• GET BAPTIZED
  • Declaring your faith publicly is an outward expression of dying to yourself

The Big Questions:

• Baptism & Salvation
• Public Baptism
• Who gets baptized
• When to get baptized
• Can you do it again?

WE DECLARE REPENTANCE THROUGH BAPTISM Mark 1:1-5 NLT

DEATH AND RESURRECTION ARE IN THE WATER Romans 6:1-4 NLT

GOD GAVE US A SIMPLE SOLUTION FOR A COMPLEX DISEASE 2 Kings 5:10-14 NLT

• Say Yes to The Holy Spirit
  • A life directed by the Holy Spirit benefits you and the Mission to save the lost.

The Elephant in the Room:

I believe in the Holy Spirit, but I’m not sure how I feel about his role in Christian’s lives today and the function of Spiritual Gifts.

JESUS EMBOIES LIFE IN THE SPIRIT Isaiah 11:1-5 NLT

GOD’S SPIRIT GIVES US FULLNESS OF LIFE AND POWER Ephesians 3:16-20 NLT

The Elephant in the Room:

Are the Gifts of the Spirit for us today or did they cease once the Church was fully established? 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 ESV

The Fruit of the Spirit:

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, and Self-Control.

The Gifts of the Spirit:

Wisdom, Knowledge, Special Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Discernment, Tongues, Interpretation, Serving, Teaching, Encouraging, Giving, Leadership & Mercy

THE SPIRIT GIVES US REBIRTH AND RENEWAL THROUGH JESUS Titus 3:4-7 NLT

• Gather with the family
• Get in a GROUP
• Grow your faith
• Give to the Mission
• Go to those in NEED
• Say YES to Jesus
  • Surrendering your Life to Jesus is a commitment to deny yourself daily.

The “I Am” Statements:

• Bread of Life – John 6
• Light of the World – John 8
• Gate & Good Shepherd – John 10
• Resurrection & Life – John 11
• Way, Truth & Life – John 14
• True Vine – John 15

ACKNOWLEDGING GOD IS AN ACTION NOT A THOUGHT John 8:23-30 NLT

“Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.” -C.S. Lewis

JESUS’ MINISTRY SAVES FOLLOWERS NOT FANS Matthew 16:24-26 NLT

ETERNAL JOY AND SORROW ARE ONLY 18 INCHES APART Matthew 7:21-23 NLT

• Gather with the family
• get in a GROUP
• Grow your faith
• Give to the Mission
• Go to those in Need

WE ARE CALLED TO THE ELEVATION OF OTHERS OVER SELF Matthew 20:24-28 NLT

THE CHURCH IS A MOVEMENT NOT A LOCATION Luke 9:1-6 NLT

Missional Creeds:

• Unashamed Gospel - Rom 1:16
• Never Hearing – Rom 10:13-15
• All Things to All – 1 Cor 9:19-23
• Compelled by Love – 2 Cor 5:14
• Christ’s Ambassadors – 2 Cor 5:18-20
• Missional Readiness – Eph 6:15

THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERS US TO BE A CHURCH ON MISSION Matt 28:18-20; NLT

THE SPIRIT OF THE SOVEREIGN LORD IS UPON YOU Isaiah 61:1-3 NLT

GO TO THOSE IN NEED Expressing the Love of Jesus locally and around the world stretches your Faith.

• Gather with the FAMILY
• Get in a GROUP
• Grow your FAITH
• Give to the MISSION

The New Testament and the early Church creeds do not contain a specific command to tithe. Does it apply to God’s people today?

GENEROSITY IS A HEART ISSUE Matthew 25:41-46 NLT

LIFE IS NOT ABOUT GAINING WEALTH. IT’S ABOUT GIVING GENEROUSLY. Ecclesiastes 2:18-20 NLT

NT Generosity Principles:

• Everything in Common – Acts 2:45
• End of Poverty – Acts 4:32-35
• Tested by Fire – 1 Cor 3:12-15
• Realistic Generosity – 2 Cor 8:12-15
• Cheerful Generosity – 2 Cor 9:7-15
• Purposeful Wealth – 1 Tim 6:17-19
• Pleasing Generosity – Heb 13:16

You cannot take your wealth and possessions into eternity with you; only your generosity.

SACRIFICIAL GENEROSITY PROVES WE HAVE THE HEART OF JESUS Hebrews 13:14-16 NLT

GIVE TO THE MISSION. Challenging yourself to be generous aligns your heart with God’s Mission

• GATHER with the family
• Get in a GROUP
• Grow your FAITH

Learning happens when experience changes what you know, how you think, or how you act—and that change sticks.

INFORMATION WITHOUT ACTION IS NOT EDUCATION James 1:21-25 NLT

WHEN CHURCH ENTERTAINS US, THE GOSPEL IS POWERLESS Ezekiel 33:30-31 NLT

“I have read through the Bible and found many errors, all of which were in me.” - UNKNOWN

TRUE CHRISTIANITY MEANS WE ACT & SOUND LIKE JESUS James 1:26-27, 3:6-9 NLT

COMMUNITY IS FOUND IN A CROWD. RELATIONSHIP IS BUILT IN A GROUP. Luke 6:12-17 NLT

TIME IS THE CURRENCY OF RELATIONSHIP. Acts 2:42-37 NLT

LOVE FOR GOD & EACH OTHER BINDS US TOGETHER. Colossians 3:12-15 NLT

COMMUNITY IS IN OUR DNA. Genesis 1:1-2, 26-27; Matthew 26:38 NLT

“Communities are constituted by physical proximity, shared concerns, real consequences, and common responsibilities.”-Sherry Turkle, Social Scientist

Your shadow is the accumulation of untamed emotions, less-than-pure motives and thoughts that, while largely unconscious, strongly influence and shape your behaviors. It is the damaged but mostly hidden version of who you are. -Peter Scazzaro, Emotionally Healthy Leader

COMMUNITY MEETS OUR DEEPEST NEED FOR BELONGING.

YOU ARE DESIGNED TO THRIVE IN COMMUNITY.

NEXT STEP: GATHER WITH THE FAMILY.

The church exists to help CHRISTIANS become more like Jesus. Ephesians 4:11-16

How can I be MORE like Jesus?John 8:5-8 NLT

The Parable Explained:

• Seed: God’s Word (the Gospel)
• Footpath: message hidden by the enemy
• Rocks: faith without roots that withers
• Thorns: concern for riches & pleasures
• Fertile Soil: honest or good people who make room for the message to grow

The Gospel is ineffective when the enemy hides God’s plan from our hearts, when we fail to root ourselves in Godliness, or when we allow the pursuit of worldly pleasure and riches to overtake our desire for the things of God.

Noursih the seed that God planted in your HEART.

GOD’S GLORY FALLS WHERE HIS PRESENCE DWELLS. Exodus 40:34-35, 2 Chronicles 7:1-3, NLT

LET THE SPIRIT OF GOD HAVE HIS WAY IN YOUR LIFE. Romans 8:11-14, Colossians 3:16 NLT

Christmas offers God’s light for your life. John 8:12-19 NLT

The CROSS was the very first Christmas Tree. Deuteronomy 21:22-23, Galatians 3:13-14 NLT

The Christmas tree is a PROMISE of eternal life Genesis 3:22-23, Revelation 22:1-5 NLT

God displayed his GENEROSITY as the very first giver of gifts.

Gifts were meant to be EXCHANGED between us and God.

God’s gifts remind us to live other-WORLDLY.

Genesis 3:15 NLT

...I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Genesis 49:8-10 NLT

“Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will grasp your enemies by the neck. All your relatives will bow before you.

9 Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey.

Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.

Isaiah 7:14 NLT

...Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).

Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!

Christmas brings righteousness, holiness, and PURITY .

Isaiah 1:16-18 NLT

Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. 17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. 18 “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.

Christmas makes the GODLY whiter than snow.

Revelation 3:1-5 NLT

...“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. 3 Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.

4 “Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. 5 All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.

Wilderness Miracles (Exodus 13-17)

• Daily provision of manna and quail
• Provided water from a rock
• Protected them against enemies
• Led them with a physical presence
• Sustained their resources
• God kept his promises

What STORY do you need to share? Deuteronomy 7:4-10 NLT

What MERCIES do you need to recall? Psalm 103:1-5 NLT

God’s Tender Mercies

• He forgives our sin
• He heals our disease
• He redeems us from death
• He crowns us with love
• He renews our strength
• He gives us justice
• He showers us with compassion
• He is patient and slow to anger
• He withholds the punishment we deserve
• He understands our weaknesses
• He saves the children’s children of those who live for him

Question 2: How to have a THANKFUL heart every day? Colossians 2:7, Psalm 95, Psalm 7:17, 1 Chronicles 29:13, Psalm 9, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Question 3: What does a Thankful Heart PRODUCE in our lives?

A Thankful Heart Produces:

• PEACE
• WORSHIP
• JOY
• A SHIFT IN RELATIONSHIPS

• Ministry: AD ∽40-67
• Situation: Early Christianity
• Message: Jesus as Messiah
• Power: 10+ major miracles
• Fame: NT Writings & Missions
• Successor: Timothy
• Death: Executed in Rome

Observation 1: God gives COMFORT while utilizing our suffering for good. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, 2, 4:8-12 NLT

Observation 2: TRIALS keep us humbly connected to Jesus. Deuteronomy 8:10-14, 2 Corinthians 12:6-10 NLT

Observation 3: In every trial, God’s GRACE is sufficient. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NLT

• Ministry: 870-850 BC
• Situation: idolatry (Baal)
• Message: Punishment
• Power: 10+ major miracles
• Fame: Prophets of Baal
• Successor: Elisha
• Death: Whirlwind to Heaven

Observation 1: Not every discouraging situation is PERSONAL. 1 Kings 17:1-7 NLT

Observation 2: Difficult journeys require SPIRITUAL nourishment. 1 Kings 19:1-8 NLT

Observation 3:You won’t find God in the HYPE. 1 Kings 19:9-13 NLT

• Anointed – 1 Sam 16:11-13
• Needed – 1 Sam 16:19-23
• Victorious – 1 Sam 17:48-51
• Celebrated – 1 Sam 18:6-7
• Envied – 1 Sam 18:8-9
• Challenged – 1 Sam 18:23-35
• Hated – 1 Sam 19:9-10
• Hunted – 1 Sam 20:41-42
• Humiliated – 1 Sam 21:12-13
• Respected – 1 Sam 24:16-22
• Tempted – 1 Sam 26:8-11
• Dismissed – 1 Sam 29:6-11

The Strength to Overcome Discouragement comes from God. 1 Samuel 20:1-6

Step 1: Trust in the Sovereignty of God. 1 Samuel 17:41-47

Step 2: Reflect on God’s Goodness. Psalm 13, 1 Chr. 10:11 Ps. 100:5 Acts 10:38 Ps. 23:6 Ps. 119:68 Rom. 2:4 Ps. 27:13 Ps. 136:1-3 Rom. 8:28 Ps. 31:19 Ps. 145:7-9 Rom. 11:22 Ps. 33:5 Jer. 31:14 Eph. 2:7 Ps. 34:8 Lam. 3:25 Titus 3:4-5 Ps. 53:9 Mic. 7:18-19 Heb. 13:15-16 Ps. 84:11 Nah. 1:7 Jas. 1:17 Ps. 92:1-2 John 10:11 Rev. 15:3-5

Step 3: Offer God Sacrificial Praise. 2 Samuel 24:21-25

Main Points:

• Dark Spirituality: There is an exponential increase in fascination with paranormal activity and dark spirituality. While this reveals that people are searching, it has implications for the Church.
• Vigilance: Christians do not need to fear the inevitable attacks of the enemy as long as we remain ready for attack through vigilance and spiritual preparation for war.
• Spiritual Obesity: The Church is stuffed to the brim with popular sermons and professional worship. It has depleted our need to live the Gospel and make that our worship. Unless we recognize the value of the Gospel and live our worship, we are not ready for Spiritual Attack.

Main Points:

Required Acts of Salvation: Jesus demonstrates a descriptive picture of salvation that lays out

the steps for submitting our lives to him. These are later expounded prescriptively by Paul.

Obedience & Delight: Jesus was baptized to prove his place in the coming Kingdom and to

ascend as the High Priest. Our decision to be baptized joins in the Kingdom and acknowledges

our priestly calling by God (Mat 10:32, Luke 14:25-27, 1 Pet 2:9).

HS Inclusivity: The Spirit is at work in the lives of all who call on God (1 Cor 12:3) but is also

inviting us into a deeper relationship marked by power for life and witness.

Main Points:

Biblical Creation vs Scientific Origins

Biblical Observations:

Formless Earth

Empty Earth

Dark Earth

Water/Deep

Biblical Concepts:

Young Earth Creationism

Old Earth Creationism

Equality with God-

How does strata form?

• Radio-Dating 300,000 to 2,800,000 years old

What’s up with Argon?

How do fossils form?

How did life begin?

Similarity ≠ Commonality

What does AI teach us about genetics?

Humility of the Scientific Process

Main Points: 1. Next Generation: There comes a point when we have to call the Next Generation to stand. If

they are going to stand, then we must let them. This is how families grow!

2. City of the Dead: The revelation of Jesus as Messiah is a turning point in Church history. If he

is the Messiah, we have a mission to take authority over the darkness in our world!

3. Build the Church: Paul recognized that the building of God’s church hinged on his ability to

identify with those in need so that he could lead them to God. This is our task now.

Main Points:

-Blessing and Persecution.

-Snakes and Doves.

-Division and Restoration.

-Gratitude for Persecution.

Main Points:

-How is PEACE attained?

-Avoiding the work of peace is ungodly.

-Grace-filled Compassion Purchases our Peace.

-Our Love for Others Affects Our Eternity

Main Points:

-Is purity unrealistic?

-Idolatry and deceit corrupt the heart.

-Anything I prioritize over God is an Idol.

-The most beautiful views come at a cost.

Idolatry Checkup:

Am I making decisions about my finances based on God, or am I making decisions about God based on my finances?

Am I making decisions about my life based on God or decisions about God based on my life?

Sermon Main Points:

-What does it mean to be MERCIFUL?

-Do you need MERCY?

-Mercy is an act of Generosity.

-Mercy comes with the greatest Cost.

Sermon Notes:

Unmerciful Acts

-Loving the loveable is not love

-Goodness toward good people is not good

-Lending with security is not generosity

Merciful Acts

-Loving your enemies is love

-Goodness without a return is good

-Kindness to the wicked/unthankful is Kind

-Compassion for those deserving punishment is Godly

Main Points:

• What does it mean to be Righteous?
• Deconstructing Righteousness.
• Righteous people know their faults.

Main Points:

-Meekness vs. Weakness.

-Running ahead of God.

-Doing right when you feel wronged.

-Walk humbly with your God.

Notes:

Stay humble when…

• You are persecuted
• Others are happy
• Others mourn
• There is discord
• Surrounded by “lowly people”
• You think you’re right
• You’ve been wronged
• Tempted to act dishonorably
• Disagreeing with someone
• You desire revenge
• God fights for you
• Your enemy is in need
• Evil is crouching at your door

Main Points:

-Mourning for WHO? About WHAT?

-God OPPOSES the enemies of his people.

-Repentance for OUR sins.

-Who needs COMFORT?

God Opposes...

• The Proud –James 4:6
• The Arrogant –Isaiah 2:11
• The Wicked –Psalm 11:5
• Oppressors –Isaiah 10:1-2
• The Dishonest –Proverbs 11:1
• Murderers –Proverbs 6:16-17
• Idolators –Deuteronomy 32:16
• Liars –Proverbs 6:16-17
• The Immoral –Colossians 3:5-6
• Hypocrites –Isaiah 29:13
• The Corrupt –Isaiah 5:20
• The Divisive –Proverbs 6:16 & 19

Main Points:

1. What does it mean to be POOR?
2. Without God, I have NOTHING…
3. God wants my HEART.
4. Love Others, Love God. Avoid: Sexual Immorality, Impurity, Greed, Obscene stories, Foolish Talk, Coarse Jokes.
5. The COST of the Kingdom.

Main Points:

-Run with PURPOSE

-Run with DISCIPLINE

-Run with PERSEVERANCE

Sermon:

Let’s suppose that sometime this week you turned on the News and heard these 3 Announcements:

#1 “The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has just issued this statement: ‘Divine Providence (that’s God) has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty ... of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.’” (This was a portion of a Letter to John Murray, October 12, 1816)

#2 “Inquiries by our reporters reveal that almost every state legislature has now passed a law requiring all elected officials to take this oath: ‘I do profess faith in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ His only Son... and I do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the Old & New Testaments to be given by divine inspiration.’”

#3“Legislation was passed today in Congress to affirm that, ‘The Congress of the United States approves of and recommends...the Holy Bible for use in the schools.’”

FREEDOM FOR ALL

RESPONSES TO ONE'S FREEDOM

-The First Amendment to the United States Constitution:

What does the law say there? Freedom of religion, in other words, Freedom of FAITH.

Scriptures: Romans 1:21-22, 28, 7:21-23, 8:5-6, 12:1-2, Ephesians 4:21-23, Philippians 4:8-9

Sermon Notes:

-Finding God's good, pleasing, & perfect will

-Have the desires of my mind been changed?

-A renewed mind enjoys the peace of God.

Main Points:

• The HEALTH of my heart determines my future.
• A BAD heart believes in human strength.
• Jesus can TEACH my heart to rest in Him.

Notes:

How do I examine my heart?

1. What do I think about the most?
2. What do I worry about the most?
3. What is my first thought about how to fix a problem?
4. How bad do things have to get before I involve God?
5. Where is the bulk of my time and money being spent?

MAIN POINTS:

The CHARACTER of a good father gives life to his children.

• restrained
• compassionate
• forgiving
• yielding
• merciful
• patient
• careful
• steadfast
• loving
• understanding
• forgetful

The DISCIPLINE of a good father gives life to his children.

The GUIDANCE of a good father gives life to his children.

Main Points:

• Giving to God is a MINISTRY to reach the lost and provide for the poor.
• Generosity leads to abundance and a DELIGHT in sharing with those in need.

Notes:

Generosity Falsehoods

• You can’t afford to give
• The church is greedy
• God understands you need your money
• Giving is legalistic and Old Testament
• You will give when things are better
• Giving your time is enough

God’s Generosity Pathway (Old Testament)

• Honor God with your wealth, and your blessings will overflow
  • (Proverbs 3:9-10)
• Generosity = Prosperity
  • (Proverbs 11:24-25)
• Your money doesn’t last because you don’t honor God
  • (Haggai 1:5-6)
• Stop cheating God and watch him bless you. Test him!
  • (Malachi 3:8-10)

God’s Generosity Pathway (New Testament)

• Treasures impact your heart’s desires. God will provide!
  • (Matthew 6:19-21 & 31-33)
• Generosity to the poor matters
  • (Matthew 19:21)
• Tithing is just the beginning of honoring God
  • (Matthew 23:23)
• Generosity = Prosperity for sharing with others
  • (2 Corinthians 9:6-12)

Main Points:

• Why does a pastor need to take a Sabbatical?
• Make Time to rest.
• Generational Stress.

Notes:

What is a Sabbatical?

• NOT a vacation or a break from the work of ministry.
• NOT a reward for time served in ministry.
• An investment into the future of ministry.
• A chance to heal from the emotional and spiritual strain that accompanies ministry.
• A time, through healing, to reconnect with God in the quiet.
• A time for safety from surprise traumas or events

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality-Pastor Peter Scazzero

Sabbath is a 24-hour block of time in which we stop work, enjoy rest, practice delight, and contemplate God.”

• Stop – God is in control, not me
• Rest – Intentional recovery for the soul
• Delight – Enjoy God’s gifts/creation
• Contemplate – Focus your life on God

The Science of Stress

• Stress releases adrenaline and cortisol
• Increased BP, Heart Attack & Stroke
• Decreased immune function
• Hormonal imbalances
• Digestive disorders and ulcers
• Muscle tension, headaches & body pain
• Alters memory, mood & emotions
• Shortens DNA protective caps, telomeres
• Anxiety, Depression, & sleep disruption

Main Points:

• Find time for Prayer.
• Find your People.
• Love the One in front of you.

Prayer in the BIBLE:

• 1 Thessalonians 5:17 = pray without ceasing
• Matthew 6:5-13 = it doesn’t have to be fancy
• Romans 12:12 = pray constantly
• Colossians 4:2 = continue steadfastly in prayer
• Luke 18:1 = always pray, don’t lose heart
• Philippians 4:6-7 = rid of anxiety and gives peace
• Mark 6:5-13 = Reminds of who God is, puts him in his rightful place
• Psalm 4:1 =gives relief
• Mark 11:24 = gives us what we ask for
• James 5:14-15 = brings healing and forgiveness
• Mark 11:25 = brings forgiveness for you as well as for others
• Psalm 34:17 = deliverance from troubles

Main Points:

• Righteous Response
• 3 days later
• Living with God

Holy Living for Jesus

• Rom. 12:1-2 – Live as Holy Sacrifices
• Eph. 4:1 – Walk worthy of your calling
• Ti. 2:11-12 – Renounce ungodliness
• 2. Cor. 5:14-16 – God’s love controls us
• Gal. 5:16-25 – Life in the Spirit (Fruit)
• Phil. 2:12-13 – Work out salvation in fear & trembling
• Heb. 12:14 – Without holiness, no one will see God
• 1 John 3:2-3 – Hope compels us to purify ourselves

Main Points:

Impossible Promises

The Hope of Glory

The Hope of Family

Resurrection Outcomes

Is. 53:5 & 1 Pet. 2:24 – Paid the penalty for our sins

Rom 3:25 & 1 John 2:2 – Satisfied the justice of God

2 Cor 5:18-19 & Rom. 5:10 – Reconciled us to God

Eph 1:7 & 1 John 1:9 – Forgave our sins

Rom. 6:6-7 & Col. 1:14-14 – Defeated the power of sin

Col. 2:15 & Heb 2:14-15 – Defeated Satan/Devil

1 Cor. 15:2—22 & Rev. 1:18 – Defeated death

John 11:25-26 & 1 Pet. 1:3-4 – Gave us eternal life

Main Points:

-I'm NOT Him.

-The Lamb of God.

-Beyond a Prayer.

Prophecies of the Messenger

Mal. 3 – A messenger declaring the Messiah and judgement

Mal. 4 – Another “Elijah” to turn hearts of fathers/sons

Luke 1 – Gabriel says child will have the “spirit of Elijah” and to name him John (God is gracious)

Luke 1 – Zechariah prophecies “prophet of the Most High”

Public Professions of Faith

Peter - Matthew 16:16

Martha - John 11:27

Nathanael - John 1:49

Andrew - John 1:41

Demons - Luke 4:41

Centurion - Mark 15:39

Disciples - Matthew 14:33

Paul - Acts 9:20

Main Points:

1. Sustitutionary death
2. God Forsaken
3. Out of Control

Scriptures: Acts 2:42, 5:42

Main Points:

Love one another… John 13:34

Serve one another… Gal. 5:13

Carry one another’s burdens… Gal. 6:2

Encourage one another… 1 Thes. 5:11

Be devoted to one another… Rom. 12:10

Luke 15:11-31, Isaiah 1:18-19

Main Points:

• Livestock, cash, and kids.
• The longing of the Father.
• Passio pro mortuis suffering for the Dead.

Scripture: Matt 18:23-35, Rom 6:16-23, Matt 11:28-30, Josh 24:14-15, Matt 18:21-22, 6:14-15

Main Points:

1. Forgiven & Forgiving: We are constantly walking through the simultaneous action of being

forgiven by God and forgiving others. Our debt is far greater than those who sin against us!

2. Debtors & Slaves: Biblically, someone is a slave to whoever they owe a debt. We were born

as slaves to sin, but have offered the opportunity to become slaves of God. Choose your Master.

3. Limitless Forgiveness: Forgiving others becomes easier when we realize how great our debt is

to God and how gracious he was to forgive us. No one gets forgiveness because they deserve it.

Dig Deeper:

1. Why is forgiveness so difficult when someone has sinned against us?

2. Share a testimony of something God delivered you from when you were a “slave to sin.”

3. What does it mean to become “slaves to righteous living?”

4. How do we typically approach the concept of forgiving others? Do we love them afterwards?

5. Take a few moments and contemplate if there is someone you need to forgive. What is stopping you?

Scripture: Luke 11:5-10, Jas. 5:16, Gal. 6:2, Jas. 4:1-3, Matt. 6:9-13, Luke 11:11-13

Main Points:

1. Sacred Responsibility: Prayer is not just about asking God for what we want. It fulfills the

sacred responsibility of caring for others by lifting them and their needs in prayer.

2. Prayer Motives: Why we pray is just as important as the things for which we are praying.

James reminds us that our motives must be pure and Godly for our prayers to be answered.

3. Wills & Needs: True prayer challenges our will and wants by putting them in alignment with

God’s will for the things we need. What we need most is the Holy Spirit.

Dig Deeper:

1. What are most of your prayers about? Are they for you, or are they for others?

2. What is something you’ve been praying about for a long time that you’re still waiting to see?

3. How can you make sure your motives are Godly when you are praying?

4. How do you balance the difference between what you want and God’s will when you pray?

5. Why should we pray for more of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

Scripture: Matt. 21:28-32, John 8:34-41, Gal. 3:6-9 & 29, Jas. 2:26

Main Points:

1. Love in Action: Our intentions do not define our love for God. It is our actions that we live

out daily that displays the depth (or lack thereof) of my love for God and his will.

2. Heritage Cannot Save: A lineage of faithfulness does not connect us to God. We are

individually connected or disconnected from God. It’s a relationship, not an association.

3. Firm Faith: Faith is not simply belief. Faith is belief in action. Without action, it is not faith.

We only act upon that which we truly believe. That should tell us a lot about our true beliefs.

Dig Deeper:

1. Share a story of a time when you knew you should obey God in something but didn’t.

2. Why does obedience to God (even when we’ve done it grudgingly) feel so good in the end?

3. Who in your family tree is the “Pillar of Faith” that you look up to?

4. What are some things you think you believe but struggle to walk out in faith?

5. What is something you’ve been avoiding that you need to obey? It’s not too late!

Note:

There are over 30 parables that Jesus taught throughout his ministry. The point of them was to use simple concepts to teach deep and difficult theological ideas. They are not whimsical or merely recommendations. They are some of the most important lessons of Christianity. In this one, Jesus shows that intentions are no comparison to action. Our faith in action is the only way to truly obey God. Many people think they are secure in their relationship with God because of their lineage of faith. Some may even say, “My mom is religious enough for all of us!” That truly isn’t the case. Faith is a relationship with God, not an association with God’s people. We aren’t included by default. We follow by decision. Our decisions speak the truth about our true beliefs. We will not follow through on things that we do not actually believe. If we do not believe them, then we have not truly accepted the message of Jesus. This is why obedience is so important. Sometimes, we have to obey to make ourselves believe instead of waiting until we believe to start obeying.

Scripture: Matthew 9:9-13 NLT

Main Point: Love broken people before they are fixed.

Misconception #1: Jesus loves everyone but only likes Christians. Truth: Jesus invites everyone to follow him out of a life of brokenness.

Misconception #2: Jesus only accepts people who have it together. Truth: Jesus loves us as we are, but doesn't leave us that way.

Misconception #3: Jesus separates himself from hurting people. Truth: Jesus wants us to go where the hurt is.

Scripture: Matt. 25:1-13, Heb. 12:14-17, Matt. 25:14-30, John 15:2, Jas. 2:14-26, Matt. 25:31-46,

Main Points:

1. Endurance: It is not just about starting the race, we have to finish. Jesus reminds us that

salvation is a marathon that must be run to the end or we will miss the prize of eternity.

2. Active Faith: True faith is alive and active. It reproduces itself and reproduces the Gospel in

the lives of others. It is so much more than the personal thing we make it.

3. Compassion: Jesus offers more than a social Gospel. The activity of our salvation should

produce a heart that sees the needs of others and seeks to be a blessing to the least of these.

Dig Deeper:

1. How is our relationship with God more like a marathon than a sprint? How can we show that to others?

2. What are some characteristics of a person who is living their life completely sold out for Jesus?

3. What has God given to you that you could use to build His Kingdom?

4. Why is compassion ministry so important to God? Why should it be more important to us?

5. What could you be doing to show compassion to the “least of these?”

Scripture: Rom. 10:9, Luke 14:25-30, Matt. 4:18-22, 16:21-28, John 16:33

Main Points:

1. The Cost of Salvation: To truly accept the gift of salvation means that we have to reject

everything that isn’t part of that salvation. We forsake all others and cleave only to God.

2. The Cost of Following: We say that we are “following Jesus,” but the truth is we are often

trying to lead him and include him. Following means surrender and a second seat to Jesus.

3. The Cost of a Soul: We all want God to bless us with a good life, but God wants to bless our

souls with salvation, even if it costs some comfort in this life.

DIG DEEPER-

1. What has your salvation cost you? What changes has it made in your life?

2. What have you given up for the sake of following Jesus?

3. Where do you think that God is leading you in your life? What’s his plan?

4. Share a story of a time when the challenges of life caused you to question God’s goodness.

5. If God is most concerned with our souls, what does that mean for our everyday lives?

Scripture: Genesis 1:1-3m, 2 Samuel 7:8-11, 1 Peter 1:3-5

Main Points:

The Paradox of the STONE .

God needs NOTHING to create everything.

God’s power and plan EXCEED our imaginations.

God’s power to SAVE is the greatest miracle of all.

SERMON NOTES:

Omnipotence in the Bible Genesis 1:1 - God creates everything ex nihilo

Job 42:2 – God can do all things

Psalm 33:6 – God created by speaking

Jerimiah 32:17 – Nothing too difficult for God

Isaiah 40:28 – God never gets tired

Matthew 19:26 – Nothing impossible for God

Ephesians 3:20 – Beyond what we can imagine

Scriptures: Psalm 139:5-12, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Matthew 18:19-20, 2 Chronicles 7:13-15

Sermon Notes:

Omnipresence in the Bible

• Jeremiah 23:23-24 – God fills the whole earth
• 1 Kings 8:27 – Earth cannot contain God
• Proverbs 15:3 – God’s eyes are everywhere
• Matthew 28:20 – God is with us
• Acts 17:27-28 – God is never far away
• Ephesians 4:6 – God is over all and in all
• Colossians 1:17 – All things held together by God

Main Points:

1. Comfort & Challenge: God sees and knows all things. It comforts us because there is no difficulty that escapes his view. It challenges us because he sees every sinful heart.

2. Fellowship Reflects God: God’s presence is inside us, but his glory is reflected in our fellowship and communal worship. Inviting his glory activates his power.

3. God Dwells In Righteousness: Humility and prayer are important, but God responds to righteousness because it’s sacrificial and reflects the sacrifice he made for us.

Notes: David is uniquely positioned to speak of God’s Kingdom Authority because he himself is a king. He understands that a kingdom is accessible to a king, but that a king is not always accessible to the kingdom. However, he sees God’s ability to be everywhere at all times for all his people and he marvels over it. God’s presence is in us personally, but his glory is found in our fellowship and corporate worship. He says he is always with us but makes it so that we must gather two or three to see his power activated fully. The presence of God is further activated through upholding a Biblical standard of righteousness in our lives. When we live for God, it invites him to move in and through us with greater fluidity. Humility and prayer are good, but it takes turning away from sin to truly see the power of God activated personally and/or corporately.

Scriptures: Genesis 1:31, Genesis 2:15-17, Deuteronomy 30:19-20, Jeremiah 29:11-14

Main Points:

Why should God get all the credit for good things and none of the blame for bad things?

God demonstrates his goodness through instruction.

Human will conflicts with the goodness of God's will.

Even when it hurts, God has a good plan for my life.

Sermon Notes:

Definition: Possessing perfect and limitless goodness

The goodness of God can be conceived in terms of God in himself (ad intra) and God’s work in creation (ad extra). A thing is good to the extent that it is all that it can and should be—namely, perfect. God alone is all that he can and should be. Thus, since God is wholly perfect, lacking nothing, he is the supreme and absolute good. Moreover, since he is already himself fully perfect according to his nature, there is no end—no good—toward which he strives. That is to say, God is immutably incapable of becoming more good or less good. To refer to God’s goodness is simply to refer to God himself. That is to say, God’s essence is identical with goodness, and goodness is an essential and necessary attribute of the divine nature. Since God is infinite, his goodness is as immeasurable as his being and nature. Moreover, as self-sufficient, God does not derive his goodness from anything else. Thus, he rests in himself as good. -Lexham Survey of Theology, God’s Goodness

Inevitably, when we talk about the goodness of God, this is the question that plagues most people. We treat this question with incredulity because it seems unfair in our eyes that God should only get credit for something if it’s good. Even for those who believe in God’s ultimate goodness, there remains the question of the things that he allows which are not good. He himself is good. He has the power to stop that which is not good. If he doesn’t stop that which is not good when he instruction, stop it, how can he himself still be good?

How do we teach out children what the word hot means? Some of us will tell a kid over and over again, ”No. Don’t touch. That’s hot.” Now the truth is a child does not know what hot means until one day they touch something either because you permitted them, they disobeyed or a combination of the two. When a child gets burned, are you a bad parent because that happened? No. You had warned them. You had even scolded them for getting too close to whatever was hot. instruction, the fact remains that they did not know what hot meant until they got burned.

Scriptures: Psalm 139:1-4,16, Romans 8:26-30, Hebrews 4:10-13

Main Points:

1. God has a PLAN for me in 2025.
2. I need the Holy Spirit more than a resolution.
3. I will give an account to God for everything.

Sermon Notes:

While there are many doctrines that are not agreed upon universally, the doctrine of omniscience has always been an ecclesial belief. It is deeply rooted in scriptures of the Old and New Testatments. The word omniscience can only define God. It is derived from the Latin words omnis (all) and scientia (knowledge) and literally means that someone possesses “all knowledge.” Who, other than God, could ever truly embody this concept?

If you are someone who has had their life completely changed by one day… are you willing to believe that it can happen again?

When we read the Bible, it REVEALS to us what is already EXPOSED before God, to whom we must someday give an account!

Scriptures: Psalm 16:1-11, Psalm 84:10-12

Main Points:

1. Hope begins when we make the decision to follow God completely.
2. Hope follows Trust in Jesus as we let Him show us the Way of Life.

Sermon Notes:

What does it mean to completely trust in God?

• John 11:25 – God will save you from your sin
• Deut. 31:5 – God will never leave you or forsake you
• Jas. 1:5 – God will give you wisdom to guide you
• Ps. 37:3 – God will direct your steps if you are righteous
• Mal. 3:10 – God will provide for you if you are generous
• Is. 55:8-9 – God sees and knows what you do not
• Matt. 6:33 – God will take care of everything if you put him first
• Rom. 8:28 – God is working good things for those who love him

How can we confidently approach 2025 and hope for it to be a good year? Let’s move away from ideas that it might be “the best year ever” or “a better year than last year.” We are too downtrodden with our thoughts. There is a biblical pathway for choosing hope in our lives and it begins with a foundation of godliness that we must each choose to build upon each day.

Scriptures: Luke 2:15, Matthew 2:2, Luke 1:38, Matthew 1:24, Matthew 2:3

Main Points:

1. The Shepherds-Hunger for More
2. The Magi-Hope and Expectation
3. The Parents-Blessing and Obedience
4. The Kings-Fear of the Unknown

Sermon Notes:

There were a number of individuals who were part of the birth story. The question we might ask all of them is “Why are you here?” What’s a magician from the far east doing here? Why are there shepherds here? What’s this young girl and her husband doing here? Let’s take a few minutes to look at the reasons they were there and finally the reason that one person didn’t show up. Which one is most like you?

There are some people who find their way to Jesus because at one point in their lives they had an experience that changed their perspectives. Something happened that sparked just enough interest in them to create a “hunger for more.” So, they go looking. But be careful… sometimes our hunger for more ends in disappointment because we think that more is going to be grandiose and experiential. Make sure your hunger fore more doesn’t drive you away from God after the goosebumps and the hype are gone.

We’ve been hearing about the coming Messiah. We’ve come a long way because we want to find him. If he’s real, we want to worship him! Sometimes we show up because we need some hope in our lives and we are filled with just enough expectation that Jesus could be the answer to some longing within us that we don’t even understand. It comes on the heals of the “there’s got to be more than this” moment that most of us have or will experience. What if Jesus is the more? What if God is the answer? What if giving my life to God would change the way I see myself and the world around me? I am hoping he’s the answer to everything I’m expecting. That’s why I’m here!

Some people end up at the feet of Jesus just because that’s what you’re supposed to do. God commanded it. So, I’m going. God said I have to give my heart to him. God said I have to follow him. God said I have to obey him. That’s why I’m here. They can’t imagine not being here. It wasn’t always that way, but somehow at some point God got ahold of their hearts and they can’t even consider doing anything but obeying now. The amazing part of Mary and Joseph’s story is that there was a blessing in their obedience, not just for them, but for the whole world!

We have all these people who showed up for different reasons to be part of the birth of Jesus. Then, we have a group that was no where to be found. They are typified through King Herod. He was the “King of the Jews” at the time of Jesus’ birth. When he was told by the Magi that they had come to find the newborn King of the Jews… he was disturbed by that. The announcement of the Messiah was disturbing to all of Jerusalem. Why were they so surprised? They should have known. They probably did. However, there was fear. Life is cushy. It’s manageable. What will happen if Jesus takes over? What will it do to my world? What will it do to my kingdom?

If you are someone who has had their life completely changed by one day… are you willing to believe that it can happen again?

Scriptures: Luke 2:8-20; Psalm 23; John 10:11-16

Main Points:

1. The God of One Day.

2. The Message of Hope.

3. The God of Tomorrow.

Sermon Notes: One of the most encouraging things about God, is that he only needs one day to change everything. However, this can be deflating when we are waiting for our day! The very first prophecy of the Messiah had come somewhere around 700 years before Jesus was born through the Prophet Isaiah (Is. 53). I don’t know about you, but that’s a long time to wait! God is a good shepherd! He provides for us. He protects us. He strengthens us. He leads us. He anoints us. He blesses us! Jesus is The Good Shepherd! He lays down his life for the sheep and he gathers those who are not yet his. He won’t rest until they are under his care. He is pursuing them with an everlasting love! He died and rose again for people who were not worthy. We were like sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36) and he rescued us. We were wandering around aimlessly, with no one to care for us. Then… ONE DAY… Jesus became our shepherd. He gave us his promise and sealed it with his blood. He gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins. He laid down his life so we don’t have to die for our sins! This is the message of hope! It’s a life-changing, life-giving message! Why aren’t we sharing it?

Scriptures: Micah 2:12-13; Micah 5:2-5; Philippians 2:6-11; Matthew 2:12-16; Revelation 17:14

Main Points:

1. The Servant King

2. The Fearful King

3. The Insecure Kings

4. The King of Kings

Sermon Notes: Within this story, there are four kings. The first King in the story is the the easiest to discuss. His name is Jesus. We see in scripture that he is heralded as a coming king who will change the world. His coming was foretold for hundreds of years. His journey to Earth is not something that we can so quickly glance over. While the rest of us are on a life-altering journey to Jesus, he was on an unbelievable journey of humiliation and blessing. The other three kings of this story are the Parthian Emperor Phraates IV, the Roman Emperor August Caesar and the King of the Jewish territory, Herod the Great. The book of Revelation describes the ending of everything as we know it. It’s the end of the world. It’s the end of human suffering. It’s the end of sin and evil’s dominion. It’s the time when the King of all Kings defeats every enemy of the world, past, present and future, and established eternal peace for his people. It is a battle won for the Glory of God and only those who are “with” him will be the victors. So, why do we keep fighting against him? Why do we scheme to maintain a façade of control in our lives, thinking that we could never truly surrender to God? The only way we win is if we lose.

Scriptures: Matthew 2:1-12, John 3:12-15, 1 Corinthians 1:26-28, Matthew 13:44-46,

Main Points:

1. Intellectual Journey

2. Earthly Wisdom vs Heavenly Wisdom

3. Don’t forget where you came from or where you’re trying to go.

4. An intellectual journey to Jesus takes a lot of time and effort.

5. Discover the value of knowing Jesus.

Sermon Notes: The Magi represent those who have a more intellectual approach to seeking Jesus. They want the answers. They want the clues. They want the proof. If they see proof, they will follow up the lead, but they aren’t taking anything on faith. There are several interesting aspects of their discovery which led them to Jesus. We have evidence of this today. Is there an intellectual journey to Jesus that we can take to find him? Yes! However, there are a few guidelines we must carefully consider along the way. The first is evidenced in a conversation that Jesus had with a man named Nicodemus. He was a teacher of the law, a Pharisee. He was well-educated in the scriptures and had spent his entire life pursuing an understanding of the things of God. He was teaching the law and highly regarded. Yet, when Jesus steps on the scene he is confounded by the things Jesus says. Jesus makes one thing very clear to him in his conversation that we can read in John 3. To be clear… both exist. There is wisdom that can be found, interpreted and applied here on earth. The book of Proverbs, the teaching of Solomon and a lot of Jesus’s teaching attest to this truth. There is a pursuit of earthly wisdom and understanding that is important. However, this must be accompanied by a pursuit of Heavenly wisdom. This kind of wisdom is not as easy to ascertain and understand. It’s not as easy to comprehend or teach. It is part of the journey to Jesus.

Scriptures: Matthew 1:18-21,2:11; Luke 1:26-38,2:16-18,25-28

Main Points:

1. The Challenge of Faith

2. The Response of Faith

3. The Fruit of Faith

Sermon Notes: There are times when following God is not going to be easy. When I stop to think about the things that Mary and Joseph endured, it feels like it’s too much. Imagine being a 12-year-old girl and trying to explain to your parents and your fiancé that your pregnancy is God’s doing and that you are not a fornicator. How well do you think that argument went? On a side note... I wonder how many times that excuse has been tried since then? Then, imagine you are Joseph. I don’t want us to lose sight of how marriage worked in this her but. Mary and Joseph were not marrying for love. They were marrying because Mary needed a husband and Joseph needed a wife. He was entering into a contract to care for Mary. Imagine his reaction when he finds out that this young woman has been unfaithful to him? That may not sound like a huge deal in our time, but it would have been appalling to them. Even for us, this is a stretch. A 12/13-year-old girl is pregnant? Where were her parents? How did this happen? As if all this isn’t bad enough, God sends an angel to Joseph to tell him that he should not divorce pregnant, should still take her as his wife. God has brought disgrace to Mary by impregnating her out of wedlock. Now, he is bringing disgrace to Joseph by asking him to care for a wife who is pregnant, and everyone will know it is not his child. There is shame and disgrace surrounding everything. Yet, this is the way that God chose to bring about the birth of Jesus. Here’s the “Challenge of Faith.” God just might birth something in you that doesn’t make sense to anyone else, or even worse, could harm your reputation and bring shame to you! God wouldn’t do that! He did. He does. He is less concerned with our earthly reputations than we are. That means we have to be open to what God is doing, even when we don’t fully understand it. We may have had an idea in our head about how something was going to go. That may not be God’s plan. He may do something that alarms us or confuses us. We have to see the response that these parents had and be open to God. “I am the LORD’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” There are few things in the world that can bring such awe and trepidation as to say to the creator of the universe… “Have your way with me. Do what you think is best. Do what is best for your Kingdom. Do what will accomplish your will. Not my will, but your will be done.” These are faith-filled responses. Writing a blank check with your life and handing it to God is terrifying, but it’s also satisfying. Mary and Joseph both had a decision to make. They could have said, “No.” They could have refused God’s plan. He likely would have used someone else, but they would have been removed from the story. We read in the birth narratives that “Mary treasured these things in her heart.” What did she treasure? Was she merely treasuring the moment? Or, was she treasuring her decision to say yes so that she could be there? It’s hard to say, but important to consider. There will be times in your life when you realize, ”I’m here and part of this because I said yes.” There may also be times in our lives when we stop to consider, “I wonder what would have happened if I had said yes?” Let’s not forget that along the way there may be a few times when you think, “Why oh why did I say yes?” They are all part of the process of trusting God and following his lead for your life. If you stop to consider some of the greatest events in scripture, most of them came after someone said yes to something really difficult.

Scriptures: Philippians 4:2-9, Matthew 5:9, 23-24, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, Ephesians 4:30-32.

MAIN POINTS:

1. If you have a disagreement with someone... Fix it

2. If you see a disagreement between Believers... Fix it

3. Prayer is a defense that protects you from offense

4. Fix your thoughts before you fix someone else's

5. In choosing between being right and showing love… love like Jesus

Scriptures: Jonah 3:1-5,4:1-3,5-9,10-11, Genesis 39:2-4,21-23,41:38-40

Main Points:

1. Who gets the blessing? The inclination to return to God and obey him is much greater when we think that it will result in a blessing for us. We desire the restoration of our path and God’s plan. We want the blessing that will come from reconciliation. How will we respond if we find out that the blessing goes to someone else for our obedience?

2. Look for the Lesson. While the storm certainly teaches us about obedience, this is not the only lesson. On the other side we find that God is not simply teaching us about obedience, but he is giving us an opportunity to gain perspective.

3. Is God’s plan worth it? At the beginning of the message, I gave you a list of individuals to whom God gave second chances. The interesting thing about nearly all of them is that by the end of their lives, they are praising God for all that he has done. They’ve gone through the process of storms. They’ve received the gift of 2nd chances and the lessons that are imparted during that process. They get to the end of their lives with a profound love for God and a perspective of his goodness. I see this as a “Perspective of Praise.” Jonah, however, did not.

NOTES: There is no conclusion to Jonah’s story outside of his anger with God’s plan of mercy for the Ninevites. The book ends with a question from God that Jonah never answers. I think that God did it this way on purpose. He’s good at stuff like that! I think the answer to the question wasn’t for Jonah. I think it was for us. Jonah got a unique perspective of God’s process and at the end was faced with the totality of God’s plan. It was for the salvation of 120,000 people that God cares about. The numbers, people and places aren’t the real question. God’s question that echoes down to us is simply this, “Is my plan worth it?” That is a question that we each must answer, often without knowing the totality of the impact. What do you say to your storm, your struggles, your lessons and God’s plan? Is it worth it? Is he worth it? Can you trust him? The answer is up to you…

Scripture: Jon. 1:4-12, Luke 15:20-21, John 9:2-3, Ps. 116:1-4 & 17-18, Dan. 4:34-37, Rom. 5:3-5

Main Points:

1. Confession & Repentance: When we know that the storm is our fault, we must confess our sin to God and repent (turn away from our sin). This is for our benefit!

2. The Glory of God: Regardless of the cause, God is able to get glory in any storm. Our repentance gives him glory. Our righteous response to suffering gives him glory.

3. Praise in the Storm: Even in our pain, God is still worthy of our praise. That is not a feeling. It’s a fact. When we choose to ignore the feeling and face the fact, we honor God.

4. Return to God: After our time of testing we are met with a decision. We can either draw closer to God or turn away from him. The decision affects our future with God.

Prayer: Suffering is difficult for us to comprehend. We do not like it. We don’t like punishment. We don’t like to be collateral damage for someone else’s sin. We don’t like natural outcomes. We want to see God blessing us in all things. Pray for those in your group who are suffering. Pray that God would open their eyes to see that whether He is the cause or not, there is a righteous way for us to respond to suffering that is worship.

Notes: Jonah knew that the storm was his fault. We often wrestle with this question in our own lives. It can drive us to see where blame belongs. Seeking to find appropriate blame distracts us from what is most important in our suffering. The cause is not as significant as our response. How we respond speaks to the depth of our faith in God and our love for Him. Our anger in suffering does nothing to produce peace. It is the decision we make to confess our sins, repent and draw close to God that makes us stronger in the storms of our lives. Our “tested” faith produces endurance (Rom. 5:3-5) so that we can endure to the end in relationship with God.

Scripture: Jon. 1:1-3, Matt. 5:43-48 & 6:14-15, 2 Cor. 11:23-27, Lu 14:26-30, 2 Ki. 14:23-25, Am. 6:14

Main Points:

1. Forgiveness is Hard: Jonah despised the idea that God wanted to show mercy to Israel’s enemies. An attitude of unforgiveness drives us from God. We run from mercy.

2. The Process is Hard: Jonah would have to travel 500 mi to preach to Nineveh. Sometimes we think the things God is asking are too much. So, we back away from His plans.

3. God Doesn’t Make Sense: God tells Jonah to witness to the enemy that Amos says is going to destroy Israel! When God’s plan doesn’t make sense, we run. Logic and faith are not equals.

Notes: Jonah was alive in the 700’s B.C. He lived and prophesied at the same time as Amos, during the reign of King Jeroboam II. There is wickedness in the Kingdom of Israel. Jonah prophesied that God would still bless Israel, while Amos prophesied punishment. Jonah is speaking of victory over Assyria while Amos is predicting punishment from God at the hand of Assyria. They seem to be contrasting and wrong. Jonah is speaking of God’s blessing through obedience, which Jeroboam II and Israel did not choose, and Amos is giving God’s warning of punishment if Israel does not turn from wickedness. When Israel does not turn, it is Amos’ prophecy that comes true and that directly overturns the prophecy given by Jonah. At the same time, Jonah is being asked to go and witness to this enemy so they can repent. It’s a wild series of events that must be understood in context for Jonah’s response to make more sense.

Scripture: Phil. 4:6-8, Eph. 3:14-21, 8-12, Josh. 1:9, Ps. 34:7, Matt. 18:20 & 28:20, Heb. 13:5

Main Points:

1. Fix Your Eyes On God: We tend to believe that the Presence of God is only in church services or in quiet moments. We can invite God’s presence into everything in our lives!

2. More Than You Can Imagine: God does not give us his power for our use or to do work through us. He wants to give himself to us; just him for no other reason than relationship.

3. God Is Inviting You: We shy away from God because we feel unworthy. We are sinful, but he is merciful. He longs to bring us to the King’s Table and refresh us with his love.

1. What barriers keep you from living in and experiencing the presence of God?

2. When and where do you feel like you are experiencing the presence of God in your life?

3. How could you invite God into the everyday things that keep you busy?

4. Are you a cup or a pitcher? Does God give himself to you for others or just so you can receive?

5. What practical steps can you take in your life to begin practicing the Presence of God?

Notes: Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection was a cook in a French monastery who learned that service for God is more than spending time in solitude and silence. While the Monks around him were devoting themselves in solitude, he was devoting himself in service. He invited God into his work, even work that he did not enjoy, and learned how to Practice the Presence of God in everything. The two greatest barriers to God’s presence are busyness and worthiness. We think that we can only experience God in services or solitude, but we can invite him into everything and then experience even greater times of joy in those places. We also consider ourselves unworthy. We are unworthy, but Jesus did not come for worthy people. His invitation is not for worthy people. His invitation is that of a King to wretches who have no business in his presence, but whom he desires to invite to his table and feed from his own hands. He delights in wretches and elevates us to the status of “Child of the King.”

Scripture: Rom. 8:5-8, Ex. 34:27-30, Matt. 5:17-20, John 14:15-21, 2 Pet. 1:3-11

Main Points:

1. Accept God’s Authority: Our relationship with God is covenantal. Accepting that covenant

means humbly submitting to the sovereignty of God.

2. Keep God’s Commands: Our love for God is not demonstrated in words, but in actions. We

show true devotion to God by keeping the commands found in scripture as our worship.

3. Plow Through the Plateaus: We often ask, “Where is God?” when we experience moments

of difficulty. In these moments, we find a return to God’s faithfulness through scripture and

the testimony of his love for all of us.

Notes: Submission requires taking a lower position while elevating someone or something else to a level that

exceeds our own. When we trust in God and submit to his authority, we relinquish our own in exchange for his.

This exchange is difficult when we are immature, but the more we know about God the better we realize this

trade to be. Love is not a statement of words or a system of beliefs. Love for God is demonstrated through

obedience to the commands that are given in scripture. In immaturity, we see Christianity as a system of dos

and don’ts. As we grow in relationship with Jesus, we learn that he had our best interests in mind from the

start. However, submission and love are challenged when difficulties arise. We may find it difficult to keep

pursuing these things with God when we are hurting, disappointed or steeped in sin. In these moments we

cannot succumb to the lies of the enemy. The only way out is to press in to the goodness of God.

Scripture: Ex. 33:13-20, 34:29-30, Matt 17:1-6, John 1:1-6, 2 Cor. 3:13-18, Deut. 6:4, Ex 3:14-15

Main Points:

1. Attributes of God: The beauty/splendor/majesty/honor of God is expressed in his attributes. He is: self-existent, unified, spirit, simple, immutable, infinite, eternal, omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent.

2. God’s Glory Changes Me: When we reflect the glory of God, it is apparent to the world. It is not something we have to say. It shines through our character and daily lives.

3. Access to God’s Glory: The work of the cross gives us the clearest picture of God’s glory as manifested through Jesus’ substitutionary death and subsequent resurrection victory.

Small group questions:

1. What attributes of God are most recognizable and easy to believe about God?

2. What attributes of God are harder to believe fully? Which ones do you wish you understood better?

3. What are some characteristics of a person who reflects the glory of God to those around them?

4. How does Jesus reveal the Glory of God for all of us?

5. In what ways do you want to better reflect the “glorious image of Christ” for your family and friends?

Prayer: A lot of people would say that they want a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God. As we outline some of the most significant ways that our relationship changes, it’s going to be a matter of prayer and application that truly makes the shift. Pray that God would reveal his glory to the people of your group and pray that they would have the boldness to see everything in their lives changed by the Glory of God.

Notes: When we hear the word glory we are prone to think of it in our modern terms. We might describe it as the honor or the credit for something. Glory, as it relates to God, is something deeper and wider. There are about 10 different words used in scripture that we translate as glory. Most significantly we see kabowd (Hebrew; the weight of splendor) and doxa (Greek; glory) used in scripture. The Old Testament gives us the fullness of the definition through multiple words. The New Testament simplifies all of them in the word doxa which just means glory. God’s glory is made powerful in our lives through our comprehension of his beauty. Then it is magnified through the reflection of that beauty that we live as our worship for the God who redeemed us.

Scripture: 2 Sam. 12:14-15, Ps. 101:8, Rom. 13:1, Matt 5:14-16, Mal. 3:8-10, Num 34:2, Jer. 19:4-5, 1 Cor. 6:12-19

1. Christianity & Politics: For much of history, Christians have seen it as their duty to be involved in politics. It’s the best way to infuse Biblical beliefs into leadership positions.

2. God on the Issues: It takes study, but the Bible speaks to every issue of our day. We can find guidance and direction from the LORD if we make the effort to do so.

3. Biblical Voting: As the “light of the world” we have a responsibility to infuse Biblical truth into the dark places of the world. Voting is one significant way that we can accomplish that.

The Gospel is FREE to those who receive it, but it will COST those who give it away.

Where should we send the Gospel?

One Day for the Nations, Sunday, October 6, 2024. $20,000. Convoy of Hope and the Missionary Housing project in Carlisle.

Break It Down: Salary $ ______________ / ________ work-days Offering = $ ______________________

1. What is a SOUL?
2. How do I care for my SOUL?
3. What does it mean to lose your SOUL?

The part of us that aligns our whole being with God. Your soul is what integrates your will (your intentions), your mind (your thoughts and feelings, your values and conscience), and your body (your face, body language, and actions) into a single life.

• soul-care vs self-care.
• Soul-Greek= psychē; root word in psychology.
• Recalibrate your inner world.
• To fall out with self and with God.

Scriptures: Ephesians 4:11-13, Psalm 23:1-4, John 10:11-15, 1 Timothy 4:14-16 NLT

A pastor is God’s heart for the church. They are given the grace to care for the needs of those in the church.

A pastor’s responsibility:

• Lead
• Feed
• Protect

God is a Good Shepherd.

A good shepherd:

• Cares for my needs
• Keeps me safe from harm
• Provides for my rest and strength
• Won’t harm his name (or mine)
• Won’t leave me when I’m in danger
• Will protect me from an attack

A Good Shepherd Sacrifices.

Embrace the Gift.

EVANGELIST- An evangelist is God’s passion for the church. They are given the grace to reach the lost for the benefit of growing the church.

I'm not good enough — Jesus is perfect so I don't have to be

I'm too busy — I prioritize what is eternally important

I don't know what to say — I can share my story

Two-Line Testimony:

• Jesus saved me from ( what ) and gave me ( what ).
• Significant Scripture: ( what is you go to verse ).

Alive is 5

• God is love.
• Our sin divides us from God.
• Jesus died for our sin, then came back to life.
• We need to decide to put our faith in God.
• The Holy Spirit will help us live for God.

Scriptures: Colossians 1:9-10 NLT, 2 Peter 3:18 NIV, Philippians 3:8 ESV, Exodus 33:12-23 NIV

• God’s Word is transformative.

• The gifted teacher encourages us to keep on growing” or “be constantly growing.”

• Grace: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

• Have a specific time and place that you meet with God daily.

Scriptures: Ephesians 4:11-16; Matthew 24:23-24; 1 John 4:1; Deuteronomy 18:18-22; Jeremiah 23:16-32 NLT

-A prophet is God’s voice to the church. They are given the grace to speak on behalf of God for the benefit of the church.

-Pseudoprophets are coming.

-Pass or Fail Testing

Scriptures: Ephesians 4:11-16, Corinthians 12:12, Hebrews 13:17

• The Church Needs: Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers
• To Be God's: Delegate Voice Passion Heart Wisdom

-God gave us individuals with a GRACE to fulfill a responsibility that protects and propels the Church.

-An apostle is God’s delegate to the church. They are given the grace to act with the authority of God for the benefit of the church.

APOSTOLIC PROOFS-

• sēmeiois-signs
• terasin-wonders
• dynamesin-power

-Office and Responsibility

-The Blessing of Authority

DEFIANT or DEFEATED-

• Wilderness Mentality:
• Winner-Selfish-Loser
• Empowered-Over-confident-Powerless
• Strong-Toxic-Weak
• Courageous-Dangerous-Fearful
• Leader-Arrogant-Follower
• Driven-Unyielding-Unmotivated
• Successful-Greedy-Stagnant
• Loyal-Narrowminded-Unreliable

(I don’t want to take anything away from women here. That’s not what this is about. Women… ladies… please hear me. YOU ARE CAPABLE of any of these things. You are capable of winning, empowerment, strength, courage, leadership, motivation, success and loyalty. You CAN do this… but men MUST have these things to feel satisfied in life. That’s not a gender stereotype.)

“There are three desires I find written so deeply into my heart I know now I can no longer disregard them without losing my soul... I am convinced these desires are universal, a clue into masculinity itself. They may be misplaced, forgotten, or misdirected, but in the heart of every man is a desperate desire for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue.” -John Eldredge, Wild at Heart

-A Battle to Fight

-An Adventure to Live

-A Beauty to Rescue

Joshua Blessing: No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For God will be with you as He was with Joshua. He will not fail you or abandon you. Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead your family, your church and your community to possess all the blessings God promised to give to them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions written in the Word of God. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study God’s Word continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. I solemnly challenge you—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Scriptures: Timothy 3:16, Genesis 2:8-9,15-17, Genesis 3:1-7, Romans 12:2

1. Truth comes from God.

2. Did God really say...

1. What does the Bible say about judging others?

2. Did I talk to them first? Are they in the room?

3. That time your sin affected me…

What does the Bible say about gossip? Lev. 19:16 Prov. 11:12-13 Prov. 16:28 Prov. 20:19 Matt. 12:36 Rom. 1:29 2 Cor. 12:20 Gal. 5:13 1 Tim. 5:13 Jas. 3:7-8

Main Points:

1. Want Is the Enemy of God (and God’s people): Want is a simple idea, but it has a major

impact on our lives. Our level of want is directly tied to our belief in God’s sufficiency.

2. Contentment Is the Only True Wealth: Contentment must precede gain, because it will not

follow it. We fool ourselves if we think that the satisfaction of our wants will bring us joy.

3. The Only Way Up Is Down: We are not here to have our every want satisfied. We will only

find contentment when we are fully surrendered to Jesus and accept his provision and

blessing with gratitude.

Scripture: Jas. 2:14-18, 1:26-27, Matt. 15:11, Eph. 4:29, Matt. 25:45-46, Gal. 6:9-10, John 15:1-2, Eph. 4:21-23

Main Points:

1. Control Your Tongue: Scripture places a great deal of emphasis on the use of our tongue. This is more than words, it’s about responsible language. If we truly belong to God, then we have a responsibility to use our tongues in a way that honors him.

2. Care for Orphans/Widows: Love for the “least” is demonstrated with action and not just words. A heart transformed by God will see the depravity of others and choose to act.

3. Avoid Worldly Corruption: Love for God is measured by holiness. Our decisions to live for his glory and not our own is our way of remaining in him. Otherwise, we will be cut off.

Notes: Historically, there have been individuals who had a great deal of disdain for the book of James. Some (notably John Calvin and Martin Luther) did not believe that it belonged in scripture. They saw in it an emphasis on righteousness that they felt was destructive to the nature of the Gospel of Jesus. They believed that it placed too great an emphasis on human effort over divine mercy. This study is meant to show that these concepts are not exclusive to James. The concepts expressed are those of Jesus and later emphasized by Paul to the early church as well. It is important for us to strike a healthy balance between grace and holiness. If we are a good person, but have no relationship with God, then we are not truly saved. If we say that we love God, but do not live a life of holiness, then we are not truly saved. It takes both working on a healthy level in our lives. We accept the gracious gift of God as the means of our salvation. We accept the call to live a life of holiness as those who are set apart for the glory of God and saved by his grace.

-Persistence is greater than misconceptions. Say yes to pursuing God's plan.

-Faithfulness is greater than feelings. Say yes to submitting to God's sovereignty.

-Preservation is greater than perversity. Say yes to displaying God's holiness.

Scripture: Lev. 19:9-18, Matt. 22:36-39, Luke 10:25-37, Gal. 5:13-15, 1 John 4:7-8,

1. Defining Neighbors: Our definition of a neighbor is typically narrowly reduced to people who live near us. The Biblical concept of a neighbor is found more in our shared humanity and the image of God that is on each of us that makes us neighbors/friends/family.

2. Love & Eternity: The Pharisee’s answer to a question about inheriting eternal life was confirmed by Jesus. It is found in two equally important ideas: Love God. Love people.

3. Eyes Wide Open: We begin to love our neighbors when we make the decision to keep our eyes open. We cannot love God or people if we turn a blind eye to the needs of our neighbor.

Questions to ponder?

1. How well do you know the people in your neighborhood? Do you know their names? Their children? Do you know what they celebrate and what they lament? Do they know you?

2. In what ways are you actively showing love to your neighbors?

3. If love for people is just as important as love for God, what should we be doing more often?

4. What are some of the needs in the Shenango Valley that are easy to ignore if we don’t think about it?

5. How can your group take a step to meet one of those needs?

SERVANTS CHOICE- In a world that has everything to offer, how do you stay firmly rooted in your decision to forsake all of that and follow Jesus? This is one of the hardest decisions we will ever have to wrestle with in our lives. We might be quick to say that we are servants, but the proof is found in how we live our lives. A person who is master of their own life will make decisions based on what they think is best for them or for their family. A person who is a servant will always come back to the decision to choose a question over an answer, “What does God want me to do?” When we ask that question, we are committing to the fact that Jesus is our Master and that we are his servants. Without that question, we are living for ourselves and positioning ourselves as our own masters. We can make that decision because we have free will. But here’s the HARD TRUTH for us... If we are making our own decisions about our own lives and living like we’re our own masters, then we have forfeited the right to ever complain against God about our lives.

SERVANT'S STRUGGLE- If it was hard for Jesus to submit to the will of God, how much more difficult will it be for us?!? We cannot help it. Our survival instinct runs deep. At our most basic level, we are animals who want what is best for us while keeping ourselves out of harm’s way.

SERVANT'S CROSS- What is the nature of the cross you are bearing for God? There a a number of scriptural concepts that get misused and this is certainly one of them. We tend to equate the difficulties in our lives as crosses that need to be carried by us. We might equate this to a family situation, a job situation or even natural consequences for decisions we’ve made in our own lives. There is a simple concept here that we are overlooking. The cross is not a symbol of struggle. The cross is a symbol of choice. Jesus chose the cross. He chose the suffering for your sake. In Matthew 26:39 we see Jesus’ prayer in the Garden. He begs God to take the cross from him. He does not want the cross. But, he demonstrates the purest example of obedience to God’s will (his father/master) over our own desires. He gives in and is satisfied to fulfill his purpose and the will of God. To pick up our cross is to say NO to ourselves and YES to God’s plan. That’s what it means to carry our cross. That’s what it means to be dead to ourselves. It’s the way in which the Gospel is propelled and in which we are transformed.

---Servant Orientation-What is the right and best way to serve God? Is it through doing service for him or is it through spending time with him? Yes. One of the things we explore in our Serve Class is the difference between people who are TASK ORIENTED and those who are PEOPLE ORIENTED. A task-oriented person, sees that there is salt and grime on the floor of the foyer and they grab a mop to start cleaning it up, because they don’t want a guest to come in and think that we didn’t prioritize being prepared for their arrival by ignoring this task. A people-oriented person will step over the same salt and grime on the floor to greet the guests who are walking into the foyer, because they don’t want a guest to think that cleaning up the floor was more important than connecting with a guest. As we do with any issue that divides us, we tend to look down on the other group. The task-oriented people are driven nuts by the people-oriented people and the people-oriented people think the task-oriented people have their priorities out of whack! Both are fulfilling a vital role in servanthood. When both do their job, we have a guest who walks into a clean floor and a kind face! What a win!

Luke 10:38-42

---Fruit Production- One key component to serving God is that there is supposed to be FRUIT PRODUCTION. What fruit? What is he talking about? How am I supposed to know what he means. Well, that’s simple. Paul outlined it for us in his letter to the church in Galatia.

Matthew 7:17-23, Galatians 5:22-23

---Fruitful Connection- Mary was the one who first sat at the feet of Jesus. She was the one who neglected everything and everyone else for the opportunity to be where Jesus was. But, when her brother died, something shifted in her. She had experience disappointment and it changed her enthusiasm for connection with Jesus. It’s possible that it even caused her to waiver in her faith and made her distant. It wasn’t Mary who ran to Jesus when he came to town… it was Martha. Martha had learned something valuable along the way. Her first response to Jesus was to be a steady worker that made sure every task was satisfied for the sake of serving the LORD. Jesus reminded her that it’s not just about doing. He wanted her to realize the value of time spent with him, at his feet, listening and growing. He wanted her to see that this was the most significant pursuit of our connection with Jesus. If we do not have a fruitful connection with the LORD, then everything we are doing is FOR him. When we prioritize that connection. We begin to walk in that connection daily and then, almost miraculously, everything we are doing is WITH him. This is one of the most crucial points of our journey with Jesus. You will grow weary of doing things for God, but you will never tire of doing things with Him.

John 11:17-22

Matthew 20:20-23 NLT

GROWING PAINS- Simple question… what is the purpose of suffering? The Bible makes the answer to this pretty plain. It produces growth and the ability to endure. That seems counterintuitive. How can suffering help me to endure? Doesn’t suffering make me want to give up? There is an element to this that is often overlooked. No one wants to have their faith tested, but faith that is untested is not yet proven.

James 1:2-4 NLT

POSITIONAL SERVANTS-The concepts of power, position and servanthood have been greatly blurred in our world. Jesus speaks directly to this in his words to the Disciples. Leaders of this world will lord their power and position over you. They might even call themselves a “Civil Servant.” Unfortunately, positional abuse of power has corrupted the concept of servanthood in a worldly sense.

Matthew 20:24-28 NLT

DOUBTERS-How do you hear the voice of Jesus in this moment? Was it sarcastic? “Go ahead Tommy… put your finger in the hole in my hand. Do you want to stick your hand in my side? I’ll prove you wrong!” or do you hear a compassionate voice that is speaking to a lost and worried son? “Thomas… it’s ok. Come here, my friend. Touch the holes in my hands. They’re real and so am I. Stick your hand in my side. It’s really me. I’m here. I’m not gone. I haven’t abandoned you. I’m here.” John 20:24-29 NLT

How hard are you looking for the answers to your questions? If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. (NLT) Luke 15:8-10 describes the woman searching for the lost coin.

DIVERS-The always overzealous and impetuous Peter… he hears John say “It’s the LORD” and he forgets anything and everything. He doesn’t care that there is a large haul of fish coming up. He doesn’t care about his companions who will have extra work after he abandons them. He does care that he is naked… He doesn’t care that he will have to swim 100 yards to get to shore. He just wants to get to Jesus. He is not going to let anything get in his way. He isn’t’ going to question it. John 21:7-14 NLT

Whether you’ve been a categorial denier, or you have some doubts… there’s still an opportunity for you to be a diver. It’s scary. It takes faith. What if I get to the shore and it’s not him? What if it doesn’t go the way I expected? What will my friends think when I put their needs behind my relationship with Jesus? There are a lot of reasons to remain guarded… but only when you truly take the dive will you get to the place where Jesus is and get the kind of experience that Peter had.

• A Hero’s Homecoming. Matthew 21:8-11
• A Farewell Party. Matthew 26:20-29
• The Greatest Love of All. John 15:9-17

Jesus gave us a concise definition of great love. It is a love that sacrifices for others. Jesus didn’t just say this. He modeled it. He went to the cross to be our example of the greatest love of all time. There is no love that will ever match this love. Even if someone else was willing to do for someone else or for everyone else, that love would not be equal to the love that Jesus displayed on the cross. That person would be imperfect and sinful. They would be subject to a sin-nature that had marred them since birth. Regardless of how hard they had tried to overcome sin, there would still be an equitable sense with which that person suffered and died.

Jesus, however, was completely sinless. There was not one single miniscule particle of his entire existence that deserved punishment of any sort. Therefore, when he suffers and dies, he does so from the place of perfection and in order to display perfect love. Jesus’ love was not just an affection for us. It was sacrificial. Jesus’ love was not tolerant of us. It was sacrificial. It was perfection laying down and dying for imperfection, or worse. We are not only imperfect, we are rebellious against the things of God. Romans 5:8 reminds us that Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. He saw it. He knew it. He didn’t overlook it. He paid for it with the Greatest Love of All… the Love of God.

We can see in John 15 that Jesus then commands us to extend this same kind of love for the world around us. He wants to complete his joy in us through giving us his love and giving us the opportunity to act on that love by loving others. He is not asking us to tolerate others. He is not asking us to grow in our affection for others. He is asking us to sacrifice for others. He is asking us to sacrifice for all the Judases in our lives. That is appalling to us, but our sin was no less appalling to God.

Matthew 18:2-5; Mark 10:13-16

In Response to what the Bible Says...

The Barna Research Group reports that all facets of moral and spiritual developments start as early as age 2. By age 9, most children have their spiritual moorings in place. By the age of 13, their spiritual identity is largely set in place. International Bible Society indicates that 83% of all Christians make their commitment to Jesus between the ages of 4-14.

What does the Bible say about Community?

What does the Bible say about God's Word? "

Scientists have recently determined that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain-unless it is done with play, in which case, it takes 10 to 20 repetitions!"

Psalm 100:2-4

1. God Offers Comfort to All-

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT    3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

Psalm 68:5  Our God is a father of the fatherless and a defender of widows.

James 1:27 He calls his people to care for the needy.

2. Children of God Need to Have Deep Compassion for Each Other

1 PETER 3:8 8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.

Galatians 6:2 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

3. The Compassion of a Savior

Isaiah 53:3-6 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,     a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces  he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering yet we considered him punished by God,    stricken by him, and afflicted.5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,    he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him,    and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray,     each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him     the iniquity of us all.

When was the last time you asked God, “what’s your plan?” or “How can I be part of your plan for…?”

Acts 1:6-8 "When the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Our Plans Vs God’s Plans

• James 4:13-15 – the WILL of God should be our lens for everything.
• Psalm 33:10 – God frustrates our plans so that his plans can succeed.
• Prov. 19:21 – we see many options, but they don’t compare to God’s plan.

Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

What’s The Purpose Of God’s Power Working In Us? Powerful Purpose

• Jerusalem: Local REACH
• Judea/Samaria: National REACH
• Ends of the Earth: Global REACH

Powerful Witness Martyres-The Greek word for witness in Acts 1:8 is the word martyres. (mar tu res) and it is the root work for the English word, martyr. Take a minutes and let that sink in… Jesus is standing with his disciples. They are asking him if the time of their liberation has finally come. He says, “that’s above my pay grade.” Then, he says “you are going to receive power from the Holy Spirit so that you can go die for your city, your nation and the rest of the world.”

Matt. 16:24 – deny yourself and pick up your cross

Matt. 15:25 – lose our life to save it

Gal. 2:20 – It’s no longer me, it’s Christ in me.

Gal. 5:24-25 – leave your former passions behind

Rom. 13:14 – put on selflessness like a garment

Psalm 39:4-7 "Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it. And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you."

Time Is Short. Live For Jesus. Reach The Lost.

4 very practical ways to live a very powerful life

• Remember
• Learn
• Sing
• Worship

Colossians 3:16-17 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

What does singing do?

It reinforces Bible truth

It is a way of battling the enemy

2 Chronicles 20:22 “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves”

• It unites us as His people
• It puts our focus on Him
• It invites God’s presence

God sits enthroned on the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3)

• It brings renewal/refreshment
• It paves the way for the miraculous

Acts 16 Paul and Silas begin praising and the prison doors are opened

How do we choose songs at Family Life for our worship service?

1. We want songs that are biblically accurate

2. We want songs that are contemporary

3. We want songs that are not just “about” God, but “to” God and “for” God

4. We want songs that usher in His presence

Simple recipe for a powerful singing/worship experience

• He is worthy
• I need to come to Him surrendered

Galatians 2:20 “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Scripture:1Cor.4:16-17,11:1, Matt.28:19-20,1Tim.1:15-16,

Main Points:

1. Why Should I Mentor? Jesus is our mentor. Mentorship changes lives. We are charged by Jesus to mentor others. If you mentor, your faith will grow.

2. Who Should I Mentor? Anyone. Mentoring is not about how capable you are. It’s about how willing you are and whether or not Jesus is the Hero of your story.

3.How Do I Mentor?: God has positioned you and uniquely gifted you to share your experiences with others. The three ways to mentor are contribution(giving time or money), communication(encouraging texts/calls)and connection(1-on-1time).

Ephesians 6:10-12

THE UNSEEN WORLD-There is an entire spiritual world around us that we do not see. We can only see the physical world. As such, we tend to focus all of our time and energy into this physical world and to see it as our greatest obstacle to finding joy, peace or happiness

THE UNSEEN PURPOSE-The armor that Paul describes to the Ephesian Church is a great analogy, but it’s a very intentional one as well. He’s not just making stuff up, as though we need armor like people who are in a battle. He is speaking to deeper issues that need to be addressed in the lives of believers. It’s not just about what we are actively doing to protect ourselves. We also need to understand what we are protecting. Each of these areas is crucial.

ARMOR PURPOSE

• Truth battle the lies of the enemy
• Righteousness stop sin’s destruction of your heart
• Peace overcome circumstantial troubles
• Faith stop the continual attacks of the devil
• Salvation renew your mind and thoughts
• Scripture counter the attacks of the devil

THE UNSEEN THREAT-There is a real and dangerous threat to us that exists in the unseen world. It’s the enemy of God’s people. He rebelled against God and was punished for it. As a result, he hates anyone who resembles the things of God and/or the Son of God. The more we become like Jesus, the more enmity we create between us and Satan. In a sense, as our relationship with Jesus grows, so does our danger to Satan. As a result, the best thing he can bring against us are these attacks that are going to distract us and draw us away from God.

Romans 11:30, 12:1

Worship- The Greek word for worship is latreia and it is most often translated as worship. However, there are other areas in the bible where it clearly is used as the word “serve.” What is most interesting about this passage is how both can apply. True surrender to God is the only way that we can truly serve or worship him. Anything short of complete surrender, is our way of withholding service and/or worship from him. In light of all that God has done for us, we might ask the question, “How can I ever repay God for all that he’s done for me?” The simple answer is that, “We can’t.”

Luke 18:10-14

Humility- Full surrender to God starts with the act of feeling sorry or regretful about the things we have done wrong, and it involves a sincere desire to change our behavior or make amends. It's like acknowledging a mistake, feeling genuinely sorry for it, and then taking steps to make things right or avoid repeating the same mistake in the future. It often involves a sense of remorse and a commitment to better choices. This is where humility comes in. It’s the sinner’s cry for mercy.

Roman 12:2 & 2 Peter 1:3-11

Godly Living- Godly Living refers to the process of becoming more like God or growing in holiness. It involves a person's spiritual journey and efforts to live a life that aligns with God's teachings. Think of it as a transformation where individuals strive to improve their character, actions, and attitudes to better reflect the values and virtues of God. It's about becoming a better, more morally upright person through the guidance and influence of our faith. This is the point at which we commit to forsaking all others.

The Harvest of Generosity.

The good news (Gospel) of Jesus is FREE to those who receive it, but it COSTS those who give it. It was free because Jesus paid for your salvation with his blood and a church sent a missionary, a pastor, a volunteer or a member to tell you about Jesus. It was free when you got it, but it cost something to get it to you. Then, God begins to build a heart of generosity inside of you. “You got this gift of salvation for free! I gave it to you! I put it on the heart of someone to give to build a church and send a missionary or a pastor to raise up people who would be so inspired by my free gift of salvation that they would then turn around and sacrificially give of themselves to make sure one more could hear it.”

James 1:12, 2 Corinthians 9:6-10, Luke 6:37-38, Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT

A Giving Attitude: (one of these are false)

• Give to God and you will be blessed
• Refuse to give to God and you will be cursed
• Giving to God is a personal choice
• Giving is for those who can afford it (This one is FALSE)
• Refusing to give to God is robbing God
• God uses our giving to bless others
• Ignoring the needs of others is ignoring God

Divinely Generous. First, the money that we give to God is connected to how much financial blessing that we get back from God. The second, the more we give to God the more we will be blessed. Actually, if we look at the context it isn’t talking about either one of those things. It’s relative to the generosity of God. Jesus is giving instruction to the crowd and tells them that there is a connection between choosing to be stingy or generous when it comes to our relationship with God. Again… not financial. He talks about judgement, condemnation and forgiveness. There is no where in there that he is talking about money. He is pointing to the most important things that we receive from God. The gift of salvation covers each of these topics.

Salvation comes from sacrifice. Salvation is free to those who receive it, but it always costs those who give it and those who send it. Paul’s instruction to the Ephesian Church is to ‘Imitate God.’ This is the full and final point of why God is trying to teach us about generosity. It’s not about dollars and cents. It’s about the Heart of Generosity that God wants to sew into you. He wants to perform a procedure on you where he cuts out that worldly, sinful heart that you were born with; the one that cares more about self than anyone else. He wants to replace that heart with a heart that is just as generous as the heart of his son, Jesus. This is the primary purpose behind every concept of generosity that God teaches us through scripture.

James 1:12, Hebrews 10:23-25, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Genesis 2:18-23 NLT

• Life Through Community
• We are better together
• We were made for community

Romans 8:20-25 NLT

Broken World - No bones about it… our world is messed up. It’s under a curse. Sin brought that curse on this world and I’m sorry to say that we will never escape it on this side of eternity. Life is hard, because the world is cursed. Relationships are hard, because the world is cursed.

Savory Sample - Verse 23 says that we have been given a “foretaste” of the Holy Spirit. This is the image that Paul was using for the Roman Church. He is saying, “you have the gift of the Holy Spirit, but it’s just a sample (or small portion) that points you to hunger for the entirety of him. It’s not enough to fully satisfy the “groanings/complaints” of this world. It’s just a sample. We have to then dig deeper and go further to surrender more and more of ourselves to the working of the Holy Spirit so that we can become increasingly satisfied in this Broken World.

Romans 8:24-25 NLT

Self-Medicating - Here’s the greatest thief of our hope. We aren’t waiting patiently. We aren’t waiting confidently. We are running all over the place looking for hope and peace to be found in someone or something else. We have become convinced that the “next thing” will be “the thing” that finally gives us some hope and peace in our lives. We are self-medicating. We are using all the things of the world that we can find to dull the pain and give us momentary relief.

The Battle you Cannot See. Everyone is fighting a battle you cannot see. We often look at hurtful people and dismiss them as the same. We don’t like the way the act or the way they treat other people. So, we try to avoid them. We might even go as far as to speak ill of them and their actions to others, propagating the idea of their innate meanness. Here’s the truth… mean and hurtful people were not born that way. There was something in their lives that forever changed the way they saw themselves and the rest of the world around them.

Romans 12:9-10,17-21 Quoting Proverbs 25:21-22

Real Love is Messy. When we try to love people who have been hurt, it doesn’t always go the way we thought it would.

Luke 6:32-34

Real Love Changes Lives. It won’t happen the first time. It might not happen the 5th or the 10th time. It may be a process where we have to get down in the muck and mud of someone else’s life and trauma. But, eventually, real love changes lives. Now, the most altruistic of us might be willing to undergo that journey for someone else. We will endure the pain. We will become the Mother Theresa of our time! We will allow others to abuse us or mistreat us in the name of truly loving. This is all good, but it misses a finer point. Real love doesn’t just change the lives of those around us… it changes us.

Philippians 2:5-8 [You MUST have the same attitude as Christ Jesus. Not you should, or we highly recommend. You must…]

There's so much to do. There’s a temptation in difficult times of struggle to say, “I’m ready for Jesus to come back.” While this is a simple statement that qualifies our personal security in knowing that Heaven sounds better that Earth, there is one thing that is missing. There’s so much to do before Jesus comes back. You might be ready for the return of Jesus, but is your family ready? Are you neighbors ready? Are you coworkers ready? Are the people of your community ready? These are the real questions that should come to our minds. Buddy seems to be the only one who is excited about Santa coming to town, but it’s because he is the only one who actually knows him. Everyone else just considers him to be an idea or a character.

1 Corinthians 7:29-32

A Throne of Lies. Here’s the truth… when you know the real deal, any imposter can be spotted a mile away and you’re not going to stand for it. We have a cultural disdain for anything fake, except for when it comes to spirituality. We somehow seem to be ok with it then. The fakest think that we will ever encounter in our lives is that of religion. God is not a religion. He is the creator of the universe, who sustains all things and who has offered the only means for salvation from our sin so that we don’t have to endure the penalty for our wickedness for eternity.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

You are the only one. As we draw close to Jesus and begin combatting the lies of this world, we find ourselves in an interesting spot. For a while it creates quite a struggle and hurdle that we have to overcome. We find that we no longer really fit in with the rest of the world, but we don’t really feel like we fulling fit in with God either. We’re not who we used to be but we aren’t perfect either.

1 Peter 4:2-10

Acts 7:57-8:1; 9:26-31

The Messy Back Story- There is some character who has a sorted past or who has been hurt by someone in the past. Either way, there is reason for them to be the wrong person for the leading role in this storyline that is unfolding in front of us. Can you relate? Don’t’ we all come from that same kind of place in our relationship with God?

Not Quite Right- It’s funny when we see it through this character (Scott Calvin) that he is “kind of” embracing the roll he is supposed to be filling. He doesn’t have a good attitude about it. He’s not really doing it right. He still has a lot of selfishness and arrogant rudeness inside of him. He’s going through the motions, but it’s “not quite right.”

The New Identity- Our new identity is that of a person who no longer lives for self, but who is dead to selfish desires. Instead, we are reborn and made alive in Christ with a new purpose and a new identity. We live to see people reconciled to God. In the movie, Santa says that “there are a lot of people depending on him.” This is a reality with which we must all learn to identify. There are a lot of people depending on this new identity that Christ has given us.

What am I trading?

• Wandering in hopeless confusion and darkness
• A hard-heart that has no sense of shame
• A sinful nature that is corrupted by lust and deception
• Lying and anger which give a foothold to the devil
• Stealing, abusive language, bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, slander, sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscene stories, foolish talk and coarse joking

EPH. 5:1-2,6-9

What am I getting?

• Freedom from being a slave to sin
• Renewed thoughts and attitudes
• True righteousness and holiness
• A heart of generosity that helps others in need
• A good, helpful and encouraging voice
• Kindness, tenderness, love, and a forgiving nature.
• A wisdom that makes the most of every opportunity
• The infilling of the Holy Spirit

EPH. 5:15-20, Hebrews 13:12-16

- Bartholomew (Nathanael): martyred in India.

- Phillip: martyred in Egypt.

- John: marooned on Patmos Island until death.

- James (lesser): martyred in Rome.

- Andrew: martyred in Greece.

- Peter: martyred in Rome.

- Thomas (twin): martyred in India.

- Matthew (Levi): martyred in Ethiopia.

- James (greater): martyred in Rome.

- Judas (Thaddeus): martyred in Beirut.

- Simon (the zealot): martyred in England.

- Judas Iscariot: betrayed Jesus, committed suicide.

Matthew 28:18-20

The Conspiracy

"Take it from one who was involved in conspiracy, who saw the frailty of man firsthand, there is no way the 11 apostles, who were with Jesus at the time of the resurrection, could ever have gone around for 40 years proclaiming Jesus' resurrection unless it were true." -Chuck Colson, former White House Special Counsel, indicted on charges in connection to the Watergate scandal. In regards to the unraveling of his own conspiracy/coverup, he said, "Here were the 10 most powerful men in the United States," he said, referring to the Watergate cover-up attempt. "With all that power, and we couldn't contain a lie for two weeks."

Paul- Acts 26:13-18 NLT

- Born in Tarsus, Roman citizen (acts 22:3 & 28)

- School of Gamaliel (acts 22:3)

- Persecuted the early Church (acts 8:1-3)

- Converted by Jesus (acts 9:1-9)

- Rough start in ministry (acts 9:26-29)

- 3 Missionary Journeys, 10k+ miles (acts 11-21)

- Shipwrecked on Malta Island (acts 28:2-10)

- House arrest for 2 years in Rome (acts 28:30-31)

- Martyred in Rome for refusing to keep quiet about the truth of Jesus.

The Church- 1 Peter 2:9-12

The Greek word for church is ekklesia. It is the combination of the word ek, which means out from and derived from kaleo which means to call. So the word is built upon the notion of people who are being “called out from.” This is exactly what Peter writes to “God’s Chosen People.” This to is an interesting concept and phrase. This phrase had been utilized in description of the Jews and was not inclusive of anyone else. Yet, throughout the New Testament, we see this new concept arising. We have been grafted in to the family of God as his children. We are now part of God’s chosen people. We are those who have been called out of darkness and into the light. We are those who used to not be a people, but now we are the people of God. As the people of God, what is our response? What is our responsibility? We are called to carry the message of salvation through Jesus to the world around us. We are called to do so in conjunction with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

• Water to blood (ex 7:14-25)
• Frogs (ex 8:1-15)
• Gnats (ex 8:16-19)
• Flies (ex 8:20-32)
• Diseased Livestock (ex 9:1-7)
• Boils (ex 9:8-12)
• Hail (ex 9:13-35)
• Locust (ex 10:1-20)
• Darkness (ex 10:21-29)
• Death of Firstborn (ex 11:1-12:30)

.Day 1 – Connection to desolation (v. 3-5)

Day 2 – Earth’s Atmosphere (v. 6-8)

Day 3 – Sea, Land & Vegetation (v. 9-13)

Day 4 – Sun, Moon & Stars (v. 14-19)

Day 5 – Sea creatures & Birds (v. 20-23)

Day 6 – Animals & Humans (v. 24-31)

The Fall-Genesis 3:1 After the fall, the man and woman gained knowledge of their shame and lost their innocence. God prophesied of the war between Satan and the people of God and the ultimate defeat of Satan. The pain of labor was increased to add suffering. The social constructs, which was created with equality, are transformed into that of male dominance. God promises that life will be hard and we will have to struggle because we rebelled against God. Ultimately, we will have to die because we sinned against God.- Blame & Shame (v. 12-13)- War between good and evil (v. 14-15)- Pain in childbearing (v. 16)- Patriarchal dominance (v. 16)- Hard work (v. 17-19)- Death (v. 19)

The Patriarchs- Genesis 12:1-3 After the death of Jacob/Israel, the patriarchs are ended with the tribes. The tribes are the descendants of Jacob’s 12 sons. The tribe that would have been Joseph was split into 2 half-tribes and are always referenced as such.

- Abraham (gen 12-25)- Isaac (gen 21-27 & 35)

- Jacob/Israel (gen 25-37 & 46-50)

- Sons/Tribes of Israel (gen 29-50)

-Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph (Ephraim & Manasseh) and Benjamin.

Let’s start addressing sin. No one wants to deal with sin; no one. Dealing with our sin is a painful process. I know… we don’t want to talk about sin. We want to talk about Jesus and love. We want to talk about grace and mercy. We want to talk about forgiveness. We don’t need to talk about things like: righteousness, holiness, repentance and contrition. The rebuild of God’s Church, his bride, the body of Christ cannot be completed without an honest assessment of sin. We have become far too comfortable with our sin and far too intolerant of the sin of others. Sin in someone else’s life is appalling. Sin in my life is just some stuff I’m working through and haven’t perfected yet.

Matthew 5:17-20

The HEART of the Matter.

1.Being angry with someone is just as bad as murdering them, Anger is a heart issue – Matt. 5:21-22

2.Thinking that you can have broken relationships with people and still serve God is a heart issue – Matt. 5:23-26

3.Sexual thoughts about someone [not your spouse] is just as bad as having an affair, it’s a heart issue – Matt. 5:27-30

4.Divorcing because you can’t get along is a heart issue – Matt. 5:31-32

5.Failure to honor your word is a heart issue – Matt. 5:33-37

6.The desire for revenge is a heart issue – Matt. 5:38-42

7.Hatred for your enemies is a heart issue – Matt. 43:47

8.Struggling to be more like Jesus is a heart issue– Matt. 5:48

9.desiring recognition for your generosity is a heart issue – Matt. 6:1-4

10.Thinking that prayer is about you and your words is a heart issue – Matt. 6:5-13

11.Openly fasting so that people will think you are pious is a heart issue – Matt. 6:16-18

12.Refusing to honor god with your finances is a heart issue – Matt. 6:19-24

13.Worrying about your life is a heart issue – Matt. 6:25-34

14.Judging others and ignoring your own sin is a heart issue – Matt. 7:1-6

15. Giving up on prayer is a heart issue – Matt. 7:7-11

16.Mistreating people is a heart issue – Matt. 7:12

17.Thinking that the pathway to Heaven will be easy is a heart issue – Matt: 7:13-14

18.A person’s true Heart is revealed by the fruit in their lives – Matt. 7:15-20

19.If Jesus doesn’t have your heart, you aren’t a true disciple – Matt. 7:21-23

20.Choosing to build your life on anything other than the foundation which has been set by Jesus, is a heart issue – Matt. 7:24-29

The Condition of Your Heart Matters to God. Jesus is making the point that through the law it is possible to be legally right and morally wrong. He is showing that the law does not address the real issues that God is concerned about. He then dives deeper into unpacking what God does care about; your heart! After making this case, he goes on to discuss 20+ items that are matters of our hearts. He is making this case crystal clear for us. You must stop thinking that your technical adherence to Christianity is the same as surrendering your heart to Jesus! They aren’t the same. You can act the part. You can look the part. You can sound the part. You can make people believe your part. But, if you are not surrendering you secret thoughts, and the corners of your life that speak to the reality of your hearts condition, you have no part of God.

1 John 1:5-10 NLT

How healthy is your heart? Are you daily working to purge sin from your heart so that God can have the place in your heart that he deserves?

• Acts 2:1-8 NLT
• One camp believes that it served the purpose of spurring the beginning of the church and for serving as a sign as the church was in its formational stages. They believe that the gift was for the Apostles and that when the ministry of the Apostles ended, the gift and its purpose ended as well. (1 Cor 13:8).
• The second camp believes that the gifts were for the church and that their purpose never concluded and that as such we should still be seeking and utilizing this gift. Their are labeled Pentecostals and Charismatics.
• Since there are two camps, we must wrestle with the obvious question. Which one are we and why? We are an Assemblies of God Church and our doctrinal belief is Pentecostal.

• Cessationist – Believe Gifts of the Spirit ended with the ministry of the Apostles.
• 1 Cor. 13:8 - prescriptive or descriptive?
• University of Penn Neurological Study on Speaking in Tongues – Dr. Andrew B. Newberg
• Oral Roberts Univ. study on Immunity Health through Praying in Tongues – Dr. Carl R. Peterson

• Gifts of the Spirit are imparted after salvation
• Spiritual Gifts should be pursued
• They are a gift for everyone, but are individually ordained for each believer
• Tongues has a private and a public expression
• Private Tongues are for Spiritual Prayer
• Public Tongues must be interpreted to be orderly
• Speaking in Tongues is a sign to believers
• After Salvation: Acts 2:4, 10:44-46
• Everyone: 1 Cor. 14:5
• Private vs. Public: 1 Cor. 14
• Rom. 8:26-28 NLT

• Matthew 6:5-8
• Private & Public Relationships. Our public relationship with God should be an extension of our private relationship with God. If our private relationship with God is robust, then our public relationship with God will be as well.
• Hebrews 10:23-25 – Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
• Fundamentals of Connection: Time – the moments that are God’sSpace – the place where you can meetPrayer – Speaking to GodSilence – Listening to GodWorship – in your own wordsScripture – studying the BibleJournaling – writing thoughts and questions
• If we ignore God privately… we’ll never know him.
• Prioritizing time with God is more important than how you do it.

• Sin produces human struggling. Romans 5:12-17

• Jesus is the only hope for human struggling.

Why are even Godly people sometimes not healed? Matthew 15:30-31 NLT

• Jesus heals everyone.

• 2 Kings 13:14 NLT

• 2 Timothy 4:20b NLT

• Jesus healed the effects of sin and our broken relationship with God.

• Racism - White
• Sexism - Male
• Homophobia - Heterosexual
• Transphobia - Religious
• Ableism - Healthy

• Psalm 1 talks about how we should not sit in the council of sinners, this doesn’t negate our call to love them.
• 2 Tim 3 says that we should have nothing to do with sinful people who pretend to be Godly
• Rom 2:4 reminds us that it is God’s kindness (and by extension ours) that leads people to repentance.

• 2 Corinthians 6:14-15
• Deuteronomy 7:2-4
• Successful marriages have Jesus at the center.

• Genesis 2:18-25
• Marriage is designed to make us holy, not to make us happy.

• Called to leave his family and trust God at age 75
• God gives him a promise of descendants and land
• Takes matters into his own hands at age 85
• Ishmael is born at age 86
• God renews his promise at age 99
• Isaac is born at age 100
• dismisses Ishmael because that wasn’t god’s plan
• God tells him to sacrifice his remaining son

• Waits 10 years and still doesn't have a child
• Sarai proposes that he marry her servant and have a child through her.
• Hagar gives birth to s son, they name him Ishmael.
• "This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives."

• I marvel at the obedience of Abram. He does not know what lies ahead of him. All he knows is that obedience to God is better than anything his own hands could every build.
• Foreigner (not the band)
• Already, Not Yet: Abram had already received the promise, but he was not yet in possession of it. In fact, Abram would spend the rest of his life living as a foreigner in the place of God’s promise. He would never take possession of it. Nor did his Son or Grandson. After this awe-inspiring moment of Promise from God, Abram goes on a crazy journey that sends him all over the place.
• God’s Plan (sometimes) Is In Tents!
• Why go through it?
• There are two reasons that we find to endure. One is found in the statement of Abraham’s faith that we read in Hebrews 11. The other is found in Jesus’ challenge to his disciples.
• God’s plan is BIGGER than here and now!

1. Secrecy in your giving (generosity without need for recognition)
2. Prayer with belief in God and not the eloquence or length of our prayers
3. Forgiving others and the forgiveness of God
4. Fasting without making a show of it
5. Money
6. God’s Provision

• Wars and threats of war
• Famines
• Earthquakes
• Christian persecution
• Christians abandoning faith
• False prophets
• Unchecked sin
• Evangelism and Missions

• Acceptance – Just as I am
• Provision – Meet my needs
• Blessing – Above and beyond
• Direction – When I don’t know
• Security – After my last breath

• Love – Heart, Soul, Mind & Strength
• Honor – Body & Wealth
• Trust – Understanding & Future
• Holiness – Life & Worship
• Fidelity – First, Best & Most

1. Context-Who, What, When, Where, Why

2. Culture-What did this mean to the people that it was written to?

3. Cross-references-this a theme that is in other parts of Scripture?

4. Consultation-What do experts say? [Bible Gateway, Got Questions, Matthew Henry Commentary]

5. Conclusion-

   1. What does this say about God?

   2. What does this say about me (people)?

   3. What does this say about how I should live?

How do I go from an idea to a lifestyle?

1. Take time to reflect: Start by taking some time to reflect on what you have heard or read in God's word. Reflect on how it applies to your life and the changes you need to make to align with God's will.

2. Make a decision to act: Once you have identified the changes you need to make, make a conscious decision to act on them. Commit to obeying God's word, even if it means making sacrifices or stepping out of your comfort zone.

3. Develop a plan: Develop a plan of action that will help you put God's teachings into practice. This might involve setting goals, identifying specific actions you need to take, and establishing a timeline for achieving them.

4. Seek support: Seek support from other believers who can encourage you, hold you accountable, and help you stay on track. Joining a small group or finding a mentor can be helpful in this regard.

5. Pray for strength and guidance: Finally, pray for the strength and guidance you need to put God's word into practice. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you overcome any obstacles or challenges you may encounter along the way.

Which vehicle is the best for everyone?

The problem with these questions is that they don’t deal with the realities of individual situations.

The one that is best for you is going to determine on your approach to studying the Bible. Are you a scholar who wants to parse every word in order and understand their original languages? Then, you probably want to steer more toward the ESV or the KJV. Are you reading the Bible with the hope of understanding it and applying it to your life? Then you might want to go more in the direction ot the NLT or the NIrV. In either case, the NIV is going to have a little bit of both. It’s a good translation, but it is certainly a “middle-of-the-road” translation.

1. Teaches

2. Challenges

3. Corrects

4. Prepares

5. Equips

Ephesians 1 – Pray for wisdom and spiritual maturity

Ephesians 2 – The case for unity through maturity

Ephesians 3 – God’s plan for unity and reconciliation

Ephesians 4 – Benefits of unity that is supported through individual maturity

Ephesians 5 – Living for God and the effect on our relationships (husband and wife)

Ephesians 6 – Relationships: Parents & Children, Fathers, Slaves & Masters.

Protecting ourselves with the armor of God so that we will be secure in our spiritual maturity

• Love is a verb

• Love is lived

• Love is served

Lacking Purpose, Misguided Purpose, and Victorious Purpose

1. We are far too busy trying to survive to stop and think about the reason for our existence.

2. We live in a world where you could be or do anything. So, how can you know which one will fulfill you?

3. We don’t really know who we want to become and what it will take to become that person.

4. Even when we DO know who we want to become, we don’t always know the pathway to get there.

5. Even when we have set goals, life and the unexpected can become major obstacles, causing us to settle for something else.

6. We are afraid that if we really went for it and really tried we might fail or get hurt.

7. We think we have time. We will get to it eventually. We do what we HAVE to do for now and plan to get to what we WANT to do later.

8. We’ve become so hopeless through the pain of past failures, that we just can’t motivate ourselves (like we used to) to try again.

How many of you would like to get to the end of 2023 and have your financial outlook be better than it was in 2022? I want to be fair, when we talk about Biblical Stewardship and Finances, we are not talking about a “Get rich quick scheme.” In fact, the reason you are probably most hesitant to talk about finances in church is because there have been ministers and ministries who have used Biblical Stewardship like it is a “Get Rich Quick Scheme” in order to make money off of people. They promise them increased wealth if they are giving to God. So there is a lot of confusion surrounding the top. But, here’s the reality, there’s not as much mystery surrounding this topic as we might imagine. If fact, God has a lot to say about how we manage our finances because they indicate a lot about us. More importantly, it indicates a lot about how much we love God and how much he can pour out his blessings on us.

This week, we are going to talk about out finances. We are currently living through the largest jump in inflation since in the last 4 years. So, it would stand to reason if you got to the end of 2022 and were feeling like your money wasn’t going as far as it used to. One thing that might be more surprising is that God has historically warned people about financial difficulty for those who are not honoring him with their finances. We’re going to take a look at one of those warnings, today.

“Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly. Then the Lord will be your delight. I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken!” -Isaiah 58:13-14

Which way are you going to turn in 2023?

It is remarkable how many technological issues can be resolved by simply turning the item off, waiting for 10 seconds and then restarting it.

• Shame and Blame

• Promise and Peace

• Grace and Forgiveness

Longing and waiting for the Messiah in Simeon's life time. Just like a great Christmas movie gives us "the feels", when we meet Jesus He gives us the feels.

1. New Beginnings

2. Unexpected Adventure

3. Hope

4. Laughter

5. Second Chances

6. Falling in Love

7. Perfect Moments

8. Family Love

9. Valuable Life Lessons

10. Happily Ever After

Time of year we start to think differently. So, where does this all come from? Why the changeup? Why are we living and loving through Christmas as the best versions of ourselves and not living the same way for the rest of the year? It’s because we were given a gift.

Philippians 4:6

Actions speak louder than words. James 2:14-20, 24 & 26

• I must admit I can’t so that God can say, “I can.”

• Accept that God’s plan for you is going to change your identity.

• Seek God for the courage that only he can give.

There are two concepts at work in this thought. First, is the idea that God is somehow out to get us. It’s as if we ask for something, he will delight in cruelly leading us to that which we asked for. The second is that we understand that peace and patience are not simply imparted, but that it is a discipline learned only through exposure to that which is chaotic and stressful. We get that God isn’t going to just download these things into us. We are going to have to learn them and grown in them if we want to have true peace and patience. But, we so hate the process, that we would rather avoid it that to find actual peace.

• Teaching

• Fellowship (Gathering together)

• Food

• Prayer

Sticky Faith, by Dr. Kara E. Powell & Dr. Chap Clark.

Statistics

1. 40-50% of Youth Group graduates abandon their faith in college.

2. 80% of them did not intend to do so

3. 30-60% will return in their late 20’s

4. 28% of college students ”hookup” 10+ times

5. The average is 7 times for college seniors

6. Over 90% of Youth Group grads experiment with alcohol in college

1. We enter eternity instantly

2. The righteous receive rest

3. The wicked receive punishment

4. Heaven can be seen from Hell

5. Hell cannot be seen from heaven

6. The torment of hell is unbearable

7. Our Earthly status has no bearing on eternity

What it mean to be “Saved.” How does it happen? How is it maintained? Can it be lost? What if I have doubts? We are going to take time today to dive into this concept. Salvation is extremely important. So, lets take some time to dive in and understand the ideas (sometimes opposing) about what it means to be saved by God.

Global Renewal exists to change the world through boldly proclaiming the Gospel, planting new churches, and bringing freedom to those who are in bondage.

• Habakkuk 3:17-19

• Psalm 95:1-3

• 2 Samuel 6:14-22

• Luke 7:36-48

Psalm 96 & 47, and Ephesians we see why we are encouraged to sing together in worship to God.

Great benefits in worship: Helps encourage our faith, helps us remember theology truths, etc.

"Don't let what's wrong with you; keep you from worshipping what's right about God!" -Mark Batterson

It is possible to go through the motions of obedience and not surrender your heart. It is not possible to surrender your heart and refuse to obey.

Humbling our hearts and teaching others to do the same… When we take hold of the importance of living for God, we cannot help but to become agents of that mission so that more and more people become aware of what God desires to do in their lives. We begin to see people not just as “sinners and saints” but as people who are on a spectrum of a heart that is either in bondage or that has been surrendered to the LORD. When God has our entire hearts, then we begin to see people differently. We also begin to see our resources differently. It changes our priorities. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of things in this life that we could set our eyes on. But, what are we doing that is having an eternal impact? In what ways am I spending my time, talents and money to further the Kingdom of God and help people escape the judgement that will come upon them if we don’t warn them?

There is always a temptation to believe that the “little” we have is insignificant in the eyes of God or to the people who serve him. As we discussed last week, the gift is not the time, the talent, the money, the service or anything else. The gift is our hearts. If God is looking at our hearts, then there are only two measurements he is going to consider. He either has ALL of our heart, or he has NONE of our heart. I know that we are fond of gray areas and halfway concepts, but in the terms of God’s desire for us, we are either his or we are not.

The Bible talks about the heart on many occasions. God is always looking at our hearts. He is not looking at the outward appearance of sacrifice or surrender. He is looking at the heart behind the action. He is looking at the heart before anything else.

When God truly has a hold of our hearts, we will no longer give things to God because we have to. We will give to him because we want so desperately to do anything that will bless the heart of our Savior.

1. One who fully believes the doctrine of Christ

2. One who rests in the sufficiency of his sacrifice

3. One who actively seeks and partakes of his Spirit

4. One who imitates his example

How to make disciples?

1. Share the Gospel

2. Build Relationships

3. Teach/Mentor

4. Live as an example

5. Encourage/Challenge others

6. Reproduce

IT IS TIME TO MAKE DISCIPLES!

Pastor Chris challenged us with 3 questions:

What is a disciple? Am I learning? Am I teaching?

God does amazing things because he loves us. We see the miraculous move of God’s hand because we love him. When we transition from love of power to love for God, we will be filled with reverence and awe for who God is and how much he has done to bless us. We will stop thinking about what we get from God and start considering all that he has already done for us. We will start to think about how our love for him might transform others.

God does amazing things because he loves us. We see the miraculous move of God’s hand because we love him. When we transition from love of power to love for God, we will be filled with reverence and awe for who God is and how much he has done to bless us. We will stop thinking about what we get from God and start considering all that he has already done for us. We will start to think about how our love for him might transform others.