define the real problem , be honest.
Too many Christians won’t admit they’re sick. From attitudes to deep seated hurt. Matt 23:25-26

2. Growth always requires discomfort. If you’re going to grow you will be uncomfortable. Remember 80% of the iceberg is hidden deep underwater. Going that deep not comfortable.
John 16:8

“when we can face how deeply disappointed we are with our relationships, then it becomes possible to see the ugliness of things that once seemed reasonable”.

3. We have to accept the process of change. We don’t get to control the process, rather We get to accept the process. Let God do his work. He is the potter, we are the clay.
Jeremiah 18:1-7

This year I will be doing a a lot more live blogging from various services here at Living His Word Church. My first service of this new year was with Impact youth. The first youth service of the new year started off with a focus on the vision. “The purpose of IMPACT youth ministry is to raise a generation of young people who are connected to God, committed to each other, dedicated to ministry, and devoted to reaching the lost!

Pastor Shane stresses the importance of having vision while at the same time mixing in a few jokes to keep the youths interest. Amazingly this shift in focus to discipleship has been in line with the church vision for 2012 “In Pursuit Of Him”. This truly is the year to connect to God. Stay tuned!

God Bless,
Pastor Zeke

 I believe that in every aspect of life you can have an experience with God.  The bible says in 1 Peter 4: 12 “Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job.  Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced.  This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner” (MSG). In other words, there is a reason why you’re going through this tough time.

 First and foremost recognize that God is still on the job.  He hasn’t taken a break, or quit.  He’s not home sick, or trying to leave early.  He’s still on the job working in your life. Secondly realize that your breakthrough is right around the corner.  This is the hard part.   Sometimes the enemy will confuse or trick us into focusing on things that don’t really matter.  It’s merely a last-ditch effort to get you to focus on distractions rather than God.  If he can get your focus off-center, then he can get you to revert to old habits, old comfort zones…old sin.  It’s a trick that I’ve fallen for many times. 

I’m learning that I can have an authentic experience with God right smack in the middle of my toughest moments.  Paul explained it like this.  “I was given a struggle as a gift to keep me in touch with my limitations.  Satan’s angles tried hard to push me down; what he did actually was push me to my knees (to pray).   At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God three times to remove it.  Then God told me my grace is enough; it’s all you need.  My strength comes into its own in your weakness.   Once I heard that I was glad for my struggle. I quit calling it a struggle and began to appreciate it as a gift.  It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in my weakness”.(MSG)

In the midst of Paul’s toughest time he experienced God in a real authentic way.  You can have this same experience.  God’s strength is made clearer in your weakest moments.  It shows you how much you need him, and how strong He is.  Imagine the seasoned swimmer in the water of a large pool.  His technique is perfect. His air capacity is amazing.  He switches effortlessly between the breaststroke, and butterfly, He truly is impressive in the water. Out of nowhere he begins to drown and pleads for help.  A 60-year-old man jumps in and saves his life.  At first glance the old man would have been perceived as weak in comparison to the seasoned swimmer.   But in the swimmers weakest moment the old man’s strength was made clear.   The swimmer in his weakest moment had a true authentic experience with the man who saved his life.

In your weakest time God is still present.  In your hardest moments God is still on the job.  You don’t have to revert back to old habits or sin to get through your trials. It’s nothing more than a trick from the enemy.   Keep your focus on God and you will experience Him in an authentic way.

God Bless,

Pastor Zeke

Adjustments are hard to make, but are necessary if you ever want to reach your fullest potential in Christ.  I have to be honest and tell you, my biggest struggle is making the right adjustments in my life.  I love my comfort zone.  Like Burger King I want to have it MY WAY.  And anything that challenges “MY WAY” is usually pushed aside.

Like that rich young man I have presented myself to God with pride and asked Him, what else do you want me to do?  I’m saved, I pray, I read, I preach, I even play an instrument in church.  On top of that, I pick up trash, greet visitors, shake hands, and attend church faithfully,  and blah blah blah blah blah…..

After I finish my list, God responds, if you really want to give it your all, then (fill in the blank).  And it is at that point in which I walk away broken hearted because I’m holding on to those things tightly and I can’t bear to make the necessary adjustments.  

What about you?  What are you holding on to?  If we are ever going to experience God and go to the next level we have to make the right adjustments.  It might hurt. It might even make you feel uncomfortable, but if you adjust your life to God’s word and his prompting, you will experience God like never before.

Think about the first time you drank, or smoked. It was nasty, gave you a headache, made your breath stink, and possibly sick. Yet in order to fit in you adjusted.  You adjusted long enough to the point in which smoking no longer made you cough, and drinking no longer made you gag.  We are constantly making adjustments in our life.  It’s time to make the right adjustments so we can be all we can be for the Kingdom!  I challenge you to faithfully pray and respond to God’s adjustment for your life.  God Bless!

Pastor Zeke