Unshakeable Faith

Instead of being discouraged you have confidence. Because before I had a problem God already set the miracle in motion.

• God is faithful even if it isn't happening on my time table.
• God promised Abraham and Sarah a baby

Romans 4:20 NIV

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

• Don't consider your circumstances, consider your God.

Romans 4:19 NIV

Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead.

• Even if you are believing for something that seems small, like a scholarship, know that God has you in the palm of his hands.
• When you magnify God your problems become smaller.
• It takes the same amount of time to be positive as it takes to be negative.

The disciples were on the way to heal a sick girl but a report came in that she had died. Sometimes you have to ignore the report.

Mark 5:36 NIV

Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, "Don't be afraid; just believe."

• It's good to have information but sometimes you can know too much. If you listen to the experts long enough they will talk you out of God's best.

Matthew 19:26 NIV

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

God's ways may not seem logical like with Mary or the Fisherman

Luke 1:38 NIV

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." Then the angel left her.

• Mary was promised to have a child before she knew a man. Mary did not question the promise.

John 21

• Caught a miraculous number of fish on the advice of a "non-fisherman"

Victoria Osteen

When you are prepared you do a better job. There are some ways to prepare to follow God.

Psalm 100:4 NIV

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

• enter his presence in faith and good spirits.

Ephesians 6:10-17 NIV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

• Put on the armor of God.

• Read the Bible and see what God says about you.

Jeniro is on the go!

MAKING ROOM FOR INCREASE

You can't get increase on the outside without making room for it on the inside. You make room for increase on the inside by changing your thinking.

· e.g. if you don't think you will get out of debt then you probably never will.

· Mark 2:22 NIV

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins."

God has unlimited supplies what decreases is our ability to receive it.

·if I have thousands of gallons of water but all you have is a gallon jug then it's obvious that supply is not the issue.

·Matthew 9:29 NIV

Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith let it be done to you";

2 Kings 4:1-7 NIV

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord . But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves." Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?"

"Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a small jar of olive oil." Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side." She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one."

But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."

· If she had more jars then she could have gotten more oil

Psalm 35:27 NIV

May those who delight in my vindication

shout for joy and gladness;

may they always say, "The Lord be exalted,

who delights in the well-being of his servant."

· It's ok to want more for yourself.

· There was a man fishing. Everytime that man caught a big fish he would throw out back but he would keep the small fish. Someone finally asked him why he was throwing the big fish back. He said that it was because he only had a ten-inch frying pan. Some people need to buy a new frying pan.

· Some people have a ten-inch frying pan mentality...e.g. well this was my mom's frying pan...we''re just a ten-inch frying pan family.

· Proverbs 13:22 NIV

A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous.

Isaiah 60:1 NIV

"Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

· Glory indicates weight.

Psalm 150:2 NIV

Praise him for his acts of power;

praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Jeniro is on the go!

Ups & Downs: The Great Adventure

I usually serve with the Kidslife team in Level 56 on Saturdays, but tonight I served with the Lakewood P layers (Drama Ministry) to help the 1st-4th graders learn about love. I did however get the notes for this weekend and decided to do a devotional about what this particular topic means to me. The Level 56 Summer Break Focus Topic has been "Ups & Downs: God's Faithfulness. This weekend we are focusing on the "The Great Adventure" and I'm sure Jonathan did an amazing job teaching this message to the kids! The large bolded italicized text is part of the message that was shared.  The scriptures that I share below ARE NOT NECESSARILY the scriptures the kids heard at service; this is my personal devotional on the topic! 

God has a great big plan for all of us. He has the most amazing adventure already planned out for us! All we have to do is get ready, trust him and and go on this adventure.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

When we plan to do something EVERYTHING in the plan is included to lead us to that desired destination even the things that we see as insignificant. Like David; his work as a shepherd prepared him to defeat Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:34-37But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

In this story, I see Saul as Carl and David as Ellie: some people see the vision and some people don't. David didn't get an attitude, he just explained his case like the next video. David was more than ready to go on a BIG adventure.

The couple in this video was more than ready to go on a BIG adventure.




Point #1


Don't be afraid to dream BIG! 
Now, let's take a look at Carl after he has lost all of his dreams. 


Point #2


God always has good things in store for us.
Level 56 is the Lakewood Church exciting, high impact service designed exclusively for 5th and 6th graders. Tweens discover an exciting new world where they can hang out with friends, enjoy games and fun activities and learn leadership and social skills through biblical principles that will prepare them for the future.

Matthew 19:26 ...with God all things are possible.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  

Ephesians 3:20 [God] is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us

God created the entire universe; the things I want are nowhere close to the universe. Thinking about God as the awesome creator and that he is empowers me to dream big. If he can speak the sun into existence then my dreams are no match for God. I just have to believe.

Sometimes things don't happen the way we think that they should but our ways are not God's ways.

Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”  declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Sometimes the people who we thought would share in a dream leave but it doesn't mean that God won't give me the desires of my heart. Furthermore, even though certain people didn't make it to our dream physically they still helped us get there and we should honor their memory without letting their memory impede our future.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

2 corinthians 2:9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” [are] the things God has prepared for those who love him.

It's hard to lose sight of the fact that God has good things in store for us but we have to always remember that he does. I think Psalm 27 is a good representation of this fact. I'm sorry that I missed serving with the Level 56 team this week but I know the kids will be blessed by this message and I hope that you were too.

Psalm 27

Being Confident In What You Have

Pastor Joel @ Lakewood Church

1. God can take an ordinary solution to do extraordinary things.

Judges 15: Sampson defeats an army with the jawbone of a donkey.

2. God will never ask you to do something without equipping you to do it.

Matthew 14: Feeding the 5000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

3. Be the best you can be right where you are.

1 Samuel 17: David defeats Goliath with 5 stones and a sling shot

When you know that you are equipped and empowered you won't shrink back.

4. Don't covet what someone else has because I am anointed to be me.

5. You can have small faith.

Matthew 17:20 KJV

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

6. God will make people perceive what he wants them to perceive.

2 Kings 7: The 4 Lepers marched toward the enemy and God multiplied their footsteps.

2 Kings 7:6 KJV

For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.

Victoria Osteen: Pray With Passion

1. Believe that God has your best interest in mind.

Hebrews 11:6 KJV

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

2. There are friends who you can ask anything and its because we have developed a relationship. That's the same thing we need to do with God.

Hebrews 4:16 KJV

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

3. Seek God's Guidance first!

1 Corinthians 2:9 KJV

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Jeniro is on the go!

The Honor of Wanting to Quit

Tommy Barnett @ Lakewood Church

Galatians 6:9 NLT

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.

Abraham wanted to quit. Peter wwanted to quit. John the Baptist wanted to quit...

1. Wanting to quit is a sign of success.

2. The more you have the more you want to quit.

· the higher you get, the colder it gets, the lonlier it gets, etc...

3. You can enjoy the luxury of wanting to quit because you know you are not going to quit.

· Burn the bridges that are behind you.

· Don't tell anyone you want to quit.

· Don't expose your self to things that you don't want to be.

If you quit then you will miss out on the dream. Life is a big puzzle and we don't know how the pieces fit together. We just need to keep the faith.

1 Corinthians 13:9 NLT

Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture!

Victoria Osteen

Romans 8:31 NLT

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

Declare our glass as half full and not half empty. We get to choose what we believe.

Acts 3:6-8 NLT

But Peter said, "I don't have any silver or gold for you. But I'll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!"

Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man's feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.

Change your posture.

When you start believing, you are going to act on it.

Jeniro is on the go!

The Ups And Downs of Life [Simba from the Lion King]

Remember Who You Belong To:

• Simba had gotten very lost and forgotten who he was…
• Who do we belong to?

“…we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.” -1 John 3:2 

• We are God's child and He is going to take care of us! Even if we stray, don't do what He wants us to, make bad choice that cause us to have some ups and downs, God is always there for us.
• When we remember whose we are, we make it through out downs and head to the ups. 
• Jesus lives in your heart and He is with us to help us every moment of every day!
• You are made for more than just problems and getting into trouble, you are made to be a King or Queen in the Kingdom of God! But, if we let the past define who we are and hold us back... we will never be able to do all that God has for us.

Put Your Past Behind You:

• I love that clip because it is a good reminder to us all about how powerful our past can be on our future. 
• We are all going to have "Ups & Downs" in life, but when we make it through difficult things, we have to choose to move on into what God has for us and not let the painful memories or experience hold us back!
• Have any of you experienced something that was difficult or hard?
• Me too, but the awesome thing about God is He always with us and willing to help get us back up on our feet and help through it onto bigger and better things!

PP SLIDE:

“…I have not achieved it [perfection], but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. – Philippians 3:13-14

-What would happened in Simba's life if he never would have moved on past the past?

• Okay, let's review Simba's “Ups & Downs”... (Ask some of the student to help you)
• Simba's Ups: being born, being a prince, his great relationship with His Dad, meeting Nahla, having friends like Timone and Pumba, etc
• Simba's Downs: Father dying, evil uncle, leaving home, etc..

Closing:

We can all agree that Simba went through both “Ups & Downs”, but he didn’t let life make him bitter, it made him better.

He owned who he was through his father and embraced what he wants meant to do! Rule!

God is going to be there for you no matter what, but you have to do be willing to need him!

evel 56 is the Lakewood Church exciting, high impact service designed exclusively for 5th and 6th graders. Tweens discover an exciting new world where they can hang out with friends, enjoy games and fun activities and learn leadership and social skills through biblical principles that will prepare them for the future.

Mrs. Dodie @ Lakewood Church

Momma Dodie @ Lakewood Church

In the hospital from getting tests from Nov. 20-Dec. 10 1981 when she was given a few weeks to live.

Decided she wouldn't go to bed except at regular bed times because she didn't want to act sick.

Instead of telling people how she felt she told them what God said.

Replace the devil's torments with God's Word.

Stir up the Word of God in your heart, even if you feel like you don't need it.

What ever you're believing God for, find where it is written and make a list.

If you have unforgiveness make it right.

Put pictures up that remind you of when you were well.

Romans 4:17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Matthew 21:19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.

****************************
Dr. Paul Talk
"The Lord Will Lift You"

• THE LORD WILL LIFT YOU WHEN YOU ARE DOWN PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, and/or EMOTIONALLY

Psalm 3:3 But you, lord, are a shield around me,my glory, the One who lifts my head high.

Matthew 8:14 When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

• THE LORD WIL LIFT YOU WHEN YOUR FAITH WAVERS.

Matthew 14:28-32 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said.Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

• THE LORD WILL LIFT YOU WHEN YOU ARE AT YOUR WORST.

Psalm 40:1-2 waited patiently for the lord;he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit,out of the mud and mire;he set my feet on a rockand gave me a firm place to stand.

OFFERING TALK
• WHEN YOU'RE PLANTED EVERYTHING IS ROOTED SO EVERYTHING WILL FLOURISH.

Psalm 92:12-15 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the lord,they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age,they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, "The lord is upright;he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."

-- Sent from JRochelle's Palm