Faith

Against The Grain // The King’s Heart Matthew 13:44-46 (NIV)“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (ESV)“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV)“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Against The Grain // The War of Worldviews 1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)“you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” What is a Worldview?“Network of presuppositions through which one interprets all of the human experience.”- Jeffery Ventrella What is real?Where did we come from?Is there a difference between right and wrong? How do we know?What do we know?How should we act? “In every decision we make we are not just deciding what we want to do. We are expressing our view of the purpose of human life.”- Nancy Pearcey 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NIV)“continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” How do we keep our worldview biblical?1. Stand in awe of His word.2. Kneel in submission to His word.3. Walk in the illumination of His word. Psalm 119:105 (ESV)“Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”

Parables // The Parable of the Elder Brother Luke 15:25-32 (NIV)““Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”” Symptoms of “the elder brother syndrome”1. Projects judgment towards others and God. 2. Inflated view of their own righteousness. 3. Misunderstanding of God’s grace. Matthew 20:8-15 (The Message)“’Call the workers and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first. Those hired at five o’clock came up and were each given a dollar.’ When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.’ [sound like the older brother?] He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the ones who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my money? Are you going to get stingy because I am so generous?’” The loving father’s message to the elder brother. 1. It’s not your works I cherish, it’s you. 2. All I have is yours. 3. I want you to enjoy my party.

Parables // Lost & Found Lost & Found Luke 15 The Lost SheepThe Lost CoinThe Lost Son Two Kingdom attitudes to embrace. 1. Compassion 2. "For the Son of Man [Jesus] has come to save that which was lost." LUKE 19:10 (NKJV) Celebration"The Lost Sons” God seeks sinners and wants them to come to Him. God and all of heaven rejoice when a sinner turns to God. Do you need to up your practice of Compassion and Celebration?

Parables // Jesus Wants To Do A New Thing In Your Life Luke 5:27-39 (NIV)“Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. ‘Follow me,’ Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’They said to him, ‘John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.’Jesus answered, ‘Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.’He told them this parable: ‘No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’” 1. Jesus came to give you a spirit of joy not burdensome sorrow. Psalm 34:8 (NIV)“Taste and see that the Lord is good;”Isaiah 61:3 (NIV)“to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” 2. Jesus came to do something brand new in your life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 3. Resisting what Jesus is doing will cause your life to get messy.Hebrews 3:7-9 (NIV)“So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.’”

Parables // Have You Found What You Are Looking For? Matthew 13:44-46 (NIV)“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” 1. Searching Matthew 13:45 (NIV) “the Kingdom of heaven is like merchant in search of fine pearls.” 2. Finding Matthew 13:44,46 (NKJV)“The Kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found…the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, when he had found one…” Why is Jesus of such supreme Value?- Because of who He is. Revelation 19:16 (ESV) “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”Revelation 1:5 (ESV)“Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.” Colossians 1:19 (ESV) “in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” Colossians 2:3 (NKJV) “in [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” - Because of what He has done for you. Luke 17:20-21 (ESV)“The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”Matthew 13:31-33 (ESV)“’The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’ He told them another parable. ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.’” - Because of what He offers you. - He can never be taken away from you. John 10:28-30 (NIV)"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” 3. Selling Matthew 13;44,46 (ESV)“In his joy he goes and sells all that he has…Finding one pearl of great value, [he] went and sold all that he had.” Philippians 3:4-7 (ESV)“I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”

Be Radical Like Jesus 1 JOHN 2:6“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” MATTHEW 9:36-38“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” 5 Keys to Being Radical Like Jesus:1. See what Jesus saw.MATTHEW 9:36“When he saw the crowds…” LUKE 19:41 - he saw the city of Jerusalem and wept over it.JOHN 9:1 - he saw a man blind from birth and healed him.JOHN 11:33 - he saw the grieving mourners and wept with them.JOHN 6:5 - he saw the hungry crowds and fed them.JOHN 5:6 - he saw the paralyzed man and raised him up. 2. Feel what Jesus felt.MATTHEW 9:36“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them…” 3. Imagine what Jesus imagined.MATTHEW 9:36“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” 4. Pray like Jesus prayed.MATTHEW 9:37-38“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” 5. Do what Jesus did.MATTHEW 9:35“Jesus went through all the towns and villages; teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”

Parables // Prayer // The Key to Living an Overcoming Life Luke 18:1-8 (NLT)“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. ‘There was a judge in a certain city,’ he said, ‘who neither feared God nor cared about people.’ A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’Then the Lord said, ‘Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?’” Prayer: The Key to Living an Overcoming Life 1. God uses prayer to guide you in confusing times. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” 2. Prayer helps you overcome the temptations that come in the midst of difficulties. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 3. Prayer will steady you in trouble. Joshua 1:9 (NIV)“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”Matthew 28:20 (ESV)“I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (ESV)“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 4. Prayer keeps you focused on God’s character. Hebrews 6:10 (NLT)“For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.” Philippians 4:19 (NIV)“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:10 (NIV)“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV)“do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Parables // Object on Road Ahead, Do Not Avoid Luke 10:25-29 (NLT)“One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”Jesus replied, ‘What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?’The man answered, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’‘Right!’ Jesus told him. ‘Do this and you will live!’The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” Luke 10:30–37 (NLT)“Jesus replied with a story: A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’‘Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?’ Jesus asked.The man replied, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’Then Jesus said, ‘Yes, now go and do the same.’”The priest and the assistant. Luke 10:31 (NLT)“he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by”Luke 10:32 (NLT)“A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.” Opportunity lost due to personal inconvenience. The Samaritan. Luke 10:33 (NLT)“when he saw the man, he felt compassion”

Parables // The Parable of the Soil Matthew 13:1-13 (NLT)“Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”Why did Jesus teach in Parables? Matthew 13:10-13 (NLT)“His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”“He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables:What does all this mean?Matthew 13:18-23 (NLT)“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: What is the condition of the soil of your heart? 1. Is your heart hard? Matthew 13:19 (NLT)“The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.”2. Is your heart shallow? Matthew 13:20-21 (NLT)“The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.”3. Is your heart strangled? Matthew 13:22 (NLT) “The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.” 4. Is your heart soft? Matthew 13:23 (NLT)“The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

The Good Life // By The Grace of God Philippians 4:23 (NIV)“ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)“by the grace of God I am what I am…” Quote from Timothy Keller“The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible’s purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome… religion is ‘if you obey, then you will be accepted’. But the Gospel is Grace is, ‘if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey’. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference.” (Tim Keller) God’s RichesAt Christ’sExpense Acts 17:28 (NIV)“For in him we live and move and have our being.”1 Peter 1:2 (ESV)“May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”John 15:5 (ESV)“apart from me you can do nothing.” “Grace is a system of living whereby God blesses us because we are in Jesus Christ, and for no other reason at all.” (Steve McVey - Author of Grace Walk) Philippians 4:19 (ESV)“my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”Acts 4:33 (ESV)“with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them”Acts 6:8 (ESV)“Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.”2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (ESV)“a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”Hebrews 13:9 (ESV)“it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace”

The Good Life // The Rare Jewel of Contentment Philippians 4:10-15 (NIV) “I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only” 1. Christian contentment is not determined by your circumstances. 2. Christian contentment is learned.Philippians 4:11 (NIV)“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”1 Corinthians 4:11-12 (ESV)“To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands.”2 Corinthians 6:4-5 (ESV)“…by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger…”2 Corinthians 11:25-27 (NIV)“Three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.”Proverbs 30:7-9 (NIV)“Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die:Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.” 3. The source of true contentment is found in our union with and dependence on Christ.Philippians 4:12 (NIV)“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”Philippians 4:13 (NIV)“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

A Recipe for Practicing a Good Life Philippians 4-9 (NLT)“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4-9 (MSG)“Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in Him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” Philippians 4:4 (NLT)“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” Philippians 4:5 (NLT)“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.” Matthew 24:37-44 (NLT)“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” Philippians 4:6 (NLT)“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Matthew 6:27-34 (NLT)“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Philippians 4:7 (NLT)“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 (MSG)“Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” James 1:22 (NLT)“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Philippians 4:9 (NLT)“Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” A recipe for practicing a good life: 1. Celebrate, be joyful, and revel in the goodness of God daily!2. Look for intentional ways to add value to

Living For Something Greater Philippians 3:20-21 (ESV)“our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”John 18:35-36 (ESV)“’Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.’” John 17:14-16 (ESV)“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”Matthew 6:9-10 (KJV)“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”1 Peter 1:1 (ESV)“To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion…” 1 Peter 2:9-11 (NASB)“But you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, a royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and strangers”Hebrews 11:13 (NASB)“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”Hebrews 11:10 (NASB)“for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV)“we are ambassadors for Christ”Philippians 3:20 (NASB)“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”1 John 3:2-3 (NASB)“we know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

Which is Better, Life With or Without Jesus? Which is better, life with or without Jesus?“Drinking beer is easy. Trashing your hotel room is easy. But being a Christian, that's a tough call. That's real rebellion. Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll is easy. True Christianity … that’s rebellion.”- Alice Cooper Philippians 3:1-14 (ESV)“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Why is life with Jesus worth it?1. You personally know Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:8 (ESV)“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” 2. Your standing before God is based on Christ, not you. Romans 3:22 (NIV)“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”Philippians 2:12 (NIV)“Just as if I had always obeyed” Faith + Works = justificationGrace + Merit = justificationChrist + My inherent righteousness = justification (Could you please put a red X over (Works, Merit, My inherent righteousness?)Faith + Works = justificationGrace + Merit = justificationChrist + My inherent righteousness = justification Faith alone, Grace alone, Christ alone = justification Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 3. Your purpose is greater than earthly comforts. Philippians 3:10, 13 (NKJV)“that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Matthew 16:26 (NIV)“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

The Good Life // Becoming Like Christ Philippians 2:5-7 (ESV)“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:12-18 (ESV)“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.” The Good Life 1. Living like Jesus shows the way to Jesus. 2. Living like Jesus looks different than those who don’t know Him yet. Daniel 12:3 (ESV)“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” 3. Living like Jesus is an example for other believers to follow. Philippians 2:19-30 (NIV)“I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.” 4. When you fix your eyes on Jesus your life will become more and more like his. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)“let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

How To Live The Good Life Philippians 2:1-11 (ESV)“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”1. Look to Jesus’ example. · Surrendered his divine form. (v.6)· He emptied himself and any rights. (v.7)· Became a man. (v.7)· Became a servant. (v.7)· Obedient even unto death. (v.8)· Embraced the shameful death on a cross. (v.8) 2. The more you focus on Jesus, the less you focus on yourself and the more you see the needs of others. (v.2-5)“…being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus”

The Good Life // God’s Perspective is Everything Acts 16:20-23 (NIV)“These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” Philippians 1:12-30 (NIV)“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.” God’s perspective is everything. 1. When Christ is at the center, He changes our perspective toward difficult circumstances. 2. When Christ is the center, it frees us from our preoccupation with what others think about us. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 (NIV)“I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.”3. When Christ is at the center, He alleviates our fears about ourselves and the future. Philippians 1:20-24 (NIV)“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”Matthew 16:25 (NIV)“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”Matthew 20:26-28 (NLT)“Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Good Life – A Call to Cruciformity Philippians 1:1-11 (NIV)“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Peace Grace Philippians 1:6 (NIV)“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” To bring forth the fruit of Christ through your life to those around you.

Fresh Start // Living in Freedom Luke 4:18-19 (NIV)“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” John 8:32 (NIV)“you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Galatians 5:1 (NIV)“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Jesus wants you to live in freedom. 1. Freedom from guilt Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding” 2. Freedom from the expectations of others 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NLT)“…Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.” 3. Freedom from being a slave to your desires Romans 6:6-7 (NIV)“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” Galatians 5:16 (NLT)“…let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” 4. Freedom from the fear of death Hebrews 2:14-15 (NIV)“[Jesus] shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” 1 Corinthians 15:55 (NIV)“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

Fresh Start // By My Spirit Says The Lord Zachariah 4:6 (NIV)“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Acts 2:17 (NIV)“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”John 14:12 (ESV)“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”Acts 2:1-4 (ESV)“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting…And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…” The work of the Holy Spirit1. He changes you from the inside out. Ezekiel 36:26-27 (ESV)“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”John 3:6-7 (ESV)“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” 2. He empowers you to reach and heal the world. Luke 4:18-19 (ESV)“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” 3. He empowers believers to minister to one another.1 Corinthians 14:12 (AMP)“…since you are eager for spiritual gifts…strive to excel in ways that build up the church.”

Fresh Start – Who is Leading You in Your Relationships? James 1:23-25 (NIV)“Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what the have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” Galatians 5:13-26 (NIV)“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” Consequences of the acts of the flesh 1. Strife James 3:16 (KJV)“where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” 2. Influence decreases 2 Timothy 2:14 (NIV)“Keep reminding God's people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.” 3. You misrepresent Christ to our world Matthew 5:13 (NIV)“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” 4. You harden other's hearts against truth Romans 2:4 (NIV)“…God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” 5. Your heart becomes resistant to correction Proverbs 5:12-14 (NIV)“You will say, “How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction!I would not obey my teachers or turn my ear to my instructors.And I was soon in serious trouble…” 6. It poisons relationships Proverbs 29:23 (NKJV)“A man’s pride will bring him low,But the humble in spirit will retain honor.” Benefits of the fruit of the Spirit. 1. Unity Psalm 133:1-3 (NKJV)“Behold, how good and how pleasant it isFor brethren to dwell together in unity!” “…For there the Lord commanded the blessing—Life forevermore.” 2. Our influence grows Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” 3. We represent Christ well to our world John 17:20-21 (NIV)“…I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” 4. It opens people's hearts to receive God’s truth John 3:16-17 (NIV)“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” 5. We are open to receiving correction and instruction Proverbs 9:9 (NIV)“Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.” 6. It cultivates relationships Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:Who, being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” 7. It will allow us to live life to the fullest John 10:10 (NIV)“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Fresh Start – Growing in Gratitude Towards Each Other Philippians 1:1-11 (NIV)“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Growing in Gratitude 1. Intentionally look for things to be grateful for in your relationships. Philippians 1:3 (NIV) “I thank my God every time I remember you.” 2. Pray for the other person. Philippians 1:4 (NIV)“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy…” Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV)“And this is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ and you may be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.” 3. Choose to believe the best about them. Philippians 1:6 (NIV)“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 13:7 (ESV)“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 4. Rehearse Christ’s affection towards you. Philippians 1:8 (NIV)“God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” John 13:34 (ESV)“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”1 John 3:16 (NLT)“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

Fresh Start – How Offense Makes Us Fools What is offense? Offense = An annoyance or resentment brought about by a perceived insult to or disregard for oneself or one's standards or principles. Hebrew: peša = Transgression or sin “You know you are a true servant when it doesn’t upset you to be treated like one.” - Unknown How Offense Makes Us Fools 1. Offense makes me angry. Ecclesiastes 7:9 (ESV)“Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges (makes its home there) in the bosom of fools.” 2. Offense distracts me from the relationship. Proverbs 17:9 (ESV)“Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends” 3. Offense hardens my heart. Proverbs 18:19 (ESV)“A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city, and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.” 4. Offense distorts my view of reality. Proverbs 18:17 (ESV)“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” Proverbs 19:11 (ESV)“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” Four Strategies to Overlook an Offense 1. Give up your Rights. Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV)“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” 2. Choose to Love. Proverbs 10:12 (ESV)“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” (Hatred = loving myself more than others) Colossians 3:12-15 (ESV)“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” 3. Choose to Forgive. Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV)“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Ephesians 4:29-32 (ESV)“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” 4. Ask a Question. Proverbs 18:17 (ESV)“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” Matthew 7:3-4 (ESV)“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when there is the log in your own eye?”

Dealing with the 500-Pound Gorilla in the Room - Conflict Romans 12:17-18 (NIV)“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” The effects of unresolved conflict in our relationships. 1. It can minimize our joy. 2. It can hinder our communication with God. 1 Peter 3:7 (ESV)“…husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” 3. It can hinder your sensitivity and worship to God. Matthew 5:23-24 (NIV)“…if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”Dealing with relational conflict. 1. Do something to help bring reconciliation. Matthew 12:34 (ESV)“…For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”Genesis 3:10 (NIV)“…I heard you in the garden; and I was afraid because I was naked, and so I hid.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2. Be honest about what you have done wrong. Matthew 7:3-5 (NIV)“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” 1 Peter 5:5 (ESV)“…Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” 3. Listen and consider what they are saying. James 1:19 (NIV)“…Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,”Philippians 2:4 (NLT)“Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” 4. Be intentional with the words you use. Proverbs 12:18 (NIV)“The words of the reckless pierce like swords,but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” 5. Pursue reconciliation, not agreement. Matthew 5:9 (NIV)“Blessed are the peacemakers…”

Fresh Start – Freedom from Bitterness Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV)Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” I. Causes of Bitterness 1. Actions done or not done to you. Job 19:19 (NIV)“All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me.” 2. Attitudes projected towards you.Job 19:5 (NIV)“you would exalt yourselves above me and use my humiliation against me,” 3. Words spoken to you. Job 12:5 (NLT)"People who are at ease mock those in trouble. They give a push to people who are stumbling." Proverbs 15:4 (NLT)“Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Job 5:2 (NIV)“Resentment kills a fool…” Hebrews 12:15 (NIV)“See to it that …..no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” “Many are unable to function properly in their calling because of the wounds and hurts that offenses have caused in their lives. They are handicapped and hindered from fulfilling their full potential.”- John Bevere II. Find Freedom from Bitterness1. Be open and honest about your pain. Job 7:11 (NIV)“Therefore I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.” 2. Make the decision to forgive. Job 42:10 (NIV)“After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.” 3. Stop looking back and look into your future. Philippians 3:13 (NIV)“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” Job 42:12 (NIV)“The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part...”

Good Friday 2024 Isaiah 53:4-6 (NKJV)Surely He has borne our griefsAnd carried our sorrows;Yet we esteemed Him stricken,Smitten by God, and afflicted.But He was wounded for our transgressions,He was bruised for our iniquities;The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,And by His stripes we are healed.All we like sheep have gone astray;We have turned, every one, to his own way;And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Galatians 3:13 (ESV)“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” Isaiah 43:25 (NIV)"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)“’He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live to righteousness;” Matthew 27:51 (NIV)“At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 10:19-22 (ESV)“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."Hebrews 10:1-10 (NLT)“The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared. But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, ‘You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures.’ First, Christ said, ‘You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them’ (though they are required by the law of Moses). Then he said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will.’ He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.”

Easter Sunday 2024 Cross of Rebellion Luke 23:34 (NIV)“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”Luke 23:39 (NIV)“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’” Cross of RepentanceLuke 23:40-41 (NIV)“the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’”Luke 23:42 (NIV)“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Cross of Redemption John 3:16 (NIV)“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’”2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”1 John 4:10 (NIV)“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”Matthew 28:5-7 (NIV)“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead…”

It’s Time to Dream Again Romans 8:11 (NLT)“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.” Revelation 1:18 (NKJV) “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” John 10:10 (ESV)“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”Proverbs 29:18 (ESV)“Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint” What does God’s dream look like for you? Ephesians 3:20 (ESV)“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” How to live out God’s dream for my life. 1. Surrender your whole life to God. Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” 2. Get alone with God. Isaiah 55:3 (ESV)“Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live;” 3. Get around Godly Dreamers. Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 22:24-25 (NLT)“Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.” 4. Take steps towards God’s dream for your life. Psalms 37:23 (NLT)“The LORD directs the steps of the godly.”

March 17, 2024 // Pastor Jason King Joy is Possible Revelation 1:18 (NKJV)“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” Romans 14:17 (NLT)“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Lamentations 5:15 (ESV)“The joy of our hearts has ceased;” How To Receive the Fullness of Christ’s Joy Again. 1. Acknowledge my joy is missing or not what it used to be. Psalms 51:12 (ESV)“Restore to me the joy of your salvation,” 2. Examine the cause of my lack of joy. -Imbalanced schedule-Unused talent or gifting-Unresolved conflict Romans 12:18 (NIV)“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Matthew 5:9 (NIV)“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:23-24 (ESV)“if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” -Undernourished spirit John 15:5 (ESV)“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)"they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles;they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” -Unrepented sin Lamentations 3:40 (NIV)“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” 3. Choose obedience to God’s Word. James 4:17 (NLT)“it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.” John 15:10-11 (NIV)“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” 4. Remember the joy you seek is only possible through Christ. Romans 6:4 (NIV)“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”Psalms 126:3 (NIV)“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

Nothing is Impossible // Hope is Possible Romans 8:11 (ESV)“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. “ Revelation 1:17b-18 (ESV)“…Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Hope is possible.Joy is possible. Peace is possible.Hope Greek = “Elpis” “Joyful and Confident Expectation” Christian Hope is Unique. “Our present behavior is determined by what we believe our ultimate future to be.” - Timothy Keller The Christian’s Hope is Anchored in Certainty About God’s Future and Character, demonstrated in Christ’s Work and Affirmed Everyday by the Holy Spirit. How Do We Get This Hope? Romans 5:1-5 (ESV)Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Invitation > Endurance > Character > Hope Romans 15:4 (ESV)“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:13 (ESV)“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Hebrews 6:17-20 (NLT) “God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He

Nothing is Impossible: Literally Romans 8:1-11 (ESV) “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” The Holy Spirit makes impossible things possible. (And we have unlimited access to Him.) “Essentially, Christianity is not you leading a righteous life and offering to God. It’s God’s son leading a righteous life and offering it to you.” - Timothy Keller What impossible situation do you need to make possible?

Gospel Culture: Translating our Faith for all of LifeThe Foundational Question:What is the relationship of God’s Word – revelation to our real life in the world?What is religion? Religio & Religare – to tie/bindColossians 1:15-23“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by Him, inheaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – allthings have been created through Him and for Him.”“He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; He isthe beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything.”“For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile everything to Himselfby making peace through the blood of His cross – whether things on earth or things in heaven.”“Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds because of your evil actions. But now He has reconciledyou by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him.”“if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of thegospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have becomea servant of it.”February 25, 2024 // Rev. Dr. Joseph Boot“The man who thinks without the proper first principles goes mad…” – G. K. Chesterton“Justice is understood t be something strictly human, having nothing to do with obedience to any divinecommand or conformity to any pattern ‘laid up in heaven.’ Moral principles, like all other social conventions, aresomething’ made on earth.’” – George Grant“Human freedom requires that the principles of justice be the product of human agreement or consent, that is,they must be the result of a contract…and these principles must therefore be rooted in an understanding ofthe interests of human beings as individuals rather than in any sense of duty or obligation to anything abovehumanity” – George Grant“The terms of the contract may well change as circumstances and interests change. But the restraints freeindividuals accept must always be ‘horizontal’ in character rather than ‘vertical.’” – George GrantThe Crisis of CultureModern man is conferring on himself the contractual right to:• Redefine his gender irrespective of creational chromosomes• Murder (abortion)• Polygamy, homosexuality, bestiality or any sexual predilection• Suicide• Euthanize children and the elderly or sick• Homosexual ‘marriage’• Prostitution and pornography• Suppress worship of the living God and the free speech of Christians• Blasphemy and worship idolsThe Crisis of CultureWestern moral principles are shifting like sand and the metamorphosis of the church’s relationship with thesurrounding culture is happening before our eyes.The Meaning of CultureThe English words culture and agriculture are derived from a Latin root (colere) and are related to cult (Latin,cultus) meaning worship. Worship, care and cultivation are all related in the etymology of culture.The Meaning of CultureCulture is best understood as religion externalized. The public manifestation of the religious ground-motive (i.e.worship) of a people.“The religious ground-motive of a culture can never be ascertained from the ideas and the personal faith of theindividual. It is truly a communal motive that governs the individual even when one is not consciously aware ofit or acknowledges it.” – Herman DooyeweerdThe Meaning of Culture – Islamic CultureIn the West, we increasingly experience a humanistic, secular culture, deeply influenced by pagan spirituality,which at the same time displays the cultural vestiges of Christianity.The Direction of Culture“Genesis 1:26 teaches us that God had a purpose in creating man in His image: namely that man should havedominion…. If now we comprehend the force of this subduing (dominion) under the term of culture…we cansay that culture in its broadest sense is the purpose for which God created man after his image.” – HermanBavinckRomans 1:25“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served something created instead of theCreator.”The Direction of CultureThere is no such thing as a neutral culture; no institution and no cultural activity can ever be religiously neutral.The Direction of CultureThe structure of something concerns God’s creational laws/norms and ordained pattern that pertain to it. Thedirection of these spheres concerns the religious orientation that they have.The Transformation of CultureImplicit in the Christian gospel is a particular vision of culture. The gospel is a culture because it is centered inthe worship of the living God, through Jesus Christ.The Transformation of Culture“If culture is the public expression of the worship of a people and the gospel restores man to true worship (i.e.of creator not creature), then the gospel restores man to true cultu

Building the Kingdom of God 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV) “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen” 2 Kings 6:17 (NIV)“Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” John 16:7 (ESV)“I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:8 (ESV)“when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:” John 15:5 (ESV)“Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit,” John 16:13-14 (ESV)“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” John 15:26-27 (ESV)“when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness…”

Building the Kingdom of God. What is God’s Kingdom?Matthew 3:2 (ESV)“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”John 18:36 (ESV)“...My kingdom is not of this world...”Acts 1:3 (ESV)“...speaking about the kingdom of God.”Acts 1:6 (ESV)“...Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”Acts 1:7-8 (ESV)"He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”1 Corinthians 3:9 (NIV)“we are co-workers in God’s service...”Matthew 6:9-10 (ESV)“Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.Your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.” Philippians 3:20 (ESV)“our citizenship is in heaven..."Faithful ordinary People help build God’s extraordinary Kingdom on earth. 1 Peter 2:9,10 (NIV)“you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”1 John 2:27 (ESV)“the anointing that you received from him abides in you...”Hebrews 13:7,17 (NIV)“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.”God builds His Kingdom through ordinary ways. 1 Cor. 1:18-31 (NIV)For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Helping People Become Wholehearted Followers of Christ Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV)“Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Christianity is not for loners or individualists. Matthew 28:19 (ESV) “…make disciples of all nations…”John 13:34-35 (ESV) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)"One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important? The most important one: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”1 John 4:19 (ESV) “We love because he first loved us.”“It is very easy to build churches in which seekers congregate; it is very hard to build churches in which biblical faith is maturing into genuine discipleship.”- David WellsColossians 2:2-3, 6-7 (NIV)“My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” “…continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,”

Built For This – Freedom Ephesians 1:22-23 (NIV)“God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for [Faith] church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)“[We] are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that [we] may declare the praises of him who called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light.”Acts 20:28 (NIV)“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”Psalm 118:1,14-16 (NIV)“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”“The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: ‘The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!’”

Built For This – Built to Belong Romans 10:9 (ESV)“if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV)“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”1. Belonging to our local Church is how we express that we are apart of the family of God. Galatians 6:10 (NIV)“as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”Matthew 16:18 (ESV)“...I will build my church...”Ephesians 1:22-23 (NIV)“God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” “it is simply not possible to live a God center, Christ Center, spirit, lead life unless my life is also Church center,” - Sinclair Ferguson Matthew 12:47-50 (NIV)“Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”2. We belong to a family that is directed and sustained by God’s word. 1 Timothy 4:6,7.11-17 (ESV)“If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”Acts 2:42 (ESV)“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching...”James 3:1 (ESV)“...my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”Acts 20:28 (ESV)“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”3. Belonging to the family of Faith Church is a commitment to be devoted to one another.Romans 12:10 (NIV)“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.”Galatians 5:13 (NIV)"...serve one another humbly in love.”James 4:11 (NIV)“do not slander one another...”1 Peter 5:5 (NIV)“...clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”“it is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brothers and sisters”- Dietrich Bon Hoffer from his book "life together Says 4. Belonging to the family of Faith Church means you are cared for by the pastors God has set in place. 1 Peter 5:2-4 (ESV)“ shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV)“Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work”Hebrews 13:17 (ESV)“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

Built For This – Four Pillars of Discipleship 1. Believe - Love of GodMatthew 22:36-39 (ESV)“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 2. Belong - Love othersActs 2 (ESV) 3. Become - Mature and Grow 4. Build - Transform the World Ephesians 4:11–16 (ESV)“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” 1. Believe My Trust Pleases GodHebrews 11:5–6 (ESV)“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Jesus Came to Rescue MeJohn 3:17 (ESV)“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” God Actually Wants MeLuke 15:1–7 (ESV)Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, 'This man receives sinners and eats with them.“So he told them this parable: What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “ Real Reconciliation Is Available NowColossians 1:19–23 (ESV)“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard… “The Ministry of ReconciliationActs 2:21 (ESV)“Everyone who calls upon the name … will be saved.” 2 Corinthians 5:17–21 (ESV)“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Romans 10:8–15 (ESV)“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Who is in my Sphere of Influence?

Jesus is The Lord and Head of The Church Ephesians 1:17-23 (NIV)“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”James 3:1 (ESV)“my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”Acts 20:28 (ESV)“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”Colossians 2:18-19 (NIV)“Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.”Philippians 2:9-11 (ESV)“God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”Ephesians 5:23-27 (ESV)“For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”Colossians 2:8-10 (ESV)“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”

The Invitation Matthew 4:1-4 (ESV)“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to hm ‘if you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Deuteronomy 8:1-3 (ESV)“The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every wordthat comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Every word that flows for God’s mouth contains life-sustaining power. Live is the Hebrew word חָיָה / ḥāyâ Meanings:1. Power to continue to live2. To be sustained by a word3. To prosper 4. To revive from Sickness, Discouragement, Faintheartedness, Death5. Preserve alive 6. Create life from nothing - Psalm 119:377. Cause to grow and multiply, like planted grain8. Deliver from destruction 9. Revive with fullness of life in his favor - Psalm 119:2510. Revive the crushed heart (emotions) and spirit 11. Restore a ruined city Isaiah 55:1-3 (ESV)“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.” John 1:1-5 (ESV) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Jesus is inviting you to align yourself with him. Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (ESV)“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” Isaiah 58:6-14 (ESV) “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. ‘If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day

An Unlikely KingThe King of Peace Isaiah 9:2, 6 (NIV)“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” ...“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Luke 2:14 (KJV)“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will toward men.” Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV)“Come to me, all of you who are tired and worn out from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest! I am gentle and humble, and you will find peace and rest for your souls.” John 14:27 (NIV) “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.” Romans 5:10 (CEV)“Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by the life of his Son.”

A Life Changing Sermon to an Unlikely Congregation Luke 2:8-18 (NIV)“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’” Verse 13“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,” Verse 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Verse 15“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’” Verse 16“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.” Verse 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, Verse 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. God’s message through the shepherds to you: 1. You don’t have to be afraid anymore. Luke 2:10 (NIV)“the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.” 2. God’s love for you is not earned, it is freely given. Luke 2:11 (NIV)“Today…a Savior has been born for you” John 3:16 (NIV)“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 3. You are never alone. Matthew 1:23 (NIV)"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us). 4. You have a lifelong invitation to come closer to God. Luke 2:12 (NIV)“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Hebrews 10:19-22 (ESV)“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

An Unlikely Choice – The Magi Mathew 2:1 (NIV)“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem" Daniel 2:48 (ESV)“the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.” Matthew 2:2 (ESV)“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Numbers 24:16-17 (NIV)“the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High,who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” Isaiah 60:1-6 (NIV)“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.“Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you;your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip.Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy;the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah.And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.” Matthew 2:3-4 (ESV) “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.” Matthew 2:11a (ESV)“going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.” Matthew 2:11b (ESV)“Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”

The Church and Israel – End Times Prophecy Why do Christians disagree about the End Times?Has the church fulfilled or fulfilling the plan of God's salvation for the world that was a part of the Abrahamic covenant?Will the church fulfill God’s plan for the future?Has the church fulfilled God’s purpose for God’s people?Who are the people of God? “Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”Galatians 3:7-9 (ESV)"The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ”Galatians 3:16 (NIV)"In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave[g] nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."Galatians 3:26-29 (ESV) “For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.”Romans 9:6-8 (ESV) “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? As indeed he says in Hosea,Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: ‘Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” And as Isaiah predicted,’”Romans 9:22-27 (ESV) “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew…So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace…But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”Romans 11:1-2, 5 (ESV)“So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!”Romans 11:11-12 (ESV) “Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved”Romans 11:25-26 (ESV) “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved”Romans 9:27 (ESV)“And in this way all Israel will be saved”Romans 11:26 (ESV) The Salvation of Israel and the second coming of Christ. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”Matthew 23:37-39 (ESV) "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob; and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”Romans 11:27 (ESV) Is this a return from the heavenly Zion to save Israel?Is this referring to spiritual salvation offered from Zion? “and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb”Revelation 14:1 (ESV)“’Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”Romans 10:11 (ESV) “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”Romans 10: 12-15 (KJV)

Unlikely Choice – Mary Luke 1:26-38 (NIV) In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 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. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.’‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.’‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her. 1. The Choices of God can be troubling to our human understanding. “God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee…The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.” 2. Surrendering our plans to God always leads to something ultimately eternally greater than our original plan and expectation. Luke 1:30 (NIV)But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.’ 3. God’s choices and way leads to miracles. Luke 1:31-33 (NIV)“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)“The mind of man plans His way, But the Lord directs his steps” And as he directs your steps you hold on to the promise that Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. verse 34.“Mary asked the “But How can this happen? I am a virgin” NLT Verse 37. "Nothing is impossible with God!” Luke 1:38 (NLT) Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

End Times – Why do Christians disagree about End Times? Why do Christians disagree about End Times? Big picture questions: 1. What is the relationship of Israel to the Church?Should we believe in Rapture?Are there two comings of Jesus or just one?Will there be a 1000-year millennial earthly Kingdom or not?Is the Kingdom here already?What is the nature of the Abrahamic Covenant?The Abrahamic Covenant. Should we interpret prophecy, literally, or in some other way? Is there a literal third temple? What do the seventy weeks of Daniel mean? Topics that produce sparks between Christians. 1. The Nature of the Kingdom of GodThe RaptureThe 70th week of DanielHas the Church replaced Israel?Should we interpret prophecy literally or nonliterary and why?End Time Positions:FuturistHistoricistIdealistPreterist 1. The Nature of the Kingdom of GodMillennialism Amillennialism Postmillennialism - The Abrahamic Covenant Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV)“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”Genesis 15:5,18 (ESV)“And he brought him outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ …’To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates’” Conditional or Unconditional?Genesis 17:1,8-10 (ESV)“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.’”Genesis 22:15-18 (ESV)“And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, ‘By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.’” Genesis 26:3-5 (ESV)“I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”Deuteronomy 11:18-24 (ESV)“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours. Your territory shall be from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea.” The nature of salvation for Jews and Gentiles. Leviticus 26:27-33 (ESV)“But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me, then I will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your sins. You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters. And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols, and my soul will abhor you. And I will lay your cities waste and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your pleasing aromas. And I myself will devastate the land, so that your enemies who settle in it shall be appalled at it. And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you, and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.” Leviticus 26:40-42 (ESV) “But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers in their treachery that they committed against me, and also in walking contrary to me, so that I walked contrary to them

An Unlikely Choice - Joseph Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel [which means God with us].’When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” God isn’t looking to use heroes He’s looking for humble servants. Genesis 3:15 (NIV)And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV)“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” What Paul is saying is that the son of God and the seed of the woman are the same thing. God does something in humanity to rescue humanity. 2. Whatever God asks of you, He will give you the ability to do it. Matthew 1:24 (ESV)“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him” Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel [GOD WITH US]” Micah 5:2 (NKJV)“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,Yet out of you shall come forth to MeThe One to be Ruler in Israel,Whose goings forth are from of old,From everlasting.”

Unlikely Choice – Unlikely Choices 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (ESV)For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”God’s unlikely choices.· Not many wise· Not many powerful (might)· Not many of noble birth. “God chose what is foolish in the world”“God chose what is weak, low and despised in the world”Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,So are My ways higher than your ways,And My thoughts than your thoughts.”Psalm 51:17 (NIV)“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”1 Corinthians 1:30-31 (ESV) “because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

End Times – When Will These Things Be Habakkuk 2:14 (ESV)"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Matthew 24:3 (ESV)“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”Question 1: When will these things be (happen)?Question 2: What will be the sign of your coming?Question 3: What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?___Question 1: When will these things be (happen)? Matthew 24:4-28 (reference only)1. Many claiming to be Christ. 2. Wars and Rumors of wars.3. Famines. Matthew 24:7 (ESV)…and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.Acts 11:28 (ESV)“Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world [this took place in the days of Claudius].” 4. Earthquakes.Matthew 24:9 (ESV)”All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” 5. Persecution.Matthew 24:9 (ESV)“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.”Acts 8:1 (ESV)“there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” 6. Many will fall way and be deceived by false prophets.Matthew 24:10-13 (ESV)“And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”John 1:14 (ESV)“the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”2 Peter 2:1 (ESV)"False profits also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you who will secretly introduce destructive heresies.” 7. The gospel will be preached to the whole world.Matthew 24:14 (ESV)“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”Romans 1:8 (ESV)“I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.”Romans 10:18 (ESV)“But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for ‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’” Romans 16:25-26 (ESV)“Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—“Colossians 1:5-6 (ESV)“the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing…”Colossians 1:23 (ESV)“if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”Matthew 24:14 (ESV)“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”Isaiah 66:18-20 (ESV)“For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations.”Acts 13:46-47 (ESV)“we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”Eusebius (300 AD)“The teaching of the new covenant was borne to all nations, and at once the Romans besieged Jerusalem and destroyed it and temple.”John Chrysostom (The Ancient Christian Commentary, 2002, Ib:191)“You will preach everywhere…Then he added. ‘This gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all Nations, and then will come.’ The sign of this final end will be the downfall of Jerusalem."Justin Martyr (The Ante-Nicene Father, 1989, First Apology, XXXIX) “From Jerusalem, there went out into the world, men, twelve in number… By the power of God, they proclaim to every race of men that they were sent by Christ to teach to all the word of God.”Charles Spurgeon (Exposition of Matthew, 1979, p211) “There was a sufficient interval for the full proclamation of the gospel by the apostles and evangelist of the early Christian Church, and for the gathering out of those who recognize the crucified Christ, as the true Messiah. Then came the awful end, which the Savior foresaw and fortold, and the prospect of which wrung from his lips and heart the sorrow-full lament that followed his prophecy o