First Alliance Church ATL

10-15-17 Kevin Goins - Making the Most of God's Word Conclusion

“Making the Most of God’s Word” (conclusion) Mark 5:21-42
We have talked over the last few weeks about what we can do to make the most of God’s Word. Today we are going to put it into action. We are going to take a passage from God’s Word and see how to get all we can out of it.

I The first thing to do with a Scripture text is to ________ it.
-Here is a helpful hint: don’t always read the s______ version, even if it is your f_________.

II Second, we need to ________ the text.
-There are ________ tools that can help us in studying a book including the Bible:
A. First, we should look at the s­­­­­­___________.
B. Second, we should focus on the m____________. Since we use ______ to create meaning, that means we focus on the words.
C. Last, to study a text we must e___________ what the author says.

III Third, we need to a_________ the text.
-Donald Whitney gave us six questions we can use to apply the text to our life:
1. Does the text reveal something I should b_______ about God?
2. Does the text reveal something for which I should p______ or t_______ God?
3. Does this text reveal something I should p_______ about for myself or others?
4. Does this text reveal something I should have a new a_________ about?
5. Does this text reveal something that I should make a d__________ about?
6. Does the text reveal something I should d__ for the sake of Christ, others, or myself?

IV Last, we need to m_____________ on the text.

10-08-17 Making the Most of God's Word - part 5

“Making the Most of God’s Word” (pt. 5)   Ezra 7:10

We have seen that making the most of God’s Word requires that we work to study and observe God’s Word in our life. Last Sunday we saw that an important part of observing God’s Word is meditation and we asked, “What is meditation?” and “What can meditation do for us?” Today we want to ask four more questions:

I Third, if meditation is so great, why aren’t a___ the Christians I know t_______ about it?
-A major reason is because meditation has been c___________ by the world.

A. First, the fact that people have counterfeited meditation ___ ____, in itself, a reason to s______ meditation.

B. Second, the practice of meditation did not originate with c______ and f_____ r_________; it originated with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

C. Third, the practice of Christian meditation is r________ d_________ from all other forms of mediation.

II Four, what part does the i____________ play?
-There are two kinds of Christian meditation:

A. We can use our mind to meditate on a________ i________ taught in Scripture.
B. We can use our i__________to experience what a text describes as if we were there.

III Fifth, what makes it hard for us to meditate?

A. An unwillingness to s____ d_____, f________, and p___ a__________

B. S_________ i_________.

C. F_______ of actually h_________ God s________.

IV Last, h____ do we meditate?
A. First, set aside a t_____ to be unhurried and find a p______ to be restful.
B. Second, choose a text you have a________ s__________.
C. Third, make y________ the focus of the text.
D. Fourth, read, not as a s___________, but as a p__________.
E. Fifth, allow all your s_________ to be involved.
F. Last, let _______ be the one to speak to you.

10-01-17 Kevin Goins - Making the Most of God's Word part 4

“Making the Most of God’s Word” (pt. 4) Ezra 7:10
We have seen that making the most of God’s Word requires that we work, study, and observe God’s Word in our life. Last Sunday we looked at the first two dimensions of observing God’s Word: Application and Memorization. The third component of observing God’s Word is Meditation. Today we need to answer two questions about meditating on Scripture.

I First, what is meditation?
   A. Meditation takes place when we s_____ d_______ and spend enough time with God’s Word so         that instead of t_________ about the text, we e___________ the text.
   B. Meditation is not about r_________ or s_________; it is about s__________.
       Meditating on Scripture is about w_________ it h_________ as if we were standing there; not         reading w_______, but observing l_______.
II Second, what can meditation do for us?
   A. First, meditation makes God’s Word more r______ to us, because it gives us a m______-     ________ experience.
   B. Second, meditation helps us to k______ God’s Word better, and, by knowing God’s Word better, we can g_______ in our relationship with God.
   C. Third, meditation increases the i________ of God’s t_______ in our life.
   D. Fourth, meditation gives us a sense of s________, s__________, and s____________.
   E. Fifth, meditation helps us to _______ God.
   F. Lastly, meditation makes it possible for us to interact with the Jesus who is a________ t________.

09-24-17 Kevin Goins - Making the Most of God's Word pt.3

The recording was corrupted - our apologies! Here are the notes...

“Making the Most of God’s Word” (pt. 3)   Ezra 7:10
We have seen that making the most of God’s Word requires work and study. Today we see that making the most of God’s Word requires that we observe it. How do we observe God’s Word?
I First, we apply it.
   A. What is application? Application is putting God’s Word, not into our heads, but putting it into action.
   B. Why should we apply God’s Word?
     1. We should apply God’s Word because it helps our understanding.
     2. We should apply God’s Word because that is how we get blessed.
     3. We should apply God’s Word because it keeps us from being deceived.
   C. How do we apply God’s Word?
     1. We need to expect something.
     2. We need to do something; we need to ask questions of the text.
        a. Does this text reveal something I should believe about God?
        b. Does this text reveal something for which I should praise or thank God?
        c. Does this text reveal something I should pray about for myself or others?
        d. Does this text reveal something I should have a new attitude about?
        e. Does this text reveal something I should make a decision about?
        f. Does this text reveal something I should do for the sake of Christ, others, or myself?
II Second, another way to observe God’s Word is to memorize it. -Why should we memorize Scripture?
   A. Memorizing Scripture helps us face the demands of each day.
   B. Memorizing Scripture helps us battle doubt.
   C. Memorizing Scripture helps us share our faith.
   D. Memorizing Scripture helps us find our way.

09-17-17 Kevin Goins - Making the Most of God's Word pt.2

“Making the Most of God’s Word” (pt. 2)   Ezra 7:10

Last time we saw that making the most of God’s Word requires work. Today we see that making the most of God’s Word requires study. But, what is Bible study? I want to make five points about Bible study:
I First, there is a major difference between r_________ the Bible and s___________ the Bible.

II Second, not only does Bible study enrich our own spiritual life, Bible study prepares us for m__________.

III Third, Bible study takes __________.

IV Fourth, every believer in Jesus has a n_______-e__________ need to study God’s Word.

V Fifth, many believers in Jesus have ____ ________ how to study God’s Word.
-What do we do to study the Bible?
A. Adler gives us three steps which focus on the book itself:
1. Think about the s_____________.
2. Think about the m____________.
3. Think about whether you a_________.
B. Adler gives us three steps which focus on ourselves:
1. Think about our e_____________.
2. Think about o_______ b________.
3. Think about our d____________ with o________.

08-27-17 Kevin Goins - Making the Most of God's Word

“Making the Most of God’s Word”   Ezra 7:10

Today we come to the spiritual discipline which has to do with God’s Word. Ezra 7:10 tells us that we need to study God’s Word. But before we get to the specifics of study, this passage gives us some bad news: making the most of God’s Word through study is hard work. Why is it work?
I First, it is work because we must seek God’s truth w________ it is f__________.

II Second, it is work because we must seek God’s truth in the m__________ in which it is to be found.

III Third, it is work because our study has to be r____________ o_____ and o_____ again.

IV Studying God’s Word is work, but what exactly do we mean by studying God’s Word?
-“The difference between Bible reading and Bible study is a _________ and a ______.”

08-20-17 Kevin Goins - The Discipline of Service

“The Discipline of Service”  

 

Service is the work done by followers of Jesus to promote, enrich, and expand the Kingdom of God.  But what, exactly, is the work we are expected to do?  This is an easy question to answer:  We are to do what Jesus did.  As followers of Jesus we copy the service he carried out.  Why do I say that the service Jesus did on earth is like the service we are called to do?      

First, The work Jesus did was p_________ in a_________, and so is ours.

Second, the work Jesus did was r__________ and a__________ by some and h_______ and d____________ by others, and we can expect the same.

Third, the work Jesus did was e____________ by the ________ _________, and our work must be as well.

Fourth, Jesus didn’t work to get a ___________, he worked to give l_____ to o______, and that is also our calling.

Fifth, the work Jesus did l___ to ________, and so may our work.

 

 

VI        But there is one way in which the service Jesus performed is not like ours – Jesus didn’t die as a ___________, he died as the __________ of sinners.

08-13-17 Kevin Goins - The 4 Cs of Confident Prayer

“The Four C’s of Confident Prayer”  1 John 5:14-15

This life is filled with uncertainty.  In his first epistle, however, John tells us that this uncertainty has no place in our prayer life.  He tells us that when we pray we should always pray with confidence.  In our text John makes four points about confidence in prayer:  

I       First, John points to the c_______ of confidence (5:14a).

II Second, John then reminds us that we have c________ to be confident and the cause of our confidence is the o_____ to whom we pray (5:14)

1. What is the alternative to bringing our needs to God? Looking to __________ to meet our needs. But this brings two variables into the equation:
2. W_______________.
3. A________________.
4. Why does the fact that we pray to God give us confidence?
5. We have confidence because of ______ God is.
6. We have confidence because of ______ God has a___________ done.
7. We have confidence because we have a p______ i_________ from God.

III Third, John also reminds us that this confidence has c__________(5:14)

1. First, to be confident prayers, obviously, we must be willing to ______.
2. The second condition of confident praying is that we must ask _____ _________.
3. The third condition of confident prayer is that we must ask with a c________ h_________ and a willingness to _______.
4. The fourth condition of confident prayer John specifically mentions here: We must pray in a____________ with ________ _________.

IV Lastly, John tells us the c_______________ of confidence.

-God’s answer might be:  1. d___________   2. d____________   3. d____________

 

08-06-17 Kevin Goins - Prayer Makes a Difference

Prayer Makes a Difference:  The Discipline of Prayer  1 Timothy 2:1-4

Prayer is not only the most well-known of the spiritual
disciplines, many would say it is the most transformative. Practicing it makes the greatest difference in the Christian life.  In our text
today we see how certain the Apostle Paul is that prayer always makes a difference.  

I First, Paul is so convinced prayer makes a difference that he sees prayer as the church’s n_________ o_______ most urgent need (2:1).

-The only way to prioritize prayer is to p_______ for prayer.

II Second, Paul is so convinced prayer makes a difference that he wants the church’s practice of prayer to be m___________(2:1).

1. Requests are prayers for s___________ n______.
2. Prayers are r_________ that can only be made to ________.
3. Intercession is asking God for something on behalf of s___________ e_____.
4. Thanksgiving is thanking God for what he h____ a_______ d______ and for what we believe he w____ d___ in the f_______.

III Third, Paul is so convinced prayer makes a difference that he wants the church to use it on behalf of a____ p_______ (2:1-2a).

-This means two things:  Prayer is never to be e____________.  We must pray for k_______, or those in a____________.

IV Lastly, Paul is so convinced prayer makes a difference that he wants the church to rely on prayer for the e_______________ of the w_________ (2:1-4).

07-23-17 Kevin Goins - Stewardship of Time

“Giving the Gift of Jesus: the Stewardship of Time”   Luke 19:1-9

Time is a precious commodity and that is why God wants us to practice the discipline of stewardship. He wants us to honor him, not just with how we spend our money, but also with how we spend our time. As Christians, we know the importance of giving time to God, to our family, and to our church. But how much time do we give to those who are outside the Kingdom of God? Today we are looking at a text which answers the question: Why should we give those who do not know Jesus the gift of our time?

First, because it takes time to look for the lost (19:1).
Second, because it takes time to see spiritual potential where, at first, there might seem to be none at all (19:2).

Third, because it takes time to be a p___-w_______ w________ (19:3-5).
A. It takes time to make a good i__________ on people before you attempt to share your faith with them.

B. To be an authentic representative of Jesus means we reach out to the people who seem to be so d__________ from us.

Fourth, because it takes time to recognize the o_____________ of the m__________ (19:5-6).

Fifth, because it takes time to n_____________ (19:7).

Finally, because it takes time to see r__________ (19:8-9).