DeanSweetman.com » Prayer http://deansweetman.com Sermons, Podcasts and Teachings to Live Your Best Life Sun, 20 May 2012 18:48:37 +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 » Prayer http://audio.thec3church.com/podcasticon.jpg http://deansweetman.com/category/prayer/ Faith & Vision http://deansweetman.com/2012/01/15/faith-vision/ http://deansweetman.com/2012/01/15/faith-vision/#comments Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:57:37 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=640 Our church will begin fasting and praying on February 1st for 21 days. This is an opportunity to go to the next level for real this year, to overcome challenges and bring about lasting change. If you fast AND pray, change WILL happen! We look to the New Testament church for examples of how to work together, how to mature in Christ, how to be a “marketplace apostle”. One of the first men to rise up to a new level was Barnabas, a tradesman who, during a time of famine, sold a field he owned and gave all the proceeds to the apostles in Jerusalem to help other believers. Others followed his lead, and the whole church banded together, sharing and selling so that no one would go without. What they owned was not their own. The people made sacrifices for each other, and this was the first example of charity in any culture of that day. Let’s be sure our things aren’t getting in the way of where God wants to take us.

After the famine in Acts 4, a very zealous Jew named Saul was at the stoning of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, a man killed for speaking the truth about the Resurrected Christ. The Christians went into hiding because of the persecution now upon the Church, and in Acts 9 Saul goes to Damascus to kill Christians there who are sharing the Gospel. He actually thinks he is doing God’s will! On the way, the Lord blinds him and he comes to faith in Jesus himself, not eating or drinking for three days afterward. A Christian in the area named Ananias is asked by God to go to Saul, lay hands on him, and let God heal him – however, Ananias has heard Saul will arrest any Christians in the area! After arguing with God, he summons up his courage, lays hands on Saul, and goes so far as to call him “Brother” as he obeys the Big Ask that God had given him. Saul becomes Paul, the greatest apostle to ever live, the one who wrote most of the books of the New Testament, and from whose life we can learn so much about perservering and following the leading of the Holy Spirit! The thing is, he was not even accepted by the local church and the apostles who had been with Jesus until Barnabas, whose name means Son of Encouragement, befriended Paul and vouched for him to the church leaders in Jerusalem. You can’t fulfill your destiny until someone believes in you. It took the courage of Ananias & Barnabas to bring the killer of Christians into the family of the church. People then and now are looking for someone to care for them. We need lots of people to reach out to new folks at C3 this year, and our leadership classes are going to help us get confident as we step out and mature even more.

When God asks us to do something big, something scary, something well and truly out of our comfort zone like He asked of Ananias, we know that by prayer and fasting we can accomplish anything that God has laid before us! He is going to ask us this year to do what we have never done before, therefore it makes sense to prepare ourselves for this year of challenge. You don’t have to be a pastor to bring love and care to people in your world. We have to come out of our immaturity and the mindset that says, “Oh, that’s someone else’s job” and begin to really grow in our faith. This means that the people around us who need help will have someone there to encourage, to mentor, to pray for them – you! When the religious Jews threw Peter in jail for healing a crippled man on the Sabbath in Acts 12, the church was praying for him fervently, but when an angel opened up the jail and got Peter to safety, no one praying at the house believed it was really him knocking on the door! These people had seen the house shake with the power of prayer, but had forgotten that God really does work miracles! Don’t pass your miracle off as coincidence, believe that God meant for your prayers to be answered.

We are all currently afraid of something God is asking us to do, some challenge we’ve come up against. God will give us the means to conquer the fear and win the challenge, but we have to step out in 2012 and do what frightens us. This church will go to another place in Christ if we all step out, fast, pray and believe that God wants to do miracles in us, for us and through us. We’re not going to waste 2012, even when unseen tests come at us from left field, like the pain I have been having in my neck all last year. We do not give up, we find a way to make it through the maze of life because God believes in us!

Verses Used:
* Acts 4:31-37
* Acts 9
* Acts 12

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2012/01/15/faith-vision/feed/ 0 Our church will begin fasting and praying on February 1st for 21 days. This is an opportunity to go to the next level for real this year, to overcome challenges and bring about lasting change. If you fast AND pray, change WILL happen! Our church will begin fasting and praying on February 1st for 21 days. This is an opportunity to go to the next level for real this year, to overcome challenges and bring about lasting change. If you fast AND pray, change WILL happen! We look to the New Testament church for examples of how to work together, how to mature in Christ, how to be a "marketplace apostle". One of the first men to rise up to a new level was Barnabas, a tradesman who, during a time of famine, sold a field he owned and gave all the proceeds to the apostles in Jerusalem to help other believers. Others followed his lead, and the whole church banded together, sharing and selling so that no one would go without. What they owned was not their own. The people made sacrifices for each other, and this was the first example of charity in any culture of that day. Let's be sure our things aren't getting in the way of where God wants to take us. After the famine in Acts 4, a very zealous Jew named Saul was at the stoning of the first Christian martyr, Stephen, a man killed for speaking the truth about the Resurrected Christ. The Christians went into hiding because of the persecution now upon the Church, and in Acts 9 Saul goes to Damascus to kill Christians there who are sharing the Gospel. He actually thinks he is doing God's will! On the way, the Lord blinds him and he comes to faith in Jesus himself, not eating or drinking for three days afterward. A Christian in the area named Ananias is asked by God to go to Saul, lay hands on him, and let God heal him - however, Ananias has heard Saul will arrest any Christians in the area! After arguing with God, he summons up his courage, lays hands on Saul, and goes so far as to call him "Brother" as he obeys the Big Ask that God had given him. Saul becomes Paul, the greatest apostle to ever live, the one who wrote most of the books of the New Testament, and from whose life we can learn so much about perservering and following the leading of the Holy Spirit! The thing is, he was not even accepted by the local church and the apostles who had been with Jesus until Barnabas, whose name means Son of Encouragement, befriended Paul and vouched for him to the church leaders in Jerusalem. You can't fulfill your destiny until someone believes in you. It took the courage of Ananias & Barnabas to bring the killer of Christians into the family of the church. People then and now are looking for someone to care for them. We need lots of people to reach out to new folks at C3 this year, and our leadership classes are going to help us get confident as we step out and mature even more. When God asks us to do something big, something scary, something well and truly out of our comfort zone like He asked of Ananias, we know that by prayer and fasting we can accomplish anything that God has laid before us! He is going to ask us this year to do what we have never done before, therefore it makes sense to prepare ourselves for this year of challenge. You don't have to be a pastor to bring love and care to people in your world. We have to come out of our immaturity and the mindset that says, "Oh, that's someone else's job" and begin to really grow in our faith. This means that the people around us who need help will have someone there to encourage, to mentor, to pray for them - you! When the religious Jews threw Peter in jail for healing a crippled man on the Sabbath in Acts 12, the church was praying for him fervently, but when an angel opened up the jail and got Peter to safety, no one praying at the house believed it was really him knocking on the door! These people had seen the house shake with the power of prayer, but had forgotten that God really does work miracles! Don't pass your miracle off as coincidence, believe that God meant for your prayers to be answered. We are all currently afraid of something God is asking us to do, some challenge we've come up against. C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 27:48 The First Family http://deansweetman.com/2011/12/11/the-first-family-2/ http://deansweetman.com/2011/12/11/the-first-family-2/#comments Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:31:40 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=620 When we think of Bible heroes, names like Moses, David, Samson, and Daniel come to mind. Joseph of Nazareth – husband to Mary and earthly father of Jesus – is generally not on the list. But on closer inspection, this quiet man is due more notice and respect than he is given. His heart is very much like God’s and provides a powerful role model for all of us today.

Joseph and Mary were betrothed in the Hebrew tradition. This is rather difficult for us to understand for it was not just a joining of two people in marriage but a merging of families, fortunes, and futures. A betrothal period could last up to seven years. During that time the expectations of both families looked and worked toward the union in a way foreign to us today. In addition, the entire community knew of and anticipated the union.

The Spirit and will of God interrupt this proceeding with the purpose of changing mankind’s destiny. From a heavenly perspective, it made perfect sense. From an earthly perspective, it made no sense. Fortunately, Joseph was not a man given to emotional reaction. Here we find his first quality of merit. Matthew 1: 19 tells us that Joseph “considered these things.” He didn’t react in a reality TV/Jerry Springer kind of way. He thought carefully and took the issue before God. He opened the door of his heart to hear what God had to say about the matter before he made any decision. Though his personal reputation was on the line, his first consideration was finding out what was the right thing to do.

A second quality to notice is that Joseph chose not to seek retribution, but to cover Mary and “break the engagement quietly.” (vs 18) If Mary’s pregnancy were to be discovered she would, at the least, be exiled or, at worst, stoned to death. Imagine Jesus’ life being ended before He had a chance to be born. But Joseph chose grace. He chose to cover her rather than expose her. In this day of “investigative reporting” when no secret is safe, and when many delight in the downfall of others, we could learn a great deal from this type of grace. Joseph took Mary as his wife but did not sleep with her as his wife until Jesus was born. Pretty amazing, right? Imagine walking in that kind of obedience.

Most importantly, Joseph’s willingness to set his own feelings and opinions aside and be open to God brought the will of God to pass. God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to confirm the truth of the story Mary had told him. Joseph protected them and provided for them as Jesus grew. Once the story of Jesus’ birth, the flight to Egypt, and the return to Nazareth is done, we don’t hear any more about Joseph. He fades into the background. But without his obedience, the story would never have taken place. Imagine the multitude of lives that have been changed because Joseph chose to consider God in his actions. How many of us are living our best life because of his choice and how many others might find their best life if we choose to live by his example?

Verses Used:
*Matthew 1:18-24

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2011/12/11/the-first-family-2/feed/ 0 When we think of Bible heroes, names like Moses, David, Samson, and Daniel come to mind. Joseph of Nazareth – husband to Mary and earthly father of Jesus - is generally not on the list. But on closer inspection, When we think of Bible heroes, names like Moses, David, Samson, and Daniel come to mind. Joseph of Nazareth – husband to Mary and earthly father of Jesus - is generally not on the list. But on closer inspection, this quiet man is due more notice and respect than he is given. His heart is very much like God’s and provides a powerful role model for all of us today. Joseph and Mary were betrothed in the Hebrew tradition. This is rather difficult for us to understand for it was not just a joining of two people in marriage but a merging of families, fortunes, and futures. A betrothal period could last up to seven years. During that time the expectations of both families looked and worked toward the union in a way foreign to us today. In addition, the entire community knew of and anticipated the union. The Spirit and will of God interrupt this proceeding with the purpose of changing mankind’s destiny. From a heavenly perspective, it made perfect sense. From an earthly perspective, it made no sense. Fortunately, Joseph was not a man given to emotional reaction. Here we find his first quality of merit. Matthew 1: 19 tells us that Joseph “considered these things.” He didn’t react in a reality TV/Jerry Springer kind of way. He thought carefully and took the issue before God. He opened the door of his heart to hear what God had to say about the matter before he made any decision. Though his personal reputation was on the line, his first consideration was finding out what was the right thing to do. A second quality to notice is that Joseph chose not to seek retribution, but to cover Mary and “break the engagement quietly.” (vs 18) If Mary’s pregnancy were to be discovered she would, at the least, be exiled or, at worst, stoned to death. Imagine Jesus’ life being ended before He had a chance to be born. But Joseph chose grace. He chose to cover her rather than expose her. In this day of “investigative reporting” when no secret is safe, and when many delight in the downfall of others, we could learn a great deal from this type of grace. Joseph took Mary as his wife but did not sleep with her as his wife until Jesus was born. Pretty amazing, right? Imagine walking in that kind of obedience. Most importantly, Joseph’s willingness to set his own feelings and opinions aside and be open to God brought the will of God to pass. God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to confirm the truth of the story Mary had told him. Joseph protected them and provided for them as Jesus grew. Once the story of Jesus’ birth, the flight to Egypt, and the return to Nazareth is done, we don’t hear any more about Joseph. He fades into the background. But without his obedience, the story would never have taken place. Imagine the multitude of lives that have been changed because Joseph chose to consider God in his actions. How many of us are living our best life because of his choice and how many others might find their best life if we choose to live by his example? Verses Used: *Matthew 1:18-24 C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 26:33 Biblical Freedom http://deansweetman.com/2011/06/25/biblical-freedom/ http://deansweetman.com/2011/06/25/biblical-freedom/#comments Sat, 25 Jun 2011 21:51:04 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=480 There has been some confusion over what it means to live as the Christians did in the New Testament—when the Holy Spirit came to earth—and Old Testament—when laws and rules were overruled. The Galatian church began in freedom but, after false teaching was introduced, was going back into bondage to the law. The laws of Moses were revered and adhered to by the Jews because they were readable and understandable, but they just weren’t doable! It was a comfort to know what God wanted, but the Israelites continually deviated from the law, becoming influenced by the numerous pagan cultures of lands they conquered. King David established Jerusalem under Jewish laws in a godly state of mind, but Solomon, his son, married pagan women & turned the people to those gods. By the time Jesus came, only a few “religious sects” like the Pharisees and Sadducees were following God, and they had added to the burden and bondage that the law brings upon those who try to follow it without grace.

Jesus sets us free from SIN, which is the slave-master of humanity. Sin slowly degrades and eats away at the conscience of a human being. We cover up, trying to cope with living under the world’s system. Then along comes Christ to shield, block, and destroy the power of sin. As we believe, at that moment we are released from bondage. Where the Spirit is, the truth is also! Galatians 5:16-18 says, “My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?” These 2 natures that we grapple with—sin and Spirit— are bound by the world and bound by Christ.

Galations 5:19-21 continues the results of living in sin. We are led into bondage by not choosing the Holy Spirit to guide our lives to freedom. “It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.” BUT as we look on to the next verses, we are told what it looks like to live & be led by the Spirit, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness & self-control” – the last one is the most important!! Respond in worship and prayer to convictions. When we’re worn down after allowing sin to rule us, prayer and worship lead us to strength to repent and become stronger.

When we give the Holy Spirit the opportunity to move freely, He will break the rules!! We struggle to stay free –even the apostle Peter got called out by Paul when he chose to stop fellowshipping with Gentiles once other important Jews came to the town they were both in at the time. Religion may make us FEEL spiritual, but it’s a counterfeit and does NOT set us free! Sin has no power over us when we’re led by the Spirit. The law exposes sin, but we can never get to God thru obeying the law—only thru Jesus and the Holy Spirit and not by the works we do. There is a constant fight within all humanity between the flesh and the Spirit to do the right thing or the thing we WANT to do. Only the life-giving, freedom-loving Holy Spirit, who can’t be contained, brings pure, real, total freedom! He obliterates what we think God should or should not be doing. We know we are being led by the Spirit when His fruits show up in our lives (while the fruit of religion is hypocrisy -the thing that set Jesus off the most!)

This week we are going to be led into a new level of freedom during the Encounter conference. There is a response to the conviction of the Spirit, to repentance and letting go—let it flow through you!

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2011/06/25/biblical-freedom/feed/ 2 What we Say, Our Name, & The Holy Spirt http://deansweetman.com/2011/05/31/what-we-say-our-name-the-holy-spirt/ http://deansweetman.com/2011/05/31/what-we-say-our-name-the-holy-spirt/#comments Tue, 31 May 2011 13:39:46 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=475 When we submit to Christ, we have the power and authority to transform our lives and those of others by what we say. What comes out of our mouth is a release of what comes from heaven into our world. “Whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven, whatever we loose on earth is loosed in heaven.” – Matthew 18. Growing our faith gives us the ability to function in the spiritual dimension. In the world, we would get tossed around by all the negativity that swirls there constantly, but when we are heavenly-minded and living for Christ, we don’t have to be part of the negative forces around us. We can create change by what we say and proclaim! Speaking connects us with the supernatural – it’s good to be positive, but that is not enough. We were created to be like God so when we speak His words we align ourselves with Him, creating peace in our lives. How we were raised & what was spoken over us can cause us to struggle with this, as the mouth is a powerful force for good or evil. It is always possible to create the changes we seek in our worlds!

Next, it’s important to realize that our souls are birthed at conception, and the being which is created at that point never dies. Our conceived beings are eternal, as we are made in the image of God, and He is eternal! So when the horrible happens and a child, born or unborn, dies, we can take comfort in knowing that God receives them and that their names are written in the Book of Life, burning brightly as innocents. As we age, when we turn to the Lord, again our names are bright lights in that book as we become more like Christ and want to make His name higher than ours. Those who continue to turn away from the Holy Spirit’s promptings will find their names fade from that book, if they choose not to reach out to what God is offering them. Our name is a vital component of who we are, and, in Proverbs, we find out that “a good name is better than great wealth” – Prov. 22. Your name is your calling card, for good or bad, and for all eternity.

The Holy Spirit is God on the earth today, and it is HIS job, not ours, to convict all men of sin, to comfort, and to bring understanding as we continue to search out what God is saying to us individually. In the Old Testament, God the Father spoke to the men of that time, and the Holy Spirit instructed the prophets what to say to the people of Israel & Judah. Then, for 33 years, Jesus was God the Son on the earth, showing us what God looks, acts, and sounds like. He had to die, not only for the sins of man, but to release the Holy Spirit to empower men, women, and children to have the authority we are talking about. Our authority comes from living in Christ and being filled with the Spirit! Remember how important that is! Even our impossible situations can be fixed up and made BETTER by God’s miracle-working power when we know who we are and what we have. In 1906, people were for revival in the country of Wales, UK, and in the city of Los Angeles; now, as a result of their prayers, over 1 billion Pentecostals filled with the Spirit are in the world today! We must look up to heaven, position ourselves in alignment with God’s Word, and realize that in every situation, God is bigger, more powerful, more abundant, and “able to do exceedingly more than we ask or think” – Ephesians 3.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2011/05/31/what-we-say-our-name-the-holy-spirt/feed/ 0 Christ in YOU http://deansweetman.com/2011/05/01/christ-in-you/ http://deansweetman.com/2011/05/01/christ-in-you/#comments Sun, 01 May 2011 16:53:54 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=461 Romans 5:1&2 - “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

Last week, when I asked you to pray for one another, I saw some of you get right up & pray, knowing that you were able to lay hands on those around you and expect healing to occur. I saw that it was hard for others, and some of you folded your arms & looked at me like, “I am not qualified to do that!” We need to realize who we are and what we have as believers, to focus on the power that each of us can tap into through Christ. The pastor of any church is not better, more spiritual, nor worse than any of his congregation. We are all ministers of God’s power in our world. There are many days when Jill & I do not feel qualified to do all the things that God has us doing – Pastor Phil Pringle prays starting at 5:30 every morning. I can’t do that! I need coffee to get going, and then I do what the Lord has asked me to do for that day. Each of us, according to the verse in Romans, have been made right in God’s sight by faith; we have peace with God because of Jesus’ death, as we talked about on Easter. Read the 2nd verse – we can confidently & joyfully share the power of God that has changed us with those in the marketplace. We are all righteous enough to lay hands on others, we are all filled with the same Holy Spirit. We transfer whatever is in us to others. Nothing imperfect can come into God’s presence. That’s why when we’ve been forgiven of our sins! We are all “made right in God’s sight by faith” as it says in verse 1 above.

Take the opportunities God gives when He gives them – it is easier than we think! God WANTS to use us, His people! Let the Holy Spirit stir you to enact your faith – don’t freak out! Laying on of hands is a point of contact and a transfer happens when we decide we can allow God to use us as conduits of His power. There is often self-doubt when God is starting this process in us. We never feel good enough, we know our own sins & lack of spirituality – but it’s not about US, it’s about GOD in us! Don’t disqualify yourselves or others for Christian/spiritual service. The Apostle Paul said, “My confidence isn’t in me, it’s in Christ & the anointing on my life.” Read about Paul’s early years before he got saved – he was not the best guy around!

Lead out of anointing and faith in God, not out of gifts we’ve been given. God gets on our heart, not our natural gifts; He enhances & anoints anything we offer back to Him, confident that He will use it through us. When we are called upon to do something outside our natural ability, we have faith that God will come through. Build on the basics and we come into a “zone of favor” that we couldn’t do on our own. God opens doors for us, no matter how bad we used to be, no matter what we have done. None of us is worse than anyone else because Jesus is the Great Equalizer, and in God’s eyes, we are all cleaned up & ready for new life when we accept Christ into our hearts and begin to live with simple faith, simple confidence. Ephesians 2:6 – “For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.” When we allow faith to lead us and believe that God is in us, we have that confidence to simply obey when the moment arises for us to act when God prompts us to reach out to someone. We were dead until we met Jesus, now life & resurrection impregnate us! The next time you are called upon to lay hands on someone, remember who you are and what you have – you CAN pray for those in your world! God is working through all of us, what a change that will make in the marketplace!

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2011/05/01/christ-in-you/feed/ 0 Romans 5:1&2 - "Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where... Romans 5:1&2 - "Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory." Last week, when I asked you to pray for one another, I saw some of you get right up & pray, knowing that you were able to lay hands on those around you and expect healing to occur. I saw that it was hard for others, and some of you folded your arms & looked at me like, "I am not qualified to do that!" We need to realize who we are and what we have as believers, to focus on the power that each of us can tap into through Christ. The pastor of any church is not better, more spiritual, nor worse than any of his congregation. We are all ministers of God's power in our world. There are many days when Jill & I do not feel qualified to do all the things that God has us doing - Pastor Phil Pringle prays starting at 5:30 every morning. I can't do that! I need coffee to get going, and then I do what the Lord has asked me to do for that day. Each of us, according to the verse in Romans, have been made right in God's sight by faith; we have peace with God because of Jesus' death, as we talked about on Easter. Read the 2nd verse - we can confidently & joyfully share the power of God that has changed us with those in the marketplace. We are all righteous enough to lay hands on others, we are all filled with the same Holy Spirit. We transfer whatever is in us to others. Nothing imperfect can come into God's presence. That's why when we've been forgiven of our sins! We are all "made right in God's sight by faith" as it says in verse 1 above. Take the opportunities God gives when He gives them - it is easier than we think! God WANTS to use us, His people! Let the Holy Spirit stir you to enact your faith - don't freak out! Laying on of hands is a point of contact and a transfer happens when we decide we can allow God to use us as conduits of His power. There is often self-doubt when God is starting this process in us. We never feel good enough, we know our own sins & lack of spirituality - but it's not about US, it's about GOD in us! Don't disqualify yourselves or others for Christian/spiritual service. The Apostle Paul said, "My confidence isn't in me, it's in Christ & the anointing on my life." Read about Paul's early years before he got saved - he was not the best guy around! Lead out of anointing and faith in God, not out of gifts we've been given. God gets on our heart, not our natural gifts; He enhances & anoints anything we offer back to Him, confident that He will use it through us. When we are called upon to do something outside our natural ability, we have faith that God will come through. Build on the basics and we come into a "zone of favor" that we couldn't do on our own. God opens doors for us, no matter how bad we used to be, no matter what we have done. None of us is worse than anyone else because Jesus is the Great Equalizer, and in God's eyes, we are all cleaned up & ready for new life when we accept Christ into our hearts and begin to live with simple faith, simple confidence. Ephesians 2:6 - "For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus." When we allow faith to lead us and believe that God is in us, we have that confidence to simply obey when the moment arises for us to act when God prompts us to reach out to someone. We were dead until we met Jesus, now life & resurrection impregnate us! The next time you are called upon to lay hands on someone, remember who you are and what you have - you CAN pray for those in your world! God is working through all of us, what a change that will make in the marketplace! C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 50:36 I’m Searching For A Word http://deansweetman.com/2011/01/02/new-vision/ http://deansweetman.com/2011/01/02/new-vision/#comments Sun, 02 Jan 2011 16:55:23 +0000 Dean http://deansweetman.com/?p=391 Begin rebuilding for 2011

John 1:1-5 (NLT): In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. 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 all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

For 2011, get a word from God about your life. Not a lot of words, not a sentence, but one word. One word that stays in your life and can’t be moved. Think about what word God has dropped in your spirit and meditate on it. Pray about it and let the word settle in your spirit. Let it marinate.

When you get the word from God, you will know because everything will align. Focus on that word. When we get a word, it changes everything. We can think of “this” and make plans about “that,” but when you get a word, it fits and things start to happen.

The difference between an advanced life in 2011 and a stagnant one is a word from God. Excitement motivates us to think about plans and the future, but excitement only gets you excited. A word moves you into the miracle zone. A word bridges the gap between us, the natural, and God, the supernatural.

Faith is finding the word God has already spoken over your life and believing it. It may challenge us and maybe even scare us, but we are safer in the unknown of the word than we are in the safety of the “known.”

Excitement won’t allow you to reach your goals for 2011, but a word from God will. It will bring life to your world. Pray about it and get your word from God for this year. Let it grow and keep it alive. It has power but you have to have faith and believe it.

]]> http://deansweetman.com/2011/01/02/new-vision/feed/ 0 Begin rebuilding for 2011 - John 1:1-5 (NLT): In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. Begin rebuilding for 2011 John 1:1-5 (NLT): In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. 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 all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. For 2011, get a word from God about your life. Not a lot of words, not a sentence, but one word. One word that stays in your life and can’t be moved. Think about what word God has dropped in your spirit and meditate on it. Pray about it and let the word settle in your spirit. Let it marinate. When you get the word from God, you will know because everything will align. Focus on that word. When we get a word, it changes everything. We can think of “this” and make plans about “that,” but when you get a word, it fits and things start to happen. The difference between an advanced life in 2011 and a stagnant one is a word from God. Excitement motivates us to think about plans and the future, but excitement only gets you excited. A word moves you into the miracle zone. A word bridges the gap between us, the natural, and God, the supernatural. Faith is finding the word God has already spoken over your life and believing it. It may challenge us and maybe even scare us, but we are safer in the unknown of the word than we are in the safety of the “known.” Excitement won’t allow you to reach your goals for 2011, but a word from God will. It will bring life to your world. Pray about it and get your word from God for this year. Let it grow and keep it alive. It has power but you have to have faith and believe it. C3 Church in Lawrenceville, GA USA clean 42:48 Prayer http://deansweetman.com/2008/05/15/prayer/ http://deansweetman.com/2008/05/15/prayer/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 04:22:08 +0000 Dean http://deanandjill.com/2008/05/15/prayer/ Ephesians 3:14 “I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the creator of everything in heaven and on earth.”

When the scope of God’s plan for you has been revealed, nothing will stop you from praying. Prayer releases God’s power – it moves his hand. Spending time with him puts his plan into effect.

When you’re in the scope of God’s plan, you can step into it. Whatever mountain you’re climbing (physical, emotional, etc.) you don’t want to do it on your own. Unfortunately, we live in a society that loves and values independence:

  • This is not a Kingdom spirit, interdependence is.
  • We are meant to climb our mountains together.

When Paul thinks of the wisdom and the scope of God’s plans – he falls to his knees because he feels so inadequate and small. If God had shown everything to us in the way he showed it to Paul, we would melt too. The only thing worth doing at this time is praying. This place of prayer is what tells us if it’s real or not.

If God is doing something we need to move prayer off the back burner and into the center of our worlds. Yes, there are intercessors and people who pray as their “job,” but we all must pray.

Prayer is not a ‘natural’ thing – it is supernatural. Being alone in a room by ourselves and talking to someone who is not physically there is not a ‘natural’ thing. We must step out of the natural and into the supernatural.

If you want the things that are coming against your house to break, have a prayer meeting. God is not a microwave – you can’t just order stuff up. When you feel a stirring in your spirit and you get a glimpse of God’s play for your life. Start praying! Instead of going to fear you go to faith.

REJOICE – instead of being in the dungeon. Prayer is saying, “God, I need you!”
Foundation of prayer:

  • Passion
  • Miracles
  • Abundance
  • Provision
  • Sustenance

With prayer comes the challenge to trust. God gave us a model prayer in Matthew:

  • Glorify Him: He is above all else. His will. His name.
  • Forgive Me: I need you.
  • Ask: It’s ok to ask, but there is an order. “All I need today…”

Our father who is in heaven: He is a father who loves us. Are you timid when you talk to your father?
Hallowed be thy name:You’re so in awe – in need of God. It’s not about stuff.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done: Your kingdom. Your will. It’s all about God.
Give me this day – my daily: TODAY brings you into the presence, into the now. It’s about learning to trust in God’s Provision every day for every thing.
‘Lead me not’ into temptation:We are still human, even if we are saved. God knows we have struggles so we must continue to ask for his wisdom and strength.
Deliver me from evil: Forgive me when I mess up, because I am human and I will.

This is how Jesus taught us how to pray. Put God first:

  • Everything’s going to start in prayer – in the supernatural – in the spirit.
  • Discover God’s scope in prayer. It will help you and strengthen you.
  • You have to lose your life to find it.
  • Find the altar in your prayer and learn let go of everything. Get to the place where you can surrender your dreams to God and not care if they ever come back.
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