This is an excerpt from a training workshop.
Category Archives: Teaching Downloads
Spiritual Roots of Disease
God’s intention for our well-being is clearly revealed in the condition of Adam and Eve prior to their sin. They enjoyed a warm friendship with the Lord God as well as with one another. They were in complete harmony and supremely happy and healthy. When they sinned, everything changed. Listen.
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Bridge Building by Laura Houck
Laura Houck addresses the need to purposefully build bridges with others in the Body of Christ, and draws parallels from the natural realm. Listen.
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Time to Rest
We live in a time in which “I’m so busy!” is a badge of honor. Many have not understood that the Sabbath, the day of rest, is a gift from God, intended to recharge and refresh us. This teaching underscores the validity of taking time for rest, recreation, and fun as part of a balanced lifestyle.
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Intentional Faith, or How Not to be a Practical Atheist
There are two approaches to life– to live as though God is at work, or as though He were not. Some who profess to believe in God worry and strive as though He were not a factor.
Jesus said, “Have faith in God.” This is a constant, abiding, and growing faith that is accompanied by hope, peace, and love.
Listen here.
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Understanding Apostles and Prophets
If we do not understand the nature and function of a thing, we will not know how to get the proper use of it. Likewise, in the Church, we may understand the role and function of the pastor, evangelist, and teacher, but not the apostle or prophet. To avoid confusion and false expectations, a better understanding of these offices is needed.
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Discerning the Luciferian Spirit
Discernment is needed in these times when so much deception abounds. The Luciferian spirit is one that tempts gifted leaders and potential leaders in the Body of Christ. It targets those in close proximity to the senior leader, especially those with musical and spiritual gifts such as healing and miracles. Here is a teaching on how it operates and how to stay free.
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Ever Hopeful
Joshua waited 40 years to enter the Promised Land due to other people’s behavior. When it was finally time to enter, he was insistent that their hope was guarded from negativity and fear, by not allowing the people to talk as they marched around Jericho.
A leader is a dealer in hope, and a leader will persevere when others quit.
These stories were written for our instruction that we might have hope.
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Miserable No More
Whereas God’s intention is that we are blessed (which according to the Amplified version means: happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable), many people are waiting for something or someone outside themselves to make them happy. Many are trapped in a prison of pain, rejection, and self-pity. It is time to learn how to be free and to be miserable no more!
Listen.
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The Perfect Redeemer
What was the meaning and importance of the scroll in Revelation 5, and why was no one worthy to open it except Jesus Christ? What are the qualifications to be worthy to take the scroll and break the seals?
Jesus is the Perfect Redeemer.
Listen.
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Wilderness Dwellers
While many teachings deal with wilderness experiences, Laura Houck draws from the life of John the Baptist who was a wilderness dweller.
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Presenting Your Case
Have you had an injustice? Do you have a grievance? The Righteous Judge wants to execute justice on your behalf.
A petition is a formally drawn request to a higher authority soliciting some favor, right, mercy, or other benefit.
It is time to petition the Court of Heaven where Jesus our Advocate is seated at the right hand of Father God.
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Facing Dream Busters
There are a lot of reasons why people discourage others from pursuing their dreams. Many seem to be altruistic – an effort to protect someone from failure or pain. But we can’t protect someone from the pain of life, and certainly not at the cost of their dreams.
Jesus did not get his identity from what people said about him, he got his identity from what the Father said about him!
All things are possible – so, do you believe?
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Help Wanted: Your Ministry
God has set leadership in place so that all believers would be “equipped for the work of the ministry”. While most are not called to “pulpit” ministry, all are called to minister one to another with the gifts God has given.
Ministry and service is extending yourself for the benefit of someone else.
Whether regardless of a primary to call to public ministry, business, family, etc., all believers are to live balanced lives that include service and ministry to the body of believers!
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Not So Secret Thoughts
What you think about will change your emotions, attitude, actions and circumstances – for the better or the worse!
Sometimes we lie to ourselves rather than facing the truth of what we really think. But your spirit knows the truth about what you think.
By taking an honest look at our thoughts and submitting them to the higher truth of God’s thoughts and meditating on HIS truth, we can make our way prosperous and successful!
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God Speaks
God didn’t stop speaking in the past; He still speaks today. It’s normal for God to speak and should be normal for believers to hear Him!
Through the voice of the Holy Spirit, dreams, prophetic ministry, the Word of God and all the ways God continues to speak– we will receive the instruction and life that comes from hearing God speak if we will tune our ears to listen!
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Pursuing the High Calling
With the gift of salvation Jesus also gave the challenge that we would take up our own crosses, put away old ways of living and become new creations. God calls us to live a higher life and calling.
Paul used the example of an athlete as how we are to pursue the high calling of Jesus Christ. We are to train, restrain and develop ourselves to come up higher and pursue the calling of God on our lives.
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Your Ministry of Light
Every single believer is called to “ministry.” This may not be preaching from the pulpit or other public positions, but each of us is called to impact lives and change the word around us by letting the light of Christ shine!
Sinners loved Jesus. Jesus attracted people by His goodness, and we are to do likewise. When we do good for other people, we allow the Glory of God to be seen.
Let your light shine!
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Where Are You Looking?
When people are under stress, fear and desperation, that is when they begin to make wrong responses to situations. Our wrong responses at best don’t help us any, and at worse… make things worse!
It is in times of difficulty is when we ESPECIALLY need to look to the Lord, and make right, godly responses to the challenges facing us. Obedience to the Lord and His word include our service, tithing, giving and ministry– these are the seeds to sow when we most need a harvest!
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Victory Over Reproach
The Word instructs us that we are to live above reproach– to conduct ourselves in such a way that our critics can find no fault in us.
Of course, there are people who are always going to look to find fault, criticize and judge. We can have victory over reproach, and not fall into the trap of judgment and condemnation of others by sowing mercy, accepting mercy and living in faith that God is truly on our side!
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It’s My Life!
When a person becomes a teenager, they begin to question the rules by which their parents have governed them. As they mature (one hopes!) they will come to realize that some of the rules are wisdom and for their benefit– going to bed at a reasonable hour so they can make it to work in the morning, brushing their teeth so they don’t rot out of their mouth, etc.
But many teenagers who think they are finally “free” of their parents rules actually become slaves to their rebellion.
We are not to require continual monitoring, control and correction to do the things that are wise and godly. That is what children require. As we grow and mature, we are to take responsibility for our own lives– naturally and spiritually– as WE are the ones who will answer to God for them!
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Your Heavenly Makeover
The nature of the universe is designed to respond to your words and belief system– all of creation responds to the voice of the Lord.
Our thoughts, words and actions need to agree with the spiritual image God has destined for us. We need a heavenly makeover!
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Kingdom Unity
Unity is powerful, and it gets God’s attention. Scripture tells us that where there is unity, there is God’s blessing, provision, power, and presence.
True Kingdom unity begins at the ground level of relationships. We must maintain unity by learning to successfully overcome sin, conflict and transitions in our relationships. When we continue to walk in agreement with the higher purposes for which our relationships exist, we will see and enjoy the fulfillment of God’s promises and blessings.
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Throw Out the Slave and Her Son
In order to come into the fullness of our true identity, we have to break off the bondage of old mindsets. We are to live and serve out of true Sonship, and not slavery.
Rather than deal with the responsibility of freedom, many people revert back to a slave mentality. But in order to obtain the full legal rights of our Sonship in Christ Jesus, we must persevere and reach out for the freedom to which we were purchased!
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Metamorphosis
God has a plan for each and every one of us! And the plans of God are always going to include change and transformation! We can observe in God’s creation how a caterpillar goes through tremendous metamorphosis into a butterfly– and understanding God’s processes of change can give us faith to trust and go through it and come out beautiful on the other side!
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Old Age and Treachery
The devil is a treacherous enemy who has been around for thousands of years. We can overcome the enemy by being aware of his strategies and prepared to defeat them! Submit to God, resist the devil, cast your cares on God and maintain a heart of thanksgiving and worship!
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How Not To Get Eaten Alive
1 Pet 5:8 reminds us the the devil is always looking for someone to devour. How can you make sure that someone isn’t you??
The enemy uses very common strategies to make us vulnerable to attack. By being alert and applying the principles of God to our lives, we can keep ourselves clear of the enemy’s devices and spiritually strong and thriving.
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Still Standing or Standing Still?
Are you still standing in faith with purpose or have you become stuck or lethargic?
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The Head
God is good, and He is faithful…. and as we continue to seek after Him, the Word of God and our relationship with Him is supposed to produce glorious fruit in our lives. This is a GOOD thing!
Yet, there are times that we get so caught up in all that we’re doing with Him & through Him, that we sometimes forget that Jesus is to have the ultimate preeminence in all things.
Our actions as the Body are important, but our worship of Jesus the Head of the Body is far more important!
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Why We Gather
The Church is a group of people called together to one purpose. When we gather, there is to be a life flow from the Head (Jesus!) to the Body (the Church!).
Unity is where love and power flow– as we minister the love of God one to another. God is not as concerned with how much we are loved, as He is how much we have loved. Let us gather together looking to give and receive the Love of God.
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Hearts Of Stone
The enemy has strategies of infiltration, depression and passivity to get believers off-track in their devotion and discipleship to the Lord. Getting people to develop a heart of stone is part of the strategy.
A heart of stone may seem like a defense mechanism against pain and wounding, but it is also a wall that keeps us from intimacy and receiving love from the Lord and people.
A heart of stone will grow from a root of bitterness, but surrendering to God’s strategies of peace, love and intimacy will melt a heart of stone and give us a heart pliable in His hands.
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The Day After The Word
A prophetic word starts something in motion, but the path to fulfillment requires perseverance, patience and testing.
It is normal that things will look worse before it gets better. We are instructed to fight the good fight of faith in accordance with the words spoken over us.
God has a purpose in our destiny and the process of walking it out. Learn to dig deeper into Him and remain connected to the Body that God may be glorified in the fulfillment of all things.
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Keeping It Real
As we learn to be the Body of Christ and maintain unity, dealing with relationships is of utmost importance.
Relationships may vary in levels of intimacy, but we are to share with one another and grow up into all things. Deepening relationships is a part of our maturity as saints.
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Discerning Spiritual Experiences
God says he has hidden the secrets of the kingdom from the “wise” and revealed them to “little children.” God says we are to come to him like little children— because children are the most inquisitive, open and eager to believe.
Like children, we are to be filled with wonderment and delight in everything God does!
And though we are to receive with eagerness, there is still wisdom and measure to be applied to how we weigh and determine the origin of the revelation we receive.
Download Handout for ‘Discerning Spiritual Experiences’ as a PDF.
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Seeing the Glory
We can hear about the glory, but God wants us to actually experience it. Seeking Him is crucial to seeing the glory. We need tune in to what God is doing, and respond!
In scripture, we see that the Glory of God came when everyone was united in worship. The same is true today! We should expect Jesus in the midst of our corporate worship–and to experience the Glory!
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Meeting With God
To “wait on the Lord” as scripture instructs is not intended to be a passive state. Rather, we are to “lie in wait” with watchful expectancy and focused, unwavering attention– like one who is waiting to ambush someone. We are to ambush the Lord!
When we sense the Lord’s presence, that isn’t the end goal, it’s our invitation. Learn to discern His presence, position yourself to enter in, and ambush Him! Like Jacob who wrestled with God all night, we must determine not to let him go until we have an encounter with him that changes us forever.
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Positioning for Divine Encounters
God’s intent for the people of Israel is that they would be a KINGDOM of priests. Divine encounters weren’t to be just for one person, but corporate encounters with the living God.
God has promised to reveal himself and to pour out His Spirit– we must position ourselves to receive. The prerequisites are not complicated: Love God and love one another; present yourself to God; seek the things above and forgive as you have been forgiven.
As we seek after God, he will reveal himself to us.
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The Transformed Life
True encounters with God produce change. God is after transformation– evidence in our lives of our relationship with Him.
We must be willing to be changed, and willing to be available and pay the price for change: a surrendered heart, life and personal sacrifice for the sake of others.
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Avoiding Shipwreck
When the storms of life come is when people will often cast away the very things that they need in order to survive. Tossing away the anchor the last-ditch effort of desperation, but it is not the way to avoid shipwreck.
If we will heed the voice of wisdom, hold to the anchor of faith and fight the good fight, we can avoid being shipwrecked in our faith. Hope, the Word of God, confession and consistency are the very anchors that will see you through the storm. Hold fast, and fight the good fight of faith.
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Prophetic Worship
God has given us instruction on how to come into His presence and give the offering of spontaneous praise where He dwells.
Music and worship are powerful ministries that bring prophetic release, victory in warfare, deep revelation, teaching, and salvation to the lost. God has ordained that we can participate now in the worship that will be eternal in heaven.
Martin Luther spoke of music and art saying “…art is a reflection of creativity and evidence that we were created by God.”
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