Teaching Podcasts

Encouragement and Prayer: Growing Together Through Encouragement! (10/01/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Growing Together Through Encouragement! (10/01/21)

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This is the audio from the October 1, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will have us praying about how God would have us grow together in love as the body of Christ.  With Christ as the head, God’s desire is that we would look to Him as the glue which holds us together both individually and as a church, and equips us to work in ways that helps us to grow together.

As you pray this week, ask God to help you submit to the Lordship of Christ in everything.  Pray that your interactions with people would be an encouragement that builds them up.  Pray that you would know the encouragement that God desires for you to receive and that you would grow together with others as you encourage 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

Encouragement and Prayer: Growing Together With Speech! (09/30/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Growing Together With Speech! (09/30/21)

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This is the audio from the September 30, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will have us praying about how God would have us grow together in love as the body of Christ.  With Christ as the head, God’s desire is that we would look to Him as the glue which holds us together both individually and as a church, and equips us to work in ways that helps us to grow together.

As you pray this week, ask God to help you submit to the Lordship of Christ in everything.  Pray that you would set a guard on your mouth so that your speech would build up those who listen.  Pray that God would help you to learn what others need so that your words would be helpful in growing together.

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: Growing Together As the Church! (09/29/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Growing Together As the Church! (09/29/21)

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This is the audio from the September 29, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“So it is with you.  Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.”
1 Corinthians 14:12 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will have us praying about how God would have us grow together in love as the body of Christ.  With Christ as the head, God’s desire is that we would look to Him as the glue which holds us together both individually and as a church, and equips us to work in ways that helps us to grow together.

As you pray this week, ask God to help you submit to the Lordship of Christ in everything.  Pray that you would use and grow in the gifts God has given you and that your use of them would build up the church.  Pray that your eagerness to know the gifting of God’s Spirit would be matched by a desire to excel in growing together.

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: Growing Together As Neighbors! (09/28/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Growing Together As Neighbors! (09/28/21)

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This is the audio from the September 28, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”
Romans 15:2 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will have us praying about how God would have us grow together in love as the body of Christ.  With Christ as the head, God’s desire is that we would look to Him as the glue which holds us together both individually and as a church, and equips us to work in ways that helps us to grow together.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you submit to the Lordship of Christ in everything.  Pray that your growth in Christ would lead you to a greater love of God and of people.  Pray for a greater understanding of the work God has created for you that benefits the whole body.  Pray that love would guide your interactions and relationships with others.  Pray for a growing together in love that would represent Jesus well to all who are watching and listening.  Pray for the humility needed to help others grow and be built up together in love.

Pray that you would serve your neighbors in the name of Jesus in ways that help them to grow.  Pray for the humility needed to see how being considerate of one another helps the body of Christ to grow together in love.  Pray for wisdom in knowing how to do what is good for others.

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

In prayer,
Tom

Renewed As You PRAY (Sermon Audio)
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Renewed As You PRAY (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio and outline from the September 19, 2021 sermon, “Renewed As You PRAY”, shared by Tom Lemler at the South City Christian Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Text:  Colossians 4:2-6, Isaiah 40:30-31

While using the same outline as a sermon I preached at the Goshen Christian Church in August, this message was worked on specifically for the people of Lake Charles and the South City Christian Church to kick off a series on being renewed.  For me, one of the comforting aspects of the Isaiah 40:30-31 passage is the acknowledgement that even youths grow weary and tired.  It serves as a reminder that we all experience circumstances of life that wear us down and we find ourselves in need of renewal.  The good news is that God says those who wait upon Him, or put their hope in Him, will be renewed.  Learning to do that can be a complicated thing, but a great place to start is in learning to be renewed as you . . .

  • Pause.  Colossians 4:2, Proverbs 24:32
    • Learning to pause can be a valuable tool to help us grow in a lifestyle of prayer.  It is often the lack of a pause that gets us into trouble as our nature has a tendency to want to respond out of the emotions that are stirred up by what we see and hear.  When we watch and pause, we take time to observe carefully and seek God’s perspective on what is really going on.  Practicing the pause is done when we spend time with God in prayer and His Word so that we are the sheep who hear His voice and know His voice.
  • Request.  Colossians 4:3-4, Philippians 4:6
    • By beginning with a pause that seeks God above all else, our requests are refined to remove the typical selfishness that seems to be a part of mankind’s nature.  Watching what is really going on around us should lead us to requests that God would use us to speak boldly and lovingly about the good news of Jesus.  When we are devoted to prayer in a way that is watchful and thankful, our requests of God tend to have a more eternal perspective as we realize the temporary nature of this life on earth.
  • Act.  Colossians 4:5, Proverbs 3:27
    • Learning to watch and act means that we are listening to God and being obedient when He calls us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the people around us.  Many times we make our requests known to God and then we sit back and expect God or someone else to make them happen.  Learning to pause and request doesn’t negate the need to act — it just puts the action that we take into the proper perspective of being directed by God.  When you pray and make your requests known to God, especially requests for others, it is important that you also listen for the great possibility that God will call you to act in response to that request.
  • Yield.  Colossians 4:6, Matthew 6:10
    • This may be the most difficult part of learning to watch and pray for many people.  Yielding to God’s authority in all things means that we are not in charge.  When we learn to let our words be seasoned with grace, we yield the need to be right about everything and we remove ourselves from the position of pretending we are God.  Even when we pause, request, and act, we must be careful that our will is fully yielded to God and that we are not simply using a false spirituality to push our ways on others.  Learning to watch and pray leads us to a point of joining in the prayer of Jesus, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

What do you need to work on in order to be renewed as you PRAY?

What could happen if you were to PRAY throughout your neighborhood?

Encouragement and Prayer: The Gift of Work Which Helps Others! (09/08/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: The Gift of Work Which Helps Others! (09/08/21)

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This is the audio from the September 8, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Acts 20:35 (NIV)

This week’s prayer focus is about knowing the gift of work.  God’s desire is that we would learn to enjoy both the fruit of our labor and the gift of having work that we can do.  While sin brought with it great hardship and toil, God had given Adam and Eve the work of caring for the garden, and enjoying its bounty, prior to sin coming into the world. 

As you pray this week, ask God to help you see work as a gift rather than a curse.  Pray that you would live with an awareness of how God wants your work to help others.  Pray that your work would be a blessing to you as it allows you to give to those in need.

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: The Gift of Timely Work! (09/07/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: The Gift of Timely Work! (09/07/21)

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This is the audio from the September 7, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”
John 9:4 (NIV)

This week’s prayer focus is about knowing the gift of work.  God’s desire is that we would learn to enjoy both the fruit of our labor and the gift of having work that we can do.  While sin brought with it great hardship and toil, God had given Adam and Eve the work of caring for the garden, and enjoying its bounty, prior to sin coming into the world. 

As you pray this week, ask God to help you see work as a gift rather than a curse.  Pray that you would know, and do, the work which needs done now.  Pray that you would live with a sense of urgency when it comes to doing the work God has called His children to.  Pray that your work would help others know of the nearness of Christ and of His return.

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: The Gift of Work Which Honors God! (09/06/21)
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Encouragement and Prayer: The Gift of Work Which Honors God! (09/06/21)

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This is the audio from the September 6, 2021 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor — it is the gift of God.” 
Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 (NIV)

This week’s prayer focus is about knowing the gift of work.  God’s desire is that we would learn to enjoy both the fruit of our labor and the gift of having work that we can do.  While sin brought with it great hardship and toil, God had given Adam and Eve the work of caring for the garden, and enjoying its bounty, prior to sin coming into the world. 

As you pray this week, ask God to help you see work as a gift rather than a curse.  Pray that you would daily go about your work as doing it for the Lord.  Pray that you would find value in your work and that you would value the work done by others.  Pray for a greater recognition of how God is using your work to meet your needs and the needs of others.  Pray that the value of your work would not be based on an income, but rather on an obedience to God.

The Gift of Work Which Honors God

“He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.”
John 7:18 (NIV)

Pray for the humility needed to let your work bring honor to God rather than yourself.  Pray that you would know the gift of integrity that comes from work which honors God.

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

In prayer,
Tom