IN A FEW DAYS WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STEP INTO A NEW YEAR NOT CRAWL, DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR WE REFLECT UPON THE PAST AND RETHINK OUR FUTURE....... WHILE WE REFLECT WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO RECAST OUR FUTURE BY SEPARATING THE THINGS IN LIFE AND MINISTRY THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE AND THE THINGS THAT NEED TO STAY THE SAME.............
THE TITLE OF TODAY’S MESSAGE COMES FROM A SAYING I’VE HEARD MOST OF MY LIFE FROM PEOPLE I’VE ENCOUNTERED IN THERE DOWN AND OUT TIMES AND THEY WERE ASKING ME WAS I WILLING TO SPARE SOME OF WHAT I HAVE OR TO CHANGE TO HELP THEM AND NOT SO MUCH FOCUS ON WHAT I HAVE BUT WHAT I AM WILLING TO GIVE OR SPARE......................
CHANGE - IS A WORD THAT MEANS -ALTER, MODIFY, MEANS TO MAKE OR BECOME DIFFERENT, TO MAKE EITHER AN ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE OR A SUBSTITUTION OF ONE THING FOR ANOTHER...........
CHANGE IS SOMETHING THAT IS NEEDED BUT OFTEN THE VERY THING THAT IS FOUGHT THE MOST, AS WE ENTER INTO 2013... WE INDIVIDUALLY AND CORPORATELY NEED TO EVALUATE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO KEEP THE SAME AND THE THINGS IN OUR LIVES AND MINISTRIES WE SHOULD CHANGE.........
COLOSSIANS 3:10 -“You have taken off the old self with it practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge and in the image of its Creator.”
ILLUSTRATION - “HUNTER’S IN ALASKA”
INSANITY - IS SIMPLY DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS..........
ILLUSTRATION - “THE SHAKER’S”
THE QUESTION THIS MORNING IS WHAT SHALL WE CHANGE AND WHAT SHALL WE PRESERVE? WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CLASSIC CAR AND A PILE OF JUNK? WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FAD AND A TREND? WHY DO SOME THINGS STAND THE TEST OF TIME AND OTHER THINGS QUICKLY FADE FROM MEMORY?
WE MAY NOT NECESSARILY KNOW WHERE TO DRAW THE LINES BUT I DO KNOW THOSE LINES EXIST!!!!!!!!!!
COLLECTORS RESTORE FAR MORE 66 MUSTANGS THAN THEY DO 72 PINTOS, I CAN GUARANTEE VERY FEW OF YOU GOT PET ROCKS FOR CHRISTMAS OR EVEN CABBAGE PATCH DOLLS FOR THAT MATTER BUT PLENTY OF KIDS STILL GET BARBIE DOLLS, MONOPOLY, G.I JOE ACTION FIGURES...........
THAT PROCESS BEGINS WHEN WE HONESTLY RE-EVALUATE OUR CORE BEING..... WHAT ARE THE THINGS IN OUR LIVES THIS MORNING THAT WE WOULD FIGHT AND DIE FOR........ REMEMBER ARE THEY ETERNAL OR TEMPORAL....... THE CORE; INDIVIDUALLY AND AS A BODY IS GETTING PAST THE SURFACE (OUR PREFERENCES) AND AGAIN DIG DEEP TO THE CORE OF WHY WE ARE HERE.............
ISAIAH 40:8 - The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
HEBREWS 13:8 - proclaims that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Because He is unchanging, our devotion to Him is unchanging.
CAN YOU SPARE SOME CHANGE THIS MORNING?
TIME - ECCLESIASTES 3: 1 -There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: CAN YOU SPARE SOME CHANGE OF YOUR TIME “ WASTED FOR WORKING”
LOVE- LUKE 6:27 -27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, CAN YOU SPARE SOME CHANGE OF YOUR LOVE “
“CONDITIONAL FOR UNCONDITIONAL”
TALENTS- MATTHEW 25:25-27 -24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ CAN YOU SPARE SOME CHANGE OF YOUR TALENTS “ YOUR ABILITIES FOR HIS”
TREASURES- MATTHEW 6:19 - 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. CAN YOU SPARE SOME CHANGE OF YOUR TREASURES “ YOUR DIVIDENDS FOR HIS”
WORSHIP- JOHN 4:23 - 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. CAN YOU SPARE SOME CHANGE OF YOUR WORSHIP “PREFERENCE FOR HIS PRESENCE”
FORGIVENESS- MATTHEW 6:14 -15 - 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. CAN YOU SPARE SOME CHANGE OF FORGIVENESS “LET GO AND LET GOD”
GRACE- EPHESIANS 2:8-9 - 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. CAN YOU SPARE SOME CHANGE OF GRACE “ GIVE WHAT YOU GOT”
CHURCH THERE’S A WORLD OUT THERE THAT IS ASKING CAN WE SPARE SOME CHANGE THEY ARE IN NEED.......................
