Church of the Nazarene

· HAPPY NEW YEAR- NEW SERIES · WHY-WE LOOK AROUND AND SEE/HEAR PAIN NEXT FEW WEEKS SCRATCH THE SURFACE LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES A FEW THOUGHTS 1. NOT MEANT TO BE IN PLACE OF A COUNSELING SESSION 2. WE ARE NOT TRAINED PSYCHOLOGIST 3. TOPICS- LONELINESS/DEPRESSION/ANXIETY/ANGER 4. WE STRONGLY BELIEVE IN PRAYER- TODAY WE PRAY 5. WILL NOT PRESENT IN A WAY THAT YOU LACK FAITH IDEA- PRESENT A PROBLEM- PROVIDE AN ANTEDOTE · I WAS A SENIOR IN HS-PARENTS WERE MOVING · THEY WERE MOVING IN JANUARY · I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE IN THE FALL · LIVED IN DOWNTOWN SECTION-WEST CHESTER PA · MOVED TO A FARM IN LOWER DELAWARE · SUNDAY NIGHT- DARK- WAKE UP NEXT DAY-HOUSE · WALKED INTO NEW SCHOOL NOVEMBER · NEW LUNCH WAS COMING- 11:50AM- SCENE WEBSTER DEFINES LONELINESS: WITHOUT COMPANY- CUT OFF FROM OTHERS- PERCEIVED FEELING OF ISOLATION HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THERE? ARE YOU THERE NOW? LONELINESS DEFINED “AN UNHEALTHY STATE WHERE WE DESTRCTIVELY FEEL THAT WE ARE ALONE, NOT RECOGNIZING GODS PROMISE TO BE WITH US ALWAYS.  REASONS FOR LONELINESS 5. TECHNOLOGY 4. RELOCATION (CHANGE OF JOBS/STATES/COLLEGE) 3. LIFE TRANSITION/AGING (DIFF ACTVITITIES) 2. LOSS OF LOVED ONE 1. FOCUS ON SELF STATEMENT FROM NY TIMES ARTICLE EVEN BEFORE THE ONSET OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE US ADULTS REPORTED EXPERIENCING MEASURABLE LEVELS OF LONELINESS. RIGHT NOW STATISTICS SAY BETWEEN 25-33 % LONELY GENESIS 1:3-5 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” EDITSLIDE GENESIS 1:9-10 9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.  SCRIPTURE GENESIS 1:12 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth,  GENESIS 1:18 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 25 God made all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. GENESIS 2:18 18. THE LORD GOD SAID, “IT WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR MAN TO BE ALONE. I WILL MAKE A HELPER SUITABLR FOR HIM. POINT NEMO · FURTHEST POINT FROM LAND · MAYBE YOU ARE SICK OF PEOPLE? · JESUS SOUGHT SOLITUDE (DIFFERENT ISOLATION) 2 TIMOTHY 4:9 APOSTLE PAUL IS WRITING FINAL WORDS Paul wrote 2 Timothy a dark and damp Roman prison cell, just before his death in AD 67. (NERO LOSING IT) Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. (PAUL IS USED TO COMPANIONS) 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. 14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth PICTURE OF TOM HANKS AND WILSON · SCREENWRITER WILLIAM BROYLES JR · WENT REMOTE CARRIBEAN ISLAND-SURVIVALIST · SOCCER BALL WASHED UP ON SHORE · KNEW ENOUGH TO SOLOMON THE WISEST OF MEN WROTE 5 BOOKS ONE NAMED ECCLESIASTES WHERE WE GET EKLESIA ECCLESIASTES 4:10 10.TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A GOOD RETURN FOR THEIR LABOR. IF EITHER OF THEM FALLS DOWN, ONE CAN HELP THE OTHER UP. BUT PITY ANYONE WHO FALLS AND HAS ONE TO HELP THEM UP. ECCLESIASTES 4:11-12 11. ALSO, IF TWO LIE DOWN TOGETHER, THEY WILL KEEP WARM ALONE? 12. THOUGH ONE MAY BE OVERPOWERED, TWO CAN DEFEND THEMSELVES. A CORD OF THREE STRANDS IS NOT QUICKLY BROKEN. SCHOLARS DON’T JUST THINK THIS WAS FOR MARRIAGE PASTOR RICK WARREN SAID MOST DEAL LONELINESS BY/WITH WORKING-WORK MYSELF TO DEATH/WAKE UP REPEAT MATERIALISM-I WILL PURCHASE ENOUGH THINGS TO REMOVE THE LONELINESS IN MY HEART ALCOHOL-DRUGS- ISOLATING MORE SEXUAL ESCAPE-SLEEPING NEXT TO ANY WARM BODY FANTASY-PORNOGRAPHY- LIVE A LIFE THAT’S NOT REAL HAS YOUR SADNESS ERASED YOUR JOY? HAS YOUR LONELINESS ECLIPSED YOUR

https://www.bible.com/events/49370939 Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus Healthy Me: Mind Made Up Part 1 Never alone... Today we are starting our new teaching series called Healthy Me: A mind made up. Healthy Me is a compassionate invitation to seek healing and wholeness in the area of mental health. Believing that God sees us and he cares about how we are feeling. Our goal is to provide a biblical approach to our mental health and to gain tools to begin a path towards a healthy me. This is not about quick fixes, easy answers, or cliché responses. It’s not a substitute for professional counseling. These are tools for the journey of wholeness and healing through Christ. We begin today talking about loneliness. Loneliness is an unhealthy or destructive feeling of sadness due to a perceived lack of companionship, friendship, or any social connection. Loneliness is not necessarily a reflection of how big our social circles are, our marital status, or even how many calls and texts we receive each day. Rather, loneliness is a reflection of how connected we feel to others and how supported and seen we feel in relationship. So, loneliness is not simply about being alone. It’s not limited to those who are single, orphaned, or those who have lost a spouse. Loneliness can be a challenge for ANYONE who is missing connections with others. As we turn to the bible, loneliness appears sooner in the story than you might think. Genesis 2:18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Loneliness is literally the first “Not good” in the creation account. From Genesis onward, we see different people facing loneliness. King David for example. He was wealthy, he had a large family, he even had multiple wives, all of the officials surrounding him, and he still dealt with loneliness. (See Psalm 27:16-17) The Apostle Paul, as he is imprisoned and facing the death penalty, he is also facing the weight and reality of loneliness. (See 2 Timothy 4:9-12) And let’s not forget Jesus powerful yet lonely words from the cross… Matthew 27:46 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?”). As we look at loneliness in our day, it’s a challenge for many people. Studies indicate that 1 in 4 people face loneliness on a regular basis. And this is just as true within the church as anywhere else. Loneliness can come into our lives in a variety of otherwise normal life events. We might change schools or change jobs, and suddenly we find ourselves surrounded by people, but feeling all alone. Family or friends might move away. We might loose a loved one and be left alone. We might even be rejected by others, whether by divorce, or by disagreement. Loneliness often shows up in our story as an unwelcome and un-invited guest and it doesn’t just affect our mood, it’s effecting our health. The surgeon general says that insufficient connection can lead to some serious health consequences. 29% increased risk of heart disease a 32% increased risk of stroke 50% increased risk of developing dementia for older adults. Loneliness also increases risk of premature death by more than 60% The Surgeon General likens the health effects of loneliness to smoking 15 cigarettes per day, that’s nearly a pack per day, or they relate it to consuming 6 alcoholic drinks per day. Of course, we arent oblivious to that pain, so people often try to self-medicate to offset the loneliness. We might throw ourselves into our work. We might try “retail therapy”. Others might turn to Drugs, alcohol, or prescription pills to dull the pain. Some might even seek to fill the void with one night stands. Sometimes we will build walks to protect ourselves from ever being hurt again. The pain of loneliness is not as bad as the pain of past rejection, so we reside to living there. It’s not hard to imagine how feelings of loneliness can become a spiral of destructive thoughts and emotions. Our loneliness drives isolation, producing depression and anxiety, which leads to avoiding people, which leads to loneliness. Around and around it goes. Loneliness. So, what do we do? We may not have chosen loneliness; we certainly don’t like it. What are some things we can do to help with those feelings? I would invite you on the journey of P.E.A.C.E. I believe P.E.A.C.E can help us on the path of healing and wholeness. P- Presence We must recognize the Lord’s presence and his promise that he is with us, ALWAYS. It’s the very promise of Christmas in the name Emmanuel given to Jesus to remind us, that he is God WITH us. Friends as we begin to deal with loneliness, we must remember God’s presence, that he is with us. Those who are in Christ, are NEVER, EVER, truly alone. John 14:23 “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Matthew 28:20 …”and surely I am with you alway

http://bible.com/events/49368657 Church of the Nazarene - Harrisonburg Steadfast Loyalty Christianity is not consistency to conscience or to convictions; Christianity is being true to Jesus Christ. - Oswald Chambers WHAT DOES GOD WANT FROM ME THIS YEAR? We are stuck in a generation where loyalty is just a tattoo, love is just a quote, and lying is the new truth. 2 Kings 3:1-15 Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” “I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” “By what route shall we attack?” he asked. “Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered. So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them. “What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?” But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?” An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.” Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” “No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.” Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you. But now bring me a harpist.” While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha GOD'S UNDERSTANDING OF LOYALTY Matthew 22:34-38 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. DEMONSTRATING STEADFAST OR FAITHFUL LOVE IN (COVENANT) RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM Andy Mineo We want a god we don't have to trust We want a god that’s ok with lust We want a god that doesn't ask for much Some of us serve a god by the name of “us" Oswald Chambers Our danger is to water down God’s word to suit ourselves. God never fits His word to suit me; He fits me to suit His word. Are we loyal to the One who redeemed us? HOW HE WANTS LOYALTY TO BE LIVED OUT 1. Completely undivided 2. Daily, over a lifetime Luke 9:23-25 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Connect on Church Center If you have ever have questions or need help with any questions, please let us know: [email protected] Click below to connect with us! https://cotnaz.churchcenter.com/home

Today we are going to continue a teaching series that we began back in August called “For One” The “For One” teaching series was all about seeing Jesus’ one at a time approach to engaging with people. We believe that Jesus came to save the whole world, and that through His life, death, and resurrection, He has made the pathway to salvation and eternal life open to everyone. In that sense, Jesus is for everyone. But during his earthly ministry, often times we see Jesus fulfilling this worldwide redemption one person at a time. Jesus is ‘for the one’. Throughout this teaching series we asked the question: “What would it look like for you and me to adoptthis same model for our lives?” What does it look like to be “for the one” like Jesus was? For me, “my one” was a man named Buddy. On January 31, 2016, I was called by Steven and Sandy and asked to go visit Buddy, Steven’s dad.  This was the beginning of my relationship with Buddy, “my one”. Buddy was 92 years old, and he had recently received a bad medical report.   Buddy was a pre-Christian and his family was concerned about where he would spend eternity. I asked them when they wanted me to go visit.  Sandy said “Tonight if you are able.”   It was cold, single digit temperature with snow covered on the ground with ice.  My precious husband, Thomas thought it would be best if he drove me since the roads were so bad. Thomas waited for me in the car while I visited Buddy.   Steven’s sister, Karen, was there for the night to help Buddy with his care.     Buddy was direct.  He asked me why I had come to visit him on a night with such bad weather. It seemed as though our relationship was off to a bumpy start. I told Buddy, You matter to God and to your family.  They are concerned that you are going to die and go to hell.  They are concerned about your salvation.”   I remember asking Buddy if he believed in heaven.  “Yes”, he answered.  I asked Buddy if he believed in hell.  “Yes”, he answered.  I asked Buddy if he believed in Jesus. “Yes.”  But that was the end of the discussion.   Buddy quickly told me: 1. I am not interested in all that stuff. 2. I’m 92 years old. I have made it on my own all these years, AND I am going to continue to make it on my own.   3. I’m not a religious person.  I don’t need religionAND I don’t want religion! I remember Buddy’s words like it was yesterday.  I toldBuddy, we were going to get along just fine, because I wasn’t a religious person either, and that I was all about relationships NOT religion! I explained to Buddy that Jesus desired a personal relationship with him so bad that he would send a little red head out on a cold winter night, to tell him that Jesus loves him and that He died on the cross for his sins.   As Buddy and I were talking, I noticed many blue ribbons hanging on the wall.  I asked him to tell me about the ribbons, and immediately I hit a home run.   Buddy began to talk. He smiled and told me about the Field Trials at Melrose.  Buddy had fond memories of hunting with his bird dogs and training them.   He boastfully told me about a puppy he raised up to be an award hunting dog.   It was approaching 9 p.m. and Buddy told me that his bed time was always 8:00 p.m. Buddy was ready to go to bed. Before leaving, I asked Buddy if I could pray for himand we did. I didn’t know it at the time, but God had put Buddy in my life to be “my one”. Together within our “For One” series, we prayed that the Lord would show us who ‘the one’ was in our lives. Someone that the Lord had put into our lives, that he wanted us to cultivate a relationship with and show them the Love of Christ. For those of you who were here for that series, can I ask you, how’s your relationship with your one going? It’s been a few months, are you still praying for them?  Have you gotten to check in to see how they are doing this Christmas season? I understand it’s been a while since we talked about this and life has a way of getting busy.  So, today isn’t about making you feel guilty, or shaming anyone into action. This is a reminder as we step into the new year we want to be for ‘our one’. Today we are going to look at the life of Jesus where he pursued ‘the one’ named Zacchaeus.   Today we are going to be in Luke 19:1-10, but before we unpack it, let us pray. Please join me in praying this prayer:   “Dear God, we welcome You here.  We need You Jesus.  Lord, please help me, help us to go for ‘the one’. Father, please prepare the way for me. Lord, I also that with every breath that I take, please help me, help us to surrender all to You.   Even if I have surrendered all yesterday, I want to surrender all today, and to surrender all every day. Wonderful Counselor please speak.  In Jesus Name we pray, Amen.” Verses 1, 2, and 3:  Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 

Christmas Eve message: Jesus- Light of the World

Christmas Eve message - Jesus: Light of the World

https://www.bible.com/events/49365254 Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus The Names of Jesus Part 4- East Rock Savior Today we continue our Advent teaching series "The Names of Jesus" Throughout this series we are looking at a few of the different names that the scriptures give to Jesus. Names In the bible often hold far more meaning and importance than what we are accustomed to in our time. Names often spoke of a persons character and even their destiny. The same is true for Jesus. We continue today with the name Savior As you enter the Christmas story, the theme of salvation or rescue is all over the place. Luke 1:30-31 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. The name Jesus literally translated means “The salvation of God” or “God saves” And so, from the very moment of his miraculous conception, the message of salvation is there. After Jesus is born in Bethlehem, when the angels appear to the shepherds out in the fields, their announcement is really all about salvation. Luke 2:10-11 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. A savior, a deliverer, has been born to you. A rescuer has arrived. And I love that in Matthew Chapter 1 Joseph gets perhaps the most clear explanation of them all. Matthew 1:20-21 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.” This baby boy’s name would be his mission- The Lord saves. He was born to save his people from their sins. This idea of will save, is one word in the original language. It has the basic idea of rescuing someone from great peril. Additionally, it carries the idea of protection, to keep alive, to preserve life, to make someone whole. It’s the basic idea of rescue. The great rescue mission of Christmas is a little different because it’s not about rescue from a burning building, or from a hiking trip in the woods gone wrong. Jesus came to rescue his people from their SINS. The word for sins here means literally to miss the mark. Literally, it meant shooting at a target and missing. It was used of a traveler who lost their way, who couldn’t get to their destination. Sins also spoke of falling short of an intended purpose. Not fulfilling what you were made for. So as we consider the rescue mission of Jesus, it is not about rescuing us from torrent waters, or not fulfilling our career dreams. He came to bring us back into relationship with God. To re-align our lives to our created purpose, to bring us back on target. Jesus himself said "I have come to seek and save the lost." It’s all about rescue. I understand this news of needing rescue might be a little surprising to hear because typically, when you find yourself in the need of rescue, something happened, right? A car accident, you got lost on a hike, something catches fire, etc. So, you’re hearing all this talk about Christmas and rescue wondering “Why do I need rescue? I’m doing just fine?” But the bible tells us that something DID happen to put us all in need of rescue, even if everything seems fine now. To see what happened, we need to go back in the Christmas story, WAY back, to the beginning. The need for rescue begins all the way back in Genesis 3 of our bibles. In Genesis 1 and 2 we find the story of how God brought all of creation into being. It was his creative power speaking everything into existence, including Adam and Eve, the first human beings. As you read the creation account we see that Adam and Eve were created for relationship with the Lord. They knew him, they walked with him, and served as co-agents in tending creation. Think about it- they had deep meaningful Relationship, true sense of identity, and life-giving purpose. They had literally everything that we still long for today. They had it all, until genesis 3. God had given Adam and Eve virtually unlimited freedom, nothing was off limits except for the fruit of one tree. They were not to eat the fruit from this one special tree in the garden. That was God’s only stipulation to them, they had to choose relationship and obedience to him. At this point in the story, a strange new character comes in, evil in the form of a snake. This evil one convinces Eve that God is holding out on them, that they should take matters into their own hands. They shouldn’t be told they couldn’t eat from a tree. And so, they do. They disobey God. Genesis 3:6 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 so

Intro Today as we continue in our Advent Teaching series, we are going to look at the name given to Jesus, the prince of Peace. The Prince of Peace. Turn with me to Isaiah Chapter 9, beginning at verse 6 Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. These words from the book of Isaiah were written hundreds of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem. In the days of Isaiah, the people of God were in a desperate and dark place, they didn’t have peace. They had turned away from serving the Lord, they weren’t really worshipping him like they were called to do. And they were living in the consequences of those decisions. God sent the prophet Isaiah to warn his people about the coming judgement, he warned them to change their ways, but they refused. Soon they would be overcome by the neighboring nation of Assyria, and taken captive to their land. In the midst of this dark and chaotic place, a word of hope breaks through. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… Hope comes on the horizon in the form of a baby born to rule his people, to bring restoration and redemption to God’s people. He would be the wonderful counselor, Mighty God, everlasting father, and the prince of peace. The titles of this coming one reveal that he will be far more than a political leader, far more than a new president to run their nation. He would be a redeemer a restorer. He would not just rule the people, he would save them. He would bring them peace. I wonder what comes to your mind when you think of peace? Is it tie-dye, Volkswagen vans, and a peace symbol? Is peace those precious early morning, or late night hours, when everyone else is in bed, and finally, all is calm and quiet. Deep breath… Ahhh…. Peace. That’s one of the things I love about getting up early in the morning. Peace. Perhaps when you think of peace, you think of a specific place. Perhaps an hour or two at the local library or coffee shop. Maybe at the beach with a good book, or on a hike in nature. Time alone in the treestand, enjoying the stillness of the woods. For me peace can often look like this *PICTURE* this was early one morning on Switzer Lake. Nobody else around, quiet, beautiful. So, what about you? What do you think about when you think of peace? If you look up peace in the dictionary, you will find definitions like Freedom from disturbance. (Parents, that’s those golden hours when everyone in the house is asleep, right?) peace. Tranquility or quiet. And there’s a part of every one of us that longs for peace. It’s like a natural hunger, a need that we seek to fulfil. to be free from disturbance, from conflict and turmoil, to be free from the noise and hustle of life. To know that stillness not just in our circumstances, but to have peace on the inside. I don’t know about you, but I have visited plenty of peaceful places this year and yet somehow, even in those peaceful places, I haven’t really been at peace on the inside. Have you ever been there? Your surroundings can be completely at peace, but inside you are anything but at rest. your upset, anxious, racing thoughts about things outside of your control. The grief of illness, or the loss of a loved one seems like a constant current under the surface. Perhaps your worried about the future or haunted by the past. And peace seems impossible. Perhaps you feel that way right now. It’s Christmas time. It’s supposed to be a time of joy and celebration, a time marked by peace, but you just arent there. Friends, if you are like me and sometimes struggle to find peace in the midst of everyday life, the message of Christmas is good news. The message of Jesus, the prince of peace, coming into our world to give peace. You see, true peace is that it doesn’t come from just the right circumstances, we don’t find it on the perfect vacation, we wont find it in any gift wrapped up under the tree. True peace only comes through a person, and his name is Jesus, he is the prince of peace. Jesus said in John 14:27 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. The gift of peace has been given; will you receive it? Today we are continuing in part 3 of our teaching series The Names of Jesus. Throughout this series we are exploring some of the different names the bible gives to Jesus. Names In the bible often hold far more meaning and importance than what we are accustomed to in our time. It’s way more than a way to call someone out of a crowd. Throughout the bible names often spoke of the persons character and eve

https://www.bible.com/events/49361778 Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus The Names of Jesus Part 3 East Rock The Prince of Peace Today we continue our Advent teaching series "The Names of Jesus" Throughout this series we are looking at a few of the different names that the scriptures give to Jesus. Names In the bible often hold far more meaning and importance than what we are accustomed to in our time. Names often spoke of a persons character and even their destiny. The same is true for Jesus. We continue today with a name for Jesus found in Isaiah 9, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. In the days of Isaiah when this was written, the people had turned away from serving the Lord, they weren’t really worshipping him like they were called to do. And they were living in the consequences of those decisions. God sent the prophet Isaiah to warn his people about the coming judgement, he warned them to change their ways, but they refused. Soon they would be overcome by the neighboring nation of Assyria, and taken captive to their land. It was anything but tidings of great joy, certainly nothing to sing carols about. But In the midst of this dark and chaotic place, this word of hope breaks through. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… Hope comes on the horizon in the form of a baby born to rule his people, to bring restoration and redemption to God’s people. He would be the wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. When the bible talks about peace, it’s looking beyond what we might typically think of with a quiet still morning, or just the absence of noise and conflict. The word for peace in the Old Testament, is the word shalom. Shalom carries the idea of completeness, or wholeness. It’s like a puzzle with all its pieces in place. It’s not just that the outside is peaceful, but internally we are complete and whole. It’s well being, restfulness, peace deep within. Peace that is not dependent on circumstances. That’s the peace this new king that Isaiah spoke about would bring. As we step into the story of Christmas in the New Testament, we are invited to see Jesus as the one who fulfills this hope-filled promise from Isaiah Luke 2:9-14 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.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Generations had waited for this moment, for this hope to break out. And it’s here. The child has been given. The Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace was here. It’s interesting that the world seemingly had no more at peace after the arrival of the prince of Peace than ours does today. Rome was still in charge, Herod was still king, and He would still try to kill Jesus. It was anything but a tranquil setting that was free of conflict. But yet it’s right there in the midst of all the chaotic realities of life in this fallen world that we see the beautiful truth of Christmas- The Prince of Peace has come and he offers us peace in the midst of our chaotic world. And he offers wholeness and healing, to put the pieces together in the lives of those who look to him in faith. The gift of peace has been given. The gift of peace has been given, how then do we experience the peace of the prince of peace? That journey has to begin with the understanding that Jesus has come to offer us peace with God himself. If we don’t know peace in our lives with God, peace anywhere else in life will never be found. We must start by seeking peace with God. Colossians 1:19-20 "19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." The Prince of Peace came to make peace through his death on the Cross. As we surrender our lives to him, peace begins to take root and grow in our hearts, and it will transcend into our daily lives. That’s true peace, from the Prince of Peace. Next, to experience the Peace of Jesus, we have to believe it’s possible. Not possible in a conceptual, made up way in our minds, but actually possible in the midst of the chaotic reality of our lives and our world. Jesus himself said in John 14:27 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. T

http://bible.com/events/49359165 Church of the Nazarene - Harrisonburg Campus The Names of Jesus Part 2 Wonderful Counselor Today we continue our Advent teaching series "The Names of Jesus" Throughout this series we are looking at a few of the different names that the scriptures give to Jesus. Names In the bible often hold far more meaning and importance than what we are accustomed to in our time. Names often spoke of a persons character and even their destiny. The same is true for Jesus. Counselor: a person trained to give guidance on personal, social, or psychological problems 3 Characteristics of Effective Counselor Personal Credibility Compassionate Listener Gives Godly/Biblical Advice Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 28:29 This also comes from the Lord of hosts; he is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom. DO YOU WANT TO FIX THIS? Jesus doesn’t just provide a prohibition, he always provides a path forward. Pastor Jon Tyson Any communication that comes to you from the enemy will have enough truth to be believable but enough deception to destroy you. Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Bill Gaultiere Jesus understands the human soul, or psyche — first as our co-creator with God the Father, second as the incarnate Son of God who experienced being a man and living on this earth, third as the Redeemer who never sinned and conquered sin and death and Satan by rising from the dead, and fourth as the ever-living and present Spirit of Christ with us now. Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. If you're not spiritually fed, you will be emotionally led. DO YOU TRUST HIM AS YOUR WONDERFUL COUNSELOR TODAY? EXTRA SCRIPTURES “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you” (Psalm 32:8). The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation” (Psalm 33:11). Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand” (Psalm 19:21). “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me” (Psalm 16:7). Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors” (Psalm 119:24). For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity” (Proverbs 2:6-7). Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine” (Proverbs 8:14). The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:6). But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

We are on week two of our series on the Names of Jesus.  What’s in a name?  Names have meanings.  Take the name Sherry, it means “darling”, “beloved”, or “dearest”.  The name Richard means “brave ruler” or “strong king”.   The name Stephanie means “crown”, “wreath”, or “garland”.  The Bible is full of names, and those names are full of meaning.  In the Bible, a person’s name had great significance.  It reflected that person’s character.  Take the name Abraham, it means “father of a nation”.  Or the name Moses, which means “to draw out of water”.   The name Hannah means “favor” or “grace”.   Today we are going to dive into the name of Jesus, ‘Wonderful Counselor’.  This name refers to Him as a divine guide with extraordinary wisdom and insight.  Jesus, as our Wonderful Counselor, not only gives us wise counsel, He also has the power to resolve, and grace to help us.  As wonderful counselor, He does not just give counsel, He pours in the power for a successful resolution to your problems.  There are numerous stories throughout the Gospels that demonstrate Jesus’ ability to provide wise guidance and comfort to the people.  EVERY instance, ALWAYS showing Jesus offering counsel or teaching, as a reflection of the title:  Wonderful Counselor.   For example, in the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, John 4:7-30, Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor provides wise counsel and comfort to the ‘Woman at the Well’.  He helped her to face her past and trade her shame for salvation.  In this story, we see the protagonist going from ‘miserable’ to ‘missionary’ as she scurries from the well anxiously desiring to share her good news of Jesus with others.   By studying the names of Jesus, we get to know Him better.    Each name of Jesus recorded in the Bible is a way through which we see Him more clearly and know Him better.   And knowing Him better is essential so we can reflect His character to the world around us.  Please turn to Isaiah 9:6, and it will also be on the screen,   “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.  And the government will rest on his shoulders.  These will be his royal titles:  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Let us pray together:  “Dear God, may we hear from Your Word today.  Wonderful Counselor, Jesus, You are the answer.  You knew us while forming us in our mother’s womb.  You know every detail about us, our fears, our struggles, and our successes.  Lord, You know us and exactly where we are.  You love us without judging.  Father, please speak to us today.  Give us Your wise counsel.  Renew us, and give us hope, as there are folks in this room who are weary.  Lord, we extol You oh LORD!!! In Your Holy Name we pray, Amen.”  Short back ground of the book of Isaiah.  In Chapter 6, Isaiah answers the call and he is commissioned as a prophet.    God tells Isaiah to go and speak to Judah’s king Ahaz, who is terrified about an impending invasion from Syria and Israel. Isaiah promises this invasion will not happen. Instead, both nations will soon be destroyed.  In the midst of the darkness, Isaiah prophesized that God would send the ‘Wonderful Counselor’ to save His people.    The ‘Wonderful Counselor’ will come as a baby to a virgin.  Isaiah is proclaiming the message of HOPE through the name “Wonderful Counselor”. The birth of baby Jesus fulfilled God’s promise.  The word “Wonderful” in the English language means ‘exciting wonder’.    But do we really use the word to describe ‘exciting wonder’?  We often use wonderful like this:  It was a wonderful party. The meal was wonderful. You did a wonderful job. It appears that in many cases, perhaps the word ‘wonderful’ has lost its’ power of excitement.   Matthew Henry, best known for his six-volume biblical commentary ‘Exposition of the Old and New Testaments’, said when explaining the name of Jesus as Wonderful Counselor,   “Justly is He called wonderful, for He is both God and man.  His love is the wonder of angels and glorified saints; in His birth, death, resurrection, and ascension, He was wonderful.  A constant series of wonders attended Him and, without controversy, great was the mystery of godliness concerning Him.”  The awe of wonder and the word Wonderful.  The Hebrew word for ‘Wonderful’ is pele (peh’-leh) which expresses the “wonder”, the divine intervention or miraculous events that reveal God’s power and majesty:  “Who is like thee, O Lord, among the gods, little ‘g’ god?”  In ancient Israelite culture, wonders and miracles were seen as direct manifestations of God's presence and power.   The Israelites believed that God

NAMES OF JESUS · LAST FEW WEEKS-ThanksGIVING · TWO UPDATES: A. WE ARE A PROCESSING CENTER-DID 8,552 BOXES B. TOTAL INCLUDING COUNTIES FROM BEFORE 25,346 C. INCREASE OF OVER 3000 SHOEBOXES D. LAST WEEK RHONDA PAULSON ISAIAH 117 HOUSE E. SO FAR 2 DAYS WE HAD GIVEN OVER 17K DIRECTLY TO HER OR THROUGH CHURCH- NO ONLINE GIVING. WHATS IN A NAME · HELLO MY NAME IS? · LAST TIME YOU WORE NAME TAG/ · WHY DO WE WEAR ONE? · MEET SOMEONE A SECOND TIME AND YOU CAN’T REMEMBER THEIR NAME? · OR YOU GO TO INTRODUCE THEM TO SOMEONE AND YOU JUST BLANK? · TODAY WE START – IMPORTANCE OF A NAME DEFINITION OF WORD NAME: WORD OR SET OF WORDS BY WHICH A PERSON, ANIMAL PLACE OR THING IS KNOWN. ANGELA/ AMANDA/CHRIS NAMES MEAN SOMETHING- SOME SAY THEY PROPHETIC · ANGELA: (IN CHARGE OF EVERYONE)-MESSENGER OF GOD · AMANDA: WORTHY OF LOVE · CHRIS: BEARER OF CHRIST DARYL/JANETTE/JOE · DARYL: BELOVED/OAK TREE · JANETTE: GOD IS GRACIOUS/ GRACED BY YAHWEH · JOE: MAY JEHOVAH GIVE INCREASE BILLY/SAM · BILLY: RESOLUTE PROTECTOR · SAM: GOD HEARS SLIDE 6: JASMINE/JEREMIAH/RUTH/KEVIN · JASMINE: FRAGRANT FLOWER/GIFT FROM GOD. · JEREMIAH: GOD WILL UPLIFT/APPOINTED BY GOD · RUTH: COMPASSIONATE FRIEND · KEVIN: HANDSOME NAMES WERE GIVEN IN THE BIBLE AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME IN AN EFFORT TO DEFINE THE HOPES AND DREAMS OF THEIR CHILD. HEBREW NAMES: · A KEYSTONE FOR IDENTITY FOR THEM · THE NAME THEY CHOSE IS BELIEVED TO IMPACT WHAT THAT CHILD WILL BECOME SCRIPTURE GENESIS 2:19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. (ADAM DOESN’T HAVE A NAME YET) SCRIPTURE GENESIS 2:20 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. SLIDE 9: SCRIPTURE GENESUS 2:21 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. · EVE IS NOT NAMED UNTIL AFTER THE FALL. · EVE “NAME MEANS GIVER OF LIFE” · HER WAS SIGNIFIGANT BC CHRIST WOULD COME SLIDE 10: SCRIPTURE MATTHEW 1:22 22. 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 IS WITH US”) SLIDE 11: CATHY- CATHE-KATHY-KATHI 10. AGAIN THE LORD SPOKE TO AHAZ, 11.ASK THE LORD YOUR GOD FOR A SIGN, WETHER IN THE DEEPEST DEPTHS OR IN THE HIGHEST HEIGHTS.” 12. BUT AHAZ SAID, “I WILL NOT ASK, I WILL NOT PUT THE LORD TO THE TEST.” SCRIPTURE ISAIAH 7:13-14 13. THEN ISAIAH SAID, “HEAR NOW, YOU HOUSE OF DAVID! IS IT NOT ENOUGH TO TRY THE PATIENCE OF HUMANS? WILL YOU TRY THE PATIENCE OF MY GOD ALSO? 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. · PEOPLE WERE BEING ATTACKED/OPPRESSED · KING AHAZ WAS FEARFUL/ANXIETY AND DREAD · GOD SHOWS UP AND SAYS” I WILL GIVE A SIGN” JESUS 50% HUMAN/ 50% 50%GOD · JESUS WASN’T 50 % HUMAN, 50 % GOD · MARY A HUMAN GAVE BIRTH TO A GOD MAN · JESUS WAS 100% HUMAN AND 100 % GOD · GOD WITH US, IMMANUEL THINK ABOUT HOW LONG PEOPLE HAVE WAITED DIDN’T FULLY KNOW WHAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR · LAST THING YOU WAITED A LONG TIME FOR? · WAITING GOES BACK TO THE GARDEN TREE · 4000 YEARS · 60 PROPECHIES GIVEN · A DARK- VERY DARK TIME IN HISTORY · ROMAN OPPRESSION VIDEO THE CHOSEN · THE PEOPLE HE ANNOUNCES HIS ARRIVAL TO · SHEPHERDS · THE AWE- THE EXCITEMENT · THE HOPE THAT HAS NOW ARRIVED SCRIPTURE PHILIPPIANS 2:9 9. THEREFORE GOD EXALTED HIM TO THE HIGHEST PLACE AND GAVE HIM THE NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME. 10. THAT AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY NAME OF KNEE SHOULD BOW, IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH AND UNDER THE EARTH. (THINK ABOUT PLACES WHO WILL BOW LISTED HERE) NAMES UNDER JESUS THE TOP 10 NAMES ALL TIME IN HISTORY 1. MOTHER THERESA 2. GEORGE WASHINGTON 3. ALEXANDER THE GREAT 4. NAPOLEAN 5. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 6. ABE LINCOLN 7. ARISTOTLE 8. HITLER 9. MUHAMMAD THEY ARE ALL UNDER THE NAME ALL TIME OF JESUS · A MAN WHO TRAVELED VERY LITTLE – HIS NAME IS THE MOST FAMOUS NAME OF ALL TIME WORLD WIDE- · THIS NAME HIS NAME STATES A PURPOSE- WHY HE CAME HIS NAME IS POWER SCRIPTURE LUKE 10:17 17: THE SEVENTY-TWO RETURNED WITH JOY AND SAID “LORD, EVEN THE DEMONS SUBMIT TO US IN YOUR NAME” · HIS NAME IS PERSONAL HES THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR HES COUNSELOR/MIGHTY GOD EVERLASTING FATHER HAD NO MEDICAL DEGREE BUT CALLED HIM HEALER HE HAD NO SERVANTS AND THEY CALLED HIM MASTER HAD NO DEGREE BUT THEY CALED HIM RABBI/TEACHER HE HAD NO MILITARY TRAINING YET HE CONQUERED THE WORLD WHERE’S WALDO PICTURE · BOOK THAT CAME OUT YEARS AGO · THE IDEA IS THERES A CHARACTER BLENDED IN WALDO ACTION PICTURE · EACH PAGE GETS HARDER TO FIND HIM · EACH PAGE THEY TRY AND LOOK MORE LIKE HIM · I CHECKED THIS WEEK-HES ON EVERY PAGE · IN MY LIFE-SOME DAYS HARDER TO SEE HIM · HE’S BEEN

https://www.bible.com/events/49354939 Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus The Names of Jesus Part 1 East Rock Emmanuel, God with us. Today we begin our Advent teaching series "The Names of Jesus" Throughout this series we are looking at a few of the different names that the scriptures give to Jesus. Names In the bible often hold far more meaning and importance than what we are accustomed to in our time. Names often spoke of a persons character and even their destiny. The same is true for Jesus. We begin our series today with a name for Jesus found at the very heart of the Christmas story. Emmanuel. Matthew 1:18-19 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. Mary and Joseph are pledged or betrothed. Betrothal was similar to our idea of engagement, except it was legally binding. During this betrothal Mary has been found to be pregnant. Here we need to slow down and walk with the characters in the story. Mary was likely a teenager, pledged to be married. The gospel of Luke records that she was visited by an angle to tell her that she would bear a son. She knows the stigma that will bring. The potential punishment of stoning by the law. But, she says yes. Jospeh. He’s been working hard to prepare his home. He loves Mary, they have hopes and dreams together. And now this. This is the scene, this is the confusion, the tension, the hurt, the frustration and fear. Joseph ponders his options. This is the story of God coming to be with us. Matthew 1:20-21 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.” One night in the midst of this turmoil an angel of the Lord comes to him in a dream. The angels message confirms Mary’s story that it was a work of the Lord in her life. She was telling the truth. Joseph needed to go ahead and taker her as his wife. He had a part to play in what God was doing too Matthew 1:22-23 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”). As Matthew is recalling the story of Jesus’ birth, he pauses to help is readers make a connection. Quoting from the Prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before Jesus was born, Matthew recalls the time when another child was born as a sign of God’s presence with his people and his faithfulness to them. In the birth of Jesus, Matthew sees the prophet Isiah’s words fulfilled in a much more meaningful and powerful way. What was true hundreds of years before in the nation of Judah, is now fulfilled completely in the coming of Jesus. Jesus is not just another sign- he is literally God with us, stepping into our messy and complicated story for our salvation. Emanuel is God with us. Over the next few weeks as we journey towards Christmas, we will look at a few of the other names given to Jesus in the scriptures. We will see Jesus as a wonderful counsellor, the prince of peace. He is Savior, sent to save his people from their sins. Then finally on Christmas Eve, we will see Jesus as the light of the world, dispelling darkness and brining hope Each of these titles is revealing of the very nature and character of Jesus and they invite us to know him more. That’s certainly true of Emmanuel The name Emmanuel invites us to recognize that God is with us. To believe that He is not aloof, unaware of the messiness and challenges of our daily lives. But he is with us, regardless of how we feel. He is Emmanuel, God with us.

Ronda Paulson is the Founder and Executive Director of Isaiah 117 House. Isaiah 117 House is a nonprofit which provides transitional support for children in foster care and for those who come around those who come around those kids during that time. The Isaiah 117 House was founded on the scripture passage Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” Isaiah 117 House Rockingham website link https://linktr.ee/isaiah117houserockinghamcova

https://www.bible.com/events/49351445 Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus ThanksGIVING Part 2 East Rock "Generosity flows from a heart of compassion." Today we are concluding our 2-part teaching series on ThanksGIVING. This series is not about a percentage to give, or a guilt trip into doing something. This is about coming to see God’s compassionate heart lived out through our generous actions in the world. Today we are going to look at a story in the bible of people giving beyond their means. Before we can dive into unpacking the teaching text of 2 Corinthians 8, we need to get a running start at what’s happening. During this time the believers in Jerusalem were really struggling. Scholars aren’t sure what exactly was happening in Jerusalem that led to such dire circumstances. Whatever the reason, the bible tells us people in Jerusalem were in need. While all this is going on in Jerusalem, the Apostle Paul was traveling around the Roman empire preaching and teaching the gospel and he wanted to help. As he was going to different cities to preach, he was collecting money to give to the church in Jerusalem to relieve their suffering. As we come to our teaching text in 2 Corinthians 8, Paul is highlighting the generosity of one specific group of believers from the region of Macedonia. 2 Corinthians 8:1-2 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. As the Christians in Jerusalem were struggling, the Christians in Macedonia were having a hard time as well. Here again, we aren’t exactly sure what was to blame for their plight. It’s believed that persecution of Christians was severe in this region effecting their ability to provide for basic needs. Whatever the cause was, the language Paul uses to describe their condition is stark. He said they were under a “severe trial”. And it was so severe was the situation left them in extreme poverty. The word here literally translated means “down to the depths poverty” or we might say- they were at rock bottom or dirt poor. For all that their circumstances had taken from them, it did not take their joy. It didn’t stop them from taking action to love others. But notice that as Paul holds up the example of the Macedonians, he says “Let me tell you about the grace God has given them” This whole conversation about generosity is because the grace of God. It was his divine enablement, his favor at work in their lives. 2 Corinthians 5:3-4 because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. We don’t know how much they gave because Paul never tells us. And that’s probably because the amount doesn’t matter at all. Generosity is not about an amount. Paul says they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond. I think what he is trying to say here is that they gave more than what was comfortable. It was sacrificial giving, it stretched them, and they wanted to do it. 2 Corinthians 8:5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. For the Christians of Macedonia, their generosity was an outflow of their relationship to the Lord. They saw their generosity as and expression of love and devotion to the Lord. They realized it was part of their service to him as their Lord and savior. Even in the midst of their own extreme trial and poverty, giving wasn’t an optional part of their lives. It was a priority. That’s the Macedonian generosity. For the remainder of Chapter 8 and all of Chapter 9 Paul talks and teaches about generosity following the Macedonian example. I want to share some things that really stood out to me about the Macedonians story. Here’s the question I have been asking: How do I take a step of faith in that direction? The answer would be different for each of us, of course, but a few things have really stood out to me in this story. They gave themselves to the Lord, they received his grace. The kind of generosity the bible calls for, the kind that the Macedonians show us- It won’t happen on our own. If we are going to experience the kind of generosity we read about here- we have to start by giving ourselves to the Lord. We have to give our lives to him. We need to be experiencing new life in Christ, his transforming grace at work in our lives. The Macedonians joyfully refused to miss out on what God was doing in their world. They caught the passion and the vision of how God was moving to meet the tangible needs of people around them, and they weren’t going to miss it for anything. They believed in the mission of the church and they were willing to leverage their lives to see the mission happen. And friend

This Sunday and next Sunday we will be speaking on the topic of Thanks Giving. Today we are going to talk about compassion as an expression of giving thanks. As you know, the bible calls and teaches us to give generously of our time, talents, and resource to the people around us. And at times, to people we will never know and never see. Jesus helps us to live a generous life when we look at people through His eyes. At the center of the heart of God we find a spirit of extravagant generosity. This is a characteristic that God desires for each of His children to have. In one of the parables Jesus taught, He talks about eyes that looked at the same thing but see things differently. In it, Jesus gives us a powerful lesson on the significance of loving our neighbor. Transition I want to begin by asking you what these three words have in common? Deoxyribonucleic Acid, Ethos, and Identity. • Deoxyribonucleic Acid – also known as DNA is the molecule that constitutes the essence of who we are. • Ethos – is a characteristic spirit of a culture, era, community, or an organization as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations. • Identity – the fact of being who or what a person is. What these words have in common is that they all point to the essence and characteristics of what a person or an organization is and is known for. Hope Distributed From its beginning, the DNA, the Ethos, and the Identity of the Church of the Nazarene has been centered on expressing the generous and extravagant love of God to others in tangible ways. Since its beginning, our church has focused its mission evangelism, education, and compassionate ministry. Today we celebrate, with Hope Distributed, 20 years of compassionate ministry to our community. Hope Distributed was founded in October of 2004. The very first day we served 12 people, right here, from this kitchen that is to your right. The first year we served a total of 1,667 individuals and distributed 16,993 pounds of food. In the last 20 years Hope Distributed has served 412,638 individuals and distributed more than ten million pounds (10,272,718) of food. Video – play video HD 2024 If you have served and volunteer at Hope Distributed giving your time, talent and resources please stand up. On behalf of Jeff Wilhelm, Ellen Braun, and our board of directors I want to thank you for making a difference in our community. 2 Throughout the years many people have had a part in making this happen. Members of the Joy Group were instrumental in our success. Special thanks to Chuck Oster, Earl Clark, Dick Shoemaker, Ron Garber, and Marvin Varner. We have enjoyed a great partnership with the Blueridge Area Food Bank, food partners like Walmart, Food Lion, Target, and Martins. We have been blessed with great leadership from Vickie Waldrop, Jenny Meadows. We have been led well through the pandemic and into new growth with the leadership of Jeff Wilhelm and Ellen Braun. Countless lives have been impacted with the grace and love of God through Hope Distributed. Illustration To illustrate the impact that Hope Distributed has on a weekly basis you were given a 3x5 index card. It is possible that you may have lost it or misplaced it. That’s ok. If you have a card, and you remember receiving a card, please stand up. We distributed 400 cards. This number represents only half of the people that are fed through Hope Distributed every week. A total of 825 individuals receive food from Hope Distributed each week, every week of the year. Give Us Eyes to See Why do we do this? Because it is at the center of the heart of God. As a body of believers, it is our DNA, our Ethos, it is part of our identity. Jesus said: • Love your neighbor (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:34-39). • For as much as you have done to one of the least of these you have done unto me (Matthew 25:40). Serving the needs of the poor and marginalized is equivalent to serving him directly. • I have come to serve not to be served (Matthew 20:28). • I have come to proclaim good news, freedom to the captives, heal the blind, and set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18-19) Parable of the Good Samaritan In Luke 10:25-37 we find what has become known as the parable of the Good Samaritan. The bible tells us that on one occasion an expert of the law stood up to test Jesus. He asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life.” Jesus replied by asking him what was written in the law. The man responded saying “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said to him, “Do this and you will live!” The man wanting to justify himself asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus, if I am going to do this, who qualifies as my neighbor. Jesus replied by telling the man a parable. He said, a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and left him half dead. A priest happened to be going

  JOSHUA 24:1 1. “Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. JOSHUA 24:2 1. Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. JOSHUA 24:3 3 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac,4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.  JOSHUA 24: 5-6 5 “Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. 6 When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea.  JOSHUA 24:7 7 But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time. JOSHUA 24:8 8 “‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. · THERE ARE 13 I’S IN THE FIRST 8 VERSES. · GOD SPEAKS AND REMINDS THEM- I DID THIS SLIDE 11: JOSHUA WARNINGS · WARNINGS/ADISEMENTS STRAIGHT OUT OF V’S 14-15. WHAT DOES HE STATE THEY SHOULD DO?  JOSHUA 24:14 14. “NOW FEAR THE LORD AND SERVE HIM WITH ALL FAITHFULNESS. THROW AWAY THE gODS YOUR ANCESTORS WORSHIPPED BEYOND THE EUPHRATES RIVER AND IN EGYPT AND SERVE THE LORD.  JOSHUA 24:13 13. BUT IF SERVING THE LORD SEEMS UNDESIRABLE TO YOU, THEN CHOOSE FOR YOURSELVES THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE, WHETHER THE gODS YOUR ANCESTORS SERVED BEYOND THE EUPHRATES, OR THE gODS OF THE AMORITES, IN WHO LAND YOU ARE LIVING. BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.” PROMISE KEEPER · 1997- LIVING IN PENNSYLVANIA · ATTENDING A CHURCH · GROUP OF MEN GOING TO DC TOGETHER · WEEKEND SERIES OF MEETINGS/CHURCH SERVICES · RFK STADIUM IN WASHINGTON DC (COMMANDERS) · PASTOR JAMES RYLE (SMALL NOTEBOOK) · 2ND LEVEL – CENTERFIELD · I WAS DATING – LIVING AS A MISERABLE CHRISTIAN · HAVING MOMENTARY FUN (SIN IS FUN) · PASTOR RYLE SAID- YOU NEED TO END GAME TONIGHT JOSHUA 24: 23 23. “NOW THEN,” SAID JOSHUA, “THROW AWAY THE FOREIGN GODS THAT ARE AMONG YOU AND YIELD YOUR HEARTS TO THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL.”  JOSHUA 24:24 24. AND PEOPLE SAID TO JOSHUA, “WE WILL SERVE THE LORD OUR GOD AND OBEY HIM.” JOSHUA 24:25 25. ON THAT DAY, JOSHUA MADE A COVENANT FOR THE PEOPLE, AND THERE AT SHECHEM HE REAFFIRNED FOR THEM DECREES AND LAWS.”  JOSHUA 24:26 26. “AND JOSHUA RECORDED THESE THINGS IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW OF GOD. THEN HE TOOK A LARGE STONE AND SET IT UP THERE UNDER THE OAK NEAR THE HOLY PLACE OF THE LORD.” · WORD FOR STONE HERE IS E’BEN · SAME WORD USED FOR STONE IN GENESIS 28 · JACOB HAS AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD · WITNESS “YOU HAVE SEEN YOU’VE BEEN WITNESS TO GODS FAITHFULNESS” NOW WILL YOU BE? _________________________________________________________ · LIFE GROUP CURRICULUM · DR. BRIAN CHARETTE AUTHOR · TITLE OF THIS LAST LESSON IS ‘ALL IN” · WHERE DOES THIS PHRASE COME FROM? · VIDEO “ALL IN” · STAKES RAISED · MUCH ON THE LINE · JOSHUA IS CLOSE TO THE END  PRIDE SIN SLIDE 22: DIE WHO WILL YOU SERVE ? THE ISRAELITES SERVED MANY GODS GOD OF FERTILITY GOD OF CROPS GOD OF RAIN WE DON’T HAVE THAT AS MUCH NOW AS I DECIDE NOW WHICH GOD I WILL SERVE OR WHO WILL I SERVE- FOR MOST OF MY LIFE I HAVE SERVED ------- ME THIS CHAPTER SAYS “I” (GOD SPEAKING 18 TIMES?) I THEN HAVE TO WRESTLE WITH THE OTHER I- ME · LISTEN TO HOW HE ANTICIPATES · SAYS ALL THIS AS IF THEY ARE NOT GONNA DO IT

https://www.bible.com/events/49345129 Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus Joshua: Part 8 East Rock All-in We conclude with Part 8 of our teaching series through the book of Joshua. Within the story of Joshua we read of the people of God encountering real obstacles to living out their faith in the Lord. Flooded rivers, fortified cities, and giant armies. real things that would cause any normal person to fear. But what we see is that in the face of these challenges, is the power of God’s presence and his continued faithfulness to his people. That’s the story of Joshua, and that’s our story today. Real challenges met with the real and true faithfulness of God. Today we are in Joshua chapter 24 to hear his final call "Choose this day who you will serve" Joshua 24:14-15 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” With everyone leaning in and listening, Joshua gives the people a clear-cut invitation to choose who they will serve. No coercion, no threats, no manipulation, just a plain and simple choice. Choose to go and worship other gods, things from the past, or the ways of the world you’re living in now- OR- Go ALL-IN serving the Lord your God. Today as we conclude our teaching series on the book of Joshua, we will see Joshua’s final act as the leader of Israel is to invite them to be ALL IN in their relationship with the Lord. Fully committed, totally invested, nothing held back. All in. The message of Joshua rings loud and clear down through the centuries to us today. We have a choice Go all in, or don’t go at all. Are you all in? Joshua 24:1-2 Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. Joshua begins his farewell address speaking on behalf of the Lord. Before any specific challenge would come, God wanted to remind his people of all he had done for them in leading them to this point. ii.He begins all the way back with the story of calling Abraham to follow him, and traces it up to their time in Egypt. Joshua 24:5-10 “ ‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time. “ ‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand. Verses 5-7 recount the stories of Moses and Aaron and how God brought the people out of Egypt. Verses 8-12 bring the story up to their present day. How the Lord fought for the children of Israel in the promised land. Joshua 24:13 So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’ From the distant past, to their present day, God was at the very center of the story. He was the one who made this life possible in the promised land. It wasn’t their efforts, it wasn’t because they deserved it. It was because he gave it to them. It was by God’s grace, motivate by his love for his people. One way to put it would be that God had gone “all-in” for his people. Joshua 24:14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. In full view of all that God had done for his people, Joshua calls them to respond. In rapid fire succession, Joshua calls for 4 things from his people in light of all that God has done for them. Fear the Lord Serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away their gods. Serve the Lord This is ALL IN for the Lord. Joshua 24:15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will se

Church of the Nazarene Harrisonburg Gethsemane Gathering "Stay awake with me and pray" Today we are going to have what we call a Gethsemane Gathering. You may recognize the name Gethsemane from the gospels as it is the name of the garden where Jesus went to pray. Let’s dive into the story in Matthew 26 Matthew 26:36-41 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to pray with him. Hours before his crucifixion, Jesus is pouring his heart out to the father, and he doesn’t want to do it alone. He wanted his closest friends to pray with him, to keep watch. Jesus is pouring his heart out in prayer and he returns to find his 3 closest friends are taking a nap. Arguably when he needed them the most, they missed the opportunity. Jesus goes away a second time, wrestling, pouring his heart out in prayer. As he finishes praying he comes back a second time to check on his friends, and they are fast asleep. again. This time, he doesn’t even wake them up. Jesus just goes back to pray on his own. A foreshadowing of what was in the hours ahead. That’s the story of the Garden. Today our goal is to symbolically give back that one hour that the disciples missed that night in prayer. We are going to spend our time together today in prayer and worship. We will focus on 7 different areas in prayer while the band leads us in worship throughout the service. Our first area of focus is Souls Father, For the one, for the many, I pray. None are lost to You, for You know just where each soul You created has wandered. Let me be to those who don't know You a voice of hope, a peace-filled presence, and an example of the transformation You can make in a surrendered life. So that they each and all might come to know You. Amen. Opportunities Father, Open my eyes that I may see the opportunities You place in front of me. Let no conversation, no interaction, no path crossed be wasted. I give You each coincidence and happenstance and invite You to give meaning to each moment of my life, so that I may be a part of Your movement all around me. Amen. Petitions Father, I don't know how to ask it. I don't know what to say. Tam without words. But You know. You know my heart, my mind and my needs better than I know myself. So I trust You and give myself over to Your way. Amen. Relationships Father, Where they are wrong, give me the grace and humility to forgive. Where I am wrong, give me the grace and humility to apologize. Where others are at odds, help me broker peace. Where I am at odds, help me accept counsel. Father, forgive us, for we know not what we do. Amen Adoration You are more than all I could ever hope for. You are perfect and holy, above all others. You give such good gifts and yet without a single gift given, I am richly blessed with You alone. When I was all that is undeserving, You gave everything I could never deserve. Father. Abba. Lord. Yes/Yield Father, You have my yes. Yes to whatever, to wherever, to whenever, to however. Yes, to all of You. Amen.

https://www.bible.com/events/49341785 Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus Gethsemane Gathering "Stay awake with me and pray" Today we are going to have what we call a Gethsemane Gathering. You may recognize the name Gethsemane from the gospels as it is the name of the garden where Jesus went to pray. Let’s dive into the story in Matthew 26 Matthew 26:36-41 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to pray with him. Hours before his crucifixion, Jesus is pouring his heart out to the father, and he doesn’t want to do it alone. He wanted his closest friends to pray with him, to keep watch. Jesus is pouring his heart out in prayer and he returns to find his 3 closest friends are taking a nap. Arguably when he needed them the most, they missed the opportunity. Jesus goes away a second time, wrestling, pouring his heart out in prayer. As he finishes praying he comes back a second time to check on his friends, and they are fast asleep. again. This time, he doesn’t even wake them up. Jesus just goes back to pray on his own. A foreshadowing of what was in the hours ahead. That’s the story of the Garden. Today our goal is to symbolically give back that one hour that the disciples missed that night in prayer. We are going to spend our time together today in prayer and worship. We will focus on 7 different areas in prayer while the band leads us in worship throughout the service. Our first area of focus is Souls Father, For the one, for the many, I pray. None are lost to You, for You know just where each soul You created has wandered. Let me be to those who don't know You a voice of hope, a peace-filled presence, and an example of the transformation You can make in a surrendered life. So that they each and all might come to know You. Amen. Opportunities Father, Open my eyes that I may see the opportunities You place in front of me. Let no conversation, no interaction, no path crossed be wasted. I give You each coincidence and happenstance and invite You to give meaning to each moment of my life, so that I may be a part of Your movement all around me. Amen. Petitions Father, I don't know how to ask it. I don't know what to say. Tam without words. But You know. You know my heart, my mind and my needs better than I know myself. So I trust You and give myself over to Your way. Amen. Relationships Father, Where they are wrong, give me the grace and humility to forgive. Where I am wrong, give me the grace and humility to apologize. Where others are at odds, help me broker peace. Where I am at odds, help me accept counsel. Father, forgive us, for we know not what we do. Amen Adoration You are more than all I could ever hope for. You are perfect and holy, above all others. You give such good gifts and yet without a single gift given, I am richly blessed with You alone. When I was all that is undeserving, You gave everything I could never deserve. Father. Abba. Lord. Yes/Yield Father, You have my yes. Yes to whatever, to wherever, to whenever, to however. Yes to all of You. Amen.

Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus Joshua: Part 7 East Rock "Hold fast to the Lord" We are continuing in Part 7 of our teaching series through the book of Joshua. Within the story of Joshua we read of the people of God encountering real obstacles to living out their faith in the Lord. Flooded rivers, fortified cities, and giant armies. real things that would cause any normal person to fear. But what we see is that in the face of these challenges, is the power of God’s presence and his continued faithfulness to his people. That’s the story of Joshua, and that’s our story today. Real challenges met with the real and true faithfulness of God. Today we are in Joshua chapter 23 looking at the farewell address of a very old Joshua. Joshua 23:1-2 After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them: “I am very old. The battles are done for now and the people of God have rest. After 20-25 years they are finally getting to peacefully enjoy God’s gift to them of the promised land. Joshua appears here as a very old man, gathering the leaders of Israel together to share his heart with them. These parting instructions are critical for future success of the people of God. Joshua 23:3-5 You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you. Joshua begins by remembering and reflecting on all that God had done for the Israelites in fulfilling his promise to his people. While they did have rest in the land at this time, but there was still more territory for them to take possession of. Canaanites, the enemy nations, were still living in some farther regions of the promised land. But they were not to worry- God would fight for them, just like he had before. God was faithful then, he’s faithful now, he will be faithful in the future. All the people needed to do was remain faithful to Him- That’s what Joshua says next Joshua 23:6-11 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now. “The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God. Rather than associating with the other nations, the people of God are to hold fast to the Lord. To hold fast to the Lord can carry the idea of two objects being glued or welded together. Relationally It speaks of loyalty and fidelity. It means to stay close, embrace, to hold on. That’s the way Joshua is encouraging his people to be with their heavenly father. The people of God had seen the blessing of embracing the Lord. He gave them life and identity as his children. He brought them into this land over incredible odds, and even their own mistakes. God had fought for them, he had driven out powerful armies from their path. He gave them power to do impossible things. One person routing a thousand. This is the picture of life holding onto God. When you are superglued to the Lord, there is no enemy that can stand. Joshua 23:12-13 “But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you. This is quite the contrast from life in relationship to the Lord. Rather than the promise of God’s presence, his power, his plan for their lives, if his people turned away from him, they could be sure that it would not go well. Listen to what Joshua says. If you turn away from the Lord, if you don’t cling to him and you go and embrace the ways of the foreign nations, the ways of the world. They will become a snare for you. This carries the idea of being entangled, confined, controlled, held captive by circumstances. Deceived. It will be a trap- Literally you will take the bait and be trapped. Stuck. Caught in their grasp. They will be a whip

https://www.bible.com/events/49338349 Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus Joshua: Part 7 East Rock "Hold fast to the Lord" We are continuing in Part 7 of our teaching series through the book of Joshua. Within the story of Joshua we read of the people of God encountering real obstacles to living out their faith in the Lord. Flooded rivers, fortified cities, and giant armies. real things that would cause any normal person to fear. But what we see is that in the face of these challenges, is the power of God’s presence and his continued faithfulness to his people. That’s the story of Joshua, and that’s our story today. Real challenges met with the real and true faithfulness of God. Today we are in Joshua chapter 23 looking at the farewell address of a very old Joshua. Joshua 23:1-2 After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then a very old man, summoned all Israel—their elders, leaders, judges and officials—and said to them: “I am very old. The battles are done for now and the people of God have rest. After 20-25 years they are finally getting to peacefully enjoy God’s gift to them of the promised land. Joshua appears here as a very old man, gathering the leaders of Israel together to share his heart with them. These parting instructions are critical for future success of the people of God. Joshua 23:3-5 You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you. Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain—the nations I conquered—between the Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The Lord your God himself will push them out for your sake. He will drive them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your God promised you. Joshua begins by remembering and reflecting on all that God had done for the Israelites in fulfilling his promise to his people. While they did have rest in the land at this time, but there was still more territory for them to take possession of. Canaanites, the enemy nations, were still living in some farther regions of the promised land. But they were not to worry- God would fight for them, just like he had before. God was faithful then, he’s faithful now, he will be faithful in the future. All the people needed to do was remain faithful to Him- That’s what Joshua says next Joshua 23:6-11 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now. “The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God. Rather than associating with the other nations, the people of God are to hold fast to the Lord. To hold fast to the Lord can carry the idea of two objects being glued or welded together. Relationally It speaks of loyalty and fidelity. It means to stay close, embrace, to hold on. That’s the way Joshua is encouraging his people to be with their heavenly father. The people of God had seen the blessing of embracing the Lord. He gave them life and identity as his children. He brought them into this land over incredible odds, and even their own mistakes. God had fought for them, he had driven out powerful armies from their path. He gave them power to do impossible things. One person routing a thousand. This is the picture of life holding onto God. When you are superglued to the Lord, there is no enemy that can stand. Joshua 23:12-13 “But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the Lord your God has given you. This is quite the contrast from life in relationship to the Lord. Rather than the promise of God’s presence, his power, his plan for their lives, if his people turned away from him, they could be sure that it would not go well. Listen to what Joshua says. If you turn away from the Lord, if you don’t cling to him and you go and embrace the ways of the foreign nations, the ways of the world. They will become a snare for you. This carries the idea of being entangled, confined, controlled, held captive by circumstances. Deceived. It will be a trap- Literally you will take the bait and be trapped. Stuck. Caug

http://bible.com/events/49335430 Church of the Nazarene Joshua Part 6- COTN Harrisonburg Campus Joshua Part 6 Joshua 9:3-8 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.” The Israelites said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?” “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?” Joshua 9:14 The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. "DISCERNMENT ISN’T KNOWING THE DIFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG, ITS KNOWING THE DIFFERECE BETWEEN RIGHT AND ALMOST RIGHT." - Charles Spurgeon Joshua 10:1-5 Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and had become their allies. He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. “Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said, “because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.” Then the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon—joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it. Joshua 10:5-13 Then the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon—joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it. The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.” So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.” After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. Joshua 10:14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel! Joshua 8:20 The men of Ai looked back and saw the smoke of the city rising up into the sky, but they had no chance to escape in any direction; the Israelites who had been fleeing toward the wilderness had turned back against their pursuers. Hebrews 13:10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

https://www.bible.com/events/49334932 Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus Joshua: Part 6 East Rock Joshua: Part 6 "Scammed" We are continuing in Part 6 of our teaching series through the book of Joshua. Within the story of Joshua we read of the people of God encountering real obstacles to living out their faith in the Lord. Flooded rivers, fortified cities, and giant armies. real things that would cause any normal person to fear. But what we see is that in the face of these challenges, is the power of God’s presence and his continued faithfulness to his people. That’s the story of Joshua, and that’s our story today. Real challenges met with the real and true faithfulness of God. Today we are in Joshua chapter 9 looking at the story of the Gibeonite deception. Joshua 9:3-6 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us.” On the heels of the massive destruction of the city of AI, the news about of the Israelites is making its way around to the other cities. They hear of the power and might of the army and how God is fighting for them and they are terrified. Unsure how defend themselves, several neighboring cities decide to join forces and fight Israel together. But the Gibeonites different approach, they are going to try to trick the Israelites into allowing them to live. They gather up old worn-out clothing and sandals, old worn-out wine containers, and moldy bread and they take off pretending to be from a distant land. Joshua 9:7-8 The Israelites said to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?” “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?” Something must have seemed fishy about this whole thing or they are remembering that God has specifically told them NOT to enter into treaties with other nations. Either way, Israel questions the supposed weary travelers. Joshua 9:9-13 They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; make a treaty with us.” ’ This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey.” At Joshua’s questioning the Gibeonites recite their story and they are careful to highlight all the things that should indicate they were from a distant place. They also say that they have come because they heard about all the Lord had done for his people delivering them from Egypt and giving them victory over the kings in the wilderness. If you remember back to the story of Rahab and Jericho- she sited very similar reasons for her actions. This whole story has been building up to this moment. The cards are on the table, the trap is set. Joshua 9:14-15 The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath. They looked over the evidence that was before them. They saw the molded bread, the looked at the old wineskins. They could see their clothes were worn out. The did the best they could do, it seemed good enough, so they did it. They trusted their own ability, they trusted their own discernment, and in their own strength, they were deceived into breaking the command of God. They did not seek the Lord. The truth of the matter comes out a few days later. They learn that these ambassadors who were supposed to be from a far country are really from a town about 25 miles away. Joshua 9:22-25 Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us? You are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.” They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. We are now in