- Mar 23, 2022Bible Study – Nehemiah Chapter 8
- Mar 20, 2022Time For An Intervention
Mar 20, 2022Time For An InterventionBy: Bro. George RiekSeries: 2022
I recently read how some friends, recognizing signs of depression in another friend, staged an intervention
Their goal was not to make the friend feel bad, but instead, to affirm the friend was loved
Many people initially respond to an intervention with anger, frustration, and embarrassment
However most times they eventually come to realize, it was done with love and it actually helps them
The thing I want you to see is that, we are to abide in Christ always and because of that we bear much fruit
However, sometimes, things pull us away and we get lost in our walk
When that happens, our brothers and sisters in Christ need to stage an intervention
First, we must draw close enough to one another that we can recognize the struggles
Second, the intervention is always done because of love
The goal is always to help each other find our way back to the right walk
If we abide in His love, we are doing exactly what we are called to do
I’m convinced that God’s people have forgotten what it means to abide in His love
We become lost in our walk and don’t even realize it, because we have walked so far away
What if, first we abide in Him and second we actually share His love with others
We would truly become close to our brothers and sisters, instead of just being someone we see at church sometimes
This bond of love stretches from God, to you, to those around you and it becomes a three stranded cord not easily broken
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love!
This is My commandment!Understand, that this is a commandment, which means we are called to show His love with ALL people
Not only do we need to stage an intervention within the church and God’s people,
We also need to intervene in the world, to help people see what they really need
People are searching for everything and anything in this world and we know what they really need
God’s love!! If we are abiding in Christ and He is in us, we can show others the love they are searching out
We are more likely to perform an intervention if someone is depressed, or addicted, which is good,
What about when they need to find the true love that will give them salvation
Interventions are not easy because most people don’t want them
But only through an intervention can some people finally see what they really need
Are you ready?
- Mar 16, 2022Bible Study – Nehemiah Chapter 7
- Mar 13, 202210 Second Wait
Mar 13, 202210 Second WaitBy: Bro. George RiekSeries: 2022
We live in the microwave generation and expect everything to happen quickly
Research shows that most people expect to wait only 2 seconds for an online video to load
After 5 seconds 25% of people leave the site and after 10 seconds the abandonment rate is 50%
Half the people can’t even wait 10 seconds for something they desired in the first place
Today I want to start with a verse that is out of order in the passage we will look at
This verse says we do not know how to pray and as previously mentioned we don’t want to wait either
We are trying to move through life at warp speed and we try to make our relationship with God fit that mold
But a 10 second wait may not be enough for the Spirit to show us how to pray
This verse says the Spirit intercedes with groaning too deep for words
Certainly most of us have had hearts that were full but didn’t know how to express our feelings
Every time we spend time we God, we don’t have to know what to say and sometimes we just need to open our hearts to Him
You see we are living in a world that is not our home and this wait for redemption takes a toll
This is not a 10 second wait. This wait is a lifetime and we must listen to the Holy Spirit as our guide
The point is, one of the reasons our relationship is not deeper, is that we aren’t waiting on the Holy Spirit to guide us
Today’s believer spends most of their prayer time giving God a want list
But true prayer is when we wait on the guidance of the Holy Spirit to show us what to pray because that is what God wants for us
We have been saved with the Hope of salvation. Not hope meaning a wish but hope meaning an assurance
If our hope is in Christ we wait eagerly for that day when our hope shows us Glory
While we wait we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes that voice is simply groanings within our being that we don’t know how to express
Instead of giving up when we aren’t sure what to say, let the Spirit reveal the answer
Most of the time this is more than a 10 second wait
We don’t know how to pray but the Spirit intercedes for us
What if we took some real time and listened to the Spirit, instead of just speaking words
What if we truly prayed what God wanted us to pray
If we pray what God is telling us to pray the answer will be amazing and the blessings incredible
One of the biggest problems we have today, is we are structured for that 2 second wait
Stop trying to fit a Holy God into our worldly mold and instead climb into a new mold, with the Holy Spirit as the guide
Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come and be our helper.
Isn’t it time you listened to the one that was sent to help you in the first place
Have you ever listened to the Spirit?
Do you know God?
Today I plead with you to listen, even if it takes a while for you to hear, and then respond.
- Mar 9, 2022Bible Study – Nehemiah Chapter 6
- Mar 6, 2022Be A Good Steward
Mar 6, 2022Be A Good StewardBy: Bro. George RiekSeries: 2022
Probably many of you, like me, grew up hearing about being a good steward
For most of us that was always taught about money
Since God gave you the money, be a good steward of it and tithe, use it wisely not foolishly
Let me start by saying that is all good practice and being a good steward of God’s money is something we should all do
However, today I want to look at that phrase “Be a Good Steward” in another light
In this passage what we are seeing is that we are to be good stewards of everything God has given us
This means our time, our gifts, our money, our friendships, our love, everything
Vs 7
“The end of all things is near”I don’t know when the end will come but I know we are closer today than we were yesterday.
As people find out that their lives are coming to an end it causes them to reflect on what is really important
They may think about how they have lived and wish they had lived better.
The one thing almost everyone has in common, when that reality sets in, is what about eternity
This verse is telling us that as the end grows nearer every day we need to focus our relationship with God through prayer
When we figure out how to be purposeful about that prayer relationship, we are in a closer walk with God and things become clear
So we need to be good stewards with our time and make sure God gets that time
Vs 8 says “keep fervent in your love for one another”
This world needs a lot more love! If we are good stewards of our love, we will give it freely and often
I’m speaking of course of God’s love. What if we daily worked to show God’s love to everyone we came in contact with
I believe conflict with people would all but disappear and certainly more people would be open to hear the gospel
This seems so easy but in reality it’s probably the hardest thing for most of us to do
The biggest reason this is so hard, is the world has taught us everything is about you……but it isn’t
“Each one has a special gift” We have probably all been told this in our life but most people never explore their gift
Most of us believers have not identified what our special gifts are and so therefore we are not good stewards of them
If we identified our gifts and used them as God intended them to be used, I believe our world would look so much different
When we don’t use God’s gifts in the way He wants, we are not good stewards of that gift
Basically what we see here is that when our gifts are used, they should directly point to the God that gave them
If we are truly good stewards of the things that God has given, (and He gave everything) He is glorified
When our lives glorify God, we receive that Joy of knowing we are being good stewards and living our purpose
The bottom line is that if we as the children of God, work to be good stewards of the things God gave us, people will see Jesus in us
However, you can’t use your gifts for a God you don’t know
Do you know Him today?
- Mar 2, 2022Bible Study – Nehemiah Chapter 5
- Feb 27, 2022Here We Grow
Feb 27, 2022Here We GrowBy: Bro. George RiekSeries: 2022
Last week we heard a great message about self examination
We all need to come to a place where we have complete assurance of our salvation
If you have not yet gotten to that place, I would love to talk to you after the service today
If you know, without a doubt, that you have the salvation that Jesus offers, then it is time to Grow!
Perhaps you say “We understand this because we have known Christ a long time.”
You see, we are never too old to keep growing
Understand that we all have been given tasks according to how God saw fit to give them
Some preachers, some teachers, some apostles and some evangelists
The point here is that he didn’t appoint any of us to do nothing
He appointed all of us for the building up of the body of Christ
Vs 13 is talking about when we are in Glory and we have become mature
The point is, that until that time, none of us will reach full maturity
Then we will no longer be infants, but for now…
Tossed back and forth, blown here and there, this is how we are if we are not trying to Grow
If you have received salvation, you are to put off your old self and put on the new self to be like GodWe have to grow! We begin with the spiritual milk immediately after salvation as an infant in Christ
Infants do not stay infants! As they take nutrients, their physical body develops
As spiritual infants, we need the spiritual nutrients to grow in Christ
Speech, conduct, love, faith and in purity
Devote yourselves to reading of scripture, preaching and teachingLike Psalm 92:13 says “plant yourself in the house of the Lord” both physically and spiritually
Plant yourself through your own reading and studying of God’s word
Plant yourself through the corporate teaching and preaching of God’s word
Always devote yourself to a time of prayer daily
If I planted a Satsuma tree, and it didn’t grow to produce fruit, I would cut it down.
When we are planted in salvation, we need to Grow and produce fruit as the sower expected us to do.
Have you been planted in salvation?
- Feb 23, 2022Bible Study – Nehemiah Chapter 4 Part 2
- Feb 20, 2022Self-Examination
- Feb 16, 2022Bible Study – Nehemiah Chapter 4 Part 1
- Feb 13, 2022A New Perspective
- Mar 23, 2022Bible Study – Nehemiah Chapter 8
- Mar 20, 2022Time For An Intervention
- Mar 16, 2022Bible Study – Nehemiah Chapter 7
- Mar 13, 202210 Second Wait
- Mar 9, 2022Bible Study – Nehemiah Chapter 6
- Mar 6, 2022Be A Good Steward
- Mar 2, 2022Bible Study – Nehemiah Chapter 5
- Feb 27, 2022Here We Grow
- Feb 23, 2022Bible Study – Nehemiah Chapter 4 Part 2
- Feb 20, 2022Self-Examination
- Feb 16, 2022Bible Study – Nehemiah Chapter 4 Part 1
- Feb 13, 2022A New Perspective