Faith

Christ is KingCivil GovernmentColossians 2:15 (NIV)“having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”Governments created by God. SelfChurchFamilyCivil Romans 13:1-7 (NIV)“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”Ephesians 4:11-12 (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”Bringing Glory to Christ the King in Civil Government. 1. Pray for our civil government. 1 Timothy 2:1-6 (NIV)“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.”2. Honor Jesus in everything you do and say. Mark 12:17 (NKJV)“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”3. Act from the Kingship of Christ. Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV)“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

God’s Design for Raising of Children Ephesians 5:1 (ESV)“be imitators of God, as beloved children.”1. The biblical environment of the home is full of grace. 2. Standards in the home are for the child's future not for the parents temporary convenience. Colossians 1:2,3:20 (ESV)“Grace to you and peace from God our Father…Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”1 Timothy 3:4-5 (ESV)“He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?”Ephesians 6:4 (ESV)“bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”3. The biblical home is familiar with the discipline.Deuteronomy 8:5 (ESV)“as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you.”Hebrews 12:5-7 (ESV)“’My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’ It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” Lessons from God about disciplineDiscipline is not punishment Hebrews 12:10-11 (NIV)“God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”Discipline is for correctionGalatians 6:1 (NIV)“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted”Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”Proverbs 23:13-14 (NIV)“Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.Punish them with the rod and save them from death.” Discipline is Love

Christ is KingGod’s Design for the Woman in the Family Genesis 2:18,21-24 (ESV)“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’”“So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ’This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Ephesians 5:22-24,33 (ESV)“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 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.”“let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”1. A godly wife is a help to their husband. Proverbs 14:1 (NIV)“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” 2. Godly wives respect their husbands. 3. Godly wives are to be oriented towards their homes. Proverbs 31:15-16 (ESV)“She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens.She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.” Titus 2:3-5 (ESV)“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.”Proverbs 31:27 (ESV)“She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” 4. Godly wives are discerning. 5. Godly wives are resilient. Joshua 1:5 (NIV)“…As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 2 Timothy 2:13 (NIV)“if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” 6. Godly wives are generous. Romans 8:32 (ESV)“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” 7. Godly wives need strengthening and healing. 1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)“Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.”

Family Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)“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...”Mathew 19:4-6 (ESV)“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh.” What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”God’s design for man in the family. Ephesians 5:23,25-33 (ESV)“the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church…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. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself...”1. Husbands are the head of the family. 2. Husbands should be in love with Jesus more than anything or anyone. Luke 14:25 (ESV)“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”3. Husbands are to take responsibility.4. Husbands are to protect. Isaiah 62:6 (NKJV)I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;They shall never hold their peace day or night.You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,5. Husbands are to provide 1 Timothy 6:17 (NIV)“...God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

The New Covenant of God’s Grace Romans 8:1-4 (NIV)“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” God’s Covenant of Grace has judged you. 1. NOT GUILTY! Romans 8:1 (NIV)“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:23-25 (NIV)“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.” 2. Righteous 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”Philippians 3:9 (NIV)“[I am] found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. “ 1 John 2:1-2 (NIV)“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” 3. Free from the slavery to sin Romans 8:2 (NIV)“because through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 6:23“the wages of sin is death.” No Condemnation When we don’t live up to our identity in ChristIn marriage problemsIn parenting strugglesIn sufferingWhen others try to condemn meNow and forever

Family SelfChurchFamilyGovernmentGenesis 1:27 (ESV)"God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”Mathew 19:4-6 (ESV)“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh.” What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”MarriageActs 17:28 (ESV)“In him we live and move and have our being”Ephesians 5:31 (ESV)“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

Saving The World Colossians 2:15 (NIV)“having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”Acts 2:36 (ESV)“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” How to save the worldBe patientBe confidentMatthew 7:29 (NIV)“He taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” Luke 6:26-28 (NIV)“Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets. ‘But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.’” 3. Be faithful to the house of GodHebrews 10:23-25 (NLT)“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”1 John 5:4 (ESV)“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”4. Be considerate of the next generationProverbs 13:22 (ESV)"A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children”

The Church and The Kingdom Pt. 2 Four Realms of AuthoritySelf Church Family Civil Life What does Christ expect from the church? Submission to Jesus’ authority Live a life aimed at loving service Unity - Submitting to one another Realize: Christianity is not just about you Context: Historic Theological Views of the Church’s Role Dominance Theology Escapism TheologyEngagement Theology Model’s of ChurchThe Attractional Model The Intentional Model How Does The Kingdom Advance? The Kingdom Advances Through Influence. Matthew 16:19 ESV“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” How Do You Gain Influence? Influence is gained through: Prayer, Being Equipped, and Serving Pray Like This Pray For Your City Matthew 6:9-10 ESV“Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” You cannot change that which you do not love. - David Powers Jeremiah 29:7 ESV“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” Pray for the Holy Spirit’s PowerActs 1:4-8 ESV“And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 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.” Pray for God’s strategy Be Equipped Like This Ephesians 4:11-16 NLT“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Proverbs 22:29 ESV“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” Serve Like This Mark 10:45 NLT“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.” Jesus’ Model of Serving Mark 10:45 NLT“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.” John 13:3-5 ESV“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” Luke 15:1-7 The Message“By this time a lot of men and women of questionable reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.” Their grumbling triggered this story. “Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.” Luke 4:43 ESV“But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” Mark 10:46-52 The Message“They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, “Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Many

The Church and The Kingdom Four Realms of Authority1. Self 2. Church 3. Family 4. Civil Life “Church” The church = A local gathering of Believers The Church = Every person who has decided to follow Jesus in every geographical place. Kingdom of God - Gods ways and will expressed on the earth. Matthew 13:33 (ESV)“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.’” Matthew 13:45-46 (ESV)“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Isaiah 9:6-7 (NASB)“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of Hisgovernment or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.” Psalm 145:11-13 (NKJV)“They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power; To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts and the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.”Daniel What does God Expect of Us? 5. Submission to Jesus’ Authority - Voluntary Matthew 6:9-10 (NASB)“Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21 (NASB)“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” 6. To Live a Life Aimed at Loving Service Ephesians 5:1-2 (NASB)“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God…“ Cue: Growth Track Slide - AV Has this ready 7. Be Unified - Submitting to One Another Zechariah 14:9 (NASB)“And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.” John 17:22-23 (ESV)“The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. “ Ephesians 4:1-7 (ESV)“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” 8. Realize: Christianity Is Not Just About You Ephesians 2:13-22 (ESV)“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 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.”

Christ’s Authority and the Church Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)“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.”Acts 1:9-11 (ESV)“And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’”Three Biblical spheres of government:FamilyChurchCivil Ephesians 4:11-12 (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…”Acts 17:7 (ESV)“they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)“whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

By the Power of the Holy Spirit “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name”John 14:26 (ESV) John 15:26 (ESV)“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth”John 16:7 (ESV)“...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.”Acts 1:4-5 (NIV)“...Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”Acts 2:19 (ESV)“I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath”1 Cor 2:4-5 (NIV)“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”Isaiah 32:14-18 (ESV)“For the palace is forsaken,the populous city deserted...until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. And the effect of righteousness will be peace,and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”September 3, 2023 // Pastor Jason KingIsaiah 44:3 (ESV)“For I will pour water on the thirsty land,and streams on the dry ground;I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring,and my blessing on your descendants.”John 6:63 (NKJV)“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing”Isaiah 63:10 (ESV)“They rebelledand grieved his Holy Spirit;therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.”1 Cor. 6:19 (NIV)“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”Zechariah 4:6 (ESV)“...Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

Unconformity Leviticus 11:45 (NIV)“I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.”1 Peter 1:14-16 (NIV)“do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”Leviticus 18:3-4 (ESV)“You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God.”Ezekiel 11:12 (NIV)“for you have not followed my decrees or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.”Matthew 6:8 (ESV)“Do not be like them…”Romans 12:2 (NIV)"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Challenge- Pluralism John 14:6 (NIV)“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”1 Corinthians 8:6 (ESV)“for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist."

Your Response to the Kingship of ChristLuke 6:46 (ESV)“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”Matthew 13:23 (ESV)“As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” John 12:24 (ESV) “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Luke 9:23-24 (ESV)“...If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV)“...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.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”Galatians 2:20 (NIV) “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Christ is King Matthew 28:18-20a (ESV)“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.”Genesis 1:26a (ESV)“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion…”Genesis 5:1-2a (NIV)“…he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them.”Genesis 2:17b (NKJV)“for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”Genesis 3:1-6 (ESV)“He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”Genesis 3:15 (NIV)“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers;he [her offspring] will crush your head, and you [Satan] will strike his heel.” Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV)“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written:‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn’t say You idiot! You can’t offer to me what doesn’t belong to you? John 12:31-32 (ESV)“Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Matthew 28:18-20a (ESV)“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.”Colossians 2:15 (NKJV)“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”Revelation 1:5 (ESV)“Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”Ephesians 1:19-23 (ESV)“what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”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.”

Walking in Spiritual Authority Mark 1:27 (ESV)“They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”Luke 9:1 (ESV)“He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases.” Spiritual Authority Where do you get it? Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)“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.”John 12:49 (ESV)“For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has Himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.” John 14:10 (ESV)“Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does His works.” John 16:13-15 (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.” “So, if Jesus and the Holy Spirit functioned under God’s Authority then naturally you and I as followers of Jesus and temples of the Holy spirit should also.” How do you get it? Matthew 21:18-22 (ESV)“In the morning, as He was returning to the city, He became hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, He went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And He said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”How do you lose it? Matthew 8:5-10 (ESV)“When He had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to Him, appealing to Him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And He said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who followed Him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.”James 4:7 (CSB) “Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” How do you use it? 2 Corinthians 13:10 (ESV)"For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.”

Spiritual Warfare - Watch Your Mouth Ecclesiastes 10:12 (ESV)“The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor,but the lips of a fool consume him.” Ecclesiastes 10:12 (NLT)"Wise words bring approval,but fools are destroyed by their own words” Proverbs 18:20-21 (NLT)“Wise words satisfy like a good meal;the right words [chosen words] bring satisfaction.The tongue can bring death or life;those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” James 3:3-12 (NLT) “We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.” Matthew 12:34b (NLT)"For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.”Matthew 12:34b (ESV)“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Genesis 35:17-18 (NLT)“After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, ‘Don’t be afraid—you have another son!’ Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means ‘son of my sorrow’). The baby’s father, however, called him Benjamin [which means ‘son of my right hand’ [or strength]).” Psalm 19:14 (ESV)“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heartbe acceptable in your sight,O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Proverbs 18:21 (ESV)“Death and life are in the power of the tongue,and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Psalm 141:3 (ESV)"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” Ephesians 4:29 (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.”

July 23, 2023 // Pastor Mark Davies How to Wage Warfare in the Arena of the Heart Four Ways to Wage Warfare in the Arena of the HeartRecognize the value of your heart Proverbs 4:23–27 (ESV)“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.” 2. Craft offensive strategies Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”Job 31:1 (NIV)“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.” Question: If I were the Devil, how would I attack me? 3. Issue eviction notices Galatians 5:24 (ESV)“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”Colossians 3:5 (ESV)“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”Psalm 119:11-12 (ESV)“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord ; teach me your statutes!”Psalm 51:10 (ESV)“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”Psalm 119:10 (ESV)“With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!” 4. Rest 1 John 3:19-20 (ESV)“we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”2 Thessalonians 3:3 (ESV)“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”Psalm 37:4 (ESV)“Delight yourself in the Lord , and he will give you the desires of your heart.”2 Chronicles 16:9a (ESV)“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”

The Gate and Access Point of the Mind (thought life) 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (ESV)“though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ”The Gate and access of our mind (thought life)John 8:44 (ESV)“…When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”Thoughts that destroy. - PrideProverbs 8:13 (NIV)“I hate pride and arrogance”- Criticism, judgment and negativity- Fear- Unbelief- Strife and contention- Inferiority - Condemnation Deuteronomy 27:26 (NIV)“Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’” Galatians 3:10 (NIV)“’Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them” Galatians 3:11-14 (ESV)“Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather ‘The one who does them shall live by them.’ 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’— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”1 John 1:9 (ESV)“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Not Today Satan Ephesians 6:11 (ESV)“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Matthew 16:13-18 (ESV)“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’”Revelation 3:20 “Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will open then I will come in and have fellowship with him.” Gate is a Human Choice Three influences on this Gate of Choice.1. God2. Devil3. You- Prayer - Pray specifically against the influence of the enemy- Preach the Gospel- Stand for Biblical truth and righteousness Micah 6:8 (NKJV)“He has shown you, O man, what is good;And what does the Lord require of youBut to do justly,To love mercy,And to walk humbly with your God?” Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Anchored 1. Nothing Matters More Than Knowing ChristPhilippians 3:7-9a (ESV)“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...”Knowing: GREEK: gnōsis - A first-hand experiential knowledge of Christ.1 Corinthians 2:1-2 (ESV)“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”Galatians 6:14 (ESV)“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”Three BeliefsJuly 2, 2023 // Pastor Mark DaviesIt’s All GracePhilippians 3:9b-12 (ESV)“...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.”1 Corinthians 15:9-10a (ESV)“For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.”Eternity Is HomePhilippians 3:13-16 (ESV)“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. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”Philippians 3:17-21 (ESV)“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But 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.”Lord: GREEK: kyrios (Coo Ri Os) the owner, the decision-maker1 Corinthians 15:48-58 (ESV)“As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written. ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV)“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV)“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”2 Corinthians 5:4-6a (ESV)“For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing

Victorious Weapons I believe the Lord would have us consider two points today.First Point:Jesus’ victory at the cross over sin, sickness and death has ushered us into the family of God as adopted sons and daughters. Therefore, our lives one to be lived in victory not victimhood.Romans 8:37 (ESV)“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”Romans 5:6, 8-10 (NIV)“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly...But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”In order to obtain the victory, Jesus secured for us at the cross He has given us weapons to combat our enemies.2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV)“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”Mighty in God .They pull down strongholds.Casting down arguments [which may also be translated imaginations]. Every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.Second Point:Romans 12:2 (ESV)“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.”So, let us rehearse the truth our experience and standing with God.Romans 8:1 (NKJV)“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”Romans 8:11 (NKJV)“...if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”Romans 8:14-17 (NKJV)“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ...”Romans 8:28-29 (NKJV)“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”Romans 8:31 (NKJV)“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”Romans 8:35-39 (NKJV)“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:‘For Your sake we are killed all day long;We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Knowing God as FatherWhat is the Father like? John 14:9 (ESV)“Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, Show us the Father’?”The Father wants to be known by you.Father God Loves, Always Isaiah 40:10-11 (ESV)“Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”Father God Welcomes All Who Turn to Him Psalm 68:5-6 (ESV)“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.”June 18, 2023 // Pastor Mark DaviesLuke 12:32 (ESV)“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”Galatians 4:4-7 (ESV)“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”2 Corinthians 6:16b, 18 (ESV)“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people...and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”Ephesians 2:18-19 (ESV)“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”Father God Disciplines For Our Instruction John 15:1-2 (ESV)“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”Matthew 20:25-28 (ESV)“But Jesus called them to him and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”

Spiritual Warfare – Part 2 Ephesians 1:18-22 (NIV)“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”Ephesians 6:10-20 (NIV)“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” Putting On Your Armor 1. Belt of Truth Ephesians 5:6-9 (ESV)“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true)”Ephesians 4:21 (ESV)“the truth is in Jesus”2. Breastplate of righteousness.Isaiah 59:17 (NIV)“He put on righteousness as his breastplate” 3. Gospel shoes. Isaiah 6:15 (ESV)“as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace” Isaiah 52:7 (NIV)“How beautiful on the mountainsare the feet of those who bring good news,who proclaim peace,who bring good tidings,who proclaim salvation” 4. Shield of Faith. Psalm 18:30 (ESV)“he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.” Psalm 28:7 (ESV)“The Lord is my strength and my shield” 5. Helmet of salvation. 6. Sword of the spirit.

Spiritual WarfareEphesians 6:10-18 (NIV)“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”The normal Christian lifeThe Christian life is a life of spiritual warfare."There is no neutral ground in the universe. Every square inch, every split second is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan." - C.S. LewisEphesians 6:10 (NIV)“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”People are a distraction of the real enemy.Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood”3. Satan has plans and strategies to carry out His plan.June 4, 2023 // Pastor Jason KingMathew 4:1-11 (NIV)“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting fortydays and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God,tell these stones to become bread.’Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down. For it is written:‘He will command his angels concerning you,and they will lift you up in their hands,so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’Jesus answered him, ‘It is also written: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ‘All this I will give you,’ he said, ‘if you will bow down and worship me.’Jesus said to him, ‘Away from me, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”James 4:7 (ESV)“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”Isaiah 14:13,14 (NIV)“You said in your heart,‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throneabove the stars of God;I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”John 10:10 (NKJV)“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”4. You have everything you need for this battle.Ephesians 6:11 (NIV)“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

Faith Romans 4:17-20 (NIV)“’I have made you a father of many nations.’ He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,” I. The Journey of Faith- The Promise (Age 75)Genesis 12:2 (NIV)“I will make you into a great nation,…”- The Choice Genesis 12:4 (NIV)“So Abram went, as the Lord had told him;…” - The Delay (Age 86) Genesis 16:1 (NIV)“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children…”- The Challenge Genesis 17:17 (NIV)"Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old?” - The Confusion Genesis 22:2 (NIV)"Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—….and Sacrifice him” - The Provision Genesis 22:12 (NIV)“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him….” Maintaining a Faith that endures. 1. Anchor your Faith in God’s ability not yours. Romans 4:17 (NIV)“he [Abraham] believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.” Luke 18:27 (NIV) “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 2. Rehearse the promises of God. Romans 4:18 (NIV)“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,” 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV)“no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”Hebrews 11:17 (NIV) “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.” 3. Approach the situation with Faith not denial. Romans 4:19-20“Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,” 4. Remember obedience is our responsibility and the outcome is God’s. Romans 4:20-21 (NIV)“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”

Love Each Other Romans 13:8 (ESV)“Owe no one anything, except to love each other”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.”Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)“as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”1 Corinthians 13:1 (NIV)“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Corinthians 13:2a (NIV)“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, but do not have love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2b (NIV)“If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”1 Corinthians 13:3 (NIV)“If I give all I possess to the poor…but do not have love, I gain nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:3 (NIV)“If I give…over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” 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.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Love one another is a choice.

Video Sections: 00:00 Start of Service01:03 Worship33:07 Message StartMessage Notes:King JesusActs 17:1-7 (ESV)“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.’ And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.’”Acts 17: 7 (ESV)”they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”---“Salvation is to be found in none other than Augustus, and there is no other name given to men by which man can be saved.”Acts 4:12 (ESV)“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”---Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV)“For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”May 14, 2023 // Pastor Jason King1 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (ESV)“For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.”Quote by Jonathan Edwards“There is a false boldness for Christ that only comes from pride. A man may rashly expose himself to the world’s dislike and even deliberately provoke its displeasure, and yet do so out of pride... True boldness for Christ transcends all; it is indifferent to the displeasure of either friends or foes. Boldness enables Christians to forsake all rather than Christ, and to prefer to offend all rather than to offend Him.”

Video Sections: 00:00 Start of Service01:03 Worship36:16 Message StartMessage Notes:Uncharted TerritoryActs 16:6-10 (ESV)“they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”Things to remember in uncharted territory.1. God directs you through both closed and open doors.2. God leads you personally and communally. 3. God often will lead you gradually and systematically, as well as suddenly and unpredictably.

Video Sections: 00:00 Start of Service01:33 Worship34:16 Message StartMessage Notes:Finding Our Identity1. Measurements of Success1. Early Years: Academic achievements, sports accolades, and social popularity2. Middle Years: Accumulated power and money, achievements, and contributions3. Later Years: Honor, reputation, and legacyPhilippians 3:2-10 (ESV)2. Failures1. Past Shame - “I can’t can’t believe I did that I’m just a…”2. Present Stumbling - “I can’t stop this… I’m just a…”3. Future Fears - “There’s no way I can… I’m just a…”3. Citizenship1. "My country is better than your country.”2. Our Citizenship is in heaven.Philippians 3:20-21 (NLT)Where do you get your identity?Ephesians 2:1-5 (ESV)Ephesians 2:13 (NIV)Galatians 2:20 (NIV)Colossians 3:3 (NIV)John 1:12 (NLT)Romans 8:15 (NRSV)Galatians 3:26 (NLT)1 John 3:1a (ESV)Galatians 2:20 (NIV)Colossians 3:1-2 (MSG)2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here.”

Video Sections: 00:00 Start of Service01:26 Evidence by Ed Cash, Ethan Hulse, Josh Baldwin.07:12 Great Are You Lord by Jason Ingram, Leslie Jordan and David Leonard13:12 King of my Heart by by John Mark McMillan and Sarah McMillan25:04 I Surrender All by Judson W. Van De Venter28:43 Message StartMessage Notes:Things to Remember When You Suffer for the name of Jesus1. Suffering disgrace for His name is not a punishment, it is a privilege.Acts 5:41 (NIV)“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”1 Peter 4:12-14,16 (NLT)“don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you...it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!”Philippians 1:29 (ESV) "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake”2. God will give you boldness stand for His name sake in the time of suffering.Acts 4:29-31 (NLT) “O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.”Ephesians 3:9-12 (ESV) “God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.”3. God will use your suffering for good and your blessing.1 Peter 4:14 (ESV) "If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.”Matthew 5:11-12 (ESV) “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven”

Video Sections: 00:00 Start of Service01:02 Graves Into Gardens - Elevation Worship06:55 Living Hope - Phil Wickham12:15 Worthy - Elevation Worship16:35 Son Of Suffering - Bethel Music29:11 Message StartMessage Notes:Easter – Because He Lives1 Peter 2:21 (NLT)“For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.”Hebrews 2:18 (NLT)“Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.”1. The day of difficulty and pain. Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV)“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”Matthew 26:38 (NIV)“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” 2. A day of chaos and confusion. Matthew 26:31 (NIV)“This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’”John 16:16 (NIV)“In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”Isaiah 43:1-3 (NIV)“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.For I am the Lord your God,”3. The resurrection of Jesus was for our victory and peace. John 11:25 (NIV)“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.”

Easter – Because He Lives 1 Peter 2:21 (NLT)“For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.” Hebrews 2:18 (NLT)“Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.”1. The day of difficulty and pain. Hebrews 4:15 (NIV)“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Matthew 11:28-29 (NIV)“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”Matthew 26:38 (NIV)“My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” 2. A day of chaos and confusion. Matthew 26:31 (NIV)“This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” John 16:16 (NIV)“In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” Isaiah 43:1-3 (NIV)“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.For I am the Lord your God,” 3. The resurrection of Jesus was for our victory and peace. John 11:25 (NIV)“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.”

Romans 5:12 (ESV)“sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men…” Psalm 51:5 (NIV)“I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” Ephesians 2:3 (NIV)”Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.” Titus 1:15 (NIV)“those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.” Isaiah 53:6 (NIV)“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way” Genesis 3:15 (NIV)“He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.” Luke 22:19 (NIV)“do this in remembrance of me” Exodus 6:6-7 (NKJV)“I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians”“I will free you from being slaves to them”“I will redeem you with an outstretched arm”“I will take you as My own people” Matthew 26:36 (NKJV)“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, ‘Sit here while I go and pray over there.’” Matthew 26:37-38 (NKJV)“He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.’” Mark 14:33 (NKJV)“He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.” Luke 22:44 (ESV)“being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:42 (ESV)“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” John 12:27 (NIV)“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.”Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)“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.”

From Death to Life Revelation 1:18 (NIV) “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” 1 Corinthians 15:17 (NIV)“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” Romans 8:11 (NLT)“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.” Question:Is there anything dead in your life that God wants to bring back to life? John 8:44 (ESV)“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)“Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”James 1:13-18 (ESV)“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” John 11:1-6 (ESV)“Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ But when Jesus heard it he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’”Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”John 11:11- 26 (ESV)“After saying these things, he said to them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.’ Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’ Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’”

The Significance of Communion!Matthew 26:26-29Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”1 Corinthians 11:23-28For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as youeat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.1. Communion Compels us to Look Backward.2. Communion Compels us Look Inward.3. Communion Compels us to Look Outward.4. Communion Compels us to Look Forward.

The Life of Humble Service Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” John 13:1-17 (NIV)It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. Values of God’s Kingdom 1. In my kingdom no one is above serving.Luke 22:14-16, 22-24 (NIV)“When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.” The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them.2. In my Kingdom no one is below being served.

The Cross: Whole40 EditionMark 14 (NLT)Mark 15 (NLT)Isaiah 53 (NLT)Isaiah 61:1-4 (NLT)

Journey to the CrossLessons from the Triumphal Entry Luke 19:28-40 (NIV)going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”They replied, “The Lord needs it.”They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 1. Jesus invites the unlikely to be used for His glory. Luke 19:31 (NLT)“If anyone asks you ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” Zechariah 9:9 (NIV)“Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey.” 1 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NIV)“I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself….It is the Lord who judges me.” 2. Jesus distinguishes wanters from worshipers. Luke 19:37 (NIV)“…the whole crowd began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:” Matthew 15:8 (NIV)“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” 3. Jesus makes those with a religious spirit very uncomfortable. Luke 19:39 (NIV)“Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’” 4. Jesus offers true peace. Luke 19:41-42 (NIV)"As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes." Luke 13:34 (NIV)Jesus said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

The Return of the KingRevelation 19 Hallelujah for being saved. Revelation 19:1-5 (ESV)After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,“Hallelujah!Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just;for he has judged the great prostitutewho corrupted the earth with her immorality,and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”Once more they cried out,“Hallelujah!The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants,you who fear him, small and great.” Hallelujah for what is to come. Revelation 19:6-10 (ESV)Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,“Hallelujah!For the Lord our Godthe Almighty reigns.Let us rejoice and exultand give him the glory,for the marriage of the Lamb has come,and his Bride has made herself ready;it was granted her to clothe herselfwith fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.The first and second coming of Jesus His First coming:He rode a donkeyHe came as the suffering servant.He came in humility and meekness.He came to suffer the wrath of God for sinners.He was rejected by many as the Messiah.He came to seek and save the lost.He came as God and many didn’t see it. His second coming.He will ride a white horse.He will come as king and lord.He will come and majesty empower.He will come to establish the kingdom of God for his saints.He will be recognized by all as lord.He will come to judge and rule as king.He will come as God and all will see His splendor. When Jesus the King returns:He will return in stunning glory and power.Revelation 19:11-16 (ESV)“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”He will judge all who rejected him.Revelation 19:17-21 (ESV)“Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.”

In the Last Days Revelation 1:3 (ESV)“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”Revelation 1:1-2 (ESV)“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.”In the Last Days Revelation 1:4 (ESV)“Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come,”1. Our heavenly father will sustain us by His grace. “who was and is and is to come!”Revelation 1:4 (ESV)“and from the seven spirits who are before his throne”2. You will be equipped by the Holy Spirit of God. 3. You have been provided for by Jesus the son of God. Revelation 1:5 (ESV)“and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth."Jesus is a faithful witness to us.Jesus was the firstborn of the dead for us. Psalm 89:27 (ESV)“I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” Revelation 1:17-18 (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”Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth.Jesus loves us and freed us from sins. Revelation 1:5 (ESV)“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood…”Revelation 1:5-6 (ESV)“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”Jesus made us a Kingdom of priest.

Contend for the Faith Matthew 1:25 (NIV)“did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” Jude 1:1 (ESV)“To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:”Jude 1:3 (ESV)“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”Jude 1:4 (ESV)“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”Jude 1:5-7 (ESV)“Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.” Now what?1. Remember what the bible says. Jude 1:17-19 (ESV)“But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions. It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.” 2. Keep yourselves in the Love of God. Jude 1:21 (ESV)“keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.”Jude 1:20 (ESV)“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit”3. Have mercy on those who doubt.Jude 1:22-23 (ESV)“And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”

So That The World May Believe John 17 (NIV)“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.”“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”Galatians 4:4-5 (ESV)“when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”Luke 17:21b (NIV)“so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”Luke 9:23 (ESV)“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”Luke 14:33 (NIV)“those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”

Follow Me2 Peter 1:3-16 (NIV)“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” Keep on Growing! We Have the Inheritance. Deuteronomy 4:20 (KJV)”But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day.” Ephesians 1:11 (ESV)“In him [Christ] we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” We Have Access to God’s Nature! Seven Qualities• Virtue• Knowledge• Self-control• Steadfastness• Godliness• Brotherly Affection• Love Love Exodus 20:18-21 (ESV)“Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, 'You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.’ Moses said to the people, 'Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.’ The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.” Genesis 3:8 (KJV)“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…” John 1:14 (ESV)“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Revelation 21:3 (ESV)“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’” Follow Me Apprenticeship “I do, you watch, I do, you help, You do, I help, You do I watch.” Hebrews 10:39 (ESV)“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”

The Way of Wisdom James 3:13-18 (ESV)“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” The wisdom of man:Earthly/WorldlyUnspiritual Demonic James 3:15“This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” (ESV)The fruit of the wisdom of man:James 3:14“bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth” (ESV)EnvySelfish AmbitionBoasting The result of the wisdom of man:James 3:16 “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” (NKJV)The wisdom of God:1 Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV)“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace…” James 3:17“the wisdom that comes from heaven” (NIV) Decisions made from God's wisdom:Pure Peace loving Considerate SubmissiveFull of mercyFull of good fruitImpartialSincere James 3:18“will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” (NLT)James 1:5 (ESV)“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

Don’t Go Back, But Do Go On Hebrews 6:6 (NIV)“…they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” Hebrews 11:1-40 (NIV)"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: 'He could not be found, because God had taken him away.' For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshipped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain and even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning, they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destit

The Influencers of your Steps Galatians 5:25 (NIV) “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” The influencers of your steps The culture of the god of this worldEphesians 2:2-3 (ESV)“you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ”1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”Romans 12:2 (ESV)“do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”Ephesians 5:25-26 (ESV)"…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”2 Timothy 3 (ESV)“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings… Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV)“we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.”Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT)“The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

The Power of Firsts Leviticus 23:10 (NKJV)‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.” Proverbs 3:9-10 (NKJV)“Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.” Ezekiel 44:30 (NKJV)“The best of all firstfruits of any kind, and every sacrifice of any kind from all your sacrifices, shall be the priest’s; also you shall give to the priest the first of your ground meal, to cause a blessing to rest on your house.” Genesis 4:3-5 (NKJV)“And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.” Romans 11:16 (NKJV)“For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.” Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Philippians 3:10-14 (NIV)“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 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, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

The Story of Christmas in Four Phrases 1. God with us.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”]. Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”2. God for us. Luke 19:10 (ESV)“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Titus 2:14 (NIV)“[Jesus] gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” John 3:16-17 (ESV)“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 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.” John 10:18 (NIV)“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again…” 3. God in us.2 Corinthians 1:22 (NIV)“[God] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” Colossians 1:27 (NIV)“God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)“…your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” 4. Us with God.Revelation 21:1-4 (ESV)“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God... And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”Revelation 22:20 (ESV)“Surely I am coming soon.”

Romans 7:5 (NIV)“For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death.”James 2:10 (ESV)“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” Romans 9:1 (NIV)“I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel.”Has God's word failed? God’s Plan of Salvation for the World Chapter 9: It’s been the same from the beginning. Romans 9:6 (NIV)“It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.”Romans 9:8 (NIV)“it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.Galatians 3:16 (NIV)“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.”Romans 9:17-18 (NIV)“For Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.’” Chapter 10: God’s plan has succeeded. Romans 10:4 (ESV)“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”Galatians 4:4-5 (NASB)“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters.” Chapter 11: God’s plan will continue to succeed. Romans 11:9-10 (ESV)“Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them;let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.” Romans 11:11 (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.”Romans 11:13 (ESV)“I magnify my ministry in order to make my fellow Jews jealous and thus save some of them.”Romans 11:25 (ESV)“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 9:6 (ESV)“For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel”