Episodes
Tuesday Feb 11, 2020
02-09-20 The Discipline of Fasting, Part 3
Tuesday Feb 11, 2020
Tuesday Feb 11, 2020
“The Discipline of Fasting” (Pt. 3) Matthew 6:16-18
This January we are focusing on how we can grow in our relationship with God by using the spiritual discipline of fasting. In Matthew 6 Jesus first emphasizes the negatives of fasting [see message on 1/19] and then he
focuses our attention on the positives of fasting:
I First, fasting allows us to reach up to God as whole persons.
II Second, fasting gives us a concrete way to express repentance.
III Third, fasting provides a way to share in the sufferings of Christ.
IV Fourth, fasting helps our ______________.
A. This is why we emphasize fasting at the beginning of the New Year, because we need to pray for God’s d______________ and p_____________ for 2020.
B. How can fasting assist our prayers?
1. First, we need to talk about how it _____________ help our prayers: It cannot help our prayers by _____________ God to answer us.
2. How then, does fasting help our prayers?
a. First, fasting _____________ us to pray.
b. Second, fasting removes ___________________.
c. Third, fasting shows us when our ___________ is really in our prayer.
C. What kind of prayer calls for fasting?
1. First we ought to fast when we pray for our _______________.
2. Second, we ought to fast when we pray for the ____________.
a. The Bible describes sickness as ________________.
b. By fasting we can pray for the sick, not as s______________, but as i______________.
3. Third, we ought to fast as we pray for ____________________.
4. Lastly, we ought to fast as we pray for the _______ of God to be done in this _______________.
Tuesday Feb 04, 2020
02-02-20 Kevin Goins - The Discipline of Fasting, Part 2
Tuesday Feb 04, 2020
Tuesday Feb 04, 2020
“The Discipline of Fasting, Part 2” Matthew 6:16-18
This January we are focusing on how we can grow in our relationship with God by using the spiritual discipline of fasting. In Matthew 6 Jesus emphasizes the positives of fasting, but he first begins with three potential negatives.
I The first negative of fasting is the NO evangelicals have typically said to fasting (6:16a).
II The second negative of fasting is the No Jesus says to the abuse of fasting (6:16).
III The third negative of fasting is the No our physical bodies sometimes say to fasting.
IV There are two clues in Matthew 6 that fasting is not a ____________, but something decidedly _____________.
A. First, Jesus says when you fast don’t look ___________ (6:16a).
B. Second, Jesus says the focus of our fasting is not ____________ (6:18).
V The rewards of fasting:
A. First, fasting allows us to reach up to God as _________ persons.
1. Fasting puts the body front and center in our relationship with God so that we are not just a _______ or ___________ worshiping God.
2. Not only this, but when worship ignores the body, it not only deprives the body, it _________ the ________ of our spirit.
B. Second, fasting gives us a concrete way to express _________________.
1. Repentance is a change of __________ which produces a change in the way we _________.
2. The practice of repentance went all the way back to God’s command to the people of Israel when they __________ became a __________.
3. The biblical pattern is that repentance and fasting go ________ in _________.
C. Third, fasting provides a way to share in the ____________ of Christ.
1. We cannot share in the __________________ of Christ unless we are first willing to share in his sufferings.
2. The great thing about fasting is that it gives us a simple way to _________ ourselves.
Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
01-26-20 Kevin Goins - The Discipline of Fasting
Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
“The Discipline of Fasting” Matthew 6:16-18
This January we are focusing on how we can grow in our relationship with God by using the spiritual discipline of fasting. Fasting has many advantages, but one advantage which is often overlooked is that this discipline can open our eyes to who we really are better than just about anything else we can do. In our text today Jesus emphasizes the positives of fasting, but he first begins with three potential negatives.
I The first negative of fasting is the NO A__________ e_____________ have said to fasting (6:16a).
A. One reason evangelicals have said no to fasting is because our culture has led us to the unbiblical view that the __________ is the enemy of the ___________.
B. But there are other reasons why we American evangelicals have a bias against fasting:
1. First, we associate fasting with what __________ _____________ do.
2. Second, we see it as a __________.
3. Third, fasting contradicts our _______________ mind-set.
II The second negative of fasting is the No __________ says to the ___________ of fasting (6:16).
A. The Pharisees took fasting, which was given by God, and used it as a way to _______________ themselves.
B. Jesus says people who fast to get noticed will be noticed, but that is all the _______________ they will get.
C. And we not only see this abuse of fasting in the Pharisees, we also see it throughout ___________ ___________.
III The third negative of fasting is the No our ___________ __________ sometimes say to fasting.
A. There are times when fasting is not advised, such as fasting during an _______________.
B. Some ____________ conditions make fasting dangerous.
Thursday Feb 23, 2017
02-19-17 The Discipline of Fasting - Conclusion
Thursday Feb 23, 2017
Thursday Feb 23, 2017
“The Discipline of Fasting” (Conclusion) Matthew 6:16-18
One of the great joys of life is eating good food. That explains why, of all the spiritual disciplines, fasting is probably one of the least popular. But the discipline of fasting is something which can greatly enrich our spiritual lives. In fact, Jesus says fasting can be very rewarding. What are the rewards of fasting? We have already looked at four; today we will see four more:
I Fasting allows us to reach up to God as whole persons.
II Fasting gives us a concrete way to express repentance.
III Fasting provides a way to share in the sufferings of Christ.
IV Fasting helps our prayer.
V Fasting helps us overcome ____________________.
VI Fasting helps us express our g______________.
VII Fasting provides a way to respond to the ________ of ____________.
VIII Fasting provides a mean to experience God in a _______ _________.
Tuesday Feb 07, 2017
02-05-17 The Discipline of Fasting Part 3
Tuesday Feb 07, 2017
Tuesday Feb 07, 2017
“The Discipline of Fasting” Matthew 6:16-18
One of the great joys of life is eating good food. That explains why, of all the spiritual disciplines, fasting is probably one of the least popular. But the discipline of fasting is something which can greatly enrich our spiritual lives. In fact, Jesus says fasting can be very rewarding. What are the rewards of fasting? We looked at three last Sunday; we are looking at one more very important reward of fasting today:
I Fasting allows us to reach up to God as whole persons.
II Fasting gives us a concrete way to express repentance.
III Fasting provides a way to share in the sufferings of Christ.
IV Fasting helps our p____________.
-How can fasting assist our prayers?
A. First, we need to know that fasting cannot help our prayers by f___________ God to a____________.
B. There are several obvious ways in which fasting can help our prayer:
1. Fasting r___________ us to pray.
2. Fasting removes d_______________.
3. Fasting gives us confidence by making it clear that our h__________ is really in our prayer.
C. What kind of prayer calls for fasting?
1. We ought to fast when we pray for our ____________.
2. We ought to fast when we pray for the ___________.
3. We ought to fast as we pray for ______________.
4. We ought to fast as we pray for God’s K_________ w______ to be done by ___.
Sunday Jan 29, 2017
01-29-17 The Disciple of Fasting - part 2
Sunday Jan 29, 2017
Sunday Jan 29, 2017
“The Discipline of Fasting” (Part two) Matthew 6:16-18
One of the great joys of life is eating good food. That explains why, of all the spiritual disciplines, fasting is probably one of the least popular. But the discipline of fasting is something which can greatly enrich our spiritual lives. In fact, Jesus says fasting can be very rewarding. What are the rewards of fasting?
I Fasting allows us to reach up to God as w___________ p___________.
II Fasting gives us a concrete way to express r_____________________.
III Fasting provides a way to share in the s_________________ of ____________.
Tuesday Jan 24, 2017
01-22-17 The Discipline of Fasting
Tuesday Jan 24, 2017
Tuesday Jan 24, 2017
“The Discipline of Fasting” Matthew 6:16-18
For the past few weeks we have been looking at the Spiritual Disciplines. These disciplines are patterns of behavior which can help us grow spiritually. But while they can strengthen our
relationship with God, they cannot do everything. They are not magic. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives us his evaluation of the discipline of fasting by looking first at the negatives and then at the positives. Today we are going to look at the negatives of fasting. There are three “NO’s” of fasting:
I The first “NO” of fasting is the No many e__________ C_____________ have said to fasting (Matthew 6:16a).
Why have many Christians said “NO” to fasting?
1. It is because the forces of our culture have led us to the unbiblical view that our physical body is the e_________ of the ________.
2. We have often associated fasting with what C____________ do.
3. Some evangelicals are critical of fasting because they see it as a w__________.
4. The major reason we have a bias against fasting has nothing to do with the things of the Spirit – it has to do with our c____________ m_____-s_____.
II The second “NO” of fasting is the No Jesus says to the a___________ of fasting (6:16-18).
III The third “No” of fasting is the No our p____________ b__________ sometimes say to fasting.