CommonGround Church Podcast

HABITS                                                                                                                   DAILY HABITS Romans 12:2  Fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.     Message EVERY DAY:  LIVE IN GOD’S GRACE. Philippians 3:3   For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort,    New Living  THE TRAP – LEGALISM Philippians 3:2-6   Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!  5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.      New Living  EVERY DAY:  REMEMBER WHAT MATTERS MOST. Philippians 3:7   I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.  New Living  THE TRAP – CULTURE. Philippians 3:8   Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.      New Living  EVERY DAY:  WALK WITH JESUS. Philippians 3:10-11   I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!       New Living  THE TRAP – BUSYNESS. Psalm 46:10  "Be still, and know that I am God;”    NIV EVERY DAY: PUSH FORWARD AND DON’T QUIT. Philippians 3:12   I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.   New Living  THE TRAP – PRIDE AND LAZINESS. 2 Corinthians 13:5   Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.     MESSAGE EVERY DAY:  FORGET WHAT CAN’T BE CHANGED AND FOCUS ON THE FUTURE. Philippians 3:13-14     No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.  New Living  THE TRAP – REGRET AND UNFORGIVENESS. Isaiah 43:18-19   "But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. 19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”     New Living 

HABITS                                                                                              ALIGNED WITH MY PURPOSE Romans 12:2  Fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.     Message Keep my life aligned with my purpose. Because I have a purpose.  Psalm 139:16  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.    NIV Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.   NIV We live by design not by default. Because there is competition for my time and attention. Ecclesiastes 4:6  Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.    NIV  Because time is short.  James 4:13-15 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”     NIV 1. Decide what is important. Philippians 3:7-8  But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.    NIV Most of our lives are not defined by the important but by the urgent. 2. Give time to the important things.  Psalm 90:12  Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.    Living  Make a list of what is important. 3. Eliminate the non-important things.  Hebrews 12:1   Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.    NIV 4. Regularly take inventory.  Psalm 39:4-5  LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away. My life is no longer than the width of my hand. An entire lifetime is just a moment to you;     New Living

HABITS                                                                                                            SHOW ME YOUR FRIENDS Romans 12:2  Fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.   Message RELATIONSHIPS CHOICES Nurture my important relationships.  1 Peter 4:7-8 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.   NIV Restore my broken relationships.  Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.   NIV Sever any harmful relationships.  Proverbs 13:20  He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.    NIV Initiate some meaningful relationships.  Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.   NIV     HOW TO DEVELOP RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS 1. Develop my relationship with my church.  Ephesians 2:19    You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family.   New Living   2. Develop my relationship with godly friends. Acts 2:44-47   And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—    New Living  3.  Develop my relationship with a team. Ecclesiastes 4:8-9  There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.    NIV 4. Develop my relationship with God.  Jeremiah 29:13  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.    New Living

HABITS                                                                                                      FIRST THINGS FIRST MOST PEOPLE HAVE UPHILL DREAMS BUT DOWNHILL HABITS. Hope for the 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.”    NIV  Repentance from the past.  Philippians 3:13  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.    NIV Formation of uphill habits.  Romans 12:2  Fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.     Message   Habit #1 Focus on what I do first. 1. Put God first.  Genesis 1:1   In the beginning God…    NIV Exodus 20:1-3   And God spoke all these words: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”    NIV 2. Give God the first of everything.  Leviticus 27:30   A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.    NIV Deuteronomy 14:23   The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God in first place in your life.    Living Bible The first of my year.  The first of my month.  The first of my week.  The first of my day.    3. Expect God to bless the rest.  Proverbs 3:6-10   In all your ways acknowledge him…Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.   NIV

BREAKTHROUGH SUNDAY   2 Samuel 5:17-25 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him. But David was told they were coming, so he went into the stronghold. 18 The Philistines arrived and spread out across the valley of Rephaim. 19 So David asked the Lord, "Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?"  The Lord replied to David, "Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you."  20 So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. "The Lord did it!" David exclaimed. "He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!" So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means "the Lord who bursts through"). 21 The Philistines had abandoned their idols there, so David and his men confiscated them.  22 But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim. 23 And again David asked the Lord what to do. "Do not attack them straight on," the Lord replied. "Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. 24 When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army." 25 So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.      NIV     STEPS TO GET YOUR BREAKTHROUGH   RECOGNIZE THAT YOU HAVE AN ENEMY.   2 Samuel 5:17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of Israel, they mobilized all their forces to capture him.        GO TO GOD AND LISTEN TO HIS DIRECTION!!!!    2 Samuel 5:19 So David asked the Lord, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?”  The Lord replied to David, “Yes, go ahead. I will certainly hand them over to you.”      TAKE ACTION ON WHAT GOD SAYS.   2 Samuel 5:20 So David went to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there.                        TAKING ACTION – TAKES FAITH     GIVE GOD ALL OF THE GLORY!!!!   2 Samuel 5:20 "The Lord did it!" David exclaimed. "He burst through my enemies like a raging flood!" So he named that place Baal-perazim (which means "the Lord who bursts through").         DO IT ALL AGAIN.      1 Samuel 5:21-25 The Philistines had abandoned their idols there, so David and his men confiscated them.  22 But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim. 23 And again David asked the Lord what to do. "Do not attack them straight on," the Lord replied. "Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees. 24 When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army." 25 So David did what the Lord commanded, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.     

CAROLS   “O Come All Ye Faithful”   WHO DOES JESUS CALL?   1. Jesus calls the weary and burdened.   Matthew 11:28    Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.    NIV   2. Jesus calls the sinners.   Matthew 9:12-13    On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."     NIV   WHAT DOES JESUS HELP US BECOME?   1. JESUS HELPS US BECOME MORE FAITHFUL.   Hebrews 12:2    Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…    NIV   Isaiah 43:2-3    When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;  the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the LORD your God,  the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…     NIV     2. JESUS HELPS US BECOME MORE JOYFUL.   Galatians 5:22    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,…      Happiness depends on happenings, but joy depends on Jesus!   Luke 2:10-11    But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you… NIV   3. JESUS HELPS US BECOME MORE TRIUMPHANT.   Isaiah 9:6-7    For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever…      NIV

THE BOOK OF DANIEL – 6                                                                      How Will All Of This End Matthew 24:3  As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”      NIV Matthew 24:12-15   Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand.”    NIV The 70 Sevens  Daniel 9:24-27  “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem (This hadn’t happened yet – it was prophetic – it is in the Books Nehemiah and Ezra which are written after Daniel)  until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’(49 years look in the history books and see how long it took them to rebuild Jerusalem and its walls – 49 years) and sixtytwo ‘sevens.’(434 years, it is the exact amount of time from then until Jesus gave His life on the Cross)  It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.(In AD 70 the temple that they came and rebuilt was torn down again) The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.(At this point there is 1 seven left)’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”    NIV 70 sevens – 490 years of prophecy                                                        483 of the 490 have been fulfilled                                                            49 years to rebuild the temple                                                                434 year until Jesus died on the cross                                                      7 years left BOOK OF REVELATION 10 EVENTS 1. The Church Age -  Rev. 2-3     2.  The Rapture – Rev. 4:1   3.  The Rise of the Anti-Christ  - Rev. 6       4.  The Tribulation  -  Rev. 6-19    5.  The Second Coming of Christ – Rev. 19    6.  The Marriage Supper of the Lamb – Rev 19   7.  The Millennium – Rev. 20:6   8.  The Last Rebellion – Rev. 20:7-10  9.  The Great White Throne Judgement – Rev. 20:11-15  10.  Eternity – Rev. 21-22 How Will All Of This End?  Daniel 12:1-4  “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.  (The time of the Great Tribulation)  But at that time your people--everyone whose name is found written in the book--will be delivered. (Rapture) Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. (Great White Throne Judgement) Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, (this is who we are supposed to be – people reaching people) like the stars for ever and ever. But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”(    NIV Daniel 12:8-13  I heard what he said, but I did not understand what he meant. So I asked, “How will all this finally end, my lord?” But he said, “Go now, Daniel, for what I have said is kept secret and sealed until the time of the end. Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means. “From the time the daily sacrifice is stopped and the sacrilegious object that causes desecration is set up to be worshiped, there will be 1,290 days. And blessed are those who wait and remain until the end of the 1,335 days! “As for you, go your way until the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days, you will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.”   NLT 2 Peter 3:10-12 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”     NIV    1. Follow God, not culture.  1 Thessalonians 5:23   May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.    NIV 2. Be ready for Christ’s return.  Matthew 24:42  Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.     NIV 3. Make the most of this life.  Ephesians 5:15-17  Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.   NIV

THE BOOK OF DANIEL – 5 CULTURE’S GREATEST NEED Daniel 6:1-5   It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel…”     NIV YOU CAN’T MAKE A DIFFERENCE UNLESS YOU ARE DIFFERENT!!!! Exceptional Qualities  2 Corinthians 3:17-18   Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.    NIV Revelation 4:6-7  In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.   NIV Ezekiel 1:10   Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.  NIV  1. The Ox – the face of a servant.  1 Corinthians 9:19   Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.   NIV   2. The Man – the face of love.  John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”    NIV 3. The Eagle – the face of respect.  Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.    NIV 4. The Lion – the face of boldness.  Proverbs 28:1  The wicked flee though no one pursue but the righteous are as bold as a lion.    NIV Matthew 16:17-18  Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”   NIV   How Should We Respond to Culture? John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.    NIV Grace because we all need a Savior. Truth because it’s the only thing that can set people free.

THE BOOK OF DANIEL – 4                           HANDWRITING ON THE WALL Daniel 5:1-5  King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.   NIV Daniel 5:23    Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven.      NIV Daniel 5:25-26 “This is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.”   NIV We forget that our days are numbered.   Daniel 5:27  “Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.”     NIV We allow our lives to get out of balance.  Daniel 5:28 “Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”   NIV We ignore the warning signs.  Psalm 46:10  Be still, and know that I am God;    NIV     CHANGE OUR DIRECTION  Daniel 5:29-31 Then at Belshazzar's command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.    NIV 1. Live with a sense of purpose and urgency. Psalm 39:4-5  LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away. My life is no longer than the width of my hand. An entire lifetime is just a moment to you; human existence is but a breath.   New Living 2. Put first things first. Matthew 6:33   But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.      NIV 3. Do it now.  2 Corinthians 6:2   I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.   NIV

THE BOOK OF DANIEL – 3                                                                    CRAZY THINKING Daniel 4:1-3 (NIV) King Nebuchadnezzar, To the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world: May you prosper greatly! It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation. CULTURE’S CRAZY THINKING WE’RE SELF-SUFFICIENT INSTEAD OF GOD-DEPENDENT. Daniel 4:4 (NIV)   I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous.   OUR PRAYER LIFE WILL SHOW HOW DEPENDENT WE ARE ON GOD.   WE GIVE OURSELVES THE CREDIT INSTEAD OF THANKING GOD.    Daniel 4:25 (NIV)  You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.  MY ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE WILL KEEP MY HEART RIGHT.   WE THINK WE KNOW BEST INSTEAD OF ACKNOWLEDGING THAT HEAVEN RULES.  Daniel 4:26 (NIV)  The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. OUR SURRENDER TO GOD LEADS US DOWN THE RIGHT PATH. GET RID OF CRAZY Daniel 4:34-37 (NIV) At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.    1. Exalt the King of heaven.  2. Acknowledge that God does everything right and all His ways are just.  3. Walk in humility.

THE BOOK OF DANIEL - #2               THE TEST OF WORSHIP Daniel 3:1-6   King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it. Then the herald loudly proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."    NIV Daniel 6:5-9   Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: “O King Darius, live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den. Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered--in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” So King Darius put the decree in writing.   NIV  The Battle Over Worship  2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 1. Exalt man above God.  Daniel 3:16-18  Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”    NIV 2. Stop the worship of God.  Daniel 6:10-12  Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: "Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or man except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions' den?" The king answered, "The decree stands--in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed."    NIV Culture’s Greatest Test  Mark 12:30    Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'   NIV HEART AND SOUL – WHAT DO I LOVE THE MOST?                         MIND  -  WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE MOST?                                S STRENGTH –  WHAT DO I DO THE MOST? WHO YOU WILL NOT WORSHIP? 2 Chronicles 16:9   For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.   NIV WHO YOU WILL WORSHIP? John 4:23  Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.    NIV   WILL I CHANGE THE WORLD OR LET THE WORLD CHANGE ME?

THE BOOK OF DANIEL              DON’T FOLLOW THE CROWD Daniel 1:1-6  In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility-- young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service. Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.     CULTURE CHANGES – GOD DOESN’T     WHEN YOU FOLLOW THE CROWD 1. It will try to rename you.  Daniel 1:7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.    NIV Daniel – “God is my judge”                                                                              Belteshazzar – “Lady, protect the king”                                                                 The world wants to change the focus from God to man. Hananiah   -  “Yahweh has been gracious”                                                                                                     Shadrach    -   “I am fearful of God”                                                                         The world wants to change the focus from God is good to God is bad. Mishael   -    “Who is what God is”                                                                                                             Meshach   -    “I am despised, contemptible and humiliated”                             The world wants to change the focus from confidence to cowardace. Azariah   -    “Yahweh has helped”                                                                                         Abednego   -    “Servant of Nebo”                                                                             The world wants to change our focus from son and daughter to slave. 2. It will try to tame you.  Daniel 1:8    But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.   NIV 3. It will try to claim you.  Daniel 1:11-14  Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.  NIV Ten Times Better  Daniel 1:20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.    NIV Will I change the world or will the world change me?    Will my identity come from God or from the world?  Romans 6:3  For sin’s power over us was broken when we became Christians and were baptized to become a part of Jesus Christ.   Living Bible

FIRST FRUITS                                                                                                        GENEROUS LIFE 2 Corinthians 9:11    You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.    NIV THE MARKS OF A GENEROUS LIFE Luke 10:30-37    In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' 36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"  37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."   NIV LOVE IS WILLING TO LOOK BEYOND ITSELF.    Luke 10:33   “he took pity on him”  -  TRUE GENEROSITY IS A HEART ISSUE   LOVE IS WILLING TO INVEST TIME IN OTHERS.    Luke 10:34  “He went to him”   INVESTING TIME IS ONE OF THE MOST GENEROUS ACTS THAT YOU CAN DO – WHAT WOULD LIFE LOOK LIKE IF WE INVESTED INTO THE LIVES OF OTHERS –    LOVE IS WILLING TO USE IT ABILITIES AND RESOURCES.    Luke 10:34  “bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine”  MANY SAY IF I JUST HAD IT THEN I WOULD GIVE - START GIVING FROM THE PLACE THAT YOU ARE THE BENEFITS OF A GENEROUS LIFE 2 Corinthians 9:6-12    Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:  "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.  12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.     NIV   1.  THE FAVOR OF GOD.    Psalm 5:12  For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.     NIV   2.  REAL PROSPERITY.    Proverbs 11:25   The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.      MESSAGE   3.  A LEGACY OF IMPACT.     Psalm 37:25-26   I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.  26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.      NIV   4.  TREASURE IN HEAVEN.    1 Timothy 6:18-19   Instruct them to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. 19 If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.     Amplified

FIRST FRUITS                                                                                                                       WATCH MY ATTITUDE 1 Timothy 6:17-19 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.  NIV              THE WORD BELIEVE IS IN SCRIPTURE 272 TIMES, PRAY – 371, LOVE – 714 AND GIVE – 2161. 2 Corinthians 8:1-12  Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. 2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. 3 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. 5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. 6 So we have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. 7 Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving. 8 I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches. 9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. 10 Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. 11 Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. 12 Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don't have.     NLT     ATTITUDE OF GENEROSITY  1. Be a joyful giver.   2 Corinthians 8:2  But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.    NLT  2 Corinthians 9:7  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.     NIV 2. Be a selfless giver.     2 Corinthians 8:3-5   For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. 4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. 5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.    NLT 3. Be a willing giver.     2 Corinthians 8:5  They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.  NLT 2 Corinthians 8:12  Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don't have.     NLT 2 Corinthians 9:10  So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly.   NLT 4. Be a generous giver.      2 Corinthians 9:6-8   Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.  7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.   NLT

FIRST FRUITS                                                                                        The Principle of the First Proverbs 3:9-10   Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.    NIV Exodus 13:1-2    Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 "Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me."     New Living    THE FIRST MUST BE SACRIFICED OR REDEEMED. Exodus 13:12-13   You are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord. 13 Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons.     NIV Malachi 3:8-12   "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.  "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse — the whole nation of you — because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the Lord Almighty. 12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the Lord Almighty.      NIV THE FIRSTFRUITS MUST BE OFFERED. Exodus 23:19    Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.      NIV Genesis 4:2-5 When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.     New Living  THE TITHE MUST BE FIRST. Leviticus 27:30    'A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.      NIV Exodus 13:14-15     "And in the future, your children will ask you, 'What does all this mean?' Then you will tell them, 'With the power of his mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery. 15 Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the Lord killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the Lord—except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.'   New Living