Redeemer Weekend Sermons

Joy is Born. Joy to the world! The Lord is come! Let the celebration begin! What does the birth of Jesus mean for us today? Joy is Born Born | Week 5 December 24, 2016 | Bill Clark

Joy is Born. Joy to the world! The Lord is come! Let the celebration begin! What does the birth of Jesus mean for us today? Joy is Born Born | Week 5 December 24, 2016 | Adam Barnett Luke 2:8-11 (NIV) 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Salvation is Born. When Jesus is born, God wants to send an announcement. He chooses extremely unlikely candidates: shepherds. Jesus is the embodiment of salvation on earth and the arrival of grace. This baby, whose life is full of drama early on, has arrived to change the world. Salvation is Born Born | Week 4 December 18, 2016 | Bill Clark God is at work in you. God does His best work in silence. Salvation Project Greetings, you who are highly favored! Luke 1:28-33 (NIV) The Lord is with you...Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of this father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. God made a decision that it was time. God wouldn’t just be with us, God would be one of us. Love does amazing things. Luke 2:10-12 (NIV) Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV) Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Galatians 4:4 (NIV) But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law. God wants to change the world we’re living in and turn it upside down.

The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is one of great longing and waiting patiently for the promises of God to come to fruition. It's also one that illustrates how important it is to place our hope in God. Paul Phipps continues our Born series by walking through how hope was born. Hope is Born Born | Week 3 December 11, 2016 | Paul Phipps Luke 1:5-7 (NLT) 5 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old. Luke 1:8-10 (NLT) 8 One day Zechariah was serving God in the Temple, for his order was on duty that week. 9 As was the custom of the priests, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. 10 While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside, praying. Luke 1:11-13 (NLT) 11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. Luke 1:18 (NLT) 18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” Psalm 37:34 (NLT) Put your hope in the lord. Travel steadily along his path.He will honor you by giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed.

Through the story of Abraham, Adam Barnett illustrates how trust in God was established and how we still continue to fight against letting go of control. Trust is Born Born | Week 2 December 4, 2016 | Adam Barnett Matthew 1:1 (NIV) A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham… My desire for control, despite my faith in God, is arrogance…and inevitably leads to impatience and fear. Genesis 22:1-4 (NIV) 1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” "Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Genesis 22:5-8 (NIV) 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. Genesis 22:9-10 (NIV) 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. Genesis 22:5 (NIV) We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Hebrews 11:17-19 (NIV) 17 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, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. Genesis 22:11-18 (NIV) 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am” he replied. 12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” 15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time. 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the equities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Creation is Born. God spoke, and it was. From the beginning of time, God had a plan. Life was born, and life was in God’s image. However, from the Garden we immediately see the need for Christ. The Garden is a foreshadowing of Jesus. Creation is Born Born | Week 1 November 27, 2016 | Joe Scruggs Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface. God Initiated Creation Planful Process It was very good. Genesis 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning and it was the sixth day. Genesis 3:1-7 (NLT) 1 Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the Lord God had made. “Really?”, he asked the woman. “Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?” 2 ”Of course we may eat it,” the woman told him. 3 ”It’s only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die.” 4 ”You won’t die!” the serpent hissed. 5 ”God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.” 6 The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he at it, too. 7 At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves. A choice was made and we repeat the same choice every day. Much of our activity is nothing more than a cheap anesthetic to deaden the pain of an empty life. Romans 8:22 (NIV) We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Romans 5:12 (MSG) You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we’re in—first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death. That sin disturbed relations with God in everything and everyone, Hope and deliverance are possible.

Trust is very hard to earn and very easy to lose. But we serve a God in whom we can place our unreserved trust. Bill Clark concludes our series, In God We Trust, with an exploration of this very important part of faith. Trust In Him In God We Trust | Week 4 November 20, 2016 | Bill Clark We learn to trust God when life hands us challenges that take us beyond the limits of our faith. The way to trusting God is to learn from the times you didn’t trust God. Genesis 15:1-21 (NIV) 1 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” 2 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” 4 Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. 7 He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” 8 But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” 9 So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates— 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” Think of faith as a muscle. God put Abraham and Sarah into the gymnasium of life’s hard moments. Proverbs 24:16 (NIV) The righteous person falls seven times, and rises again. You can trust God. Make time to sit with God in a quiet place on a regular basis. Get out of yourself and your problems by shifting your attention to someone more needy than you. Sow a gift of some kind into God’s work or into a person in need.

Reaping and sowing are common themes and ideas throughout the Bible. Adam Barnett takes a look at these with a fresh eye as we continue our series, In God We Trust. The Blessings of God In God We Trust | Week 3 November 13, 2016 | Adam Barnett We have a tendency to worship our BLESSINGS rather than the BLESSER. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (NIV) 6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV) 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. We can decide what to sow, but we can’t define what we reap. 2 Corinthians 9:9-10 (NIV) 9 As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 2 Corinthians 9:11 (NIV) 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. Questions to Ponder: Am I sowing cheerfully into the ministry of the Church and the lives of others? Are my motives and intentions pure? Am I grateful for how God has blessed and equipped me for good works?

It’s very easy to get our life out of order. Sometimes we need to take a step back and assess what we’re making a priority in our lives. As we continue, In God We Trust, Bill walks us through this idea through the lens of Genesis 13 and the story of Abram and Lot. Prioritizing Life In God We Trust | Week 2 November 6, 2016 | Bill Clark Are you prioritizing the big rocks in your life? Matthew 6:33 (NIV) Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well. Genesis 13:1-18 (NIV) 1 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. 3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord. 5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. 8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” 10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord. 14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” 18 So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord. Lot’s decision came down to his self-interest, his comfort, and his desire for more material wealth. God was his first priority. Proverbs 11:24 (NLT) Give freely and become more wealthy, become stingy and lose everything. What or who do you put FIRST in your decision-making about the use of your resources? What would need to change if God received the first and best of your resources? Are you a blessing receiver or a blessing giver?

Jeremiah 29 paints a picture of how God asks His people to respond to living in uncertain times. Bill Clark opens our series, In God We Trust, with a look at this vital chapter of Jeremiah and how the Israelites had to endure a lot of pain prior to the promise of Jeremiah 29:11. Time Out In God We Trust | Week 1 October 30, 2016 | Bill Clark In God We Trust Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) 11 For I know the plans I have for you...to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:1 (NIV) 1 This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. God’s people had done this to themselves. Jeremiah 29:4-7 (NIV) 4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:10 (NIV) 10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. 1 Peter 2:11-12 (NIV) 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

One of the most important ways we are to be the church to other is to offer them radical hospitality as did the members of the early church. Denise McKinney concludes our series on the early church by discussing this vital part of church life. You’re Welcome Irresistible Force | Week 5 October 23, 2016 | Denise McKinney Acts 2:46-47 (NLT) They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. It’s a sacred welcome. It’s a personal welcome. It’s a life-giving welcome. It’s also a welcome that often takes us beyond the familiar and comfortable. Their welcome and hospitality of others reflected what they truly believed about the Gospel—was it really good news for everyone? Bridges International Fishing Trip 370 attended 220 students from 55 nations, 27 campuses, 50% believing students, 50% seekers. 50 Bridges Staff, children and Volunteers 40 Fishermen from Cross-waters outfitters ministry. 50 volunteers from Hill Country Fellowship Church in Burnet, TX. 100% certainty that God’s goodness was shared and experienced because someone said, “Come go fishing with us!”

Neil & Sharol Josephson, Directors of Family Life Canada, share from the Parable of the Sower and how it can apply to our relationships and marriages. Together for Good Neil & Sharol Josephson October 16, 2016 Matthew 13:1-9 (NIV) 1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 13:18-23 (NIV) 18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The Saturday sessions from the Unify Marriage Conference

Friday Night Session 1 from the Unify Marriage Conference.

God is the all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent God of the universe...and He wants to spend time with you one-on-one. How long has it been since you stopped and experienced the wonder and awe of God’s presence? Bill Clark shares from Acts how the early church had a sense of awe about the powerful presence of God. The Awesome Presence Irresistible Force | Week 4 October 10, 2016 | Bill Clark Acts 2:43 (NIV) Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. Acts 3:1-10 (NIV) 1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. How long has it been since you allowed yourself to be amazed by something? Over and over again the people who encountered Jesus had the same experience—they were astonished at what he could do and what he would say.

Adam Barnett shares from Acts 2:42 and about our call to be devoted to the Word of God. Devoted Irresistible Force | Week 3 October 2, 2016 | Adam Barnett Devotion: love, loyalty or enthusiasm for a person, activity or cause. Acts 2:42 (NIV) They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. John 6:53-58 (ESV) 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Our Devotion > Our Division

Amy Little of Beautiful Truth Ministries joined us for Taste & See 2016 to speak about how we are called to live our lives out of Psalm 34.

The body of Christ possesses enough, but not enough for us to keep what we don’t need. In God's economy, there is plenty. We just have to be obedient. God’s Economy Irresistible Force | Week 2 September 25, 2016 | Adam Barnett Acts 2:44 (NIV) All the believers were together and had everything in common. Acts 2:45 (NIV) They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. God’s Economy: The body of Christ possesses enough, but not enough for us to keep what we don’t need. Mark 12:41-44 (NIV) 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Jesus isn’t against you possessing things. But He is against things possessing you.

As the local Church, we are meant to be an Irresistible Force, not by our own strength, planning, or brilliance, but by the power of the Living God. The arrival of the Holy Spirit, Peter’s sermon, and 3,000 converts set the stage for how our church should operate today. Three Things Irresistible Force | Week 1 September 18, 2016 | Bill Clark Acts 1:1,2 (NIV) In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven... Acts 1:4,5 (NIV) ...for the gift my Father promised, which you heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14 (NIV) Peter stood up, raised his voice and addressed the crowd. These men are not drunk! Acts 2:17-18 (NIV) In these last days, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy...even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit and they will prophesy. Acts 2:42 (NIV) They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Christian worship is really about an audience of one. Acts 2:44-47 (NIV) All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Worship, Grow & Serve

How frustrating can it be when we see people get rewards when we are certain they don't deserve them? Our flesh tells us that this is wrong, but that is exactly what God's grace does for each of us. Pastor Adam Barnett takes a look at the final minutes of ones man's life, and his eternity changing encounter with Jesus. Dismas Disqualified | Week 4 September 11, 2016 | Adam Barnett Luke 23:32 (NIV) 32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him [Jesus] to be executed. Luke 23:33-38 (NIV) 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals – one on his right the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Luke 23:39-41 (NIV) 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Mark 15:31-32 (NIV) 31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32 Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. Luke 23:42 (NIV) 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Luke 23:43 (NIV) 43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Do you love me? A simple question asked of simple disciples. Jesus powerful words echo into our lives today. Denise McKinney shares from Jesus' interactions with Peter in our third week of Disqualified. Loving the Other Disqualified | Week 3 September 4, 2016 | Denise McKinney Peter: Impulsive, extroverted, emotional, risk taker, ADD, the “did I just say that out loud?” disciple John: Intentional, Introverted, Reserved, Takes Care, loyal & steady but hidden pride, the “disciple Jesus loved” John 13:34-38 (NLT) 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” 36 Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.” 37 “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me. John 18:10-11 (NLT) 10 Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. 11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?” John 18:15-17, 25-27 (NLT) 15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. 16 Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. 17 The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?” “No,” he said, “I am not.” 25 Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.” 26 But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?” 27 Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed. Often we respond to others as if it our job to disqualify them from being loved & used by God. And by disqualifying others, we actually get in the way of God working through us for the sake of others. Our love for each other points the world to the God who loves them. John 21:17 (NLT) 17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep." Do you love me?

There are four distinct scenes that play out when Jesus meets Levi, the tax collector, in Luke 5:27-32. And each one plays a vital role in our understanding of the magnitude of Jesus' calling of Levi to be his disciple. Adam Barnett walks us through this engaging encounter. Levi Disqualified | Week 2 August 28, 2016 | Adam Barnett Luke 5 Red Bible: Page 1,599 God meets our rebellion with His RESCUE… our sin with His SALVATION… our guilt with His GRACE. The overwhelming focus of the Bible is not the work of the redeemed, but the work of the Redeemer. Luke 5:27-28 (NIV) 27 After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28 and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. Luke 5:29-30 (NIV) 29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Luke 5:31-32 (NIV) 31 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Each of has one or more things that we feel could disqualify us from being used by God. But Jesus has a different perspective. Rather than seeing our past, He sees our potential. Rather than judging us the way the world does, He loves us and wants to use us right where we are. Pastor Bill Clark kicks off our study of a few people that had life-changing encounters with Jesus. Disqualified Disqualified | Week 1 August 21, 2016 | Bill Clark John 4:4-18 (NIV) 4 Now He had to go through Samaria. 5 So He came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as He as from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to Him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” 11 ”Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 ”I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true. Jesus had a different attitude toward disqualified people. John 4:19-30,39 (NIV) 19 ”Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.” 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ)“ is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am He.” 27 Just then His disciples returned and were surprised to find Him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want” or “Why are you talking with her?” 28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 ”Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him. 39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed him Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” John 4:29 (NIV) Come see a man who told me everything I ever did. He counted her qualified.

Each of us is gifted to serve the kingdom of God and all we must to is step up and say yes! Serving the local church is essential in living into your calling as a follower of God. Serving Fully Alive | Week 2 | August 14, 2016 | Paul Phipps Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 1:5 (NLT) God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (NLT) 12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. o13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:14-17 (NLT) 14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 1 Corinthians 12:18-21 (NLT) 18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 1 Corinthians 12:26 (NLT) 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

We are created to live this life in community with others. Adam Barnett unpacks this idea by looking at the unique and powerful friendship of Jonathan and David. Community Fully Alive | Week 1 | August 7, 2016 | Adam Barnett Warmth of relationships throughout life have the greatest positive impact on life satisfaction. 1 Samuel 18:1-4 (NIV) 1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. Jonathan became one in spirit with David and loved him as himself. Jonathan made a covenant with David. Eros will have naked bodies. Friendship… naked personalities. ~ C. S. Lewis Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David. Jonathan gave David his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. The Gospel God is for us, despite us. Friendship Because of the gospel, I am for you, despite you.

In the last chapter of Galatians, Paul sums up the entire letter with one message. You are a new creation in Christ, regardless of where you came from or what circumstances you found yourself in before. Adam Barnett wraps up our study on the book of Galatians by looking at the last seven verses of Paul's letter. A New Creation Galatians | Week 9 | July 31, 2016 | Adam Barnett Galatians 6:11 (NIV) 11 See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand! Galatians 6:12-15 (NIV) 12 Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Salvation is an interior, supernatural transformation, in no way dependent on external, human effort. Galatians 6:14 (NIV) 14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:15 (NIV) 15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.

Paul takes a gentle turn in the last chapter of Galatians by laying the call to deal with each other within the church gently and to bear each others burdens. Burden Bearing Galatians | Week 8 | July 24, 2016 | Bill Clark Galatians 6:1-10 (NIV) 1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5 for each one should carry his own load. 6 Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. To bear each other’s burdens by the gracious leading of the Holy Spirit. Galatians 6:1 (NIV) If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. Galatians 6:2 (NIV) Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Help one another within the Church, for this is what Christ would want you to do. Galatians 5:13 (NIV) “…serve one another in love" John 15:12 (NIV) Love each other as I have loved you Galatians 6:5 (NIV) “…for each one should carry his own load." Galatians 6:10 (NIV) Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to this who belong to the family of believers.

The fruits of the Spirit are simply that, fruits of our walk with the Spirit. If we focus on the walk, the fruits will come naturally. Focus on the Walk Galatians | Week 7 | July 17, 2016 | Paul Phipps Galatians 5:13a (NIV) You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. Galatians 5:13b (NIV) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; Galatians 5:13 (NIV) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:14 (NIV) For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV) So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:25 (NIV) Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

What is the first thing you think about when you hear the word, Freedom? Satan wants you to be held captive and suffer from God’s Freedom. Adam Barnett shares with us how Jesus trumps all of Satan’s efforts to hold us captive by standing firm in His righteousness. Gospel Freedom Galatians | Week 6 | July 10, 2016 | Adam Barnett Freedom: I. Liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another II. The state of being released from something burdensome III. Absence of subjection to foreign domination Galatians 5:1 (NIV) 1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Romans 5:18 (NIV) 18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Galatians 5:1 (NIV) 1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:2-6 (NIV) 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. “Even if you insist you’ve been converted or you say you feel Christ has changed your life… if you decide your salvation rests in any way on your performance, you deny salvation by faith alone in Christ alone.” — Tim Keller

Spirit Cry Galatians | Week 5 | July 3, 2016 | Bill Clark Galatians 4:1-7 (NIV) 1 What I am saying is that as long as an heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2 He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights as sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 3:8 (NIV) 8 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. The law provided supervision, rules and regulations. Galatians 4:4-5 (NIV) 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights as sons. Galatians 4:6 (NIV) 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” The law has been put away. Do you believe this? Are you experiencing intimacy with God?

We are sons of God, baptized into Christ, and clothed with Christ. The cross is the one place where our human distinctions lose all significance. We are equal and one. Adam Barnett expands on this as we continue our study of Galatians. Children of God Galatians | Week 4 | June 26, 2016 | Adam Barnett Galatians 3:26-27 (NIV) 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Transform: To change in form, appearance, or structure To change in condition, naature, or character To change into another substance Galatians 3:28 (NIV) 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. You are a child of God. You are baptized into Christ. You are clothed with Christ.

Paul Phipps continues our study of the book of Galatians by highlighting chapter 3 and it's call to recognize that our salvation is a free gift, not earned. Unearned Galatians | Week 3 | June 19, 2016 | Paul Phipps Galatians 3:1-5 (NIV) 1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? Galatians 3:6 (NIV) 6So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Galatians 3:10-14 (NIV) 10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them." " 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

We have been given a new identity in the Kingdom of God - a better identity. Mike King continues our study of the book of Galatians. Primary Identity Galatians | Week 2 June 12, 2016 | Mike King Resident Aliens Galatians 2:1-2 (NIV) Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. Galatians 2:6-9a (NIV) As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message. On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel...For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the Jewish people, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Peter and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. Our Christian passport trumps our birth passport. Galatians 2:11-12 (NIV) When Peter came to Antioch, I (Paul) opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. Galatians 2:14-16 (NIV) When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. How is it that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? 1 Peter 2:11 (NIV) Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. When Christ changed our core identities He also gave us the power to live out of those new identities.

Adam kicks off our new series on the book of Galatians by setting up the book and its author, the apostle Paul. No Other Gospel Galatians | Week 1 June 5, 2016 | Adam Barnett Paul wrote Galatians to protest against corruption of the gospel of Christ. Galatians 1:6-9 (NIV) I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Galatians 1:6-7 (AMP) I am astonished and extremely irritated that you are so quickly shifting your allegiance and deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different [even contrary] gospel; which is really not another [gospel]; but there are [obviously] some [people masquerading as teachers] who are disturbing and confusing you [with a misleading, counterfeit teaching] and want to distort the gospel of Christ [twisting it into something which it absolutely is not]. Jesus + Nothing = Everything Galatians 1:11 (NIV) I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:13-24 (NIV) For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles – only James, the Lord’s brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they praised God because of me. Paul wrote Galatians to share what he learned about the gospel through his own conversion. The gospel is not only the way to enter the kingdom; it is the way to live as part of the kingdom.

Bill concludes our DNA series by discussing how intercessory prayer, or praying for others, is not only beneficial for those we pray for, but even more so for our own walk with Christ. A People of Prayer DNA | Week 5 May 29, 2016 | Bill Clark The greatest joy, the greatest sense of the presence of God is found in praying for others. Mark 2:1-12 (NIV) A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” Who is your life is on the mat? Somebody needs to carry them to Jesus. Romans 8:34 (NIV) …at the right hand of God interceding for us. Our task is to pick up the mat. God does all that follows.

Mike explores the way Redeemer has served the city of Tulsa and shares how we are called in Jeremiah to do so. Serve Our City DNA | Week 4 May 22, 2016 | Mike King John 20:21 (NIV) As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you. Mark 10:45 (NIV) did not come to be served, but to serve… Serve Our City Jeremiah 29:4-6 (NIV) This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Jeremiah 29:7-9 (NIV) "Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord Serve the City and Pray to the Lord Insist on Comfort and Boredom is Inevitable

Bill Clark speaks to and over the next generation and discusses the idea of our limitless choices, and the guidelines we are to use to make those choices. Choices DNA | Week 3 May 15, 2016 | Bill Clark The Tyranny of Choice 285 Varieties of Cookies 175 Salad Dressings 230 Types of Soup 40 Kinds of Toothpaste Deuteronomy 6:1-9 (NIV) These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Matthew 22:37-39 “Here, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself." Joshua 24:15 (NIV) …choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.

We are called to live together in a spiritual family. Adam breaks this down in the second week of our DNA series. The Spiritual Family DNA | Week 2 May 8, 2016 | Adam Barnett “Hospitality is not so much a singular act of welcome, as it is a way, an orientation that attends to otherness, listening and learning, valuing and honoring. The hospitable one looks for God’s redemptive presence in the other, confident it is there, if one only has eyes to see and ears to hear.” — Amy Oden “Family is usually considered to be the most important agent of socialization. As infants, we are completely dependent on others to survive. Our parents, or those who play the parent role, are responsible for teaching us to function and care for ourselves. They, along with the rest of our family, also teach us about close relationships, group life, and how to share resources. Additionally, they provide us with our first system of values, norms, and beliefs - a system that is usually a reflection of their own social status, religion, ethnic group, and more.” — Erin Long Love and humility strip us of our pride and lead us to promote unity, spread joy & restore peace. Philippians 2:1 (NIV) If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion… Philippians 2:2 (NIV) then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit & purpose. Philippians 2:3 (NIV) Do nothing out of selfish ambition/vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:4 (NIV) Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others. Philippians 2:5 (NIV) Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Love and humility strip us of our pride and lead us to promote unity, spread joy & restore peace.

Mike King and Denise McKinney open up our discussion of Redeemer's DNA by talking about how we are called to live lives of radical hospitality. Radical Hospitality DNA | Week 1 May 1, 2016 | Mike King & Denise McKinney Radical Hospitality God’s hospitality welcomes. God’s hospitality invites the stranger in and helps the one who is struggling. Isaiah 61:1 (NLT) The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. God’s hospitality is shown through a shared meal. Philippians 2:6-8 (NLT) Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 1 Thessalonians 2:5-8 (NIV) You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. He was sharing the essence of his life with them. 1 Thessalonians 2:7b (NIV) Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. To Grow and Thrive People don’t get left behind. The run leaders take people under their wing. 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12a (NIV) Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God... Living Hospitality Experiment They take good care of each other and they work tirelessly to make sure everyone finishes the race. “Hospitality is not so much a singular act of welcome, as it is a way, an orientation that attends to otherness, listening and learning, valuing and honoring. The hospitable one looks for God’s redemptive presence in the other, confident it is there, if one only has eyes to see and ears to hear.” - Amy Oden Who do we already run into in our regular routines that we could spend a little more time getting to know? What’s one question we could ask them that would help us express care to them? What can we do to listen to and learn about the people we meet so that God can show us his redemptive presence their lives? What kinds of things can we do to open up spaces on our legos so that we can help other people make life-giving connections? Where could we value and honor someone by imitating God’s example of welcome?

Hope is incredibly powerful and God gives us great reason to put our hope in Him. Bill concludes our Living series by talking about that hope encouraging us to Live Hopefully. Living Hopefully Living | Week 4 April 24, 2016 | Bill Clark Romans 8:22-25 (NIV) We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Hope is not the same thing as optimism. Hope is forged in the furnace of Scripture and the promises of God’s Word. “Our souls were made for hope like our hearts were made to love and our brains were made to think.” - Lewis Smedes God gave us the power to imagine the future, but He gave us no power to control it. Jesus doesn’t answer all the hard questions, but instead He took all the pain and all the loss and He put it on Himself. Ephesians 2:12-13 (NIV) Remember that at that time you were separated from Christ…and foreigners to the Covenants of the promise, WITHOUT HOPE and WITHOUT GOD in the world. But NOW in Christ Jesus you who were far away have been brought NEAR through the blood of Christ. We become hopeful people by choosing faith over fear. We remember seasons of life when God helped us and believe He can do it again. We look for signs of hope around us and join in. We forgive ourselves for past mistakes and accept the promise of grace. We remember that we have a future that has been secured by the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus—and when we remember He is coming again.

Finding joy amidst our trials can be difficult, but it is imperative. Adam Barnett talks about the call to live joyfully! Living Joyfully Living | Week 3 April 17, 2016 | Adam Barnett James 1:2 (NIV) Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, James 1:3 (NIV) because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NIV) In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. James 1:4 (NIV) Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 (RTVT) Consider it absolutely terrible, unfortunate and disastrous, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face any trial, because you know that the testing of your faith produces frustration, discomfort and pain. Don’t persevere… just give up… you’ll just remain immature, incomplete, lacking something

Mike King continues our Living study by encouraging us to live confidently in the promises God has made! Living Confidently Living | Week 2 April 10, 2016 | Mike King If someone promises to do the impossible and pulls it off, you can bet they’ll come through on every promise they make. Matthew 27:62-63 (NIV) ...the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ He was making a promise that was absolutely impossible. 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 (NIV) Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NIV) For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 (NIV) and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also... 1 Corinthians 15:17-19 (NIV) And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. We can have confidence that all that Jesus promised would come true. 1 Corinthians 15:20 (NIV) But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV) Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. John 14:27 (NIV) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (NIV) ...do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Philippians 4:19 (NIV) And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

The Resurrection changed everything, including how we are called to live. Adam Barnett explores the calling on our lives to live victoriously! Living Victoriously Living | Week 1 April 3, 2016 | Adam Barnett Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) For our struggle is not against flesh & blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world & against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:13 (NIV) 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. Ephesians 6:14-15 (NIV) 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. Ephesians 6:16 (NIV) In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all of the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:17 (NIV) Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) 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 saints.

Bill Clark speaks about Jesus' presence in our lives by exploring the story of Cleopas and his friend on the road to Emmaus. There All Along Easter 2016 March 27, 2016 | Bill Clark Luke 24:13-35 (NIV) Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. What are you two talking about? What things? Their eyes were opened and they recognized the stranger was in fact Jesus. He was alive again and with them all along. There is a universal longing to bridge this world, the one we’re living in, to the other world — the world we cannot yet see. - C.S. Lewis At Easter, we remember the power of His moral and spiritual beauty.

The Problem Behind the Problem Reset | Week 6 March 20, 2016 | Mike King There’s a problem behind your problem. John 11:39 (KJV) …he stinketh… John 11:45-50 (NIV) Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” John 12:12-13 (NIV) The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” John 12:17-19 (NIV) Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” They thought their deepest problem was the Romans. Their deepest problem is that they were separated from God. What’s really going on? Is there a problem behind the problem? Are we part of the problem behind the problem? Romans 5:8 (NIV) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We are all more broken than we can ever know, but we are more loved that we can ever imagine.

Bill Clark continues our study on Reset with a word about how most of life is lived at the base of the mountain, rather than the mountaintop. At the Base of the Mountain Reset | Week 5 March 13, 2016 | Pastor Bill Clark Matthew 17:1-13 (NIV) After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well-pleased." Most of our life is lived at the base of the mountain. “Life is Not an Accident” by Jay Williams “Nobody did anything to me, I did it to myself and that was way more painful than anything.” Jay Williams “Life is all about who you decide to surround yourself with. I started to look at my life as a company and about who’s on my board. And I had a teenage drug dealer on my board, I had people who were drinking and partying a lot. It wasn’t until I put people on my board who actually held me to higher standards that I started to heal and become closer to God.” - Jay Williams

Adam Barnett continues our series of Reset by discussing how are are to face temptation when it comes. Temptation Reset | Week 5 March 6, 2016 | Adam Barnett Romans 3:23 (NIV) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:24 (NIV) and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. James 1:13 (NIV) When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone, 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. James 1:14 (NIV) but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. James 1:15 (NIV) Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. The progression of temptation: Evil Desire → Temptation → Sin → Habitual Sin → Death James 1:12 (NIV) Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 2 Corinthians 4: 17-18 (NIV) For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever. So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

As we continue the Reset sermon series, Mike King shares with us on the call on our lives to care for the poor and fatherless.

Adam Barnett shares with us a message about fasting as we seek to reset our understanding of various spiritual disciplines.

We'll be taking the season of Lent as an opportunity to reframe our understanding of various disciplines in the Christian faith. To open this up, Bill Clark brings a good word about prayer.