Teaching Themes
Lakeside Community Church Perton plans a series of services usually around a life-related theme.
The Christian life is not designed to be lived through our own strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit who resides within us.
He produces spiritual fruit and provides spiritual gifts – the tools of the trade. We are encouraged to eagerly desire spiritual gifts in co-operation with the Holy Spirit who gives those gifts as he determines.
When our children pursue us for somthing they really want, that we know they will enjoy and treasure, its hard as a parent to resist; we often plan in secret to make the occasion even more significant, waiting to see the delight on their faces!
God will release his spiritual gifts in us as we eagerly desire them. At New Wine this year I found myself holding out my arms and yearning before God to release the gift of healing in me.
Each time I attend a Bible week like New Wine, or a church moving in the gifts of the Spirit, I’m even more encouraged to step out and have a go and I encounter a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit who reduces doubt and increases faith which can be caught as much as taught. I believe in the anointing of God for works of service.
God wants us to succeed and overcome all the works of the enemy in the process.
There is a process and we have to start somewhere with a goal in mind. Paul encourages us to ‘eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy’ (1 Cor 14:1). I believe this is a good starting point and this series begins with choosing to believe the prohetic gift can be a key to unlock the rest. Try and picture yourself eagerly desiring spiritual gifts and then on top of this even more desiring prophecy. When you do this, how can God resist and not give you what he promises to give.
If you are reading this based in a church other than Lakeside Community Church Perton, you will find a practical exercise you can try at the end of the message. When you step out in faith it is really exciting! When you pray for prophetic words before a service and give them out, it is exciting when you have taken a risk to see the very thing you heard/ felt/ pictured etc, actually take place. You are blessed and so is the person who is helped through that prophetic ministry. John Wimber called it ‘loving God and playing with the toys.’
God bless you,
Rob Pearson, Pastor
Dealing with the past - overcoming unforgiveness (Matthew 18:12-35)
Pastor Rob Pearson, 01/11/2009Part of the Overcoming series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
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| « Overcoming - lessons from Lazarus (2) | None | Re-engaging with the community » |
Matthew 18:12-35
12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (ESV)