Author: Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Exposed Motives! (09/07/22)
by

Encouragement and Prayer: Exposed Motives! (09/07/22)

~

This is the audio from the September 7, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.”
1 Chronicles 29:17 (NIV)

This week our prayer emphasis will focus on spending some time with God examining our motives.  God’s desire is that we would do everything with pure and right motives.  When we allow God’s Spirit and His Word to align our motives with His will, we are able to find a contagious joy in serving God.

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts.”
1 Corinthians 4:5 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you to be honest with yourself as you examine why you do things.  Pray for the wisdom to examine your own motives and let God deal with the motives of others.  Pray that you would have nothing to be ashamed of when the Lord exposes the motives of your heart.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.

In prayer,
Tom

What Do You SAY! (Sermon Audio)
by

What Do You SAY! (Sermon Audio)

~

This is the audio from the September 4, 2022 sermon, “What Do You SAY?”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

Text:  Mark 8:22-37

When we encounter Jesus, our life ought to not only be different but it should also speak of Him to the world.  As you consider your relationship with Jesus, what does your life . . .

  • See.  Mark 8:22-26
    • What do you see God doing in your life?  How clear is it to you and to others?  As Jesus brought sight to a blind man in the text, it seemed to have required a further connection with Jesus to bring complete clarity.  Sometimes we are living life with a somewhat clouded view of spiritual things simply because we have not maintained the necessary connection with Jesus.  We can easily become satisfied with a casual relationship that doesn’t produce what God desires for us to see.  We have something real to say to the world when we use our connection with Jesus to help us see His work in our life.
  • Acknowledge.  Mark 8:27-30
    • Many people during the days Jesus was on earth thought good things about Him but failed to acknowledge who He really was.  When we talk about Jesus in generic terms that may be positive but fall short of Him being the Son of God, we create confusion and uncertainty in our own mind as well as in the sight of others.  We have something real to say to the world when we faithfully acknowledge Jesus as the Christ who came to save people from their sins.
  • Yield.  Mark 8:31-37
    • When I think of the work yield, I think of both the idea of submitting to someone else and of producing a good crop.  God makes it clear that we must deny our self in a way that fully yields to Him if we want to be His disciple.  It is only through this type of yielding that he produces within us a crop of faithfulness which yields a harvest of righteousness.  We have something real to say to the world when our life is fully yielded to Christ and is yielding a bountiful crop of the fruit of the Spirit.

Today, what will you SAY with your word and with your life?

Encouragement and Prayer: Weighed Motives! (09/06/22)
by

Encouragement and Prayer: Weighed Motives! (09/06/22)

~

This is the audio from the September 6, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you.”
1 Chronicles 29:17 (NIV)

This week our prayer emphasis will focus on spending some time with God examining our motives.  God’s desire is that we would do everything with pure and right motives.  When we allow God’s Spirit and His Word to align our motives with His will, we are able to find a contagious joy in serving God.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you to be honest with yourself as you examine why you do things.  Pray that God would test your heart so you could see any changes that need to be made.  Pray for the courage to trust God as you seek His guidance in realigning your motives.  Pray for the humility to admit when your motives have been self-serving and out of line with God’s will.  Pray that God would be honored and glorified through your life even in the midst of any changes of motive you need to make.

“All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.”
Proverbs 16:2 (NIV)

Pray that you would trust God to weigh your motives against His standards regardless of how right you believe them to be.  Pray that you would accept God’s ways as you find them to be more noble than your own.  Pray for a humility that allows you to change when your ways are found wanting.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Belonging To God! (09/02/22)
by

Encouragement and Prayer: Belonging To God! (09/02/22)

~

This is the audio from the September 2, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” 
Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

Our prayer emphasis this week will return to a previous prayer focus on having a place where we belong.  Most of us have times in our life when we struggle with feelings of not fitting in or knowing where we belong.  The enemy is good at creating division and feelings of exclusion, but God has a lot to say about where we belong as His children.  To all who feel pushed aside and excluded by those who feel they are more important, Jesus calls us to come to Him and know that we belong in His kingdom.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

As you pray this week, pray that your sense of belonging would be restored and refreshed as you approach God with the heart and faith of a child.  Pray that you would declare the praises of God as you live as one who has been chosen to belong to Him.  Pray that the people around you would hear from you how belonging to God has transformed your life.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Belonging To the Day! (09/01/22)
by

Encouragement and Prayer: Belonging To the Day! (09/01/22)

~

This is the audio from the September 1, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” 
Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

Our prayer emphasis this week will return to a previous prayer focus on having a place where we belong.  Most of us have times in our life when we struggle with feelings of not fitting in or knowing where we belong.  The enemy is good at creating division and feelings of exclusion, but God has a lot to say about where we belong as His children.  To all who feel pushed aside and excluded by those who feel they are more important, Jesus calls us to come to Him and know that we belong in His kingdom.

“But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”
1 Thessalonians 5:8 (NIV)

As you pray this week, pray that your sense of belonging would be restored and refreshed as you approach God with the heart and faith of a child.  Pray that your actions would express to others that you belong to the day because you have put aside the deeds of darkness.  Pray that the people around you would know you as one who is self-controlled.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Belonging To the Lord! (08/31/22)
by

Encouragement and Prayer: Belonging To the Lord! (08/31/22)

~

This is the audio from the August 31, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” 
Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

Our prayer emphasis this week will return to a previous prayer focus on having a place where we belong.  Most of us have times in our life when we struggle with feelings of not fitting in or knowing where we belong.  The enemy is good at creating division and feelings of exclusion, but God has a lot to say about where we belong as His children.  To all who feel pushed aside and excluded by those who feel they are more important, Jesus calls us to come to Him and know that we belong in His kingdom.

“If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”
Romans 14:8 (NIV)

As you pray this week, pray that your sense of belonging would be restored and refreshed as you approach God with the heart and faith of a child.  Pray that your life would be lived for the Lord in all that you do.  Pray that the people around you would know you as one who belongs to the Lord.  Pray for the wisdom to help other see how they can belong to the Lord.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Belonging To One Another! (08/30/22)
by

Encouragement and Prayer: Belonging To One Another! (08/30/22)

~

This is the audio from the August 30, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” 
Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

Our prayer emphasis this week will return to a previous prayer focus on having a place where we belong.  Most of us have times in our life when we struggle with feelings of not fitting in or knowing where we belong.  The enemy is good at creating division and feelings of exclusion, but God has a lot to say about where we belong as His children.  To all who feel pushed aside and excluded by those who feel they are more important, Jesus calls us to come to Him and know that we belong in His kingdom.

“So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
Romans 12:5 (NIV)

As you pray this week, pray that your sense of belonging would be restored and refreshed as you approach God with the heart and faith of a child.  Pray that you would live as a valuable part of the body of Christ as you belong to one another.  Pray that you would value others as a member of the body you are a part of.  Pray for the humility needed to practice this reciprocal belonging to one another.

You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.

In prayer,
Tom

A Place For ME! (Sermon Audio)
by

A Place For ME! (Sermon Audio)

~

This is the audio from the August 28, 2022 sermon, “A Place For Everyone Is A Place For ME!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text:  Joshua 20 & 21, Ephesians 4:1-13

I suspect that every person has times when it feels like everyone belongs except them.  After Israel had the courage to claim God’s promises and all the promised land had been divided among the tribes, there was still the matter of having the courage to make a place for everyone.  As God’s children, and as His church, we are called to live with the courage to proclaim that there exists a place for everyone in God’s kingdom.  That place is for . . .

  • Mercy.  Joshua 20:1-5, Ephesians 4:1-6
    • As Joshua continued following God’s instructions in providing a place in the promised land for everyone, he made certain that mercy would be shown to those who needed it.  We have a place to belong in God’s kingdom because of His mercy extended to us.  It’s because of God’s great mercy that we ought to present ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice.  It is also our awareness of God’s mercy that calls us to extend mercy to others.  Mercy received and mercy given are key elements that are foundational to making every effort when it comes to pursuing unity through making peace with God and with one another.  We help help create a place for everyone when we establish our life as a place for mercy.
  • Encouragement/Equipping.  Joshua 21:43-45, Ephesians 4:11-13
    • As God made sure there was a place for everyone in the promised land, He allotted various towns and pasture lands to those who would be His representatives to the people — the priests and Levites.  While those who would be these special servants of God had no territory of land given to them as a tribe of Israel, God Himself was to be there inheritance, He gave them places to live throughout each of the territories of Israel.  God wanted those who would speak on His behalf to be available to everyone so that each person could be encouraged and equipped by God.  As God’s children, we are called a royal priesthood and He as placed each of us in the midst of communities that need the presence of God to be visible.  We help create a place for everyone when we establish our life as a place of encouraging and equipping.

Today, will you live as one who knows God’s kingdom is for ME?