Higher Aim With Dr. Curt Dodd

In today’s message, we are going to be focusing on the words of the Great Commission. These verses are the walking orders of the church. In the last several decades, the church has embraced the community of business leaders who have bought into the need for a vision statement. We need to have a mission statement. We need to have a purpose and a direction. And while I understand the value of that, we already have a mission and a purpose, and that is the Great Commission. It was the very thing that set the first generation of believers on course, therefore it should also place the last generation on course.

Today’s message is without a doubt one of the most important sermons I’ve ever delivered. This is not a political sermon; rather, this is Biblical instruction. As believers, we need to be linked with the nation of Israel. We need to support them. We need to pray for them because God’s Word instructs us to do so. But why is that the case? That’s the exact question we’re going to be answering today.

My job as a pastor is to make sure that God's people are equipped to do the work of ministry. One of the things that I am charged with doing is teaching people how to pray. With many of us, we wonder why our prayers don't get answered. Today, I hope that our focus on being aligned to pray will challenge you and encourage you. I pray for the light to go on in your hearts and in your lives so that you can align your prayers with God’s will and, as a result, see your prayers answered.

We must understand that God wants His children to be praying. Today’s key Scripture verse is very clear, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” This is not because of how we have lived, but because God has declared us righteous in Christ. Jesus is powerful. Our prayer life is powerful and effective. Is there anything happening in your life that is keeping you from getting through to God in your prayer life? I believe there are three things that can hinder you from getting through to God when it comes to prayer, and we’re going to look at those threethings in today’s message.

Today’s key passage from Acts is a great commentary on what every believer needs to continue to follow Jesus. Last week, we talked about how we need to be strengthened, we need to be encouraged, and we need to be organized. But that is only half of the list. In this message, we’re going to discuss three more things that every believer needs in order to live a life that is worthy of the calling given to each of us by God.

In today’s key passage in the book of Acts, we learn that Paul and Barnabas had been on a missionary journey, and God used them to plant many churches. It was an exciting journey and a very successful journey for these two men. They had two different kinds of ministry. One ministry was to the lost, winning people to faith in Christ. The other ministry was developing those who were brand-new believers. In this particular section of Scripture, we find some important things about what every believer needs, and we’re going to break down each of those needs into more detail.

As we unpack today’s key passage of Scripture, we are going to learn what the main thing is in life that we’re supposed to do as followers of Jesus. This message is going to help us understand the three basic principles that help us do the main thing. The main thing will not occur in your life so that you can be the representative that God wants you to be unless you do these three things.

In today’s message, we are going to look at the definition of faith. And one of the greatest examples of faith in Scripture is the story of the Centurion in Luke chapter 7. The problem in this story was that the Centurion’s servant was sick and was about to die. Undoubtedly, he had sought out physicians, with no remedy or recourse. He heard that Jesus was in the area, and he knew what Jesus could do. Although he had never met Him personally face- to-face, he knew of His fame and power. Therefore, he sent another servant to ask Jesus for help. There is so much we can learn about faith from the Centurion, so let’s dive in.

Regardless of how old you are, God wants you to accomplish the dream that He placed within your heart. Otherwise, you will just sit and be seated, and get sour. That is not God's plan for your life! We need to understand how He has created us and what He wants to do in our lives. God has more for you than you could ever imagine. Don't go to sleep at the wheel. Instead, choose to boldly and confidently pursue the plan He has for your life!

From the moment you give your life to Christ, I wish that everything would come up roses, and everything would be better. Many people say that everything will be great as soon as you accept Christ. That is not what the New Testament teaches. Instead, it teaches a sobering concept of how to live this life regardless of what happens to you, even if it is suffering. As we wrap up this series, we’re going to use this message to talk about the different realities surrounding suffering in the life of the believer so that we can know how to honor God when we face seasons of suffering.

Last week, we talked about the importance of dwelling with a spiritual mindset. Specifically, we began to break down what it looks practically to have a spiritual mindset according to 1 Peter 5. We’re going to continue that discussion today and talk about three more steps you can take to be prepared to stand against the devil and stay strong in your faith.

God wants us to learn how to cast our anxiety on Him. We are a very anxious people. Some 46 million American adults deal with anxiety. Do you know that between the ages of 18 and 25, about 50 % deal with anxiety? For adults older than 25, roughly 32-38 % deal with anxiety. So, sadly this is a very common issue across humanity. It is not only true for our culture now, but it applies to every culture. That is why the words of Jesus in Matthew, as well as Simon Peter's admonition in today’s key passage, are so important. If we are going to answer the call to the right attitudes, as we are discussing in this mini-series, we need to pay close attention to what Jesus says about handling our anxiety.

In the last couple of verses of 1 Peter chapter 5, Simon Peter gives the people some guidance on how to develop proper attitudes. We need to have the right attitude in order to live the Christian life like God wants us to live it. Unless we get our attitudes right, it will be difficult to hit the ball down the middle of the fairway when it comes to our faith.

The last half of 1 Peter chapter 5 is great place to focus as we take this last lap in the book of 1 Peter. I have thoroughly enjoyed going through the verses in this book, pulling out the nuggets of wisdom for my life and yours. In these last several verses, we find several attitudes that are very important for us to have. Regardless of where we are in life and what we have experienced, we desperately need these right attitudes to be ours.

As we continue our study of 1 Peter, we are going to talk more about leadership. Chapter 5 of 1 Peter has so much to say about what it looks like to be a godly leader. Last week we talked about the first three characteristics of Christlike leadership, and today, we are going to talk about four more. Let’s dive in.

The Bible has a lot to say about leadership. More specifically, we can learn about how to lead people well by watching how Jesus led people. So over the next couple of weeks, we’re going to discuss several biblical truths surrounding leadership so that we can learn how to be godly leaders.

Many believers don't know what it means to live fearlessly. If there is anyone who has the encouragement and the right to live fearlessly, it is believers. But what does it look like to live fearlessly? That’s exactly what we’re going to look at in today’s message.

Jesus spoke more about money than anything else while He was here on earth. When you look at the words of Jesus, He continually talks about being a steward. You need to be a man or a woman who honors God with everything that flows through your hands. That’s what it means to be a good steward. The Lord allows some people to be stewards over a great deal. With others, He makes them stewards over a little. Regardless of how He blesses you, it is your job to honor Him through your giving. But in order to do that, we need to know the reason why we give. That is the conversation we are going to continue this week.

Have you ever wondered why we give? Why do you give? What really motivates you to give? Keep in mind I am not just talking about money and resources. I am also talking about your time, energy, and your heart. Why do you give what you have? What motivates you to give to others, if not to God? Have you wondered that about yourself? If so, get ready, because we’re going to be answering all of these questions over the next two weeks.