Pastor James Greer's Blog & Resources

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The Fickleness of Man

One minute they love you and the Lord, the next minute they are talking about you and going somewhere else. (Jeremiah 17:9-10, NKJV; Psalm 118:8-9, NLT2; 1 Corinthians 2:5, NKJV)

If you don’t understand the fickleness and foolishness of man you will get discouraged, blame God, and give up.The devil’s purpose is to get us to blame God and give up; God’s purpose is to build character and dependence on Him.Once we allow God’s purpose to build character in us, He then gives us new power and peace during any problem and pain.

We learn the faithfulness of God.

We will reap what we sow. (Galatians 6:7-10, NKJV)We experience the faithfulness of God when we are faithful. (2 Corinthians 12:1-9, NLT)God is faithful to use what we might feel to be most unfair and painful to use it for our good. (Romans 8:28, NKJV)

We learn how important it is for us to be faithful.

The only true way to enter the Kingdom of God is to allow God to accomplish His purpose for the problems.It’s not simply problems and tribulations that we enter into the kingdom of God, it’s the right response to problems and tribulations.

 

Patience: Good and Evil Often Go Hand in Hand

  1. What we allow in our mind really matters. (Acts 14:1-8, NLT2)
    1. It does matter WHAT and WHO we allow in our minds.
    2. Poison the mind or protect the mind is greatly determined by what you let in your mind and who you listen to.
    3. The best person to listen to is God through His Word. (Psalm 33:11, NKJV)
    4. Second best person to listen to is those who has wisdom in the area you need counsel. (Proverbs 11:14, KJV)
  2. The purpose of signs and miracles.
    1. Why did the Lord give them power to do miraculous signs and wonders? –The Jews requested a sign.
  • Division brings confusion.
    1. People can hear the same message and be divided about what they believe and understand.
    2. That’s why unity is so important, but when we hear something new or different we have to weigh to with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.
    3. Everything good and bad rises and falls on leadership.
    4. How you respond when you are attacked tells if we have learned patience.
    5. If we give up and stop serving the Lord, we have not learned patience in that area yet.

Don’t allow problems to cause you to miss your God given purpose.

  1. Once we are saved we are on a path to help see others saved–God then turns our problems into purpose. (Ephesians 2:10, AMP)
  2. The good life does not mean a trouble-free life.
  3. A good life is God’s prearranged path He has for us, some good an some very painful.
  4. Whether good or bad, God has prearranged us to have joy in the midst of it.
  5. Satan’s #1 trick to defeating Christians is allowing trouble and problems to keep them from doing what God called them to do.
  6. God allows Satan to bring problems, pain, and even persecution, but then if we allow it God turns into a
  1. Insights
    1. Paul and Barnabas’ purpose was to preach the Good News — Death, burial, and resurrection heals broken relationships.
    2. Apart from Jesus Christ we are separated from God.
    3. Our purpose, bring the Good News to those who don’t have it or have not accepted it. “Bring those far from God close to God.” Matthew 28:17-20
    4. The truth is persecution, trials, and problems are the only lasting way to having joy that last. (Matthew 5:10, NKJV, AMP; James 1:2-4, NKJV)
    5. Persecution is to lead to patience which is learning to persevere; Patience & Perseverance grows our faith. (James 1:2-4, NLT2)
    6. Our faith has grown and we have learned patience when we are lacking nothing in that area of our life.
    7. Whatever your greatest need is today is where patience will have to be learned.
    8. Patience – enduring hardships, suffering, pressures and not quitting or giving up until the task is finished.
    9. Suffering Grace – (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, NKJV; 2 Corinthians 12:10, NLT; 2 Corinthians 12:10, AMP)
      1. The power of God in us, giving us the desire to do what God called you to do in spite of the problems, stress, pressure, insults, depression, oppression, and weakness and do it with JOY!
      2. Supernatural Joy, power, energy God gives any and every Christian whose suffering for Christ sake.
      3. Suffering + Surrendering = Success in the Kingdom of God.
      4. God uses people, but God needs to get the honor and glory.

 

 

 

 

 

What Every CORE Needs

Every core person we have needs two things:

  • Training
  • Developing

Training is when you teach a person to do a specific job or task.

  1. Teach them the steps and expectations you have for that specific job or task.
  2. Train well.
  3. Best way to train someone:
    1. Let them watch you do it.
    2. You do it with them.
    3. You watch them do it.

Developing is when you are pouring into their life to make a difference in all areas of their life not simply the task you asking them to do.

  • We care more about who they are becoming than just what they are doing.
  • Ways to develop your core.
  • Teach them how to handle conflict.
        1. The difference between expectation and reality = conflict.
        2. Practice God’s method of conflict resolution. (Mathew 18:15, NKJV)
          1. If you have a problem with someone, go to that person.
          2. Slander – When you get through talking, the person you were talking to thinks less of the person you were talking about.
          3. Gossip – when you share something with someone that is not part of the problem or the solution. (Proverbs 11:13, NIV)
          4. Slander and gossip hurts the person doing the slandering and gossiping more than the one they are slandering and gossiping about. (Ephesians 4:29-30, KJV)
          5. The real damage of slander and gossip it grieves the Holy Spirit and limits the power of God in our life and prayers.
  • Teach them why attitude is important.
        1. Since an attitude often is expressed by our body language and facial expressions, it can be contagious.
        2. Learn to control the Holy Spirit that lives in you and you can learn to control your attitude. (Philippians 2:5, TLB; Galatians 5:22-23, TLB; Genesis 4:6-7, CEV)
  • Teach them how simple it is to go from being ordinary to extraordinary.
        1. The person who comes early, works just a little harder, has a better attitude.
  • Teach them contentment. (Philippians 4:11, NKJV)
        1. Contentment is learning to focus on all God’s given you—realizing that God has provided everything that I need for my present happiness.
        2. Discontentment results from focusing on all you don’t have.
        3. Contentment is learned as we realize our purpose and begin to live it out wherever we are whatever we are doing.

 

  • Teach them how to have the abundant life.  (John 10:10, NKJV; 1 Corinthians 2:9, AMP)
        1. Love God.
        2. Promptly Obey God.
        3. Be grateful for what God has done.
  • Teach them two insights on marriage.
        1. The main purpose of marriage is not to simply satisfy your mate but to help sharpen them. (Two become one) (Matthew 19:5-6, NKJV0
          1. Spiritual growth is the only guarantee life is going to get better.
        2. The main purpose of marriage is not to make the other person happy, but help them become holy.
        3. Married couples have to learn to LOVE each other not simply LUST each other.
          1. Lust is focused on what they can get instead of what they can give.
          2. Love focuses on what you can give not what you can get.
          3. No one can satisfy you apart from right relationship with Jesus Christ. (Matthew 6:33, NKJV)
  • Teach them about finance. (Matthew 6:21, NKJV)
        1. You need a budget.
        2. You need to learn to live in that budget.
        3. Tithe 10%, Save 10%, spend 80% –a starting place.
        4. If you can’t do this, you have to learn how to make more money or cut back on what you spend.
  • Teach them how to rebound.  (Proverbs 24:16, NKJV; 1 Samuel 30:6, KJV)
      1. You will fall and get discouraged—learn to encourage yourself.
      2. You can’t totally depend on others to encourage you, but you can always depend on God to encourage you.
      3. People will disappoint you and even discourage you, but only you can make the decision to stay discouraged. (1 Corinthians 2:5, NKJV)

What Does it Take to Have a Winning Team

 

What do you need to have a winning dream team?

 

  • Owner, Coach, and a Team.
  • A heart with PASSION.
  • Why or how do we lose our heart and passion sometimes?  (Proverbs 23:4-5, TEV)
  • We can’t be in the game just for the money.
  • Wearing yourself out trying to get rich wears on your relationship with God and affects your marriage, health, and emotions.
  • God does not want us to be lazy, but the heart of the matter is to have a heart for God. (Proverbs 10:4, CEV; Psalm 127:1-2, NCV)

How can we as a team have a heart for God—and have a winning team? (Proverbs 23:7, NKJV; Proverbs 23:7, TEV)

  • Have a great owner—our Owner is God Himself.  (Psalm 50:10, NKJV; Jeremiah 27:4-5, NCV; Philippians 4:19, NKJV)
  • Have a coach.
  • The coach is responsible to the Owner first and then the team.
  • The team is then responsible to the coach.
  • Have a game plan and follow it. (Joshua 1:5-10; Joshua 1:7, NKJV; Joshua 1:9-11, NKJV; Joshua 1:16, NKJV; Joshua 1:18b, NKJV)
  • Hear from God.
  • Share with strongest leaders. (Staff and Journey Group Leaders.)
  • Leaders share it with the people. (Congregation)
  • As a powerful winning team execute the play and win.

Executing the plan right is the key to winning.

  • We cannot allow others to do what God called, equipped, and empowered you to do.
  • When we begin losing heart we must be very very careful. (1 Samuel 30:6, KJV; Proverbs 27:10, TLB; Psalm 41:9-10, TLB;
  • We must stay in the game with heart and passion in the position the owner has placed us in no matter the cost.  (Proverbs 28:26, NKJV; Proverbs 28:26, TEV; Proverbs 10:8, NCV)
  • A great quarter back and players.
  • The players can only execute the plays the quarter back calls. (Psalm 105:3-5, NKJV)
  • A coach gives the quarter back the game plan.
  • Remember, no one can do what God called, equipped, and empowered you to do.

 

 

 

WEEK 44: Being Prepared Brings Peace