What i wrote as an idea/template for my first sermon.

This was the guide that i had wrote for my first sermon. I ended up not really needing to look at it a whole lot, and no i did not read it word for word. soo i hope you enjoy it.





Good Morning,
MY name is Jeff and i would like to thank you for the opurtiniuty to speak with you today.
I would like to start by sharing a bit about my self. I have been married for 3 1/2 year. I have been with my wife for 9 years. I have been a full out follower of Christ for 3 years now. My journey to Jesus was a long drawn out experience with many, many twist and turns. I went through a few stages where i was interested in God which was followed by stages where i would go around trying to prove to christians that he didnt exist. I got into music and bands like Marlyn Manson, Tool Bands that Celebrated their hatred/ unbelief of God. I even went as far as looking in the satanic church, i tried to find the santanic bible "thank GOD i failed at that.... Even though i went down these roads from time to time I now notice that God always had a little reminder of himself standing by, Stuff like my first roomate Eddie, who at the time was in a christian metal band. He turned me on to many Heavy metal band that were christian and had very powerful messages, My Grandma and aunts who always reasured me that Jesus loved me even if i didnt love him, And most recently my wife. Who for 5 years never pressured me with her beliefs but showed me The love of Christ by simply loving me. Shes probaly about to cry now. But These little glimps that God put in my life slowly just kept adding up. Until one day about 3 or 4 years ago we were out partying with some friends and ended up at a tattoo parlor, we had been drinking for most of the day and were probaly not in the best mindset at the time. While watching my frineds get tattoos i told my wife that i wanted to get my nipples peirced, at first she didnt want me to because i had been drinking but i made a deal with her that i would go to church once a month if she would let me. She accepted i got my peircings and i went to church for a few months then one day i stumbled across one of the CD's That My old roomate had showed me. It had this one catchy song called Pitiful. There is a verse on this song that hit me like a freight train. "I know as they hammered those nails in to your beautiful hands your eyes they tried to search for mine, but i look away. And there it was....... i saw what had been going on for all those years, he was there holding out his hands just waiting for me to look his way. With that we started going every sunday, you know i was reading the bible every night just taking in everything i could, i mean i was hungry for his words. But i was still just learning, i hadn't changed my ways. i was still partying a lot, smoking a pack of cigerettes a day, drinking almost everyother night. But then this one night... we had an ice storm and since my wife was out of town i had decided to go stay with a friend and party since we didnt have to work the next day. That night every thing, i mean everything came together and hit me like a freight train from heaven. After everyone had left the party and my friend had went to bed i was left by my self flipping through channels on TV. Now sometimes ill be flipping through channels and ill zone out and stop on some of the weirdest things. On this night i zoned out and stopped on the Passion Of the Christ. as i sat there i started watching as they were lashing Jesus with those whips and all i could hear in my head was "he did that for you" Now here i was a sinner, a drunk, a liar, theif, porn addicted fool. and all i can hear is this voice in my head saying I love you.

Now i want to take you to Luke 19:1

Jesus and Zacchaeus
1 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town.
2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.
3 1 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town.
2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.
3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.
4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.
7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”


Now Zacchaeus was not just a tax collector, he was the Cheif tax collector and he was very rich.. He had several people that went out and pretty much strong armed people out of their money. In the time of roman ocupation the romans appointed Tax collectors in the community and would charge them with collecting a certain amount that was to be turned over to the empire, and in return the romans allowed the Tax collectors to collect and keep any amount over what was required to be handed over.
Since we see that Zacchaeus was wealthy that means that he was good at taxing. Now these guys could tax just about any thing they wanted. since you walked through that door this morning, he could charge you an open door tax and then stand outside and tax you again for leaving. The sky was the limit for these guys. as you can imagine Zacchaeus was probaly not liked very well.


Just a side note. as i was studing for this lesson i came a cross one bit of information that stated that Even though a tax collector was Jewish, because of his profession he was denied access to the temple. Even if he bleived and worshiped the lord he was not allowed to worship at the temple.

verses
1-4
I can imagine being like Zacchaeus hearing the stories that this jesus charecter had been preforming, and here he his coming to my town.walking down my street!! I think i would want to catch a glimpse also. As jesus neared Zacchaeus being a short guy hops up this sycamore tree. Hes very intrested in Jesus, he wants to know what all the fuss is about. He is all out just seeking just wanting to maybe catch a glimpse he feels in his heart that something is specail about this guy when
"Zacchaeus" Hurry up get down from that tree IM COMING TO YOUR HOUSE TONIGHT"
Zacchaeus jumps down and not only takes him but........ takes Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.
Notice what jesus didnt say? He didnt say go home clean up, hide the beer cans , the magizines, go vaccum the carpet, do the dishes.. NO Jesus Didn't tell him to go undo the bad things he had done.
My mom sent me a Quote over face book the other day. A true friend dosent care how dirty your house is. They only care about you..
Jesus wanted him just as he was, an imperfect, lost sinner.
Boy that really angered the people around them. Here is this guy the worst of the worst, he was riping them off and helping the romans probaly one of most dreaded men in town, And jesus is going to crash at his place tonight?
verse7

Jesus does something here. I think Zaccheaus has that moment where in his heart he hears"i love you"
Zachaeus realizes who jesus is. and what he has done. being a jew he knows the law of moses and follows it to the letter.
Ex 22:1
22 "If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.
NIV
verse 8-9-10
For the son of man has come to SEEK and SAVE those who are lost.


As they hammered those nails in to your beautiful hands your eyes they tried to search for mine. but i look away. That night in the middle of an ice storm My saviours eyes were seeking me through a tv screen. I heard That voice inside me and my heart dropped , he did that for you.....my eyes started watering up and at that very moment my wife calls my cell phone. And here i am, crying not nowing whats happening to me i was so sad yet i felt so at peace i got up and went out to the garage so i wouldnt wake my friends. and all of a sudden like a stack of weights fell on my shoulders i fell to my knees and in the middle of this garage knelt down on my knees my face on the freezing concrete floor, and my wife guiding me through the process i came to christ.


He found me that night not because he couldn't have in the past but i was like Zacheaus i was ready to take jesus to my house.


close prayer

cheap?

A miner once said to a preacher, “I’d like to be a Christian, but I can’t receive what you said tonight.” “Why not?” asked the preacher. “Well, I’d give anything to believe that God would forgive my sins, but I can’t believe He’ll forgive me if I just turn to Him. It’s too cheap.” The preacher looked at him and said, “Have you been working today?” Surprised, the man replied, “Yes, I was down in the pit as usual. Why?” “How did you get out of the pit?” “The way I usually do. I got into the cage and was pulled to the top.” “How much did you pay to come out of the pit?” The miner looked at the preacher in astonishment. “Pay? Of course, I didn’t pay anything.” “Well,” said the preacher, “weren’t you afraid to trust yourself to that cage? Wasn’t it too cheap?” “Oh, no,” he said; “it was cheap for me, but it cost the company a lot of money to sink that shaft.” Then the implication of what he had said struck him, and he saw that though he could have salvation without money and without price, it had cost the infinite God a great price to rescue lost men

Faith

July 24, 2009
Lois Faye Buck lived a life most people could or most would not live. Diagnosed with Gastro paresis nearly thirty years ago Lois has had to endure hundreds of hospital stays, thousands of needles and blood tests, and countless procedures where a tube with a “balloon” on the end of it was shoved down her throat to open up her esophagus. Due to the Gastro paresis, every three months for as long as I can remember, Lois would have to go and have her stomach pumped, her stomach would build up unprocessed food particles and begin to rot and decay causing her belly to swell and slowly poison her.

Gastro paresis was not Lois’ only illness, Lois had also had kidney problems from the time she was a kid. Because of all the IV’s she had to have over the many years her veins were failing one by one. Which caused her to have a permanent Iv put in to her chest. But despite all of this she never gave up hope as she fought through the pain. Infact it took leukemia and the inability treat her other illness due to the leukemia to taker her from this earth.

Lois was a believer, a Christian that embraced God in every waking moment.The type of Christian that this world could use more of. Through Lois God spoke to many people, he touched many lives “mine included”. Lois’ faith is Christ shown through her every waking moment, she gave everything she could to her church, to her family, to her friends, to her doctors, and even to other patients at the hospital. No matter how sick or how much pain she was enduring, Lois always had a smile about her, a positive glow. When people met her they always commented about her positive attitude. Lois prayed for many years that the lord would heal her to make her pains go away, and for many years she woke up day after day still sick, still in pain and still loving Jesus Christ with all of her heart.

Now most people would ask why would the lord put some one who loves Him so much and dedicated so much of their life to him through such pain and suffering. My thought and answer to this is because he knew her, He knew she could handle his will. He filled Lois not with healing for her self but for the people around her. Through her he brought comfort to others with the same illness. He was able to show love and affection to people who were scared, who were hurting and who were lost. The family was told of how she could calm down her doctors who were nervous….even thought she was the one being operated on. We were told of how she would sit and talk to other patients at the hospitals, and how doctors would put her in rooms with others who were having an exceptionally hard time. Why her? Because the lord knew she could do it. He had her place in heaven already picked out, but he needed her to do his will for a short time here on earth. I’m now a Christ follower mainly impart of my aunt Lois, which is something I know she prayed for often. “I know this because she told me often!” When I was baptized she was the first person I called and I cant explain how happy she was.

On June 28, 2009 The Leukemia finally took its toll. The leukemia made it impossible for Lois to get her stomach pumped of the infection that was building up which poisoned her body. June 28,2009 at 9:45 am “Which, by no surprise to me whatsoever, is what time she would usually leave for Sunday church services” Lois was healed from the pains and sickness that this world brings. The moment she had been looking forward to for her entire life was granted to her. She finally got to go home and walk with the lord.

Walks on water

Happy new year all!

The other day i was playing a war game on Xbox live "Modern Warfare 2" My gamer tag is walksonwatr81. Look me up if any of you play! While waiting for a game to start some one came in to the room and popped off that only Jesus walks on water. Without even taking time to think I quickly replied that "you need to read your bible son, Peter also walked on water." I got a lot of "ohhh's, you just told him and a few man i didn't know that"

Over then next few days the whole walking on water thing just stuck with me, i couldn't get it out off my head. It didn't help that its also one of my favorite stories, so my first blog of the year will be about Peter walking on water.

We will start with the verse

Matt 14:25-31; 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

NIV

Peter knew that if he jumped out of that boat he would sink. Thats why he asked Jesus to command him to come. Christ told Peter to come, not only that he might walk upon the water, and so know his Lord’s power, but that he might know his own weakness. As Peter neared Jesus he looked around and he started to doubt what he was doing. When we look off from Christ, and look at the greatness of opposing difficulties, we shall begin to fall; but when we call to him, he will stretch out his arm, and save us. Peter walked upon the water, not for diversion or to boast of it, but to go to Jesus; and in that he was thus wonderfully borne up. Special supports are promised, but only in spiritual pursuits; nor can we ever come to Jesus, unless we are upheld by his power.

He that comes to God, must believe; and he that believes in God, will come, Hebrews 11:6.

Now i must say that when i came up with the gamer tag walksonwatr81 it was mainly because i like the story and I walk as a mode of transportation. Now it means to go to Jesus.

Will you walk on water with me?