The Last Three
Sunday, July 31st, 2011Out On A Limb
Sunday, July 24th, 2011The Impossible Made Possible.
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011Day 52
Todays Reading – Luke 1:1-80
Scripture:
Luke 1:26-38
37 For nothing is impossible with God. 38“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Observation:
Mary is confronted with an impossible situation. She is pledged to be married and the angel of the Lord is explaining to her how she will become pregnant. Mary never being with a man is confused how this will happen. The angel explains that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and she will be with child. Upon the angels explanation we see Mary’s faith. Her response is trust in God and believes that all things are possible with Him. She doesn’t hesitant or doubt she acts in faith and accepts what the Lord has planned for her. Mary’s faith is humbling she is abandoned to her will and follows Gods plan.
Application:
Mary is put in an extremely difficult position she is confronted with Gods plan for her life, with natural laws, the law of Moses and cultural expectations. Mary must choose her path. First she asks for an explanation on how this will be, upon the explanation, Mary is left to consider Gods plan and her reputation. Who would believe this is Gods baby, she will be rejected by her family, her husband to be and she may be stoned to death. In the text she seems to make the decision quickly, she seems to have faith that says ‘if it is Gods will He will provide a way’. Of course we see through the story that God does lead her through it and all the impossible things are made possible.
Reading the story of Mary can seem somewhat repetitive; after all it is read every Christmas. It seems even a little strange to read the ‘Christmas’ story in March. But I believe Mary is one of the strongest examples of faith in the Bible. She looks at Gods promise to her and what it would cost her and she quickly gives up all for His plan. I think we can learn a lot from the mother of Jesus. How many of us hear a plan from God but we are too worried about the situation or what other will think to step out in faith. Today lets pray for a faith like Mary and see what impossible things God makes possible!
Prayer
Father help us to have faith! Lord we are so worried about our reputation and what other will think that we are paralyzed. Help us to hear your voice and follow you with a reckless abandonment. God we long to be used by you! Increase of faith Jesus. AMEN
Alex
Plan B - Pt 5
Sunday, February 6th, 2011Dave Di Sabatino
Do you remember the day you discovered your life wasn’t going to turn out quite the way you thought? Your Plan A comes to a quick stop, and now you’re not sure if there is a Plan B. Join us as we discover what the Bible teaches us to do next. Find out what your Plan B is all about.
Plan B - Pt. 4
Sunday, January 30th, 2011Dave Di Sabatino
Do you remember the day you discovered your life wasn’t going to turn out quite the way you thought? Your Plan A comes to a quick stop, and now you’re not sure if there is a Plan B. Join us as we discover what the Bible teaches us to do next. Find out what your Plan B is all about.
Who is First?
Sunday, January 30th, 2011Today’s Reading: Exodus 19-20:21
Scripture: Exodus 20:3-4a
Observation:
God is setting up His code for the Israelites to live by. We see in today’s reading that God creates this big multiple day event. He just freed them from slavery in Egypt. Now before they begin to build and establish their culture and foundation as a people, God gives them guidance on how this nation will be formed. The great part about this passage is that not only is God giving them guidelines for the sake of rules, He is creating a irrevocable promise, a covenant between the Israelites and Himself. He says, ‘these are the rules, if you want the blessing I desire to give you, you have to follow this code. ‘ God knows that left to our own devices if we were blessed without restrictions, we will self destruct! Just take a look at the majority of lottery winners! The Ten Commandments focus on ten different moral issues. At first glance we can read these commands and say, “of course I live by them”. If we stop and truly begin to study the text and examine our lives we may begin to see that we do compromise in little areas.
Application:
At first glance these commands seem the simplest of all. Most of us are Christians; we don’t have idols or other gods. We wouldn’t think of stealing or killing some one. And when the grass looks greener in our neighbours yard, we chalk it up as more expensive fertilizer that is killing the environment, not greed and envy. In Matthew 22:36 the religious leaders of the day tried to trick Jesus. They asked, “which is the greatest commandment of the law?” Now this is when Jesus broke the law down for us. He said,
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.”
In this instant Jesus shows us that the first four commandments in Exodus is about loving God, the last six are about loving others. He continues to break it down by saying in Matthew 5:17 that if your even THINK in your mind angry thoughts about another person, it is like you have committed murder. If you even THINK about another person lustfully, you have committed adultery in your mind and heart. With this in mind, have you kept all of the commands God has given to us?
Now I know that we cannot be perfect in everything that we do until the day we are in heaven, but are we loving God with everything and loving others like we love ourselves? Do we really expect Jesus to hear our prayers and bless our lives when we live them angry and envious of others. Take stock of your life. Where are you breaking the commandments in your heart and mind. That car you’ve always wanted and they don’t deserve to drive it. That house that is just out of your financial reach, but you will work 24/7 to obtain it, no matter what the cost. That new outfit at the mall, upkeep of our image. Where is God placed? Where are other people we pass everyday placed?
Prayer:
God, I’m sorry I have forgotten You in my daily life. I am sorry that I have spent my time and energy on how to ‘get ahead’ and not on how to follow you and your guidelines. Help me to put You first in my life. My desire is to follow Your commands so that I am blessed. I want to love others with the same intense and protective love that I love myself with. I need you.
Alex
Plan B - Pt.2
Sunday, January 16th, 2011
Dave Di Sabatino
Do you remember the day you discovered your life wasn’t going to turn out quite the way you thought? Your Plan A comes to a quick stop, and now you’re not sure if there is a Plan B. Join us as we discover what the Bible teaches us to do next. Find out what your Plan B is all about.
You Are The Church//Pt 3
Sunday, November 7th, 2010
David Di Sabatino
What’s in a church chair? The answer is nothing, until it’s filled with people like YOU! You are the church, in this series we share the 60×90 vision of Liberty International Church. We are believing for 60 New People to get planted @ Liberty in the next 90 Days.
Be a part of this miracle in the next 90 days.
You Are The Church//Pt.2
Sunday, October 17th, 2010
David Di Sabatino
What’s in a church chair? The answer is nothing, until it’s filled with people like YOU! You are the church, in this series we share the 60×90 vision of Liberty International Church. We are believing for 60 New People to get planted @ Liberty in the next 90 Days.
Be a part of this miracle in the next 90 days.