Live Like a Champion – Week 33
The Promise of Leadership!
Presented by Reverend Mark Thompson (ABC Regional Pastor)
(The following are notes taken during the message, there may be some misinterpretations of what Rev. Thompson actually said. Listen to his message to hear for yourself.)
Ephesians 4:15:
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
Serving the Lord demolishes all of our preferences.
God exists in community (the Trinity) and He creates us to live in community.
Ephesians 4:11-16:
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
18 “Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
God may be calling you into leadership.
Justified – It is “just-as-if-I’d never sinned. All the labels come off! (Good & Bad)
Sanctification – We are set apart for God’s purposes.
We think we need time to think about what God wants us to do, to make careful consideration before moving. We say something like, “I don’t know all of the things I need to know in order to do all of the things I need to do. I need to think about it.”
“God calls us to act our way to NEW THINKING, no to THINK our way to NEW ACTING!”
– Mike Mather, a pastor
Ministry takes all of us – and more!
You can listen to Mark’s message here:
You can watch the service by clicking the link below:
Read more...
Seize the Moment – Day 515
Today’s hymn focus will be “I Am Thine O Lord”
Hebrews 10:22(NLT)
“ let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”
Each day requires that we make a fresh connection with Jesus, renewing our dedication to Him. We are all faced with daily challenges that could make even the strongest of Christians be weak in their faith. That is why we have to make sure that God has His rightful place on the throne of our hearts.
In 1875, Fanny Crosby was visiting the home of William H. Doane in Cincinnati, Ohio when she wrote this hymn. The family had been discussing the blessedness of enjoying the nearness of God. Fanny was so moved that she suddenly started giving the words to this hymn, verse by verse and then the chorus, to which Doane soon provided the music.
“I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice, and it told Thy love to me; But I long to rise in the arms of faith, and be closer drawn to Thee.”
We need to wake up and begin the new day, with all of its unknown pressures and temptations, with this musical prayer on our lips “Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to Thy precious bleeding side.”
YOUTUBE:
Have Thine Own Way, Lord
I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!
There are depths of love that I yet may know
Ere Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
Ere I rest in peace with Thee.
Read more...
Seize the Moment – Day 514
Build up the Next Generation!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, August 13.
What is the most important legacy we leave behind from our ministry efforts?
Exodus 38 continues to tell the story of the completion of the tabernacle and all its furniture and all that it took to pull off this major construction project. Building campaigns are significant undertakings and important to the community of God’s people, but do you know what is more important?
Building up the next generation! Listen to Exodus 38:21-23 make a subtle, but very important observation of the ministry of God’s people:
This is the number of the things for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were numbered according to the command of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord had commanded Moses. With him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful workman and a weaver in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and fine linen.
- Ithamar was the son of Aaron the priest, who worked with Moses in the deliverance and rescue of God’s people.
- Bezalel was the son of Uri, the son of Hur, who held up Moses’ arms as he held up the staff of God.
- Oholiab was the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, one of the twelve sons of Israel.
Whether you are conducting a major construction project, hosting a church picnic, or serving the local community be sure to do it in such a way as to build up the next generation.
Seize the moment and invite the next generation to partner with you in whatever ministry task you are called to do. May all that we do equip the next generation to live for Jesus.
YOUTUBE:
Read more...
Seize the Moment – Day 513
An Important Puzzle Piece!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, August 12.
Do you like to put together jigsaw puzzles? What happens when you have spent hours putting together an intricate puzzle only to find out that there is a piece missing?
The picture is not complete when even one piece is missing!
Throughout this chapter, you hear the refrain, “He made…”, which references Bezalel, the chief craftsmen. He was responsible to take all the detailed instructions from Exodus 25 up to this point and using all the materials provided by God through the people to oversee the work.
The reality is that it took an army of craftswomen and craftsmen, as well as a community of generous givers, to bring this project to completion. The tabernacle of God and all its furniture would not have been made to specification if it wasn’t for every single person coming together!
The same is true in the church today and our ability to accomplish anything. We often reference the leader of a ministry, the teacher of a Sunday School class, or the missionary overseeing a mission, but it takes every single piece of the puzzle to get the job done!
Seize the moment and find your unique place in the church because without you the picture is not complete. You are an important and valuable member of the body of Christ!
YOUTUBE:
Read more...
Seize the Moment – Day 512
God Provides for what God Promises!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, August 11.
Have you ever heard a church leader tell the congregation to stop giving?
Exodus 36:4-7 captures an important moment as God’s people provide in abundance for the building of the tabernacle and all that God commanded:
And all the skillful men who were performing all the work of the sanctuary came, each from the work which he was performing, and they said to Moses, “The people are bringing much more than enough for the construction work which the Lord commanded us to perform.” So Moses issued a command, and a proclamation was circulated throughout the camp, saying, “Let no man or woman any longer perform work for the contributions of the sanctuary.” Thus the people were restrained from bringing any more.
Can you imagine something like this happening today?
Based on this passage, I believe every local church congregation can prayerfully discern the following two things to experience a moment such as this: (1) We are to know specifically what the LORD has commanded us to do; and (2) We are to know how we are invited to bring about the completion of that work.
Do you know what God has called your local church congregation to accomplish?
Do you know how you can help accomplish that work?
These are big questions! In answering them, God’s Spirit can both compel us and restrain us. Whether it’s a “yes” or a “no” it should be the outworking of God’s will in and through our lives. As Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:14a, “For the love of Christ controls us.”
Never forget that God always provides for that which God promises to do!
Seize the moment and trust God every step of the way. Join Jesus in His easy yoke to do only that which the Father wills for your life.
YOUTUBE:
Read more...
Seize the Moment – Day 511
Rest is a Priority!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, August 10.
Taking time to rest is an important part of your mental and spiritual health, as well as your physical well-being. So much of experiencing Jesus’ promise of abundant life is learning to live in rhythm with God’s plan for work and rest (John 10:10).
Exodus 35 is a significant chapter as the description of the work on the tabernacle begins, but God wants to make one thing perfectly clear to His people: rest is a priority! God reminds His people to work with a new ethic and no longer as the slaves of Egypt. Listen to how the next section begins in verses 1-2:
Then Moses assembled all the congregation of the sons of Israel, and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do: “For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a holy day, a sabbath of complete rest to the Lord; whoever does any work on it shall be put to death.”
Seize the moment and prioritize God’s grace in your life by setting apart a day for rest. Your well-being is dependent on you living in the unforced rhythms of God’s grace in every area of your humanity: work, play, and rest.
YOUTUBE:
Read more...
Seize the Moment – Day 510
The Character of Covenant Renewal!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, August 9.
How do you rebuild trust with another person?
Exodus 34 records the covenant renewal between God and Moses, which came after the people’s impatience had led to idol worship—a significant breach of trust between God and His chosen people. As God rebuilt that which the people had broken—His relationship with them—He proclaimed His character to His rebellious children in verses 6-7:
Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”
You rebuild trust with another person by establishing your character and living according to it. In the above passages, God described Himself as compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth, faithful and forgiving, just to the guilty and righteous alike, and jealous for His people.
God desires covenant renewal with His people; His character compels Him to pursue that which was lost! Luke 19:10 declares that this was the mission Jesus Christ: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Seize the moment and return to the Lord. Trust His character by turning to Him and seeking His face today.
YOUTUBE:
Read more...
Live Like a Champion – Week 32
The Promise of Completion!
Philippians 1:6 (NAS95)
If you want to live a victorious life, then learn to focus your mind on the promises of God—to trust in the character and activity of God! This is how we rest and have peace of mind!
The victory you have been given has a 100% guarantee; it will be brought to its fullness because God will persevere in you until you reach the intended finish line of your faith! This is your glorification, which is the fulness of your union with God. The process of completion in this life is your sanctification, which is the process of your ongoing transformation into a redeemed image bearer of God who represents Jesus better today than you did a year ago.
In other words, be convinced that your sanctification, which began at your justification, will be an ongoing process until the day of your glorification. This is your salvation.
Confidence is a determination to act! It is a conviction you have trained into your head and heart. When I was in the Army, I was convinced that my parachute would open after I stepped out of the airplane. So, even though I had normal human emotions about stepping out of a perfectly good airplane while it was in flight, I had the confidence to take the step!
Paul spoke of his confident resolve in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
The confidence to act according to what you believe is a resolute commitment to take the next step in the process of being conformed to the image of Christ as a redeemed image bearer of God. Confidence has counted the cost, anticipated the sacrifices, and is submitted to running the marathon of life set before you—a long slow discipline in the same direction.
So often, our greatest ministry is found in our faithful and hopeful mindset through the painful process of everyday life. We stay the course because we are convinced that the prize is worth it. As Paul taught in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
To “perfect” is to complete, to accomplish the purpose, to bring to maturity, to bring to fullness, to receive the imperishable wreath on the day of Christ Jesus. God’s promise of completion teaches us that even if there are times you don’t act like a champion, you are still one. You don’t have to be perfect, that’s God’s job! Press on to the prize—take the next step—don’t quit!
When most people think they must be perfect, they shut down. We don’t have perfect lives, perfect bodies, or perfect attitudes. We don’t have perfect jobs, perfect marriages, or perfect children. Why? Because we are all human and we live in a broken world where there is sin and the effects of the fall upon every area of creation. Our lives are like I-70 or SR-3: well-traveled and in need of constant construction to repair the damage from the wear and tear of high mileage and bad weather.
Here’s the good news: We serve a perfect God who promises to bring us to completion as a part of His glorifying plan to brings all things under His rule in the New Heaven and New Earth. In fact, in this very process we are invited to partner with God in this perfecting work because God will use every pothole and storm to draw us and others closer to Him.
God invites us into partnership with Him, not to take over for Him. Just as you could not begin with Christ apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, you cannot be brought to maturity without the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:3). Paul confirms in 1 Corinthians 1:4-8,
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Trust God and partner in the work He is doing—in and through you. God promises to not only complete His work in you, but to also provide for the work He has invited you to do with Him, every step of your race. Until you cross that finish line, trust Him to do what He promises to do.
(Tiffany shares her testimony and special music.)
You can listen to the message here:
You can watch this message by clicking HERE.
Read more...
Seize the Moment – Day 508
Today’s hymn focus will be “Have Thine Own Way, Lord”
Jeremiah 18:6(NLT)
“O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.”
Written in 1902, Adelaide A. Pollard was a teacher in a Chicago girls’ school and had a fine reputation as a Bible study teacher. She had a strong desire to be a missionary and was trying to raise funds to make a trip to Africa, and she was not being very successful. Because of this, she was experiencing a ‘distress of the soul”.
The words of a simple prayer by an elderly woman provided her with the setting of a personal reflection on the will of God for her life. The prayer was “It really doesn’t matter what you do with us, Lord…just have Your way in our lives.” She went home from that prayer meeting and wrote the hymn as we sing it today.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Thou art the Potter,
I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.
We need to wake up each morning with this type of attitude. Not my will, but Your will, Lord, be done in my life, so that I will be filled with the Spirit till all they see is Christ living in me.
YOUTUBE:
Have Thine Own Way, Lord
Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter,
I am the clay.
Mold me and make me
after thy will,
while I am waiting,
yielded and still.
Have thine own way!
Search me and try me,
Savior today!
Wash me just now, Lord,
wash me just now,
as in thy presence
humbly I bow.
Have thine own way!
Wounded and weary,
help me I pray!
Power, all power,
surely is thine!
Touch me and heal me,
Savior divine!
Have thine own way!
Hold o’er my being
absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit
till all shall see
Christ only, always,
Read more...
Seize the Moment – Day 507
Friend of God!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, August 6.
Would you consider yourself a friend of God?
Friends know one another, listen to each other, and like one another. Friends share common interests and passions that keep them moving in the same direction.
Exodus 33:9-11a states that Moses related to God as a friend:
Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the Lord would speak with Moses. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.
Is such a lofty title and intimate relationship exclusive to these two rock stars of the faith?
I love God and I know He loves me! We spend a lot of time together and listen to one another. In the easy yoke of Jesus, I am partnering with Jesus in the work that God is passionate about!
That sounds like friendship to me!
Seize the moment and live your life as a friend of God!
YOUTUBE:
Read more...