Fixate PHX

John 20:19-22John 13:1-5, 21-30 Join us as we hear missionary Micah Studer share his heart on the Great Commission and the meek and lowly nature of Jesus.

Psalms 89:14Psalms 97:2Psalms 103:6Psalms 33:5Jeremiah 22:3Jeremiah 23:5Isaiah 9:7Jeremiah 9:24 Isaiah 33:5Isaiah 16:5Leviticus 19:9-10Deuteronomy 24:17-22Formula of Advocacy: Attention to issues around us + commitment to self awareness of blind spots/false thinking + creating proximity to marginalized or alienated within day to day life + repeat previous steps over and over until... we have changed behavior and thinking to reflect the thought and intent of God towards all creation = Advocacy

Luke 10:25-37 The Progression of Surrendered Sacrifice 1- We must see, how Jesus sees. 2- We must have compassion, as Jesus would have compassion. 3- We must seek to bring healing, as Jesus brought healing. 4- We must pay a cost, as Jesus paid a cost. 5- We show mercy, as Jesus redefined mercy.

JOHN 13:1-171- If you break the bread, and drink the cup... do you also wash feet? To partake in communion and not live out the sacrifice of a life of servanthood for your brothers, sisters, and neighbors is to miss the message of our Messiah. The sacrament is a reminder of sacrifice, invitation to sacrifice, and a promise of blessing that can only be found through sacrifice. We wash, as He washed. 2- Jesus knew what Judas was to do, and washed his feet anyway. The people you think have no right to be washed, actually have every right to be washed... and if that doesn't fit inside your theology, your theology is incorrect. Sacrifice plays no favorites.

1 SAMUEL 1:9-20 HOW TO ASK THAT HAS HIGHER CHANCES OF A RESPONSE. 1- God knows where your heart is, not just where your words are. Pouring your soul out to God is an accelerator of promises from God. We don't think he sees and knows and often times it is what he sees and what he knows that is inside of us that is the blockage from what he can release to us. Pouring out takes place before filling up.2- Most "asking" from God is for less dependence on Him, less faith in Him. This is not what He wants, therefore the response is not what we want. Do we think he responds to requests that lead AWAY from deeper relationships and intimacy with him? Hannah’s ask was to give me a son, then I will give him to YOU ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE... Don't pray for blessings that you don't want god involved in once they arrive… those turn into curses. 3- The process of getting a response; know and take in the words of God, repeat them back to God, change my countenance to reflect faith, and wait on His ability. During this process there will be a confronting and releasing my need to control and removing my selfish nature from the asks of Him. It's not about Him not responding as much as it is our character refining to know what an ask of His will is, not ours.

2 PETER 1:1-11THE RECIPE OF A RIGHTEOUS LIFE. 1- START WITH DILIGENCE IN FAITH AND DO IT SO MUCH IT PRODUCES MORAL EXCELLENCE… (VERSE 5)2- AS YOU PURSUE MORAL EXCELLENCE RHYTHMICALLY WATCH AS IT TURNS TO KNOWLEDGE… (VERSE 5)3- YOUR KNOWLEDGE SHOULD BE PRODUCING GREATER SELF CONTROL.. (VERSE 6)4- SELF CONTROL LEADS TO DEEPER UNDERSTANDING AND ACTION OF PERSEVERANCE.. (VERSE 6)5- PERSEVERANCE PRODUCES GODLINESS AS THE TESTS ARE EMBRACED AND NOT RAN FROM.. (VERSE 6)6- GODLINESS PRODUCES BROTHERLY KINDNESS (VERSE 7)7- BROTHERLY KINDNESS PRODUCES LOVE…. Love is last!!!! WHAT!!!! (VERSE 7)8- THE FROSTING— NOTICE THIS PROMISE AT THE END…. IF YOU PRACTICE THESE THINGS YOU WILL NEVER STUMBLE… GAIN ENTRANCE INTO THE ETERNAL KINGDOM… AND JESUS WILL BE ABUNDANTLY SUPPLIED TO YOU.. THATS A MONSTER PROMISE.. (VERSE 10 AND 11)

BONUS CONTENT- “How do we live it?”At the conclusion of our practicing the way season of studying the disciplines of an apprentice of Jesus, pastors Micah and Grace gave an overview of how they rhythmically live out a wholistic practice of allowing Jesus into everything they do. Recorded on a Wednesday night formation gathering, this resource is designed as a challenge to the lifestyle of how we live day to day and designed to give people a lifestyle blueprint of what an activated life in the spirit looks like in a hyper practical sense.

Matthew 7:24-29Psalms 118:22Isaiah 28:16Luke 6:46-483 WAYS TO KNOW IF YOUR BUILDING ON THE ROCK OR THE SAND1- “Hearing" gives the illusion of a cornerstone building, but acting on what you're hearing is the true heavy rock work. You cannot act until you hear, however if you do not act upon what you hear, don't be surprised if you feel the rain, the wind, and slams of the storms of life as it destroys the foundation you tried to build that wasn't based on, and placed on, the cornerstone of Jesus. 2- The enemy will allow you to build on a bad foundation without knowing in order to make the fall "great".... His core aspiration is to discredit, distort, or sow dissension and confusion around great falls of once mighty people of faith in a way that tarnishes the name of Jesus to the world he's trying to save. Building on sand is not just something that will affect you, it will most certainly affect those around you, and how they view god. 3- Authority in Christ is when you have heard, acted, and built a life on Jesus in such a way that your voice now carries an authority that gets the world to notice. Authority is hearing, doing, and building. What got people's attention to the ways of Jesus is how he heard, how he spoke, and what he did (the way in which he built the kingdom).. And it transcended any man made title, accomplishment, and authority.

Matthew 7:13-23Three Thoughts on a Life in the Will of the Father: 1- The right gate is tied to my sight for the small, the ability to discern the straight and narrow, and a spirit that never gives up searching for more of God in my day to day life. The gate we enter to the Kingdom of God is through the life and example of Jesus... and there is a reason it says few will find it. What God has concealed, there is a kings reward for those who will search out and find. 2- Fruit remains is the goal of a rooted life in God. Good fruit is the product of right nutrients, sunlight, and pruning. A tree that does not embrace pruning will end up dead. There is a difference between a cutting back to produce, and a cutting down that results from death. Embrace the sun, get the right nutrients so the roots will grow, and embrace the pruning… this is the playbook of a good tree, with godo fruit … and a fruit that remains. 3- We can know His name, but not know Him. We can do miracles by His name, yet not know Him... we can prophesy by His name... and not know Him. Knowing Him is the rhythmic lifestyle of surrender, and being actively formed by the things He did; which merge us into the identity of Him. There is a difference in knowing the name of Jesus, and living the example of Jesus, and living the example of Jesus. He is the gate we enter that leads to life.

Matthew 7:1-123 WAYS TO EVALUATE HOW I TREAT AND VIEW OTHERS1- If you only notice specks in others and can’t remember the last time you recognized a log in yourself… there will be a “vision for your life” problem. We overestimate how much we can change others and under estimate how much we can change ourselves. Until you have learned to fix yourself with the lord, you won’t be entrusted to fix others for the lord.2-Stop asking for good things if the only thing that comes out of your mouth about God's creation is bad. Your treatment and view of God's creation has a direct connection to God’s treatment of you. Karma was in the scriptural story before it was ever on an instagram reel, or in an easter religion. How you treat others is how you will be treated. 3- The fulfillment of the old is the foundation of the new. We receive grace to give grace, we receive forgiveness to give forgiveness, we receive love to give love… ‘we love for he first loved us..’. You wont get new revelation if you can’t follow old instructions. We serve a God who wants to deal with the logs of our hearts before we deal with the specks of those around us and the society we live in. The fulfillment of a mature follower is as follows; how well do I give love? How well do I walk in love?

Matthew 6:25-34– Three Ways to unlock the jaw and drop the RPMS of Stress and Anxiety1- The bible says not to be worried, however… If you're undisciplined, you should be worried… because YOU WILL end up LIVING WORRIED. The only way we live without worry is to root our lives deeply in the one who clothes, feeds, and provides for our souls. If we do not have discipline, we will have stress, worry and anxiety. 2- Anxiety is an issue of worth. Jesus' response to man's need for food and clothing is to point to the birds and flowers and say, "are you not worth more than they?"... Rooting yourself into the ways of Jesus is designed to remind you of the worth you have in his eyes. If you know who you are to him, you know his capability.. Anxiety comes from a view of our own ability and control… peace comes from a life that knows i'm tied to his ability, and he’s in control.3- There is a difference between what you seek, and what God knows you need. Our seeking should look different than the worlds seeking, and if it doesn't you may have an anxiety problem. We must realize it is seeking first His kingdom, and His righteousness... that the problem of "all things" is taken from our hands and placed into His. If you want God to take care of all things in your life, but won’t seek first the kingdom and righteousness.. You will have anxiety.

Mark 16: 1-13Hebrews 12:7-114 Details from His Victory to Help Get Your Mind off of Your Defeats. 1- The stone has been rolled away. It is easier to act like the stone is still there than to live like the grave is empty. Only you can decide if you will live like the grave is uncovered… or if you cover the victory of Jesus with the stones of defeat and death you have had to walk through. 2- Where they laid him to die became the place he stands alive. Death has only ever been a symbol of defeat, Jesus makes it a symbol of victory. Are there areas of your life others have laid you to die… or you have even laid yourself to die in… that Jesus wishes to turn into a place you stand in victory.. What are you laying in today that Jesus wants you to leave behind by the power of his spirit, truth, grace and forgiveness?3- The discipline to develop your beliefs will determine your perspective of God's power available to you, that you then walk in. The rhythms of your behavior will dictate if you live in defeat or walk in victory. Doubt happens when healthy discipline isn't present, and a disciplined life in Christ determines if you see death every time you encounter a grave moment in life, or an opportunity to press into God for victory. 4- If the enemy can get you to think you serve a victorious king with a defeated mind and undisciplined life then he wins and he knows it. Our life in Christ is tied to the victory of the cross and the discipline of following the one who overcame it. A defeated and undisciplined mind and heart to the ways of Jesus rolls the stone in front of the grave, and places ourselves inside a dead existence. He rose, so you too may rise from whatever grave you have found yourself in.

Matthew 21:1-10John 12:18-19Matthew 21:12-14. 4 WAYS TO ENSURE YOU'RE NOT A PALM TREE WAVER AND COAT GIVER THAT MISSES THE MESSAGE AND KILLS THE MESSENGER. 1- Don’t forget “your king is coming to you” when you feel like you cannot come to him.. A gentle disposition is his heart for you.. Do you view him this way in your walk? 2- Salvation and suffering have been hand in hand since the blood purchased the life.. If you have a view of God that omits any type of suffering or hardship this is an incorrect view, for our faith is founded upon life, light and beauty that comes from death, darkness and ashes. 3- JESUS IS LORD OF ALL, NOT A POLITICAL HEAD OF STATE. We have too narrow a view of power, and narrower still of how God uses his.. If your heart is connected to an institution or person more than him, don’t be surprised if you're caught in the wrong place after you thought you gave your coat and waved the palm branch. 4- If we wanna wave the palm branches and lay our coats down, we are saying you have permission to reorient and reposition our personhood to the ways of being a faithful follower of only Jesus. Your no strings attached, full hearted trust in Jesus will be tested the moment you wave the branch and drop the coat... press into it.

MATTHEW 6:16-24 LUKE 4:1 LUKE 4:14HOW TO BE A “DO IT WHEN IT HURTS” FOLLOWER OF JESUS 1- WHATEVER YOUR DEPENDENT ON, GOD WILL TEST. HE LONGS TO SHOW YOU THAT YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU HAVE, RATHER YOU ARE COVERED BY WHO YOU SERVE. FASTING IS ABOUT LOOKING AT THE THINGS WE NEED TO SURVIVE, AND SAYING I NEED TO HEAR GOD'S VOICE EVEN MORE SO. THE REWARD OF A LIFE THAT RHYTHMICALLY FASTS IS A MEMORIAL OF MOUNTAINS CLIMBED, AND BATTLES WON. 2- WHERE MY HEART IS, IS WHERE MY MONEY IS. WHERE MY HEART IS NOT.. IS WHERE MY MONEY IS NOT. IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE. ONLY YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE A VIEW OF GOD AS YOUR SOURCE, SUPPLIER, SUSTAINER, AND PROVIDER... OR IF WE SING IT, AND SAY IT, BUT BACK OFF WHEN IT COSTS US (NO PUN INTENDED). 3- IF YOUR FAITH DOESN'T COST YOU RHYTHMICALLY, I WOULD CHALLENGE THE PERCEPTION OF HOW DEEP YOUR FAITH IS. IF GOD DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO MY BANK ACCOUNT, HE DOESN'T HAVE FULL ACCESS TO MY HEART. THE WORS PLACE YOU CAN BE IS DEPENDING ON YOURSELF, THE BEST PLACE YOU CAN BE IS DEPENDING ON GOD... "THROUGH YOU" COMES BEFORE "TO YOU".

Join us as we hear from members of our community share testimonies, advice, and wisdom from their personal walks with God. Amanda: "Following the Voice of the Holy Spirit"Parker: "How to Trust the Lord Through Hardships" Jarell: "How Discipline Helped Me Press In" Noah: "How to Make It Through Difficulty"

Matthew 6:1-15 3 TESTS OF HIS KINGDOM HIS WILL OR MY KINGDOM MY WILL 1- Your secret relationship with money will determine A LOT about your secret relationship with God. Money is a tangible test of if I believe in building his kingdom, and submitting to his will… or if I’d rather focus on my kingdom and my will. There is a reward for those who will repeatedly do in secret what others do not see, because there is a promise that HE SEES AND HE REWARDS. 2- Your prayer life is not what others see, it’s what you do alone, in the quiet. There is a reward for this quiet, rhythmic, faithful commitment to a life of prayer. If you can remember more acts of sinning in secret than praying in secret there may be a “his kingdom but my will” theology present. Rewards from the secret will always be better than the affirmations of being seen. 3- The war you will fight everyday your eyes open; whose kingdom and whose will do you pursue? If it's his kingdom and his will, we must do the things he commands; both in public and in secret. Committing to the things that bring transformation, and pushing through the tension of sanctifying our flesh with his spirit and word. If it is our kingdom we want to come, and our will we want to be done.. Don’t be surprised if Jesus feels empty, boring, and distant. If we will not practice, he cannot produce.

Matthew 5:21-48HOW TO RAISE THE BAR ON MOTIVES, DESIRES, AND HEART POSTURES WE MUST CONFRONT ON THE JOURNEY TO KNOWING JESUS. 1- The bar is not too high, your view of yourself is too small. We drop the standards when we view them as unrealistic, not realizing we filter our reasoning through our own lens of what's possible or not, not God’s. The spirit has given you a new ability to become a new creation, it's your choice if you believe the lie of the flesh that says you can't change, this is just who you are. 2- You can fake words and actions; you can't fake motives, desires, and heart postures, this is why Jesus is this direct in this passage. Going through the motions and knowing the words to say doesn't show a changed life... it’s the little things we won't let slide anymore, the development of our desires to match his, developing our motives to not be purely selfish over time… It feels like perfectionism because it's so countercultural; this is the way of Jesus Christ. 3- Perfect is attainable; God wouldn’t set a target if he believed you couldn’t hit it. What we have to realize is the sight we aim through towards the target of perfected living is Jesus. The spirit that leads us in righteous/perfected living, the word that reveals the perfect law of God, and then following Jesus' model as a perfect person… Jesus didn't pay a high price for a low bar.

Matthew 5:13-20Jeremiah 31:33 Ezekiel 36:27 3 TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS PASSAGE1- Salt can lose saltiness; and light can become darkness. Discipline is when you are regulating what the salt of your personhood tastes like, and if your light shines bright enough to be seen by those around you. You can’t go anywhere if you do not know where you are to start. The key to everything in the beginning is self awareness; becoming aware of what you need, and developing a plan to develop the weakness of the flesh into a strength of the spirit. 2- Good works are the measuring stick of how bright a light shines; those who carry out action that accomplishes something attractively good, inspiring, and beautiful. Would the works of your faith be described in this way? 3- How close you get to God will be no one else's choice but yours. There is no gatekeeper of the spirit, no select few who are allowed to read scripture. The old covenant was selective and controlled… The new rules allow all the right to become a child of God. It will be your choice how faithful you want to be, how deep you want to go, how close you want to get… how fixated you wish to become.

Part 2 - Matthew 5:7-12 NASB

Part 1 - Matthew 5:1-6 NASB

Mark 1:40-45Leviticus 13:45-46HOW TO MAKE CHANGES THAT CHANGE1- There are 4 steps to change: First we must want to change. Second, we must develop goals and intentional framework to change. Third, we consciously and constantly regulate ourselves to maintain change. Four, we practice this cycle over an extended period of time, so much so that the change is done so many times consciously that it becomes an activity we do unconsciously. 2- There is a death to self part of change. A "carry the cross" part of change. A "I'm not looking for self help" type of change. This is a revelation, that it is not change you seek.... it is to be cleansed and made new. 3- Your creator cannot change and cleanse you until you know fully who your creator is; who Jesus is... he is benevolent.

Genesis 24:10-27Three tests that will determine if you live limited or limitless in Christ...1- The test of entitlement2- The test of hospitality3- The test of boredom

LUKE 8:5-15HOW TO CULTIVATE GOOD SOIL1- Good soil starts with plenty of water. 2- Good soil is positioned regularly to receive "Son" light. 3- Good soil requires tending and awareness, and that anything against the growth and sustainability of the plant being uprooted. 4- Good soil is a commitment over a long period of time to steward what is necessary for a seed to grow, it requires focused and meticulous patience.

Mark 10:46-52THE PRINCIPLES OF A FAITH THAT MAKES IT HAPPEN1- We all will have a condition in life, a status about our life, and a name unique to our life. How you form your identity will dictate more about your destiny than any other choice you make. 2- Your communication with Jesus must be built on an accurate viewpoint of who he is. He is a Messiah, Lord, Savior, or “Son of David”. But it is not so much the words we call him as much as it is if those are true in the deepest parts of our soul. Lip service is not always what the heart serves. 3. You cannot pick up the new things of God if you have not put off an old identity of what your life is currently or has been that you are holding on to. He has the power to heal, he has the power to give new purpose and meaning, but there is a tangible step of putting off the old we must undertake before he can ever lead us into new work of restoration, healing, and fulfillment. 4- Your faith has made you well is a reality you can live in as a believer.. The question is are you willing to build a life on Jesus that will make your life well. Through the obstacles, challenges, negativity, time constraints, and discomfort, are you willing to build. You can't have a faith that “makes you well” without a life that revolves around knowing his will, and doing his will.

1 Kings 18:41-46HOW TO BUILD FIST SIZED FAITH FOR 20241- Before you ever see the rains of provision, favor, and promise on your life there will be a test of if you will keep your head in between your knees when the timing feels off. The response of God to the cries of his children rarely meet our timeframes, and that's because he is reframing our existence back to dependency. Faith without dependence is like a car without a transmission. It will run, but it won’t get you anywhere. If the only prayer you are praying is for greater independence, don’t be surprised if the drought persists.2- God shows up more in the little things than the big. So often we are looking for huge signs, wonders, and miracles that confirm his grace and favor upon us. But when you train your eyes to believe in the ‘fist-sized’ you might come to find out that those become the fondest memories of faith in your life. When you believed something that no one else believed in, when you pursued God even when others said it was a waste… and you experienced a downpour of his presence and promise. This year, train your eyes to the small, and I believe you will experience the almighty.3- You may need to start sounding stupid and looking foolish in order to see the rain. Press into it. Humility is God's character attribute of choice for those who he uses greatly. Often we want to look like we know it all, have it all, and don’t need anyone or anything… and this is what causes the drought of our souls. In 2024 may we be a people who aren’t afraid of what others will say or think even if we may look foolish. Who knows… it might mean we call a fist sized cloud a monsoon, in the midst of 3 years of no water.

MATTHEW 1:18-25;2:1-12LUKE 2:1-20 3 REMINDERS OF GIFTS YOU SHOULD NEVER FORGET THAT ARE WRAPPED IN THIS STORY1- If your eyes are open, and your heart is open, he speaks profoundly, no matter who you are, and how far you are from him. 2- From the beginning his purpose has been you. Everything written, remembered, and spoken about is designed to get you to see; that it is all for a relationship with you. 3- There are two kings and kingdoms in this story, just as there are two kings in your story. These contrast each other as they fight for control of the outcome, and fight for control of the hearts of people. Kings we swear loyalty to in the fallen world will only fail. The choice of following the true king comes down to choosing the manger over the palace, the stable over the crown, the child over the man. These pictures do not make sense, but that is the beauty of it, to choose something that relinquishes control.... And makes your life, a life about him.

1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21 AMP1. When it’s harder than I thought, will I stay all in where I’m at.2. I must learn to see past and get over the poop and the dirt and stay focused on the right things.3. With God my attitude is connected to my latitude.4. He was a servant to Elijah.5. Avoid the Trap of comparison.

Romans 5:1 NLT Philippians 4:6-7 NIV John 14:27 ESV John 16:7; 33 How to Unwrap the Gift of Peace Daily: Peace is found in a person Peace is accessible through prayer Peace knows there is a purpose Peace can be extended to other people Peace is in your pocket

John 11:1-44 Hebrews 4:14-16 He wants to shape you, not hurt you He can handle what you bring to the table You're His own & He loves you Reflection Time: Ask, Be, Rest

JAMES 5:7-203 OUTCOMES OF ROOTED RHYTHMS THAT COME FROM JAMES FINAL VERSES1- There is an increased measure of compassion, mercy, and blessing for the unwavering and patient person. The most common test we see over and over in scripture is that of patience; God’s timing vs ours. God's heart of blessing in the Bible is more often than not shown to those who have weathered the tests, stayed faithful, and remained planted in him in all seasons. Lordship comes down to control, and the sooner we can release it, and trust it, the sooner the roots found in a life of righteousness will get to work producing a life that knows and walks in the mercy, compassion, and blessing of God.2- The prayer of a truly righteous person should accomplish much. Your prayers should put you out on the ledge of life, trusting that it is he who keeps you above the waves. Accomplishing much in prayer is when you are standing for neighbors, standing in love, standing for justice... and producing HEALING in this world. Prayer is the canvas that God paints his will and personhood upon, so if you're not praying… he's not painting. In time what we most discover about prayer is it is not what they accomplish externally, as much as what they accomplish internally, that starts to knit in the calling he has for our lives. Your prayers have healing and revelation to accomplish... Do you believe that?3- When we accept Jesus into our heart, our lives start bending toward finding the lost, and telling them they can be found. Our kingdom-character is bankrupt if we cannot remember the last time we tried to bring our light into someone's darkness through being a healing presence, and revelation of God’s love. We are the mission of God on this earth outside of these doors, that says we don’t have to accept a life of death, and that sin does not have the final say. The enemy wants you to stop trying, so you can start spiritually dying. You're a messenger as long as you have breath inside you. How are you with strays?

James 3:16-4:103 ways to know if our pursuit of pleasure is costing us our peace1- The opposite of jealousy and selfish ambition is peacefulness. You can assess your own selfishness/jealousy and that of those around you by the peace they carry and bring to the environments they enter. Peace is a product of dependance on the prince of peace, rhythmically and in discipline communing with him. Time with the prince of peace in his word and spirit helps us sow peace, then reap peace, and become.. peaceful. 2- We must assess the motives within asking for pleasures.. Many times we are asking for something to complete us that was only intended to complement us. If your search for completion is by what was only intended to complement, don't be upset when God tests the heart and motive, through trials and timing. A peace in him will multiply the pleasure you experience if you can learn and lean into him deeper… and you might find the pleasure you seek might actually be replaced by the peace he brings.3- Beware the attack of duplicity and double mindedness. God will allow you to go through tests in order to purify the heart's motives. Don’t run from them. The test of duplicity is to think that you are allowed a heavenly mind and way of being, and also a dark side that no one knows about, stemming from an unrenewed mind. If you choose the work of renovation, you will know personally the power you carry to restore, and in restoring your own world, you might find he uses you to restore this world.

James 3:1-123 tips on cleaning corrosion and resetting the breakers on how you speak A TONGUE THAT LACKS CONTROL IS A LIFE THAT LACKS CONTROL. The words we speak are not a product of spiritual maturity as much as it is the evidence that you are spiritually mature. Winning the battle of the words you speak directly influences all the battles you are fighting and will fight. Don’t be mad there isn't any power present in your life if you have allowed the main avenue of power transfer to be corroded. A life in the light or in the darkness just comes down to how often you speak light and how often you speak darkness. IT WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR CHOICE WHAT FIRE COMES FORTH FROM YOUR WORDS. THE FIRES OF HEAVEN OR THE FIRES OF HELL. IF YOUR WORDS ARE ONLY CRITICAL, DESTRUCTIVE, FULL OF GOSSIP, SLANDER, COMPLAINTS, WORRY, OR DIVISIVE IT IS YOUR JOB TO TAME THE TONGUE BEFORE THE FIRE DESTROYS THE GOOD WORK PLACED INSIDE OF YOU AND THE GOOD NEWS YOU ARE MADE TO LIVE IN. SOME OF US WANT ‘MORE FIRE’ FROM GOD BUT OUR MOUTH DESTROYS ANYTHING GOOD HE EVER TRIES TO GIVE US.What is said about you, is usually what people have heard said through you. I challenge you right now to take inventory of how often your words are blessing and how often your words are cursing. Speaking the truth doesn’t give you a free pass on transmitting words of death. Corrosion slowly takes the power away, until one day you have none. There is no coincidence to man’s need for fresh water for survival; both physically and spiritually. Don’t let your spring become so polluted that no one values what you say anymore.

James 2:14-263 thoughts on understanding the relationship between faith and works The mission field is your business field. Your daily Work, works, and witness say more about who you serve than your christian activities involvement. Faith and Works is about the lifestyle you live and the lives it touches of those around you. Faith and Works feel dead and dormant when they have not woven a level of calling into your career. Inviting God into your daily work, may do more for your “works” then you ever imagined. YOUR “DOING” CAN BE THE GREAT ERASER, EQUALIZER, AND ENERGIZER OF FULFILLMENT IN CHRIST. Your faith gets you access to God, your works develop the proximity to God. Faith becomes perfected when works become regularly enacted. Some of us all our questions, concerns, fears, and paralysis would dissipate if we just thought less, and did a little more. Paralysis is frozen inactivity. If you're active, you never feel frozen. F YOU WANT WORK THAT HAS WORTH, IT USUALLY INVOLVES A COST THAT WILL SEEM EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO PAY. WHEN WE WILL NOT PAY THE COST OF CONSISTENT AND COSTLY “DOING” OUR SPIRITS WITHER BECAUSE OUR WORKS BECOME DORMANT AND THEN DEAD. THE CROWN HAS A COST REQUIRED TO WEAR IT. Rhythmically dying to self through our doing is way easier than never doing anything in faith and then God taking you through an unforseen test to see if our heart and motives are pure. Paying tolls of doing help us pass the tests within our being.

James 2:1-133 important lessons that we can only learn from what we have labeled as less than. THE EXTENT OF YOUR LOVE TO THE LEAST, SHOWS THE DEPTHS OF WHO YOU FOLLOW THE MOST. The test of who you are when no one is looking usually comes down to your love for those who can give nothing in return. The god we serve usually uses the ones we don’t think we can learn from, to teach us most. A saint with dirty hands, is one whose heart is full. There is no such thing as a personal relationship with Christ that does not require personal care for our neighbors. The poor have just as much a right to the riches of faith as us. Partiality on appearance and superiority must be repented of. If you make your decisions of those who are allowed access to your time and resource by the outward appearance, you will atrophy the spiritual muscles needed for the marathon of following jesus. The neighbor you're called to love is the people God places in your direct path, everyday.I'm convinced that the level of judgment we feel today as followers of Christ comes from a mercy dispensing deficiency in our personal walk. If mercy triumphs over judgment then the invitation is whenever we feel the judgment of man, or even the judgment and blame we cast upon ourselves, we look for ways to apply mercy to our fellow man, preferably the downcast and downtrodden. You might be surprised when you give mercy and grace to someone less fortunate, what it does for your fortunes and your future. Mercy triumphs over judgment, if you practice it, you may find out first hand.

James 1:21-27

James 1:13-203 TUNEUPS TO OUR FAITHS FOUNDATION AND LONGEVITY1- YOU MUST LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TESTS OF GOD AND THE TEMPTATIONS WITHIN MAN'S NATURE. God’s test typically reveals, reorients, and re-routes us onto the path he has for us. Temptation of man centers on unholy/unhealthy desire, and if we will give into these desires, how many times we give in until it becomes normalized, and then the fruit of destruction from that normalization and God trying to restore what was sinful to being viewed as sin once again. Temptations and tests feel the same, but are very different. 2- WHAT YOU PASSIONATELY DESIRE MUST BE PASSIONATELY DESIGNED WITHIN HIM.. Desire produced apart from him produces a slow death, carried away and enticed by the illusion of something good, rather than your father who wants to give you both GOOD AND PERFECT things from above. Your secret desires are what God sees, the question is are you aware of them and the influence they have on everything you do.. 3- THE ANGER YOU ALLOW IN YOUR HEART WILL TAKE UP THE SPACE CREATED FOR LOVE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IF YOU LET IT. Anger is not just an impulsive outburst; it is bitterness, rage, unforgiveness, resentment, cynicism, vengeance, and the wanting to get even. If you can't be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, there may be something under the hood that needs to be taken care of… before it wrecks the worth of the entire work of righteousness you were intended to be.

James 1:2-12HOW WE TRAIN TO LAST The goal of maturity is to become perfect and complete, lacking nothing. The pathway to maturity comes through testing that produces endurance, then allowing this endurance to have a full effect. The terrain in which maturity is built through is facing trials and figuring out how to maintain and count it all joy. Maturity is embracing this cycle for its beauty and not its cost. We must embrace God’s tests as much as God’s gifts, and personal doubts as well as our personal beliefs in order to fully understand the person we have been created to become. Your walk with Jesus will directly address the whole of you as a person, and will be longer than you think, and cost more than you believe you can pay. When we seek first the kingdom and righteousness it’s not just that ‘all things’ are added, rather we find out that the ‘all things’ we sought at the start don’t even come close to knowing him. God’s homework is heart work. We endure from love, for love and by love. The crown of life is not just for someone who endures, rather it comes from the love we have for the one we endured for. We don't endure for blessings, we endure to get closer to the blesser, and trust that he handles when, where, and how to give us the crown. Perseverance without HIS approval is completely pointless.

This week we begin our study through the book of James.James 1:1Reminder of the Bond Servant:THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN WILLINGLY PAYING THE COST OF BEING A SERVANT OF GOD; AND GOING THROUGH UNFORESEEN DIFFICULTIES. IF LIFE IS DIFFICULT IT DOESN'T MEAN WE FORGET AND THEN WALK AWAY FROM THE COMMITMENT WE MADE, RATHER WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THE COMMITMENT HE MADE TO US. WE PIN OUR EARS TO THE DOOR, HE PINNED HIS LIFE TO THE CROSS.IS BEING A SLAVE OF GOD MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FREEDOM OF MAN? You cannot be both the owner and the bond servant. Don’t get mad at God if he tries to remind you through difficult circumstances who is the master and who is the servant. In your pursuit of freedom from all constraints don’t be surprised at some point if you're eating an apple that has larger consequences than you ever imagined. COMMITTED SERVICE IS GREATER THAN INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS.THERE IS POWER IN THE PICTURE. OUTSIDE OF THE MASTER WE HAVE NOTHING TO LIVE FOR, OUTSIDE OF THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM WE HAVE NO OTHER EXISTENCE, OUTSIDE OF THE WORK OF GOD WE HAVE NO OTHER REASON OF BEING, AND THAT FROM THIS PLACE WE LIVE. A PINNED EAR IS A PRUNED HEART. WE ARE CALLED TO A LIFE OF A SERVANT, ON BEHALF OF OUR MESSIAH, JESUS. YOUR SERVICE SHOULD HAVE SOME SCARS, HIS DID.

2 Kings 6:8-23HOW TO TRAIN YOUR EYES TO SEE ABOVE IT ALL1- YOUR VISION TEST COMES DOWN TO ONE QUESTION; DO YOU SEE GOD AS THE SOLE SOURCE OF YOUR SALVATION? IF NOT HE WILL ALLOW YOU TO CONTINUE TO USE YOUR STRENGTH IN WAYS THAT FAIL.. IN HOPES YOU COME TO THE REALIZATION YOU MUST RUN TOWARDS THE ONE WHO WILL NEVER FAIL YOU..2- PEOPLE CAN GET YOU CLOSE; BUT YOUR HABITS GET YOUR CLOSEST. YOUR ABILITY TO HEAR WILL DIRECTLY INFLUENCE YOUR ABILITY TO SEE. SO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF HABITS OF HEARING, SO YOU WILL BE ABLE TO WALK INTO SEASONS OF SEEING. 3- IF YOU’RE MORE AWARE OF WHAT'S AROUND THAN WHAT'S ABOVE I CHALLENGE YOU TO PLACE YOURSELF IN ENVIRONMENTS THAT FORCE YOUR EYES UPWARD, GET AROUND PEOPLE WHO FORCE YOUR EYES UPWARD, READ THE BIBLE AND BOOKS THAT FORCE YOUR EYES UPWARD, SING SONGS THAT FORCE YOUR EYES UPWARD, AND DO NOT BELIEVE THE LIE THAT YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE ABOVE IT ALL… TO LIVE ABOVE IT ALL, IS WHERE WE ALL WERE CREATED TO BELONG.

Hebrews 12:7-15How we live on the collective mission DEPTH IS DAILY. IT IS TRAINING TO SENSE THE SPIRIT, AND BE ROOTED IN THE SCRIPTURES. THIS IS A DAY TO DAY CHOICE WE MUST MAKE; TIME IN THE WORD OF GOD, TIME IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD. DISCIPLINES PRIORITIZE THE RHYTHMIC PRACTICE OF BEING PRESENT IN THE SANCTUARY; AND A LIFE OF COMMUNITY WHICH ENGAGES AND INVITES OTHER BELIEVERS IN FOR THE JOURNEY WE ARE ALL ON. WE MUST MAKE DIRECT CHOICES TO CONFRONT OUR LIFE AND CHANGE IT IF A LACK OF DISCIPLINE AND COMMITMENT ARE LABELS WE HAVE ATTACHED TO OUR WALK WITH GOD. SACRIFICE IS HOW YOU SERVE OTHERS AND PRACTICE GENEROSITY. THESE ARE BOTH IN THE CHURCH CONSTRUCT BUT ALSO IN YOUR DAY TO DAY WORLD AND LIFE. THESE COST THE MOST TO OUR COMFORT, SO THEREFORE THEY ARE EMBRACED THE LEAST IN OUR CULTURE. SUSTAINABILITY IS WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN PROVED FAITHFUL IN THE LITTLE, AND START TO EXPERIENCE THE MUCH OF GOD. THE “MUCH” TO ME ARE THE SACRED PRACTICES WE DO NOT TALK ENOUGH ABOUT BUT ARE DIRECTLY TIED TO HOW SUSTAINABLE OUR WALK WITH CHRIST BECOMES. THE BIG THREE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES FOR ME ARE SABBATH, SOLITUDE, AND FASTING PRAYER.

Acts 7:54-60Acts 8:1-3Acts 11:19-26HOW TO GET GOING WHEN ITS THE LAST THING YOU WANT TO DOTHE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIMES, PLACES, AND SEASONS IS WHEN GOD TYPICALLY TESTS LORDSHIP. GOD USES INTERRUPTIONS AND REROUTING AS A TOOL OF REFOCUS. YOU’RE CALLED TO “GO” AND THAT “GO” TYPICALLY IS GOING TO LOOK RADICALLY DIFFERENT THAN YOU THINK IT DOES. BE OPEN MINDED. THE MAIN CAUSE OF BOREDOM IN FAITH IS INACTIVITY, AND THE MAIN INGREDIENT TO INACTIVITY IS INDIFFERENCE. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IT IS YOU WHO MUST DECIDE IF YOU WILL ACTUALLY BECOME AND PRIORITIZE BEING ACTIVE IN YOUR FAITH OR NOT. IT IS THAT SIMPLE. There will always be someone who does it better than you or is more talented. I truly believe in this day and age we need less qualified and less polished people who admit they don’t have the answers, and people who embrace the gift of unconditional love and relational commitment. People cannot embrace faith as real, unless the person speaking about it is. Your present and real self is enough to make a difference.

Matthew 28:16-20NEW INSTRUCTIONS. NEW DIRECTIONS. AND THE NEW PERSON YOU MUST BECOME ALONG THE WAY. MAKING DISCIPLES IS THE START, BUT WE MUST BE A DISCIPLE TO MAKE DISCIPLES. The pursuit of making disciples should be pushing your boundaries, comfort zone, ability to sacrifice, and self discipline. You cannot help make someone something you are not. Being a true disciple will not allow you to live a lifestyle in which you don’t attract and disciple others. As you gain and grow, you MUST give and pour out. The presence and nearness of the Holy Spirit is thee secret ingredient of the mystery, power, and joy of life in christ. We cannot preach the gospel without prioritizing the presence. Christianity is not self-help; it is the metamorphosis of scripture, Spirit, and sanctification. I’d rather live by the Spirit and be weird for it, than die in a lifeless religion that never knew a fully surrendered reality of faith. DON’T GET SO BUSYING DOING, YOU FORGET ABOUT YOUR BEING. “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” is your painkiller when it feels like we have been fractured by failure, hopelessness, and the futility of trying to be light in the darkness. He died to destroy the lie that the enemy tells you that you're alone, and no one sees you or loves you. He truly is with you always.

Matthew 26:36-46How your prayer life lives on mission today Being present in someone's need, pain, story, struggle, or trauma as someone who “keeps watch” through prayer is love on display. The playbook of missional prayer for others is just sitting, being awake and aware of the needs they have, and giving them to God repeatedly and rigidly for as long as they need us to. Your presentness is your gift. SOMETIMES PRAYER IS ALL WE CAN DO, SHOULD DO, ARE ABLE TO DO, BARELY WANT TO DO, AND FEEL WE ARE EVEN KINDA QUALIFIED TO DO. STILL MAKE IT A HABIT TO DO IT. Bearing one another's burdens sounds like a lot, until you're the one who needs to be carried. Practice carrying. For one day we will all need to be carried. ‘Can I pray for you’ is not a one time commitment. It's a spiritual investment into someone until the need is met or the answer is made. People with little faith learn a lot from people with a lot of faith who choose to not back down from darkness, fear and doubt. To pray without ceasing is just a saint who won’t stop believing that they will see the goodness of God, in the land of the living.

Matthew 9:9-13How to have Compassion on the Entirety of the MissionCOMPASSION IS ABOUT CONNECTION, IF YOU WANT TO CARE YOU MUST DEEPLY FORM RELATIONSHIPS THAT DON’T FIT INTO TIME LIMITS OR SOCIAL NORMS. WE NEED TO WALK ALONGSIDE PEOPLE, NOT BE TOO BUSY OR HEADY FOR THEM TO GET CLOSE.THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS AND HAVING THE RIGHT MOTIVE. YOUR MOTIVES DETERMINE YOUR LIFE'S MOTION. WE CANNOT BE SO FOCUSED ON THE “SACRIFICE” AND “RIGHTEOUSNESS” THAT WE FORGET TO SHOW MERCY TO THE SINNERS.OUR COMPASSIONS MISSION IS TO RECLAIM AND RENAME. WE DON'T SEE SOMEONE AS FALLEN WE SEE THEM AS NOT RESURRECTED YET. WE DON'T SEE SINNERS WE SEE PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T MET JESUS YET. OUR MISSION ON EARTH IS TO RECLAIM WHAT HAS BEEN LOST, AND RENAME IT ONCE FOUND.

Matthew 15:21-28HOW TO SEE THOSE IN FRONT OF YOU, IN ORDER TO LOVE HOW GOD INTENDED YOU TOWhatever you have labeled you hate is what God will challenge you to love. If your love has limits so too will your depth of knowing Jesus. He loves “them” just as much as He loves you. You might be surprised the response you get from “crumbs” moments when you see people rightly. The people who are too far gone in your mind might be the ones who respond to faith the fastest if you give them a chance. “Risks” that pay off equal faith that blows up. If your seeing is believing then your doing must be activated. So many profess to wanting to see God do things yet want to do nothing. Your enjoyment of a seat at the table is multiplied when you start making room for more seats. It’s not about your place, but rather the places you make for the “dogs” of this world.

Mark 3:16

1 John 5:13-21What we should know but maybe need reminded.If we are born of God then we should not be actively, deliberately sinning, as we live under his rule and reign. Idolatry in this form is knowing what God had said but choosing to worship a false god by practicing an action that is disobedient to the life that’s been purchased for you. Idols are not just carved images, they are conflicted hearts, torn between two realities. Lordship is shown not by what you know, but rather what you won’t allow yourself to do anymore after you have encountered Christ’s love.The enemy wants to get you so mad at the world that you forget you’re called to change it. Being mad at a fallen world for being fallen is just us becoming more aware that we Christian’s haven’t taken the great commission serious enough. I challenge you today to not get mad at a fallen world, but to be challenged to be the light in the darkness that we have been too busy being opposed to, rather than fighting for.Idolatry all comes down to truth. Do you believe biblical truth, the truth of the gospel, the truth and the conviction of the spirits leading in your heart, the truth you’re a child of God…the list is endless. Or have we believed half truths….that influences the full truth of the gospel…and has stripped a submitted life in Christ of its power and instead started a new battle ground of logic and reason, you must know God’s truth as your truth, so your truth doesn’t rewrite Gods truth.

1 John 5:1-12 Proof proves a viewpoint. Do we have proof of a life that is overcome? Do we have proof of a life that has been changed? It is easy to profess faith but not produce anything that proves faith.There is absolutely no way around it. A life in Jesus must have an encounter rooted in revelation of the blood that was shed, water baptism of repentance, and a life led of the Holy Spirit and growing in your consciousness of its leading. We can only claim ignorance of these matters so long before it slips into rebellion that leads to lifeless religiosity.Love and obedience go together they do not fight against each other. The creators instructions on living are perfectly and divinely designed to meet his creations needs. What you love you obey, follow and protect. If you love, and yet do not know the ways of obedience to that love you must immerse yourself in a lifestyle of abiding in his word and his spirit to learn how love is lived.The things that no one knows are the places His overcoming power wants to touch first. How you grow in faith is when it transforms what was once pain, into a platform for His glory to be shown. If you want to be the proof to the world and to yourself…you must allow the darkest secrets and doubts, and the hidden places of your life to be exposed to the blood, the water and the Spirit…and not carry the burden anymore.

1 John 4:11-21Love for others + the practice of abiding in God - fear = a weirdly perfected faith (love perfected in us)How do we get this equation inside of us for others to see it outside of us THE PRACTICE OF ABIDING IN GOD IS JUST LIKE THE PRACTICE OF ANY OTHER THING THAT REQUIRES PRACTICE TO DEVELOP. USUALLY IT IS AWKWARD AND UNCOMFORTABLE AT FIRST, THAT OVER TIME PRODUCES A CONFIDENCE, PEACE, AND SENSE OF PRIDE AND APPRECIATION FOR WHERE YOU STARTED AND HOW FAR YOU HAVE COME. DON'T BE SO AFRAID OF THE STARTING LINE THAT YOU FORGET YOU WERE BORN TO RUN THIS RACE WITH JESUS. THE COMPOUND INTEREST OF ABIDING IS A DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE.. IF YOU ABIDE BUT DO NOT HAVE THE EVIDENCE OF FRUITS OF SPIRIT OR GREATER AWARENESS OF THE SPIRITS LEADING , YOUR ABIDING MUST COURSE CORRECT BEFORE IT TURNS TO CYNISM, CRITICALNESS, AND A SPIRITUAL SUPERIOR SPIRIT. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE COLOR ADDED IN A BLACK AND WHITE WORLD.IF THE DEVIL CAN’T GET YOU TO SIN HE WILL GET YOU TO LIVE IN FEAR… FEAR CAN TAKE CONTROL AWAY FROM GOD JUST AS MUCH AND AS FAST AS ANY SIN CAN. FEAR TAKES YOUR EYES AWAY FROM THE FATHER AND PLACES THEM ON THE FALLEN. EYES STAY UP SO LIFE STAYS UP.

The infinitely repeated test of loving others1 JOHN 3:13-24 How we can make the test easier and not harderYOU EXPERIENCING HATE, BITTERNESS, JUDGMENT, OR UNFORGIVENESS DOES NOT GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO RE-TRANSMIT IT TO OTHERS. YOUR RESURRECTION LIFE IS TIED TO YOUR REPRESENTATION OF CHRIST LOVE IN THE WORLD YOU LIVE IN EVERYDAY. IF YOU WANT LIFE YOU MUST LET GO OF DEATH.THE DEED AND THE TRUTH IS WHAT SHOWS THE PROOF. YOUR ACTIONS CARRY MUCH MORE WEIGHT THAN YOUR WORDS. TIME WILL SIFT THE WORDS YOU SPEAK TO ENSURE THAT YOUR ACTIONS BACK THEM UP. LOVE IS MUCH MORE THAN LIP SERVICE; THERE IS A PRACTICAL SERVICE REQUIRED.LOVE IS A CONTINUOUS PRESENT TENSE REALITY TO A FOLLOWER OF JESUS; IT IS THEE EXPRESSED EVIDENCE OF A COMMITMENT OF FAITH. IF YOU WANT TO TRACK YOUR GROWTH AND MATURITY, FOCUS ON YOUR ABILITY TO FORGIVE, SACRIFICE, RELEASE PEOPLE, NOT BE DIVISIVE, LOVE THE BRETHREN, RELATE WITH THOSE YOU HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON WITH, AND ON AND ON IT GOES.. THE CHALLENGE OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE..