Flourish like a Palm Tree (Pastor Victor T. Amos) 01-03-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

Area 1, Garki - Abuja, Nigeria

1st March, 2015

SERMON
* Topic: Flourish like a Palm Tree
* Speaker: Pastor Victor T. Amos
* Text: Psalm 92:12-15
* Theme: Growing Up in Christ
* Sub-Theme: Intentional Growth
* Service Leader: Elder Katlong Boniface

* The basic notion of being righteous refers to a person who is sinless or morally upright

→ Those who are righteous have Christ's nature in them and it empowers them to overcome their Adamic nature.

→ The primary focus of those who are righteous is to worship and serve God at every opportunity, and with every resource they can get; They are totally surrendered to God.

* A righteous person does not entertain sin in his or her life.
→ His/her heart bleeds whenever he or she falls into sin and there is always immediate repentance and restitution

* NOTE: Coming to Church will not take you to heaven; You need to have a personal relationship with Christ

* CAVEAT: Unless you have a personal relationship with Christ, this Sermon will not make any meaning to you

* No matter the situation you are facing in life, you can get an answer in God's Word - especially in the book of Psalms

* God will not rest, until your case is settled

* As a Christian, believe that God has made every provision for you to flourish in every area of your life

* 'Flourishing' here does not mean that you will never face problems or challenges in life. It refers to the peace of God that rules your heart regardless of what you experience

* The two trees mentioned in Psalm 92:12
(a) Palm Tree
(b) Cedar of Lebanon

☆ THE PALM TREE
* Palm trees are evergreen, ever showing signs of life;
→ The longer the righteous is in the way and will of God, the more the Lord will beautify his/her life
→ Proverbs 3:5-6

* The Lord uses those who are righteous to beautify the world by influencing the lives of other people for good

* If you are righteous, you will not only stand tall, but you will stand taller than all your peers

* Palm trees have a reputation of living longer
→ God blesses those who love and serve Him with long life

* A palm tree grows straight and upwards:
→ The righteous person's focus is heaven

* The palm tree casts the least shadow among other trees in the forest
→ Those who are righteous do not overshadow others in their quest for prosperity
→ They focus on depopulating the kingdom of Satan and building others to become what God wants them to be
→ They are not threatened when those around (or even under) them succeed and prosper

* Unlike other trees, the palm tree is soft:
→ the heart of the righteous man is tender and filled with God's mercy & love

* The Palm tree is resilient
→ Persecutions, afflictions etc cannot hinder the growth of the righteous child of God; instead, they make him/her strong

☆ THE CEDAR OF LEBANON
* They were usually found on mountains, not on the low lands
→ Nahum 1:5
→ Righteous people are mountainous people: they are people of prayer
→ They understand the call of the Lord to wait on Him

* Cedars are the strongest woods in the forest
→ King Solomon used the Cedars to build the pillars of the temple (See: 1st Kings 6:9)
→ Righteous people are dependable, durable, consistent, committed and have both spiritual and physical vitally

☆ FLOURISH
→ God is committed to beautifying the lives of those who are righteous and are faithful in serving Him

* NOTE: You can not flourish by your own strength; You are a product of God's grace and mercy

→ You are what you are today (experiencing success and prosperity) because the Lord said "Amen" to your prayers

* The Psalmist did not make reference to other trees, because they are not evergreen; during the dry season, they shed their leaves and withered away
→ the Lord does not want His people to look dead (wither), but to flourish consistently (physically and spiritually)

* Even in old age, those who are righteous will still flourish and continue to bear fruit
(Psalm 92:14 → "They will still bear fruit even in old age; they will be luxuriant and green.")

* If you are not flourishing in life, don't blame any body; blame yourself!
→ Stop building barriers and limitations for yourself

* Young people must realize that God has provided all that is needed for them to flourish in life

* Christian couples should not live in division and compete with each other
→ Let people see the grace of God upon your marriage & family
→ Learn to be proactive in your marriage by always seeking out how to make your marriage union work
→ You are supposed to love your spouse to the extent of dying for him/her

* The children of God are the most priviledged people on earth!

→ Christians must always pray, instead of complaining and grumbling

* When you flourish, realize that it is not by your power
→ God helped you
→ God used other people to help you; therefore, you must also help others to be strong

* Do not allow pride to govern your life
→ Everything you have belongs to God

* Remember that one day you will be required to give an account of God's blessings upon your life

                    **********************************************************

☆ PASTORS CORNER
Palm trees are known for their long life. The stately date Palm and Cedar are highly valued by people in the Near East, the palm is known for its fruit and the cedar for its wood. Both were appreciated for their beauty and both trees can survive for many years.

For the righteous to flourish like a palm tree means to stand and stand tall and also live long. The ceders of Lebanon grew 120 feet in height and are up to 30 feet in circumference, thus, they were solid, strong and immovable. To stay fresh and green in old age and not spend one's life complaining and demanding is a mark of God's Special blessing and grace.

The Psalmist saw the believers as upright, strong unmoved by winds of circumstances. Those who place their faith firmly in the Lord Can experience this divine strength and vitality. The question is, do you have a relationship with the Lord Jesus?

☆ MISSION CHARGE
"Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important and the best years of your life are the ones in which you decided your problems are your own. You don't blame them on your mother."
→ James Mason

☆ QUOTE
"Oh believer, learn to reject pride, see that you have no basis for it. Whatever you are, you have nothing to make you proud. The more you're in debt to God, and you have no reason to be proud of what makes you a debtor."
→ Charles Spurgeon

Growing Up (Rev. David Kwamkur) 01-02-2015

SUNDAY SERVICE

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

Area 1, Garki-Abuja, Nigeria

1st February, 2015

SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. David Kwamkur

* Topic: Growing Up

* Theme: Growing up in Christ

* Sub-Theme: Intentional Growth

* Service leader: Mr. Stephen Barthner

* Text: Hebrews 11:24-26

* The life of Moses began as a Journey of faith. (See: Exodus 3)

* Moses' parents demonstrated faith for the protection of their child even in the midst of danger

* You can destroy your future if you disregard your past.

* Parents have a significant role to play in the life of their children's spiritual growth and maturity

→ Note: Moses' parents were not afraid of the verdict of the Pharaoh. They trusted God to preserve their son

* One thing that is destroying many people today is fear

★ Matthew 10:28 → "Stop being afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell."

* If you are interested in growing deeper spiritually, you should study the life of Moses - His life Was a life of faith

* Benefits of Studying the life of Moses:

(a) It will help you understand that God is greater than every evil scheme or person in the world

(b) It will help you to focus on God, rather than on your circumstances

(c) It will help you understand that God is faithful and will never fail to keep His promises

→ The most dangerous thing you will ever do in life is to doubt God's faithfulness

→ Hold on to God until your situation changes

(d) It will help you let God work through you

→ God will not force you to do anything (including submitting to Him) that you don't want to do willingly

(e) It will help you realise that you are not an ordinary person

→ NOTE: You are the Child of the King of the Universe & you are important to God

* Moses made faith decisions:

→ if you are ever going to grow spiritually, you must walk by faith all the time

→ Children cannot make certain decisions on their own because they are immature

→ The quality of your decisions is an indication of your maturity (or immaturity)

→ If you do not know how to make decisions, other people will decide for you based on what they want for you

* Decisions You Must make if you want to grow in Christ:

1. Refusing the wrong

* Hebrews 11:24

→ It is not enough to know what is right or wrong, but you must be courageous enough to out-rightly refuse to do what is wrong in the sight of God

→ When faith comes into operation, your ability to recognize and refuse to do anything that is contrary to God's will is strengthened

* Examples of persons who refused to do what was wrong, even at the cost of their lives:

(a) Joseph refused to sleep with Potiphar's wife (Gen 39:9)

(b) The 3 Hebrew boys

* Daniel 3:12 → “Certain influential Jewish men whom you appointed to manage the city of Babylon — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—have neither paid attention to you, your majesty, nor served your gods. And they won’t worship the golden statue that you set up.”

* It did not make any (reasonable) sense why they would choose to disobey the King's express orders at the detriment of their political positions and even their lives

*NOTE: When faith is in operation, your reason is inactive.

(c) Daniel refused to obey a Royal ban on prayer→ Daniel 6:13

"Then they told the king, “Daniel, who is one of the Judean exiles, pays no attention to you, your majesty, or to the written decree, since he is still praying three times a day.”

(d) Peter and John refused to obey a decree not to preach in the name of Christ → (Acts 4:17-20)

- They did not allow themselves to be intimidated by the Jewish Council (the most powerful and influential entity in Israel at the time)

* You must always refuse to do the wrong thing, even when it is the most popular thing to do

* Nobody grows in Christ by doing the wrong thing

* If you don't want evil to multiply, you must always refuse to do what is wrong

* Don't follow your reason; follow your faith

* God is calling you to refuse anything that is contrary to your faith

2. You must choose to do what is right

→ It is Impossible to choose to do what is both right and wrong at the same time. You have to choose only one

* Sometimes, the right thing to do does not appeal to your reasoning, But you must always follow faith, rather than your reason

* You must be wise in making your decisions

* Always make decisions in the light of tomorrow and eternity

* Don't mortgage your tomorrow for the brief pleasures of today

* If you choose to be a believer/disciple of Jesus, You Must be willing to pay the price:

★ The cost of Discipleship

(Luke 14:25-33)

→ You must be willing to cut links with your family and loved ones, if need be (verse 26)

→ You must carry His cross (verse 27)

→ give up everything for the sake of Christ (verse 33)

* A person who is not a faithful disciple of Christ cannot enter His kingdom in eternity

* Making the right decision would always cost you something (time, privileges, relationships, possessions, advantages, certain pleasures, your life, etc.)

3. You must run away from any appearance of wrong/evil

→ Running away from evil does not mean you are a coward

* Temporal things are just temporal - they will not last

* Amos 5:14-15 →"Pursue good and not evil, so that you may live, and this is what will happen: The LORD God of the Heavenly Armies will be with you, as you have been claiming. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in court— perhaps the LORD, the God of the Heavenly Armies, will be gracious to the survivors of Joseph.’

* Titus 2:11-12 →"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. It trains us to renounce ungodly living and worldly passions so that we might live sensible, honest, and godly lives in the present age."

→ As a Christian, God expects you to always renounce all forms of ungodliness

→ Renunciation must be total: You're not expected to go back to something you have renounced already

→ It is the by the grace of God that you are able to renounce every act of ungodliness, not by your own power or will

★ 2nd Timothy 2:19 →"However, God’s solid foundation still stands. It has this inscription on it: “The Lord knows those who belong to him,” and “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.”

→ Departing from evil is a prerequisite for serving God faithfully and effectively

* 2nd Timothy 3:1-5

→ People that have a form of godliness but deny its power must be "quarantined" from your life before they infect and pollute you too

* 2nd Timothy 2:22

→ "Flee from youthful passions. Instead, pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace together with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart."

* Mark 8:36 →"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

→ It is foolish to mortgage your life and eventually loose/destroy your soul

* Romans 8:17 →"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

→ There is an eternal glory that comes after our temporal sufferings here on earth

* Look beyond your senses and depend or your faith

* If you have faith, you have everything!

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

MISSION CHARGE

"Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming"

→ Ephesians 4:14

QUOTES

"The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety".

→ George Mueller

"Sadness takes you away from true worship of the Lord."

→ Rev. David Kwamkur

"Satan will always make you feel that there is no reason to be happy. He will give you reasons to be angry at everyone, everything and even at yourself."

→ Rev. David Kwamkur

God's love (Leader's Meeting) (Pastor 'Lola Owotumi) 21-01-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel

Leaders' Meeting

Wednesday, 21st January, 2015

EXHORTATION

* Speaker: Pastor 'Lola Owotumi

* Topic: God with us (God's Love)

★ 1st Thessalonians 4:9 → "But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another."

* When you are convinced that God loves you, you will not be cheated by Satan

★ Isaiah 43:1-2, 4 → " But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. . . Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life."

* There is absolutely nothing that God cannot do for those who love Him

* Because you love God and He loves you, you should be bold enough to flaunt that love everywhere you go, publicly

* You must respond to God's love by a definate commitment to righteous living. In other words, you should reciprocate the love God is extending to you

* Do not take God 's Iove for granted

* Love the body of Christ (the Church)

* Those who are committed to serving God because they love Him, will be set apart for the demonstration of His grace & glory

God with us (3) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 21-01-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,

21st January, 2015

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

* Topic: God with us (3)

 

Points to Consider:

* Jesus is God by his nature

★ 1st John 5:20 → "We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true God. We are in union with the one who is true, his Son Jesus the Messiah, who is the true God and eternal life."

★ John 1:1 → "In the beginning, the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God."

★ John 1:18 → "No one has ever seen God. The unique God, who is close to the Father’s side, has revealed him."

* Because Jesus (whom God sent to the earth) is also God, His own nature is love & He can love like no other!

★ John 13:1 → "Now before the Passover Festival, Jesus realized that his hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end."

★ John 15:9 →"Just as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. So abide in my love."

* We have perfect love in the combined expression of the love of both God the Father and Jesus Christ

* The statement "God with us" is deeper than it seems:

→ God is not only "with" us, He lives "in" us!

★ Colossians 1:27 → "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

* Sometimes, Jesus is with us but we do not realise that fact.

★ Luke 24:13-31

* He is not only "with" us and "in" us, He is "for" us

★ Romans 8:31 → " What, then, can we say about all of this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

* God is also "among" us!

* John the Baptist declared: "I am baptizing with water, but among you stands one among you whom you do not know." (John 1:26)

* In the world, there are times that you may feel that you are all alone, but be consoled and encouraged that God is with you, and in you!

*******************

★ Additional thoughts from Pastor 'Lola Owotumi

* The Gospel is the wondrous story of love. When you take away love, there is no Gospel

★ Psalm 42:7-8→ "Deep waters call out to what is deeper still; at the roar of your waterfalls all your breakers and your waves swirled over me. By day the LORD will command his gracious love, and by night his song is with me — a prayer to the God of my life."

- God is Calling you to live a life of deeper love

- Sometimes, God allows you to go through Challenges, so that you will experience new dimensions of God's love

- Your situation can be handled by love

- Don't ever allow anything to take you away from the love of God

- You should allow God's love to be expressed through you to bring positive change in the world

★ 1st Thessalonians 4:9 → "Now you do not need anyone to write to you about brotherly love, since you have been taught by God to love each other. In fact, you are showing love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia, but we urge you, brothers, to keep on doing this even more."

Like Newborn Babies (Rev. John Lohor) 18-01-2015

SUNDAY SERVICE
MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki-Abuja
18th January, 2015

★ SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. John Lohor

* Topic: Like New-born Babies

* Text: 1st Peter 2:1-3

* Theme: Growing up in Christ

* Sub-Theme: Intentional Growth

* Service Leader: Miss. Alheri Mutashi

* 1st Peter 2:1-3

"Therefore, rid yourselves of every kind of evil and deception, hypocrisy, jealousy, and every kind of slander. Like new-born babies, thirst for the pure milk of the word so that by it you may grow in your salvation. Surely you have tasted that the Lord is good!"

* Peter wrote this epistle out of concern for the Christians who have refused to grow in Christ regardless of the fact that they have been Christians for a long time

* If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you are expected to grow - there must be a positive change

* There are evil/ungodly virtues that must not be found in your life as a Christian

* Your life and character must undergo positive (godly) transformation as you grow in Christ

* When you come to Christ, you are expected to conform to His character and image. Your Christ-likeness must be evident to everyone around you

* When you give your life to Christ, you have to learn and take positive steps to be mature. This entails making deliberate effort

* The first step to spiritual maturity is taking the 'milk' of the Word of God

* The "milk" has to be pure, not diluted

* Mental growth is more difficult than physical growth

 - whatever you feed your mind on becomes a part of you. For instance, If You feed Your mind on sexually explicit materials, you are likely to manifest such in your life unconsciously

* As a Christian, It is very important to always study the Word of God. Take advantage of the availability of Bibles, and the various avenues to study God's Word.

→ NOTE: In some counties, it is a crime to even be in possession of the copy of a Bible!

* The basic ingredient you require for a balanced spiritual growth is the Word of God

* You must deliberately make time to study God's Word regardless of your tight schedules and diverse commitments

* If you do not study the Word of God, how can you grow?

* Joshua 1:8

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

*You must not only desire to 'ingest' God's Word at every opportunity, you must be crave for it with absolute passion

★ Additional Notes from Mr. Badung Gyang☆☆

* Milk Satisfies the hunger of a baby, nothing else would do

* Milk has all the nutrients that a baby requires for growth

* Milk contains the essential ingredients to protect the child from sickness

* Milk does not need any additive or it would be adulterated. The word does not need any addition or supplement

★ MISSION CHARGE

"There is a difference between interests and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you only do it when it is convenient. When you are committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results . . . Lack of decisiveness has caused more failures than lack of intelligence or ability. "

- John Mason

★ QUOTE

"Character is something you either have or not. It is the real foundation of all worthwhile Success. A good question to ask Yourself is: 'what kind of world would be if everybody were just like me?' You are Simply a book telling the world about its author . . . Never be ashamed of doing, you need not choose evil; but only to fail to choose good."

- John Mason

Growth is not Automatic (Rev. Chrysanthus B. John) 11-01-2015

SUNDAY SERVICE
★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki - Abuja
11th January, 2015

★SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. Chrysanthus B. John

* Topic: Growth is not Automatic

* Text: Mark 4:26-29

* Theme: Growing up in Christ (Ephesians 4:14)

* Sub-Theme: Intentional Growth

* Service Leader: Mr. Mark Chollom

* "Growth" means a process of growing, development, increase & maturity

* "Automatic" means a process that takes place "without human control or intervention"

* The first stage in the growth process of a seed is germination.

- The 'seed' that is planted in the hearts of men is the Word of God

- The 'farmer' is the evangelist (and through evangelism of the Gospel of Christ, "seeds" are planted)

* The farmer does not know how the seed grows from the moment it was planted, till it is mature for harvest. This is the law of nature. So as it is with crops, so also is it with every person

* God expects that the seed(s) of the Gospel that is planted in your heart will germinate, mature and become ripe for harvest

* You have to undergo a systemic process before you attain the level of spiritual maturity. It does not occur immediately or within a day.

* Spiritual growth is an intentional process that is activated and maintained by a personal choice to be surrendered to God; to know & obey His word and to serve Him faithfully

* The process of becoming like Christ starts with a decision

* It takes a lot of changes to ensure growth

* Things to help you grow spiritually:

(a) Prayer (and fasting)

(b) studying God's Word; and

(c) Fellowship with other believers

* Spiritual growth is a collaborative effort between you and the Holy Spirit

* The commitment you choose to make in life shapes your life

* You become what you are committed to

* 1st Corinthians 13:11

" When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways."

* Christians should grow up, and stop thinking or doing things like children

* God expects every Christian to attain spiritual maturity and become like Christ

 ★ SEE: Romans 8:29 → "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that the Son might be the firstborn among many brothers."

* God has made all necessary provision to ensure that you grow up and become spiritually mature

 ★ SEE: 2 Peter 1:3 → "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the full knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence."

* If you deliberately refuse to grow, you will be cut off from God's eternal inheritance when the 'harvest' comes

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

EXHORTATION DURING HOLY COMMUNION

* Rev. David Kwamkur

★ Romans 6:13-14

"Stop offering the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness. Instead, offer yourselves to God as people who have been brought from death to life and the parts of your body as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin will not have mastery over you, because you are not under Law but under grace."

* As long as you are living in sin, You cannot grow in Christ

* Christians are susceptible to temptations, but living in sin is the personal choice of each individual

★ Galatians 5:25 → "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

* Christians that desire Spiritual maturity must eschew drunkenness and other vices

 ★ Ephesians 5:18 → "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit."

* God expects you as a Christian to behave decently in all circumstances

* Instead of being drunk with alchohol, you must be filled with the Holy Spirit

★ Romans 13:13-14

"Let’s behave decently, as people who live in the light of day. No wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, quarreling, or jealousy! Instead, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and do not obey your flesh and its desires."

"Growing up in Christ" - (Rev. David Kwamkur) 04-01-2015

SUNDAY SERVICE
★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki-Abuja
4th January, 2015

★ SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. David Kwamkur

* Topic: Introduction of Theme for 2015 "Growing up in Christ" (Ephesians 4:14)

* Text: Jeremiah 17:7-8 → "Blessed is the person who trusts in the LORD, making the LORD his trust. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by a stream. He won’t fear when the heat comes, and his leaves will be green. In a year of drought he won’t be concerned, nor will he stop producing fruit.”

* Ephesians 4:15 → "Instead, by speaking the truth in love, we will grow up completely and become one with the head, that is, one with the Messiah."

* Christianity in Africa is like Africa itself - it is very wide, but very Shallow. The same situation is reflective of Christianity in Nigeria

* Questions that we must ask Ourselves:

→ Why is it that there are no developed Counties on the African continent?

→ Did God create Africa to remain 'undeveloped' or 'developing'?

→ For how long will Nigeria remain a 'developing' Country?

→ What have we been doing as a nation that has caused us to stagnate on the level of underdevelopment?

→ What can we do differently as a nation to enable us move from the status of "developing" to "developed"?

→ Is Nigeria too comfortable to develop?

→ Who is not telling the truth: the leaders or the masses?

* The Definition(s) of Growth:

1. Growth entails the process of adding value to your life or to something

2. to Increase in size or quality

3. to begin to do something

4. to improve on something

5. to develop emotionally, spiritually or mentally

* Two types of Growth:

   (a) positive growth

   (b) negative growth

* Growing in Christ is the desired positive growth. Anything outside Christ is like a cancerous growth that eventually leads to death

* Every negative growth in the body kills its host, if it is not removed in time

* 10 Facts about Growth:

1. Nobody is born an adult - (both Physically and spiritually)

- At birth, every living thing starts off as an infant

2. Every one can grow

- Growth is not limited to a few people

- Every living thing has the natural potential to grow

3. The right time to grow is now

- When you fail to do what is required of you, your growth process would be stunted

4. To grow is not easy

- It involves discipline and numerous sacrifices

5. Growth is not accidental

- Growth is purely a deliberately planned and strategic process

6. Babies are immature but they are expected to grow eventually

7. Healthy things grow

- Sicknesses hinder the normal process of growth

8. There is no short-cut to growth

- there is nothing like an "instant growth"

- Growth is a process which must be allowed to take its course

9. We were born babies so that we can grow into maturity

10. Growth is always needed

- Regardless of the level you are presently, there is always room for improvement

* 7 Steps to (Spiritual) Growth

1. Have a desire to grow

- Growth depends on you

- For you to grow, you must be dissatisfied wits being a "baby Christian"

2. You must keep your desire to grow alive

3. Always see the need for growth in your life

4. Eat spiritual balanced diet (God's Word) regularly

★ Matthew 4:4 → “It is written, ‘One must not live on bread alone, but on every word coming out of the mouth of God.”

★ Joshua 1:8 → "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success."

★ Acts 17:10-11 → " That night the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. These people were more receptive than those in Thessalonica. They were very willing to receive the message, and every day they carefully examined the Scriptures to see if those things were so."

5. Exercise and practice your faith

- Failure to exercise your faith will cause it to become weak and ineffective

6. Be patient

★ James 1:4 → " But you must let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing."

* Growth is a tedious process that takes time

7. Don't be discouraged

★ Joshua 1:6-7 → "Be strong and courageous, because you’ll be leading this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Only be strong and very courageous to ensure that you obey all the instructions that my servant Moses gave you—turn neither to the right nor to the left from it—so that you may succeed wherever you go."

* You need courage to be able to grow

* NOTE:

- Genesis 1:28-29

- When you became born again, you were given seeds, not fruits

- You must maintain a right spiritual balance in order for the 'seeds' to grow into 'fruits'

- You were born to blossom & boom

- Spiritual growth is optional. It purely depends on your personal Choice

* Quotes & bits During the Service (Pastor Victor Amos):

→ "When you take God seriously this year, you will see the difference"

→ "Responsible people always do the right thing at the right time"

The Great Past and the Great Future (Rev. David Kwamkur) 01-01-2015

2015 NEW YEAR SERVICE
★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki - Abuja
1st January, 2015

★ SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. David Kwamkur

* Topic: The Great Past and the Great Future

* Theme for 2015: Growing up in Christ (Ephesians 4:14)

* Service Leader: Pastor Victor Amos

* Text: Ecclesiastes 7:8 "The conclusion of something is better than its beginning, and a patient attitude is more valuable than a proud one."

★ Philippians 3:12-21

* The future, the present and the past are inter-connected to each other

* You cannot talk about the future without making reference to the past

* You must not forget about the past if you really want to walk into the future with boldness, that is why the work of historians is important

* History keeps repeating itself every time. There is nothing new under the sun

★ Ecclesiastes 1:9

" Whatever has happened, will happen again; whatever has been done, will be done again. There is nothing new on earth."

* Businessmen usually make reference to the past in order to get vital information that would be useful in making future business decisions. You Should learn from this.

 

* Information is vital to the success of any venture in life.

 

* You will need credible information if you intend to venture into an unknown territory

* Question: How did you end 2014?

* How you ended the last year would give you an idea of how the coming year might turn out to be

* NOTE: Faith does not deny the reality of things. What is the current reality of your life?

* You might have ended 2014 on a wrong note, but you still have the opportunity to make amends now before it is too late

 

* When Apostle Paul took inventory of His life, he realized that he had not yet arrived his destination (of knowing Christ intimately), that is why he said: " It’s not that I have already reached this goal or have already become perfect. But I keep pursuing it, hoping somehow to embrace it just as I have been embraced by the Messiah Jesus" → Philippians 3:12

* The primary work of every Christian is to do the will of God. Your (secular) job is secondary to that primary work/calling.

* NOTE: there is a major distinction between "work" and "job"

* Your (secular) job should not hinder you from fulfilling God's primary purpose for your life. If it is, then you need to reconsider.

* NOTE: God will not Judge you based on the success recorded in your secular job, but on whether (or not) you fulfilled your primary purpose/calling in life

* Question: Did you do what God asked you to do in 2014?

☆ 3 Things to do with the Past:

1. You need to look at the past.

* This requires careful and honest evaluation of your past experiences - both good and bad

* If you do not look at (honestly confront & evaluate) your past, there is a tendency to erroneously think that you have "arrived" at your destination or fulfilled your divine purpose in life

2. You must learn from your past

- The historical accounts of the Bible were written so that we can learn from them today

★ 1st Corinthians 10:11 - "These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down as a warning for us in whom the culmination of the ages has been attained."

* Keep records of the past because the past is not yet past!

* You need to learn from your past experiences and make necessary adjustments accordingly

* Failure to learn from the past is a sign of foolishness

* Don't keep doing the same thing over and over again that is not producing positive results

* Look for information; get to know more about what you are doing and how you can do it better in the new year

 

3. Leave the past behind

- Though there are things to learn from it, you are not supposed to carry the past into the future

* Many people today live on past glory (of spiritual achievements and service to Christ)

* NOTE: You cannot walk forward if you keep looking backwards

* Sometimes we carry our past mistakes into our future and they constitute obstacles on our way to moving forward

* NOTE: It is not possible to wind back the hands of time to correct the mistakes of the past. leave them behind you

★ Philippians 3:13b → "But this one thing I do: Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead"

☆ 3 things to do with the future:

1. Plan for a good future.

* Evil things grow on their own, while good things are a product of careful planning and preparation

2. Move into the future with Courage

* Do not give room for fear in your life

* Fear cripples and hinders you from becoming who God wants you to be.

3. Do Something Great for God

* Doing great things requires great faith in God

* The surest way to please God is to consistently walk in faith (Hebrews 11:6 → "Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who diligently search for him.")

 

* Attempt something great for God this year

★ SUMMARY

☆ 3 Things to do with the Past:

1. Look at the past

2. Learn from your past

3. Leave the past behind

☆ 3 things to do with the future:

1. Plan for a good future

2. Move into the future with courage

3. Do something great for God

Good Tidings of Salvation (Rev. Chrysanthus John Bala) 25-12-2014

CHRISTMAS SERVICE
★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)
Area 1, Garki-Abuja
25th December, 2014

* Speaker: Rev. Chrysanthus John Bala

* Topic: Good Tidings of Salvation

* Text: Luke 2:8-14 

* In Biblical times, Shepherds were considered to be unclean due to the nature of their profession & interaction with animals.

* God chose to herald the first message of the birth of Christ to lowly shepherds who were isolated on fields while guarding their flock at night

* The reason why the Christmas message was first broadcasted to Shepherds

1. They were poor. God does not discriminate between the rich and the poor

2. Jesus came through the lineage of David who was also a Shepherd before He was anointed as King of Israel. His birth was Symbolic and a fulfilment of Biblical prophesies 

* What is your perception of Jesus Christ?

- to some people, He is their Saviour, to others, He is just a "good man".

* If Jesus is not your Saviour, Christmas has no relevance for you

* Even today, many people reject the Salvation that Jesus came to offer freely

* The primary reason for Jesus' birth was for the Salvation of all men. Including you.

* Question: Who is Jesus to you?

* As a Christian, You have a duty to tell others about the good tidings of the Saviour and the Salvation He offers. 

* You must always use every opportunity to speak to others of the love of Jesus and the free gift of this Salvation

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

* Quotes & Bits During Service:

→ "When you celebrate Christmas in a God-glorifying way, the power of Satan over your life is paralyzed. But when you celebrate it with sex, alcohol, and other forms of ungodliness, Satan is empowered." 

- Rev. David Kwamkur.