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24
Mar

Day 1 of Prayer & Fasting

Posted by / 21 day of prayer & fasting 2017

Acts 17:30-31 (ESV)

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

No one is without excuse! God has done everything necessary for us to find our way back to Him. All that is required is that we REPENT.

Repenting is not repeating an apology to God.

To REPENT basically means to CHANGE YOUR MIND about God & yourself.

You MUST see yourself as a sinner in need of a Savior. Repenting isn’t just for the unbelievers. Christians should develop the daily habit of repenting as well, not to secure our salvation but to allow God to continue the work of sanctification = making us more like Him.

Repenting is ESSENTIAL for our Christian walk because… – it keeps us humble – it keeps us dependent on the Holy Spirit – it keeps us from being lead away by sin.

APPLICATION: Repent

1 John 1:9 (ESV) 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The Apostle John makes an amazing statement, saying that when we confess what we know about God will take care of things that we don’t know about! If you want to see God MOVE in your life, make the first move.

CONFESS

REPENT

HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE YOUR GOD!

24
Mar

Day 2 of Prayer & Fasting

Posted by / 21 day of prayer & fasting 2017

The urgency to repent

Matthew 4:17 (ESV)

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Today’s devotion picks up where we left off yesterday.  Since the beginning of his ministry, Jesus made the call to REPENT his central theme.  The reason is because Jesus can not be your savior if you don’t confess that you are a sinner in need of saving.

This call to repentance was for everyone.  From sinners to the so-called saints like the Pharisees and scribes of Israel.  EVERYONE needed to return to God and the good news is that the journey wasn’t that far.

“The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”, meaning that it’s at your finger tips.  All one must do is reach out and grab a hold of the love and grace of God in humility.

Application:

This kingdom life is at hand because the King has come near to us.  Continue to ask God reveal to you any area that still needs to be handed over to the Lordship of Christ.  Jesus just can’t be your GOD, He needs to be the LORD your GOD, the one who calls the shots.

Every kingdom has a structure and order that has been established by a King.  When you surrender, you don’t lose.  Instead you place yourself under the care, protection, and provision of this Warrior-King who along can give you true life.  This is all at your fingertips.  Surrender you life and receive it today!

20
Mar

The Lost & Found

Posted by / Outcast

Week 1

Text: Luke 15:1-31

Topic: Love, Grace

Main Idea: After hearing the religious leaders grumble about His attitude toward sinners, Jesus tells three parables that illustrate God’s extravagant love for the lost. This text teaches us that it doesn’t matter what we’ve done or how undeserving we feel; God is actively pursuing us to come back to Him.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is one thing that stood out to you from this week’s message?
  2. How did Jesus’ attitude differ from the religious leaders’?
  3. What characteristics of God’s heart are being revealed here?
  4. Have you ever experienced God’s pursuing you? How did He do it?
  5. How did you go from being “lost” to being “found”? In other words, how did you become a Christian?
05
Mar

Mission Sunday 2017

Posted by / Mission Sunday

Text: Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 12:29-31, 2 Timothy 4:2

Topic: Service, Community, Discipleship, Missions

Our Mission:  We exist to raise, restore, and release others into a new life in Jesus Christ because human souls are the most valuable commodity in God’s economy.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is one thing that stood out to you from this week’s message?
  2. What are the commands in these passages? What are the promises?
  3. Do you know anyone who doesn’t go to church or doesn’t know Jesus personally? What can you do right now to help them come one step closer to becoming a disciple?
  4. Someone reached out to you and showed you Jesus in order for you to become a believer. Who was it? What happened?
  5. People are watching our lives, looking for a reason to accept or reject the faith we claim as our own. Is there anything in your life—even if you think it’s hidden (it’s not)—that would cause someone who is on the fence to reject Christ?
27
Feb

The Connections

Posted by / Stories Series

Week 4

Text: Acts 2:41-47, Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Topic: Community, Fellowship, the Gospel

Main Idea: We were never meant to do life alone. Being a Christian is about more than becoming a church member; it’s becoming a member of God’s family.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is one thing that stood out to you from this week’s message?
  2. Why do you think God chose to identify as a family (as opposed to a business model, for example) when He constructed this system?
  3. What is one reason why many Christians become isolated?
  4. How has the body of Christ affected your life?
  5. Do you know anyone who is estranged from his or her spiritual family? How might God use you to bring them back into fellowship?
  6. Have you ever been hurt by the church? How can we keep ourselves from hurting other people?
  7. How can we pray for you?  pastortito@tddtampa.org

 

20
Feb

The Guide

Posted by / Stories Series

Week 3

Text: Ephesians 2:1-10

Topic: Transformation

Main Idea: Before Christ enters our lives, all of us are spiritually dead. But God gives us new life, a life that is for His glory.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is one thing that stood out to you from this week’s message?
  2. What are all the “before-and-after” statements Paul lists in this passage?
  3. How can we be sure we have been born again?
  4. If you could sum up your life before Christ and now with Christ in one before-and-after statement, what would it be?
  5. Is there anything in your life with Christ that you wish were farther along in the transformation process?
  6. How can we pray for you?  pastortito@tddtampa.org
13
Feb

The Conflict

Posted by / Stories Series

Week 2

Text: 1 John 1:5-10

Topic: Authenticity

Main Idea: Walking in the light, in right relationship with God, requires walking in authentic relationship with other believers (vs. 7). It means being open about our failures—to God and others—rather than just trying to save face (vs. 8).

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is one thing that stood out to you from this week’s message?
  2. What does this passage reveal about God’s nature?
  3. Why do some people hesitate when it comes to authentic accountability?
  4. How have you experienced the truth that this passage talks about?
  5. Is there anything you need to bring to the light right now?
  6. How can we pray for you?  pastortito@tddtampa.org
06
Feb

The End

Posted by / Stories Series

Week 1

Text: Revelation 12:10-12

Topic: Testimony, Gospel

Main Idea: Evil is defeated in our lives as a result of Jesus’ work on the cross. Our testimony in Him, while it might seem to signal defeat now (because of persecution and sacrificial living), actually entails our victory. We must be quick to share the testimony of God’s grace in our lives, even when it’s not easy.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is one thing that stood out to you from this week’s message?
  2. What are the main elements of a testimony?
  3. Why do you think the blood and the testimony are the two items listed here for victory over Satan?
  4. Have you ever experienced the power of God as a result of hearing/giving a testimony?
  5. Would anyone like to share a testimony of what God has done in your life?
  6. How can we pray for you?   pastortito@tddtampa.org
30
Jan

Rethinking Commitment

Posted by / Rethink The Church Series

Week 4

Text: Matthew 25:31-46

Topic: Service, Love

Big Idea of the Message: If we view helping the needy in our world as if we were caring for Jesus Himself, there’s no way we would sit idly by while they suffered.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is one thing that stood out to you from this week’s message?
  2. How does salvation by faith through grace fit into this passage? Does this passage mean salvation is earned by good works?
  3. What do you think Jesus means by saying we treated Him the way we treated the least of these? How does seeing Jesus in every person you encounter affect the way you treat waiters/store clerks, etc.?
  4. What is one practical way you can help the “least of these” right now?
  5. Is there anything God is laying on your heart for a practical way that you could show the love of God to your community and get out of our comfort zone?
  6. How can we pray for you?
26
Jan

Rethinking Compassion

Posted by / Rethink The Church Series

Week 3

Text: Galatians 6:1-5

Topic: Accountability, Individualism

Big Idea of the Message: On its own, a member of the body of Christ is weak, but when together in community, the whole of the church has strength to carry burdens.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is one thing that stood out to you from this week’s message?
  2. What is the command in this passage? What is the warning?
  3. At first the two statements “carry each other’s burdens” (v. 2) and “each one should carry his own load” (v. 5) seem contradictory. How should they both be carried out in the Body of Christ?
  4. What does Biblical accountability look like? How are you being held accountable? How are you holding someone else accountable?
  5. If you continue to read this passage in the context of v.10, the command is to look intentionally for opportunities to bless others, especially Christians. What is one small way you can do good for someone else this week?
  6. How can we pray for you?