God’s Word

Encouragement and Prayer: Faithful In Service! (11/29/23)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Faithful In Service! (11/29/23)

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This is the audio from the November 29, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“’Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’”
Luke 19:17 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will be about being faithful.  I know of no greater pursuit in life than to live in such a way that when my time on earth is complete I hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  It seems as if every day we are faced with one test or another regarding our decision to be faithful.  Being faithful requires a commitment beyond all others because it demands that we don’t give up.   Pray that you would grow each day as you seek to be faithful in the things that matter to God.

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.”
1 Timothy 1:12 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you examine how faithful you are even in the “little things” of life.  Pray that you would seek God for the strength required to be faithful in serving.  Pray that you would grasp the importance of being chosen by God to be one of His faithful servants.  Pray that you would serve faithfully.

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: Faithful In Trust! (11/28/23)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Faithful In Trust! (11/28/23)

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

“’Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’”
Luke 19:17 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will be about being faithful.  I know of no greater pursuit in life than to live in such a way that when my time on earth is complete I hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  It seems as if every day we are faced with one test or another regarding our decision to be faithful.  Being faithful requires a commitment beyond all others because it demands that we don’t give up.   Pray that you would grow each day as you seek to be faithful in the things that matter to God.

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”
1 Corinthians 4:2 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you examine how faithful you are even in the “little things” of life.  Pray that you would live in such a way that others trust you because you have been proven faithful.  Pray that you would remain steadfast in your trust of God because He has been proven faithful.  Pray that you would be faithful with the trust God has shown to you.

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: Faithful In Prayer! (11/27/23)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Faithful In Prayer! (11/27/23)

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

“’Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’”
Luke 19:17 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will be about being faithful.  I know of no greater pursuit in life than to live in such a way that when my time on earth is complete I hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  It seems as if every day we are faced with one test or another regarding our decision to be faithful.  Being faithful requires a commitment beyond all others because it demands that we don’t give up.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you examine how faithful you are even in the “little things” of life.  Pray that you would grow each day as you seek to be faithful in the things that matter to God.  Pray that you would look forward to the happiness that comes from being faithful, even if the journey toward that happiness seems long and difficult.  Pray that you would pay attention to the areas in your life that where faithfulness often seems elusive.  Pray for the courage to be faithful in all things — whether large or small.  Pray that you would know the joy of hearing Jesus say, “Well done!”.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Romans 12:11 (NIV)

Ask God to help you develop a lifestyle of prayer that keeps you from giving up.  Ask God to help you know how to pray in times of hope and in times of affliction — and in all times in between.

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

In prayer,
Tom

Good News: An Upward MOVE! (Sermon Audio)
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Good News: An Upward MOVE! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the November 26, 2023 sermon, “Good News: An Upward MOVE”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 19:1-27

“’Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’”
Luke 19:17 (NIV)

Today I continued a series from the gospel of Luke as we gaze deeply into God’s Word to find the good news of Jesus shared with us by Luke the physician.  As we continue gazing into the gospel of Luke, we find the story of a man who desperately wanted to see Jesus and a parable Jesus told in response to His statement of purpose.  What began as an upward move by Zacchaeus simply so he could get a better view quickly became instruction on how we can make an upward move that leads to eternal life.  When we realize we are part of the lost which the Son of Man came to seek and to save, we turn to God with an upward . . .

  • Motivation: — (Luke 19:1-4)

    • When we set out in pursuit of a God, it generally doesn’t take long before we run into one obstacle or another.  For a man named Zacchaeus, one of the obstacles in seeing Jesus was his short stature.  Rather than allowing the obstacle to keep him from Jesus, Zacchaeus was motivated to climb upward just to get a glimpse of Jesus as He passed by.  When we live with an upward motivation, we live with an unwavering pursuit of Jesus that keeps us focused on the eternal goal.

  • Obedience: — (Luke 19:5-10)

    • Even with an upward motivation that helped Zacchaeus see Jesus, he was still left with a choice regarding his response to the encounter.  When Jesus stops at the very spot where Zacchaeus had climbed the tree and calls out for him to come down so that He can visit his house, a decision must be made regarding a willingness to obey.  We find that the response of Zacchaeus goes beyond simply climbing down the tree and taking Jesus home with him, he displays an upward focused response which seeks to excel in obedience to God’s Word in making things right with those he had cheated.  When we live with an upward obedience, we live with a deliberate decision to obey God’s Word in all things.

  • Value: — (Luke 19:11-13)

    • As the crowds mutter about the inappropriateness of Jesus spending time with Zacchaeus, Jesus responds with a parable which shows the value of being faithful with all that is entrusted to us by God.  The people were expecting the kingdom of God to show up at any moment and to look like they were imagining it — victorious over the Roman empire.  In their version, they were the heroes and people like Zacchaeus had no place in it.  As Jesus calls us to lift our gaze upward, He shows that our opinion of who ought to be in charge doesn’t excuse us from a faithful obedience to the One who is really in charge.  The stuff of this world only has real value as we use it for the sake of the King.  When we live with an upward value, we begin to store up treasure in heaven rather than investing in the things of this world.

  • Expression: — (Luke 19:14-17)

    • As the parable continues, we find that the subjects of the man who would be proclaimed king did not want him to rule over them.  Yet in the midst of such feelings, there were those who took what was given to them by the king and used it for the king’s benefit.  God doesn’t seek our approval to be King and He doesn’t need it.  In fact, even when we object through a life that seeks to serve self, God continues to entrust us with tangible and intangible gifts with a desire that our expressions of those gifts would glorify Him.  It is our upward motivation, obedience, and value which leads to the highest expression possible toward us — “Well done!”.  When we live with an upward expression, we insist on using the things of this world for the good of God’s kingdom with a goal of hearing Him say well done.

Today, how will you pursue God with an upward MOVE?

Encouragement and Prayer: Pray For Restoration! (11/22/23)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Pray For Restoration! (11/22/23)

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This is the audio from the November 22, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
Luke 18:1 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will be about our need to pray!  I suspect one of the big reasons we need to seek God’s help in our prayer life is the instruction to “always pray”.  If God had said to simply pray when you feel like it or when it’s convenient, most of us could handle that.  But devoting ourselves to prayer is an entirely different task.  When we go to God about our prayer life, we open our self up to His instruction and guidance in the way we relate to Him.

“I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.”
Hebrews 13:19 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you examine just how devoted to prayer you are.  Ask God to help you notice those who are distant and need to be restored.  Pray that you would not only be restored to God, but that you would seek God’s help in seeing people restored to one another.  Pray about specific individuals and situations in which you need to be restored.

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: Pray With Joy! (11/21/23)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Pray With Joy! (11/21/23)

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This is the audio from the November 21, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
Luke 18:1 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will be about our need to pray!  I suspect one of the big reasons we need to seek God’s help in our prayer life is the instruction to “always pray”.  If God had said to simply pray when you feel like it or when it’s convenient, most of us could handle that.  But devoting ourselves to prayer is an entirely different task.  When we go to God about our prayer life, we open our self up to His instruction and guidance in the way we relate to Him.

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.”
Philippians 1:4 (NIV)

As you pray this week, ask God to help you examine just how devoted to prayer you are.  Ask God to fill you with joy about Him and about those you pray for.  Pray that your joy would be expressed, and even increased, because of the way you pray for all of those around you.  Pray that you would live in such a way that others would be filled with joy in their prayers for you.

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: Pray Earnestly! (11/20/23)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Pray Earnestly! (11/20/23)

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This is the audio from the November 20, 2023 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
Luke 18:1 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will be about our need to pray!  I suspect one of the big reasons we need to seek God’s help in our prayer life is the instruction to “always pray”.  If God had said to simply pray when you feel like it or when it’s convenient, most of us could handle that.  But devoting ourselves to prayer is an entirely different task.  When we go to God about our prayer life, we open our self up to His instruction and guidance in the way we relate to Him.  As you pray this week, ask God to help you examine just how devoted to prayer you are.  Pray that you would understand your need for God’s  help in this part of your relationship with Him — as in all other parts.  Pray that you would be always watchful and thankful as you pray — both qualities that will require God’s help.  Pray that  your relationship with God would grow as your devotion to prayer grows.

“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”
Acts 12:5 (NIV)

Ask God to help you pray earnestly for those whose situations may seem hopeless.  Pray that you would be serious in the content of your prayers and in the expectation that God will act for the good of His children.  Ask God to help you always keep on praying without giving up.

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

In prayer,
Tom

Good News: A Time To PRAY! (Sermon Audio)
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Good News: A Time To PRAY! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the November 19, 2023 sermon, “Good News: A Time To PRAY”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Luke 18

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
Luke 18:1 (NIV)

Today I continued a series from the gospel of Luke as we gaze deeply into God’s Word to find the good news of Jesus shared with us by Luke the physician.  As Jesus walked this earth, prayer was more than just something to open a meeting or bless the food, it was His lifeline with His Father.  His example and His teaching not only shows us how to pray, but tell us it is time to . . .

  • Persist: — (Luke 18:1-8)

    • While many people find the parable in the beginning of Luke eighteen to be confusing, the Bible makes it clear that this was told by Jesus to teach people that they should always pray and never give up.  If unjust people will eventually do what is right because of the persistence of a person seeking justice, how much more will our persistence pay off with a greater understanding of God always doing what is right.  Our persistence in prayer isn’t about us changing the mind of God but rather it is about us staying in communication with God so that we understand more fully His will in all circumstances.  When we realize that now is a time to pray, we find that now is a time to persist in our prayers.

  • Repent: — (Luke 18:9-14)

    • As Jesus teaches about our need to remain faithful in our conversations with the Father, He tells a story of two men who went to the temple to pray.  The story was told to address the problem of people putting their confidence in their own righteousness and thus looking down upon others.  The self-righteous Pharisee prayed to himself, or about himself, or probably a bit of both.  In fact, his prayer was even thankful that he was not like the sinners of the world or even like the other guy who had come to pray.  The other guy was a tax collector that came in a spirit of repentance asking God to have mercy on him.  His prayer brought him closer to God where he was justified and exalted through a humble spirit.  When we realize that now is a time to pray, we find that now is a time to repent.

  • Accept: — (Luke 18:15-17)

    • One of the favorite pictures in my mind is of a line of parents bringing their little children to Jesus just to have Him touch them.  As Luke tells this story, the picture is marred by the rebuke of the disciples who thought that Jesus was too important to bother with the little ones.  Jesus makes it clear that it is the children who understand the kingdom of God in a way that we never will until we become like little children.  At times, we have a tendency to create in our mind an idea of who should come to Jesus and who shouldn’t.  We push people away with our words and actions while Jesus desires for us to call them near.  It is not that we are called to accept the sin of others anymore than we are to accept our own sin, but we are called to accept the people.  When we realize that now is the time to pray, we find that now is the time to accept others just as we ourselves have been accepted.

  • Yield: — (Luke 18:18-30)

    • Jesus continued to teach about our communication with His Father as He interacted with a rich ruler who seemed to have a desire to relate to God on his own terms.  His desire is to know what must be done to gain eternal life and initially believes he has done everything that the law would require.  Jesus lists off a number of commandments which the man claims to have kept from the time he was a young boy.  It is interesting to me that he knew the law and felt he had kept the law, but was still concerned about whether his goodness was good enough.  The instructions of Jesus to this man calling on him to sell everything he had and give to the poor struck at the heart of this man’s real god, his wealth.  God knows even more clearly than we do regarding who or what is our god and His desire is that we would learn to yield fully to Him.  When we realize that now is the time to pray, we find that now is the time to yield to God in everything we think and do.

Today, how will you PRAY?