Bible Lessons

Encouragement and Prayer: Stewardship of People! (3/6/23)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Stewardship of People! (3/6/23)

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This is the audio from the March 6, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“’Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?’  ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied.   He said to them, ‘Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’”
Luke 20:24-25 (NIV)

This week’s prayer focus is about God’s desire that we live as stewards of His.  Perhaps the most difficult part of doing that is the first hurdle of acknowledging His ownership of everything.  Many people hear the word stewardship and their first reaction is to tune out the person speaking because “they’re just wanting my money.”  There are two problems with that thought — one, it assumes stewardship is only about money; and two, it assumes your ownership of anything you’ve been entrusted with.  Godly stewardship recognizes that we do not have anything that we have not received from God, and what we have received God expects us to use for the benefit of others as He advances His kingdom through us.  As you pray this week, ask God to fill you with His perspective on the purpose of “things”.  Pray that you would seek to be a good steward as you spend time listening for how the Owner would want His things used . . . and yes, that includes the money that you think is yours.  Pray that you would learn to live with a loose grip on the things you have been entrusted with.

“And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?’”
Luke 12:42 (NASB)

Pray that you would be known as both faithful and sensible in the way you deal with the people God surrounds you with.  Pray that part of your stewardship would involve giving to others as they have need.

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

In prayer,
Tom

A Road of Ownership! (Sermon Audio)
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A Road of Ownership! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the March 5, 2023 sermon, “A Road of Ownership: What Do You OWN?”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 20:20-26

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.”
Luke 19:41 (NIV)

Today I continued a sermon series with a focus on The Road to Resurrection.  Each week of this series will consider a different glimpse of the life of Jesus during His final week leading up to His death, burial, and resurrection. The road to resurrection included a stop where Jesus was questioned about the paying of taxes to Rome.  In His answer, Jesus defines ownership as being reflected in the image something bears.  As those who are in Christ and bear the image of God, we need to take a new look at what we . . .

  • Owe.  Luke 20:22
    • “Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.   Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.”  Romans 13:7-8 (NIV)
  • Want.  Luke 20:23
    • “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”  Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV)
  • Need.  Luke 20:25-26
    • “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:41-42 (NIV)

Today, will you be a good steward of what you think you OWN?

Encouragement and Prayer: Sorrow Over Disrespect! (3/3/23)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Sorrow Over Disrespect! (3/3/23)

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This is the audio from the March 3, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.”
Luke 19:41 (NIV)

This week’s prayer guide begins a series that will look at snapshots from the week leading up to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  As we consider the path of Jesus to the cross and beyond, we will examine how we are called to walk with Him.  While the week leading to the cross began with great excitement and celebration by the crowd, the response of Jesus was one of great sorrow.  We learn much about being like Jesus when our own road to resurrection through the blood of Jesus begins on a road of sorrow.

“Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling.”
Luke 19:45 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand the reasons Jesus wept.  Pray that your life would show an appropriate honor and respect for the things of God.  Pray for a godly sorrow which would convict you of anything that would be disrespectful.  Pray that the way you honor God and show respect to others would help them see a God who is worthy of all honor.

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: Sorrow Over Destruction! (3/2/23)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Sorrow Over Destruction! (3/2/23)

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This is the audio from the March 2, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.”
Luke 19:41 (NIV)

This week’s prayer guide begins a series that will look at snapshots from the week leading up to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  As we consider the path of Jesus to the cross and beyond, we will examine how we are called to walk with Him.  While the week leading to the cross began with great excitement and celebration by the crowd, the response of Jesus was one of great sorrow.  We learn much about being like Jesus when our own road to resurrection through the blood of Jesus begins on a road of sorrow.

“They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
Luke 19:44 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand the reasons Jesus wept.  Pray that the destruction of the things of this world would not dissuade you from trusting God.  Pray that a sorrow over the destruction caused by the enemy would  lead you to know the protection of God.  Pray for the courage to overcome in a way that helps others see God.

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: Sorrow Over Opposition! (3/1/23)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Sorrow Over Opposition! (3/1/23)

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This is the audio from the March 1, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.”
Luke 19:41 (NIV)

This week’s prayer guide begins a series that will look at snapshots from the week leading up to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  As we consider the path of Jesus to the cross and beyond, we will examine how we are called to walk with Him.  While the week leading to the cross began with great excitement and celebration by the crowd, the response of Jesus was one of great sorrow.  We learn much about being like Jesus when our own road to resurrection through the blood of Jesus begins on a road of sorrow.

“The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side.”
Luke 19:43 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand the reasons Jesus wept.  Pray that the opposition of the enemy would not catch you unprepared.  Pray for a godly sorrow that is concerned about the opposition faced by others.  Pray that you would know and share a God who rescues His people.

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: Sorrow Over Blindness! (2/28/23)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Sorrow Over Blindness! (2/28/23)

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This is the audio from the February 28, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.”
Luke 19:41 (NIV)

This week’s prayer guide begins a series that will look at snapshots from the week leading up to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  As we consider the path of Jesus to the cross and beyond, we will examine how we are called to walk with Him.  While the week leading to the cross began with great excitement and celebration by the crowd, the response of Jesus was one of great sorrow.  We learn much about being like Jesus when our own road to resurrection through the blood of Jesus begins on a road of sorrow.

“If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes.”
Luke 19:42 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand the reasons Jesus wept. Pray that your eyes would be opened to the things of God which bring peace.  Pray that a sorrow over the times of spiritual blindness would lead you to open your eyes fully to the things of God.  Pray that your life would help others to see the things that bring peace.

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

In prayer,
Tom

A Road of Sorrow! (Sermon Audio)
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A Road of Sorrow! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the February 26, 2023 sermon, “A Road of Sorrow: A Time to WEEP!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 19:39-46

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.”
Luke 19:41 (NIV)

Today began a sermon series with a focus on The Road to Resurrection.  Each week of this series will consider a different glimpse of the life of Jesus during His final week leading up to His death, burial, and resurrection.  The series opens with a look at an event that is often overshadowed by the more joyful events of the triumphal entry.  On a day that was filled with much promise and celebration, we find Jesus looking out over Jerusalem and weeping.  As we walk the road to resurrection with Christ, we find that this road of sorrow often brings us face to face with a time to . . .

  • Worship.  Luke 19:39-40
    • I suspect that the attempts of the religious leaders to silence the crowd’s worship of Jesus contributed to the sorrow He felt as Jesus looked out over Jerusalem.  Yet, on our road of sorrow, worship is a powerful way to help us endure the difficulties of life.  Jesus knew who He was and the worship that he deserved . . . and knew that His Father would see to it that appropriate worship would be expressed even if it required the rocks to cry out.  When our road of sorrow produces genuine worship of God, we find ourselves being lifted by the One we cry out to.
  • Envision.  Luke 19:41-42
    • Sorrow has a way of obscuring our vision and even blinding us to the reality of both our situation and our hope.  As Jesus wept, He longed for the people of His day to see what could be theirs if only they would open their eyes and turn to Him.  When we see our road of sorrow as part of the road to resurrection, we allow God’s Spirit to help us to see beyond the temporary to that which is eternal.
  • Escape.  Luke 19:43-44
    • Godly sorrow is designed by God to produce repentance and when we turn to God in repentance, we find a way of escape exists not so much from our circumstances, but from the despair the enemy wants to bring upon us because of those circumstances.  As Jesus wept over Jerusalem, He offered Himself as the way of escape from the judgment to come.  When our road of sorrow fills us with great discouragement, God want to use that season of life to draw us even nearer to Himself so that we would take refuge in Him.
  • Pray.  Luke 19:45-46
    • It appears to me that the road of sorrow traveled by Jesus was amplified by the way people had become disconnected from God.  Even the place that had been designated for prayer and the worship of God had been turned into something ordinary with a focus on self rather than God.  As you consider the response of Jesus to those who had turned the temple into something profane, it is important to note that in Christ the temple of the living God is no longer made with bricks and stone, but with the people who belong to Him.  When the road of sorrow tempts us to treat our self and others in inappropriate ways, God calls us to make His house a house of prayer.

Today, what will you do when your road of sorrow creates a time to WEEP?

Encouragement and Prayer: Sorrow Over Silence! (2/27/23)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Sorrow Over Silence! (2/27/23)

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This is the audio from the February 27, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it.”
Luke 19:41 (NIV)

This week’s prayer guide begins a series that will look at snapshots from the week leading up to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  As we consider the path of Jesus to the cross and beyond, we will examine how we are called to walk with Him.  While the week leading to the cross began with great excitement and celebration by the crowd, the response of Jesus was one of great sorrow.  We learn much about being like Jesus when our own road to resurrection through the blood of Jesus begins on a road of sorrow.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand the reasons Jesus wept.  Pray that you would know the godly sorrow in your own life that would lead to your repentance.  Pray that your times of sorrow would not only reflect the sorrow of Jesus, but would know and express the comfort of Jesus also.  Pray that God would move you to a place of weeping over the lost and confused in your community.

“‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’”
Luke 19:40 (NIV)

Pray that your life would express a praise of God that is appropriate and fitting.  Pray that a sorrow over the times of your own silence would lead to a purer representation of Jesus as your life cries out His name.  Pray that the people around you would learn to replace sorrow with praise as they draw near to Jesus.

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

In prayer,
Tom