Potter's Hand Bible Church
Sermons / Podcasts
Potter's Hand Sermons
The Invisible War: Being Faithful in a Faithless World
Luke 18
I. Three important things about the
importance of faith.
A. God is
looking for faithful people.
B. Faithful people
are hard to find.
C. Faithfulness is
the key to blessing, to victory.
II. Six tests of
faithfulness.
A. God uses
little things to test your integrity.
1. If you
are not faithful with somebody lses job who's going to give you
yours?
2.
Principle: I don"t have to own it to enjoy it, but I can
take care of it even though it is not mine.
3. I don't
have to own stuff.
B. God uses
my talents to test my unselfishness.
1.
FAithful people don't live for themselves.
2. God
shaped you to serve Him.
3. If
you don't use your talent because of fear or laziness, God
will take it away and give it to someboy else.
C. God
uses tough times to teach me persistence.
1. God
is more interested in who you are than what you
do.
Download | Duration: 00:38:51
The Invisible War: Why is life so hard?
Jan, me, potterschurch 
The Invisible War
Why Is Life in This World So Hard?
I. The cause:
A. Rebellion
against God broke everything.
1. Anytime
God tells you to do something and you don't do it, you are actually in a
war with God.
B. Three kinds of
rebellion.
1.
Sin: To miss the mark.
2.
Transgression: You go too far.
3.
Iniquity: Intention to hurt.
II. The Damage.
A. Sin has damaged
everything.
B. Six
dimensions of life that are damaged on our broken
planet.
1.
Natural disasters and deformities.
2. Physical
decay and death.
a. The Second Law of Thermodynamics: everything in the
universe is irreversibly decaying into disorder.
Download | Duration: 00:41:11
Prayer, Share & Dare!
Download | Duration: 00:45:18
Making the Changes In Me
Making the Changes In Me
Ephesians 4:21-27
I. Change requires learning the truth.
II. Change requires making choices.
III. Change requires new thinking.
IV. Change requires the Holy Spirit.
IV. Change requires honest Community.
A. In small groups, we need gut level authenticity.
B. You cannot become until you belong
V. Change requires overcoming temptation.
Ephesians 4:21-27
I. Change requires learning the truth.
II. Change requires making choices.
III. Change requires new thinking.
IV. Change requires the Holy Spirit.
IV. Change requires honest Community.
A. In small groups, we need gut level authenticity.
B. You cannot become until you belong
V. Change requires overcoming temptation.
Download | Duration: 00:39:17
Herod Totally Missed It!
Herod Totally Missed It!
Matthew
2:1-8
Why did he miss it?
I. He was consumed by self
interests.
A. What is in
it for me?
B. The mood of
American people runs counter to the thrust of Christian belief and
theology.
C. The churches
that are solid in this century are those whose where the commitment of
people deepen.
II. He missed it because of
conscience.
A. Moral
chickens always come home to roost.
III. He missed it because of
career.
Download | Duration: 00:40:34
The Bait of Satan: The Sure Foundation
Download | Duration: 00:42:29
The Invisible War: Making the Hard Changes In Me
Ephesians 4:21-27
I. Six requirements to change:
A. Change requires
learning the Truth.
B. Change
requires.
1. There is
no change without loss.
2. Genetics
explains my inclinations, but they don't excuse my
sins.
3. Be afraid
that you"ll miss God's best.
4. While you
are doing the work out, God is working in
you.
C. Change requires
new thinking.
1. You aren't
what you think you are, but what you think, you are.
2. The Greek word
for repent is metanoia, which means to change your
mind.
3. The only people
that posers impress are other posers.
Download | Duration: 00:45:31
The Invisible War: Making the Hard Changes In Me
The Invisible War
Two terms: unavoidable defects,
and zero defect mentality.
The truth is we're all
defective.
Why is it so hard to change the stuff in me that I
don't like?
1. Because I have had
them so long.
2. I have a
hard time with my defects because I identify with
them.
a. You are
not your defects.
3. My defects
have a payoff.
a. There is
a reward to everything you do.
4. Satan
discourages me.
I. Six requirements to change:
1. Change requires
learning the truth.
a. The proof
of personal change is found in the truth.
b. Every
time you get yourself in a problem it's because you have believed
a lie.
c. The Bible
was given to us for at least four things:
(1) Doctrine: Shows us the path to get on.
(2) Proof: When we get off the path.
(3) Instruction: How to get back on the
path.
(4) Righteousness: How to stay on the path.
Download | Duration: 00:44:05
Symbol of Self Examination
I John 1:9
1. The bread and cup of
Thanksgiving.
2. Let a man examine
himself.
3. Reminder:
a. Are you
perplexed?
b. Are you
troubled?
c. Do you feel
guilty?
d. Are you
burdened?
e. Are you
bored?
4. The Lord's Table is a reminder of our
salvation.
******Your faith can make His presence real to you
or your unfaith can make His presence null and
void!
Download | Duration: 00:30:05
The Invisible War: Set Free From Me (Conclusion)
Download | Duration: 00:37:25
The Invisible War Set Free From Me
The Invisible War
Set Free From Me
Romans 8
I. 7 habits needed to help apply the truths
of Romans 8:
1. I must remind
myself daily what Jesus did for me.
2. I ask the
Holy Spirit to give me better thoughts.
a. There's
the mindset of your old nature, and there's the mindset of
the Holy Spirit.
b. You
choose what you dwell on.
c. Satan
gives you ideas, that's called temptation.
d. The
Holy Spirit gives you ideas, that's called
inspiration.
3. I have a new
ability to say no.
a. I don't
have any obligation to listen to my old
nature.
4. I need to
turn my thoughts to God whenever I'm
afraid.
a. Stop
focusing on your fear, start focusing on
your Father.
b. Remember whose family you're in.
Download | Duration: 00:43:11
The Bait of Satan: How Spiritual Vagabonds are Born
The Bait of Satan
How
Spiritual Vagabonds are Born
I Samuel 24:6-7
It is righteous for God to avenge His
servants.
It is unrighteous for God's servants
to avenge themselves.
God tests His servants with
obedience.
A. How can God use corrupt
leaders?
1. Children
do not correct fathers. but it is the duty of fathers to
train and correct the children.
B. Churches aren't
cafeterias.
1. If you're in the
place where God wants you, the devil will try to offend you to get
you out.
C The critical deception.
1. Offended people
react to the situation and do things that appear right even though
they are not inspired by God.
a. We are
not called to react but to act.
D. The planted flourish.
1. Those who
flourish are planted in the house of the Lord.
2. A believer who
chooses to delight in the Word of God in the midst
of adversity will avoid being offended.
3. Once you leave
the place God has chosen for you, your root system begins
to dwarf.
4. You become a
spiritual vagabond, wandering around from place to place,
suspicious and afraid that others will mistreat you.
5. Offended
christians also cut off their ability to produce
fruit.
6. Offnded people
believe everyone is out to get them.
7. God never created
us to live separately and independently of each
other.
8. An
isolated person seeks only his own desire, not
God's.
Download | Duration: 00:45:30
The Invisible War: Set Free From Me
Romans 8
Three enemies that are trying to mess up your
life:
1. The
world.
2. The
flesh.
3. The
devil.
Your biggest enemy is not Satan, its not the
world, but it is you.
Best intentions are not good
enough.
The cures for weapons of
self-destruction.
1. The first weapon
is shame.
2.
Uncontrolled thoughts.
3.
Compulsions.
4.
Fear.
5.
Hopelessness.
6.
Bitterness.
7.
Insecurity.
Seven Habits in being set free:
1. I must remind
myself daily what Jesus did for me.
a. A lot of Christians are still simply relying on willpower to
change.
b. No
self-help programs can change your heart.
c. The way we act is determined by the way we feel, and the
way we feel is determined by the way we think.
2. I ask the Holy
Spirit to give me better thoughts.
a. There's the mind-set of your old nature, and there's the mindset
of the Holy Spirit.
b. You choose what you dwell on:
(1) Satan gives you ideas, that's called temptation.
(2) The Holy Spirit gives you ideas, that's called
inspiration.
3. I realize I have
a new ability to say no.
a. I don't
have any obligation anymore to listen to my old
nature.
Download | Duration: 00:43:43
The Invisible War: Winning The War Inside Me Part 2
Romans 7:15-25
Our three mortal enemies are the world, the
flesh, and the devil.
I am my biggest problem.
When you try to please God or to change things in
your life under your own strength, you are going to be frustrated and you
are going to fail.
Six emotional consequences:
1. Confusion.
2. Guilt and
shame.
A. A good friend
walks in when everybody else walks out.
3. Compulsions and
addictions.
A. We like to
sin.
B. If you have your
kicks you're going to have your kickbacks.
4. Self-condemnation.
5. Frustration.
A. When I try
to do the right thing simply by willpower, I am just flapping my
wings.
6. Discouragement and
despair.
The Cause: I have two
natures!
God's Battle Plan For My Victory.
1. I must deepen my understanding of
God.
2. I must detect and disarm the
lie that I'm believing.
a. Behind every
self-defeating ac is a lie I have believed.
b. To stop
defeating myself I must stop deceiving myself.
3. I must declare my struggle to
another.
Download | Duration: 00:38:33
The Invisible War: Winning The War Inside Me
The Invisible War
Winning The War Inside Me
Romans 7:15-25
Our three mortal enemies are the world, the flesh, and the devil.
I am my biggest problem.
When you try to please God or to change things in your life under your own strength, you are going to be frustratedand you are going to fail.
Six emotional consequences:
1. Confusion.
2. Guilt and shame.
A. A good friend walks in when everybody else walks out.
3. Compulsions and addictions.
A. We like to sin.
B. If you have your kicks you're going to have your kickbacks.
4. Self-condemnation.
5. Frustration.
A. When I try to do the right thing simply by willpower, I am just flapping my wings.
6. Discouragement and despair
Download | Duration: 00:40:46
The Invisible War: When You Feel Like Giving Up Part 2
The Invisible War
Hebrews 12:1-2
When You Feel Like Giving Up
What do I do when I feel like giving
up?
A. Remember that heaven is watching
me.
B. I must eliminate what doesn'
matter.
C. Run Gods race for me, not other
people's race for me.
1. Your SHAPE
determines the race you run.
D. I must focus on Jesus, not my
circumstance.
E. Minimize the pain and maximize the
profit.
1. Play it
down and pray it up.
2. There is always a
waiting period between when you plant the seed and when you eat
the fruit.
F. You remember, you think about what
Jesus did for me.
What have you started that you need to
finish?
The Invisible War: When You Feel Like Giving Up
Hebrews 11
Why is life so tough?
There are forces out to destroy your
soul.
The first battle is inside you, and is
called the world of flesh and the devil.
There's the battle around you. That's
the world.
Then there's the battle against you and that is
Satan.
Learning to live by faith involves
pain.
Three profound truths:
1. Faith doesn't spare us
from pain!
2. Some of God's
promises will fulfilled in eternity.
3. The people who
have gone before us can't receive the prize.
What do I do when I feel like giving
up?
A. Remember that
heaven is watching me.
B. I must
eliminate what doesn't matter.
1.
Weights are not something that's wrong.
2. Sin
is knowing what to do and not doing it.
Download | Duration: 00:48:35
How Big Is Your God? Part 2
I. How big is Jesus?
II. Why does God insist on worship?
III. We reflect on what God has done.
A. When I stop to reflect on what God has
done, I seek to soften the hardness of my heart.
B. God is way too big for the
wonder-killers.
C. Sometimes we miss these because we are
overwhelmed.
|
IV. We respond in worship.
A. Boredom in worship is often a response of
spending too much time in the boat.
B. When we encounter God, the Lord over mountains
and storms, we tremble.
C. Fear of God involves reverence and
awe a healthy recognition of who God is.
D. Worship reminds us of that the day will come
when our fallenness will be utterly healed.
E. The first task of a leader is to define
reality.
F. In worship, at its heart, we magnify God. G. Worship closes the loop on the whole story. H. When human beings get out of the boat, they are never quite the same. I. God isn't finished with us
yet. |
Download | Duration: 00:43:55
How Big Is Your God?
Matthew 14:33
In the middle of the story of water-walking is the
word that has the power to still the storms of fear inthe troubled people of
God: Courage! I Am! Dont's be
afraid!
The way we live is a consequence of the
size of our God.
I. How big is Jesus?
A. How can I live in
a way that reflects the fact that I follow a God who is soooooo
big?
1. It is
called worship.
2. We live
in a world that does not promote worship.
II. Why does God insist on
worship?
A. Worship is not
about filling God's unmet ego needs.
B. We are to worship
God, not because his ego needs itit, but because without worship, our
experience and enjoyment of God are not complete.
C. We worship God
not so much because he needs it but because we do.
D. I need to worship
becaused without it I can forget that I have a Big God beside me
and live in fear.
E. God
reveals Himself.
F. Every time
someone gets out of the boat, God gets a little
bigger.
Download | Duration: 00:50:31
Learning To Wait Part 2
Learning To Wait
Matthew 14:32
Remember the marshmellow test.
Waiting on The Lord is the continual, daily
decision to say, "I will trust you, and I will obey
you.
What does it take to wait well?
A. Patient trust.
1. Too often we want
God's resources, but we do not want his timing.
B. Confident humility.
1. Waiting is, by
its naturek, something onnly the humble can do with
grace.
2. Prayer
allows us to wait without worry.
C. Waiting on the Lord reqires
inextinguishable hope.
D. Isaiah says this about waiting:
1. There will come a
time when they soar.
2. Sometimes we are
not soaring, but we are able to run and not grow
weary.
3. Sometimes we will
not be soaring, and we cannot run-because of doubt o pain or
fatigue or failure. In those times all we can do is walk and not
faint.
Download | Duration: 00:41:54
