This is the audio from the July 11, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV)
This week we will focus our prayer time on our need to guard our heart! The Bible makes it clear that our actions are a reflection of our heart, so it becomes vital that we pay attention to what our heart contains. Jesus taught that the command to not commit adultery was more about a heart problem than it was a physical problem. God’s desire is that we would learn to guard our heart and mind from the temptations that want to take root and destroy us. It is much easier to blame someone else when we give in to temptation than admit we have failed to guard our heart in Christ Jesus.
“I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.”
Psalm 16:7 (NIV)
As you pray this week, ask God to help you to not only guard your heart and mind, but that you would not be a stumbling block in another person’s efforts to guard their heart. Pray that you would always heed the instructions of the Lord’s counsel. Pray that your heart would be protected at all times by the counsel of God’s Word. Pray that you would know God’s Spirit as the counselor who fills your heart with godly instruction.
You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.
This is the audio from the July 10, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV)
This week we will focus our prayer time on our need to guard our heart! The Bible makes it clear that our actions are a reflection of our heart, so it becomes vital that we pay attention to what our heart contains. Jesus taught that the command to not commit adultery was more about a heart problem than it was a physical problem. God’s desire is that we would learn to guard our heart and mind from the temptations that want to take root and destroy us. It is much easier to blame someone else when we give in to temptation than admit we have failed to guard our heart in Christ Jesus. As you pray this week, ask God to help you to not only guard your heart and mind, but that you would not be a stumbling block in another person’s efforts to guard their heart. Pray that you would notice all the ways the things you allow into your life influence what you do. Pray that your heart would always be protected by God’s Spirit within you.
“He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart.”
Psalm 15:2 (NIV)
Pray that you would have a heart guarded by words of truth. Pray that you would both seek truth and speak truth at all times. Pray that the truth of God’s Word would fill you in such a way that it stands guard over what comes out through your words.
You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.
This is the audio from the July 9, 2023 sermon, “Called By God: A Matter of the Heart”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.
Text: Amos 6
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Today I continued a sermon series which is based from the Old Testament book of Amos. If you’re wondering how applicable the message from this book of the Bible can be today, consider the following description of the world in the days of Amos. See if this sounds familiar at all to the world we currently live in.
“A spirit of self-sufficiency and smug complacency thrived on material prosperity. The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer. Idolatry, hypocrisy, moral corruption, and social injustices were everywhere. The nation was truly on the brink of disaster.” (Irving Jensen)
As God speaks to His people through the prophet Amos, He makes it clear that simply going through the motions or being born into the right family is not enough to be right with God. As God looked at the people of Israel and Judah, and as He looks at us, it is the condition of our heart that is most noticeable. The difference between a heart that will fall and a heart that is full can be seen in the single letter that is different between fall and full. A heart that will fall is a heart with arrogance at its core. The heart that is full is one with understanding being its central feature. God sees through all of our facades and pretenses and looks directly into the heart of the matter — our . . .
Head: (Colossians 3:2)
While it may seem strange to talk about the head being involved in a matter of the heart, it is important to note that when the Bible talks about our heart it generally refers to the very core of who we are and why we do what we do. Our head is definitely involved in our decision to love God with a whole heart or not. The matter of the heart being right with God requires that we set our mind on things above so that we move from a heart of arrogance to a heart of understanding.
Emotions: — (Jeremiah 17:9)
Of all the characteristics we’ll talk about today in regard to a matter of the heart, the matter of our emotions is likely the one that most corresponds to our cultures view of heart. We use the heart symbol to express a love that is based on feelings of good toward someone else. While we need to be aware of our emotions and pay attention to how God uses them to guide and direct us at times, we must also recognize in this regard our heart can be deceitful and lead us into making poor decisions. The matter of the heart being right with God requires that we put our emotions in submission to God as we move from a heart of arrogance to a heart of understanding.
Actions: — (Matthew 12:34-35)
A matter of the heart will always be reflected in our actions. Whether it was the people of Israel and Judah in the days of Amos, the religious leaders in the days of Jesus, or you and I today, God makes it clear that what is in our heart will eventually come out to reveal who we are. The condition of our heart is what produces our words and actions not only in our relationship with God but also in our relationships with one another. The matter of the heart being right with God requires that we pay attention to our actions so we make the appropriate adjustments to move from a heart of arrogance to a heart of understanding.
Response: — (1 Peter 3:15)
I suspect that most of us have had times when our response to others, or even to God, has not been what it should have been. There are a lot of factors in that, but at the core of it is an overflow of the heart at the moment in that we become defensive rather than learning. God’s desire is that our heart would be completely filled with Him so that our response to others is one filled with gentleness and respect. The matter of the heart being right with God requires that we pay attention to how we respond so that we can make the adjustments necessary to move from a heart of arrogance to a heart of understanding.
Time: — (2 Corinthians 6:2)
While we often don’t recognize it, or even feel like it is true, time is the great equalizer. Each day that God gives us contains the same 24 hours no matter who we are or what we do. When we’re honest with ourselves, we realize that the only time we really have is the moment that is now. Because our responsibilities and commitments vary greatly from person to person and between stages of life, it can be easy to lose sight of what is really important when it comes to time. The time to be right with God is always right now. The matter of the heart being right with God requires that we examine this very moment of time so that today we move from a heart of arrogance to a heart of understanding.
This is the audio from the July 7, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.
“Seek good, not evil, that you may live.
Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.” Amos 5:14 (NIV)
This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on God’s desire that we, and those around us, would return to Him whenever we stray. One of the greatest promises of God is that there is always a way home from wherever we are.
“But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.”
Hosea 12:6 (NIV)
As you pray this week, consider if there are areas of your life in which you need to return to God. Pray that love and justice would always be at the core of your relationship with God. Pray that the people around you would return to God to find true love and justice. Pray that you would not give up on yourself, others, or God as you maintain love and justice.
You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.
This is the audio from the July 6, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.
“Seek good, not evil, that you may live.
Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.” Amos 5:14 (NIV)
This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on God’s desire that we, and those around us, would return to Him whenever we stray. One of the greatest promises of God is that there is always a way home from wherever we are.
“I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.”
Jeremiah 24:7 (NIV)
As you pray this week, consider if there are areas of your life in which you need to return to God. Pray that you would accurately examine how much of your heart you have surrendered to God. Pray that you would realize the heart God has given you is one that was created to seek after Him with a whole heart.
You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.
This is the audio from the July 5, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.
“Seek good, not evil, that you may live.
Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.” Amos 5:14 (NIV)
This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on God’s desire that we, and those around us, would return to Him whenever we stray. One of the greatest promises of God is that there is always a way home from wherever we are.
“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.”
Psalm 126:5-6 (NIV)
As you pray this week, consider if there are areas of your life in which you need to return to God. Pray that God would give you a glimpse beyond your current sorrow to see the joy that comes in His harvest. Pray for a heart that goes out to people as you plant the seeds of the gospel through all that you say and do.
You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.
This is the audio from the July 4, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.
“Seek good, not evil, that you may live.
Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.” Amos 5:14 (NIV)
This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on God’s desire that we, and those around us, would return to Him whenever we stray. One of the greatest promises of God is that there is always a way home from wherever we are.
“If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate.”
2 Chronicles 30:9 (NIV)
As you pray this week, consider if there are areas of your life in which you need to return to God. Pray that God’s compassion would be evident to others in the way He treats you. Pray that you would have compassion for others because of the compassion God has for you.
You can find the live video feeds of these encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page.
This is the audio from the July 2, 2023 sermon, “Called By God: Repent NOW”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.
Text: Amos 5:4-6, 14-15
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)
Today I continued a sermon series which is based from the Old Testament book of Amos. If you’re wondering how applicable the message from this book of the Bible can be today, consider the following description of the world in the days of Amos. See if this sounds familiar at all to the world we currently live in.
“A spirit of self-sufficiency and smug complacency thrived on material prosperity. The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer. Idolatry, hypocrisy, moral corruption, and social injustices were everywhere. The nation was truly on the brink of disaster.” (Irving Jensen)
The story of Amos is not only about God calling ordinary people to do extraordinary things, it is also about God calling His people to return . . . to come home. The way of returning always requires that we change direction in what the Bible calls repentance. When God’s Word convicts us and calls for repentance, the best response is to repent . . .
Noticeably:
Repentance may be about changing our mind, and it may well begin in the mind, but true and godly repentance will always involve a noticeable change. It can be easy to go about the motions that give a casual observer the impression you desire, but real change stand up to the scrutiny of examination. When we turn, or return, toward God in repentance, He begins a work in us that should be visible in such a way that people see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Obediently: —
Rather than being about judgment or condemnation, the repentance God calls us to is a restoration of obedience. The change of direction we choose to make becomes led by our desire to obey God’s Word as we look to Him for help in doing so. Our attitude and desires change so that our obedience is not done out of compulsion, but rather out of love. When we turn, or return, toward God in repentance, He creates both the desire and ability within us for a life of obedience.
Worshipfully: —
One result of our responding to God’s call for repentance ought to be an increase in our offering of worship to Him. It is through repentance that we allow God to examine us fully and purify our heart and mind so our worship flows freely from a life devoted to Him. Rather than allowing our sin to distance us from God, repentance invites God in to clean up our mess so that nothing would hinder our worship. When we turn, or return, to God in repentance, He creates within us a clean heart which can worship Him fully.
Tom's Treasure 