Tanner-price Ame Church

Bible Study 5/19/2011

Self sufficiency and independence are vital to moving forward in God and being as effective a believer as you were designed to be. David's disposition in Psalm 23 instructs us to use the power God has already given to make it through times of storm.

Who is more loyal than a mother? Who shows greater unconditional love than a mother? When your back's against the wall; when everyone has turned their backs against you; when no one believes in you, a mother is there for you. Motherhood and loyalty are synonymous, so much so that their acts will point you to Christ. By examining the tenets of loyalty demonstrated by the faithful women who followed our Savior so closely, even unto His death, we see numerous Christlike attributes that we can apply to our own lives. (Luke 23:49-56; 24:1-12)

We must become consistent & self-sufficient in our walk with Christ. That happens when we verbalize our fears & proclaim our promises. Few bigger misconceptions exist than the notion that internalizing hurt & privatizing our faith are positive steps in our Christian walk. Our mouths are instruments of warfare against the spirits of fear & depression. It's up to us to arm ourselves properly. Open your mouth and watch the anointing of God positively impact your life!

Details are important. There's a reason we neither hang nor adorn crosses with Jesus on them. There's a reason we celebration the resurrection and not Easter. The gospel message is incomplete without the resurrection of Jesus, and because He rose, we all have hope for a similar comeback in our lives. Because of the resurrection, the story of our lives is nowhere near over!

When the source of your motivation is God and His glory, rather than the approval of other people, we learn we can be at peace with our decisions, regardless of the criticism we receive, and we don't have to live in fear because God will pick up the slack for where we fall short

Our study of the book of Acts is an analysis and application of a collection of case studies profiling monuments of extraordinary courage in both life and ministry. Our prayer is that, as we progress through this book, we derive inspiration and courage from those shown by the disciples, and, as a result, live better, more impactful and God-glorifying lives. Evangelism and outreach are major emphases for this conference year, and the book of Acts provides the blueprint for doing those things to expand God's kingdom. Acts 21-23, which chronicle Paul's perseverance through literal, life-jeopardizing trial, illustrate the level of favor the people of God can walk in when they are rooted firmly in God's will.

The other major force, along with fear, that cripples us and hinders our ability to be all we can be in God is our propensity to underestimate the anointing God has placed in us, based on the unreasonable expectations of others. If we focus more on God's criteria for greatness than those of others who don't have the power to make greatness come to pass, then our potential is limitless

Fear grips us, paralyzes us, and keeps us from being all we can be in God. The antithesis of fear is the fundamental belief that God is on our side, no matter what circumstances look like. That belief counteracts the effects of fear. Each of us, from time to time, has moments of fear and vulnerability, but if we commit ourselves to submitting those fears to the word of God spoken over our lives, those moments will be few and far between.

Rev. Tracey Thomas ministers God's Word.

If the word of God is as powerful as the word of God say it is, we ought to have some tangible evidence of how God's power is working in our lives. If no one has been a witness to the power of God in your life, then you're not doing something right. If no one's life around you has been changed because of the word of God working in your life, then is the word of God really working in your life? If our lives don't compel other people to improve their lives, then the word of God is not bearing the kind of fruit it needs to.

When come to the realization that we are one moment away from the greatness of God, our lives will be radically changed forever. The manner in which Esther's and Mordecai's lives change for the better forever, without their pursuing prominence or position, is perhaps the best example in the word of God of how we're all truly one moment away from greatness if we keep our hand in God's hands.

Our study of the book of Acts is an analysis and application of a collection of case studies profiling monuments of extraordinary courage in both life and ministry. Our prayer is that, as we progress through this book, we derive inspiration and courage from those shown by the disciples, and, as a result, live better, more impactful and God-glorifying lives. Evangelism and outreach are major emphases for this conference year, and the book of Acts provides the blueprint for doing those things to expand God's kingdom. In Acts 21, we see the actions of a man, the apostle Paul, who knows his fate has been sealed. What happens to Paul upon arrival to Jerusalem illustrates the unavoidable nature of destiny, whether positive or negative in our eyes. His ability to face the unavoidable head-on offers us a wonderful example of courage.

It's time for the full performance of the faith we claim we have. We've sat under too much teaching and have affirmed our faith enough times to have the power necessary to walk in our faith. To truly receive the fullness of God, we must step out on faith and do something, for it's in our experiences that we grow in faith. How can we truly know how good God is if we never commit to doing anything that requires God's help? It's time to get up, do something, and experience the power of God in our lives! It's time! Time for what? It's time to walk in the power of God! (Revelation 3:14-22)

Acts 20 is a chapter of transition in the narrative, as the text records some of the apostle Paul’s final dealings with many of the cities in which he had ministered for quite some time. Various messages of courage, Spirit-filled decision making, and holistic commitment to ministry are apparent in this chapter.

Rev. Tracey Thomas ministers the word of God.

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Why do we care so much about what other people think? Why do we give people who have nothing to do with our salvation so much control over how we live our lives? Once we get delivered from people and live more for Christ than for the opinions of others, we will become the spiritual powerhouses God intended us to be. Beware of dogs! No matter what you do, somebody's always going to be around the corner ready to dog you out, but if you remain consistent and stay true to who you are, God will help you to thrive in the midst of public scrutiny. (Numbers 16)

In this Christian walk, we have many instances of needing to discern the difference between the authentic and the counterfeit, and having that discernment will enhance our ability to live effectively and minister powerfully. In Acts 18 and 19, Paul demonstrates that there are some key elements and clear, tangible manifestations easily separating the real from the fake. Operating courageously in God will give us everything we need to be part of the former and not the latter.

What God does in our lives is not always going to make sense to others around us, and you know what? There's nothing wrong with that! Part of our struggle in being who God has called us to be is accepting the fact that because you're set apart for God's glory, how God moves in your life will be seen as peculiar. The quicker we come to acceptance of that important truth, the more authority we can walk in, for God desires us to be proudly peculiar. Don't apologize for who you are; it's the power of God working in your life! (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)