Here are the notes from the short message given every morning. Short, but powerful. I hope you take time to scroll and find some nuggets of wisdom.
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Day 8 – Pastor Chris
{this was our Sunday service. I strongly encourage you to watch the full 40-something minute message by clicking here.}
Nehemiah 8:10 – “Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.””
- Knowing God has a plan for my life
Psalm 16:5-11 – “Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
- Certain that God will work it out
1 Peter 1:8 – “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy…”
- When I choose joy
Philippians 4:4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Deuteronomy 30:11-19 (MSG) – “This commandment that I’m commanding you today isn’t too much for you, it’s not out of your reach. It’s not on a high mountain—you don’t have to get mountaineers to climb the peak and bring it down to your level and explain it before you can live it. And it’s not across the ocean—you don’t have to send sailors out to get it, bring it back, and then explain it before you can live it. No. The word is right here and now—as near as the tongue in your mouth, as near as the heart in your chest. Just do it! Look at what I’ve done for you today: I’ve placed in front of you Life and Good, Death and Evil. And I command you today: Love God, your God. Walk in his ways. Keep his commandments, regulations, and rules so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by God, your God, in the land you are about to enter and possess. But I warn you: If you have a change of heart, refuse to listen obediently, and willfully go off to serve and worship other gods, you will most certainly die. You won’t last long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love God, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him. Oh yes, he is life itself, a long life settled on the soil that God, your God, promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Choose to look beyond what happened.
Philippians 1:12 – “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.”
Choose to find the new opportunities.
Philippians 1:13-14 – “As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.”
Choose to focus on what really matters.
Philippians 1:15-18 – “It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice…”
Today I choose joy!
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Day 9 – Pastor Chris
Focus: freedom
Luke 4:18 – ““The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free…”
Why are we not walking in freedom?
- we have an oppressor/ enemy
- we believe the wrong things
Quote scripture during your prayer to combat lies.
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Day 10 – Dino Rizzo
Focus: relationships
God uses our relationships to bring us closer to Jesus.
God wants to do a work in our heart.
Philippians 2:1-5 – “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”
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Day 11 – Pastor Chris
Focus: growth
Ephesians 4:11-16 – “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 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. 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. 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. 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.”
When God is growing me and I know I’m growing, it brings me joy.
We should pray that God would grow us every day.
Luke 2:52 – “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”
Wisdom is the ability to apply what you know.
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Day 12 – John Larrson
Focus: my calling
Like a schoolyard with kids picking teams, God picks me first to be on His team.
Isaiah 6:1-8 – “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim,each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
2 prayer postures:
- humility
- boldness
2 results:
- God is attracted to humility
- your boldness will make you a big influence
“I don’t know if I can do it, but I know you will lead me. Here I am – send me!”
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Day 13 – Pastor Chris
Focus: healing
1 Peter 2:24 – ““He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.””
“You are healed” is just as true as “you are forgiven.”
Sickness + sin is from the devil.
Healing + forgiveness is from God.
Your need to pursue the healing.
We like the end result of things, but God likes the process because we lean on Him more.
James 5:13-16 – “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
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Day 14 – Dino Rizzo
Focus: my blessing
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 – “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.”
Prayer sets the tone and sets the road of boldness.
The devil’s favorite thing is to shame and guild and he tries to tell us that God won’t bless us.
Don’t tell God all the reasons you can’t be blessed. Let God tell you why you should be blessed.
We are thankful for the gift, but we’re more thankful for the giver of the gift.
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