Moving Forward Finishing Well

Moving Forward Finishing Well

Moving Forward – Finishing Well

Joshua 13, 14, and 23

#1.  WHEN GOD SAYS YOU’RE OLD,  YOU’RE OLD, BUT YOUR’E NOT DONE.

When Joshua had grown old, the Lord said to him, “You are now very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.                                                                              Joshua 13:1

#2.  CONFIDENCE TO MOVE FORWARD

  • REMEMBER past victories.
  • Remember the CONVICTIONS of your youth
  • Claim the PROMISES of God.
  • Adjust your ATTITUDE: You are as old as you feel
  • DEDICATE yourself to God and His glory
  • Never stop Moving Forward to take the next mountain

#3.  REMEMBER THE NEXT GENERATION

  • Tell the story of God’s FAITHFULNESS
  • Hold high the WORD OF GOD
  • Challenge those who follow to FAITHFULNESS
  • IDENTIFY where the victory comes from

 

My Friend

GreaterLoveMy Friend

I’d like you to meet my friend.  He is strong and manly, friendly and sociable, attractive and magnetic.  He stands out in any crowd.  He is fearless and firm, but little children and strong men are drawn to him.

He is a perfect example of gentleness and kindness, of humility and courtesy; but his whole being reacts with severity against injustice, hypocrisy, and irreverence.

He seems to understand people and is especially considerate of the poor, the lonely, the sick, the forgotten – even the ugly and disreputable.

In fact, he seems to see some good in everyone.

He shuns no one, looks down on no one, seems to believe that every person in all the world has infinite worth in the sight of God.  And somehow the lowest and the worst feel this way, too, when they look into his face.

You always feel safe with this friend of mine, sufficient for whatever comes. You feel that he understands, that he believes in you.  You’d rather have his friendship than anything on earth.  You desire his approval more than anything the world can give.

This friend of mine has come to mean a lot to me.

He has promised that he will never leave me.  There have been many times when I have failed to be loyal to him, but his faith in me has never weakened.  He has been marvelously forgiving.  This has always inspired me to strive harder to measure up to his expectations.

The wonder and power of his love have been a purifying force in my soul.  Somehow, I’ve felt his goodness and strength poured into my being.  His very life has become my life.  Since I came to know him, I have been different.

I learned about God from him.  He knows God in the most intimate sort of way, like a son knows his father when the two have but one common purpose.

He made God real and near.  In fact, God is so much a part of him that I became a friend of God, and more – a true child of God.

I owe everything to him.  He showed me the meaning of life.  He made me want to be good.  He fired my soul with high purpose.  He gives me strength to overcome evil.  He has taught me that, no matter what comes, I can depend on God as my Heavenly Father.  This friend has shown me that love never fails.  His friendship is the explanation of every good thing in my life.

My friend has unlimited capacity for friendship. He is the friend of many, many people who feel toward him as I do.  Their lives have been changed by his friendship.

His friends are the best friends I have.  They can be depended on.  They are the best people in the world.  It must be that they have caught the dynamic of his personality, that they have been mastered by his purpose of love for all mankind.

Some of them are changing the world’s history.  They are creative forces in building a worldwide fellowship of love.  They have gone literally around the world to tell people of all races and nations that this friend can help them find God.  They have shed blood, sweat, and tears in order to do this.  Some have been imprisoned, banished, and killed because they dared to do his will.

This friend of mine, you see, is both loved and hated.  Millions of people refuse his friendship.  I wonder why. Can it be that they don’t really understand who he is?

That, surely, is why men killed him.  He had done no wrong.  His only offense was to be incarnate truth, purity, and love.  But they put him to death.

There was something in him, however, that overcame the power of death.  The grave could not hold him. He lives, having conquered death.  Because he conquered death, he is able to conquer evil.  And because he is able to overcome evil, the world will someday be a better, happier place.

There is a book that tells about this friend of mine.  I like to read it more than any other book.  Every time I read it, I learn more and more about him.

The book radiates his presence. You feel his heartbeat in it. It tells of his magnetic power to draw all men into his circle of friendship and of his purpose to make peace reign in all the earth.

This friend of mine would change the world if only men would follow his way of truth and love.

When I think of this friend, I wish that every person on earth could know him.

I believe, if I could help you to know him, that you, too, would want his friendship above everything else, and count it life’s highest joy to serve him.

He will not force his friendship on you.  But if you will accept him as your dearest friend in wholehearted committal, he will go with you to the end of life’s way.

He will make your life a spiritual adventure and a transforming companionship.  He will make you happy, daring, and triumphant.

His friendship will provide the resources for noble and victorious living.

He will turn emptiness into fullness, fear into courage, weakness into strength, heartache into joy, turmoil into peace, dullness into radiance, and death into life.

I’d like so much for you to meet my Friend.

His name is Jesus.

Christian Soldier Field Manual

Christian Soldier Field Manual

Believers in Christ are in a battle for their lives, families, churches, and nation. God has given believers, Christian Soldiers, everything they need for victory. I hope this short Christian Soldier Field Manual is challenging and encourages you to fight the good fight of the faith.

  •  Commit yourself to the battle.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV)

  •   Get ready to fight.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

  •  Know your enemy.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

  •   Fight spiritual battles with the spiritual weapons.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.  Ephesians 6: 13-18 (NIV)

  •  Don’t fight alone.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16 (NIV)

  •   Don’t ever give up!

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)

Sanctuary Prayer

Sanctuary Prayer

SanctuaryPrayer

We are committed to prayer at First Baptist Dalhart. Part of that commitment is our invitation for people to come and pray in our Sanctuary during the week. Below is a Prayer Guide for you to use as you pray. Consider using it as you prayer in the Sanctuary of your church.

First, you will notice our beautiful stained glass that displays the Cross.

Begin your prayer time by thanking your Heavenly Father for your salvation that was made possible of the sacrificial death of Jesus and His resurrection. He is the reason we have peace, hope and eternal life.

And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God has given to you. Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! 2 Corinthians 9:14-15 (NLT)

You will notice the American Flag.

Let the flag remind you to pray for our country. The United States of America has strained far from the strong biblical foundation it was founded on. Pray that our country would return to God and that revival fires would once again sweep across our nation.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godlinessand holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NIV)

You will notice the Christian Flag.

Let the Christian flag remind you to pray for the Bride of Christ, the Church. Pray for churches in our community, the state of Texas, the United States of America and the World. Pray that the Church would be about the Kingdom and Glory of God.

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgivetheir sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

Pray for First Baptist Dalhart. As we strive to worship our great God, grow closer to Jesus Christ, serve God by serving others, and share the Good News about Jesus with others through the power of the Holy Spirit.

You will notice musical instruments.

Pray that First Baptist Church will be a place of authentic worship where God is honored and lifted high. Pray that the focus will be on God, not on individual desires or preferences. Pray for our Music Ministry to be led by the Holy Spirit as they lead us into the presence of God.

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. Colossians 3:16 (NLT)

You will notice that you are surrounded by pews.

Pray for the people who will sit in there pews for worship. Pray that they will be transformed by their time in God’s sanctuary. Pray that God would fill the empty seats with worshippers and that they would feel welcomed and become part of the family of God known at First Baptist Church Dalhart.

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24 (NIV)

You will notice the pulpit area.

Pray for your Pastor and church staff. Pray that they would be filled with the Spirit of God as they lead. Pray that God would protect them from temptation and discouragement. As the Word of God is preached, taught, sang, and applied that if would transform our church into a place where God is honored and lifted up.

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. Hebrews 13:17-18 (NIV)

And I, when I am lifted up[a] from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” John 12:32 (NIV)

Then finally, you will notice the altar.

This is the place of commitment. Pray that the altar will be filled with people committing their lives to Christ. Pray that it would be a place where people lay down their burdens and place their faith in Jesus to meet their needs according to His riches in Glory.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, Acts 3:19 (NIV)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30 (NIV)

Advent

advent

Advent means “arrival”. At Christmas we celebrate the arrival of Jesus. Consider these Advent Ideas to put Christ at the Center of the Christmas Celebration. It is not too late to start.

For Families and the Young at Heart

focusonthefamily
Download the Advent Calendar from Focus on the Family

The Books of the Season

 Devotionals for the Season

These devotions for the Season are available at YouVersion.com. They have a great selection of devotions for the Christmas Season.
YouVersion

  • Waiting Here for You – Louie Giglio – 7 Days
  • Our Daily Bread Christmas Edition – 10 Days
  • Rediscovering the Christmas Season – 25 Days
  • Good News of Great Joy – John Piper – 25 Days