|
|
|
April 17-18, 2004 FAITH QUEST! Mark 10:46-52 & Selected FAITH MAKES A FRESH START WITH GOD! GOD IS A GOD OF FRESH STARTS! *** Psalm 145:14 “God gives a hand to those down on their luck, gives a fresh start to those ready to quit.” [Message] Mark 10:46-52 FIVE STEPS TO A FRESH START WITH GOD: STEP 1– SEIZE THE MOMENT! *** Mark 10:47 “When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus…was nearby, he began to shout out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" [NLT] THE MAÑANA ATTITUDE! *** Job 9:25 “My life is speeding by…” [Contemporary English Version] *** Job 8:9 “Our own time has been short, like a fading shadow….” [CEV] *** Proverbs 27:1 “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” [New International Version] *** Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.” [CEV] *** Eph. 5:16 “These are evil times, so make every minute count.” [CEV] SPIRITUALLY, WHAT DO YOU NEED TO STOP PROCRASTINATING ABOUT? *** Luke 9:62 “Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day." [Msg.] STEP 2 – TAME YOUR FEARS! WE HAVE TO CONTROL THEM OR THEY WILL CONTROL US! *** Psalm 143:4 “I am paralyzed with fear.” [NLT] FEAR MAKES US: SKEPTICAL ! COWARDS! SELFISH! SHORT-SIGHTED! *** Mark 10:48 "Be quiet!" some of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" [NLT] ***Matthew 16:23 “Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God's." [NLT] SATAN WANTS TO KEEP YOU FROM FAITH BY YOUR FEARS! GOD WANTS TO KEEP YOU FROM FEARS BY YOUR FAITH! *** Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.” [Msg] WHO ARE YOU LIVING YOUR LIFE FOR? STEP 3 – ANNOUNCE YOUR FAITH! *** Mark 10:49-51 “When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, "Tell him to come here."So they called the blind man. "Cheer up," they said. "Come on, he's calling you!" Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked."Teacher," the blind man said, "I want to see!" [NLT] *** James 4:15 “What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." [NLT] *** Psalm 18:20 “God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start.” [Msg.] STEP 4 – RECEIVE GOD’S GRACE! *** Mark 10:52 “And Jesus said to him, "Go your way. Your faith has healed you." And instantly the blind man could see!” [NLT] JESUS GIVES US ALL A FRESH START! *** Galatians 3:27 “Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ's life, the fulfillment of God's original promise.” [Msg] Your baptism is two things: A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT! THE SYMBOL OF A FRESH START SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS IS WORSE THAN PHYSICAL BLINDNESS! STEP 5 – TAKE THE NEXT STEP! *** Mark 10:46 “Later, as Jesus and his disciples left town…a blind beggar named Bartimaeus was sitting beside the road as Jesus was going by.” [NLT] *** Mark 10:52 “And Jesus said to him, "Go your way. Your faith has healed you." And instantly the blind man could see! Then he followed Jesus down the road.” WHICH OF THESE TWO STATEMENTS DESCRIBE YOUR FAITH RIGHT NOW? MY FAITH STEP TO A FRESH START WITH GOD IS: _____________________________________! ***Everything that we have-right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start-comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:30 [Msg] |