Life Lessons

Let Freedom RING! (Sermon Audio)
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Let Freedom RING! (Sermon Audio)

 

This is the audio from the July 5, 2020 sermon, “Let Freedom RING”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

Text: James 1:19-27

Living in a land where we tend to worship freedom and independence, I believe it is important for Christians to deliberately pause from time to time and examine God’s perspective on the freedom we have been given in Christ.  When we choose to celebrate freedom and to let it ring across the land, it is important for the Christ follower to make sure that Christ is at the center of the freedom we live and the freedom we proclaim.

So, living free in Christ means we let freedom:

  • Rule:
    • James 1:19-20, Colossians 3:15 — When we let freedom rule, we must apply that freedom in such a way that we are “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”  When our freedom comes from Christ, we should quickly learn that the world doesn’t revolve around us and that others have the same freedom.  Allowing freedom to rule for everyone means we will make every effort to understand them through careful listening and paying attention.  The “quick, slow, slow” approach helps us to allow others the same freedom in life that we want for our self.
  • Inspect: 
    • James 1:21, Proverbs 20:11 — When we let freedom inspect, we open ourselves up fully to God so that He can deal with any remnants of sin and self that we are still enslaved to.  Living free in Christ may make all things permissible, but God makes it clear that not all things are beneficial.  We let freedom ring when we allow it to inspect how our thoughts, words, and actions build up or tear down those around us.  An inspected freedom pays close attention to our actions so that they truly represent one who is a child of God. 
  • Nurture:
    • James 1:22-25, Galatians 5:13 — When we let freedom nurture, we gaze intently into the perfect law of God and allow it to teach and train us in all righteousness.  When we are nurtured by freedom, we begin to see the laws of God as “safety fences” which define the boundaries of that which is good, pleasing, and acceptable to God.  When we are nurtured by freedom, we soon discover that our ability to nurture others in their walk with God has grown and become more effective.
  • Glorify:
    • James 1:27, Romans 6:22-23 — When we let freedom glorify, it is quickly apparent as to what type of freedom we are living by.  A maturing freedom in Christ will always glorify Him, a selfish freedom found in the world will always glorify self.  As we live life each day, we ought to be mindful of who will be glorified by what we set out to do.  You see, we often think of freedom as being all about having the ability to do whatever we want, yet in practice it also means we have the freedom not to do the things which would dishonor God.

As you let freedom RING on this 4th of July and every day that you live, will you surrender fully to Christ and let freedom Rule, Inspect, Nurture, and Glorify in your life so that Christ is seen through you? 

In prayer,
Tom

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Encouragement & Prayer (7/05/20)

 

This is the audio from the July 5, 2020 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

In Christ: I Have Been Given Precious Promises
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In Christ: I Have Been Given Precious Promises

It is always good to be reminded of who we are in Christ, especially when we find ourselves living in a world filled with chaos and confusion.  Today completes the thirty-two devotions from my book, “In Christ Alone”.  Each devotion is designed to help us look to Christ for our identity in the midst of a myriad of sources trying to define who we are.

Here is day thirty-two with an important reminder that in Christ you, and those around you, have a high priest who understands each one of us.

I Have Been Given Precious Promises

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.“
2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)

As you consider the previous thirty-one topics in this series, what have been your favorite promises of identity that you have in Christ?  Are there any that surprised you or that you struggle with accepting?  What is the greatest promise a person has made to you?  Have they kept it?  Do you trust God to keep His promises?  What things have you learned through this devotional journey?

We live in a culture where broken promises seem to be as common, maybe even more so, than kept promises.  I am glad that God has shown Himself trustworthy in my life to keep His promises.  I am thankful that in Christ He has given me the precious promises of a new identity and an escape from the consequences of sin.  As you pray, ask God to continually grow your trust in His promises.  Pray that you would understand and value the precious promises you have in Christ.  Pray that you would grasp just how high and wide and deep and great the Father’s love is for those who are in Christ.  Pray that the people around you would come to know the promises of God.

In prayer,

Tom  

Freedom
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Freedom

Here is a re-posting of a poem I wrote on July 4, 2015.

Tom's avatarTom's Treasure

As we celebrate
     the Fourth of July.
How many people
     will ask themselves, “Why”?
The time off of work
     and cookouts are great.
But what is the reason
     that you celebrate?

The “land of the brave”
     and “home of the free”.
Do we live like that?
     Is that what you see?
We lock all our doors,
     we’re afraid to go out.
And sharing the truth
     causes people to shout.

Somehow we think,
     if I’m louder than they.
Then all of the people
     must do things my way.
The laws pile up,
     the rules list grows long.
And all it creates
     is more chance to do wrong.

We all want our freedom
     to do what we like.
From the old and the gray,
   …

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Encouragement & Prayer (7/04/20)

 

This is the audio from the July 4, 2020 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

In Christ: I Have an Understanding High Priest
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In Christ: I Have an Understanding High Priest

It is always good to be reminded of who we are in Christ, especially when we find ourselves living in a world filled with chaos and confusion.  Over the next 2 days I will be sharing the devotions from my book, “In Christ Alone”.  Each devotion is designed to help us look to Christ for our identity in the midst of a myriad of sources trying to define who we are.

Here is day thirty-one with an important reminder that in Christ you, and those around you, have a high priest who understands each one of us.

I Have an Understanding High Priest

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. “
Hebrews 4:14-15 (NIV)

Have you ever been in a situation where someone has represented you before another person?  What important characteristics would you want in a person who did that?  How much would you want them to know and understand about you?  Have you ever been accused of something simply because the accuser had absolutely no understanding of your actions or motives?

If I were to ever find myself in need of legal representation, high on my list of priorities would be to make every effort to find someone who had been in my situation so they would have a greater and more personal understanding.  In Christ we have such a person representing us before God.  As you pray, thank God for supplying His Son to not only represent you, but to live life on earth in a way that you can know He understands you.  Pray for a greater trust in Jesus as your intermediary between you and God.  Pray that the people around you would turn to Jesus as their understanding high priest.

In prayer,

Tom  

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Encouragement & Prayer (7/03/20)

 

This is the audio from the July 3, 2020 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

In Christ: I Have a Brother
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In Christ: I Have a Brother

It is always good to be reminded of who we are in Christ, especially when we find ourselves living in a world filled with chaos and confusion.  Over the next 3 days I will be sharing the devotions from my book, “In Christ Alone”.  Each devotion is designed to help us look to Christ for our identity in the midst of a myriad of sources trying to define who we are.

Here is day thirty with an important reminder that in Christ you, and those around you, have a good, good, big brother.

I Have a Brother

“Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.“
Hebrews 2:11 (NIV)

Do you have siblings?  If so, what has your relationship been with them throughout your life?  Do you have people in your life that have become like siblings to you even if they are not blood relatives?  What makes them seem like siblings?  What kind of brother or sister would your family, or the people around you, say you are?  What would you say is the best character trait that a sibling could have?

Having a brother can mean different things to people depending on the relationships they had, or have, within their family.  For me, it means we belong together and we share a common set of values and beliefs even if our faithfulness in practicing them is at different levels.  As you pray, ask God to help you appreciate the family you have in Christ.  Pray that you would value your identity in the family of God.  Pray that you would grow in your faithfulness of practicing the family values and beliefs that are found in Christ.  Pray that the people around you would know that they too could be part of this family and have a brother in Christ.

In prayer,

Tom