Serving Together

These believers were not trying to out-do one another. They were serving together, using their gifts together. They fellowshipped daily. The least we can do is fellowship more than just weekly. (Acts 2:42-47)

Be Yourself

Don't try to be what you are not called to be - be yourself. Bless the people around you with your own gifts and talents. Find out where your abilities lie and use them effectively. Some are more able to work in a practical way. Others are more effective in praying. Some just like to talk. Just do it. (1 Corinthians 12:14-18)

We cannot all be Pastors

We cannot all be Pastors, we cannot all be Evangelists. But we can all work to the best of our individual ability. Father has set each of us in the body just where He pleases. (1 Corinthians 12:14-18)

Effective Ministry

Father wants us to be as effective as Jesus in our ministry. By serving together. Not following man's ways. Growing up into and realising He is the head, He leads us. We are connected to one another by joints. The joints are the relationships between the members. We all do our part and we grow in love together. (Ephesians 4:13-16)

Five-Fold Gifts.

God gave the 5-fold ministry gifts to equip the saints. So that they can do the work of the ministry. To build up the body - both in size and ability. (Ephesians 4:11-12)

Loving Your Neighbour.

The whole of God's law is summed up in this: Love your neighbour as yourself. Make sure you love yourself first. So what can you do to love your neighbour? First - who is your neighbour? Anyone who needs to hear the Gospel from you, in any way. They don't even need to live near you. In these days of modern technology and communications we can reach the other side of the world with the tap of a finger. We can telephone, e-mail, skype, message, facebook. How many of us use one or more of those methods? Now you can love your neighbour the same way. (Galatians 5:14)

You are not set free to serve yourself.

You are not set free to serve yourself. Liberty is not just for you to be free, but to serve others. Serving others by loving them. (Galatians 5:13)

Once you are free - Stay Free.

Try to remember what Jesus had to do to set you free. Let your gratitude to Him give you the strength to stay free. It is harder to get out once your are entangled a second time. Especially in the snare of the devil, he does not want you free. Galatians 5:1)

What Do Free People Do?

They preach the Gospel, love their neighbour and lay hands on the sick. The biggest aspect of our liberty is to be free from what other people think about what we do and say. We are simply doing it because The Word says so. Happy for Him to bless us as we do. (James 1:23-25)

Run to Jesus.

When Jesus sets us free and any hint of bondage tries to return. Run to Him. Then if we allow the Spirt to lead and guide us in all things. We will walk in the Spirit, and not fulfil the lust of the flesh. But it does mean refusing to do things our way. (John 8:36 and 2 Corinthians 3:17)

Jesus is the Truth.

The truth you know will set you free. Jesus said - I am the Truth. One of the most important truths we need to know personally is: How will Jesus treat me when I sin, or when I fail? How will He react when I come back to Him after I mess it up? Here is a clue - it won't be the same way your parents treated you. He will treat you in love. (John 14:6)

Abide in Jesus.

Abide means the following: (from the original Greek) With reference to a certain place: To tarry there, Not to depart, To continue to be present, To be held there, To be kept there, continually. Abiding allows you to: Continue to be, Not to perish, To last, To endure, To survive. When you are abiding: You become as one with The Word, You choose not to follow another option, You are not moved by anything different. As you abide in the Word: You are abiding in Jesus and waiting for Him to speak to you. Disciples don't just read, they wait for Him to talk to them about it. (John 15:7-8)

Love One Another.

Jesus is speaking to His disciples, giving them a command. If we consider ourselves to be disciples - He is commanding us too. Here's the command - Love one another as I have loved you. How does Jesus love you? That is the base line for you being able to love other people. Love is how other people will know you are His disciples. Because they need to know who loves them and can pray for them. (John 13:34-35)

Are You Free?

Is there an area of your life where you are not free? Then there is a truth from the Word you do not know. Don't just visit The Word. Get back to abiding in The Word, it will set you free. (John 8:31-32)

The truth will make you free.

The truth will make you free - is conditional. First you have to believe Jesus. Now believers have to abide in His Word. Abiding makes them disciples. Disciples know the truth - because they abide in The Word. Then the truth they know will make them free. (John 8:31-32)

Christians Are Precious.

Consider every other Christian to be precious. The Holman translation says: Try to outdo one another in showing honour. Consider everyone else more precious than you, whilst remembering that you were bought with a precious price. (Romans 12:10)

Wives Are Precious.

Giving honour to your wife - consider her to be precious. As you would to a weaker vessel. Why does it say - weaker? Often, the more expensive an item is, the more fragile it is. So consider her to be the more precious vessel. (1 Peter 3:7)

Precious Vessels.

Some vessels are precious and some are not. So keep yourself pure and you will be a precious vessel for Him. You might say - God ever seems to use me. Then pray over this verse and repent of the sin that prevents Him from using you right now. (2 Timothy 2:19-21)

The Pearl of Great Price.

This is not speaking about Jesus being this pearl. Heaven is like someone seeking a pearl of great price. Heaven did not need to seek Jesus. Heaven gave its best to buy this pearl of great price, the sacrifice of Jesus. This pearl is the Christian. You are the pearl. (Matthew 13:45-46)

The Cost of a Christian.

Look how precious is the cost of a Christian. You were purchased with the most valuable asset God had. You are so precious, He sent His only Son to be the price. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

His Purchased Possession.

You were bought at a price (Same Greek word that calls Jesus “Precious”). That makes you precious in the eyes of the purchaser. You do not belong to you any more - you are His precious one. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

The Transforming Church

The Lord encamps around His people. Church is here to transform us. In Christ, we will achieve much more than we presently believe. (Psalm 34:6-7)

Meditate on good things.

Get into the Word and confess your victory. David's men found rest because they began rehearsing the solution. They became mighty men. We too become like the person we spend time with. David's spiritual son slew Goliath's physical son. Who are you hanging around with? (Philippians 4:8-9)