knowledge

Living As CLEAN (Sermon Audio)
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Living As CLEAN (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the March 6, 2022 sermon, “Living As CLEAN”, shared by Tom Lemler at the North Wayne Mennonite Church.

Text:  Mark 7:1-37

When God calls us to come near to Him, He tells us to wash our hands and purify our heart.  As the One inviting us to the wedding banquet of the Lamb, it is time we clean up for dinner.  To live as one who is actually clean, God calls us to live as . . .

  • Compassionate.  Mark 7:9-13
    • When the religious leaders complain about the disciples of Jesus eating without washing their hands, Jesus turns and points out their love for legalism that is greater than their love for people.  In fact, the religious leaders would fail to show compassion toward their own parents and use a commitment to God as their excuse.  When God calls us to live as one who is clean, He calls us to live with compassion for all people.
  • Learning.  Mark 7:14-16
    • The moment any person decides they know all they need to know, they stop growing.  God’s Word is given to help each of us learn more about Him and how to live as His child.  When it comes to being clean, God wants us to learn what really makes us unclean so that we would avoid those things.  Jesus taught that it is what comes out of a person that makes them unclean rather than what went in.  When God calls us to live as one who is clean, He calls us to live a life of learning.
  • Explaining.  Mark 7:17-23
    • One of the great things about the gospels is that they are not only full of Jesus teaching much that we need to learn, they also contain many accounts of Him explaining His teachings to His disciples.  As important as it is to know the Word of God, the key to it becoming transformational in our life is to allow it to explain how we ought to live.  As we grow in Christ, our role ought to include being able and willing to explain the good news of Jesus to others.  When God calls us to live as one who is clean, He calls us to live a life of accurate explaining.
  • Accepting.  Mark 7:27-30
    • Once you understand the explaining done by Jesus regarding what makes a person unclean, it ought to become clear that without Jesus we are all equal in that department.  In our text, we find Jesus moving from an explanation of sin making us unclean to an encounter with a woman who would have been considered unclean by the religious leaders because of her nationality.  After an encounter that I believe was meant to teach us a truth about acceptance, Jesus declares a healing of this woman’s daughter because of the mom’s faith.  When God calls us to live as one who is clean, He calls us to live a life that is accepting of one another just as Christ as accepted us.
  • New.  Mark 7:36-37
    • The next event recorded for us by Mark was the healing by Jesus of a man who was deaf and mute.  While Jesus tells the man and those witnessing the healing not to tell anyone, they can’t help but spread the news about how Jesus has made him new.  As you consider all of your own history in light of the things Jesus says makes a person unclean, it should become painfully obvious that you needed to become a new person in order to be clean.  Fortunately, God says that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation, the old has gone and the new has arrived.  When God calls us to live as one who is clean, He calls us to live a life that is new

Today, will you live as one who is CLEAN?

Encouragement and Prayer: Thankful For God’s Strength In Others! (03/04/22)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Thankful For God’s Strength In Others! (03/04/22)

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This is the audio from the March 4, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 1:8 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on being thankful for one another.  Who do you think of when you read that line?  I suspect that most of the time we think of those that we are already thankful for and dismiss the idea in our mind that it should apply to anyone else.  Especially within the body of Christ, God’s desire is that we learn to be thankful for every one of the “one anothers”.  A good starting point for learning to do that is to practice being thankful for what God has done, is doing, and will do in their life.

As you pray this week, ask God to  help you grow in thankfulness for all “who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”.  Pray with thankfulness for the strength which God provides.  Pray that the people around you would have a strength of faith that endures.  Pray for a heart that rejoices in the strength and victory others find through Jesus.

At the end of yesterday’s broadcast, I talked about one way you can help the people of Ukraine that have been, and are being, displaced.  While there are many groups and missions which are doing good work, I would highly recommend the ministry of IDES (International Disaster Emergency Service) as a means of supporting the ongoing need for help and hope.  I have volunteered with IDES numerous times in disaster relief response here in the United States and I believe wholeheartedly in the way they provide help in the name of Jesus.  Their structure is such that 100 percent of all giving towards a specific need actually goes to that need.  They are currently providing help and funding to various mission partners in Romania, Poland, and Moldova who are providing food and shelter to those fleeing the war in Ukraine.  You can find more information and give at IDES.org.  Thank 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: Thankful For God’s Gifting In Others! (03/03/22)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Thankful For God’s Gifting In Others! (03/03/22)

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This is the audio from the March 3, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.”
1 Corinthians 1:7 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on being thankful for one another.  Who do you think of when you read that line?  I suspect that most of the time we think of those that we are already thankful for and dismiss the idea in our mind that it should apply to anyone else.  Especially within the body of Christ, God’s desire is that we learn to be thankful for every one of the “one anothers”.  A good starting point for learning to do that is to practice being thankful for what God has done, is doing, and will do in their life.

As you pray this week, ask God to  help you grow in thankfulness for all “who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”.  Pray for contentment with both God’s gifts and His timing in your life and the lives of others.  Pray that you would be thankful for the way God amply supplies that which we lack.  Pray for a growing thankfulness for the way God has gifted others.

At the end of today’s broadcast, I talk about one way you can help the people of Ukraine that have been, and are being, displaced.  While there are many groups and missions which are doing good work, I would highly recommend the ministry of IDES (International Disaster Emergency Service) as a means of supporting the ongoing need for help and hope.  I have volunteered with IDES numerous times in disaster relief response here in the United States and I believe wholeheartedly in the way they provide help in the name of Jesus.  Their structure is such that 100 percent of all giving towards a specific need actually goes to that need.  They are currently providing help and funding to various mission partners in Romania, Poland, and Moldova who are providing food and shelter to those fleeing the war in Ukraine.  You can find more information and give at IDES.org.  Thank 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: Thankful For God’s Testimony In Others! (03/02/22)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Thankful For God’s Testimony In Others! (03/02/22)

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This is the audio from the March 2, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.”
1 Corinthians 1:6 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on being thankful for one another.  Who do you think of when you read that line?  I suspect that most of the time we think of those that we are already thankful for and dismiss the idea in our mind that it should apply to anyone else.  Especially within the body of Christ, God’s desire is that we learn to be thankful for every one of the “one anothers”.  A good starting point for learning to do that is to practice being thankful for what God has done, is doing, and will do in their life.

As you pray this week, ask God to  help you grow in thankfulness for all “who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”.  Pray that you would be one who shares your testimony of God’s work in you through both your words and your actions.  Pray that the sharing of your testimony would be confirmed through the lives of those you interact with.  Pray with thanksgiving for the testimony of Christ seen in others.

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: Thankful For God’s Enrichment In Others! (03/01/22)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Thankful For God’s Enrichment In Others! (03/01/22)

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This is the audio from the March 1, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“For in him you have been enriched in every way — in all your speaking and in all your knowledge.”
1 Corinthians 1:5 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on being thankful for one another.  Who do you think of when you read that line?  I suspect that most of the time we think of those that we are already thankful for and dismiss the idea in our mind that it should apply to anyone else.  Especially within the body of Christ, God’s desire is that we learn to be thankful for every one of the “one anothers”.  A good starting point for learning to do that is to practice being thankful for what God has done, is doing, and will do in their life.

As you pray this week, ask God to  help you grow in thankfulness for all “who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”.  Pray that your knowledge and words would be filled by the presence of God.  Pray that you would be thankful for the people around you as they seek God to enrich them in the depths of knowledge and His wisdom.

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: Thankful For God’s Grace In Others! (02/28/22)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Thankful For God’s Grace In Others! (02/28/22)

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This is the audio from the February 28, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 1:2-3 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on being thankful for one another.  Who do you think of when you read that line?  I suspect that most of the time we think of those that we are already thankful for and dismiss the idea in our mind that it should apply to anyone else.  Especially within the body of Christ, God’s desire is that we learn to be thankful for every one of the “one anothers”.  A good starting point for learning to do that is to practice being thankful for what God has done, is doing, and will do in their life.

As you pray this week, ask God to  help you grow in thankfulness for all “who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”.  Pray that God would help you to see His work in the lives of others — especially in the lives of those you have difficulty being thankful for.  Pray that your interactions with others would exemplify the grace and peace that God has given through Jesus Christ.

“I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Corinthians 1:4 (NIV)

Pray for a growing awareness of how God’s grace is at work in the lives of the people around you.  Pray that you would learn to be thankful for others as you see them through the eyes of God’s grace.  Pray that you would be a living example to others of how God’s grace leads to thankfulness.

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: Restored After Suffering! (02/25/22)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Restored After Suffering! (02/25/22)

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This is the audio from the February 25, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on our need and desire to be restored by God.  When the darkness of life tries to close in on us, we can call out to God and be saved.  When we become worn down, it is comforting to know that we can be restored as we seek God’s face.  When we turn our face toward God, we find that His face shines upon us with the light of His comforting love.

As you pray this week, ask God to help you know His power and desire to restore.  Pray for the ability to endure as you hold fast to God’s promise of restoration.  Pray that your life would reflect the strength which God gives by His grace.  Pray that your steadfast faith would lead others to pursue being restored by God.

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: Restored To Resist Evil! (02/24/22)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Restored To Resist Evil! (02/24/22)

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This is the audio from the February 24, 2022 live social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

“Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
Peter 5:9 (NIV)

This week’s prayer emphasis will focus on our need and desire to be restored by God.  When the darkness of life tries to close in on us, we can call out to God and be saved.  When we become worn down, it is comforting to know that we can be restored as we seek God’s face.  When we turn our face toward God, we find that His face shines upon us with the light of His comforting love.

As you pray this week, ask God to help you know His power and desire to restore.  Pray that you would grow in a faith that helps you to resist the evil one.  Pray that an awareness of what others go through would help you remain faithful.  Pray that you would live in a way that helps others be encouraged to resist evil.

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

In prayer,
Tom