Sermons About Influence
Blessed is the Nation...
In this week's message, we reflect on the values upon which the country of Canada was founded. And in light of current events in our country, we would do good to pause and think about how it is that we have strayed so far from our biblical foundations as a nation. But beyond the usual discussion about the issues facing our culture, may we be reminded of our primary responsibility as Christians: the call to fervent prayer. Key Passages: Psalm 72:8, Psalm 144:15, Psalm 33, and Isaiah 1-6
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Compelling Love
Followers of Jesus are to be marked with compelling love - actively securing the good of another at cost to yourself without requiring merit or payment in return.
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Compelling Generosity
The earliest Christians were marked by compelling generosity. They embodied generosity having seen that pattern in their Lord.
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Compelling Joy
The earliest Christians were a people of compelling joy. Their joy was rooted in remembrance of what God had accomplished for them in Jesus Christ, and expectation of what He would do in bringing about the renewal of all creation in Christ. The emphasis in the New Testament book, The Acts of the Apostles, is on joy being rooted in our experience of what God is actually doing among us now to heal and restore this broken world.
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Influence: The Family
Everybody has a family... and we're all nuts! So how do we get our families ready for action. And do we use our family to influence other families?
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A People of God's Presence
Jesus left 120 people on this planet and this small, marginalized movement became the most dominant cultural influence in the urban world. What made them such a compelling people that shaped cities, forged culture and conquered the Roman Empire: The presence of the Spirit of God in their midst.
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Influence
The former "Boy Mayor" of Brantford, Chris Friel tells his story and talks about how to influence a community
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Masculine Spirituality (Joshua 1:8-9)
God intends for men to invest ourselves in the lives of others, working for his purposes rather than our own. We are to influence others for good, helping them to understand and pursue Christ-likeness. This begins with our families, but extends to God's church and also to the unbelievers that God has placed in our lives. Our serving others requires selfless sacrifice on our part, but God will provide us the grace and strength to be faithful to our calling as we obey.
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Are You Under the Influence?
Most of us have a rather strange view of how demons operate, taking our cues from the movies. In truth, demons rarely come tearing into our lives in some frightening or absurd way. Rather, they simply work to influence us. If they can exert the right influence on us, possession isn't even necessary. Avoiding demonic influence requires awareness and a rock solid spiritual and thought life. Key Verses: Lu 8:27ff, Lu 9:38ff, Matt 4:24, Gen 3:1, Eph 2:1-2, Prov 4:23, 2Cor 10:4-5, Ro 12:1-2
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Nehemiah - The Stewardship of Influence
The enemy that lies within: strife, division, sin and misuse of influence
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Amazing Grace
What can we learn from some of the most recent movies that have hit the movie theaters? Pastor David studies the inspiring, true story of the man who penciled one of the most famous hymns in history - Amazing Grace.
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Little is Much
This week we start our summer series of messages based on the stories Jesus told about the kingdom of heaven. About a dozen of his stories began with the words "the kingdom of heaven is like." In trying to understand what our world would look like if the values of God's kingdom really took root - these stories are a good starting point. Today, we pick up the concept that the kingdom will not come in a radical, military or political takeover, but rather, through the small but powerful and pervasive infl uence of kingdom agents spread liberally throughout the existing structures of society. The revolutionary influence of the kingdom has been called by some "the quiet revolution" but it's power is incredible! "True evangelical faith cannot lie dormant. It clothes the naked, it feeds the hungry, it comforts the sorrowful, it shelters the destitute, it serves those that harm it, it binds up that which is wounded, it has become all things to all people." (quote from Menno Simons, 1496-1561)
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What is the Kingdom of God Like?
Luke 13:18-21 The people of Jesus' day were confused: If you're the Messiah, how come the Romans are still here, ruling over us? How come the nation isn't unified, and why isn't our worship purified? Jesus addresses their fundamental error: The Kingdom of God hasn't come in the package you want! But it has come, and is even better than you might imagine!
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The Influential Church
"We should not underestimate the significance of the small group of people who have a new vision of a just and gentle world. The quality [or the standards] of a culture can be changed when 2 percent of its people have a new vision." Robert Bellah – Sociologist
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