http://www.pastordanwalker.org Truth from Life Church St Louis Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:02:10 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Truth from Life Church St Louis Pastor Dan's Blog no Truth from Life Church St Louis http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://www.pastordanwalker.org http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/why-go-to-church-2.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/why-go-to-church-2.htm#comments Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:04:46 +0000 Pastor Dan http://www.pastordanwalker.org/?p=601

A Church of Prayer

Connecting With A Church Family

St Louis Church Directory – A Tool For Finding A St Louis Church

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2010/09/why-go-to-church-2.htm/feed 0 community,message,purpose Life is getting busier and more hectic with each passing year. How many would agree with that? It seems as though the time in a day is shrinking every month. The night arrives before we have time to get everything done. (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/100926.jpg)Life is getting busier and more hectic with each passing year. How many would agree with that? It seems as though the time in a day is shrinking every month. The night arrives before we have time to get everything done. So it’s important that we spend the time that God has given us doing the most profitable things. One of the things that God has designed to help you be successful in life is church. Yet even in the days of the Bible, people had a problem with going to church. Hebrews 10:25 (NIV) Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. God’s Word tells us not to give up on going to church, because we need the encouragement that church brings us. And the Day of Christ’s return is closer now than ever. In America, 84% of adults claim to be Christians, yet only 20% of adults regularly attend church. The number one reason that people don’t regularly attend church is that they are too busy. What does it mean when someone says they are too busy to do something? It simply means that the thing you are too busy for has a low priority in your life. You don’t see much value or benefit in it. I really believe that’s why the vast majority of people in America do not regularly attend church. They see no real benefit to it, it’s just a waste of a Sunday morning. This morning, my message is entitled “Five Benefits of Church.” We’re going to look at the Bible together and see five main reasons to go to church. Knowing these five reasons will also help us make good use of our time in church. Knowing these five reasons will help you pick a healthy church family to be a part of to begin with. If the Bible says that being part of a church family is important, then there must be something to it. This morning we’re going to concentrate on one passage in the book of Acts. The book of Acts in the New Testament tells the story of how the church got started. It’s not just a lesson in history though, the model found for the church in Acts is one that God desires the church of the 21st century to follow as well. There are 28 chapters in the book of Acts. We want Life Church to be an Acts 29 church. An Acts 29 church is a church that is committed to extending what started in the first 28 chapters of Acts right into St Louis in 2010 in our own Acts 29 chapter. Acts 2:41-47 (NIV) Those who accepted his [Peter’s] message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. From this passage we’re going to discover five reasons why the church exists and why you should be a part of it. Listen to my September 26, 2010 message "Five Benefits of Church." [flashvideo file=http://www.lifechurchstlouis.org/images/stories/video/100926.mov stretching=fill /] Pastor Dan's Blog no 33:35 http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2009/07/the-importance-of-unity.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2009/07/the-importance-of-unity.htm#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:18:15 +0000 Pastor Dan http://www.pastordanwalker.org/?p=430

Keeping Team Unity

The Importance Of Love

Growing Together In A Life Group

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2009/07/the-importance-of-unity.htm/feed 0 community,relationships Unity seems to be an elusive goal in our society. Marriages and families are disintegrating at an alarming rate. Infighting and division is common in many other groups, including businesses and churches. What is the cause of this breakdown in unity and... (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/090705-maintaining-unity.jpg)Unity seems to be an elusive goal in our society. Marriages and families are disintegrating at an alarming rate. Infighting and division is common in many other groups, including businesses and churches. What is the cause of this breakdown in unity and harmonius relationships? The cause is simply selfishness, seeking to obtain the greatest advantage from the group and giving back as little as possible. When there is no unity, when there is division, what is the result? Mark 3:25 (NIV) If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. When there is no unity in a group or relationship, that "house" is doomed to collapse. On the other hand, unity is a wonderful thing to be a part of. Psalm 133:1 (NIV) How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! There is blessing, there is peace and joy when people in a group work together in unity. Generally, groups and relationships begin with unity. However, over time, inevitable forces work to sow seeds of division into a group. Unity is something that must actively be maintained, whether in a relationship or in a group. Ephesians 4:3 (NIV) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. This verse is speaking specifially about the unity of the Spirit in a church family. Notice that every member must make every effort in order to keep the unity. Of course, unity and peace go hand in hand. So, whatever church, group or relationship that you are a part of, ask yourself some questions. * Am I taking advantage of others in the group or relationship? * Am I doing less than my fair share in the work of the group? * Am I doing less than my fair share in contributing to the group? * If my behavior is not conducive to keeping the unity, what will I ask God to help me change in my behavior? Listen to my July 5, 2009 message "Maintaining Unity" based on Nehemiah 5, to learn the principles of maintaining unity in your life (message notes (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/090705-message-notes.pdf)). Pastor Dan's Blog no http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2006/06/how-to-restore-broken-relationships.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2006/06/how-to-restore-broken-relationships.htm#comments Mon, 12 Jun 2006 19:44:00 +0000 Pastor Dan http://192.168.1.105/wordpress/?p=98

Why Relationships Are Important

Jesus’ Instructions on Relationships

Restoring Damaged Relationships

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2006/06/how-to-restore-broken-relationships.htm/feed 54 community Relationships are at the core of what it means to be human. Nobody wants to live life alone, nobody wants to live life without warm, loving relationships. Where do we get this strong desire for relationships? We get it from God. (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/uploaded_images/060611.jpg)Relationships are at the core of what it means to be human. Nobody wants to live life alone, nobody wants to live life without warm, loving relationships. Where do we get this strong desire for relationships? We get it from God. We were created in God's image and God Himself consists of a relationship between the three persons of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So God created us to have a loving relationship with Himself and to have loving relationships with other people. Whether you're a believer or not, every human being has the innate desire to have those two basic relationships with God and with people. Today I'm going to focus on our relationships with other people, but your relationship with God is actually the most important.Last week we talked about Growing Together In A Life Group, building relationships with new people. Each of us needs to learn to build the relationships in our lives that God has blessed us with. NLT Philippians 2:1-2 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose. There you have God's will for the family of God, we should agree wholeheartedly with each other, we should love one another and we should work together with one heart and purpose. Those three things are also God's will for your family, agreeing with one another, loving one another and working together with one purpose.Yet sometimes things go wrong and relationships that were once warm and close become cold and distant. Relationships that were once loving become broken. What should you do when a relationship becomes broken? Should you just give up on it? Look elsewhere for a new one? I believe that relationships are worth salvaging, so today I'm going to talk about How To Restore Broken Relationships. Those who restore broken relationships are peacemakers because broken relationships lead to conflict arguments and fights. NLT Matthew 5:9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. The blessing of God is upon those who work for peace the blessing of God is on those who restore broken relationships. They will be called the children of God. Why? Because peacemakers are acting like their heavenly Father who made peace with us through the death of Jesus. So now lets see what God's Word teaches about how to restore broken relationships in your life.Think about the relationships in your life. Some may be going good, but there may be others that are strained or completely broken. Keep the one in mind that is the biggest problem in your life right now as we look at God's Word.To hear more about this topic, listen to my June 11, 2006 message entitled How To Restore Broken Relationships Pastor Dan's Blog no http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2006/06/growing-together-in-a-life-group.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2006/06/growing-together-in-a-life-group.htm#comments Wed, 07 Jun 2006 00:52:00 +0000 Pastor Dan http://192.168.1.105/wordpress/?p=99

The Importance of Unity

How To Restore Broken Relationships

Keeping Team Unity

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2006/06/growing-together-in-a-life-group.htm/feed 0 community We're currently in a message series called "Become Part of the Family." In this message series we're talking about God's purpose for your life of community or fellowship. God has five purposes for your life and building relationships within the family ... (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/uploaded_images/060604.jpg)We're currently in a message series called "Become Part of the Family." In this message series we're talking about God's purpose for your life of community or fellowship. God has five purposes for your life and building relationships within the family of God is the one that I'm going to talk about today. None of God's five purposes for your life is optional. If you don't grow in these purposes, you're not going to reach the potential that God created you with. More than that, if you don't grow in these purposes, you're going to go through a lot of needless pain in life as well.People today are relationally challenged, they find it difficult to build and maintain healthy relationships. The most stable of all relationships should be marriage, remember the "till death do us part" phrase? Yet currently about 50% of first marriages end in divorce and the rate for second marriages is even higher. Is this normal? Not at all, people simply don't know much about building relationships. Life is almost always worse after the divorce than before. When the parents have problems in their relationship, whether it ends in divorce or not, the children have relationship problems and eventually carry them into their own homes. Why do people today have so much difficulty with relationships? I'm going to postulate two main reasons. The first reason that people have problems in relationships is that they have ignored God and His principles in the Bible. You were never created to try to build healthy relationships without God's help. Second reason that people have problems in relationships is that the sense of community that surrounded and strengthened families in the past has evaporated. God never intended for you to try to live life in a vacuum, just you and your family and maybe a few relatives. You were created to live life within the context of a godly community. A strong family can only be built as a unit of God's family where you are building strong relationships with other believers. NIV Ephesians 4:3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. This verse says that there is a unity of the Spirit in God's family, a family held together by the bond of peace, a family where conflicts are resolved, a family that is strong and healthy. This unity and peace in God's family is meant to permeate your family, but it's not automatic. You and I need to make every effort to keep this unity and peace. If we don't make any effort, the unity and peace can disintegrate and vanish both in your family and in God's family. To hear more about this topic, listen to my June 4, 2006 message entitled Growing Together In A Life Group Pastor Dan's Blog no http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2006/05/learning-to-share-life.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2006/05/learning-to-share-life.htm#comments Tue, 30 May 2006 20:18:00 +0000 Pastor Dan http://192.168.1.105/wordpress/?p=100

Growing Together In A Life Group

The Importance of Unity

Learning Teamwork

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2006/05/learning-to-share-life.htm/feed 0 community This week we're back to our message series "Become Part of the Family." In this message series we're talking about God's family right here at Life Church. When God created you, He didn't create you to live life by yourself. (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/uploaded_images/060528.jpg)This week we're back to our message series "Become Part of the Family." In this message series we're talking about God's family right here at Life Church. When God created you, He didn't create you to live life by yourself. He created you to live as part of a family, part of God's family in a local church. Only as you and I learn to live in God's family will our lives be successful, only as we find our part in the church will our lives fulfill God's purpose. So today I'm going to talk about "Learning to Share Life." Sharing life with someone else does not come naturally, that's why we need to learn to share life. Sharing does not come naturally, if you have children you've figured that out. Sharing life does not come naturally, if you're married you've figured that out. But sharing life is the way that God designed you to live, you can't make it on your own, you need other people. NIV Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Why do you need to learn to share life? Because two are better than one, they can accomplish more than each one working individually. If you have a problem and have no friends to help, you are in trouble. However, if you have learned to share life, you will have friends to help you when you can't help yourself. A lot of people think that all they need is their own physical families. Well, you are better being in a loving physical family than living alone. However, if you're in a family without God involved or you're in a family that is not part of God's family in the church,something is missing. Each person needs to become part of God's family in the church.Coming to church on Sunday morning is a great way to get introduced to God's family, it's a great way to begin the process of sharing life. However, there's more because you really can't share life with 100 people all at once. The process of sharing life or fellowship is best lived out in small groups like our Life Groups. Our Life Groups consist of 6-12 adults plus children and meet together regularly for fellowship, Bible study and prayer. Some people think that the presence of God is only in large crowds, but that's not the case. Jesus said in NIV Matthew 18:20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. So today I want to look at how you can learn to share life in God's family in a small group.To hear more about this topic, listen to my May 28, 2006 message entitled Learning To Share Life Pastor Dan's Blog no http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2006/05/importance-of-love.htm http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2006/05/importance-of-love.htm#comments Tue, 02 May 2006 16:01:00 +0000 Pastor Dan http://192.168.1.105/wordpress/?p=104

Learning To Love

Why Is Love So Hard To Find And Keep?

Looking Out With Love

]]> http://www.pastordanwalker.org/2006/05/importance-of-love.htm/feed 0 community Somebody once sang the phrase "Love makes the world go round." Although it's not a verse in the Bible, it's true. Now the love that really makes the world go round, the love that created the earth and put the stars in space, is God's love. (http://www.pastordanwalker.org/uploaded_images/060430.jpg)Somebody once sang the phrase "Love makes the world go round." Although it's not a verse in the Bible, it's true. Now the love that really makes the world go round, the love that created the earth and put the stars in space, is God's love. The Bible says that God is love. Since God is love and He created people in His own image, then love is at the heart of every human being. Without love, our world won't go round, it will come to a screeching halt. Everybody instinctually knows that inside themselves. That's why most of the songs on the radio are about relationships and love of one kind or another.There is an empty space in every person that is looking for love, an empty space that is looking to be filled with a relationship, a relationship that won't end, a relationship that will last forever. Last Sunday, we talked about how you can fill that empty space in your heart. You can only find true love, eternal love, by becoming part of God's family, by becoming a child of God. But you know what, even when you become God's child, even when you begin to experience God's love in your own heart and life, there's more that God has for you. You were not created to live life just "me and Jesus." God said in NIV Genesis 2:18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone." So God has a family for you to be part of, a family of other children of God, a spiritual family of brothers and sisters, the family of God in the church. NLT 1 Peter 2:17 Show respect for everyone. Love your Christian brothers and sisters. God wants you to both experience love in God's family and He wants you to learn to give love to others as well. Your Christian brothers and sisters are part of the body of Christ, just as you are. As we learn to love one another with God's love, we are actually giving and receiving Jesus' love in our relationships within God's family. That's the way God designed a church to function, as a spiritual family. As you learn to love, you'll be loved, you'll sense the empty places in your life being filled up, you'll be fulfilling God's second purpose for your life, the purpose of fellowship. Jesus also said in NLT John 13:35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. Love in a church, love in God's family, will show people that what is going on here is really of God, that we are really followers of Jesus Christ. Would you want to be part of a family or group that was always fighting and didn't show love? I wouldn't want to. So God has put us in a family to learn to love others. So today I'm going to focus on how you and I can learn to love others in God's family. To hear more about this topic, listen to my April 30, 2006 message entitled The Importance Of Love Pastor Dan's Blog no