Comments on: Focus http://jimmyholbrook.com/2009/11/focus/ Pastor Jimmy Holbrook Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:27:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Kalisse http://jimmyholbrook.com/2009/11/focus/comment-page-1/#comment-537 Kalisse Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:47:58 +0000 http://jimmyholbrook.com/?p=492#comment-537 I get discouraged when some of my sunday school kids don't show up or are shy, but I keep on keepin on too!! I love kids and to be able to serve for God with children is truly a blessing. I didn't find out about God's unconditional love and forgiveness until I was older so I want these kids to know the love He has for us rather than how bad we are because of our sin. I really like what you had to say Richard!! I also think God is working soooo much in this church through Jimmy and all of the rest of us too!! I love this church!! I get discouraged when some of my sunday school kids don’t show up or are shy, but I keep on keepin on too!! I love kids and to be able to serve for God with children is truly a blessing. I didn’t find out about God’s unconditional love and forgiveness until I was older so I want these kids to know the love He has for us rather than how bad we are because of our sin. I really like what you had to say Richard!! I also think God is working soooo much in this church through Jimmy and all of the rest of us too!! I love this church!!

]]> By: Janice http://jimmyholbrook.com/2009/11/focus/comment-page-1/#comment-535 Janice Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:44:13 +0000 http://jimmyholbrook.com/?p=492#comment-535 Stephen was an awesome Christian. In the sixth chapter of Acts we are told his attributes. He was a man of great faith and full of the Holy Spirit. He was richly blessed by God and given the power to do great miracles and signs. The Spirit helped to him to speak with wisdom and his words were so strong that no one could argue with him. His face looked like the face of an angel. What a great example for us today. I look forward to reading more about this man in the next chapter. Stephen was an awesome Christian. In the sixth chapter of Acts we are told his attributes. He was a man of great faith and full of the Holy Spirit. He was richly blessed by God and given the power to do great miracles and signs. The Spirit helped to him to speak with wisdom and his words were so strong that no one could argue with him. His face looked like the face of an angel. What a great example for us today. I look forward to reading more about this man in the next chapter.

]]> By: Danno http://jimmyholbrook.com/2009/11/focus/comment-page-1/#comment-534 Danno Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:26:50 +0000 http://jimmyholbrook.com/?p=492#comment-534 Right on time. Thanks Jimmy Right on time. Thanks Jimmy

]]> By: Jenn http://jimmyholbrook.com/2009/11/focus/comment-page-1/#comment-533 Jenn Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:50:22 +0000 http://jimmyholbrook.com/?p=492#comment-533 Oh my, how many times have we had things go wrong and say why isn't God helping me...or doing this or that. To be silent and look at what he has done and is doing. I look at what is going on in my life now and find strength, I am walking forward. With this, I feel patience and am humbled. I also like Act 4:38 & 39; "So my advice is, leave these men alone.. If they are teaching and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God." By the way I love these lessons, I am in the Word every day. I look forward to the next. I am also finding, as I learn more, I am applying it to my life. Thank you Jimmy. Oh my, how many times have we had things go wrong and say why isn’t God helping me…or doing this or that. To be silent and look at what he has done and is doing. I look at what is going on in my life now and find strength, I am walking forward. With this, I feel patience and am humbled.
I also like Act 4:38 & 39; “So my advice is, leave these men alone.. If they are teaching and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown. But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”

By the way I love these lessons, I am in the Word every day. I look forward to the next. I am also finding, as I learn more, I am applying it to my life. Thank you Jimmy.

]]> By: Janice http://jimmyholbrook.com/2009/11/focus/comment-page-1/#comment-532 Janice Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:51:50 +0000 http://jimmyholbrook.com/?p=492#comment-532 Do we suffer for Jesus? It is "human nature" to prefer not to suffer; however, in Acts 5 the apostles counted suffering for Jesus as joy. Maybe as Christians, we should be concerned if we don't suffer. Christ called us to be like him and He certainly suffered. In I Peter 4:12 and following, we are advised not to be surprised when trouble comes our way, but to be happy knowing that the glorious Spirit is with us, knowing that we will be happy and full of joy when Christ comes again. What is the point of suffering? I Peter 5:10 states that through suffering God will make us strong, support us, and keep us from falling. Wow! This is hard. How do I pray that I will be given the opportunity to suffer? Do we suffer for Jesus? It is “human nature” to prefer not to suffer; however, in Acts 5 the apostles counted suffering for Jesus as joy. Maybe as Christians, we should be concerned if we don’t suffer. Christ called us to be like him and He certainly suffered. In I Peter 4:12 and following, we are advised not to be surprised when trouble comes our way, but to be happy knowing that the glorious Spirit is with us, knowing that we will be happy and full of joy when Christ comes again. What is the point of suffering? I Peter 5:10 states that through suffering God will make us strong, support us, and keep us from falling. Wow! This is hard. How do I pray that I will be given the opportunity to suffer?

]]> By: d. hunt http://jimmyholbrook.com/2009/11/focus/comment-page-1/#comment-531 d. hunt Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:15:09 +0000 http://jimmyholbrook.com/?p=492#comment-531 Theudas was killed; his men grew weary and dispspersed. Judas the Galilean perished and his adherents scattered. Gamaliel advised the Sanhedrin to leave Peter, John and these men alone for fear that they may be fighting against God himself. Here we are 2000 years later. That says it all. It does make me wonder where the Gamaliels are in Washington these days. Theudas was killed; his men grew weary and dispspersed. Judas the Galilean perished and his adherents scattered. Gamaliel advised the Sanhedrin to leave Peter, John and these men alone for fear that they may be fighting against God himself. Here we are 2000 years later. That says it all. It does make me wonder where the Gamaliels are in Washington these days.

]]> By: jimmy http://jimmyholbrook.com/2009/11/focus/comment-page-1/#comment-530 jimmy Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:16:59 +0000 http://jimmyholbrook.com/?p=492#comment-530 Good stuff Richard! Good stuff Richard!

]]> By: Richard Manlove http://jimmyholbrook.com/2009/11/focus/comment-page-1/#comment-529 Richard Manlove Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:57:54 +0000 http://jimmyholbrook.com/?p=492#comment-529 One would think that after the Ananias and Sapphira incident the church would have a hard time finding converts, people wanting to join their number. Yet, "more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number." For sure, you had the miraculous wonders and signs done by the apostles. That will, certainly, attract a crowd. But, the purpose of the miracles was to confirm that the apostles were from God and giving the people God's message. That message is that God is serious about sin but, even more, serious about forgiving sin. When we proclaim Jesus, we have to proclaim that God is serious about sin. Most churches don't practice church discipline in a open, Biblical way. The world knows that God is all about sin. We need to be about what God is about. Forgivenss, sure. Righteousness, more so. If we preach and practice God's full message, we will have more and more added to our number. One would think that after the Ananias and Sapphira incident the church would have a hard time finding converts, people wanting to join their number. Yet, “more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.” For sure, you had the miraculous wonders and signs done by the apostles. That will, certainly, attract a crowd. But, the purpose of the miracles was to confirm that the apostles were from God and giving the people God’s message. That message is that God is serious about sin but, even more, serious about forgiving sin. When we proclaim Jesus, we have to proclaim that God is serious about sin. Most churches don’t practice church discipline in a open, Biblical way. The world knows that God is all about sin. We need to be about what God is about. Forgivenss, sure. Righteousness, more so. If we preach and practice God’s full message, we will have more and more added to our number.

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