Balancing Ministry N' Work

1.      The Book of Deuteronomy was given to the people of Israel through Moses. a.       It was a reminder of the mistakes they had, but more important it was to teach them to follow the commands given by God. 2.      First few chapters. a.       We see Israel disobey God. b.      We see them being triumphant as they listen to Him. c.       They are called to Obey and Worship the one and only True God. d.      They are given a review of the Ten Commandments. e.       They are warned about what will happen if they turn away from God. 3.      In chapter six Moses is explaining some of the things the people did not hear when they were afraid of hearing the voice of God directly. 4.      Deuteronomy 6:1-3 a.       Moses is reminding people that the commands of God were given so that the people can remember who God is. b.      They are to revere Him; in that they understand that God is ultimately in control. c.       They need to follow His commands. d.      If th

1.      We are going to take a short break from John and take a look at a couple of Psalms. a.       Many of us find great comfort in reading the Psalms. b.      Reading them can help us feel like someone else has felt like we have. c.       Spending time in them can give us peace, encouragement and strength. d.      They can lift our spirit. e.       What we call Psalms in Hebrew is Tehillim, the full meaning is Psalms of Praise. f.       The Book of Psalms is lyrical poetry, poetry that expresses the emotions of the poet. g.      It is believed to be the largest collection of ancient lyrical poetry in existence. h.      Commonly accepted that David is the author of many of the Psalms, but that is disputed in some circles. i.        Those that believe that he is one of the author’s agree that he is not the only author. j.        While we are not going to work through each of the Psalms, especially for this pause in John, we are going to start with Psalms 1. 2.   

1.      Jesus and Nicodemus. a.       A conversation that did not turn out like Nicodemus thought it would. b.      He thought that he and Jesus were equals, but Jesus called him out. c.       Jesus told him to study the OT prophecy and then told him he needed to repent of his sins. d.      Not something Nicodemus expected to hear, but exactly what he needed to hear. e.       The whole thought of being born again may have thrown him a bit, but Jesus spoke the truth, nonetheless. f.       Nicodemus a religious ruler needed to be born again, to repent and follow Jesus. g.      That is true for everyone. h.      All of us here. i.        Every person we have been praying for. j.        Every single person regardless of how lost we make think they are. k.      Our job is to continue to tell people about the gift Jesus is offering and let the Holy Spirit work from there. 2.      Let’s take a look at what John has in store for us next. 3.      John 3:22-24 a.