We are seeds in the Kingdom. We are called to grow, bear fruit and multiply. We do this not for our own ministry or purposes, but for God’s.

Jesus said, “My kingdom is like a seed.” He also likened the Kingdom of Heaven to a treasure buried in a field. The man that found it sold all the he had in order to purchase that field. The Kingdom that Jesus taught didn’t match the preconceived notions that people had about the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of His kingdom on Earth. At the time of Christ, Israel had been occupied and in captivity for more than 500 years. Many believed that the Messiah would come to defeat Israel’s enemies and liberate them from captivity. Jesus did come to do this, but not in the way they thought He would.
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 Pastor Dean - Sunday, October 28, 2007: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Matthew 5, 6 and 7 provide the manifesto of God’s Kingdom. Otherwise known as the “Sermon on the Mount,” in this famous passage Jesus lays out for us the true nature and purpose of God’s Kingdom and it’s reality to us in the here and now.

When you come to Christ, you have a lot of “un-learning” to do. As Christians, we are no longer living for ourselves, but are living to serve God in all that we do. We come to understand that we own nothing, but are merely stewards of the gifts and blessings that God has given to us during our time on the earth. The world is a kingdom of self, and its principles are totally opposite of those that Jesus is talking about in His description of the Kingdom.
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 Pastor Dean - Wednesday, October 24, 2007: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Psalm 1 1-3 (NKJ)

1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
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 Pastor Dean - October 7, 2007: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Luke 8:22-25 - Where is your faith?

The disciples were not new fisherman. They had been in storms before and had been in the boat with Jesus before. But this time they knew they were in REAL danger. Sometimes we are in REAL danger- our marriage is failing, we are on the brink of loosing our house, etc. In these situations, we come to God because we are afraid. But we have to keep our faith. I would never want God to come to me in a situation and ask me “Where is your faith?”
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 Pastor Dean - October 14, 2007: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

God elevated Joseph in Egypt to the point that his authority was second only to Pharoah himself. At the time of the great famine, Egypt was prepared because of Joseph’s leadership and controlled all of the food stores in the region. People traveled from all around to receive Egypt’s help during the famine, including the people of Israel and Joseph’s own family. It is interesting that in the Bible, Egypt is often used to symbolize the world.

Sometimes it looks advantageous to get in with the world. Sometimes what the world has seems really nice. The problem is, once you get in with the world, you discover what the world’s motivation really is. When you are married to the world, at first it seems as if it is providing for your needs and looking after you, but eventually you will become a slave to the world. Egypt would eventually come to dominate and enslave the nation of Israel.
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 Pastor Dean 09.30.07: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It is great to get around bigness and be challenged. The way of the Kingdom is that you possess things every step of the way by faith. If you are going to get something bigger, you are going to have to get bigger yourself. You have to be able to contain and receive that which you are trying to possess. God will give you more when you 1) are a good steward of what He has already given you and 2) when you are willing to have your capacity expanded. Expanding your capacity is a fight of faith. There is always opposition.
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John 13:3 - Jesus washing the disciples feet.

Many things happen that we don’t understand, but we have to move forward in mercy and grace. Jesus was not rigid, and God is not a rigid God. He understood that salvation works itself out day by day. We keep coming back to God and working areas out. We need to have mercy and grace for the people around us. If we are too black and white, we won’t have friends for too long. Show mercy on purpose. No matter what you think about what was done, said or anything.
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