Church of the Nazarene

https://www.bible.com/events/49515652 Church of the Nazarene - East Rockingham Campus  Generosity Part 1  God, the Father of Generosity.  Today we are starting our new teaching series "Generosity".  Over the next few weeks we will explore our generous God’s will for his people. This is journey, this study is not just about giving of our money. It’s about a lifestyle of generosity, where we give of ourselves in all areas of our lives.  Our series begins today by seeking to understand the great and lavish generosity of the Lord, and to understand that his generosity is our model for life.  So, what is generosity?  Simply defined, generosity is the quality of being generous. To be generous means to be liberal in giving. Open handed.  A willingness to give help or support, especially more than usual, or expected. Generosity is the voluntary, unselfish giving of money, time, attention, or other resources. That’s generosity.  We can be generous with many things.  Our time. In our busy and overwhelmed schedule, we can give time doing something for others.  Our talents. We can use our abilities and gifts to benefit others.  Our treasure. We can give our money and other material resources.  Our touch. We can give ourselves in relationship to others.  ‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬-‭18‬‬  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.  As we seek to understand the Lords heart of generosity, we can take a moment to realize that every good thing in our lives, in our world- they are gifts from God. We enjoy them because God has given them.  Generosity all starts with God, and he gives us more than just good things to enjoy. Verse 18 says he gives us so much more.  God chose to offer us new life in Christ Jesus- the word of truth. That we could have hope, that we could have peace, that we could be forgiven and saved- is all a gift of God.  The Lord’s generosity didn’t just compel him to give us lots of good things. His love compelled him to give us his absolute very best.  ‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬‬  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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  The Lord loves us, you, and me so much that he gave... In God’s kingdom, Love is always accompanied by action.  The generous heart of God, is good news for the whole world, and it’s the model for his children, for us to follow after. That we too, as we receive our life from him, would also model our generosity after his.  That’s what it means to be generous. That our love would be accompanied by action, by giving.  Giving of ourselves, our time, talent, treasures, touch. Giving not because we have to, but because we want to.  That's generosity. 

Dependence of God’s Strength Last week we finished up our Series on Grace is greater!  Grace – the undeserved mercy and kindness of God – is greater than our than our  Brokenness  Guilt  Wounds  Despair  And our Weakness  That was pastor Kevin’s message last week. God’s grace is greater than your weakness – That was a new concept for some of you. You’ve been taught to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, to grow a backbone, that toughness and strength is success. You may have been asking since last week’s message, are they telling me it’s okay to be weak?  YES, and even greater, (pause) God meets you there.  Yes. In your weakness.  2 Corinthians 12:9-10 reminds us  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (Did you hear that?) Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  Can that be right? I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  This seems BACKWARDS, crazy even!  You are right! It certainly would be WITHOUT JESUS!  LET’S PRAY  What are we discovering here in 2 Corinthians?  That NOT ONLY is His grace greater than and sufficient for my weakness, but we can also depend on His STRENTH. Count on HIM TO STRENGTHEN you.  I’m not talking about the kind of strength it would require for me to lift this weight (this is more my speed – right here)  I might surprise you though – I remember when Michael was remodeling our upstairs bathroom, he was removing an old iron bathtub and needed my help. As I faced this ridiculously heavy mammoth bathtub – I asked myself doesn’t he have any friends he can call. As I recall, I asked this question out loud! He said you’ve got this babe – he had broken it into pieces but it was still solid dead weight. I apparently didn’t have a very good attitude or the willingness he desired as we partnered on this task and at some point in the process he said to me, now get this, “Come on. Man up and pick up the tub”. Well, his plan worked! I was completely undone that he had the audacity to tell me to man up and I picked up that tub and moved it with strength only pure aggravation could bring. My dear husband still laughs about this moment, and I can still feel fire in my belly when I remember it. See this is a different kind of strength and maybe not strength at all. The true strength came when I overcame my urge to clobber him with a piece of bathtub.  Think about it…  Have you ever been PLACED SOMEWHERE or GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY you knew was way beyond your capacity? You wondered WHY ME? ARE THEY SURE?  I have, and in God’s goodness and sovereignty, He has allowed it many times and continues to do so in my life.  Over and over again, I have had to face my weaknesses.  Here’s one example:  Here are some pictures of me when I was between 22 and 24 years old. I was beginning my career as a Long-Term Care Administrator. As you can see, I tried to cut my hair in multiple styles. See, I thought this effort would help me look older and look the part. But let me assure you that respect is not earned and people are not fooled by a bad haircut!!!  See I was given the opportunity to lead folks that had years more experience, some more than 2-3x my age, the pressures of this industry were intense, the responsibility huge. I had great passion, but this was all way bigger than me.  I was weak – very weak. I did NOT have what it takes in that situation. I KNEW it.  Folks, that first real job of my career could have gone very badly for me.  But I learned something really important as I looked my weakness in the eye.  Pastor Kevin said last week that the beauty of our weakness is that it reminds us to get out of the way.  The Lord began to develop in me the truth that His grace was sufficient and that in my weakness, His strength was made perfect.  In fact, it could ONLY be made perfect in my weaknesses. As strange as that sounds.  Through this I began to resonate with David and though no one had physically tried to kill me as David faced, there were days that I physically and emotionally thought it may just be the end of me.  Anyone know what I’m talking about?  Weak to the point of desperation.  Because the Lord allowed this battle – I drew closer to Him, trusted him, cried out to Him and learned that the song of David in Psalm 18 was one I could proclaim as well.  David wrote this song as a

The story of God's faithfulness to Hannah The name Hannah means Grace. “There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” “Not so, my Lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.” “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, “Pardon me, my Lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.” ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭28‬ ‭

GRACE IS GREATER SCRIPTURE HEBREWS 12:14   14. “MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO LIVE IN PEACE WITH EVERYONE AND TO BE HOLY; WITHOUT HOLINESS NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD.” SCRIPTURE HEBREWS 12:15   15. SEE TO IT THAT NO ONE MISSES THE GRACE OF GOD AND THAT NO BITTER ROOT GROWS UP TO CAUSE TROUBLE AND DEFILE MANY.” FAMILY PICTURE WE WANT THE PERFECT PICTURE SADLY IT DOESN’T ALWAYS TURN OUT GRACE IS GREATER THAN OUR WEAKNESS WE EVEN GO SO FAR AS THIS PICTURE SKINNY MIRRORS YEARS AGO ON SHARK TANK PRODUCT WAS NOT INTENDED FOR STORES WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HIDE THEM NO ONE BOASTING- LOOK HOW WEAK I AM STORES BOUGHT THEM- LEFT THE LABEL ON THEM SCRIPTURE 2 CORNITHIANS 12:5                     5. I WILL BOAST ABOUT A MAN LIKE THAT, BUT I WILL NOT BOAST ABOUT MYSELF, EXCEPT ABOUT MY WEAKNESSES. SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:6    6. EVEN IF I SHOULD BOAST, I WOULD NOT BE A FOOL, BECAUSE I WOULD BE SPEAKING THE TRUTH.  SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:6    6. BUT I REFRAIN, SO NO ONE WILL THINK MORE OF ME THAN IS WARRANTED BY WHAT I DO OR SAY. SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7    OR BECAUSE OF THESE SURPASSINGLY GREAT REVELATIONS. THEREFORE, IN ORDER TO KEEP ME FROM BECOMING CONCEITED, SCRPTURE 2 CONRINTHIANS 12:7    7. I WAS GIVEN A THORN, A MESSENGER OF SATAN, TO TORMENT ME.   GREEK WORD IS :SKOLOPS-COULD MEAN SPIKE  SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:8    8. THREE TIMES I PLEADED WITH THE LORD TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME. SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9    9. BUT HE SAID TO ME, “MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU, FOR MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.”  SCRPITURE 2 CONRINTHIANS 12:9    9. THEREFORE I WILL BOAST ALL THE MORE GLADLY ABOUT MY WEAKNESSES, SO THAT CHRISTS POWER MAY REST ON ME. (PLURAL)  SCRIPTURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:10   10. THAT IS WHY, FOR CHRIST’S SAKE, I DELIGHT IN WEAKNESSES, IN INSULTS, IN HARDSHIPS, SCRIPITURE 2 CORINTHIANS 12:10   10. IN PERSECUTIONS, IN DIFFICULTIES. FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG.                          3 PEOPLE FLEXING                                                WORLDS STRONGEST TEENAGER ALEX SKIRUKHA-JESSICA GRAY. BEARPAW CHRIST UPSIDE DOWN KINGDOM PRINCIPLE    THE WAY UP IS DOWN    WANNA RUN- YOU GOTTA CRAWL    TO BE EXALTED- YOU HAVE TO BE HUMBLE    TO WIN- YOU MIGHT NEED TO LOSE    TO FIRST- TRY AND BE LAST    WANT TO LIVE- YOU HAVE TO DIE  THORN-THORN IN THE FLESH WILL KEEP ME    T-EACHABLE    H-UMBLE    O-RIENTED TO HIM/HEAVEN IN PRAYER    R-ELIANT ON GODS GRACE/STRENGTH    N- EAR TO JESUS                                                                                           SCRIPTURE JUDGES 6:13                                 13. PARDON ME, MY LORD,” GIDEON REPLIED, “BUT IF THE LORD IS WITH US, WHY HAS ALL THIS HAPPENED TO US?  SCRIPTURE JUDGES 6:13   13. WHERE ARE ALL HIS WONDERS THAT OUR ANCESTORS TOLD US ABOUT WHEN THEY SAID, SCRIPTURE JUDGES 6:13   13. DID NOT THE LORD BRING US UP OUT OF EGYPT? BUT NOW THE LORD HAS ABANDONED US AND GIVEN US INTO THE HAND OF MIDIAN.”  SCRIPTURE JUDGES 6:14   14. THE LORD TURNED HIM TO HIM AND SAID, “GO IN THE STRENGTH YOU HAVE AND SAVE ISRAEL OUT OF MIDIAN’S HAND. AM I NOT SENDING YOU?”  (MY POWER)  SCRIPTURE JUDGES 6:15   15. “PARDON ME, MY LORD, “GIDEON REPLIED, “BUT HOW CAN I SAVE ISRAEL? MY CLAN IS THE WEAKEST IN MANASSEH, AND I AM THE LEAST IN MY FAMLY.” NUMBERS 25 32,000 10,000 300 “GODS WORK IN MY LIFE IS NOT JUST IN SPITE OF MY WEAKNESS, IT IS THROUGH MY WEAKNESS. MY WEAKNESS REMINDS ME TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. AND LET GODS STRENGTH TAKE CENTER STAGE.” PHIL HANSEN SLIDE 32: VIDEO WORDS PENNED BY ISAAC NEWTON SLAVE SHIP CAPTAIN WRITTEN ON BLACK KEYS  AMAZING GRACE LYRICS   AMAZING GRACE HOW SWEET THE SOUND   THAT SAVED A WRETCH LIKE M

Church of the Nazarene - East Rockingham Campus  Grace is Greater Part 7  Grace is greater than weakness.  Today, we are concluding our Teaching series “Grace is Greater”  This series keys off a book by the same title, and it is written by Pastor and author Kyle Idleman.  Throughout this series, we want to be reminded of God’s grace in our lives. To understand that His grace is greater than any sin, any brokenness, any failure or regret in my life, and the lives of others around us. We want to experience that great grace in our own lives and see how that grace serves to change our world.  We don’t want ever want to forget God’s grace.  Today we want to experience the greatness of God's grace in the places of our weakness.  While we do our best to hide our weakness, the bible says we should brag about it.  The pain we might be trying to hide, the limitation we cant get over, the suffering we don’t understand. Those places might be the place God desires to do his greatest work.  ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭5‬-‭7‬‬  I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  As we get into 2 Corinthians Chapters 10 through 12, Paul is trying to set the record straight. Not to defend his reputation or his credentials, but to help people see the power of Jesus at work in his life.  He doesn’t want to enter into the power game, or the one-upmanship that was going on. He has learned that the best place to experience God’s power, is in weakness.  ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬-‭8‬‬  or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  The word for thorn here is not like a small briar, or the prickly’s on a blackberry bush or rose stem. The word thorn here is more like a spike or a spear. This was not a minor ache or pain, not even an inconvenience. Whatever it was, brought suffering into his life.  The bible never says what Paul was dealing with and I cant help but wonder if that was intentional. By not naming his thorn, he invites us to think about our thorn in this text.  ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭8‬-‭9‬‬  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  Paul pleaded that it would go away, and the Lord said “Paul, I got you. I will be with you in this, I will give you the strength you need. My grace is grater than your weakness. That was enough for Paul. He goes all in.  ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬-‭10‬‬  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  In just a few short verses, Paul completely flips the script on weakness. Rather than something to be photoshopped out, to be hid behind fake smiles. We are invited to see our weakness, even our pain, as an opportunity for the Lord to do his greatest work. To experience his grace in a whole new way.  When we begin to be honest about our limitations, when we trust the Lord to do his best, in our weakest places, we are no longer limited by our strength- we experience God’s power  God’s grace is abundant, powerful, and available for you in the midst of your weakness. No fake smile, no coached grin required.  This message for you today might just be the beginning of a journey.  A journey to stop denying or hiding your weakness. A Journey to seek help with a physical issue, or something going on in a relationship in your life.  For some of us, experiencing God’s grace in our weakness will mean that we have to surrender our idea of how God can work in a difficult place.  The promise of this scripture is that God’s grace is there for you IN the weakness, no matter what happens, he is strong enough.  His grace is greater.  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my powe

Grace is Greater   One of my favorite places to visit is   also one of the most unnerving places.   I love taking trips and tours through   caverns. Has anyone else done that?   Toured a cavern? There’s one   particular cavern in Pennsylvania that   I’ve visited several times, both with   family and on field trips as a teacher   and a parent. It’s called Penn’s Cave   Caverns.   I know there are caverns here in   Virginia, and perhaps one similar to   Penn’s Cave, but what I love most   about this one is that you tour it by   boat.   Grace is Greater than Despair   Part 1  Once you reach the center of the   cavern, the guide turns off the lights,   and you’re left sitting in complete   darkness. I mean DARKNESS, the   kind where your eyes never adjust,   and you can’t even see your hand in   front of your face.   It’s scary and cold, and even though   you’re surrounded by ten other people   in the boat, it feels eerie, quiet, and   even strangely lonely. Honestly, if you   left me there without a light, I’d have   no idea which way to go, left, right,   up, or down, to find my way out.   Grace is Greater than Despair   Part 1  Picture yourself in the dark, in that   boat. And as you do, let me suggest   another dark place many have   visited.... DESPAIR.   It’s not just sadness; it’s a place, a   dark, hollow place of complete loss   and absence of hope.   Despair feels like this... You can't see   the way out. You reach your hand out   but all you feel is cold, damp walls.   You keep walking, hoping to find the   light, but the tunnel only seems to go   deeper.   Grace is Greater than Despair   Part 1  The Psalmist knows this place:   Psalm 88:6   "You have put me in the lowest pit, in   the darkest depths...   You have taken from me my closest   friends and have made me repulsive to   them.   Darkness is my closest friend."   If despair is this deep emotional   tunnel, then hope is the light we long   to see at the end. But sometimes the   tunnel feels too dark, and the light too   distant. That’s why God gives us  something stronger than a match,   stronger than any temporary fix...   Grace is Greater than Despair   Part 1  Despair isn't rare, we have all   experienced it.  You may be in that place right now.   There are many things that can plunge   us into despair. Actually, the very   topics we have covered in this Grace   is greater series, can leave you in   despair, brokenness, guilt, and   wounds. The loss of a loved one, a   broken family relationship or divorce,   loneliness, anxiety, depression, doubt,   and the list can go on and on.   When despair seems to swallow us up,   Isolation, Distortion and Desperation   crawl toward us.   Grace is Greater than Despair   Part 1  Isolation, we start to pull away from   God, people, community, the enemy   convinces us that we are alone, and   that no one understands or that we are   a burden to others. Sometimes we stop   attending church, we stop praying or   worshipping.   Despair allows distortion. It blurs or   distorts what we know to be true, and   before we know it God feels distant,   even though He is right in front of our   face. It twists how we see God,   ourselves, and our circumstances.   Grace is Greater than Despair   Part 1  Once we’re isolated and our vision is  distorted, we lose our footing and   Desperation sets in. In fact, those two   words - Despair and Desperation- are   very closely related.   We stop expecting anything good to   come. We act out of fear or numbness   instead of faith. Despair convinces us   the story is over, that there’s no way   forward.   In our desperation, if we aren't careful,   we try to light temporary lights,   matches.   Lights that end up burning us.   Grace is Greater than Despair   Part 1  We start to scramble for false light   in the darkest tunnels.  A.Match of Control:   Sometimes, in the darkness of despair,   we reach for what I call the match of   control.  A tiny flicker we hope will push back   the shadows. We try to take control, to   fix what’s breaking, to manage what   we can’t.  Grace is Greater than Despair   Part 1  So we start planning every detail,   believing perfect schedules will block   anxiety.  We hover over our kids, trying to   protect them from every hurt.  We replay conversations in our minds,   wishing we could take back t

https://www.bible.com/events/49505375 Church of the Nazarene - East Rockingham Campus  Grace is Greater Part 6  Grace is greater than despair.  Today, we are continuing our Teaching series called “Grace is Greater”  This series keys off a book by the same title, and it is written by Pastor and author Kyle Idleman.  Throughout this series, we want to be reminded of God’s grace in our lives. To understand that His grace is greater than any sin, any brokenness, any failure or regret in my life, and the lives of others around us. We want to experience that great grace in our own lives and see how that grace serves to change our world.  We don’t want ever want to forget God’s grace.  Today we want to experience the greatness of God's grace in the places of our despair.  Despair. The complete loss or absence of hope.  Characterized by a loss of faith and trust in God’s promises.  Perhaps an overwhelming feeling that God has forgotten about you, or that everything has been taken away. Marked by a complete loss of desire to do…anything  ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭2‬‬  How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?  This is King David, who lived about 1000 years before Jesus, he was the King of Israel.  As a boy, he had fought wild beasts defending his fathers sheep. He was a mighty warrior who took down literal giants. He had his flaws and battles with sin, and yet, the still bible calls him a man after God’s own heart.  This great man of God and fearless leader, was not immune to feelings of despair. His life got messy on more than a few occasions.  In his younger days, before he was king, His boss king Saul tried to kill him several times. Many years later, even His own son would turn on him.  We know that David dealt with despair, because we have some entries from his prayer journal. Prayers like Psalm 13.  As David prays in this Psalm, he says that he feels as if God has forgotten him. Like he couldn’t see the Lord, as if he was hiding.  That’s what despair does. It takes our minds and our focus off of the faithfulness and goodness of God.  How long do I have to wrestle with these thoughts, how long do I have to carry this sorrow God? God how long are you going to hide from me?  How long is this anxiety, these run-away thoughts, this grief in my heart- God how long do I have to stay in this place.  These are questions of despair.  That you experience despair, is not necessarily a reflection of a lack of faith, it doesn’t automatically mean we have done something wrong. It simply means that we are here, where life is hard, and the battles are real.  The greatest men and women of faith in the bible delt with it too.  We might not be able to control the thoughts or the feelings that come into our mind, but friends, we do have a choice in what we do with them.  The reflection of our faith in the Lord, our confidence in his grace, comes in what we choose to do with those feelings.  We can choose to believe that God’s grace is greater than that despair.  The Lord is working all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. The Lord is doing that, and he doesn’t want you to miss it.  Don’t allow despair to become your destination. Press on to hope.  HOPE- From Psalm 13  H-Honest with your struggles. (Vs. 1-2)  O-Open up to God. (Vs. 3-4)  P-Preach to yourself.(Vs. 5)  E-Engage in worship. (Vs. 6)  God's grace is greater than despair!  ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭6‬‬  How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. 

BAPTISM RECAP VIDEO  WELCOME- HERE LAST WEEK- WE CELEBRATED BAPTISM TOGETHER PACKED OUT IN HERE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS 15 PEOPLE WENT PUBLIC WITH RESPONSE JESUS THIS WEEK-CONTINUE SERIES GRACE IS GREATER HEBREWS 12:14-15 14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one MISSES the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.  PREVIOUS WEEKS  PREVENIENT GRACE- GRACE THAT WOOING US GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR BROKENESS GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR GUILT WHEN GRACE MOVES IN- GUILT MOVES OUT   WOODY HAYES PICTURE                                              LEGENDARY COACH OF OHIO STATE FOOTBALL Hayes five times NATIONAL CHAMPIONS On December 29, 1978, the Buckeyes played in the Gator Bowl against Clemson. CHARLIE BAUMAN-INTERCEPTS PASS HAYES PUNCHES HIM-THROAT NEXT DAY HE IS FIRED- DIDN’T WANT TOM LANDRY PICTURE  DALLAS COWBOYS COACH BEING HONORED AT A PRESTIGIOUS BANQUET LANDRY COULDN’T TAKE HIS WIFE- TAKES HAYES EVERYONE ELSE WAS BEATING HIM UP I FIGURED WAS WOUNDED ENOUGH DISGRACED COACH HAYES- EXTENDED GRACE BY LANDRY GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR BROKENESS  YOUR GUILT  YOUR WOUNDS-       WHAT DO YOUR WOUNDS PRODUCE?   WHO IS T GREATEST?  MATTHEW 18:21    21. “THEN PETER CAME TO JESUS AND ASKED, “LORD, HOW MANY TIMES SHALL I FORGIVE MY BROTHER OR SISTER WHO SINS AGAINST ME? UP TO 7 TIMES?  MATTHEW 18:22    22. JESUS ANSWERED “I TELL YOU NOT SEVEN TIMES, BUT SEVENTY SEVEN TIMES.”  NUMBERS SLIDE         3- THAT’S WHAT THE TALMUD SAID- 3 TIMES     7- PETER THOUGHT I WILL MORE THAN DOUBLE IT   77- JESUS SAYS IN THIS TRANSLATION 77 TIMES  490- IN ANOTHER TRANSLATION HE SAYS 70X7-490     PETER DOESN’T ASK JESUS A GENERAL QUESTION    23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.  (150 MILLION)  26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. (PARTIAL PAYMENT?)  28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. (20$) He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. (CHOKE-HANDS NECK)  29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’  30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.        (COMMUNITY WITNESSED NO GRACE)  32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.    MATTHEW 18:35     35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”  FROM YOUR LOGIC- FROM YOUR FEELINGS FROM YOUR REASON AND UNDERSTANDING STORY ABOUT GRACE -MET WITH NO GRACE DO WE REFLECT THE MASTERS HEART? RED CROSS SYMBOL                                          COME HERE FOR PROTECTION-AID- A GLOBAL SYMBOL-OPEN TO ALL   WOUNDS     LACERATION- PUNCTURED WOUND-AVULSION     CONTUSION(BRUISE)-HEMATOMA- BURNS     WHAT ABOUT A PAPER CUT?  TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS- IT DOESN’T  SO YOUNG- WE DON’T UNDERSTAND WOUNDS SOME OF US HAVEN’T LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE TO NOT HAVE WOUNDS SOME WOUNDED BY CHURCH- IS THAT WORSE? EXPECTATION IS CHURCH SHOULD NEVER DO THAT WHY ITS FULL OF WOUNDED PEOPLE- NOT EXCUSE "WELL IF THEY APOLOGIZE” – THAT’S NOT GRACE  IF THEY PAY ME BACK- THAT’S NOT GRACE  IF THEY MAKE IT RIGHT  THEY OWE YOU AN EXPLANATION- THEY OWE YOU A CH

Grace is Greater: Wounds  Button in a tourist shop:to err is human, to forgive is out of the question. Many of the Epistles, letters in the back of your Bible, mention something of grace and peace in their opening greetings. 2 Timothy 2, begins with Paul's admonition to Timothy to "be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." God’s Riches At Christ Expense = (GRACE). But what does this mean in an experiential sense? How can we live according to grace? To be "strong in grace.”? The answer is quite plain and simple: We grow strong in grace when we understand God's unconditional forgiveness of us, then learn to unconditionally forgive others. WHAT IS FORGIVENESS? (SLIDE) Forgiveness = Deliberate release of anger, resentment, and other negative feelings toward someone who has wronged you DO YOU WANT TO BE FREED TODAY? When Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed! The Spirit of God wants to set someone free today—perhaps it is YOU. (SLIDE) Hebrews 12:14-15 (tells us what happens when we fall short of grace): Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Not forgiving means to fall short of the grace of God, and that results in bitterness. A root of bitterness doesn't destroy the other person, but instead destroys ourselves and those closest to us There is no middle ground with forgiveness. We either apply God's grace or we follow a road toward bitterness. MESSAGE: (SLIDE) Ephesians 4:30-32 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Christians, those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, are called on to ''put away'' the things which entangle unbelievers — what used to rule our hearts. This includes SINS such as malice (spite and desire to do ill towards someone) wrong, slander, commotion (rage/anger/brawling), and bitterness. Instead, being changed by God’s spirit, we should demonstrate a Christ-like attitude of love and forgiveness. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN? Sin is not minor: Sin against God is seen as a grave offense with serious consequences, so much so that it required the death of God's own Son, Jesus Christ, to provide atonement Oswald Chambers. We trample the blood of the Son of God if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only explanation for the forgiveness of God and for the unfathomable depth of His forgetting is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the outcome of our personal realization of the atonement which He has worked out for us. It does not matter who or what we are; there is absolute reinstatement into God by the death of Jesus Christ and by no other way, not because Jesus Christ pleads, but because He died. It is not earned, but accepted. All the pleading which deliberately refuses to recognize the Cross is of no avail; it is battering at a door other than the one that Jesus has opened. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement is a propitiation whereby God, through the death of Jesus, makes an unholy man holy. "The purpose of the cross," someone observed, "is to repair the irreparable.” (SLIDE) Matthew 6:14-15 (directly after teaching them how to pray ‘Lord’s Prayer’) 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (SLIDE) Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Imagine that, before we get this warning from Jesus (14-15), Jesus told us to ask God for grace (forgiveness) but only at the same level and frequency as the forgiveness we extend to others. —like John 8 That can be simultaneously freeing and unnerving. As always, Jesus is the model. We are to extend grace, not necessarily because we want to or think it’s “fair”, but because in forgiving others we are recognizing the forgiveness we ourselves have received in Christ. I admit that no one can in there power live like that But our Lord and Savior says, “YOU MUST!” Two aspects of this verse are difficult to process. First, human nature struggles to conceive of forgiving those who have hurt us. Human beings can do truly depraved, horrible things to each other. Some atrocities are difficult to describe, or to think about, let alone forgiving someone who has done them. All the same, Jesus insists we understand how much God has forgiven us for. Read carelessly, this teaching is also difficult to sq

WELCOME- NEW TODAY WELCOME 4 CAMPUSES TODAY OUR ONE CAMPUS GATHERS WE HAVE BAPTISMS IN TWO DIFFERENT SERVICES WANTED THIS ENTIRE CAMPUS TO GATHER LIVES TRANSFORMED- FAMILY SERVICE- DISCIPLESHIP KIDS HAVE NOISEMAKERS- CELELBRATE WHAT     BAPTISM- WORD MEANS BAPTIZO     DIP-IMMERSE-SUBMERGE.     ANCIENT CHURCH DOCUMENT CALLED DIDACHE’     ALLOWED FOR SPRINKLING/POURING-   WHY     MATTHEW 3:13-14     13. THEN JESUS CAME FROM GALILEE TO THE JORDAN TO BAPTIZED BY JOHN. 14. BUT JOHN TRIED TO DETER HIM SAYING, “I NEED TO BE BAPTIZED BY YOU, AND DO YOU COME TO ME?”   JESUS CAME A LONG WAY- 70 MILES FIRST ACT TO START HIS MINISTRY   MATTHEW 3:15     15. JESUS REPLIED“LET IT BE SO NOW; IT IS PROPER FOR US TO DO THIS TO FULFILL ALL THE RIGHTEOUSNESS.” THEN JOHN CONSENTED.   FIRST WORDS SPOKEN IN MATTHEW (12 YEARS OLD) LUKE SAYS “AS HE WAS PRAYING” HEAVENS OPEN OUR TRADITION WE RECOGNIZE 2 SACRAMENTS  COMMUNION- BAPTISM MATTHEW 28:16    16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.   MATTHEW 28:17    17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.    MATTHEW:18    18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.   MATTHEW 28:19    19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name   MATTHEW 28:19    of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  WHO  ANYONE WHO IS SAVED- NO NEED TO WAIT CAN YOU GOT TO HEAVEN WITHOUT BEING BAPTIZED? YES BUT WHY WOUILD YOU WANT TO? WE ARE NOT SAVED BY BAPTISM WATER DOESN’T WASH US CLEAN-NOT MAGIC ROMANS 6:3     3. OR DON’T YOU KNOW THAT ALL OF US WHO WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST JESUS WERE BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH.   ROMANS 6:4     WE WERE THEREFORE BURIED WITH HIM THROUGH BAPTISM INTO DEATH IN ORDER THAT,  ROMANS 6:4     4. JUST AS CHRIST WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD THROUGH THE GLORY OF THE FATHER, WE TOO MAY LOVE A NEW LIFE.   ROMANS 6:5     5. FOR IF WE HAVE BEEN UNITED WITH HIM IN A DEATH LIKE HIS, WE WILL CERTAINLY ALSO BE UNITED WITH HIM IN A RESURRECTION LIKE HIS.   WHEN  AFTER A CLASS/MEMBERSHIP/SEMINARY RIGHT AFTER YOU GET SAVED BAPTISM IMPORTANCE IN COMMUNITY  KID FALLING ASLEEP PICTURE  MANY CAME TODAY TO SPECTATE IT COULD EVEN SEEM LIKE THIS THIS ISN’T A SPECTATOR EVEN TODAY TENNIS PLAYER CELEBRATING  THE PLAYER IS CELELBRATING SOME ARE TAKING PICTURES MANY ARE CELEBRATING WITH HIM  TO GET YOU READY TO CELEBRATE IN COMMUNITY   BAPTISM ISN’T A SPORTING EVENT RADIO GUY LOSES IT  PLAYERS LOSE IT- BAND LOSES IT- FANS LOSE IT  BAPTISM ISN’T A GAME WINNING SCORE BUT IT IS A GREAT EVENT FOR EVERYONE TO JOIN IN SUPPORT AND CELEBRATE AND ENCOURAGE KIDS IN THE ROOM HAVE BELLS? PARTICIPANTS WHY COMMUNITY MATTERS  CANDIDATE ENTER TANK TESTIMONY READ- WHY DO THIS? CELEBRATE LOUDLY WHEN THEY COME UP

https://www.bible.com/events/49498526 Church of the Nazarene - East Rockingham Campus  Grace is Greater Part 4  Grace is greater than brokenness.  Today, we are continuing our Teaching series called “Grace is Greater”  This series keys off a book by the same title, and it is written by Pastor and Author Kyle Idleman.  Throughout this series, we want to be reminded of God’s grace in our lives. To understand that His grace is greater than any sin, any brokenness, any failure or regret in my life, and the lives of others around us. We want to experience that great grace in our own lives and see how that grace serves to change our world.  We don’t want ever want to forget God’s grace.  Today we want to experience the greatness of God's grace in the places of our brokenness.  ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭18‬‬  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:18 says you are here, in the present, with all of its sufferings, trials, and tribulations. While this verse does say “you are here”, it says something else very important. You are going…There.  It begins by saying “I consider…”. This is the idea of running the numbers, giving careful consideration to the matter.  The Apostle Paul has done the careful calculation- the suffering of the present doesnt compare to the glory that is ahead.  This is not to minimize the suffering of the present, but to rightly perceive what’s ahead in God’s redemption plan.  Paul goes on to say in the next few verses that the redemption that is ahead is so glorious and so wonderful, that all of creation is waiting in eager expectation. This is like standing on your tippy toes, straining your neck to see, excitement for what is coming.  ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭3‬-‭5‬‬  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”  That’s what’s up ahead. That is what all of creation is standing on it’s tippy toes straining to see. God’s ultimate redemption. New Heaven and new Earth. That’s where the Lord is taking his people.  ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬‬  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  He is absolutely certain that for those who love God, those who have given God their lives and are worshipping and serving him.  For those who love God, all things work together for good.  For those who are called sons and daughters, for those living in relationship with God- all things, even the broken and hard things, will be made to serve a good purpose in making us like Christ.  This passage doesn’t mean we have to pretend like life isnt hard. We definitely don’t have to call bad things good.  This is an invitation to trust and believe that God’s grace is greater than the brokenness and pain we are experiencing.  This is an invitation to trust God in the midst of those things, to believe that he can do something greater than we could imagine.  And this invitation is also a promise. One of absolute certainty.  God’s grace is greater than brokenness. 

Israel didn’t have a vision problem they had a memory problem and so do we. Trust is when you can’t see around the corner, but you know who is leading you there.- Pastor Trent Ice “The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬ ‭ “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided,” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬ ‭ “Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.”” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭15‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬ “Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬, ‭9‬-‭11‬

Israel didn’t have a vision problem they had a memory problem and so do we.  Trust is when you can’t see around the corner, but you know who is leading you there.- Pastor Trent Ice  “The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭7‬ ‭  “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided,”  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬ ‭  “Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.””  ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭15‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬  “Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?””  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬, ‭9‬-‭11‬ 

“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.”  ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭2‬  “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you God, will not despise.”  ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭17‬ ‭  When Grace moves in, guilt moves out.  When Grace moves in, Shame moves out.  When Grace moves in, regret moves out.  How does this work today?  1. Get honest with your guilt  2. Ask for Grace-on repeat  3. Break the comparison game  4. Find a Grace crew  5. Move forward  Invitation  Say yes to Grace  Lay your baggage at the cross  Leave the guilt behind - walk out free. 

https://www.bible.com/events/49495065 Church of the Nazarene - East Rockingham Campus  Grace is Greater Part 3  Grace is greater than guilt  Today, we are continuing our Teaching series called “Grace is Greater”  This series keys off a book by the same title, and it is written by Pastor and Author Kyle Idleman.  Throughout this series, we want to be reminded of God’s grace in our lives. To understand that His grace is greater than any sin, any brokenness, any failure or regret in my life, and the lives of others around us. We want to experience that great grace in our own lives and see how that grace serves to change our world.  We don’t want ever want to forget God’s grace.  Today we want to experience the greatness of God's grace over our guilt.  The bible tells us that we all have stuff, except the Lord doesn’t call it stuff…He calls it in.  Romans 3:23 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  We all have sinned, we all have stuff, we are all guilty. And just a few chapters later in Romans 6, we read that the wage, what we get for sin, is death.  h.Can I ask you this morning, how have you been dealing with that stuff? With that sin and guilt?  ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭7‬:‭8‬-‭9‬‬  Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.  As we begin to seek God’s grace in dealing with our guilt, with our sin, we need to see that there is a difference between remorse and repentance.  Remorse is a feeling of guilt or regret for something we have done wrong. This feeling is often focused on the regret of the consequences or the negative outcomes. It’s feeling bad that you got caught, not necessarily that you have actually done wrong.  Most importantly, remorse stops short of actually making a change.  Repentance on the other hand, acts on the feeling of guilt and sorrow for doing wrong and actually takes action to remedy the problem..  For the Christian, repentance is taking real action to turn away from our sin and bring our life into alignment with God.  ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭7‬:‭10‬‬  Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.  This is a good point to stop and distinguish between guilt and condemnation.  Guilt tells us that we have done wrong so that we can see there is a better way, there is more to life. Guilt invites us to change, to draw near to God, to be honest with ourselves and about our actions.  Condemnation on the other hand, says that we are ruined, we are finished because of our mistake. Condemnation says you ARE the things we have done wrong. You are a failure, you are broken, you are worthless, and there’s no hope of being anything else.  Hear clearly today, condemnation is not of the Lord. Jesus does not condemn…  Paul says “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets”  When we confess our sin, our guilt before the Lord. When we don’t just say we are sorry for our sin, but actually make changes, we stop sinning. That’s the path to life. When we make that decision, God helps us, gives us strength and helps us live differently.  ‭‭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.  What will you do with your guilt today? What will you do about your sin?  God's grace is greater than any guilt, greater than any sin, will you confess your sin to the Lord, will you repent and find life without regrets?  God's grace is greater than your guilt. Will you experience that today? 

GRACE IS GREATER THAN   SECOND WEEK OF SERIES THERE WERE A FEW THINGS WE HIGHLIGHTED TO KICK OFF THE SERIES WHY- OUR WORLD AS WE JUST WITNESSED DOESN’T SEEM TO BE FILLED WITH MUCH GRACE WE EXTEND VERY LITTLE GRACE RUTH SHARED A STORY (EXAMPLE) OF PREVENIENT GRACE- MOST OF YOU SAID SHE SHOULD PREACH MORE WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE WHY- A JOURNALIST DID YEARS OF RESEARCH ON WORD CHRISTIAN- GRACE WAS NEVER USED TO DESCRIBE CHRISTIAN VERSE ALMOST HIDDEN IN HEBREWS HEBREWS 12    14. “MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO LIVE IN PEACE WITH EVERYONE AND TO BE HOLY; WITHOUT HOLINESS NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD.   HEBREWS 12:15    15. SEE TO IT THAT NO ONE FALLS SHORT OF THE GRACE OF GOD AND THAN NO BITTER ROOT GROWS UP TO CAUSE TROUBLE AND DEFILE MANY.   SEE THAT NO ONE MISSES GODS GRACE HEBREW CULTURE USED METAPHOR BITTERNESS HERE’S A YARD- HEALTHY GREEN GRASS LOOK WHATS HAPPENING ALREADY ISN’T IT INTERESTING THAT WEEDS/BITTER ROOTS OVERTAKE THE GOOD THAT’S HAPPENING SO HARD TO UPROOT- DISENTANGLE AND SAVE HEALTHY GRASS IT SAYS THAT IT CAN CAUSE TROUBLE AND DEFILE MANY A LIFE WITHOUT GRACE- TIRING A HOME WITHOUT GRACE-TURMOIL A CHURCH WITHOUT GRACE-TOXIC OUR WORLD- QUOTE     GRACE IS BEST AND MOST FULLY UNDERSTOOD BY WAY OF EXPERIENCE.   PEANUT BUTTER PIE I CAN SHOW IT, EXPLAIN IT, LET YOU SMELL IT QUOTE     JESUS NEVER USES THE WORD- BUT TAUGHT US MOST WHAT GRACE IS.   GRACE IS GREATER THAN – THAN WHAT KEVIN? GRACE IS GREATER THAN YOUR BROKENESS. MEET RITA-HER STORY ABOUT A LAMP AND HER GRAND  REPAIR SHOP  GRANDFATHER SURVIVED FIRST WW SURVIVED A ROOF FALL BECAUSE OF THE LAMP THE LAMP HAD A USE- BUT ITS NOW BROKEN DON’T REMOVE THE DENTS ROMANS 8:22    22. “WE KNOW THAT THE WHOLE CREATION HAS BEEN GROANING AS IN THE PAINS OF CHILDBIRTH RIGHT UP TO THE PRESENT TIME.”   ROMANS 8:28    28. “AND WE KNOW THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM, WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.”   WE THINK- WE HOPE- PRETTY SURE WE KNOW- ABSOLUTE UNSHAKABLE CONFIDENCE ALL CREATION HAS BEEN GROANING-BROKENESS PAUL IS SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE WE KNOW LIFE IS HARD WE KNOW GOD IS GOO QUOTE    SOMETIMES THE SPACE BETWEEN LIFE IS HARD AND GOD IS GOOD CAN FEEL LIKE AN ETERNITY.  GREATER THAN SIGN                                       WHAT HAVE YOU DECIDED IS GREATER THAN GODS GRACE? WHAT YOU HAVE DONE? IS IT GREATER WHATS BEEN DONE TO YOU? IS IT GREATER? WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH- IS GRACE GREATER? HOSEA 1:2     2. WHEN THE LORD BEGAN TO SPEAK TRHOUGH HOSEA, THE LORD SAID TO HIM,  HOSEA 1:2     2. GO, MARRY A PROMISCUOUS WOMAN AND HAVE CHILDREN WITH HER, FOR LIKE AND ADULTTEROUS WIFE THIS LAND IS GUILTY OF UNFAAITHFULNESS TO THE LORD.”  HOSEA 1:3     3. SO HE MARRIED GOMER THE DAUGHTER OF DIABLAIM, AND SHE CONCEIVED AND BORE HIM A SON.”  HOSEA 3:1  “THE LORD SAID TO ME, “GO, SHOW YOUR LOVE TO YOUR WIFE AGAIN, THOUGH SHE IS LOVED BH ANOTHER MAN AND IS AN AULTERESS. HOSEA 3:1  “LOVE HER AS THE LORD LOVES THE ISRAELITES, THOUGHT THEY TURN TO OTHER GODS AND LOVE THE SACRED RAISIN CAKES. HOSEA 3:2  SO I BOUGHT HER FOR FIFTEEN SHEKELS OF SILVER AND ABOUT A HOMER AND A LETHEK OF BARLEY. HOSEA 3:3  THEN I TOLD HER, “YOU ARE TO LIVE WITH ME MANY DAYS; YOU MUST NOT BE A PROSTITUTE HOSEA 3:3  OR BE INTIMATE WITH ANY MAN, AND I WILL BEHAVE THE SAME WAY TOWARDS YOU. Then God ordered me, “Start all over: Love your wife again,  your wife who’s in bed with her latest boyfriend, your cheating wife.  Love her the way I, God, love the Israelite people,  even as they flirt and party with every god that takes their fancy.”  2-3 I did it. I paid good money to get her back.  It cost me the price of a slave.  Then I told her, “From now on you’re living with me.  No more whoring, no more sleeping around.  You’re living with me and I’m living with you.”  I WAS IN 2ND GRADE- BUS STOP ACROSS STREET DARK HAIRED GIRL- SHE WAS LESS GROSS WENT TO SCHOOL 1 ST TO 12TH GRADE SHE MOVED SOPH YEAR- SAME HS NEVER DATED- NO TIME FOR ME SR YEAR- SCHOOL JUST STARTED- RUMOR START HANGING OUT FELICIA MARIE HAWKINS  FRIDAY NIGHT IN OCTOBER- HER HOUSE SATURDAY WAS FOOTBALL GAME- COATESVILLE NEVER SHOWED UP. A NUMBER OF OUR FRIENDS NEVER SHOWED. HOME- NO INTERNET YET- RADIO KYW SHARES STORY BEEN AN ACCIDENT- NO NAMES I NEVER SHARED THE SUPPOSED MOST IMPORTANT I WAS BROKEN- LONG TIME BROKEN VIDEO  DENTS? THE LAMP WAS DESIGNED TO SHINE A LIGHT ITS FUNCTION HAS BEEN RESTORED YOU WERE DESIGNED TO SHINE YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE THE DENTS REMOVED POTTERY PICTURE  KINTSUGI POTTERY- TAKES BROKEN POTTERY

We are in week two of studying about God’s grace, in a series called “Grace is Greater”.  Last week we established the baseline of Prevenient Grace.  We learned that God’s Prevenient Grace is the starting point of mercy, where God Himself makes a way for a lost and broken people.  We can’t come to Christ on our own as we are dead in sin.  God acts first, through His prevenient grace, and then we can respond through our repentance.  But, KNOW this, we can choose to ignore, refuse, and even frustrate God’s grace in our lives.    “What would my life be without grace?”  Today we are going to learn about “Life without grace”.  Many underestimate the greatness of grace in their own lives.    Here are two real-life examples:   Have you ever had a deadline on a school project or work assignment, and something came up and you needed an extension of time to complete the assignment, and your teacher or manager said, “No problem”? Spouses listen up…have you every drank the last drop of milk and you find out that your spouse hasn’t had their cereal and they are starving, and with kind words they say “I will go to Food Lion and buy a ½ gallon of milk, do you need anything while I am at the store?” You know of times someone gave you grace when you didn’t deserve it. A life without grace is a life without hope.  As I was preparing for this message, I asked myself “What would my life be without God’s grace?”    Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I put this question on like clothes.    When I brushed my teeth and looked in the mirror, I asked myself: “What would my life be without God’s grace?”  I immediately thought of two words “Hopeless” and “Lonely”.  The answer to this question became the focal point of my prayer time, studying and writing.    As I share, please consider what your life would be like without God’s grace.  The Holy Spirit reminded me of my stinking attitude before Jesus, and that I was a selfish person.    Through His grace gently working on my heart, helping me to learn self-control over my tongue, my thoughts, and my actions I have experienced heart transformation.   Through His grace I have learned to live with a heart of generosity, with my hands wide-open, always realizing that I am so blessed, and that I can’t out give God.    His grace kept me from my own destruction.  His grace did not let my wild nature win out.  As I processed the question, I had these thoughts, and they may be true for you:  I think it is easier to ask God for grace for me personally, rather than His grace for that person who wronged me. They deserve what they are getting, they don’t deserve God’s grace. Sound familiar?  Does that statement resonate with you?  God’s grace enables us to pursue peace with all, even the most contrary.    God’s grace is available to all.  Grace confronts our failures, bad habits, and shame not with condemnation but with forgiveness and a path to freedom.  We will have two passages today:  Hebrews 12:15 and Ephesians 1:6-10.  The scriptures will be on the screens.  15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; (Hebrews 12:15 ESV)  Missing the grace of God is poisonous to our lives.  To our family, friends and the wider world, a person without grace has a bitterness that appears as the “crotchety old man or crotchety old woman, you become a self-portrait of perpetual discontent.   God’s grace is a free and an undeserved gift available to all people.  However, you must receive the gift.  And God desires us to give the gift of grace to others. God gives us His grace to rescue us from our bitterness.   God’s grace addresses “our stuff”, “our wounds”, and “our hangups” by offering forgiveness, healing, and the power to change.  The seed of bitterness lives in your heart.  It’s not one that you can easily see. Bitterness is a sleeper sin.  It grows beneath the surface, deep down in our heart.  When the seed of bitterness takes root in our life, it grows like a weed; it suffocates our ability to be kind, compassionate, patient, and loving. It brings a harvest of pain for you and the people who are in your life.  The “root of bitterness” is a poisonous influence, it consumes our heart. Then it spreads to others.  By the root of bitterness, many are stained.  Scientists have concluded that bitterness, if left unchecked, interferes with the body's hormonal and immune systems.  Bitter people tend to have higher blood pressure and heart rate and are much more likely to die of heart disease and other illnesses.  After missionary Jim Elliot was killed in

“See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”  ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬ ‭  Prevenient Grace - Grace that goes before we make a decision to choose Jesus. that God is at work in the world, and He is pursuing us. “Before a man can seek God, God must first have sought the man” - AW Tozer  “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬-‭8‬  “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. 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?”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬-‭9‬  “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”  ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬ ‭  “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. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭ 

https://www.bible.com/events/49487854 Church of the Nazarene - East Rockingham Campus  Grace is Greater Part 1  Prevenient grace= God makes the first move.  Today, we are starting a new Teaching series called “Grace is Greater”  This series keys off a book by the same title, and it is written by Pastor and Author Kyle Idleman.  Throughout this series, we want to be reminded of God’s grace in our lives. To understand that His grace is greater than any sin, any brokenness, any failure or regret in my life, and the lives of others around us. We want to experience that great grace in our own lives and see how that grace serves to change our world.  We don’t want ever want to forget God’s grace.  Our series begins with prevenient grace. Literally the grace of God that goes first.  ‭‭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.  "If we want to take the bible seriously, to hold it as authoritative and true, we not only need to take seriously what it says about God, we must also take seriously what it says about us."  What is dead is the truest part of who we are, our sprit, our soul. We aren’t aware of the things of God, right from wrong, his love for us, and we are unable to do anything about it on our own.  That we are all born into this condition comes from the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve sinned, through that sin, this death came to every one of us.  Even though it is hard to explain, it’s even harder to deny. If you watch even the smallest of children, you can see these selfish desires at work.  In this sin-dead-state we have two enemies, two forces that dominate us.  First, the external enemy, the devil himself. We naturally follow along with his lead, the ways of the world. The ways of greed, lust, bitterness, self-indulgence, and self-service without regard for others.  The other enemy is us. Our own desires, cravings, and ideas. Whatever we want rules. Whatever feels good, is good. Whatever serves me is best.  Friends this is the picture of life, apart from God’s grace. It’s a picture of death, and it results in Gods wrath.  This is your story and this is mine, apart from 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.  God’s first move in grace is to make us spiritually alive, to make us aware of right and wrong, to be aware of spiritual things. His grace is greater than death. To empower us to choose him, to seek him.  That we would ever come to an awareness of our sin-dead-state, and ask the Lord to forgive us, that’s grace. It’s not because we are smart or good looking, or even lucky. It’s all grace. It’s all because God has made the first move on our behalf.  It is by grace you have been saved.  It’s important to understand in this text, Paul is writing to Christians here. He is marking the journey of grace for people who have responded, who have said yes to the Lord, those who have by faith, have been saved from their sin.  That’s important to understand because while we believe God’s grace is universal, that he does offer grace to every person, we each have a choice to respond.  We can ignore, refuse, even frustrate his grace, to our ultimate despair. We can continue to choose to live in sin, to continue to choose death.  ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭10‬‬  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Our salvation, our life in Christ does not come from our good works, from trying harder, or being a nice person. It comes by grace, through believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  There is no bragging about where we are, or how far we have come. We can only celebrate God’s grace at work in our lives.  Our story, your story, is marked from the very beginning by grace.  Today, you are living proof of God’s great kindness and love. You are living proof that grace is greater! 

The Domroes Family has served the past four years as missionaries in Paraguay and will be serving in Curacao as missionaries over the next two years. If you are interested in supporting the important work the Domroes family is doing in Curacao, click the link below. https://give.nazarene.org/pledge/jadomroes#v35448 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””  ‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭  “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”  ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭12‬:‭11‬ ‭  “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!””  ‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ 

https://www.bible.com/events/49484655 Church of the Nazarene - East Rockingham Campus  5 Keys of John Part 5  John's cliffhanger ending.  We conclude our teaching series in the Gospel of John called “Five Keys of John” today.  The gospel of John was written around 80-90AD, by Jesus’ closest friend; The Apostle John.  John was the oldest and last surviving eyewitness of the 12 disciples who were with Jesus.  He is writing for a very specific purpose. He says in Chapter 20:31 “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.  John believes that the Jesus we discover through the stories in his gospel account is real and alive. And when we come to know who he is and believe in him, we will find true and eternal life.  ‭‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭3‬‬  Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.  After the closing scene of chapter 20, the story advances here several days and moves to the sea of Galilee. Earlier in the gospels, Jesus had told his disciples that he would meet them there.  ‭‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭4‬-‭8‬‬  Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.  For whatever reason, these guys do what the stranger says, and the results are, well, miraculous.  They drop the net over the right side of the boat and come up with so many fish they can’t even lift it out of the water.  In the fog of the moment, one person makes an important connection.  They couldn’t recognize the man on the shore by his appearance, but his power to perform miracles was undeniable.  They had seen this before. They had seen Him before. This is Jesus.  We know from the gospels that Peter had denied Jesus 3 times. He fell flat on his faith and his commitment to the Lord.  Was he racing to the shore for redemption?  Was he so excited that he just didn’t think it through? We don’t know.  All we know is that he adjusts his wardrobe and takes off.  ‭‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭9‬-‭11‬‬  When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.  The disciples arrive to find that Jesus already has breakfast prepared. He invites them to bring some of the fish that they had just caught.  The miraculous catch of fish fades into the background as the greater miracle begins to unfold.  Jesus, resurrected from the dead, shares a meal with his friends.  ‭‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭12‬-‭13‬‬  Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.  Throughout the gospel, John has gone to great lengths to make sure that we properly understand who Jesus is.  That he is One with the father, Lord of all, creator and sustainer of the universe, source of all life.  That he is the savior, messiah, come to deliver his people from the power of sin and death. That’s who Jesus is.  Now that he is tying up loose ends, John wants to make sure that we see This same Jesus, Lord and savior of the word, now back from the dead, does something no more dramatic than fixing his friends breakfast.  Who is Jesus? He is the servant king. He is the gracious friend.  As this story comes to a close John has meticulously cleared up all the missing pieces. That is all but one final cliffhanger. One story still isnt resolved.  A cliffhanger is a part of the story that remains un-resolved, in suspense.  That’s what John has left us with here. A key part of the story, still un-resolved. In suspense, unsure of what will happen next.  What is it, you ask? What’s the cliffhanger of this story?  It

The Apostle Thomas… (pause) I wonder if he was a good bowler. Now, most of you know me well enough to know I’m not exactly… gifted when it comes to sports. I’m about to tell you something, but I’ll warn you: most of you probably won’t believe me.” I actually won a game of bowling against my family last week? (Beats look around) And how many of you would need some proof? Well, in that first game, I scored a 163—and yes, I got six strikes. Still doubting me? That’s fair. Honestly, I would doubt me too. Which is why—I came prepared.” Slide: Show a pic of the scoreboard… proof. “How many of you would believe me if I told you I actually won the second game too? both scores I did- it wasn’t as high as the first, but I still came out on top with a 119. Now, I really don’t blame those of you who were skeptical. Honestly, I would’ve been skeptical too. I was just as surprised as you are! Sometimes, it’s hard to take someone’s word for it. Sometimes, we just need proof. And that’s exactly where Thomas found himself. When he heard the others saying, ‘We’ve seen the Lord!’ he just couldn’t accept it without evidence. He needed to see Jesus with his own eyes before he could believe.” This week, we will be in John 20:24-31. Review We have been going through a series titled Keys of John. Pastor Billy and Pastor Kevin have shared that the central purpose of John’s Gospel is to lead the reader to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. John uses the word “believe” 98 times in this book, with each story serving as a testimony that Jesus is the Messiah, and that He lived, died, and was resurrected. John wants us to be CERTAIN about Jesus. In Week 2, Pastor Kevin reminded us through the story of Lazarus that Jesus is love. He loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and He loves you and me. Last week, we examined how Jesus responded to the adulterous woman with love and forgiveness. He stooped down and restored her honor, showing Himself as a God who forgives. Jesus is forgiveness So far, all these stories are ones we can relate to. We have all experienced grief, longed for love and comfort, and fallen short of the glory of God. We all know the need for forgiveness. However, when it comes to doubt and questioning, many may feel shame or guilt. I came to know the Lord at the age of 24 and when I asked a question about something that I didn't understand or doubted, I felt I "should know the answer" so I often hesitated to ask the question. Somewhere along the way, we’ve been made to feel guilty for asking questions about our faith. In faith, sometimes we are expected to believe just because the Bible says so or because the pastor says so. But the truth is this: it is through questions, often sparked by doubt, that our faith can grow deeper and our relationship with God can become stronger. Doubt isn’t the end of faith—it’s often the beginning of a deeper journey. After Jesus’ death, after He had been placed in the tomb, and after Mary, John, Peter, and the other disciples discovered the tomb was empty, Jesus appeared to His disciples. He made Himself visible and spent 40 days teaching them. Today's scripture drops us in right at the start of Jesus "come back" Let’s read John 20:19-22: "On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' After He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again, Jesus said, 'Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' And with that, He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. v24 "Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came." Anyone struggle with FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out? Talk about a bad day to be absent! Thomas must have had serious FOMO. Forty days of hanging out with Jesus, and Thomas wasn’t there for the first visit. Slide: "So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.'" Thomas missed it! He only hears from the other disciples, “Thomas, guess who came to visit us? "Who?" "Jesus!” “ yeah, I’ll believe it when I see it.” And as a result, Thomas is given a nickname! NICKNAMES: Who has a nickname? Anyone know what they called Brian Charette back in the day, when he was a DJ? Slide: BC in the Morning. Catchy, don't you think? Can you imagine my surprise when I found out from his momma, that Kirby Dean's real name is not really Kirby. Kirby is his nickname. It's Gerald. Pastor Kevin, is often referred to as Griff or Rev Kev. We used to call my oldest daughter, "Google" cause when she was in HS she thought she knew everything. Now many of you might remember that I once had the nickname "Lala" on the softball field. I received a few nicknames as a ki

https://www.bible.com/events/49481405 Church of the Nazarene - East Rockingham Campus  5 Keys of John Part 4  Stop doubting and believe...  We continue in our teaching series in the Gospel of John called “Five Keys of John”.  The gospel of John was written around 80-90AD, by Jesus’ closest friend; The Apostle John.  John was the oldest and last surviving eyewitness of the 12 disciples who were with Jesus.  He is writing for a very specific purpose. He says in Chapter 20:31 “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.  John believes that the Jesus we discover through the stories in his gospel account is real and alive. And when we come to know who he is and believe in him, we will find true and eternal life.  ‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭24‬-‭25‬‬  Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”  Just before our teaching text the disciples are gathered together on the first easter evening, behind closed doors, probably processing the stories they had just heard.  As Jesus met with the disciples, he showed them beyond any doubt, that it was him. It was Jesus, back from the dead, resurrected.  There was just one problem, our boy Thomas wasn’t there. He missed it. And that’s where our teaching text picks up in verse 24.  Even though his close friends tell him the story, recounting the details, it’s not enough. Thomas has to be sure. He wanted to see Jesus, to touch the scars, to stick his hand into his side, just like everyone else.  I think it’s safe to say that Thomas could have worded this better- He probably shouldn’t have been so dogmatic to say “I will not believe”  But what he did do right; he was honest about his doubts.  ‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭26‬-‭27‬‬  A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”  Dont miss where it says “Thomas was with them”.  Thomas didn’t bail out because he had questions. He didn’t throw in the towel, he kept coming. He kept coming, and Jesus showed up.  Jesus shows up with an invitation for Thomas to settle his doubts.  Jesus meets Thomas right in the place of his doubts. Word for word what Thomas said it would take, Jesus offers him here.  Jesus heard Thomas when he confessed his doubt, he always hears when his people confess their doubts. He hears you today.  ‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭28‬-‭29‬‬  Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”  With these words, Thomas declares that not only is Jesus alive, resurrected form the dead, he declares that Jesus is Lord. And notice, he uses personal language- My Lord and my God.  This critical and practical thinker who struggles with doubt and questions has traded his doubt for a personal saving faith in the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Jesus recognizes and clarifies in this moment that not everyone will be afforded the opportunity to literally see and touch him, but those who believe without seeing, are blessed.  Friends, that’s all of us who believe today.  As we conclude I want to offer three actions steps we can take in facing our doubts.  When you face doubt, I want you to A.C.T.  A-Acknowledge  To act on our doubt, to challenge them, we need to acknowledge the place they hold in our faith.  C-Connected  To pursue faith in the face of our doubts, we need to stay connected, to the Lord through prayer and worship. Connected to the church through Sunday services and fellowship opportunities.  T-Trust  As we act on our doubts, we need to trust and believe that the Lord hears us.  The most important thing about doubt is what you choose to do with it.  Will you ACT to see your doubt turned to faith? 

WELCOME  WELCOME- GLAD YOU ARE HERE WE HAVE 4 CAMPUSES THAT MEET WEEKLY EAST ROCK CAMPUS- ELKTON RIVER BAPTISM- OVER 200 IN SERVICES WHO IS JESUS?                                                      AW TOZER QUOTE  WEEK 1- JESUS IS GODS SON  THE WORLD HAS A WIDE VARIETY OF OPINIONS BILLBOARDS TRY AND TELL US DIFFERENT. CULTS AND OTHER RELIGIONS SAY HES NOT WEEK 2 (WHO IS JESUS)   JESUS IS LOVE JESUS LOVES ME JESUS AND THE WRITER OF THIS BOOK ASK-   DO YOU BELIEVE?  BELIEVE WHAT? –   98 TIMES HE USES THE WORD BELIEVE  BUT EVEN DEMONS BELIEVE SCRIPTURE SAYS  THAT I’M THE SON OF GOD  DO YOU BELIEVE- BELIEVE WHAT? THAT I LOVE YOU  WHAT ELSE WOULD CHANGE IN MY LIFE?   TODAY- WEEK 3, ANOTHER LOOK INSIDE JOHN SOME PEOPLE ARGUE HISTORICAL PLACE HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN CAUGHT?   WHAT WAS LAST THING YOU GOT CAUGHT ?  CHILD HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR.            FAIRLY INNOCENT HERE- ITS REAL THO COLD PLAY CONCERT? – NO PIC NEEDED BILL CLINTON PICTURE  COUNTRIES PERCENTAGE CHEATERS  JOHN 8:1-2    1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.  2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.  PICTURE OF WAILING WALL  FEAST OF TABERNACLES 3 FESTIVALS ALL JEWISH MALES 21 OLDER ATTEND PICTURE OF NIGHT PICNIC  STILL CELEBRATED TODAY – (7-8 DAYS) SLIDE 17: SCRIPTURE JOHN 8:3-5                                       3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”   DEUTERONOMY 22:22    “IF A MAN IS FOUND SLEEPING WITH ANOTHER MAN’S WIFE, BOTH THE MAN WHO SLEPT WITH HER AND THE WOMAN MUST DIE. YOU MUST PURGE THE EVIL FROM ISRAEL.”  LEVITICUS 20:10    10. “IF A MAN COMMITS ADULTERY WITH ANOTHER MAN’S WIFE- WITH THE WIFE OF HIS NEIGHBOR- BOTHTHE ADULTERER AND THE ADULTERESS ARE TO BE PUT TO DEATH.”  JOHN 8:6    6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.     WOMAN IS A COMMIDITY IN THEIR GAME  JOHN 8:7-8     7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.  PICTURE OF WOMAN CAUGHT  JOHN 8: 9-10                                                  9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  JOHN 8:11    11. NO ONE, SIR, “ SHE SAID. “THEN NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU, “JESUS DECLARED. “GO NOW AND LEAVE YOUR LIFE OF SIN.”     HE DOESN’T SAY DON’T DO THIS SIN ANYMORE     HE DOESN’T SAY- I KNOW YOUR PROBABLY GOMNA STRUGGLE-  JUST TRY AND NOT SIN  IF WE GRASP THAT- WE HAVE A DESIRE TO LEAVE YOUR LIFE OF SIN  JOHN 20:30-31    20. “JESUS PERFORMED MANY OTHER SIGNS IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS DISCIPLES, WHICH ARE NOT RECORDED IN THIS BOOK. BUT THESE ARE WRITTEN THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD, AND THAT BY BELIEVING YOU MAY HAVE LIFE IN HIS NAME.”  JESUS IS FORGIVENESS  WHO IS JESUS JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD JESUS IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE JESUS LOVES ME SCARLET LETTER  NATHANIEL HAWTHORNES FAMOUS BOOK- 1850 GIRL NAMED HESTER PRYNNE (PEARL) SHE IS SHAMED AND MUST WEAR AN A HER DRESS ARTHUR DIMMESDALE- FATHER HES A MINISTER REVELATION12:10    THEN I HEARD A LOUD VOICE IN HEAVEN SAY. “NOW HAVE COME THE SALVATION AND THE POWER AND THE KINGDOM OF OUR GOD, AND THE AUTHORITY OF HIS MESSIAH. FOR THE ACCUSER OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WHO ACCUSES THEM BEFORE OUR GOD DAY AND NIGHT, HAS BEEN HURLED DOWN.”  JESUS STOOPS  18 When the Lord finished speaking to Moses

Five Keys (Truths) from John:   Sent into the World | John 17:13-21  John 15:9-11 - HIS JOY 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. Quickly introduce myself or offer greetings WHO IS JESUS? Week 1: The Lordship of Christ Jesus - Creator, eternal, Lord of all of Creation Week 2: The Resurrection and the Life (note of baptisms from previous week) Now we make a turn in our series If we understand and KNOW not just who this Jesus is but we would declare in faith today that He is that to us, then we must ask what is his will for our lives as his children, as disciples? Week 3: Sanctified and Sent Church of the Nazarene - Core Values (plug DYC next week with lunch) We are a Christian people We are a Holiness people We are a Missional people Key Concepts  In essence, Jesus prays in this way in our text today: That His followers have a full measure of joy That His followers not be taken out of the world That His followers be protected from the work of the evil one in our lives That the Father sanctify His followers by His Word (which He has given us) That if you are Christ’s, you are on a mission in this world. MESSAGE: (stand for the reading of the Word)  (SLIDE) John 17:13-19 13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. The prayer of the Lord specifically is that we may be sanctified because we are being sent into the world on a mission for the Kingdom of God. 13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.. If Jesus was so concerned for joy among His disciples that He prayed for it, we can know that He is also concerned that we have joy. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.. ‘the world’ Is the world system (set of values) that is ruled by Satan John 12:31 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. John 16:11 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. Jesus will tell them before he prays to the Father in their presence John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” 1 John 5:19 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. Illustration  Author and pastor Mark Sayers says there are two stories competing for our minds and hearts. The first story is broadcast loudly across pop culture, social media, and all media. It claims that you and I are the center of the universe. We are unique individuals, and we can be awesome. We just need to create our identities. By making the right choices with our wardrobe and weekends, and by hanging out with the right people and doing the right things, we can be limitlessly happy. The world offers you and me an amazing life; we just have to go out and make it happen.  The second story is quiet. It’s more of a whisper from the back burner in our brains, but it will not go away. It’s there in the quiet, in the middle of the night. It’s the longing when the promises of the first story under-deliver. The whisper tells us we were made for more. In hushed voices, it insists that we have an immovable and important identity, a sort of real home somewhere out there. We’re longing for it, and we know it’s not just in our imaginations. There’s got to be more to this life, it nags.  We continuously suppress that second story, though, largely because the first story is so loud. Everything from Instagram to movies to clothing ads to political campaigns declares that we can be whoever we want to be. Pursuing the second story takes time and intentionality and going against every cultural grain.  And often times, those living according to the systems of this world will hate you because of it… Why? “The truth looks like hate, to those who hate the truth.” Jesus understand this reality He did then He does now It is one reason He prays wh