Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

The Heavens' Message

Psalm 19 | God creation declares His majesty and power. "Hearing" the message of the heavens inspires us to keep a proper perspective on the bigness of God and smallness of things in this life.

Two Kinds of Knowledge

A message that shows about knowledge, or a lack of it, can lead either destruction or construction in our lives. Knowledge of God's Kingdom leads to great blessings in life.

Find The Hammer: Using the Power of Focus

Focus: Keys to Holy Motivation I
"Find the Hammer:" Using the Power of Focus
Phil 3:12 NIV (1)Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but (2)I press on to (3)take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But (4)one thing I do: (5)Forgetting what is behind and (6)straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to (7)win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only (8)let us live up to what we have already attained. 17 (9)Join with others in (10)following my example, brothers, and take note of those who (11)live according to the pattern we gave you.
In this text, Paul is sharing with the Philippian church, and all of us, his secret or philosophy of success. Paul endured a lot of suffering and challenges. He had experience many joyful highs, as well as many tragic lows. If every a man had a good excuse for complaining or quitting, it was Paul. Success is obedience to God and faithfulness to His purpose in your life.
In our text, Paul shares at least 11 faith and action items. These items formed the core of His focus. He uses verbs, action words, to convey his philosophy and strategy of success in God. These are not words to hear. These are words to live by.
"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." - Michael Jordan

Courage to Act in Times of Fear

A profile in courage by Jonathan and his armorbearer (1 Sam. 13 & 14)

Relationship Rescue

Understanding the causes of problems in relationships and finding solutions.

What Time Is It? | 7 Reasons Why You Should Value Time

Seven Reasons Why You Should Value Time
1. Time is holy (Redeem it). It is the gift of God. God's uses time. Gen 8:22 “While the earth remains,Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”
2. Time is a covenant because we act together based on it. A covenant is a mutually binding association.
3. Time cannot be recovered because it only moves in one direction will not stop until Jesus returns.
4. Time (kairos) is the opportunity, occasion, season or set time of divine purpose.Time shows our attention to details. Luke 16:10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much." Time sets in motion the purposes of God in the earth: Luke 9:51, Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem. The devil looks for opportunities to work against us. Luke 4:13
Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
5. Time needs a plan: Definition of Plan: "A method of doing something that is worked out usually in some detail before it is begun and that may be written down in some form." Jesus operated with plans and purpose. He was very sensitive to His Father’s direction. Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 36] And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37] When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You." 38] But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth." John 12:27 "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
6. Time is the only way to seize an opportunity: 1 Peter 5:6, Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
7. Time will run out. John 9:4, I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

The Law of Change

Matt. 21:28"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ 29"'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. [change] 30"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. [no change] 31"Which of the two did what his father wanted?""The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
Sometimes, people who claim to know God have the most difficulty changing. Why is this? It may be because we presume that our relationship with Him is so profound that we have somehow been elevated to a changeless state. Be careful that you do not start thinking that you don’t have to change.
Someone once stated “The only constant in life is change.” Like many other common statements in life, when held up to the light of the word of God, this statement is not as obvious as it seems.
The fact is this: There is good change and bad change. There is change that you need and change that you don’t need. There are things the must change and things that must not change. Sometimes change is genuine and sometimes change is staged.
Definition of change verb | Make or become different; make or become a different substance entirely; transform; alter; take or use another instead of; move from one to another; remove (something dirty or faulty) and replace it with another of the same kind; The substitution of one thing for another.
In our text, Jesus shares a parable about two sons. These two sons look amazingly like us and everyday people. I’ll call them Billy and Bob. When asked to go work in the vineyard, Billy said “No,” but later changed his mind and went. Bob said “Yes,” but did not go.
Billy changed and Bob did not.
Why did Billy change his mind? He changed his mind because he recognized that he had a responsibility and an obligation to his father. He respected and loved his father, more than his own unwillingness to work. Billy also recognized that working in the vineyard was a part of his purpose for that season in his life.
Why did Bob say he would go and did not? It was Bob was a lazy liar. Bob represents one of the worse aspects of human nature. Not only does Bob not change, he tries to give the impression that he is faithful and committed. Bob is the kind of person that will waste your time, money and energy because, based on what he said, you prepare for him, but he doesn’t show up.
Jesus uses this parable to admonish His own Jewish people who think there history and heritage somehow gives them an inroad to God ahead of others. The fact is that all people, Jews and Gentiles, people from Christians homes and people who are not from Christians homes, must CHANGE in order to follow God.
In reality, what Billy did was REPENT. We know it because he changed his mind. The word repent literally means to “change one’s mind” and turn and go in another direction.
If you are going to change for the better, you are going to have to do a lot of repenting. I’m not talking about repenting of sin like sinners, but repenting of disobedience, like disciples.
Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life.
Change occurs when we experience a convergence of three factors:
1) Our willingness to go in a new way
2) The light of God’s knowledge
3) Death of the old way
The Law of Change: Everyone and everything that is short of God’s standard of perfection must change. God’s perfection provides us a firm foundation for change. We continue to grow and change until Jesus returns

Vision for 2010 | Filled With the Fullness of God

Ephesians 3:14 (NKJV) For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Our vision for 2010 continues to complete unfinished business from 2009. We rise above the challenges and setbacks former days to meet the hope and possibilities of today and tomorrow.
Notes: http://www.newcovenant.org/Message_Notes/Filled_With_Fullness1-3-10.pdf

Grace Through Faith

The Good Fight of Faith I
By Grace Through Faith
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
1 Tim. 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
2 Tim. 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Benefits of Hearing After Listening

Mark 4:23 "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." 24] And He said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25] For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."
Listening and hearing are not always the same thing. While listening is a function of our auditory organs to detect sound waves that register in our brain, hearing is a function of our will to understanding what is being said. The fact is: Many people do not hear in many areas of life spiritually, vocationally and relationally. Listening is a natural, physical ability, but hearing must be cultivated through training one’s heart and mind to grasp what is being said.
Many scriptures declare the important of hearing. Faith itself comes by hearing; “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” (Rom. 10:17) Hearing is much more important than most people imagine. Hearing is obviously a necessary component in communication. Where our walk with God is concerned, hearing is all important:
How you hear will determine the quality of your life
How you hear will determine your level of authority and responsibility in life
How you hear will determine the measure of God’s anointing on your life.
Jesus said that one must have “ears to hear.” This indicates one’s willingness to hear instruction and direction. Jesus invites everyone, in one way or another, to hear and know Him, but He lets our response determine the degree of understanding and fruitfulness we experience.
"And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48] He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day .(John 12:47)
A lack of hearing, or hearing the wrong things, will cripple your ability to walk in the full blessing and opportunities of life. However, hearing and doing God's Word brings many benefits:
Hearing determines aptitude (ability) “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Hearing determines attitude (state of mind), "Take heed what [or how] you hear...”
Hearing determines altitude (height) "With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given."