Capital City Christian Church | Podcast

There's a conflict between the world's way and God's way. The world loves getting respect, but Jesus followers are called to focus on giving respect. We're all about getting respect, but God says as a Jesus follower, you should focus on giving respect. It's an obligation. It's even a command. It's all throughout scripture. It's all over the place. Leviticus 19 and Exodus 20 say that you're supposed to respect your parents … that you honor your parents. It's not optional, it's not contingent, but you respect them, regardless. Leviticus 19 says that you're supposed to respect the elderly … honor the elderly. It's not optional; it's not contingent. It's a little bit confusing because there are some people that maybe you're ready to respect, but they're not ready to be elderly, right? So, it's a little bit of a conflict, but the command is still there.

God has a design and a plan for marriage. And in this marriage series, we're going to look through what it looks like to follow God's design. But it's not just for married people. In fact, the things that we talk through are going to apply to any relationship you may find yourself in. Now we will talk specifically about husbands and wives, and that's OK. The skills that we learn in that gymnasium will be valuable in other relationships as well. And I know that this could be difficult for you if you're unmarried … and you long to be. This may be difficult for you because divorce isn’t a theory; this is an experience that you've had. If you're widowed, it's going to be hard … but don’t push back or don't check out. Instead, I invite all of you to lean in and see how the things we're talking about will be valuable to you right now … even if you aren't in that marriage relationship.

Following Sunday's message, Doc, Ben, and Kari discuss what the Bible says about homosexuality and how Christians should respond. For more, listen to the full message, "At Odds: Sexuality.

What does the Bible say about homosexuality? "Last week, Doc started this series that we are calling “At Odds” by talking about controversies surrounding gender in our culture right now. Today, I get the opportunity to talk about sexuality, specifically sexuality concerning same-sex relationships. Some of you may be wondering why a preacher would even care to talk about such things. Quite frankly … we don’t really want to. But … we’re going to talk about this because our culture is changing, our worldview is changing, our anthropology (our view of man) and our theology (our view of God) … are all changing. We’re going to talk about this because many of the problems, issues, and struggles are real. And … some of the answers and solutions being offered are not God-honoring. If you are a Jesus follower, you shouldn’t be too concerned with culture’s opinion. In fact, your opinion or my opinion doesn’t really matter. The big question is whether or not God has an expectation … and if my opinion matches his expectation. It matters because he’s not just our Savior; he’s our Lord, right? Now, the stuff Doc talked about last week and the stuff I get to talk about today is hard. So, I want to reiterate that Doc and I are going to ask for your grace. We’re probably going to say some things inelegantly. We’re probably not going to say things the way you’d say it. And, because the things we’ll be talking about are so polarizing, what we’re going to try to say, some of you guys probably won’t hear. Our job is to try to convey God’s truth with God’s grace. Sometimes that’s really hard. If you disagree with the way we understand God’s truth and grace, we’re still going to love you. And, if you disagree with the way we understand God’s truth and grace, I hope you will give us grace."

"What does the Bible say about Gender? "In a nutshell, our culture has been changing at light speed. Even the definitions of words have been changing at light speed. So, it’s hard to know the right words to use. Because what we mean by the words we choose may not be what you hear. And, what concerns us most – as Jesus followers – is that some of these cultural winds seem at odds … at odds … with the designs and purposes of our Creator, our God. You see, for thousands of years, the vast, vast majority of people have assumed there were just 2 sexes – male and female – and that sex and gender were essentially linked. In other words, your gender was based on your equipment. This wasn’t just the assumption for people who believed in the God of the Bible; this was the way just about everybody viewed the world. There was this “binary,” … not only with people but with just about all the other creatures on earth. And yet, with what seems like light speed, sex and gender have been disconnected, separated, and differentiated. Now, for many, your sex is linked to your physical body … kind of, but your gender is linked more to your heart and your mind. Your physical body determines your sex … kind of, but your identity is more about your heart … what you feel, and your mind … what you think you are."

As part of our At Odds series, Doc, Ben, and Kari dig deeper into how Christians should respond to gender issues. They will examine "Is there a binary or a spectrum? Should parents affirm their children's gender dysphoria? What if I believe God made me this way?" and more.

When God nudges us, what does that look like? Two of the most prominent ways in which God nudges us are these two other lighthouses that Sweet names: conscience and instincts. And they are linked together really well this morning because they both come from this inner dialogue. But they are different. They are unique from one another. They function in different kinds of ways.

How much does … “God’s will” matter to you? If you are a Jesus follower, is it important to know and to follow God’s will? Isn’t that kind of what being a “Jesus follower” means? And what if “God’s will” clashes with your will for your life? Because it will! When they clash, who wins? And, if you are not a Jesus follower yet, and if there really is a big G God, and if that big G God actually does have a purpose for your life … if God has a “will” for you, should you care? What will you miss if you don’t?

"You have people who've pushed you and pulled you, encouraged you and challenged you. And spoke into your life. And it's the fulfillment of Hebrews 10.24-25. The writer says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…” I am the fulfillment of people who have spurred me on toward love and good deeds. I am the result of people being faithful to their God through providential relationships … either speaking to me in the name of God or showing me how to live in the name of God. I'm the result of that. I'm Hebrews 10:24 come alive, because of the lives of the people around me. But he doesn't stop there. He says, “Let's consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching.” The other side of this is that I can't be influenced by people if I'm not with them. When I give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, I miss out on those opportunities for God to speak into my life. We have strength in the community that we don't have individually. We have opportunities to hear God in a community that we don't have individually. And if you aren't surrounding yourself with Jesus' followers, then you may be preventing a significant way in which God speaks to you. And it is nearly as hypocritical as a Jesus follower who doesn't read the word of God."

If someone is speaking about something and it doesn't fit my agenda right now … if it's not the most important thing I can do at that moment … then I'm not interested. I don't want to hear it if it's inconvenient for me. And if it's terrible news, I sure don't listen to it, right? This is why most of us have these apps on our phones – these bank apps that tell us how much money is in our account – and sometimes we don't open them because we don't want to see how much isn't in our history. And sometimes, we don't go to the doctor because we don't want to hear what the doctor may say to us. And sometimes we don't want to go to church because we don't want to listen to what the preacher may say, much less what God may say. Have you ever done that? Have you ever refused to attend church because you were scared of what God may say?

"Now, I am good at not listening. In fact, when I was writing this part of the sermon Thursday morning, there was quite a bit of chatter in the office. So I popped on my noise-canceling earphones, earphones flipped them on, and there was this blissful silence. • Some of you guys, when you don’t want to listen, turn up the volume on something else. Do you ever turn up the volume on your TV so you don’t hear the noise the kids are making? Have you ever done that with God? • Sometimes, we avoid someone we don’t want to listen to. You see them coming, and you go the other way. Ever do that with God? • Sometimes, we try to hang with people who are going to agree with us. That’s called an “echo chamber.” We only hang with people to reinforce what we think, so we don’t have to … think. How many of you guys live in an echo chamber? … Have you ever been tempted to hang with people who will reinforce your grievances … with God? • What if … what if God is trying to talk … and we’re not trying to listen?"

"The Gospel of Matthew … the book they chose to be first in our New Testament … it opens up with this genealogy of Jesus. And it’s a weird genealogy … on purpose, I think. • You see, Jesus didn’t track his family tree so he could “find himself.” That’s ludicrous! How could his “human ancestors” make the Son of God any more or less? • And … even though Jesus’ genealogy skips over some guys, it’s not the bad guys they leave out. In fact, the genealogy of Jesus is pretty much a rogue’s gallery, a collection of messed-up people… like you guys. • And … someone inserted all these ladies into the genealogy of Jesus! How scandalous was that! Especially since every one of the ladies in the family tree of Jesus had pretty scandalous stories … like some of you ladies. So, we’ve been tracking this “trail of grace” through the Old Testament story leading right to Jesus … whom the apostle John describes as 100% truth and 100% grace. And I am going to wrap up this fantastic story by focusing on one of the most boring passages in the Bible … the genealogy of Jesus. And maybe … maybe … if you’ll lean in anyway … perhaps you’ll discover things about Jesus that will change your life. So … here goes." Stephen "Doc" Pattison

I want to ask a very simple question. If you were God, what would you do? If you were God, what would you be excited about? What would be the things that would thrill you – things that you could finally address or want to do? Like, what are the things that you would care deeply about and do something about if you were God?

In an interview with NBC, Dahmer reflected on his previous depravity. He said, “If a person doesn't think that there is a God to be accountable to, then what's the point of trying to modify your behavior to keep it within acceptable ranges? That's how I thought anyway.” In other words, if there is no God, then who cares what you do, who cares what you think is right or wrong. Why not do whatever you have an urge to do? … But … what if there is a God?

One of the most gracious things God could do for the people he had chosen, by grace, would be to give them some rules on how to do life together. You see, community requires either morals or rules, and these refugees had neither. And morals take time to cultivate. What they needed now were some rules. Rules, borders, guardrails regarding all kinds of stuff: diet, sanitation, marriage, children, animals, property rights, crime, and punishment … and more than anything else, on how to do life with God.

"Does God ever feel awkward? Is God ever uncomfortable or awkward? What if it's bigger than that? What if by this word uncomfortable I'm talking about something much bigger? Something like this: over the course of my life there have been a few times – not many, but a few times – when I have heard someone speak inappropriately either to or around a child and in those moments, I have felt compelled to do something about it. Moments when I felt like it was necessary for me to speak up and interject something. And it's uncomfortable. It's very uncomfortable. Is that a good example? Does God ever feel uncomfortable like that? In the sense where he's around something that he can't tolerate, or he can't just sit by and not do something about. Is God ever uncomfortable in a situation where he feels like he is driven to action, where he must act? He must respond. He must do something about it. Does God ever feel compelled to act?"

"Okay, I am going to preach this sermon in two different parts this morning. And just in case you get lost, let me tell you what the two big ideas are. The bottom line, guys, is that it’s not about you. It’s not about how good you are or how bad you are. It’s not about what you think of yourself or what other people think of you. It’s about God. #1: It’s His grace that gets you in. and #2: It’s His grace that keeps you in. Now, that’s easy to say, but it’s hard to accept up here (intellectually) and incredibly hard to accept down here (experientially). Listen, this is huge: it’s grace that gets you in, and it’s grace that keeps you in."

"We're tracing this "Trail of Grace" through the Old Testament because some of you probably still think grace isn't shown until Jesus. But the Old Testament drips with grace... if you look for it. And this story of the Fall drips with grace. Have you noticed that before? And it's not just the story of Adam and Eve; it's my story, and your story... a story of both the gravity of sin and the immensity of grace."

"Why does God create anything? Here’s a big philosophical question: Why is there something instead of nothing? Why is there existence as opposed to nothingness? Weird questions, right? But seriously, why did God create anything? Why is it that when God created, he created with an unnecessary diversity? Why is it that he created such a high level of extravagance? I mean, we did this video before with the tour of the pools, and we're rating them on a scale of 1 to 10 on functionality and 1 to 10 on beauty. There's a sense in which you can have both, you can swim in just about any pool, but not all pools are strikingly beautiful. Why is it that when God made the world, it doesn't remind us of an inflatable pool in the backyard, but it's more of an absolute extravagance? Why does God create in that kind of way? Why is it that God filled the earth with life that is endless in variety, boundless in scope, that it's relentless and resilient, that it's marvelous in complexity? Why has God gone to such great lengths? He's under no obligation. It's not anything that we would deserve. Last week we defined grace as getting something that we don't deserve. If we look at creation around us, it looks like the grace of God. It's just this large extravagance, over-the-top grace. That's exactly what God does. And when God creates, he calls it good."

What if, in humility, we rightly see ourselves as deserving nothing from God? And what if we shifted our thinking away from what we do or didn't deserve and looked at the beginning part of that definition? What if we begin to look at everything we've received from God as being a way that God has graced us?

"Humility is about getting honest with ourselves, and honest with God, and honest with those we do life with. Humility is about embracing reality, instead of the fantasy worlds we tend to live in. Humility is about taking my eyes off of me and focusing on God... which can be a real pride killer."

The apostle Paul says, “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5.22-23) … Here’s what he’s talking about. When we become Jesus followers, the Spirit of God- the Holy Spirit- makes a home inside us. He’s always on the outside, working on us, but it’s kind of like we invited him in, and he goes to work on us from the inside. And what he tries to do, in every single one of us Jesus followers, is to morph us back into what we were meant to be … what we were created to be by God. You see, you were created “in the image of God,” and life works best when we look at life and when we do life God’s way. These “fruit of the Spirit” are simply the character of God … he’s trying to make us like him … the way we were meant to be.

"But I think there's one fruit of the spirit where our standard matches God's. God expects that we will be 100% faithful. If you knew someone who was 90% faithful, you would think that isn't good enough. No wife would be appreciative of a 90% faithful husband; she expects that her husband would be faithful 100% of the time. No employer would appreciate a 90% faithful employee; they expect that you would be faithful 100% of the time. You wouldn't be satisfied with an employee who shows up nine out of 10 times – that isn't good enough. Faithfulness is that one fruit of the spirit where I believe we can clearly see and appreciate God's standard. This one we seem to get. Most of the fruit of the spirit have this sliding-scale-percentage-grade kind of scenario. We think that 90% is a pretty good grade. But it's not the same with faithfulness. It feels more like that pass/fail situation. Either you are faithful, or you aren't."

Have you ever thought about why we like to be at least a little bit bad sometimes? We’re drawn to sin, right? As much as we hate it … I hope … we kind of like sin, too, don’t we? “Sinners have more fun,” right? Craig Groeschel, a really good pastor in Oklahoma, puts it like this. He says, “If sin isn’t fun, you’re not doing it right!” We enjoy the thrill of tasting the forbidden fruit. It’s exciting. Maybe because there is this rebellious streak in all of us, there is this “self” in all of us that loves bucking someone else’s rules … even God’s.

Believe it or not, I am way more patient now than I used to be. The Spirit of God had a whole lot of work to do on me. Because this patience is a big deal. It’s one of the “fruit of the Spirit” that we have been talking about in this “Remastered” series. It’s one of those pieces of the “image of God” that God’s Spirit is trying to cultivate in every one of us Jesus followers. And it’s hard, because … Well, we live in a world that does not revolve around us. And more than that, we live in a world surrounded by sinners. Everyone I do life with is a sinner, and some of those sins hurt me. Just like, some of my sins hurt those who do life with me. So, this … God-like … patience … is a really, really big deal. Let me show you.

Bottom line … how many of you guys … let’s see hands this time … be honest … How many of you struggle with some self-control issue? If your hand wasn’t up, I suspect you have one of 3 problems. #1: You are in denial. #2: Or you’re lying like a dog. Or #3: you have a problem with pride. Because self-control is a battle for all of us … isn’t it? Now, I’m going to be an absolute hypocrite this morning. I have a bunch of self-control issues, even though I’ve been a Jesus follower for a long time. But I’ve got to tell you God’s truth even when I struggle with it, right? I’ve told you before I preach to myself and let you listen in.

"We've been walking through the fruit of the spirit for the last few weeks and talking about love, joy, and peace. We've talked about the definition of each fruit and worked through what the counterfeit version of that fruit is. We've even talked about what the opposite of that fruit is. So let's start real briefly with the definition of hope. I think hope is an optimistic anticipation in the person and the promises of Jesus. It’s an optimistic anticipation – meaning it's looking forward. Hope is something that has not yet happened. It's not something that is happening; it's something that's looking forward. It's anticipating something that will happen. And it's optimistic. It's not a negative anticipation. It's looking forward in excitement. And, like we’ve seen with other fruit, there's this sense that there's a perception to it. There's a robust confidence to it because of where it's rooted. It's an optimistic anticipation in the person and promises of Jesus. That's so key to this definition. A Jesus follower has a perception that's different. Because of who Jesus is, how He lived and what he taught – and specifically His death and His resurrection. Hope is that optimistic anticipation in the person of who He is and the promises of Jesus, meaning the things that are yet to come. The promises of His return – the promises of eternal residence with Him."

"'Then' you will experience … God’s peace, he says. What would that feel like? God’s peace. Any of you need some of that? I’ll bet some of you guys need a boatload of it. Because a lot of you guys have a PhD in worry, right? You could teach classes on it! How many of you guys struggle with worry, anxiety, stress? Health issues, and you are scared to death. Money issues, and you can’t sleep. Your marriage is struggling, or your kids are a mess, and it's sucking the life out of life. Trouble at work, or maybe you’re out of work … that’s hard! Maybe you are being bullied, or maybe you’re just flat our lonely … and it’s stealing your peace. Maybe it’s sin … that is stealing your peace. Have you ever been unsettled, or even undone by your sin? I hope so. That will create some anxiety, won’t it? On top of all that … just read the news … you’re not going to find peace out there!"

Bob Russell discusses the importance of praying for the church during the end of days.

See, I think having joy includes feelings of good cheer and a vibrant happiness. But joy, in its fuller, even spiritual meaning involves way more. It is a deep-rooted, inspired happiness. It’s a feeling, but it’s also a choice. It’s a lasting emotion that comes from a choice. Joy endures through difficult moments. Happiness isn’t joy. Happiness is fleeting, not long-lasting. It’s dependent on people making you happy or something good happening or something going your way. Pleasure isn’t joy. Pleasure is fleeting, not long-lasting. It’s dependent on people making you happy or something good happening or something going your way. Joy, while accompanied by emotion, is more than an emotion. It’s rooted. It’s a choice. Which means that when something happens that wouldn’t make you happy, you can still have joy. When something happens that doesn’t bring you pleasure, you can still have joy.

"This is a really big deal … if you are a Jesus follower. A God kind of love is #1 in the apostle Paul’s list of the fruit of the Spirit … for a reason. It all starts here, guys. Jesus identified a God kind of love as priorities # 1 and 2 for a Jesus follower. He says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22.37-39) And guys, 1 Corinthians 13 is the kind of love Jesus is talking about. He’s not talking about any of our cheap substitutes. The apostle John said, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” (1 John 4.20-21) And I Corinthians is the kind of love he’s talking about, not the counterfeit stuff we settle for."

"So, Jesus’ enemies have finally got him exactly where they want him. They had had him arrested on trumped up charges, they had put him through a farce of a trial, they had beaten him nearly to death with a whip, then stripped him naked and nailed his hands and feet to a cross … and he was hanging there … right on the edge of dying. One of his disciples was dead, 10 were in hiding, and only one dared watch. Their hopes that Jesus might be their messiah, their inklings that he might actually be even more than that … the Son of God, even … all their hopes crushed by this … disillusionment … this emptiness. And Jesus says … “It is finished.” “It is finished” … what in the world does that mean?" Stephen "Doc" Pattison

"There are moments when Jesus looks very normal – and moments when he looks supernatural. There are moments when he sounds very human – and moments when he sounds like he has a supernatural authority. Which are you more comfortable with? Do you like Jesus as God? Or do you prefer Jesus, the man? And if you see him as God, is he a good God? Is he a failure? If he’s a man, do you see him as a winner? A loser? Pitiful? Fool? I want us to see Jesus in the moment today. I want us to appreciate what the disciples experienced and even see what Jesus was revealing from moment to moment. And I think you’ll find you are in the story as well. And there is a sequence of stories starting in Mark 8 that, to me, really shows the complexity of what we are talking about. And as hard as it is for us to comprehend it all, we’ll follow Peter and see how he handles all of it in the moment."

Some of the stories in the Bible sound weird. Now, if you’ve grown up in the church as I have, you forget how weird they sound to people who haven’t heard them a few dozen times. And this is one of the weird ones. It’s a wild, weird story … to people who aren’t used to the wild, weird stories of the Bible. And they read it, and they’re like … “Really?! Do you actually think that happened … literally? Do you actually think it happened … that way? I mean, there are so many head-scratchers in it, right?” It's a story of a skirmish between this “God-man” Jesus … and this supernatural being they called “Satan.” According to the Jesus stories in the New Testament, Jesus is young … about 30, maybe … just kicking off his “ministry” on earth, and he’s kind of tossed into this cage match with the devil, Lucifer, “the prince of darkness,” Beelzebub, Mephistopheles … you know, the guy we picture with red skin, teeth like some vampire, horns, a serpent-like tail, and, holding this pitchfork … for some reason. … Really?

We're going start unpacking some of the most famous verses in the Bible ... deservedly so ... and I think all of us need to lean in. Because they are not only some of the most famous verses in the Bible, but they are also, I think, some of the most misunderstood. And if you actually listen to what Jesus was actually saying this is really, really important stuff. So, if you want to follow along, open your Bible or your Bible app to Matthew chapter 5. The verses will be on screen as well. These are the opening verses to what is called "The Sermon on the Mount." Ever heard of it? The Sermon on the Mount, from the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7. Here's how it starts.

"If you have submitted yourself to Jesus, and if you are a part of this family here, you are now an ambassador to God’s brand. What you do and say reflects the perceived values of CapCity. And of God himself. Again, you don’t have to agree with me. You don’t have to like this news. This isn’t information just for Jesus followers. But it is true. It’s true for all people in all circumstances. What you do and say is constantly telling others something about who you are and who you represent. And if you are a Jesus follower, this verse should be pretty important to you: 2 Corinthians 5:20 – “And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (God has decided that the way his message will go throughout the world will be through us – and his message is reconciliation). We are, therefore Christ’s ambassadors (we represent his message and his brand – that makes us ambassadors) as though God were making his appeal through us. (I hate that phrase “as though.” It’s not there in the Greek and the idea isn’t present in this passage. It isn’t “as though,” some passive “could be.” It is exactly this way. God is making his appeal through us. It is his plan. It is his strategy. And, again, our message:) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.'"

It's easy to complain. It's easy to diss and mock and attack. What's harder is to show them something better. Which is kind of our job, right? as Jesus-Followers? To show them something better? And we don't think that it is better because we are smarter than they are. We don't think it is better because we think our ideas are superior to their ideas. We think it is better because we are trying to live out God's ideas...we think. And we think God, our Creator God, is way smarter and way better than we are. We think He kind of proved it...in Jesus.

Well, this morning I am going to unpack these ideas in the context of money. Now, if you’ve been around CapCity for a while you know that I’m not much of a preacher, I’m more of a teacher. And this morning I’m going to teach. In fact, it may feel like trying to drink from a firehouse. But in this series we are in … “Skill Set” … the stuff we do as Jesus followers, I’ve got one week to talk about how we view and handle our money … as Jesus followers. So here goes …

Now, I’m actually going to give you one “long” sermon in three parts. Part one today, and part two next week, and part three the week after that. But they are all connected; they all flow out of the same big ideas. Four big ideas. Here they are: • Big idea #1: God owns it all. It’s all his. Everything we have, everything we can do, how we live, what we live for … it’s all his. We think it’s ours, when, in reality, it’s all his … whether we acknowledge it or not. Because he is God, right? • Big idea #2: The big G God is lavishly generous, he’s amazingly generous. Whether you are a Jesus follower, or not, God has given you so incredibly much! Do you buy that? It’s all grace, guys! • Big idea #3: With gifts comes responsibility. How did Spiderman put it? “With great power comes great responsibility.” Well, it’s the right idea: “With great gifts comes great responsibility.” • And, Big idea #4: If you live these 3 big ideas out, you’ll have a better life, and you’ll be better at life. It’s all his; he’s extravagantly generous; but he expects you to use what he gives you in a God-honoring way. Living that way will be better for you, and for everyone around you. … Because we have a very good, and a very wise God, right?

There is something true and the physical, mental, and emotional state of man in this statement: “It is not good for the man to be alone.” It isn’t good physically, mentally, or emotionally. That is what these studies have shown. But most importantly, it isn’t good spiritually. In the last couple of weeks, Doc has made this point: Spiritual health is more important than physical health. And, potentially, the greatest area of health that suffers when we are isolated and lonely is our spiritual health.

"Now, if you are a mature Jesus follower, there’s a good chance that what I’m going to talk about this morning will make you pretty uncomfortable … it does me! And, if you are not a mature Jesus follower, there’s a good chance you’re going to hate it. In fact, you’ll might think something like, “If he’s right, I’m not even sure I like God much.” And if you are not a Jesus follower at all, this stuff is probably going to sound flat out weird to you, and you may be tempted to push this God even further away. But … I think the story we’re going to unpack this morning is in the Bible for a reason. It’s a story that I go back to from time to time, because it is so … … Bottom line, for most people it is at least … problematic. In fact, it’s one of those stories people point to to justify their rejecting the God of the Bible. Because it exposes a side of God that is at least confusing, and, for some, terrifying. In fact, I think this is one of the most counter-cultural stories in the Bible … and there are boatloads of them. But, I’m going to unpack it anyway because it kind of points to the end of our discipleship path. You see, we don’t think our job is done when someone accepts Jesus as their Savior. We think that’s just the beginning. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all the nations (In other words: help people get started on the path; go and make Jesus followers), baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (But don’t stop there! Then,) Teach these new Jesus followers to obey all the commands I have given you.” (Matthew 28.19-20) All of them. In other words, it’s not just about believing that Jesus is your Savior, it’s about learning to surrender to Jesus as your Lord … an absolute, unconditional surrender. So, are you there, yet?"

"A lifetime ago, when I was a professor at Kentucky Christian, one of my colleagues, my pastor at the time, and our basketball coach for a time … he drilled this into his players. Over and over, Dick said: Remember who you are and what you stand for. It makes a difference: Remember who you are and what you stand for. And guys, I think it will make a difference for you. If you are a Jesus follower, remember who you are and what you stand for … every day. This series is all about some of the weird things we do because we are Jesus followers. It’s not just about what we believe; it’s about what we do because we are Jesus followers. And we do this stuff to remember who we are and what we stand for."

"But listen, guys; God doesn’t just want you to “believe” in Jesus; he wants you to “follow” him. It’s easy to “believe” it takes guys to “follow.” Do you know where’s he leading you? How do you know? So, to help us get it right, God inspired this book, this guidebook, this instruction manual. Have you ever tried to put something together without reading the instructions? You can do it with simple things, maybe. But with really, really complex things … good luck. Well, into which category do you put your life? Simple or complex? Have you ever messed up your life … badly? Well, a lot of Jesus' followers try to get it done without reading the instructions. And even when we consult the book, the guidebook, the instruction manual, a lot of us are like … “Really? That’s what God wants? I must not have read that right. Did God really say … that? It must not mean what it sounds like. Did God really mean … that? That’s just weird.” Or, “That may work for some of you, but that’s not going to work for me. And it’s my call, right? After all, it’s my life.” And with stupid thoughts like these, we blow God off."

"And if you’re a Christian, prayer isn’t an optional skill that you can choose to learn. It’s not like riding a bike in that sense. Some of you may not know how to ride a bike because you never desired to learn. Prayer isn’t that way for Jesus' followers. Like what we saw last week with worship when prayer is mentioned in the Bible, it is often communicated as a command. Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer.” No invitation there. Just a straight demand. In Luke 18, Jesus teaches his disciples the necessity of praying. Jesus wanted them to know that “…they should always pray…”. Not an invitation. A command. And my personal favorite verse on prayer 1 Thessalonians 5:17. “Pray continuously.” No qualifiers. No explanation or exposition. Just a simple command. We have to start today with an understanding that prayer, at its most fundamental level, is an act of obedience. And it can look very formal. I personally love the few times I get to participate in a more liturgical service where there are corporate prayers. There is beauty in a congregation reciting prayers together. It’s all over the Old Testament, and you can see Jesus and his disciples practicing those prayers that had been learned. And we’re going to have an opportunity to do that today."

we’re going to kick off this new “Skill Set” series this morning by talking about worship … which is the most important thing we do as Jesus' followers. Do you buy that? We do. And we think it’s about way more than just sitting in this room for an hour on Sunday morning observing. Listen: We are here to worship our God because he’s worth it.

"We’ve got a vision, and we’ve got a mission. It’s bigger than any one of us, but if we all work together, we can see it come to reality." - Jon Sutphin, Executive Minister.

Join us as Doc discusses the myths about Christmas and shows the real reason for the season.

"Waiting is hard. Waiting on God is harder. But it’s an opportunity to be faithful and see something better than you could ever imagine."

"In the end, we have only two options. We can either say to God, "Thy will be done," or God will say to us, "Then, thy will be done." If we insist, God will grant us what we think we want - to be separated from Him...forever." - Stephen "Doc" Pattison Reference: Frazee, Randy. "Believe: Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus." Zondervan, 2015.

What if it’s not your body? What if you are just flat-out wrong? It may be your choice, but what if it’s not your body? Wouldn’t that mean that whatever choice you make matters to the one who actually owns your body? And … what if … what if it’s not your life. That’s kind of offensive to say, right? But what if it is … not. Your. Life? So … what if, in reality, you are not the boss of you. You think you are. But what if that is an illusion, or maybe, a delusion? And … what if there are things more important than … your rights? Way more important! What if a fixation on “my rights” makes me a bit of a jerk, way littler than I was created to be? Well … I’ll show you. Hang with me … please.