Sermon Central
-
Experiencing The Depths Of Jesus Christ
Contributed by Justin Steckbauer on Jan 27, 2024 (message contributor)
-
1. Experiencing The Depths Of Jesus Christ: Launching Out Toward The Heart Of God
Contributed on Jan 27, 2024
Delving into the Christian classic "Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ" by Jeanne Guyon. Looking at what it means to have a deep, meaningful relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Looking at our heart, God's heart, and union with God's heart.
Today we’re going to set out on an adventure. We’re going to launch out into the depths of God and seek to discover a beautiful mystery, called “the depths of Jesus Christ.” We all long I think for a deeper more meaningful relationship with God. Yet I think for a lot of us it may seem out of reach. ...read more
-
2. How To Walk In The Presence Of God: The Heart Prayer Of Simplicity
Contributed on Jan 29, 2024
Now that we have the prize of communion with God we should run with it, and grow in it, for all the many years ahead of us. As the scriptures say, come into maturity, find a stability in our walks with God, where we go deeper, and we really learn to go to the depths of Jesus Christ.
"God our Father has made all things depend on faith so that whoever has faith will have everything, and whoever does not have faith will have nothing." -Martin Luther. There is a key that’s very important in this journey, it’s the key of believing something is true. This concept has ...read more
-
3. Powerful Prayers: Praying The Scriptures & Delighting In God's Presence
Contributed on Feb 5, 2024
Two types of prayer discussed by Jeanne Guyon in her classic book "Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ" are examined for how to go deeper with God in relationship.
"James Duncan, preaching with great unction and power, was asked what was the secret of such powerful preaching. "The secret," he said, was "thirteen hours of consecutive prayer." When asked the secret of his spiritual power, Charles Spurgeon said: "Knee work! Knee ...read more
-
4. When God Seems Distant: The Teacher Is Silent During The Test
Contributed on Feb 12, 2024
It all goes back to the heart. Guard your heart. Keep your heart encouraged. And in prayer, always believe in your heart that God is there and will answer.
There have been a few times in my life when I felt God’s presence depart from me. And it was for the purpose of testing me, to see what decision I’ll make without his presence strong upon me. Don’t get me wrong, God was still with me in those times. He hadn’t left me or forsaken me. But, his ...read more
-
5. Abandon Yourself Entirely To God: Examining The Concept Of Surrendering To God's Will
Contributed on Feb 24, 2024
It’s not enough to simply call Jesus Lord, we really have to abandon ourselves to Him, deny ourselves, deny our old pattern of life, and embrace the new pattern of carrying our cross with Jesus. Otherwise there’s no hope. We have to give it all over!
Abandon yourself to God. What does it mean exactly? When we become a follower of Jesus, we are renouncing, or throwing off our old ways of life. And we’re choosing a new way of life. A life which is now fundamentally under the command and control of God Almighty. We abandon ourselves to God. We ...read more
-
6. Trusting God Through Suffering: Accept The Pain And Move Forward
Contributed on Mar 4, 2024
“You must be patient in all the suffering that God sends you. If your love for the Lord is pure, you will love Him as much on Calvary as on Mt. Tabor." -Jeanne Guyon
“Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my 75 years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and ...read more
-
7. What Do I Do When I Feel Tempted To Sin?
Contributed on Mar 6, 2024
In those situations where we’re facing a sin, something we know is wrong, but it’s a desire within us, what do we do?
I remember feeling many years ago that the power of sin was just too strong in my life. I would feel the pressure within to indulge in the sin. And it seemed inevitable. Theres just no way. I can’t stop sinning. It’s too big. It’s too much. But over time as I learned about God, and grew in my ...read more
-
8. Seek God & Be Sought By God: Obeying The Magnetic Tug At Your Heart
Contributed on Mar 12, 2024
Draw near to God, with a full heart, loving God with all your heart. And believe Jesus really loves you and wants to be with you too!
"Bruce Larson tells how he helped people struggling to surrender their lives to Christ: For many years I worked in New York City and counseled at my office any number of people who were wrestling with this yes-or-no decision. Often I would suggest they walk with me from my office down to the ...read more
-
9. How To Experience Conscious Contact With God
Contributed on Apr 15, 2024
As you learn to pray more and more, talking to God in the morning, praying over meals, praying at night, praying at mid day, praying at church, and praying at home, eventually you’ll find that something changes. You’ll realize over time, wow, my entire day is turning into a dialogue with God.
There was an evangelist of yesteryear named Wilbur Chapman. One day he was talking to William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army. Chapman asked Booth, “General Booth, God has used you in a great way. What is the secret of God’s use of you?” Booth moved the hair out of his face, looked at ...read more
-
10. How To Saturate Yourself In The Word Of God
Contributed on Apr 15, 2024
We’re going to talk about how to go deeper with your Bible reading time. We will not be talking about simply reading the Bible. We will be talking about absorbing the Bible. Making the Bible part of your mind. Putting the Bible in your heart and letting it change your heart.
“The Bible- banned, burned, beloved. More widely read, more frequently attacked than any other book in history. Generations of intellectuals have attempted to discredit it; dictators of every age have outlawed it and executed those who read it. Yet soldiers carry it into battle believing it is more ...read more
-
11. Confession & Repentance From Sins: How Does It Work?
Contributed on Apr 23, 2024
When a Christian sins they must follow the teaching of 1 John 1:9, which is speaking to believers when it says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
"Professor Drummond once described a man going into one of our after meetings and saying he wanted to become a Christian. "Well, my friend, what is the trouble?" He doesn't like to tell. He is greatly agitated. Finally he says, "The fact is, I have overdrawn my ...read more
-
12. Consumed With God: The Pursuit Of God
Contributed on Apr 23, 2024
We are consumed by God completely… while our obsession used to be selfishness and self destruction and we were very excited about that, we now pursue knowing God with abandon.
My wife tells me that I sometimes become nearly obsessed with certain things. I get so focused on something it consumes me. I fall into the pool after staring into it too long. Are you like that? I have a bit of an obsessive, addictive personality. I want it and I want more. I want to learn more. ...read more
-
13. Guard Your Heart: Block The Evil, Bring In The Gold
Contributed on May 24, 2024
The goal is you would notice a nugget of truth throughout the service, and stop on it, and say: "That is something I’m going to take to heart."
Have you ever had a conversation or experience, or a moment in your life that you took to heart? You took it to heart. It impacted you so deeply that it stayed with you through your whole life. I remember numerous experiences in my life that I took to heart. It affected me in a way that it went ...read more
-
14. How To Align Your Soul With The Spirit: Discerning God's Voice From Your Inner Voice
Contributed on May 24, 2024
Have you ever had an experience where you knew that God was telling you to do something? But part of you resists the leading of God. And you ask yourself, “Did God really say that? Or am I just making that up in my own mind?”
I remember early on as a Christian I had a dream. I had listening to different ministries and churches and I was just learning the faith. I remember having a dream one night that I was at this church, big, with many people. But it all felt dead, empty, and I left the building. Outside the building ...read more
-
15. Finding Rest In The Presence Of God
Contributed on May 31, 2024
We can experience God’s presence outside of us, and within us. God isn’t far off. He’s so close we can hardly imagine it. Many feel God is far off. They wonder… Can you really experience God? Can you really sense God’s presence? Can you really know God deeply? The answer to those 3 questions is yes.
Does God seem far away? Many feel God is far off. They wonder… Can you really experience God? Can you really sense God’s presence? Can you really know God deeply? The answer to those 3 questions is yes. We we can experience God’s presence outside of us, and within us. God isn’t far off. He’s so ...read more
-
16. Christ In The Heart: It's Just That Simple
Contributed on Jun 6, 2024
You can sit in church your whole life and never let Christ into your heart. You can try very hard to adjust your outward behaviors but never let His love into yourself.
In all this deep discussion of prayer and God’s presence and turning ourselves toward Him, we must always return to the basic, simple understanding of who Jesus Christ is to us. You can sit in church your whole life and never let Christ into your heart. You can try very hard to adjust your outward ...read more
-
17. The Ultimate Christian Attainment: Union With God
Contributed on Jun 19, 2024
We do not easily submit to all this burning up of dross within us. We do not want to be buried with Christ in his cross and alive with Christ in His resurrection. We naturally resist the death of self. Yet God helps us submit to the refiner's fire.
Many great saints I’ve known, even in the Salvation army, many are retiring now, and they say that when they retire, they are grateful that God did not show them the entire path all the ups and downs because they would not have been able to handle the thought of it. But step by step, along the ...read more