Church of the Nazarene

Church of the Nazarene - Harrisonburg http://bible.com/events/48999149 The Christmas Gifts: JOY Joy is a promise of God. And He keeps His promises. As we enter the Advent season for 2022, we will seek to grow deeper in our understanding of the free gifts available to us through Christ and his coming. Gifts we cannot earn and do not deserve. Today we will unwrap the Christmas Gift of Joy. Joy to the World then isn’t about Christmas Presents, it’s not just a nice song, it’s more. It’s a statement of fact for those who believe and receive the gift the father gave at Christmas.‭‭ Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭12 ‬‬In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So, Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” The angel's declaration is beautiful and also challenging: great joy!-Of all the wonderful benefits of the coming Messiah, and of all the things the angel could say, the angel declares joy. Not only that, but “great joy.”-The type of joy being described here is remarkable, amazing, above and beyond what we can comprehend.‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬‬Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22 ‬‬But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, The bottom line: Joy is a promise of God. And He keeps His promises. Joy is one of the great gifts of Christmas. The Joy of the Lord is the overcomer of your circumstances. The Joy of the Lord cannot be dimmed by your imperfections. The Joy of the Lord meets you on your knees The Joy of the Lord is your strength Come let us worship Christ the Newborn King! Verses for further study/reflection: Psalm 16:11 Romans 14:17 John 15:11 1 Peter 1:8-9 Nehemiah 8:10

Church of the Nazarene - East Rock The Christmas Gifts JOY Christmas Gifts Part 3 "Joy" As we enter the Advent season for 2022, we will seek to grow deeper in our understanding of the free gifts available to us through Christ and his coming. Gifts we cannot earn and do not deserve. Today we will unwrap the Christmas Gift of Joy. Joy to the World then isn’t about Christmas Presents, it’s not just a nice song, it’s more. It’s a statement of fact for those who believe and receive the gift the father gave at Christmas. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭7 ‬‬In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. For all the challenges, all the things that didn’t go as well as Mary would have liked; the travel, the tax audit, the smell of animal manure- the gift of Joy is still present at his arrival. Joy has come! Not because of their circumstances, but because of His presence. And the same is true for you today. ‭‭Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭12 ‬‬And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” From Abraham, Moses, through King David the promise of Messiah had been anticipated. All the offerings, all the sacrificed lambs pointed to this moment, to this babe in a manger. That’s the gift of Christmas- good news that will cause great joy for all people. The Christmas story, the story of Jesus, is our story. We are invited to take the journey with the shepherds to worship him, to know him as our Lord and savior. To receive Jesus and experience JOY like never before. True Joy is a gift, a gift of the Holy Spirit and his presence within us. Joy is not something you invent, or work up. It’s not an emotion, swaying in the wind of your circumstances. Joy comes from knowing that despite the challenges of our world, the heartbreak, the pain we experience, despite all those things, that we are in Christ- part of his eternal life plan. It’s present when we can see God working, and when we can’t. The Christmas gift of Joy is yours in Christ, at Christmas, and beyond. Joy is one of the great gifts of Christmas. The Joy of the Lord is the overcomer of your circumstances. The Joy of the Lord cannot be dimmed by your imperfections. The Joy of the Lord meets you on your knees The Joy of the Lord is your strength Come let us worship Christ the Newborn King!

http://bible.com/events/48995673 Church of the Nazarene - Harrisonburg The Christmas Gifts - Mercy The manger is the perfect picture of mercy. Throughout this Advent season for 2022, we will seek to grow deeper in our understanding of the free gifts available to us through Christ and His coming. These are gifts we cannot earn and do not deserve. Christmas is a time to celebrate the presence that came at that first Christmas, and it’s an opportunity for all to receive the greatest gift in Christ. It is no accident that gift giving is a part of Christmas since Christmas itself is a great gift! ‭‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭39‬-‭55‬‬ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” -There are a lot of words that we use to describe Christmas: joy, peace, wonder. But rarely do we talk about mercy. Of all the gifts we could talk about, mercy doesn't seem very high on the list. -But it was first on Mary’s list. In these moments of worship, she celebrates the gift of Jesus as a gift of mercy. -In case we might miss the significance, Mary then concludes with another declaration of mercy: "[the Lord] remembering to be merciful" (verse 54).‭‭ Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭14 ‬‬For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. -Jesus' life was a rescue mission, our rescue mission. -We could not rescue ourselves from sin. And we deserved whatever we had coming to us. Instead, we received a Savior. -The greatest act of mercy is a Father sending his own Son to show us the way back to the Father. Bottom Line: The manger is the perfect picture of mercy. Verses for further study/reflection: Luke 1:67-80 1 Peter 1:3 Psalm 145:9 James 2:13 Matthew 5:7 Hebrews 4:16 Ephesians 1:7 Acts 10:43

https://www.bible.com/events/48996040 Church of the Nazarene - East Rock The Christmas Gifts - Mercy Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled: Throughout this Advent season for 2022, we will seek to grow deeper in our understanding of the free gifts available to us through Christ and His coming. These are gifts we cannot earn and do not deserve. Christmas is a time to celebrate the presence that came at that first Christmas, and it’s an opportunity for all to receive the greatest gift in Christ. It is no accident that gift giving is a part of Christmas since Christmas itself is a great gift! MERCY: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm or execute justice against‭‭ Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭39‬-‭55 ‬‬At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” Mary describes that God “has done great things” for her...And the first of those “great things” on her list is mercy. She starts with the action of God’s mercy.‭‭ Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭67‬-‭80 ‬‬His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel. Zechariah ascribes praise to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has personally come to help his people‭‭ Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭23‬‬ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Bottom Line: GOD'S GIFT OF MERCY WAS GIVEN IN A MANGER Henry Smart Sinners, wrung with true repentance, Doomed for guilt to endless pains, Justice now revokes the sentence, Mercy calls you; break your chains." Glory to the newborn King" Verses for further study/reflection: Luke 1:67-80 1 Peter 1:3 Psalm 145:9 James 2:13 Matthew 5:7 Hebrews 4:16 Ephesians 1:7 Acts 10:43

http://bible.com/events/48992092 Church of the Nazarene - Harrisonburg The Christmas Gifts - Part 1Christmas Gifts Part 1 "Presence" As we enter the Advent season for 2022, we will seek to grow deeper in our understanding of the free gifts available to us through Christ and His coming. Gifts we cannot earn and do not deserve. Christmas is a time to celebrate the presence that came at that first Christmas, and it’s an opportunity for all to receive the greatest gift in Christ. It is no accident that gift giving is a part of Christmas since Christmas itself is a great gift! ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭23 ‬‬This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).‭‭ Isaiah‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬‬ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.-His name, Jesus, specifies what he does (“God saves”), and Immanuel specifies who He is (“God with us”). -Part of Jesus' saving activity is indelibly connected to His presence with us. You don’t get one without the other. -It’s difficult to imagine the presence of God unless you know what it’s like to be away from His presence, which is what the people in Isaiah’s time would have known. They knew darkness and despair and what seemed hopeless. Thus, the reason for the promise. Immanuel is coming! ‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭14 ‬‬The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Bottom Line: He was born in that manger so He could be with you. It's not that Jesus came to be with you (past tense), it's that His presence is still with us now! Verses for further study/reflection: Philippians 2:6-8 Isaiah 41:10 Isaiah 8:8-10

Church of the Nazarene - East Rock The Christmas Gifts Part 1Christmas Gifts Part 1 "Presence" This year, as the UPS and Amazon delivery drivers are taking up residence at our houses and the wrapping gets under way- let’s make time and space to receive and appreciate the true gifts of Christmas. The Christmas gifts that we couldn’t earn, yet are free and available to everyone, and that last forever-As we enter the Advent season for 2022, we will seek to grow deeper in our understanding of the free gifts available to us through Christ and his coming. Gifts we cannot earn and do not deserve. Christmas is a time to celebrate the presence that came at that first Christmas, and it’s an opportunity for all to receive the greatest gift in Christ. It is no accident that gift giving is a part of Christmas since Christmas itself is a great gift!‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭23 ‬‬This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). In naming him Jesus, which means “God Saves”, we are given a picture of what he will do. And in being called Immanuel, it is revealed who he is- “Immanuel- God with us” Immanuel- The gift of presence! In this beautiful portrait Matthew ties together two important ideas, to show the significance of this Christmas announcement. God has come to be with us, to save us. That’s the gift of presence. That’s the promised Christmas Gift. As we enter this season, we were very intentional to begin with the idea of presence because that’s where the story of the Messiah begins in the Book of John. When Jesus’ close friend John, began to write a letter to share the story of Jesus- he interestingly doesn’t begin with details you might expect. No details of the angels, the shepherds in the fields, no bright star, no magi, not even the manger. No, John begins with presence! ‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭14 ‬‬The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. To a first century audience, that would immediately take them back to the Tabernacle in the wilderness set up by Moses. In Exodus 25 God begins to give Moses details on how to erect this special tent where the presence of God would dwell among his people. This tabernacle was an ornate structure, with precious metals, jewels, and fabrics throughout. And you didn’t just go waltzing in there either- to come into the presence of God was a reverent and sacred thing. John is taking up that idea of tabernacle and saying that in Christ- rather than us going to the tabernacle to encounter God, God has brought the tabernacle to us. This is literally a history-changing move on God’s part. My prayer is that whether Christmas is already hard, or it’s the highlight of the year, that you will experience the true gift of Christmas. The gift of Presence, the gift of Emmanuel, God with us. Carry it with you everywhere you go. Take the story to bed with you as you lay down to rest. Get in the story. And as we do that- I also pray that we would give ourselves to him. Vance Havner says "Christmas is based on an exchange of gifts, the gift of God to man – His unspeakable gift of His Son, and the gift of man to God – when we present our bodies a living sacrifice." Friends it is in this gift exchange that we can experience new life- Life as part of God’s family. Merry Christmas! Christ has come!

http://bible.com/events/48988709 Church of the Nazarene - Harrisonburg What We Believe Part 4What we believe: Resurrection Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth.I welcome you to our teaching series “What we believe” Church of the Nazarene Article of Faith 16 16. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, that the bodies both of the just and of the unjust shall be raised to life and united with their spirits— “they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” 16.1 We believe in future judgment in which every person shall appear before God to be judged according to his or her deeds in this life. 16.2 We believe that glorious and everlasting life is assured to all who savingly believe in, and obediently follow, Jesus Christ our Lord; and that the finally impenitent shall suffer eternally in hell. 1.Jesus’ Resurrection was necessary to guarantee us eternal life through resurrection. 2.Jesus’ Resurrection is a foretaste of what we can expect in our own resurrection. 3.Our resurrected bodies will be like Jesus’ resurrected body. ‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16 ‬‬For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭40 ‬‬For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”‭‭ John‬ ‭5‬:‭24‬-‭29 ‬‬“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.‭‭ 1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭3‬-‭8 ‬‬For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.‭‭ 1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭12‬-‭23 ‬‬But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. First-Fruits: 1. All the harvest came from God and belonged to Him. 2. It was an expression of faith. Because you gave the first harvest to God, you were trusting that He would provide the rest of the harvest. 3. The First-Fruits offering consecrated the entire harvest. ‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬‬ Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.‭‭ Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬-‭21 ‬‬But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. ‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭23‬-‭25‬‬ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrectio

Church of the Nazarene - East Rock What We Believe Part 4 What we believe: Resurrection, Judgement, Destiny Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth .I welcome you to our teaching series “What we believe” We begin today with a question: Is this all there is? Do you ever find yourself reflecting on the pain and challenges of life, or maybe scrolling, or watching the nightly news on television, asking a similar question? At the risk of being too dramatic, your answer to this question is influencing your life decisions today and your outlook on tomorrow. As we finish up our teaching series examining what we believe as Nazarenes, I think we will see that for the follower of Jesus, the answer to the question “is this all there is?” is a compassionate and hope-filled NO Church of the Nazarene Article of Faith 1616. We believe in the resurrection of the dead, that the bodies both of the just and of the unjust shall be raised to life and united with their spirits— “they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”16.1 We believe in future judgment in which every person shall appear before God to be judged according to his or her deeds in this life.16.2 We believe that glorious and everlasting life is assured to all who savingly believe in, and obediently follow, Jesus Christ our Lord; and that the finally impenitent shall suffer eternally in hell. The Resurrection of Jesus is the central point of the Christian Faith, we celebrate this every year at Easter. It’s like Superbowl Sunday in the Church. We believe that part of the story of God is that all people will experience resurrection too. Both the just and the un-just.‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭16‬-‭23‬‬For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. We believe that those who have lived justly, lived for Christ, will be resurrected to eternal life, with a new and incorruptible body. Existentially more alive, more whole, more pure, free from the ailments and pains that we know now. Judgement- everyone’s favorite topic… or maybe not…To begin, as we discuss judgement, we must not allow our human tendency towards vindictive judgement pass over onto God. The reality is, if we believe that God is going to put all things right, that there is coming a new heaven and a new earth, we NEED God’s righteous and holy judgement to be true, for it to take place. We believe that the results of judgement are eternal. For those condemned- it will mean eternity separated from God’s presence. And for those in Christ there awaits a great hope of eternity spent in the presence of God and all the saints. We believe there is an eternal destiny for every person, and we also believe that how we live and what we believe now will affect our live forever.‭‭ John‬ ‭5‬:‭24‬-‭29‬‬ “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. For some when you hear about resurrection and judgement, you might wonder about Christ’s return. We believe that Christ will return, and that his return fits into this narrative of resurrection and judgement as Christ returns. Article of Faith 15 in the Church of the Nazarene. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will come again; that we who are alive at His coming shall not precede them that are asleep in Christ Jesus; but that, if we are abiding in Him, we shall be caught up with the risen saints to meet the Lord in the air, so that we shall ever be with the Lord. This doctrine has picked up in intensity and diversity in recent years, but For the Church of the Nazarene, the key truth is that he will return. He will appear

https://www.bible.com/events/48984274 What We Believe Part 3 What we believe: Entire Sanctification Over the next few weeks as a church we are going to explore what we believe, a few of the key doctrines and concepts of scripture, that shape our life individually as well as our life together as the Church. Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth. Welcome to our teaching series “What we believe”. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭15‬-‭19 ‬‬I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭24 ‬‬What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? -Paul is describing a tension to which many of us can relate: we battle with sin even when we desire to do good. -Many people stop reading after verse 24. They believe that living a daily battle with sin is inevitable. -It's not the end of Paul's words and it's not the final word on sin in our lives. Keep reading to verse 25. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭7‬:‭25‬‬ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Through Jesus there is deliverance. Through Jesus there is hope. Sin does not have the final word. The doctrine of Entire Sanctification is defined as "the work of God which transforms believers into the likeness of Christ" (Manual, Church of the Nazarene). Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭4‬‬ What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬-‭14 ‬‬In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭4‬‬ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. What Paul describes throughout this letter is the power of God to overcome sin in our lives Consider these reminders in Romans 6-8: -"We have died to sin" (Romans 6:2) -"Sin is no longer our master" (Romans 6:) -"We are rescued from sin and death" (Romans 7:25) -"We are set free from sin" (Romans 8:2) -"We no longer live according to sin" (Romans 8:4) 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬-‭24 ‬‬May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. God's Word describes sin in two different ways: 1. The acts of sin - the things that we have done, and choices we have made. 2. The nature of sin - our corrupted nature, which is bent towards selfishness. Jesus came to be my Savior, and to forgive my acts of sin (the wrong things I have done). But Jesus also came to be my Lord, to purify my heart and cleanse me from a nature bent towards sin. Jesus desires to be both Savior and Lord. "We believe there is a marked distinction between a pure heart and a mature character." (Manual, Church of the Nazarene) God purifies our hearts, but we continue the lifelong journey to grow in grace and maturity. Verses for further study/reflection: Jeremiah 31:31-34 Ezekiel 36:25-27 Malachi 3:2–3 Matthew 3:11–12 Luke 3:16–17 John 7:37–39 John 14:15–23 John 17:6–20 Acts 1:5 Acts 2:1–4 Acts 15:8–9; Romans 12:1–2 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1 Galatians 2:20 Galatians 5:16–25 Ephesians 3:

What We Believe Part 3What we believe: Entire Sanctification Over the next few weeks as a church we are going to explore what we believe, a few of the key doctrines and concepts of scripture, that shape our life individually as well as our life together as the Church. Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth. I welcome you to our new teaching series “What we believe” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭10 ‬‬If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.‭‭1 John‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬‬My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. Can I just say emphatically today that we believe this? And not only do we believe it’s true, we believe we are called to experience it as a part of our walk with Christ.Today in part 3 of our series we will see that we believe in the power of God’s grace to enable us to live lives free from the power of sin. Or put more simply, we believe in what's known as Entire Sanctification. From our Articles of Faith We believe that sanctification is the work of God which transforms believers into the likeness of Christ. It is wrought by God’s grace through the Holy Spirit in initial sanctification, or regeneration (simultaneous with justification), entire sanctification, and the continued perfecting work of the Holy Spirit culminating in glorification. In glorification we are fully conformed to the image of the Son. We believe that entire sanctification is that act of God, subsequent to regeneration, by which believers are made free from original sin, or depravity, and brought into a state of entire devotement to God, and the holy obedience of love made perfect. It is wrought by the baptism with or infilling of the Holy Spirit, and comprehends in one experience the cleansing of the heart from sin and the abiding, indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, empowering the believer for life and service. Entire sanctification is provided by the blood of Jesus, is wrought instantaneously by grace through faith, preceded by entire consecration; and to this work and state of grace the Holy Spirit bears witness.This experience is also known by various terms representing its different phases, such as “Christian perfection,” “perfect love,” “heart unity,” “the baptism with or infilling of the Holy Spirit,” “the fullness of the blessing,” and “Christian holiness.”We believe that there is a marked distinction between a pure heart and a mature character. The former is obtained in an instant, the result of entire sanctification; the latter is the result of growth in grace.We believe that the grace of entire sanctification includes the divine impulse to grow in grace as a Christlike disciple. However, this impulse must be consciously nurtured, and careful attention given to the requisites and processes of spiritual development and improvement in Christlikeness of character and personality. Without such purposeful endeavor, one’s witness may be impaired and the grace itself frustrated and ultimately lost.Participating in the means of grace, especially the fellowship, disciplines, and sacraments of the Church, believers grow in grace and in wholehearted love to God and neighbor.let’s pause to clarify some terms.First, what on earth is that thing in our hearts, those desires that sabotage our walk with the Lord?That friends, is our sinful or carnal nature, inherited from our first parents in the garden. It’s always opposed to God’s will, it’s always focused on fulfilling our own desires. It’s the motivator or the source of all the sins we commit.Next, what is mean by Sanctification?By definition it is the action of making or declaring something holy. The action or process of being freed from sin or purified.So, for entire sanctification, we believe that by grace, we are purified, and entirely freed from sin.It is in entire sanctification that the carnal nature in our hearts is dealt with by Christ’s atoning work on the Cross.We believe that Entire Sanctification is the work of God’s grace in our lives that deals with the deep heart condition.In purifying our hearts, we are freed from the power of that nature we have struggled with for so long.‭‭ Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬-‭14‬‬ The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those

http://bible.com/events/48982006 What We Believe (2)" Christian theology teaches the doctrine of prevenient grace, which, briefly stated, means that before a man can seek God, God must have first sought the man." A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God Over the next few weeks as a church we are going to explore what we believe, a few of the key doctrines and concepts of scripture, that shape our life individually as well as our life together as the Church. Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth. Welcome to our series “What We Believe” Today we are looking at: PREVENIENT GRACE This belief based upon the Scriptures sets Christianity apart from other world religions. Christianity = God has moved first towards us, longing for our response World Religions = We must move first towards god (the gods) + hopefully they will respond in a gracious way Enabling Universal Resistible ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭5‬‬ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. G.R.A.C.E Gods Riches At Christ Expense ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬‬ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬‬ John Arnold “Wesleyans are utterly pessimistic about human nature and outrageously optimistic about God’s grace. We must never confuse the two. Optimism about grace is not optimism about man. Without God’s grace, we are helpless to make any move towards God. Any desire or ability to do what is right comes from God as a free gift. From beginning to end, the Wesleyan watchword is grace, grace, grace. Nothing is man-centered. God gets all the glory for our salvation.” By grace you are saved, through faith. Because God sought you first. CHARLES SPURGEON “Remember, that God is not the God of uniformity, though he is of union and peace. He may lead you at once into joy and peace, as Nathanael, who said as soon as he saw Christ, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” God may, and doubtless has been blessing you through his grace from your birth; but he needs not to plunge you many days in the cold, dark waters of conviction, to wash away your sin: the blood of Christ at once can cleanse from all sin, if you confide your soul to him. Believe, therefore, and you are at once justified and at peace with God.” WHAT WILL YOUR RESPONSE BE TO HIS COMPASSIONATE PURSUING GRACE TODAY? Titus 3:4-7 John 6:44 2 Peter 3:9 John 1:9 John 12:32 Titus 2:11

Church of the Nazarene - East Rock What We Believe What we believe: Prevenient Grace Over the next few weeks as a church we are going to explore what we believe, a few of the key doctrines and concepts of scripture, that shape our life individually as well as our life together as the Church. Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth. I welcome you to our new teaching series “What we believe”‭‭ Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭3 ‬‬Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” Just before this encounter, God had said they could eat from any tree in the garden, all the trees in the garden except one. God had warned Adam that if they ate from this one prohibited tree, they would die.‭‭ Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬-‭7‬‬ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. When they disobeyed God, the truth is, they did die, just like God said. but it was not in the sense they expected. What died was their spiritual life, their connection with God, their sensitivity to Him. They became the original walking dead, and today we continue to live out that death. Dead to the things of God, insensitive to the things of the spirit, unable to resuscitate ourselves, unable to bring life back to our soul. As we look at What We Believe, we will see that God has made the first move. The beautiful truth of what we believe is that God has already made a way for us to have life, to know him, and he is calling you to life today.We believe in God’s prevenient Grace. Prevenient grace takes on so many forms, coming through so many different avenues, but it all has one single purpose: To call you to Christ. To awaken you, to make it possible for you to go from death to life in Jesus. ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭3 ‬‬As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. The reality of being spiritually dead has with it some of the same implications that being physically dead might. When we are spiritually dead, our senses are not quickened to the things of the spirit. We do not discern right from wrong as we should We are not responding as we should to the things of God, or to the world. We were both deaf and dead to God, focused often on ourselves. And we are essentially doomed In our sin-dead state we are influenced by or own desires and spurred on by the ruler of the kingdom of the air, and that’s the swindler from the Garden- satan himself. Paul doesn’t mince words, he says in our dead state of sin, we are deserving of God’s anger and judgment. It’s a clear fact of God’s Holiness, that sin will be judged. And that’s where we all start, living in death. It would be a tragic and hopeless story if this were the end- it would be tragic if it were not for Prevenient Grace.‭‭ Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭5‬‬ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. The point of prevenient grace is to make us alive with Christ, to be awaked from our spiritual death to new life in Christ through repentance and faith in him.- Our senses are quickened to things of the spirit.- Our discernment of right and wrong is quickened- We have a sense of a need to change- to do different. Perhaps even an awareness of our need for Christ. We believe that God extends this grace to everyone! He enables all who will to choose him. You know, there’s another important thing about this Grace- We believe you must respond to it.The Article of Faith for Prevenient Grace says it this way: We also believe that the human race’s creation in Godlikeness included the ability to choose between right and wrong, and that thus human beings were made morally responsible.

http://bible.com/events/48976245 Church of the Nazarene - Harrisonburg What We Believe What we believe: Jesus Christ What do you believe about Jesus? Have you really thought that question out in your life? No matter how you would answer that question today- I would suggest that your answer, is shaping your life. What we believe influences our relationships, it sets our priorities, it shapes our lives, in all kinds of ways…Over the next few weeks as a church we are going to explore what we believe, a few of the key doctrines and concepts of scripture, that shape our life individually as well as our life together as the Church. Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth. I welcome you to our new teaching series “What we believe” Today we begin in what perhaps is the obvious place to start in a series addressing what we believe- and that’s with Jesus. What we believe about Jesus will shape every aspect of our lives, and every aspect of our Church.‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭23 ‬‬This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew has included theological clues and testimony of who this child was. He links this announcement to the fulfillment of the ancient prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah. Matthew understood that Jesus being born in a stable in Bethlehem was important, but he knows the most important thing was who this child was-This is the Messiah born in fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. God had come in the flesh, on a mission to save his people from their sins. So what do we believe as a church? We believe that Jesus Christ is eternally one with the Father We believe the angel’s announcement that Jesus was born, became flesh/incarnate, by the work and creative power of the Holy Spirit upon a young virgin girl named Mary. We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins- This is the mission the angel announced at his birth. God was intervening in our human story in a new way that we could experience freedom from sin and new eternal life in him. We believe that Jesus arose from the grave, taking on his resurrected body, and he now is engaged in intersession for us at the right hand of the father. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at a few key aspects of Nazarene faith based on the scriptures. Next week we will seek to understand that in bringing people to salvation, God has acted first, going ahead of us, providing the grace and power that we need to choose him. Then we will seek to understand that we no longer need to be slaves to the sin nature and its destructiveness when we are in Christ. In Christ, we can be free from the power of sin in our lives. And we will conclude our series looking ahead with joy, knowing that death doesn’t hold the final answer for those who are in Christ. For them, a great resurrection is coming to eternal life in paradise. At this point you might still be wondering, “So what?” What’s the big deal about this Jesus thing- Why is that where it all begins and ends? I would propose to you today “The life you are seeking is only found in Christ”‭‭ John‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭7 ‬‬“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Friends, Jesus is the only way to the father. He is the truth And he is the life. That’s what it means to believe in him. Verses for further study/reflection: Luke 1:26–35 John 1:1–18 Acts 2:22–36 Romans 8:3, 32–34 Galatians 4:4–5 Philippians 2:5–11

Church of the Nazarene - East Rock What We Believe What we believe: Jesus Christ Over the next few weeks as a church we are going to explore what we believe. These key doctrines and concepts of scripture shape our life individually as well as our life together as the Church. Together we want to get a clearer picture of the nature of our faith as the Church of the Nazarene, not just to gain knowledge, but to value the freedom and joy found in living out the way of Jesus of Nazareth. Welcome to our new teaching series “What we believe”. Today is the beginning and the end. Because who we are and what we believe begins and ends with Jesus. He is the foundation. It starts and ends with Him. ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭23 ‬‬But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). In Matthew's account, he focuses very little on the actual details of the birth of Jesus. But he gives immediate focus to the significance of who Jesus is.-The mission of Jesus is to be Savior, save us from sin."you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins"-The ministry of Jesus is to be God here with us."they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”) ‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭7‬‬ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God ; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Listen to the claims of Christ Himself:-I am the way between you and the Father.-You don't have to be separated anymore.-Sin no longer needs to be a barrier.-I haven't just come to show you the Father, I've come to reconcile you with the Father. Bottom Line: It all begins and ends with Jesus. Articles of Faith - Church of the Nazarenehttps://2017.manual.nazarene.org/section/articles-of-faith/ Verses for further study/reflection: Luke 1:26–35 John 1:1–18 Acts 2:22–36 Romans 8:3, 32–34 Galatians 4:4–5 Philippians 2:5–11

http://bible.com/events/48974644 Church of the Nazarene - Harrisonburg When God Seems Silent When God Seems Silent: "Do You Still Trust Me?" Through our series together we have addressed things like listening to God, avoiding sin, and waiting on God. Though these topics have all been distinct, they also carry a common theme: trust. If you trust that God speaks you will actively listen. If you trust that God desires intimacy with you, you won’t hold onto sins that He is asking you to let go of. If you trust God has a plan, and His timing is perfect, you will wait on Him with confidence. If we remove trust from any of these, God may very well seem silent to us. ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭45‬-‭46‬‬ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). What does Jesus do in the darkest moment of His life? He cries out to the Father. But He's not just saying whatever comes to mind, He's quoting Scripture. He's quoting Psalm 22. ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭22‬:‭1‬-‭5‬‬ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. If verses 1-2 present the problem - God, where are you? Then verses 3-5 propose a solution: trust.Of all the things that Jesus could say at His darkest hour and of all the places to which He could point us, Jesus points us to trust. When God seems silent, will you trust Him anyways? If trust is a choice, then we must acknowledge the doubts that we can often face: 1. God doesn't care 2. God is a liar3. God has abandoned me Trusting God does not mean ignoring the feelings of doubt. In Psalm 22, David acknowledges the doubt (“why have you forsaken me?”) but ultimately chooses trust (“in you they trusted and were not put to shame"). Bottom Line: Doubting and trusting are both choices. Which one is yours? Verses for further study/reflection: Matthew 27:46 Proverbs 3:5 Psalm 37:4-6 Jeremiah 17:7-8 Isaiah 26:3 Psalm 9:10

Church of the Nazarene -East Rock When God Seems Silent When God Seems Silent: "Do You still Trust Me? The author of Hebrews reminds us in Chapter 4 that Jesus is able to empathize with our weakness, that he has experienced the temptations we do, yet he did not give in to sin. This is the final message in our teaching series “When God Seems Silent” So, today if you would say God seems silent, maybe you feel alone, abandoned, or forsaken, Jesus knows how you feel, he empathizes with you in that difficult place. From the cross Jesus felt like God was silent, like he was forsaken. So he understands that pain, the difficulty of those seasons, and he longs to give you grace, mercy and help in your time of need.He was at that place before you were. Do you believe that is true? Through our series together we have addressed things like listening to God, avoiding sin, and waiting on God. Though these topics have all been distinct, they also carry a common theme, a common core value, if you will…And that common theme, is trust…If you trust that God speaks you will actively listen. If you trust that God desires intimacy with you, and has your highest good in view, you won’t hold onto those sins that he is asking you to let go of. If you trust God has a plan, and his timing is perfect, you will wait on him with confidence. If we remove trust from any of these, God may very well seem silent to us.‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭22‬:‭1‬-‭5‬‬ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. When Jesus cried out from the Cross, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” he was reaching back some 500 years to the words of King David in Psalm 22.Perhaps what should stand out to us today is that Jesus quotes a Psalm in those moments that acknowledges the pain and felt isolation, yet moves quickly to declaring Gods Holiness and his faithfulness to past generations. Psalm 22 progresses from the desperate plea for God’s presence, to a declaration of trust. That is the essence of the journey we are invited on today friends-To acknowledge where we are and how we feel, but to move beyond that place, to placing our trust in God. To trusting him even when we don’t see it, even when he seems silent. Will you trust him? To trust God, we must bring together our belief in his existence and our faith in who He is says he is, into the everyday details and happenings of life. And friends, when things are going great, when it all makes sense, trusting God in the details and next steps is easy- it’s exciting, thrilling even…But when things don’t seem to be going great, when it doesn’t make sense, when it doesn’t feel good or it’s hard- trusting God can be the hardest thing we are called to do as followers of Christ. How could David (or Jesus) choose to trust? What would that decision look like for you? Where does that Journey begin? For David it began with two powerful words: yet you…‭‭Psalms‬ ‭22‬:‭3‬‬Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. For David, the first step of trust was to look beyond what he could see, to move beyond what he could feel, to trust in who he KNEW God to be-He took that step by remembering the faithfulness of God to his ancestors before him. That step can be hard- it can take us a while to get there even, but it’s a step we must take. Whatever trust looks like for you today, God is worthy of your trust. Trusting Him is ALWAYS the right decision for your life. Always…

http://bible.com/events/48969469 Church of the Nazarene- Harrisonburg When God Seems Silent (3) When God Seems Silent: "Are you in A Hurry?" Is God actually silent? Does he really go quiet on us? David was anointed to be the next King of Israel as a teenager, but didn't become King until he was 30. David knew what it meant to wait.‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27:13-14‬‬I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:31‬‬but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. The Bottom Line: We can't confuse God's delay with His silence. Waiting may mean enduring opposition.‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭11:28-29 ‬‬“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. God is not passive while we wait. We can't wait passively. Is your prayer to Him one of defeat or desperation?

Church of the Nazarene -East Rock When God Seems Silent When God Seems Silent: "Are you in A Hurry?" We can really struggle when our timeline isn’t being met can’t we? Whether that’s in a customer service line, a restaurant, or even in the car waiting for our spouse, we struggle with waiting. From very early on in our lives, we have expectations for how fast things should happen, and when they don’t, the frustration mounts. Even in our walk with Jesus- We pray and we want answers now. We hurt and we want healing- yesterday. When we’re confused, we want direction And when those prayer’s go seemingly un-answered, our frustration can mount, we can begin to believe that God is silent, that he doesn’t really hear our broken hearts. Have you been there?? ‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:8-9‬‬ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Today if you would say that God seems silent, like he is not moving, not listening, and not speaking- perhaps we might ask the searching question: Are you in a hurry? Welcome back to part 3 of our teaching series “When God seems silent” Throughout this series we are seeking to understand how to approach life when God appears not to be speaking, when he seems silent. We acknowledge that in our human experience, the walking out of our faith, it’s not always as easy to hear the Lord as we might wish. To hear him takes intentionality- Listening to the Lord is not a passive activity, we must actively listen making space to hear his voice. Un confessed sin can also serve to separate us from his voice, from the relationship with him that we were made for. And sometimes we can misinterpret God’s delay as His silence.‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭27:13-14‬‬ I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. David in writing this psalm has firmly placed his faith and trust in the Lord, that he will see His goodness in the land. A lot like listening, our waiting is not a passive activity on our part. To wait on the Lord is to seek him, to trust him, to allow him to work within our hearts as we wait on HIS plan to unfold, yes, in his timing…Not ours. God is not making us wait to annoy us, he is having us wait to transform us. To strengthen our faith and trust in him. ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:28-31 ‬‬Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. In God, waiting isn’t the time when nothing is happening. Waiting is the time when EVERYTHING is happening. However, much it might feel desolate, or hopeless, again and again the scriptures say- that it’s in the waiting that our strength is renewed. His followers that learn to wait on Him will renew their strength… In the waiting They will soar on wings like eagles… in the waiting They will run, they will not grow weary…In the waiting Through the waiting they will walk and not faint.. Friend if you are in the waiting today, I invite you to claim that promise. Our schedule is always faster; His is always better.

http://bible.com/events/48967417 Church of the Nazarene - Harrisonburg When God Seems Silent When God Seems Silent: "Are you listening? Is there sin?" What should I do when God appears not to be speaking? The truth is that God always desires to speak to us, if we “have ears to hear.” There were times in history when God was literally silent, we believe on this side of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ he is never actually silent today. He longs to speak to us, and he does that through many different ways.‭‭ Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11-14‬‬ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”-The Hebrew word 'seek' means to seek with a purpose, to seek with the expressed intention of finding. This is not aimless wandering. -What happens when we seek Him like that (verse 13)? -First, we seek Him. The very act of seeking Him compounds: it leads to more seeking. Active listening produces listening and more listening. -Second, we will find Him. Seeking Him leads to finding Him. Active listening produces hearing. To seek Him with desperation means obstacles must be overcome. Sometimes we cannot hear His voice because something is blocking the connection: sin.‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭66:16-20‬‬ Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me! This incredible truth causes us to be humbled and hopeful. -What is humbling? You could be seeking the Lord, but because of sin in your heart, you could also be totally missing what God is trying to say to you, in spite of His efforts to speak. -What is hopeful? When we confess our sin and turn to the Lord, He forgives us. Our connection to God is restored.‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭1:9 ‬‬If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Bottom Line: If we are serious about seeking the Lord, we will be serious about confessing our sin. Verses for further study & reflection: Luke 18:1-8 Psalm 19:1 Romans 1:20 1 Kings 19:12 Isaiah 59:1-2 Psalm 28:1 The three Key Actions in Pursuit of God Listening John 10:27-2827 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. Revelation 3:20 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Seeking Matthew 7:7-87 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. James 4:8a 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Waiting Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heartand wait for the Lord.

Church of the Nazarene -East Rock When God Seems Silent When God Seems Silent: Part 2 "Is there sin?" ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:7-10‬‬ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” From the beginning of our story, sin has served to separate us from God and the reality is, it still does today. There were times in history when God was literally silent, we believe on this side of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ he is never actually silent today. He longs to speak to us, and he does that through many different ways. We began last week with perhaps the most basic question to ask ourselves, if indeed it seems that God is silent, and that is “Are you listening?” Listening is never a passive activity; it takes engagement and intentionality on our part. So, if we would say that God seems silent, it may be because we have stopped acting to hear him. Maybe you would say today, I am trying! I am praying, I’m showing up to church more than I ever have, I’m trying to serve others, I’m giving generously to the church, I even joined a life group! It is a humbling and sobering reality that despite all those things, GOOD THINGS, that sin can still be separating you from God, making him appear as if he isn’t speaking. As we continue in our teaching series today, if we would say that God seems silent, we might ask ourselves the searching and hard question: Is there sin? Have I separated or hidden from his voice?‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59:1-2‬‬Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. One of our biggest problems can be growing comfortable with sin, accepting it as a part of our lives, and thinking we can have relationship with God and sin. But the reality is, if you accept sin as a part of your life, you must also accept God’s apparent silence as a part of your life. When we talk about sin that separates us from God, we are not talking about an accident or mistake in our journey as followers of Jesus. While those sins matter and need to be repented of, they do not serve to silence God's voice. What does separate us from the voice of the Lord are intentional choices, sins we are hanging onto, and refusing to let go of. The things that we know the Lord would have us change, but we just aren’t willing too. Are you ready to step out of the Silence? Perhaps the first step, is letting go of sin.‭‭ Isaiah‬ ‭58:2-4‬‬ For day after day, they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. If you would say that God seems silent today, maybe even stagnant, I would ask you- Are you holding onto something? Are you resisting God's call to intimacy? You may ask "How do i know?" or "How can i identify that area in my life?" There are a few things we can pay close attention to:- Things that you get defensive over.- Certain topics that come up in scripture or at church and you want to tune out, or you feel a knot in your stomach.- Maybe it is something you are making excuses for- Perhaps you are in denial about a certain part of your life being "a big deal"- Or maybe you know there is sin…and you hate it. But you’re trying to fix it yourself…Not confessing. Not being open and honest. Just burying it. Friends whatever those things are, whatever those warning lights are, God is longing, desiring, that you would let go of those things and embrace him. Will you take the step out of the silence and into intimacy with God through confession and repentance?‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭1:9‬‬ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Prayer Caught “They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!””‭‭Mark‬ ‭14:32-42‬ ‭

Prayer Taught Four obstacles to prayer 1. Prayer requires a heart that listens, and listing is hard 2. We don’t truly understand the power of prayer and how it works. 3. Our enemy does everything he can to keep us from praying. 4. We are surrounded by pressures that force us into our comfort zone and meaningful prayer doesn’t usually happen in our comfort zone. “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation but rescue us from the evil one.”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:5-13‬ ‭

Church of the Nazarene -East Rock When God Seems Silent When God Seems Silent: Part 1 "Are You Listening? "In our world of seemingly endless communication and connection, is it possible that we are missing the most important one of all? Our connection with the Lord What do we do when that connection begins to fade? It is those questions and many more that we will seek to answer in our new teaching series “When God Seems Silent”. Over the next few weeks we will seek to understand how to approach life when God appears not to be speaking, when he seems silent. The Lord has not left himself without a witness, without voice into our lives, and the world. So, if you are indeed saying, “God seems silent” our first response is to ask: “Are you listening?” ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11-14 ‬‬For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart…Perhaps, if you feel the silence today- Like God is on mute somewhere, I think this passage in Jeremiah would ask us a tough question Are you listening? Really listening- Like, with all of your heart listening? Whether it’s listening to someone else, or to God, it’s always an active pursuit. So today, if God seems silent, it may be that we have stopped acting to hear him...What would it look like to seek him- to listen with all of your heart? Throughout this teaching series we are going to examine a few other areas of our lives and a few other causes that may make it seem like God is silent. Next week, we will unpack the idea that SIN is the ultimate silencer. Unrepented sin will always block our relationship with God, and therefore our communion with him. Then, in part 3 we’ll talk about God’s delay. In our fast-paced, 5G phone, gotta have it now world, its often easy for us to mistake God’s delay in acting for silence. We are often tempted to think that simply because we haven’t seen the answer to our prayers, that God isn’t speaking or moving. Finally, the ultimate issue we must face in hearing from God is trust. Do we trust that he speaks, that he hears, that he acts as he has promised? When we doubt Him, that can easily make him seem Silent.‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:7-8‬‬“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Listening is never a passive activity, will you take the first step out of silence?

http://bible.com/events/48960364 Church of the Nazarene - Harrisonburg Learning & Unlearning: Community Learning and Unlearning: Part 4‭‭ John‬ ‭17:20-21 ‬‬“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. Of all the things Jesus could have chosen in that moment, he prayed for unity, for communion and fellowship. If it was important enough for Jesus to consider in the hours before his death, are we willing to re-consider the importance of our relational intimacy?" Content used to be a competitive advantage. For the most part, it isn’t any more. What is deeply scarce right now are community and connection… …people are more isolated than ever. That’s playing out the crisis in mental health, rising addictions and the fractionalized tribes we’ve seen form in our culture. Authentic, loving and genuine community are more scarce than they have ever been in our lifetime. Every church should be running to fill that hole. Community means connecting people to each other in groups, serving, friendship and relationships. Nobody should be able to out-community the local church."-Carey Nieuwhof‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭1:1-4‬‬ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.‭‭ Acts‬ ‭2:42-47 ‬‬They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Learn + UnlearnIdeal vs. Reality“ To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”-C.S. Lewis You won’t experience the real riches of Christ if you’re not in real community In social isolation, we have learned the truth of Frederick Buechner’s words: “You can survive on your own; you can grow strong on your own; you can prevail on your own; but you cannot become human on your own.”-Peter Marty‭‭ Philippians‬ ‭2:1-5 ‬‬Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Verses for further study/reflection :Acts 2:42 Romans 15:26 1 Corinthians 1:9 1 Corinthians 10:16 1 Corinthians 10:16 2 Corinthians 6:14 2 Corinthians 8:4 2 Corinthians 9:13 2 Corinthians 13:14 Galatians 2:9 Ephesians 3:9 Philippians 1:5 Philippians 2:1-5 Philippians 3:10 Philemon 1:6 Hebrews 13:16 1 John 1:3 1 John 1:6 1 John 1:7

Church of the Nazarene - East Rock Learning & Unlearning: Community Learning and Unlearning Part 4 ‭‭John‬ ‭17:20-21 ‬‬“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. Of all the things Jesus could have chosen in that moment, he prayed for unity, for communion and fellowship. If it was important enough for Jesus to consider in the hours before his death, are we willing to re-consider the importance of our relational intimacy? Welcome back to our teaching series “Learning and Un-learning” Our series began by understanding that our message does not change, but the way in which it is communicated MUST change if we are to be successful in our call to reach our world. The point of this series is that we want to see how we are to live out the timeless truths of scripture in our ever-changing world. We have seen throughout this series that we are to share in Jesus’ heart, and his call to be a compassionate and peacemaking presence in our world. Today as we finish up our series, we want to be honest about our tendency as believers to scatter- to be staunchly self-sufficient and self-reliant Sadly, the pandemic gave us an excuse to disconnect. -And that’s a word that should never describe God’s children. What Jesus prayed for us in John 17 is more than sitting beside one another on Sunday's, it’s having true connection to each other through Christ.‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:1-4‬‬That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. Fellowship in this passage is the Greek word Koinonia. Fellowship or koinonia- when John carefully chose that word, he was not thinking of pot-luck dinners, (unfortunately).It’s not just sharing the same room on Sunday mornings, it’s not even the casual “How’s work going?” interactions that we often have. It’s much, much, more than that.In fact, if you really understood the depth of that word – koinonia – it might, frankly, make you just a little uncomfortable. Koinonia is about sharing personal, intimate, depth and meaning with fellow believers. It is a sharing of value and purpose. It is a sharing of resources as well as responsibility. It’s shared common life together. Koinonia, fellowship is what the disciples had when the Holy spirit came at Pentecost in Acts 2Acts 2:42 - 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. The coming of the Holy Spirit here in acts brings the first mention of koinonia, of fellowship at this kind of level. This reveals and affirms the truth that John gives in our passage, that it is only through Christ that we can have this kind of relationship with other believers.‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭1:5-7‬‬ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. Since God is absolutely free of sin and darkness, if we continue to choose sin, we continue to choose our own way- we don’t actually have fellowship with him. But if we will esteem Christ above all- choosing him over ourselves- we have his life in us- and we share that life with others, and Christ cleanses us from the sinful nature that’s within us. Sin and the serving of self are the ultimate disruption to true intimacy with God and with one another. We must give ourselves to learning what it is to hold our intimacy in Christ as THE single most important factor in how we relate to other believers. We must un-learn the ways of categorizing each other and learn what it is to live into our given unity in Christ Jesus. After all, we ARE ONE in Christ. Verses for further study/reflection: Acts 2:42 Romans 15:26 1 Corinthians 1:9 1 Corinthians 10:16 1 Corinthians 10:16 2 Corinthians 6:14 2 Corinthians 8:4 2 Corinthians 9:13 2 Corinthians 13:14 Galatians 2:9 Ephesians 3:9 Philippians 1:5 Philippians 2:1 Philippians 3:10 Philemon 1:6 Hebrews 13:16 1 John 1:3 1 John 1:6 1 John 1:7