Sermon Central
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Building A Heart After God
Contributed by Doug Johnston on Aug 23, 2001 (message contributor)
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1. A Heart After God
Contributed on Aug 23, 2001
Jesus described the hearts His followers would ideally possess in the Beatitudes, hearts we should strive to build in ourselves
Matthew 5:1-12 (Series Introduction) We must build hearts God favors,as Jesus described. I Seek God (3) ...poor in spirit... Know they don’t know it all Know they need outside help II Mourn Sin’s Results (4) ...they that mourn... Sad from what the see, not proud Give and ...read more
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2. My Petition
Contributed on Aug 23, 2001
Hanna’s example of dedication to God demonstrated through prayer challenges us to pray about the things our heart desires.
My Petition And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD, and wept sore. 1 Samuel 1:10 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you… 1 Samuel 12:23 Introduction: Hannah was a discouraged woman. She’d been married ...read more
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3. Why Do You Keep Doing It?
Contributed on Aug 23, 2001
When we begin to think God doesn’t listen to our prayers, we need to remember Hanna, a woman who was committed to prayer.
Hanna: An Example of Commitment and Purity I Committed Heart Why do we have what we possess? Do we remember that God can still act for us? Romans 14: How does your heart see others? II Committed Actions Look up and remember Obey and keep commitments Hebrews 12: Are we willing ...read more
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4. Faith In Action
Contributed on Aug 23, 2001
Hanna continued to demonstrate her heart’s devotion to God by putting her faith in God’s help and care into action by delivering her son, Samuel, to the tabernacle to live and serve.
We must keep faith alive with action. I Sharing Faith (1:19-23) A. Shared faith with family first (Num 30) B. Sharing bound them closer by watching for fulfillment C. Sharing faith found brought growth: 1 Worship 2 Reminded to obey II Sacrificing in Faith (1:24-28) A. Kept ...read more
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5. Measuring Your Love
Contributed on Aug 23, 2001
Saying "I love you" will mean more to our loved ones and to us when we use guidelines to evaluate what "love" means to us.
Loving People Pushes Us To: *Communicate and listen (Acts 6; 15) *Affirm and support (2 Corinthians 8-9) *Teach respect, including respect of privacy (Romans 12:10) *Develop a sense of trust (Philippians 2:1-4) *Share responsibility (Galatians 6:2, 5) *Develop our sense of right ...read more
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6. Answering The Call: The Life Of Samuel
Contributed on Aug 23, 2001
Discovering what it means to serve God is best illustrated by examining the commitment of those who do serve, like Samuel.
What chance for great honor does God give us? The chance to influence a group of people That’s the greatest honor God gives one of His servants We must serve if we want to honor God. God’s Servant: I Is Known as God’s Possession 1 Samuel 3:20 And all Israel from Dan even to ...read more
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7. Softening The Blow
Contributed on Aug 23, 2001
Since we may minister to people who are hearing bad news, examining Samuel’s heart while he acts in this way provides keys we can remember if we too need to serve in this uncomfortable way.
Softening the Blow Selections from 1 Samuel Introduction Part of Samuel’s ministry was working with people who were in difficult or unusual circumstances. With His Own Family -His mother (2:18-19) Tell Bad News from God -Eli (3:11-14, 17-18) -King Saul (13:11-14; ...read more
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8. Promises For Believers Only
Contributed on Aug 27, 2001
Belivers must stop making excuses for lives of spiritual weakness and use God’s power for living by laying down their weaknesses and exchanging them for His strengths
And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God ? 1 Samuel 6:20 Many things had to take place to make the people of Bethshemesh realize that God deserved special attention. Some believers today show God by their actions that they have better things to do than ...read more
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9. When Crying Isn't Enough
Contributed on Aug 27, 2001
Instead of being satisfied to feel "sorry" when we miss God’s mark, we should press on to produce change in life to please Him.
Introduction Israel lamented that God’s help was missing (7:1-2). They cried about it for 20 years (7:2). Yet, they never felt the need to do anything about it other than cry and be sad for their lack of spiritual happiness during all this time. After all, no one else was any closer to God. ...read more
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10. It's Amazing What You Might Find
Contributed on Aug 31, 2001
As Saul was surprized by God’s selection of him as king, we too may be surprized by the opportunitites God brings our way as we use the situations He puts us in.
“I being in the way, the LORD led me” From Genesis 24:27 Saul... His name means “asked for” Was the “tall, dark, and handsome” type Was given a rare opportunity by God We must continually follow God to find all His gifts. I Follow When God’s “Not Looking” (9:1-3a) A. Busy with ...read more
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11. The View From On Top
Contributed on Aug 31, 2001
Saul found the view from the palace great, but the responsibilites were greater than his heart allowed him to enjoy.
And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. 1 Samuel 13:7 It’s great to be on top… You see what others only wish to You know what it was like to be really there You decide what others ...read more
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12. The Awakening
Contributed on Sep 20, 2001
Just as Saul was called out of fear to take his place of leadership, so we too are being called by God to awake from slumber and take our place in these days crying out for leadership.
Introduction: Saul’s personality was energized when the Spirit of God gripped him. He changed from the cowardly king hiding in the baggage (10:20-22) to a bold man of action (11:5-7). Just as he awoke and took his place, we too must awake to God’s hand on our lives. These difficult days in our ...read more
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13. When It's No Fun Anymore
Contributed on Oct 5, 2001
David developed his faith by necessity as God allowed other helpful resources to go by the wayside.
1 Samuel records for us that David had five great resources during the early part of his life, resources that we might find God giving us too. +A good position (18:5) +A good wife (19:11-14) +A good influence from God (19:18-19) +A good friend (18:1-4) +A good dose of self-respect ...read more
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14. Not Quite Robin Hood
Contributed on Oct 5, 2001
The story of Nabal illustrates the value of knowing when to act and when to practice patience.
Where do you turn when the bottom falls out? David +Was hurting enough that he couldn’t hide his needs +Was honest enough to cry out for help +Was humble enough to learn from God +Was pointing others to God (Ps. 34:19; 57; 142) Nabal +A man “heavy” with money (25:2) +Lived his life as ...read more
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15. High Noon
Contributed on Oct 5, 2001
Honoring God in all the areas of his life had the unexpected result of uniquely preparing David to kill the giant Goliath.
And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. 1 Samuel 17:44 It was as if the sheriff had never come back to fight the battle in “High Noon,” and a local had saved the town. Contrasts in Character: ...read more
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16. God's Favorite Things
Contributed on Oct 5, 2001
When God saw David as a man after His own heart, he noticed three important character traits He still values today: spirituality, humility, and integrity.
The LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people. From 1 Samuel 13:14 What does God look for in our hearts? I Spirituality A. A life alive with His Spirit B. God is looking for men and women whose hearts are completely ...read more
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17. Honor, Humility, And Faith
Contributed on Oct 5, 2001
David’s life shows how important our brokenness in confession and prayer is to God.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Everything favored David’s success: He was a brilliant organizer He was a brilliant manager He was a brilliant planner He was a brilliant battlefield commander He was also very human. Three Major Failures in ...read more
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18. One Man's Influence
Contributed on Oct 5, 2001
Saul’s failure to address his own heart and it’s lust get to the heart of the matter why God’ prefered David’s heart to his.
And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD. 1 Samuel 15:13 Rejection is one of the most common things we face, yet it is perhaps the most difficult obstacle we must regularly overcome. It is also one of the ...read more
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19. Dealing With Failure
Contributed on Oct 5, 2001
When Saul made mistakes in judgment or sinned, he had the pattern of making things hard for himself by overlooking them or blaming others instead of coming back to the heart of the matter and doing the simple things God wants most.
And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan. 1 Samuel 14:44 30 Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God. 31 So Samuel turned ...read more
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20. How To Be Better Than Your Neighbor
Contributed on Oct 12, 2001
If we truly think we’re better than another, we must demonstrate it by controlling ourselves, not controlling our neighbor.
“If you ever want to test the (1) of a person, ask him (or her) what you should do when your enemy is vulnerable. Unless they are men or women of God, they’ll tell you to (2) every time.” -Chuck Swindoll (1) = carnality (2) = strike I A Subtle Temptation (1-4) A. When we really want ...read more
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21. In And Out Of Depression
Contributed on Oct 12, 2001
Just as David went into a "funk" of depression while he waited for God, we too need to watch out for periods of depression as we wait for God to work in our lives.
What can make us fall into “the pits?” -Taking the wrong viewpoint “David said in his heart…” -Pessimism “I shall now perish…” -Defeatist thinking “There is nothing better for me…” What happened to Israel’s future king? +He lost his own identity and became displaced “Make ...read more
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22. "I Played The Fool, " Saul's Epitaph
Contributed on Oct 19, 2001
Instead of being like King Saul, whose life ended with disappointment, we can be like King David, whose life was characterized by hope, even when death was near.
J Sidlow Baxter’s book, Mark These Men, tells us he thinks a man plays the fool when he: Neglects his godly friends; Goes on enterprises for God before God sends him; Disobeys God; Tries to cover disobedience with religious sounding excuses; Allows jealousy or hatred to master ...read more
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23. When God Says "No”
Contributed on Jan 2, 2002
When God tells us "no" to one of our requests, it does not mean He does not care for us, it usually means He has something else for us
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. 2 Samuel ...read more
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24. When God Seems Unreal
Contributed on Jan 2, 2002
If we choose to live as if God is not real in our lives, we may commit sins we too will regret for life.
Introduction: David was a man who loved God, a man after God’s own heart. He sinned, and it was intensified because of who he was and how he mishandled it. But it was just sin, an act of disobedience he came later to regret with bitter tears. And unless we take heed (1 Corinthians 10:12) to ...read more
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25. How Can We Make It Right?
Contributed on Jan 2, 2002
Psalm 51 shows us steps to peace we gain when we come clean and make things right after we sin.
What are some of the most important things in life? How can you live if you don’t have them? Psalm 51:10-15 gives us guidelines for making things right after we sin, making things right in our world even if we don’t have all the things we think we should have. I. Settling Conflicts ...read more
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26. Sailing Through The Storm
Contributed on Jan 2, 2002
David was able to sail through the storm arriving in the aftermath of his sin with Bathsheba because he didn’t fight it, he went with it so it could fulfill its divine purpose.
9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine ...read more
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27. A Sheltering Tree
Contributed on Jan 2, 2002
God’s face in crisis often is seen in the face of friends He sends to help us, or in our face as He directs us to help others.
2 Samuel 15; 17; 19 When the chips are down, it’s amazing how god sends us a sheltering tree. I. "I’m With You” (15:18-21) Ittai the Gittite A few will remain and be counted on no matter what II. “I’ll Do Whatever You Wish” (15:23-28) Zadok and Abiathar the Priests They were willing to ...read more
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28. Big Enough To Forgive
Contributed on Jan 2, 2002
David discovered that sometimes personal offenses are best forgiven, not paid back by holding grudges, getting angry, or giving paybacks.
When David met Shemei the first time (2 Samuel 16:5-8), Shemei: +Kicked him when he was down. +Threw rocks at him, +Yelled at him, +Said God was judging the King, +Probably reminded David who Shemei’s dad was The second time they met (2 Samuel 19:22-23), 1. David kept his focus on God ...read more
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29. The End Of An Era
Contributed on Jan 2, 2002
David’s death brought the end to a unique time of history; have we lived in such a way to make an impact in history for God that will be remembered?
For David, After he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, and was laid unto his fathers... From Acts 13:36 Every person has a purpose for living, every one of us. The tragedy of all tragedies is that we should live and die and never found that purpose, that special ...read more