Peace: With God, and Of God
Notes
Transcript
Announcements
Announcements
21 Days of Prayer and Fasting
A time of diligently seeking God’s presence through a time of sacrifice, sincerity, and intentionality
A time of dethroning King Stomach - and not allowing the flesh to rule over your soul.
A time of devotion where we’re putting Jesus First in every aspect of our life, and asking Him to be Ruler and Champion of 2025 in our lives.
We’re fasting corporately - meaning we’re doing this together, and in togetherness bearing one another’s burdens. So pray over this ministry - include on your list of prayers those around you, and those you serve with in this family of faith.
We have Tuesday night prayer services every Tuesday night at 6:30. Come flex your faith with those who are here interceding for our community.
During this time of prayer and fasting, do keep a list of your prayers and when they are answered! Throughout this fast and the remainder of this year, I want to keep a running list of answered prayers - and what God has done for you and me personally. We’re going to come up with a long list of wins where Christ is glorified, and satan reminded he is defeated.
After these 21 days of prayer and fasting, we will have a break-the-fast feast together on February 2nd - the first Sunday in February.
First week of February starts our Home Groups - these are our small group bible studies. We need small group leaders and facilitators.
New Year, New Portion
New Year, New Portion
The very first temptation you’ll face this year is to idolize the past - maybe even last year.
2025 is a new season. Its a new chapter in your life. Its a fresh path in your faith walk.
There may be some wonderful things you experienced in 2024, but we can’t revel in yesterday’s manna.
2025 has new blessings in store. 2025 is another season of purpose for you and me.
2025 has new intercessory requirements where your and my faith need to be employed.
GOD is showing up in 2025. And with Him we will see His glory, we will see His majesty, we will see the Splendor of His Great Name.
And God wants sing the banner of His Victorious Name over your life, as Jehovah-Nissi, THE LORD is my banner.
To put the label of His Name on every aspect of who you are - over your very soul -
in your faith walk with Him
in your prayer life
in all aspects of your confidence
in all areas of your relationships
in all areas of your finances
in all areas of your education
in all areas of your passions and desires
in all that you say, do, think, desire
God wants to the first in every aspect and show you His might, show you His power, show you His love, show you the great and mighty things that He wants you to be part of for His Name sake.
In 2025, God wants you and me to partner with Him in what He wants to do - and to partner with you in what He’s asking you to do.
For some of us here, God has given us some big dreams for 2025. When God gives us a dream to do something, its always too big for us to do alone, and the only way we can be successful is if we invite Him into the process.
For 2025, invite Him in your process while you also surrender to His.
The fact of the matter is, God wants to give you Peace in 2025.
What is Peace?
What is Peace?
What it is not:
Peace is NOT searching for calmer waters, greener pastures, or better feels.
Peace is in following and doing sacrificially what God has called you to do.
Some of us here today have been in personal conflict for a long time. Because God has called you towards something and you’ve resisted. You either have resisted His leading, or you’ve resisted His presence. You insist on wanting to live your life your way - manage your life your way. You’ve not released certain aspects of your life - for some maybe all of your life.
And because of how God wants control of your life, you’re living in this contention with the Father. So you don’t have peace.
You resist Him in your prayer life. You resist Him in worshiping Him. You resist Him in your relationships with others. You resist Him in where your treasure lies.
And the only way you will have peace is when you surrender everything to Him. And He gives you His peace.
In the months leading up to this year and asking the Lord how we should be looking at the year 2025 and what He wants to do in this body as well as the Aviano community around us.
Know Peace
Know Peace
PEACE is the Word - it is an action word - applied to what we do and live.
15 And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
This body - called Refuge Aviano - this body is called to the peace of Christ, in a way that rules our hearts.
Don’t let your hearts be troubled, but let them be ruled by the peace of Christ. This is an actionable aspect of our faith. This means we have authority and responsibility over our lives to live according to the peace of Christ. Allow the peace of Christ to rule your heart.
What does scripture say about our hearts?
that it is deceitful in all its ways - so we have to be intentional about applying the Word of God to our hearts, if our passions are not leading us into peace we have to put them in check.
out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks - so we need to make sure Peace is the source by which we speak, and the result by which we speak. If our words are not leading people to peace or in peace, we have to put our words in check.
Where you heart is, there your treasury lies - so we have to be intentional with what we treasure, and where our treasure lies, as it is ruled by the peace of Christ.
Our hearts are vulnerable - and need to be covered by the breastplate of righteousness. If our deeds and actions are not measuring up towards righteousness, we will not have the peace of Christ. Instead, everything we say and do needs to fall captive to the Peace of Christ - and in a way that glorifies God and testifies to His great name and renown.
As you and I read the Word of God daily, habitually, and pray in constant communication with God daily, habitually, our minds begin to take on the mindset of the Spirit, rather than the mind of man.
6 Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace.
We need to be led by the Holy Spirit. We need to be driven by the Holy Spirit. God wants to lead us into paths of righteousness. God wants to lead us beside still waters. God wants to lead us in ways that allows us to rest in His Name - in His peace.
27 “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.
The Lord doesn’t give us temporal peace. The Lord doesn’t simply give us a reprieve in a moment. The Lord gives us His peace - in a way that sustains us even in the midst of conflict.
It’s a kind of peace that doesn’t make sense. Its the kind of peace in Philippians 4:7
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
It’s a literal form of the meme where the world is burning around you and you say, “I’m fine”.
There may be times where I’m thrown into the fire, but I know God will keep me and sustain me.
It’s the kind of peace that doesn’t require freaking out, it doesn’t require victim mindset it, it doesn’t require some kind of defensive remark.
It doesn’t make sense - but it makes faith.
That kind of faith comes with a resignation of self’s response, and says, “Ok Lord…I’ve got nothing for this so I’m just going to do what I know to do and you’ve got everything else.”
This kind of peace - what it doesn’t look like is jumping on social media to proclaim to the world you’re mad and you’ve got a reason to be.
What this kind of peace looks like - to remain quiet, to remain still and know that He is God, even in the midst of my anger. To turn our frustrations to the Lord, and place the weight of all you’re going through in His lap.
LET GOD’S WORD REIGN, AND HIS SPIRIT TO LEAD
LET GOD’S WORD REIGN, AND HIS SPIRIT TO LEAD
I’m going read a word spoken over this ministry and faith family in 2025:
This is not the time to sit back, step back, or hold back. God has anointed, equipped and empowered you to do the thing He’s called you to do.
It’s time to stop focusing on your weaknesses, fears and limitations and remember that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.
You were never meant to do this alone. In fact, it’s impossible to do what you’re called to do without the help of the Holy Spirit.
Stop looking at what you’re not, what you don’t have and what you can’t do, and start meditating on the truth that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
It’s never been about who we aren’t, it’s always been about who He is.
The measure of peace you’re going to experience this year is going to be in direct correlation to what you yield to the Holy Spirit in your life.
The measure of peace you’re going to live out this year is going to be in direct correlation to what commitment you have in serving the Lord.
If you want to experience God’s peace in your life, you have to be in His Word and live by His Spirit.
These 21 days of prayer and fasting is specifically to seek this out in our lives.
I need to know more of God’s Word. I need to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
I need to know the difference between what the world is telling me, and what God has already spoken over my life.
I need to be sensitive enough to know when I need to stop what I’m doing, and follow where the Holy Spirit is leading me - on a daily basis.
In seeking the Lord - in knowing Him more deeply, we have peace.
In doing what He wants us to do, we have peace.
If we Know Jesus, we’ll know Peace
If we keep the Lord out of certain areas of our lives, we will not have peace.
Peace with God & Peace of God
Peace with God & Peace of God
You can only have the peace of God, though - if you have peace with God.
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
If you’ve not received Christ as your Lord and Savior, if you’ve not received His forgiveness, if you’ve not accepted the work He did for you and me on the Cross, you simply can’t have peace with God.
You’re still at odds with God - still at war with God because of the sinful flesh we are born into. But you can have peace with Him. You can have peace with God, if you’ll receive Him…if you’ll decide to receive Him and surrender your soul to Him.
12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name,
And as God’s children, He gives generously to us at our time of need. So when we need more peace…He gives us peace. The Holy Spirit dwelling within us reminds us He is our Comforter, and that He is with us.
3 You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.
