Fired Up Ccc

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Fired Up

2 Timothy 1:6“… fan into flame the gift of God

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Expectations• Welcome to a weekend away to be with:

– God– Yourself– Others

• You must make a retreat – it won’t just happen.• Make time to be amazed …• Be expectant – prepare your heart to hear: “Then

Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening. “ 1 Samuel 3:10

• This weekend is more about learning about someone (the tri-une God) than something – take the time to dwell – to become still. Ps 42:10

• We will have a concluding session on Sunday.• God is our teacher – we are all listening and learning

from Him and one another.

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Talk to yourself• To exalt and rely on our feelings is what Lloyd-

Jones called listening to ourselves instead of talking to ourselves.

– "Have you realized," he observed, "that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?"

• On a daily basis we're faced with two simple choices.

1. We can either listen to ourselves and our constantly changing feelings about our circumstances, or

2. We can talk to ourselves about the unchanging truth of who God is and what He's accomplished for us at the cross through His Son Jesus.

• This weekend – start talking to yourself about these truths – simple truths that you must declare to yourself.

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2 Timothy 1:6• For this reason I remind you to fan into

flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. [NIV]

• That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands … [AMPLIFIED]

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Keep the fire burning …• “The tendency of the fire is to go out;

watch the fire on the altar of your heart.”– General Booth – Salvation Army to his

staff

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Fire Basics

• We are not called to start the fire but to tend to the fire.

• Fires need fuel, oxygen, heat to burn.• A fire without refueling will burn out.

• A fire is nurtured by:° Stirring up the heat from the embers

° Fanning – increasing the oxygen

° Rekindling – keeping the heat concentrated

• A fire is extinguished by:° Rapid cooling (water)

° Smothering (removing O2)

° Spreading it out

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Background• What to remember: verse 5

– I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

• What to do: verse 6– For this reason I remind you to fan into flame

the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

• Because? verse 7– For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,

but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

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Remember• Why does Paul exhort Timothy to

remember? – Timothy’s fervor was not evident –ashes not

embers?– Maybe he had forgotten – or even given up?

• Paul exhorts Timothy to remember:– Your mother and aunt’s faith.– Your own faith, when it was alive, vibrant.– You have a purpose – boldly reengage.– Your gifts are not in doubt – others witnessed

them.– Your gifts are not your own.

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Ashes – evidence of what was...• What truths that you once knew, are now

ashes?– Forgotten victories or unexpected blessings?– Devalued – they are just not true anymore – not now.– Diminished – it can’t really mean that, come on…– Questioned – doesn’t apply to me – maybe never did.– Set aside as inconvenient.

• Remember:– Who you are and whose you are.– You were never created to live life alone.– Life is a constant sequence of starting over.– All have sinned, all have messed up – God alone is

faithful.– You matter, your life matters – God is mindful of you.9

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The Gift of God -the Inner Fire

• The gift of God – originates in relationship– John 1:12 (NIV)

• Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

• The gift of God – is sourced out of Him– 2 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

• His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

• The gift of God – equips us for Kingdom Impact– Tomorrow’s topic of inquiry ….

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Losing the Heat• Consider the condition of your fire within:

– Has it cooled over the last few months?• A fire starved for fuel will cool down before it goes

out – depriving it of the heat it needs for combustion.

• This weekend is for stirring the fire anew. – Seek, Ask, Knock, Receive

– Is it hotter than ever before?• A hot fire has the tendency to spread.• This weekend might be the opportunity for you to

share hot embers with someone else and help them stir the fire within their heart. Seize that opportunity.

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Remember: Lamentations 3:19-23 (The

Message)

I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed.I remember it all—oh, how well I remember— the feeling of hitting the bottom.But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up.They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness!I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left.

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Stir Up the Fire

Session One

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Our Path• Discovering (rediscovering) - applying

(and reapplying) what it means to:

–stir up the inner fire (tonight)

– rekindle the embers of the inner fire (Sat AM)– fan the flame of the inner fire (Sat PM)– keep it burning (the inner fire) (Sun AM)

•The [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you.

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Stir Up• A fire is restored by stirring up the ashes

– Cleaning out the ash pit, making room for fuel, oxygen, and heat to work together

– Finding and gathering the embers

• Scripture says we are to stir up one another:– Spur on - encourage– Exhort– Provoke

• By:– The Word of God– The Spirit of God– The presence of one another (accountability)

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Stir Up – the Word of God• Proverbs 30:5 (NIV)

– "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

• Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)– For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-

edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

• Proverbs 3: 5-6 (NIV)– Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own

understanding. – Acknowledge him in all your ways he will make your paths straight.

• 1 John 3:17 (Message)– If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do

something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.

The Word of God is a living ember!

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Stir Up – the Spirit of God– 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

• For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

– Romans 8:14 – 16 (NIV)

• … for those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba. Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

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Stirred up ---• Take two minutes in silence right now:

– Acknowledge God's presence• Just put your open hands on your knees

– Ask Him to make you aware of one thing you need to release to be fully His, to be fully here.• Clench your fists with the first thought you

have

– Release it to Him• Open your fists - palm up - believe He will

take it

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Stir Up – One to Another• Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)

– And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

• 2 Peter 1:12-15 (NIV)

– So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.

– I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, …..

– And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

• Colossians 3:16 (NIV)

– Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God

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Stirring Up• Tonight: Clean out the pit – bank the embers

– Embers or Ashes?• Honestly check the fire within you – what cooled it?• What do you need removed for the heat to return?

– Start identifying that right now for our time tomorrow evening

– Resolve to encourage someone here• Your words can have the power of life• Acknowledge something you appreciate about another

person – their being, not just doing – human beings!• If someone comes to mind, obey the urging and act

immediately to encourage, apologize.• Seek to learn the story of one other person.

– Talk to yourself – speak into your heart:• Revisit the truths you have known• Recount God’s faithfulness to you

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Reflection– "One of the most poisonous of all Satan’s

whispers is simply, “Things will never change.” That lie kills expectation, trapping our heart forever in the present.

– To keep desire alive and flourishing, we must renew our vision for what lies ahead. Things will not always be like this. Jesus has promised to “make all things new.”

– Eye has not seen, ear has not heard all that God has in store for his lovers, which does not mean “we have no clue so don’t even try to imagine,” but rather, you cannot out dream God.

– Desire is kept alive by imagination, the antidote to resignation. We will need imagination, which is to say, we will need hope."

John Eldredge (The Sacred Romance Drawing Closer To The Heart Of God)

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Rekindle the Fire

Session Two

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Remember …Stirring up the fire

• Share how you prepared your fireplace:• Eliminating ashes• Banking Embers:

– Encouragement from or to someone else last night or today– One thought that impacted you - One truth you had

forgotten

• Share one commitment to stir the fire within by:

• Identifying and letting go of a hindrance• Seeking God’s truth and speaking to yourself• Learning another’s story• Encouraging another for who they are

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Continuing on the Fire Within

• Remember:– The gift of God – originates in relationship

• John 1:12 (NIV)

– Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

– The gift of God – is sourced out of Him• 2 Peter 1:3 (NIV)

– His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

– The gift of God – equips us for Kingdom Impact.

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The Gift of God - the Inner Fire:

• The gift of God equips us for Kingdom impact.– Each believer in Christ has been given spiritual gifts

for serving others…1 Cor. 12:4-11 (the Message) God's various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all

originate in God's Spirit. God's various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful:

wise counsel, clear understanding, simple trust, healing the sick,… All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out

one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when. 26

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Talking Points for Self• I am gifted!• My gifts matter – they are important to God and

others• God wants me to:

– Develop a relationship with Him– Discern, discover His gifts to me

• (Tests and guidance are available to help you do this)

– Develop my gifts• Study them, find a mentor, look for others who have them

– Deploy my gifts for Kingdom Impact• Using my gifts is the best confirmation that I have them

• Use them or lose them– Do not quench the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (NASB)

• What are my gifts and how have I tended to them?27

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(and reapplying) what it means to:– stir up the inner fire (last night)

– rekindle the embers of the inner fire (this morning)

– fan the flame of (the inner fire) (tonight)– keep it burning (the inner fire) (tomorrow

morning)


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Rekindling

The act of restoring, renewing to a stated purpose or

function.

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Rekindle – fire starting

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Rekindle the Embers

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Rekindle the embers• Pull together the embers

– Banking the embers – piling them on top of each other to make it through the night, to re-ignite them.

• Seldom do we talk about an ember – a singular ember, but typically about embers.

• Once it is cold it is no longer an ember – it is a coal. Ember means hot! Embers means hotter.

• Effective configuration is => 3 embers• Begin to re-feed the fire with smaller kindling.

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Rekindle the Fire Within God brings death and God brings life, brings down to the grave and raises up. God brings poverty and God brings wealth;

he lowers, he also lifts up. He puts poor people on their feet again; He rekindles burned-out lives with fresh

hope, Restoring dignity and respect to their lives— a place in the sun!

1 Samuel 2:6 – 8 (the Message)

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Rekindle - elicit

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RekindleIsaiah 40:30-31 (NIV)

• 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;

• 31 but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

• What is the source of that hope? – Never failing Lam 3:21-25

– Never changing Heb 13:8

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Rekindle – evoke

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Rekindle• Evoking greatness in others

– You find what you look for!– What you concentrate upon enlarges!– Resist the tendency to eternalize defeat

• Fetal perspective – John Ortberg– No real accomplishments to date.– No real sense of purpose.– No encouragement from others.– Might as well give up ….

– Perspective matters – attitude indicator!• We are hard pressed on every side, but not

crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Cor. 4:8-9

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Rekindle – stay in the game• Churchill said this on October 29, 1941, when

he visited Harrow School. It was after the Blitz and things were looking up a bit for Britain. – But for everyone, surely, what we have gone

through in this period … of ten months:This is the lesson:

Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

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Down but not out• Theodore Roosevelt, in a speech at the Hamilton Club,

Chicago (10 April 1899)– It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how

the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.

• Critics steal embers – they spread them out – they cool them down (pee on them) & delight in a fire extinguished.

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Where are you?• Where are you in the life arena of trials?

– Is your face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood?

– Have you erred and come up short again and again?

– You could be one attempt away from victory! • Do you build fires or snuff them out?

– Focus on being a voice of encouragement to yourself and others!

• Do you persevere or give up?– Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial,

because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

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Reflections on Rekindling the Fire

• When is one time you felt like quitting but managed to hang in through tough times?– What would you have lost if you had quit?– What did you gain by not giving up?– What did you learn about trials and tough times

through this experience?• About yourself? About others? About God?

– How could you coach yourself through the next trial?

– What could you share with others currently going through a tough time?

• How can you rekindle the flame within you?• Share these thoughts with at least one other.

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Fan the flame

Session three

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Remember …Rekindling the fire

• Share with the person next to you how you will rekindle the fire within by:

•Seeking God’s truth and speaking to yourself•One “new” truth you had forgotten•A new resolve to get back into the game•A new perspective on a prior “failure”•Learning from another’s story about

persevering•Encouraging another in the journey they are

on!•Something else?

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(and reapplying) what it means to:– stir up the inner fire (last night)– rekindle the embers of the inner fire (this morning)

–fan the flame of the inner fire (tonight)

– keep it burning (the inner fire) (tomorrow morning)


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What to do with the Spark*

• Once a spark is obtained, fan it …– Catch your breath, and get your nest ready. You should

not be in a hurry. After the spark has been built up, cut it in half and place it into the middle of your nest with your knife blade.

– Enclose the spark with the nest, but do not smother it. Hold up the nest as if you were praying to something in the sky, and whisper to that beautiful spark.

– If you blow too hard, you will blow it out. As the spark gets larger and more abundant, blow a little harder.

– Soon the tinder will burst into flames, but do not drop the nest. Instead, place it down into the fire lay that you have built.

– Build up your fire.

* http://usscouts.org/firebyfriction.asp 48

http://usscouts.org/firebyfriction.asp

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Fanning your fire• Restore the vigor to your spiritual life

– Clean up - Renew Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a

steadfast spirit within me. Ps 51:10

• Put yourself into community– A smaller group for accountability– A larger group for serving

• Know your spiritual gifts• Exercise your spiritual gifts (Fan them)

– Be willing to try new things– Be willing to use what you already have

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Fanning the fire in others• Become an encourager of others by:

– Catching others exercising their gifts– Creating situations for working together– Asking others to help you from within

their giftedness• Learning to listen

– We naturally know how to “fix” things– We need to learn the power of listening

• The best kindling consists of:– A question that forces reflection– A word of encouragement

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Fanning the Fire at Home• Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with

them.– Colossians 3:19 (NIV)

• Fathers, do not provoke your children, so they will not become disheartened.– Colossians 3:21 (NIV)

A fire neglected will go out!Work Life Imbalance? Neglect? Deeds louder than words? Harsh?

Husbands tend to the fire within your wives and do not let their fires go out!

Fathers - do not snuff out the fire within your children so they will not become disheartened (ashes)

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• Write an unexpected note of admiration– To your wife– Her parent (s)– Your parent (s)– Your child (children)

• Serve them without expectation– Philippians 2:1-9

• Praise them - choose what you will focus on!– Brag about your wife, kids in front of others

• Apologize to them– Remove the ashes from your relationships - look for

embers

Fanning the Fire at Home

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Fan the Fire in Others• Retelling others’ stories:

– Build a personal library of:• Other people’s stories of virtue• Success discovered in the midst of tragedy• Your realizations of the importance of trials• Consider this verse where, when have you

seen this to be true?

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your

faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,

not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

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Talking Points for Self

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• My past does not need to dictate my future. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Cor. 5:17

• All major life success is preceded by seasons of challenge and defeat. Never give in ....

• God wants me to dream - my dreams are not too big, but too small. However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" 1 Cor. 2:9

• God provides what He knows I will need - I don't need to earn it or look for it outside of Him - originates in Him and is sourced by Him

• I was not created to live life alone - God wants my life connected to others. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another. Heb 10:25

• God's love for me never ends - "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases." Lam 3:21

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Reflection: Fanning the Fire• A fire neglected will go out ....

– What fires have you neglected?• Write them down - Ask for God's forgiveness

– How will you ask God to help you:• Stir the ashes?

– Clean out those things that hinder the fire burning

• Rekindle the embers?– Seek for embers and begin to gather them– Keep your fire going so you can share embers

• Fan the fire?– Encourage, recognize, energize others– Manage your energy - become a source of energy

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Keep the Fire Burning

Session Four

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(and reapplying) what it means to:– stir up the inner fire (last night)– rekindle the embers of the inner fire (this morning)– fan the flame of the inner fire (last night)

–keep it burning (the inner fire) ( this morning)•The [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you.

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Keep the Fire Burning• Evidence for the human use of fire goes

back at least half a million years. But fire making is widely believed to be a relatively recent (10,000 years) innovation.

• For the vast majority of human prehistory, fire was preserved rather than produced. Fire may have been obtained from time to time from natural forest fires, but survival depended on being able to keep the fire going in the mean time.

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Keep the Fire Within Burning

• Without fuel – fires go out, keep tending to the fire within …

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Refueling the Fire Within• 2 Timothy 1:7

– For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, (a spirit) of love and (a spirit) of self discipline.

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More Love, More Power Michael W. Smith

More love, more powerMore of You in my lifeMore love, more powerMore of You in my life.

I will worship You with all of my heartAnd I will worship You with all of my mind

And I will worship You with all of my strengthFor you are my Lord

You are my Lord. More faith, more passion

More of You in my lifeMore faith, more passionMore of You in my life

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More Power• The Greek word for power, dunamis,

denotes 'inherent ability, capability, ability to perform anything’– strength power, ability– inherent power, power residing in a thing by

virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth

– power for performing miracles– moral power and excellence of soul

• Application– You have not because you ask not – James 4:2-3

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More Love• Love is the first of many attributes of God's Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

• Love is greater than faith or hope (1 Cor. 13:13)

• Love is more than a feeling - it is godly action (a verb)– Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).– "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God

and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:2, 3).

– "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth" (1 John 3:18).

• Godly love entails active effort.– "pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one

may edify another" (Romans 14:19).

• When we practice godly love, we establish an emotional bond between:– Us and God– Us and others

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Self Discipline – Sound Mind• When God's Holy Spirit lives in us, we are to think

different thoughts. – Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be

transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

• God's Spirit makes it possible for us to prove, or test, God's way for ourselves. We do not simply take someone else's word for how we should live.– 1 Cor. 2:4-5 “but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God ”

– 1 Cor. 2:9 “But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.' ”

• God's Spirit helps us understand principles and truths hidden to others 1 Cor. 2:12-16

– “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. ”

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"Fire Inside" Tending Sequence

• Keep the Fire Burning:– Stir the ashes– Gather the embers– Rekindle with some tinder and kindling– Fan the flame – Stoke the fire with larger materials

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"Fire Inside" Tending Sequence

• Keep the Fire Burning:– Stir the ashes Examine, Confess, Release, Repeat

– Gather the embers Share with others, accountability, find hot fires

– Rekindle with some tinder and kindling Weekly meeting with other men

– Fan the flame

Daily Word

Weekly Meet with other men Monthly Men’s Breakfast

Yearly Retreat

– Stoke the fire with larger materials Serve others out of your giftedness

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Next Steps• Practice fire tending until it becomes a habit

– With the Lord and with Others (More love, power, of Him)• Remove the ashes (your relationships, and in your life)• Seek and preserve embers daily, • Rekindle the flame,• Fan the flame (within, at home, with others)

• Stir the flame within– Know your spiritual gifts

• Begin to develop and use them• Begin to encourage others to use their gifts

• Preserve the Flame

Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 3:17

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Next Steps• Jude 24-25

– To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—

•"To Him, who alone, can help you keep the fire burning within you!"

– To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Stir the Flame Within!

Fired Up Ccc

Spiritual

Transcript of Fired Up Ccc