DeanSweetman.com » Having Faith http://deansweetman.com Sermons, Podcasts and Teachings to Live Your Best Life Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:23:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Dean Sweetman is Sr Pastor of the C3 Church with a campus in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He also serves as Executive Regional Overseer for C3 Americas. The Sweetmans moved to the USA in 1996 for the sole purpose of planting the Lawrenceville church. C3 Church currently serves the Atlanta community in a unique way through itís technology and charity work. Last year, Dean and Jill planted the C3 Church in Studio City, California. As Sr Pastors of both churches, they split their time between Atlanta and Studio City and have homes in both cities. Dean is a sought-after speaker in both church and business settings and an emerging author. His passionate and uncompromising preaching will inspire the most on-fire believer as challenge those who lack the fervor required to serve God. C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA webmaster@christiancitychurch.com webmaster@christiancitychurch.com (C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA) C3 Atlanta Online with Dean Sweetman DeanSweetman.com » Having Faith http://audio.thec3church.com/podcasticon.jpg http://deansweetman.com/category/having-faith/ Carry the Water http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/16/carry-the-water/ http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/16/carry-the-water/#comments Sun, 16 May 2010 16:45:34 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=255 John 2:1-11: On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied, “My time has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

There are three different layers to this miracle. The first layer is provision. The couple at this particular wedding ran out of wine. You don’t want to run out of wine at a Jewish wedding. It’s not good. Jewish weddings last for days, and the people feast on wine and good food. If you run out of wine, you will be looked down upon, as poor and lowly, but when you invite Jesus to your party, or your life, you will always be provided for. He doesn’t go half-way, either. He created the best wine from dirty water. With Jesus, you will always have the best of the best.

The second layer of this miracle is obedience. The servants had no idea what filling pots with dirty water would do. Still, they did what Jesus told them to. When your plans fall apart, do what Jesus says- even though it is hard, and all it feels like you’re doing is carry dirty water. The servants had to carry 180 gallon pots to the river and back. They did this when Jesus told them to. They did not ask why, they just did it. All Jesus asks of us is to carry a burden, not give up, and do something crazy. The Bible does not say when the water turned into wine, but we know that when the servant dipped the cup into the pot, it was water, and somewhere in the middle of his obedient walk to the master of the banquet, it turned into the best wine. If God can get us involved in our miracles then they will stick.

The third layer of this miracle is that we are the pots- God wants to cleanse us and fill us with something priceless. The substance inside of the pots started out as dirty water from the river, and wound up as wine, the best wine. God wants to do that in our lives. he wants to take all that is in our hearts and make it better, clean it up and make it beautiful. You don’t even know when your water turns to wine but it happens. Somewhere in the walk of being obedient, a miracle happens.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/16/carry-the-water/feed/ 1 John 2:1-11: On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." "Dear woman, John 2:1-11: On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. There are three different layers to this miracle. The first layer is provision. The couple at this particular wedding ran out of wine. You don’t want to run out of wine at a Jewish wedding. It’s not good. Jewish weddings last for days, and the people feast on wine and good food. If you run out of wine, you will be looked down upon, as poor and lowly, but when you invite Jesus to your party, or your life, you will always be provided for. He doesn’t go half-way, either. He created the best wine from dirty water. With Jesus, you will always have the best of the best. The second layer of this miracle is obedience. The servants had no idea what filling pots with dirty water would do. Still, they did what Jesus told them to. When your plans fall apart, do what Jesus says- even though it is hard, and all it feels like you’re doing is carry dirty water. The servants had to carry 180 gallon pots to the river and back. They did this when Jesus told them to. They did not ask why, they just did it. All Jesus asks of us is to carry a burden, not give up, and do something crazy. The Bible does not say when the water turned into wine, but we know that when the servant dipped the cup into the pot, it was water, and somewhere in the middle of his obedient walk to the master of the banquet, it turned into the best wine. If God can get us involved in our miracles then they will stick. The third layer of this miracle is that we are the pots- God wants to cleanse us and fill us with something priceless. The substance inside of the pots started out as dirty water from the river, and wound up as wine, the best wine. God wants to do that in our lives. he wants to take all that is in our hearts and make it better, clean it up and make it beautiful. You don’t even know when your water turns to wine but it happens. Somewhere in the walk of being obedient, a miracle happens. C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 27:05 The Pool of Silom – or – Mud in Your Eye http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/02/the-pool-of-silom-or-mud-in-your-eye/ http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/02/the-pool-of-silom-or-mud-in-your-eye/#comments Sun, 02 May 2010 16:53:07 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=251 John 9: 1-38 (NLT): As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”
Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!
His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!”
But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”
They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?”
He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!”
“Where is he now?” they asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied.
Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them.
Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?”
The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”
The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”
His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”
So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.”
“I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”
“But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”
“Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”
“Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”
“You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.
When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”
“You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”
“Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

There are seven miracles recorded in the Book of John set before the Crucifixtion. Each story is written with several layers. This story is no different. It is a story about an encounter with God that leads to a slowly unfolding revelation. The first hint is the word John uses to descibe this man’s blindness. It is not the usual word for “someone who cannot see.” It actually means general blindness.

Now, let’s start at the beginning. Jesus is walking along with His disciples when He sees a blind guy. His disciples see Him as well and begin to question the origin of the man’s blindness. It was the belief of the time that sin caused sickness. Jesus immediately refutes that belief with the truth: he is blind so the power of God can been seen through him. Jesus is about to shake up this young man’s life in the most radical way! He proceeds to spit on the ground, make clay from it, and then rubs it all over the man’s eyes. This guy has not met Jesus; Jesus and the disciples were talking about him without talking to him; and then, suddenly, he gets spit on. Then, Jesus tells him to go to the PUBLIC pool of Silom to wash. This guy can’t see. He’s probably never been to the pool of Silom. But, without any help, he does as he is told.

He find the pool, washes, and, BOOM, he can see! He walks out his miracle! Sometimes, we have an encounter with God that shakes up our world but requires us to go a step further. He requires us to walk out the miracle. Jesus has healed several people in several different ways. He is capable of the instant heal (which we all love and want for Him to do for us), but some times, He requires us to walk it out by faith. This is what this man had to do. He had to walk by faith to achieve his miracle. And he did! But the story does not end there.

He goes home. His friends immediately begin to question him about what happened. He says, “The man called Jesus…” Jesus, a man, healed him. That is his first understanding of who it was whom he encountered while begging. His friends don’t believe him. And soon, the Pharisees come in. They are perturbed by the fact that someone worked on the Sabbath. Jesus made clay! He isn’t supposed to do that on the Sabbath! They are so locked in their religious rules that they can’t see the miracle in front of them. Religion is a killer. It stops us from encountering God. The man’s parents could not even rejoice over the fact that their son was healed out of fear of being kicked out of their religious bubble.

The Pharisees interogate the man. They want to know who did this. The man then answers that it was Jesus, a prophet! The revelation is continuing to unfold. First, Jesus is a man. now, he is a prophet. The Pharisees protest that he is a sinner. The man counters with an understanding that he, himself, does not know what all the rules and regulations (religion) dictates concerning this event, but all he knows is that he was blind and now he can see. He had an encounter with God. Jesus came in and shook up his world. And now, he can see. Then, he goes the bold and decalres himself a disciple of this man/prophet Jesus whom he has not ever seen, but he heard the disicples call him Rabbi and decided that he, too, wants to follow him. Jesus, the man, the prophet, and now the rabbi; the revelation continues to unfold.

The Pharisees kick the man out. He is cut off from the social religious norm. He is left alone to wander. That is when Jesus finds him. In life, God intervenes and shakes up our world. He puts his finger on an area of our lives that we are blind to and wants to shake us out of it. He wants us to see it, to heal from it, to overcome the thing holding us back–fear, broken home, addiction, failing marriage, bankrupcy. He shakes up our world, and then He withdraws to watch and wait as we walk it out. he wants us to trust in Him. So, we walk it out. And then, the world turns against us. Our friends and even family want to pull us back into the box that is the safe social norm where no one upsets the status quo. Your stepping out in faith angers them, and they try to pull you back down. But, you push on; you make a stand for God. And then, Jesus finds you.

Jesus heard what had happened. Jesus knows what is going on in your world. When He finds you, He knows what is going on. Jesus heard what had happened to this man. He asks, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answers, “Yes, I want to. Tell me where He is!” This man has declared himself a disciple. He wants to follow Jesus. Jesus replies, “How have seen Him. And He is speaking to you.” The man falls to his knees before Jesus, declaring, “Yes, Lord!” Capital “L.” And he worships Jesus publically. From man, to prophet, to rabbi, to Lord, to God. The revelation is complete. This man has had his life transformed by the real the living God.

God wants to do something radical in our worlds. He will come in and intervene; either through church or someone speaking into our worlds; He comes in and shakes us up. He does something radical, frightening, amazing, and completely against the social norm to motivate us out of the place holding us back. He pushes us to walk out the miracle. We take teh steps of faith, trusting in Him to do what it is He promised to do; and as we walk in faith, the revelation unfolds and the miracle happens. No more staying at the same level. Will you let God shake you up so you can experience Him?

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2010/05/02/the-pool-of-silom-or-mud-in-your-eye/feed/ 0 John 9: 1-38 (NLT): As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins? John 9: 1-38 (NLT): As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!” “Where is he now?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he replied. Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them. Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?” The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.” The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.” So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?” “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.” “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.” “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue. When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 25:33 The Robe http://deansweetman.com/2010/04/25/the-robe/ http://deansweetman.com/2010/04/25/the-robe/#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:41:27 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=245 Mark 5:25-34 (NLT): A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.
Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”
His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

This woman’s situation was possibly the worst. In accordance to Jewish Law, she was completely shut off from society. She had no one in her life save for the doctors who were causing her grief. They would get her hopes up for healing, but she would only get worse and her hope would fall. Despair and solitude are a bad combination. This combination makes room for bitterness, anger, and thoughts that lead to a twisted, darker view of the world. She was completely alone.

Then, she heard that Jesus was coming. Jesus was on His way through town in order help someone else. Usually, Jesus would show up without any one knowing; this time, word came ahead of Him. And she had heard about Him. Now, she has a choice. She can either adhere to the Jewish Law and stay at home, away from society and from the people who were constantly letting her down. Or, she could muster up her faith one more time and break the rules by seeking out Jesus. To venture out was a danger, for she could not hide her disease; she could not hide that she was unclean; but that fact did not stop her. Her faith was stirred when she heard He was coming. Faith comes when the Word is spoken.

The woman came to an interesting conclusion in verse 28. She thinks that if she can “just touch His robe,” she’ll be healed. Why? There is no Biblical mandate stating that the robes of a Rabbi are holy and have healing powers. She could have come to this conclusion because of the rules influencing her world. An unclean woman is forbidden from touching a Holy Man. So, in following the rules, perhaps she thinks just touching His robe will do the trick.

OR…she remembers the Word of God and has received a revelation. Isaiah 6 describes God as sitting high and lifted up with the train of His robe filling the Temple. There are several Biblical references to God’s robe and His glory. Maybe, she knew this. Maybe, she believed Jesus was the Messiah and how He is different from any other. She believes what she hears and decides to take a chance and break the rules. She fights through the crowd–the doubts, the fears, the opinions of the world–and reaches out to Him and grabs His robe…

And Jesus feels it. He immediately stops what He is doing and asks, “Who touched me?” Everyone around Him is like “We all are touching you!” But Jesus knows. This was different. The woman approaches Him, falls at His feet, and tells Him her story. And He listens intently. That is the nature of Jesus. When someone reaches out to Him, He stops everything and focuses on the person, wanting to know their story. Nothing else matters save this one person.

This woman had lived her life in rejection and pain, yet, in hearing the Word, she stirred her faith. She worked her miracle; fighting all doubts and fears to reach Him. And Jesus listened to her. Then, He completed the miracle. In front of everyone, He says, “Daughter, your faith has healled you.” He elevates her back into the Family of God by calling her “Daughter” and seals the deal started by her faith.

Faith is the key. It stirs a person to go the bold. Position yourself, work the miracle, and GO THE BOLD!

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2010/04/25/the-robe/feed/ 1 Mark 5:25-34 (NLT): A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, Mark 5:25-34 (NLT): A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’” But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.” This woman's situation was possibly the worst. In accordance to Jewish Law, she was completely shut off from society. She had no one in her life save for the doctors who were causing her grief. They would get her hopes up for healing, but she would only get worse and her hope would fall. Despair and solitude are a bad combination. This combination makes room for bitterness, anger, and thoughts that lead to a twisted, darker view of the world. She was completely alone. Then, she heard that Jesus was coming. Jesus was on His way through town in order help someone else. Usually, Jesus would show up without any one knowing; this time, word came ahead of Him. And she had heard about Him. Now, she has a choice. She can either adhere to the Jewish Law and stay at home, away from society and from the people who were constantly letting her down. Or, she could muster up her faith one more time and break the rules by seeking out Jesus. To venture out was a danger, for she could not hide her disease; she could not hide that she was unclean; but that fact did not stop her. Her faith was stirred when she heard He was coming. Faith comes when the Word is spoken. The woman came to an interesting conclusion in verse 28. She thinks that if she can "just touch His robe," she'll be healed. Why? There is no Biblical mandate stating that the robes of a Rabbi are holy and have healing powers. She could have come to this conclusion because of the rules influencing her world. An unclean woman is forbidden from touching a Holy Man. So, in following the rules, perhaps she thinks just touching His robe will do the trick. OR...she remembers the Word of God and has received a revelation. Isaiah 6 describes God as sitting high and lifted up with the train of His robe filling the Temple. There are several Biblical references to God's robe and His glory. Maybe, she knew this. Maybe, she believed Jesus was the Messiah and how He is different from any other. She believes what she hears and decides to take a chance and break the rules. She fights through the crowd--the doubts, the fears, the opinions of the world--and reaches out to Him and grabs His robe... And Jesus feels it. He immediately stops what He is doing and asks, "Who touched me?" Everyone around Him is like "We all are touching you!" But Jesus knows. This was different. The woman approaches Him, falls at His feet, and tells Him her story. And He listens intently. That is the nature of Jesus. When someone reaches out to Him, He stops everything and focuses on the person, wanting to know their story. Nothing else matters save this one person. This woman had lived her life in rejection and pain, yet, in hearing the Word, she stirred her faith. She worked her miracle; fighting all doubts and fears to reach Him. And Jesus listened to her. Then, He completed the miracle. C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 25:42 The Power of God http://deansweetman.com/2010/04/18/the-power-of-god/ http://deansweetman.com/2010/04/18/the-power-of-god/#comments Sun, 18 Apr 2010 16:48:54 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=241 John 1:3-5: (NLT) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Vision is what drives us. If we don’t have vision, we go nowhere. As a man thinks, so he becomes.

You can only go so far without Divine power. Man’s wisdom only goes so far. When we reach our limits, and don’t want to accept defeat, we need to go to prayer. The only thing that can do anything is God, and we have his power inside of us when we give our live to Christ. There is nothing more powerful spiritually than when you give your heart to God.

The doorway into the power of God is the understanding of the promises of God- the Bible. If you don’t understand the words of God, then you will not understand the power of God. It is our job to get into the Bible, and get to know what God says about our lives. Stuff is going to happen in our lives; we are going to get challenged. We need to put the promises from the Bible into practice in our lives. When we step over into the supernatural, we are unstoppable.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2010/04/18/the-power-of-god/feed/ 0 John 1:3-5: (NLT) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:3-5: (NLT) Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. Vision is what drives us. If we don’t have vision, we go nowhere. As a man thinks, so he becomes. You can only go so far without Divine power. Man’s wisdom only goes so far. When we reach our limits, and don’t want to accept defeat, we need to go to prayer. The only thing that can do anything is God, and we have his power inside of us when we give our live to Christ. There is nothing more powerful spiritually than when you give your heart to God. The doorway into the power of God is the understanding of the promises of God- the Bible. If you don’t understand the words of God, then you will not understand the power of God. It is our job to get into the Bible, and get to know what God says about our lives. Stuff is going to happen in our lives; we are going to get challenged. We need to put the promises from the Bible into practice in our lives. When we step over into the supernatural, we are unstoppable. C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 24:41 Letting God Take the Lead http://deansweetman.com/2010/01/10/revelations-from-choo-choo/ http://deansweetman.com/2010/01/10/revelations-from-choo-choo/#comments Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:41:45 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=174 John 3: 1-5 (NLT): There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.

Nicodemus came to Jesus soon after Jesus had cleared the Temple. He was a member of the Pharisees–a group who ran the Temple and profited from the not-so-holy business dealing that were going on within until Jesus came and drove everyone out. It seemed to be his hope to win Jesus over before this new stranger could cause any more trouble. He tries to butter him up by calling him “Rabbi” and talking about his miracles. It is then that Jesus hits him with this: “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Huh? That came from way left field! It is a statement that has nothing to do with the conversation at hand. Now, we modern day Christians understand the importance of this statement. Salvation or “being born again” is a fundamental basis for Christianity. But for Nicodemus, the statement was a bit absurd. He was trying to win Jesus over, and yet Jesus was changing the subject. Why would he do that?

It is because Nicodemus came to him with an agenda, and Jesus was going to have none of it. We often come to God with an agenda–deliberately or not, hoping He will accept it and do things the way we want them done. However, we must be prepared for the consequences. If we come to God with an agenda, He will answer us with something that will blow our minds! This story is a perfect example; it poses the questions, “What will you do when God has another agenda?”

As this new year begins, we all make plans and resolutions. It is common. We also seek vision for what we should do. This time presents a unique opportunity where our agenda and God’s plans meet, and we have a choice to either hold to our plans or submit to His will. It is like walking a dog. A dog gets excited at first over the walk, willingly accepts the leash, and lets the human lead. Then, after some time, the dog tries to take control of the walk by going this way or that, forcing the human to tug on the leash to correct the dog’s path. Then, inevitably, the dog takes a stance of refusal, digging paws into the ground so as not to move any further.

We as humans act in much the same way. We lay aside our agenda to follow God’s vision for the year. At first, we are excited. We follow God’s lead. We let Him take control. Then, after a few months, we begin to try to take back to the control. We want to go another way. God brings someone into our world to speak to us (a “tug on the leash”) and set us back on the right path. Then, more time passes, and we reach a point of stubbornness. We don’t want to go this way any more, so we drag our heals. At this point, God does two things. First, He tugs on the leash once. He gives us a chance to submit. Fiances get tights, so we stop tithing. He sends a “tug.” We get into a relationship that may not be best for the time being. He sends a “tug.” Any number of situations come up where our pride gets mixed in and we stop following God’s lead; He sends one tug. And if we do not submit, He let’s go of the “leash.” He frees us to do what we want–regardless of the consequences He knows will happen as a result– because He cannot and will not control us.

Inevitably, disaster strikes. Can we look at God and ask why He lead us here? Sure, but it was not Him who lead. He let go. We went our own way. But God is merciful. We come back and submit to His lead again, and He will lead us. He promises in His Word to lead us through the good times (“by the still waters”) and the bad (“through the valley of the shadow of death”). He leads us no matter what. He is always there beside us if we lower our agenda and let Him take the lead.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2010/01/10/revelations-from-choo-choo/feed/ 1 John 3: 1-5 (NLT): There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. John 3: 1-5 (NLT): There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Nicodemus came to Jesus soon after Jesus had cleared the Temple. He was a member of the Pharisees--a group who ran the Temple and profited from the not-so-holy business dealing that were going on within until Jesus came and drove everyone out. It seemed to be his hope to win Jesus over before this new stranger could cause any more trouble. He tries to butter him up by calling him "Rabbi" and talking about his miracles. It is then that Jesus hits him with this: “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Huh? That came from way left field! It is a statement that has nothing to do with the conversation at hand. Now, we modern day Christians understand the importance of this statement. Salvation or "being born again" is a fundamental basis for Christianity. But for Nicodemus, the statement was a bit absurd. He was trying to win Jesus over, and yet Jesus was changing the subject. Why would he do that? It is because Nicodemus came to him with an agenda, and Jesus was going to have none of it. We often come to God with an agenda--deliberately or not, hoping He will accept it and do things the way we want them done. However, we must be prepared for the consequences. If we come to God with an agenda, He will answer us with something that will blow our minds! This story is a perfect example; it poses the questions, "What will you do when God has another agenda?" As this new year begins, we all make plans and resolutions. It is common. We also seek vision for what we should do. This time presents a unique opportunity where our agenda and God's plans meet, and we have a choice to either hold to our plans or submit to His will. It is like walking a dog. A dog gets excited at first over the walk, willingly accepts the leash, and lets the human lead. Then, after some time, the dog tries to take control of the walk by going this way or that, forcing the human to tug on the leash to correct the dog's path. Then, inevitably, the dog takes a stance of refusal, digging paws into the ground so as not to move any further. We as humans act in much the same way. We lay aside our agenda to follow God's vision for the year. At first, we are excited. We follow God's lead. We let Him take control. Then, after a few months, we begin to try to take back to the control. We want to go another way. God brings someone into our world to speak to us (a "tug on the leash") and set us back on the right path. Then, more time passes, and we reach a point of stubbornness. We don't want to go this way any more, so we drag our heals. At this point, God does two things. First, He tugs on the leash once. He gives us a chance to submit. Fiances get tights, so we stop tithing. He sends a "tug." We get into a relationship that may not be best for the time being. He sends a "tug." Any number of situations come up where our pride gets mixed in and we stop following God's lead; He sends one tug. And if we do not submit, He let's go of the "leash." He frees us to do what we want--regardless of the consequences He knows will happen as a result-- because He cannot and will not control us. Inevitably, disaster strikes. Can we look at God and ask why He lead us here? Sure, but it was not Him who lead. He let go. We went our own way. But God is merciful. We come back and submit to His lead again, C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 24:57 Catching the Spirit of Faith http://deansweetman.com/2008/03/27/catching-the-spirit-of-faith/ http://deansweetman.com/2008/03/27/catching-the-spirit-of-faith/#comments Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:01:14 +0000 Dean http://deanandjill.com/2008/03/27/catching-the-spirit-of-faith/ II Timothy 1:5 – Timothy was one of Paul’s most beloved disciples. This passage is about as emotional as we see him get. He is writing to one of his sons in the faith. “I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother and your grandmother.”

Towards the end of his life, Paul starts talking more not just about faith but of the spirit of faith. When you start talking about the spirit of something, you are talking about something someone has on them and something you can catch from them and pass on to others. There is your faith, and then there is the spirit of someone else’s faith. When Paul was raising up leaders, he talked a lot about catching his spirit and his faith.

v13 “Hold on to the pattern of right teaching you have learned from me.” In Corinthians he tells his disciples to catch his spirit and copy what he did in his ministry. In our individualistic society, you are almost looked down upon if you are willing to follow or learn from someone – to serve someone. The kingdom of God has nothing to do with independence. In the kingdom, you can’t do anything by yourself. You weren’t designed to do anything by yourself in God’s kingdom. If you think you can do what you are supposed to do by yourself, you have missed the whole premise.

Paul tells Timothy “pattern your life after mine. Catch my spirit of faith. I want my faith to be your faith.” This requires humility. This requires understanding that you don’t know everything and don’t have all the answers, which is a kingdom thought. “Remember to live in the faith and the love that you have in Jesus Christ. You have a faith and a strength, and with the help of the Holy Spirit guard that which has been placed in your heart.”

v6 – “This is why I remind you to fan the flames of the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.” The kingdom of God is all about transfer from one to another. The spirit of faith is flowing from one to the next. In the same way a bad spirit can make a whole group or church go sour. When you catch the spirit of something, positive or negative, it is going to travel. Catch the spirit – get on board. Choose not to carry a negative spirit. Choose to forgive and let go. Choose to trust God and not get hung up on circumstances. Carrying a negative spirit holds you back from the destiny and the plans and the blessing God has form you.

Catch the spirit. Do it on purpose. Catch it and run with it whether it makes sense or not. Give it all you have. This is what happens when you don’t catch it: v15: “As you know, all of the Christians that followed me from Asia have deserted me!” These guys caught a different spirit – when the going got tough following Paul, the turned and fled. But then Paul went on to praise the ones who stuck with him and encouraged him. Those he imparted into and who believed in him and supported him. Some made it, some didn’t. But that is why we fight for people. Never give up on believing in people. God gave us the spirit of faith and encouragement to pass onto others.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2008/03/27/catching-the-spirit-of-faith/feed/ 0 The Windows of Heaven http://deansweetman.com/2008/02/29/the-windows-of-heaven/ http://deansweetman.com/2008/02/29/the-windows-of-heaven/#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:24:14 +0000 Dean http://deanandjill.com/2008/02/29/the-windows-of-heaven/ II Kings deals a lot with the life of Elijah and of the lives and history of Israel from which we can learn. A lot of these examples deal with the temple, tithes and money. A lot of times we can over-spiritualize money. I can’t tell you that when you give your tithes and offerings all will be well. We know what God says about money – we bring Him our first and our best. God requires us to trust Him in this realm, believe that He is bigger than our circumstance and believe He will bless you and cause you to overcome despite what you see. We don’t ignore natural circumstances, but there are very clear Biblical principles of how we are to react and act when we are faced with uncertainty – especially with money. This passage deals a lot with this principle.

This story is only one of two places in the Bible where we find the exact phrase “the windows of heaven.” II Kings 6:24 – At this point, the city of Sumaria had suffered under months of seige and famine. The economy was collapsing because the city was out of food and they couldn’t leave the city to grow or harvest more. The people were desperate. Elijah was in the city at the time. The King started to waver in His belief that God was bigger than the circumstances and that he would help them – he starts to blame God down in verse 33. Oftentimes when we are in a pressure situation we see what is really in our hearts. When we are surrounded by circumstances we find out what we are made of. That’s why tests are good for us because they help us to grow. If we aren’t happy with how we respond in a situation, we can identify what we need to improve and start to grow and change. Never be afraid of circumstances. Instead look at them as an opportunity to find out you can bring changes into world and ensure that next time you are confronted with similar circumstances you can react in a different way.

The King’s faith began to fail under this pressure. It also affected his staff, and his adviser in this passage was even more belligerent than him. It is part of our humanity to be shaken and upset by tragedy, but we can’t blame God for the bad things in our lives. God loves us more than we can understand and it is beyond His nature to bring tragedy and calamity into our lives. Even though we are living our lives according to God’s principles and in His kingdom, but things still happen and many of the situations we find ourselves in are a direct result of our decisions or the path we have walked up until that point. Our tendency to blame God is a result of a lack of understanding of who God really is and how He operates. He is good and just. He has given us free will to make our own decisions and even though He is there to guide us He does not prevent us when we decide to follow our own knowledge and deviate from the path He has laid out for us.This is how good He is – even when we make all of these bad decisions and make all of these problems for ourselves, when we get to the ending of trusting in ourselves and striving in our own ability and return to God, He comes back and redeems our situation.

Chapter 7:1 – Elijah prophesies that by noon the next day all will be well, the market will be thriving and the people will be eating. The adviser says that cannot happen, even if God opens the windows of heaven. Elijah tells him that he will see it but will not be able to partake in it. Here we have a bad, seemingly hopeless situation contrasted against what is possible through God. This also shows how quickly things can change with God. But the servant of the King is so angry and his heart is so turned against God that he insights God by saying “That can never happen.” It’s amazing how when we are faced with pressure we tend to loose our faith. It’s easy to have faith when things are good, but you know you have faith when things are bad. Faith is trust. Faith is trusting in what God says and that his promises will come to pass despite our circumstances or what we see around us.

Sometimes our brains can’t comprehend what God is saying to us. Jesus said He who has ears let him hear what the Spirit has to say to him. This hearing is in our Spirit and comes through faith. When we hear God and align ourselves with Him we enable him to move. God does things in ways we don’t understand, because his kingdom does not align with the natural world, and he loves to bring about his plans in a way that confounds us. When we trust that God is bigger than what we see in the natural, we open the door for him to work on our behalf – to open the windows of heaven – and for God’s favor in our lives. People who have favor always seem to be happy and content. Their lives aren’t perfect, but they know they are blessed and do not let natural circumstances affect them. Favor means kingdom blessing. Kingdom blessing brings no sorrow. People with favor allow God to move through their lives instead of worrying about how much they have in their lives.

The Scripture goes on to contrast the King’s behavior with the behavior of those on the opposite end of society. Four lepers were starving at the front gate of the city. They came to a revelation by saying “If we continue to sit here, we are going to die.” They decided to do something radical and go to the enemy camp to ask for food. The worst that could happen is that they would be killed, but they knew that if they continued where they were, they would also die. When you are in a circumstance, you have a choice of whether you are going to sit still and let that circumstance keep dictating and exercising its power over your life or to get up, move and make a change. When we start making moves toward change and taking steps of faith, God gets excited. God doesn’t need much from us – He just needs us to get up and make a move of faith and to see us trusting Him.

Because of the lepers’ action, God did something supernatural. As the lepers crept up, the enemy army heard the sound of 10,000 soldiers approaching. They were gripped with fear and they fled, leaving all of their food, resources and wealth. The lepers not only were fed, but they were able to bring the news of God’s miracle back to the city. The doubtful servant was trampled to death as the people ran from the city to collect the riches from the camp. He saw God move, but was unable to take part in it because of his lack of faith. He was challenged to believe, but couldn’t accept that God could do something so miraculous. When we are faced with difficult situations, we are challenged to believe. What will you do?

John 1: – The windows of blessing – the hinges of blessing swing on the hinges financial integrity and faith. We know what Malachi says, and this story in II Kings emphasizes faith. Windows don’t open by themselves, and if the hinges are broken the window won’t work properly. The hinges are financial integrity – giving, saving and living within my means – and trust – trusting that God is God and that despite what the circumstances say, God can change them. In this scripture, Jesus sees Nathaniel approach, and Jesus said “Here comes an honest man.” Nathaniel says, “How did you know me?” Jesus knew him before he came, and Nathaniel was so blown away that he declared “Teacher, you are the Messiah!” This is the first declaration besides that of John the Baptist. Jesus said “This is only the beginning of what you will see” and said that all would see heaven opened and angels going up and down on the son of man. Jesus introduces the concept of the open heaven. Somehow Jesus saw something on Nathaniel’s life that caused him to believe that Nathaniel had integrity and call him a “true son of Jacob.” This idea of a ladder going up to heaven goes all the way back to Jacob. He saw the heavens open and made a vow to God that he would give him ten percent of everything he had or acquired in the future.

Open heaven seems to be tied to our ability to trust God, give and sacrifice to Him. Financial integrity and faith will bring us into the amazing favor of God – a place where no matter how much I have or what I see, it doesn’t matter to me because I know who God is, I know that he loves me, I am going to keep moving no matter what and my heart is always content. The open heaven is everywhere that I look.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2008/02/29/the-windows-of-heaven/feed/ 0 Walking on Water – Having Faith in the Face of Obstacles http://deansweetman.com/2007/10/23/walking-on-water-having-faith-in-the-face-of-obstacles/ http://deansweetman.com/2007/10/23/walking-on-water-having-faith-in-the-face-of-obstacles/#comments Tue, 23 Oct 2007 04:07:04 +0000 Dean http://deanandjill.com/2007/10/23/walking-on-water-having-faith-in-the-face-of-obstacles/ Luke 8:22-25 – Where is your faith?

The disciples were not new fisherman. They had been in storms before and had been in the boat with Jesus before. But this time they knew they were in REAL danger. Sometimes we are in REAL danger- our marriage is failing, we are on the brink of loosing our house, etc. In these situations, we come to God because we are afraid. But we have to keep our faith. I would never want God to come to me in a situation and ask me “Where is your faith?”

One day God is going to come to you and ask you to deal with a problem. You have to have faith that He is going to get you to the other side. Jesus is always speaking. In every situation, He is teaching us and He giving us answers. Jesus gets into the boat with you. He doesn’t just tell you what to do; He goes with you. Even in the middle of the storm when you can’t hear Him and you think He has left you, He hasn’t. He did not design us to do things alone.

You have to remember what He says to you when things are calm and the sky is still blue. He tells you that He will get you to the other side. We have to remember these things and walk in our faith when he allows us to steer ourselves. The best leaders allow you to learn by doing it as well as teach you. Remember that we can’t control everything, sometimes storms just come. When things are going well, we can miss what God is telling us and, when the storm comes, we can’t remember what He said.

The boat and the journey are issues in your life. The lake is the obstacle that stops you from getting to where God wants you. It takes faith to walk on water – overcome the obstacles – and get to the destination God has for us.Once Jesus starts you on a journey He is not going to get out of the boat.

The other side is a miracle. On the other side is an assignment for you. When you go through the storm you come out with a testimony – your test is destined to be a testimony. There are people on the other side who are facing the same trials and challenges. They need to be encouraged by your testimony, and hear how your faith brought you through it. If you haven’t gone through trials, you can’t relate to others. You cannot reach the lost without empathy for where they are coming from. Sometimes people who are going through a crisis – a storm – can not understand God. If you are there with a testimony, they get hope of making it through too. If you are not willing to get in the boat, you will not have that testimony. The other side is a victory for you and somebody else.

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