This Day With God – A Spiritual Journey | Share The Word

Unstoppable Easter

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Mark Shields

The Easter message at First United Methodist Church Waco today is titled “Unstoppable Easter” and can be watched at this link. Below is an outline of today’s message.

1. EASTER BRINGS GOD’S KINGDOM TO EARTH.

“From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of
heaven is near.’ ” – Matthew 4:17 (NIV)

2. EASTER BRINGS A KINGDOM MESSAGE.

“…I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other
towns also, because that is why I was sent.” – Luke 4:43 (NIV)

3. EASTER BRINGS A KINGDOM FAITH.

“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you
are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.’ ” – Matthew 28: 5 (NIV)

4. EASTER BRINGS A KINGDOM TRUTH.

“He is not here; He has risen, just as He said….” – Matthew 28:6a, b (NIV)

5. EASTER BRINGS A KINGDOM EXPERIENCE.

“…Come and see the place where He lay.” – Matthew 28:6c(NIV)

6. EASTER BRINGS A KINGDOM ASSIGNMENT.

“Then go quickly and tell His disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead
and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him…’ ”
Matthew 28:7a-c (NIV)

Passover + Easter = Eternal Life (clydestyle.org)
Keep the Fire (vanriggins.wordpress.com)

Posted in Sermon Outline | Tagged Easter, Galilee, Gospel of Matthew, Jesus, Matthew | Leave a comment

Courage to Carry Out His Purpose

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Mark Shields

This has been a hope filled day with all the wonderful posts this Good Friday and I thank God for blessing me with more than deserved. Reading the posts today made me think about the tremendous courage it took for Christ to carry out His purpose.

I remember doing a topic study years ago about courage and found many examples of courage in the Bible. A few, I would like to share.

In Luke 9:11-28, the servant did not maximize his master’s gains because he was afraid to take a risk and make the money multiply. The lesson I learned is to have faith to step out and do what would produce the best return.

In Acts 4:1-12, Peter is proclaiming Christ as the savior to the same group that had crucified Him. What courage it took to speak about this in front of this audience.

As we see in Acts 25:23-26:32, God is the source of Paul’s courage. Within these scriptures, I see someone with the courage to admit that he once persecuted Christians and the courage to talk about controversial issues even when placed in a very difficult situation.

When Paul faced opposition in Corinth, God gave him assurance of safety. He spoke to Paul in a vision telling him to keep on teaching the gospel and not be afraid because he would be protected (Acts 18:1-11).

The Word says that God stood near Paul and told him to take courage. There is a peace in knowing that God is with you. Paul had that peace and trusted God to help him in time of need (Acts 22:30-23:11).

Like looking up at a scoreboard and seeing that your team is winning, we can see a clear picture of victory found in the Bible and know that Jesus is the most valuable player. To read more about my thoughts on courage, take a few minutes to read this post titled No Fear of Failure.

Lenten Reflection Day 38 Good Friday (makingroomforgod.wordpress.com)
A Little Reflection On Christ’s Passion (catholicjules.net)
Say “No” to Man’s “Yes” This Good Friday (justinleetalbert.wordpress.com)
Prayer For Courage and Determination (donkeywhispererfarm2010.wordpress.com)
Confident Christianity (samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com)
True Courage is Believing Beyond Yourself (daneburgess.wordpress.com)
Peace through courage (m2wa2.wordpress.com)

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Bible, Christ, Christian, Christianity, controversial issues, Corinth, Courage, examples of courage, Faith, fear of failure, God, Good Friday, Inspiration, Jesus, Paul, Peter, Purpose, religion, time of need | 2 Comments

Ready for the Path

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Mark Shields

Providing for a family and giving them the resources needed is important but so is building memories. Time flies and before you know it a child is grown so it’s important to take advantage of those special times that build lasting memories.

In the post yesterday, I wrote some thoughts after studying 1 Chronicles 28. David would not build the temple but his child named Solomon would be prepared and have the resources to carry out the work to completion. As a father with a daughter, I understand that I can’t do everything I would like. There’s not enough time but I can prepare her to carry out what I put in place. I can provide the resources and give lessons so she is ready for the path. Here’s a video that was written about the time spent with a daughter: Cinderella – Steven Curtis Chapman.

This day with your Daddy in Heaven can be amazing because He is ready to build a lasting memory with you.

Conditions for Success (thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com)
The Legacy You Leave (liveoutlife.com)
Steven Goes Country: Steven Curtis Chapman records country project with family members (crossrhythms.co.uk)

Posted in 1 Chronicles | Tagged celebrities, Children, David, Deep Roots, drama, entertainment, Family, God, Lessons, Memories, Path, Solomon, Steven Curtis Chapman, What a Friend We Have in Jesus | 1 Comment

Conditions for Success

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Mark Shields

David speaks to the leaders of Israel in 1 Chronicles 28 explaining that he wanted very much to build a house as a place of rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord (v. 2). Even though he was denied this ambition, his response was to accept the purpose God had given him as an individual; to prepare so that his family would be king over Israel forever.

David teaches us that there are conditions for success. We should Follow the commands of the Lord, begin each day with prayer, and plan for success with the help of God’s resources. The most important part of our day is the time we spend with God who has all the resources we need.

Resources were provided for David’s son Solomon to build the Temple and resources are given to us to build up our temple. For we are the temple of God and the Spirit lives in each of us. This plan was laid before the world began by God and is not an invention of man. Christ is the true temple, the church is the gospel-temple, and heaven is the everlasting temple; all are framed according to the divine counsels.

English: Solomon and the Plan for the Temple, as in 1 Kings 6, illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Reflecting on today’s passage, it is noted that in building the Temple, the plan is given first. Then David explains to Solomon to do the work with strength and courage. He says God will be faithful to provide the funds and the support needed to finish the work. In building our life, the same strategy can be followed. Listen to God for the plan first. Then do our work with strength and courage with confidence that God will be faithful to provide the funds and support needed.

This day with God will be amazing because with each passing day, we can learn new lessons from history and from those with experience that will help us live more abundantly than the day before. Today will be another day we can pray and our prayer time is a rewarding time that we don’t want to miss as we talk to God, listen to Him, and praise Him for the plans He has for our life.

God’s Word – Always on Time (learningtobeblog.wordpress.com)
A New Muslim Vision: Rebuilding Solomon’s Temple Together (vineoflife.net)

Posted in 1 Chronicles | Tagged Abundance, Ark of the Covenant, bible card, Christ, Confidence, Courage, David, God, God’s Resources, gospel temple, HolySpirit, Israel, Lessons, Plan, Prayer, Purpose, purpose god, Solomon, Strength, strength and courage, Success, Temple, Temple of God, true temple | 3 Comments

Depend on God’s Strength

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Mark Shields

In the post yesterday, I wrote how David was a great king that depended on God’s strength. That’s what we should do as we try to be who God made us to be. I’d like to share this video to help inspire the understanding of how each of us are somebody important when we work every day to fulfill the purpose He has for us and rely on His strength. Here’s the video: Be Somebody – Thousand Foot Krutch. God Bless 🙂