Bible Lessons

Serving God: Friendship With God
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Serving God: Friendship With God

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day seven in the seventh week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Friendship With God

“You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.   And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,’ and he was called God’s friend.   You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.“
James 2:22-24 (NIV)

How would you describe your relationship with God?  How do you think God would describe it?  Is it easy or difficult for you to think of yourself as God’s friend?  Why?  What would you need to do for your friendship with God to grow?  Are you doing it?  What would He need to do?  Has He done it?  What role does belief have in your friendship with God?  How does a growing friendship with God help you as you serve? 

Sometimes we know ourselves so well that the idea of friendship with God seems impossible.  Fortunately, God knows us even better than we know our self and He desires that we would be friends with Him.  Our friendship with God forms and grows much like any other.  It involves a belief that He desires such a friendship and a growing trust that He will honor our relationship with Him.  When we have a friendship with God that is pure, we are able to know how to serve through friendship in ways that please God.

As you pray, ask God to remove any doubts you may have about His desire for you to be His friend.  Pray that you would understand God’s perspective on belief, action, and friendship as you apply those attributes in the way you serve.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Sacrificial Friendships (02/26/21)

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This is the audio from the February 26, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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

In prayer,
Tom

Serving God: Sacrificial Friendships
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Serving God: Sacrificial Friendships

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day six in the seventh week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Sacrificial Friendships

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.“
John 15:12-14 (NIV)

What would you give to help a friend?  What wouldn’t you be willing to give?  Are you sure?  What do you see as the purpose of your friendships?  Do you live as if your friendships are primarily for your benefit or theirs?  What would they say?  How willingly do you give of yourself to those you serve?  What things do you feel you are sacrificing to serve in the way that you do?  Are you happy about doing so?

While most of us can probably quote the scripture, “It is more blessed to give than receive”, we tend to have a difficult time putting it into practice on a regular basis.  We may give, but we often miss the “blessed” part because we aren’t really giving anything that costs us in a sacrificial way.  Serving well requires that we give of ourselves in so many sacrificial ways.  We must give of our time, our resources, our strength, our comfort, our emotions, our “whatever it takes”.  Serving through friendship will require that we lay down our self to help another.

As you pray, ask God to help you see an accurate view of your current friendships.  Pray that you would grow in being a friend that lives sacrificially.  Pray that your serving others would reflect a Christ-like attitude of sacrificial friendship.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Pleasant Friendships (02/25/21)

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This is the audio from the February 25, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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

In prayer,
Tom

Serving God: Pleasant Friendships
by

Serving God: Pleasant Friendships

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day five in the seventh week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Pleasant Friendships

“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.“
Proverbs 27:9 (NIV)

If you had an entire day free, who would you spend it with?  Why?  Do you have friends who you trust to give you good advice whether you seek it or not?  Which is easier, to give advice when it is wanted or unwanted?  What does that say about friends who give godly advice even when you don’t want to hear it?  Are you more likely to give counsel that is needed and helpful or simply what the other person wants to hear?  Why? 

I don’t know anyone who enjoys being deceived.  Or do I?  Sometimes we don’t want to hear the truth so we surround ourselves with people who will tell us what we want to hear instead of what we need to hear — in other words, people who will deceive us.  This creates a huge issue in a friendship because we really know they’re not honest about the issue at hand and we begin to wonder what else they’re not honest about.  As we serve, it is important that we maintain pleasant friendships by having the courage to give earnest counsel.

As you pray, ask God to help you examine the counsel you usually give others.  Pray that the counsel and advice you share with your friends would be both truthful and loving.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Careful Friendships (02/24/21)

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This is the audio from the February 24, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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

In prayer,
Tom

Serving God: Careful Friendships
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Serving God: Careful Friendships

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day four in the seventh week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Careful Friendships

“A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.“
Proverbs 12:26 (NIV)

How much influence do your friends have on you?  How much do you influence them?  Have you ever been hurt by someone claiming to be your friend?  Have you ever hurt someone who claimed you as a friend?  Do you consider friendship to be something that is given or earned?  Why?  What are some dangers of not being careful in friendships as you serve?  Is it possible to be too careful?  Why?  How will careful friendships improve your serving today?

The people we associate with most closely often have the ability to influence us for good or bad, depending on their character and ours.  We also are able to influence others for good or bad through our friendships with them.  As we serve, it is important that we develop careful friendships where we build one another up for God’s glory.  Some of those we serve need a friend that will listen to them, some need a friend that will tell them God’s truth, most need both.

As you pray, ask God to guard your friendships.  Pray that you would be careful with the direction your friendships lead you and your friends.  Pray that you would be careful in the way you use the influence of your friendships with those you serve.

In prayer,

Tom

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Encouragement and Prayer: Intercessory Friendships (02/23/21)

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This is the audio from the February 23, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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

In prayer,
Tom