First Alliance Church ATL

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________.

09-17-17 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________.

09-10-17 Ben & Ashley Maxey - Indonesia

09-03-17 Missions Conference: D. Kropp Japan

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).

07-16-17 Kevin Goins - Giving the Gift of Jesus

“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?

I First, because it takes time to _______ for the _______ (19:1).
A. Jesus was “passing through” Jericho because he had s_______ p________ e_________ to be.

B. As we encounter crowds each day we need to focus our attention, not on the _______, but on the one who s________ o_______ from it.

II Second, because it takes time to see s__________ p__________ where, at first, there might seem to be n_______ at all (19:2).
A. There are two reasons why a Christian evangelist would not want to waste time on Zacchaeus:
   1. He was a c_______ t______ c________.
   2. He was w___________.
B. But sometimes the people who live “upright” lives are the h________ to win to Christ, and the people who would seem to be a l______ c______ are the most eager to respond to the Gospel.

III 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.