Our Life Group Guides
PRAYER POINTS
1
PRAY that through this series, the Holy Spirit will expose the condition of our hearts so that we can determine what hinders us from following JESUS wholeheartedly.
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PRAY for the touch of the Holy Spirit in every Sunday Worship Celebration at HLM, that would result in changed lives, healing, deliverance and MISSIONS.
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PRAY that Grace and Truth will become everyone's lifestyle.
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PRAY for a Mustard Seed Faith to execute godly values and principles in our communities, companies, and campuses, that they may be in the Fear of the LORD.
5
PRAY for wisdom, discernment, and the continuous flow of the Holy Spirit's anointing upon our Bishops, Pastors, and Ministry Servant Team Leaders. Pray too for our Network Lead Group Leaders and Life Group Leaders as they tirelessly make disciples of the LORD Jesus Christ.
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PRAY and thank the LORD for His Provisions in the construction of the Julius Hall Building Project.
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PRAY that His Life Ministries will be God's instrument to bless the Philippines and all nations of the world.
8
PRAY that the LORD'S Hands will continually protect Israel from her enemies, and pray for peace.
The
SERMON SERIES
at
His Life Ministries ASIA
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COMING OUT FROM THE HIDDEN
HIS LIFE MINISTRIES
JULY 2024 SERIES
MAIN VERSE:
James 5:16
“Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
James 5:16
"Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."
SERIES OVERVIEW
At the end of World War II (1945), the Japanese had lost the war & Japanese soldiers were hiding in the jungles, mountains, & forests throughout the South Pacific. The war had ended & they were given refuge & told to come back. But they had heard about how cruel & evil the Americans were. Because they heard & believed that they would be tortured & executed by the Americans, many of them did not come out & instead chose to remain hiding in the caves. The government did not know how they could bring them back. So they finally put the Japanese emperor on the radio & they blared loudspeakers into the mountains. And the message was this: "Come out of hiding. The war is over. There is peace. You will not be harmed. You will be welcomed. You will be protected." Since it was the voice of their emperor, a lot of the soldiers believed & within the next few months, most of them came back. But it was not until 29 years later, in 1974, that the last Japanese soldier (Hiroo Onoda) came out of hiding & showed up. He was now in his 60's. When he was asked why it took him so long to come out of hiding, he said, "It took me that long to get over my fear."
In reality, in the churches today, TRANSPARENCY is never practiced because of not having SAFE SPACES. It's very easy to CONCEAL what needs to be HIDDEN and very HARD to COME OUT OF THE LIGHT to EXPOSE it.
This series aims to make us realise the important thing of CONFESSION. When we confess to our brothers and sisters, we HEAL because there is also HEALING in COMMUNITY.
What keeps us hidden? FEAR, SHAME AND GUILT
Solution: HONESTY AND AUTHENTICITY
The more honest we are, the more we receive grace and mercy, and if we allow Jesus to visit the darkest and most shameful part of our lives, we will be HEALED.
July 07, 2024
Kick-Off
Emphasis: Birthday Sunday
Topic:
CONFESSION: UNLOCKING THE DOOR OF PRETENSION
Verse: "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."
James 5:16
We live in a society that puts high value on what is seen by the naked eye. People have a reputation to keep. We become conscious of what other people may think about us. These are among many reasons why people choose to pretend.
However, we need to understand the danger of clothing ourselves with pretension. For one thing, pretension will never help us. On a more profound note, when we pretend, we are only fooling ourselves.
People choose to pretend because it is a lot easier to hide our issues and our secret sins. On the other hand, it takes a lot of bravery to be honest and to reveal what's going on inside of us.
And this is where the essence of the kickoff sets in. The topic will highlight AUTHENTICITY and explore the importance of CONFESSION.
Key Points for James 5:16
- The importance of having GODLY COMMUNITY and SAFE SPACES
- Healing starts in CONFESSION
- Confession breaks down SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Supplemental Verse:
Luke NLT 18:35-43
As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road. When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening. They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. So he began shouting, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" "Be quiet!" the people in front yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" When Jesus heard him, he stopped and ordered that the man be brought to him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" "Lord," he said, "I want to see!" And Jesus said, "All right, receive your sight! Your faith has healed you." Instantly, the man could see, and he followed Jesus, praising God. And all who saw it praised God, too."
July 14, 2024
Week One
Emphasis: Communion Sunday
Topic:
COMING OUT FROM FEAR
VERSE:
1 Kings 19:1-4 NLT
"When Ahab got home, he told Jezebel everything Elijah had done, including the way he had killed all the prophets of Baal. So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: "May the gods strike me and even kill me if by this time tomorrow I have not killed you just as you killed them." Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, travelling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died."
We are afraid to be judged.
Afraid to be condemned.
And we don't want to be left behind.
And so, this is the emphasis of Week 1 is on the importance of knowing our identity in Him so the voices of FEAR would not sway us.
To overcome this, we should be reminded that we are all BROKEN human beings who are in need of God's grace for us
Supplemental Verse:
1 John 4:18 NLT
"Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love."
July 21, 2024
Week Two
Emphasis: Divinity and LifeGroup Sunday
Topic:
CONQUERING SHAME
Verse:
John 8: 1-11 NLT
"Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. "Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?" They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!" Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" "No, Lord," she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
Most of the time, what we choose to reveal to the public are the good things about us. Often, our dark part is hidden. We try to hide it as we can because not only are we afraid to be judged, but we also think it will be shameful once it is exposed.
In our text today, a woman was brought before the presence of Jesus. Caught in adultery, the Pharisees and religious leaders were demanding judgment. Jesus, on the other hand, challenged them that the one who has never sinned will be the first to throw stones. Upon hearing this, the leave one by one. And when the woman is left in the presence of Jesus, she hears Him saying: Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" "No, Lord," she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more."
God is faithful. He knows us wholly and uses all things, especially the hard revelation of our brokenness, to draw us closer to Himself.
How? By loving us tenderly and personally, even the shame that surrounds our sin-wounded hearts fails to shroud us.
ONLY LOVE OVERCOMES SHAME.
July 28, 2024
Week Three
Emphasis: Facility Sunday
Topic:
CRASHING THE POWER OF GUILT
Verse:
John 4:4-20 NLT
[4] He had to go through Samaria on the way. [5] Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. [6] Jacob's well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. [7] Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink." [8] He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. [9] The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?" [10] Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water." [11] "But sir, you don't have a rope or a bucket," she said, "and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? [12] And besides, do you think you're greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?" [13] Jesus replied, "Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. [14] But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." [15] "Please, sir," the woman said, "give me this water! Then I'll never be thirsty again, and I won't have to come here to get water." [16] "Go and get your husband," Jesus told her. [17] "I don't have a husband," the woman replied. Jesus said, "You're right! You don't have a husband— [18] for you have had five husbands, and you aren't even married to the man you're living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!" [19] "Sir," the woman said, "you must be a prophet. [20] So tell me, why do you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshipped?"
Acknowledging our needs means we are looking for the things that would make us complete, but because of brokenness, we tend to look for the wrong things that would make us more INCOMPLETE. Because often, our way of meeting our needs becomes destructive. Instead of integrating us through good sources of love, we become enslaved by our needs.
Often, our way of meeting our needs becomes destructive. Instead of integrating us through good sources of love, we become enslaved by our needs.
Therefore, we must distinguish between valid "love" needs and the creature's broken efforts to meet them. We all need love! But we must also ACKNOWLEDGE the broken tendency in us to determine what love is apart from its Author. We place ourselves at risk when we bypass the Creator. Mistrusting Him, we subject ourselves to a variety of false matters.
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Supplement from
Bible Questions Answered
Got Questions Dot Com
QUESTION
Why should we confess our sins to one another (James 5:16)?
ANSWER
The epistle of James emphasizes the power of prayer in the life of believers.
It also reminds us that, even if we truly know and love the Lord, we still sin. While we remain in these earthly bodies, we will continue to battle with sin. In the body of Christ, sometimes we sin against our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
James 5:16 tells us what to do when we sin against one another: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
The word confess means “to agree,” “to admit,” or “to say the same thing.”
Confession is saying the same thing as God does about sin or having the same perspective on sin as God does.
It involves identifying sin for what it truly is, honestly acknowledging the offenses we have committed.
Confession also should include an attitude of turning away from sin.
James instructs believers who are struggling with sin to seek faithful and trusted brothers and sisters in Christ who will intercede for them in their battle with sin. He is not suggesting that we confess our sins carelessly to just anyone, but to mature believers who will provide spiritual and practical support. Of course, we should also confess our sins to those we have sinned against, as we seek forgiveness and restoration.
Confessing our sins to one another in the body of Christ can break the power of secret sin. Covering up sin has no profit but yields negative consequences: “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone” (Psalm 32:3–5, NLT).
Confession of secret sin should be made with discretion. Depending on the situation, there may be no need to shout the sin from the rooftops. Confession involves choosing wise and trustworthy confidantes who will handle the truth appropriately.
As regenerated people of God, we are to live in the light of truth: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)” (Ephesians 5:8–9). Secretive behaviors and hidden sins should not exist within the fellowship of Christian believers: “So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body” (Ephesians 4:25, NLT). To live as children of light, we must be honest with ourselves and others about who we are, including our shortcomings, failures, and struggles with sin.
Besides making us hypocrites in the world, hidden sin breaks our fellowship with God and keeps us isolated from others. Confession, on the other hand, brings God’s mercy, forgiveness, freedom from guilt, strength through fellowship, and a multitude of blessings from God (Proverbs 28:13; Psalm 32:2; 1 John 1:8–10).
Confession, while an essential part of the Christian life, does not require a priest or any other church-appointed human mediator. There is only One who can absolve us of sin, and that is God (see Psalm 130); there is only one Mediator between us and God, and that is Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). We confess our sins to one another in order to solicit prayer, exhortation, and strength along the way.
In his commentary Opening Up James, Roger Ellsworth sheds further light on why we should confess our sins to one another: “Confession should always be as wide as the sin. If we have sinned secretly, we should confess it to God. If we have sinned against someone else, we should confess it to God and to the person whom we have wronged. And if we have sinned publicly, we should confess it to God and in public” (Day One Publications, 2009, p. 162).
Private confession to God is necessary because it cleanses us and restores our fellowship with Him (1 John 1:9).
Likewise, when we seek honest reconciliation with an individual we have wronged, we gain a restored relationship both with God and the other person: “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God” (Matthew 5:23–24, NLT). And as James encourages, if we have sinned against the church, we are to confess it publicly. Public confession of sin is also seen in Acts 19:18: “Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.”
Why do we confess our sins to one another? Because a continual relationship of confession and forgiveness among brothers and sisters in Christ cultivates honesty and purity and reflects the unity the church is meant to embody: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
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