Redeemer Weekend Sermons

Beautiful FeetRomans • July 31, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--Romans 10:14-15 NIVHow, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”Eugene PetersonBut how can people call for help if they don’t know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven’t heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it?Romans 9:30-31 NIVWhat then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 1. How can they call on the one they have not believed in?2. How can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?3. How can they hear without someone preaching to them?4. How can anyone preach unless they are sent?We are sent as messengers -> people hear -> people believe -> people call upon the Lord.Do I care more about my present than my neighbor’s eternity?Romans 10:9-13 NIVIf you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.Romans 10:9 FGT (False Gospel Translation)If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, pray three hours per day, fast once per week, study your Bible daily, tithe 10%, serve the church, and live in perfect purity, you will be saved.Romans 10:11-13 NIVAs Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lordwill be saved.”We are sent as messengers -> people hear -> people believe -> people call upon the Lord.

More Than ConquerorsRomans • July 24, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--Romans 8:31 NIVWhat, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:32 NIVHe who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?Kenneth Boa“It is illogical to conceive that God would give his most treasured ‘possession’ – His only Son – to secure the salvation of sinners, and then not also give all else that is necessary to bring that salvation to completion.”Romans 8:33-34 NIVWho will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.Col. 2:14 NLTHe cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.1 John 2:1b NIVBut if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.Hebrews 4:14-16 NIVTherefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.Romans 8:35-39 NIVWho shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:37 NIVNo, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.1. In Christ, I am free from any condemnation.2. In Christ, I am obligated to be led by the Spirit.3. In Christ, I am a child of God and a coheir with Christ.4. In Christ, I will be redeemed from this cursed creation.5. In Christ, I am certain of my eternal glorification.

Privileges of SonshipRomans • July 17, 2022Teacher: Dave Brown--Romans 8:12-17 NIVTherefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.Romans 8:2 NIVThrough Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.Romans 8:15 NIVThe spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. Demands of Slavery:1. Compulsion2. Fear3. Perfection4. Brokenness5. Ownership Privileges of Sonship:1. Security2. Authority3. Intimacy4. Assurance5. Inheritance6. Discipline7. Family LikenessTimothy KellerIf you, by faith, belong to Christ, you are a son of God, and have his Spirit. The three are inseparable—either all are true of us, or none are.

No CondemnationRomans • July 10, 2022Teacher: Leanne Benton--Romans 8:1-4 NIV“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”Romans 7:14-20 NIV“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I was to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”Romans 8:1-2 NIV“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”Condemnation = declaration of guilt and the sentence for it... both pronouncement AND punishment.NO condemnation. NO declaration of guilt and NO eternal punishment.John 8:36 NIV“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”Romans 8:1 NIV"...for those who are in Christ Jesus."Romans 8:3-4 ESV“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”Galatians 4:4 NLT“But when the right time came, God sent his son, born of a woman, subject to the law, so that he could adopt us (redeem those under the law) as his very own children.”The law in condemning sin can only and always get a verdict of GUILTY.David Wells"God's HOLY love rescues us from God's HOLY wrath."Holy Spirit = Conviction, not condemnation.1. Self-CondemnationCraig Groschel“Most of life’s battles are won or lost in the mind.”2 Corinthians 12:9-11 NIV“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”2. Condemnation from OTHERSAdam Barnett“We often focus on other people’s sanctification process instead of focusing on our own.”Luke 6:42 NIV“How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”Gossips, slanderers, wickedness, evil, greedy, and depravity.Romans 2:1-4 NIV“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”John 8:5-11 NIV"In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" "...But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground." "At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there." "Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."3. The ACCUSER1 Peter 5:8-9 MSG“Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on your faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ — eternal and glorious plans they a

Breaking Out of the Doom LoopRomans • July 3, 2022Teacher: Dave Brown--Romans 7:15-25 NIVI do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.Acts 15:7-11 NIVBrothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.Galatians 2:21 NIVI do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! 1. God's grace is not a cheap grace2. The gospel is about grace, not legalism3. Grace leads us to an obedience that comes from faithDietrich BonhoefferGrace is represented as the Church's inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! The essence of grace, we suppose, is that the account has been paid in advance; and, because it has been paid, everything can be had for nothing. Since the cost was infinite, the possibilities of using and spending it are infinite...Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Slaves to RighteousnessRomans • June 26, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--A Christian is free from the power of sin and death! Romans 6:15 NIVWhat then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!The freedom of believers from the power of sin does not imply that believers are free to sin.Romans 6:16 NIVDon’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?Romans 6:17-18 NIVBut thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.Romans 6:19 NIVI am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.Romans 6:20-21 NIVWhen you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!Romans 6:22 NIVBut now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.You have your fruit with sanctification as the result.Sanctification isn’t just holiness, but the process of becoming holy.We often focus on other people’s sanctification process instead of focusing on our own.Romans 6:23 NIVFor the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Free & New in ChristRomans • June 19, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--A Christian is free from the power of sin and death!Romans 6:1-4"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."2 Corinthians 5:14-15"For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again"Romans 6:5-7“ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”2 Corinthians 5:17"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"ἰδοὺ γέγονεν καινά = Behold, the new is born!Romans 5:8-14“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.”F.F. Bruce"“Is this an exhortation to pull ourselves together and make a new start? Is this a good resolution to do better in the future? Is this just an exertion of the will, or an effort of the imagination? No, it is not. When men and women present themselves to the living God, he accepts them as his servants and gives them power to do his will. The Christ of whom Paul speaks is the Christ who truly died and rose again, and in the lives of those who put their trust in Him, he breaks the power of cancelled sin."

Romans Week 4Romans • June 12, 2022Teacher: Dave Brown--Romans 5:12, 15, 17 NIV[S]in entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned…But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!…For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!1. Sin and death2. Gift3. Relationship4. Obedience 5. RighteousnessRomans 5:12 NIVTherefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned…J.I PackerScripture diagnoses sin as a universal deformity of human nature, found at every point in every person…Sin may be comprehensively defined as lack of conformity to the law of God in act, habit, attitude, outlook, disposition, motivation, and mode of existence.Matthew 5:21-22 NIV“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,’ and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or s a sister will be subject to judgment.”To be Like God.Death is the natural result of sin.Romans 5:15 NIVBut the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!Marcel Mauss[Upon receiving a gift.] one must give back to another person what is really part and parcel of his nature and substance, because to accept something from someone is to accept some part of his spiritual essence, his soul…The thing given is not inactive. It’s invested with life.John 3:16 NIV“For God so loved the world that he grave his one and only Son…”Romans 1:5 NIV[G]race might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Introduction to PaulRomans • June 5, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--First Feature of the Gospel – God has the power to save his human creation. Romans 5:1-11 NIVTherefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.Second Feature of the Gospel – its impact on the lives of those who have been justified by faith.Lt. Kurt Zehmisch“How marvelously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way. Christmas, the celebration of love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.”R.T. France“Our sin has put hostility and wrath between us and God, and a mere ceasefire will never suffice. We are not meant to live under the cloud of an uneasy standoff with God based on self-righteousness or cheap grace. Instead, Jesus became incarnate, died, and rose so that believers might be adopted into God’s own family and eat at the table with him in unbroken fellowship forever!”We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ!Like our resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ, we will one day experience the incorruptible state of “glory” in which God himself dwells.Hope in our suffering doesn’t eliminate our pain. It reminds us of God’s promise.Romans 5:5 NIVAnd hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.Romans 8:35, 37-39 NLTCan anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

"Those People, Not Us"Romans • May 29, 2022Teacher: Daniel Bunn--Romans 2:1 NIV"You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else,"Romans 2:11-16 NIVFor God does not show favoritism. All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.Karl Barth“God’s judgment takes place ‘with no respect of persons,’ which literally means: in such a way that through every mask God sees the real faces of men.” Paul doesn't focus on being right, he focuses on being unified.

Introduction to PaulRomans • May 22, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--Our desire is that you would read the designated section for yourself in Scripture first, and then read the three entries that correspond to that Scripture—theological, pastoral, and devotional. At the end of the three entries is space for you to write any reflections, questions, or thoughts you had on the text. Acts 9:1-22 NIVMeanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priestand asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him,“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.Raymond Brown“Paul was an itinerant artisan who would have had to struggle to get money for food. Horseback travel was difficult. And Paul would not even have been able or willing to spend money for a donkey to carry his baggage. So we have to picture Paul trudging along the roads, carrying his limited possessions in a sack, at the maximum covering twenty miles a day. Often, he had to sleep somewhere near the road, amidst the cold, rain, and snow. As a poor man he would have been easily victimized by bandits, especially in country areas that were less efficiently controlled by police. Sea journeys were not much safer.”2 Corinthians 6:4-10 NIVRather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.Romans 1:1-6 NIVPaul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

Peter's VisionHoly Moments • May 15, 2022Teacher: Dave Brown--3 Basic Questions to Ask When Reading Scripture1. What’s the background?2. What’s happening in the text?3. What does that mean for me today? Acts 8:1 NIV“On [the day Stephen was stoned] a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.”Acts 10:9-23 NIVAbout noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three[a] men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.What’s Happening in the Text?Acts 10:44-45 NIVWhile Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all The Who heard the message. The circumcised believers [Jewish believers] who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.What does it mean for today?Jesus is for me too!1. God is Faithful.Genesis 17:1-8 NIVWhen Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram[b]; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.Romans 8:35, 37-39 NIVWho shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.2. God's faithfulness is not limited to our understanding.Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.3. When we see the Holy Spirit move; we need to get on board.Acts 11:15-18 NIVAs I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning…So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way? When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God saying, “So then, even to the Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to salvation.

Acts 1:8Holy Moments • May 8, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--1. The ascension is Jesus' enthronement as King.2. The ascension makes Christ supreme over our enemies.3. The ascension paves our way to the Father.1. At Pentecost, we witness the birthplace of the church.2. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes to rest on all believers.3. At Pentecost, we received the enabling of the Holy Spirit.Acts 1:8 NIVBut you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. But you will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes on you. "The church is closed today due to a lack of power." D.L. Moody"The subject of the power of the Spirit has been too much overlooked, as though it were not practical, and the result is lack of power in testimony and work. If we would work, 'not as one that beats the air' (1 For. 9:26), but to some definite purpose, we must have this power from on high. Without this power, our work will be drudgery. With it, it becomes a joyful task, a refreshing service."Before God sent the Church into the world, He sent his Spirit into the Church. When we witness ABOUT Jesus, we also witness LIKE Jesus. Instead of viewing the Kingdom of God as something we BUILD, view it as something we SERVE.N.T. Wright"The kingdom of God is not a far-off reality. The kingdom of God and earth are purposefully intersecting. It is already significantly present in the lives of the faithful, while its fullness is still coming to this earth!"

The PentecostHoly Moments • May 1, 2022Teacher: Tim Mannin--Leviticus 26:10 NIVYou will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new.Acts 1:4-5 & 8-11 NIVWhile he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the **Holy Spirit.**” You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky?Acts 2:1-4 NIVWhen the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.Matthew 3:16 NIVAs soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 1. At Pentecost we witness the birthplace of the church (Word + Spirit People).2. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit comes to rest on all believers (He Is With You).3. At Pentecost we received the enabling of the Holy Spirit (He Has Empowered You). Isaiah 43:19 NIVSee, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

The AscensionHoly Moments • April 24, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--There is no such thing as "Post-Easter!"1. Rejoice in the Resurrection2. Remember your Baptism3. Return to Spiritual Disciplines4. Reflect on the Birth of the Church5. Reach out to your NeighborGeorge Weigel"The disciples, a group of first-century nobodies, must have been baffled, skeptical, and even frightful about what had happened to their former teacher and what could have happened to them."Luke 24:36-43 NIVWhile they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.Rudolph Bultmann"Typical encounters with the recently deceased do not issue in claims about an empty tomb, nor do they lead to the founding of a new religion. And they certainly do not typically eat and drink, and they are not seen by crowds of up to 500 people, I'm sure of it."John 21:25 NIVJesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have the room for the books that would be written.Luke 24:50-53 NIVWhen he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.1. The ascension is Jesus' enthronement as King.Daniel 7:13-14 NIV"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.Our King is not only risen, but reigning and returning!2. The ascension makes Christ supreme over our enemies.Ephesians 1:18-23 NIVI pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.3. The ascension paves our way to the Father.John 14:2-4 NIVMy Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place. for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."4. The ascension released the Holy Spirit into the world.Joel 2:28 NIV"I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh."

The ResurrectionEaster Sunday • April 17, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--[Sunday] [Monday][Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Easter!]SUNDAY IS HERE! HE IS RISEN! DEATH IS DEFEATED! JESUS IS ALIVE!Matthew 28:1-4 NIV"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men."Matthew 28:5-7 NIV"The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”Matthew 28:8-10 NIV"So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”1 Corinthians 15:14 NIV"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith."10 Jesus predicted His resurrection9 People prepared His lifeless body for burial8 The Jewish authorities made a plan to falsify this story7 Jesus appeared to many in bodily form6 Saul of Tarsus became one of the Christian faith’s greatest missionaries, theologians, and apologists5 Paul’s earliest epistles were written about 20 years after the resurrection4 Many of Christ’s disciples were martyred3 **The emergence, growth, resiliency, and existence of the Church**2 No tomb has been established and revered as the place where Jesus’ body rests.1 Our testimonies!Jesus, I believe you are who you say you are. You are the resurrection and the life. I believe you died on the cross for me and that you rose from the dead. With that same power, make me a new creation. I am sorry for my sins. Please forgive me. I ask you to live in my heart and to fill me with your Holy Spirit. Through the name of Jesus, my Lord, I pray. Amen.Text the name JESUS to (918) 376-3438Images used for today's message were:Sunday: SuperStock/Getty ImagesMonday: Painting by Carl Bloch: "Casting Out the Money Changers". Getty ImagesTuesday: O Jerusalem by Greg OlsonWednesday: Tomb of Lazarus, Bethany (c. 1900), Apic/Getty ImagesThursday: Leemage/UIG via Getty ImagesFriday: Close-up of "Crucifixion" by Bramantino/Getty ImagesEaster: https://riverheadlocal.com/2020/04/12/easter-sunday-the-divine-reset/

The Road to CalvaryPalm Sunday • April 10, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--Luke 9:51 NIVAs the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. Luke 9:52-56 NIVAnd he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them. Then he and his disciples went to another village.Luke 9:5 NIVIf people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them. Luke 19:28-38 NIVAfter Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say, 'The Lord needs it.'" Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They replied, "The Lord needs it." They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down to the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"Zechariah 9:9 NIVRejoice greatly Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Images used for today's message were:Sunday: SuperStock/Getty ImagesMonday: Painting by Carl Bloch: "Casting Out the Money Changers". Getty ImagesTuesday: O Jerusalem by Greg OlsonWednesday: Tomb of Lazarus, Bethany (c. 1900), Apic/Getty ImagesThursday: Leemage/UIG via Getty ImagesFriday: Close-up of "Crucifixion" by Bramantino/Getty Images

Repent for the kingdom of God is nearInvitations • April 3, 2022Teacher: Dave Brown--Mark 1:14-15 NIVAfter John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"1. Good News2. Kingdom of God3. Repentance1. Good NewsN.T. Wright"In many churches, the good news has subtly changed into good advice: Here's how to live, they say. Here's how to pray. Here are better techniques for helping you become a better Christian, a better person, a better wife or husband. And in particular, here's how to make sure you're on the right track for what happens after death... Take this advice: say this prayer and you'll me saved. You won't go to hell; you'll go to heaven. Here's how to do it."C.S. LewisI am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher.2. The Kingdom of GodJob 13:3, 19, 20-21 NIVBut I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God... Now that I have prepared my case, I know I will be vindicated. Can anyone bring charges against me?... Only grant me these two things God... withdraw your hand far from me, and stop frightening me with your terrors."Job 38:4-21 NLT"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?"Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb, and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness? For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores. I said, 'This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop!' "Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east? Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth, to bring an end to the night's wickedness? As the light approaches, the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal; it is robed in brilliant colors. The light The light disturbs the wicked and stops the arm that is raised in violence. "Have you explored the springs from which the seas come? Have you explored their depths? Do you know where the gates of death are located? Have you seen the gates of utter gloom? Do you realize the extent of the earth? Tell me about it if you know! "Where does light come from, and where does darkness go? Can you take each to its home? Do you know how to get there? But of course you know all this! For you were born before it was all created, and you are so very experienced!3. RepentanceRepentance is more than simply saying, "I'm sorry." It's an active dethronement of ourselves.Steps for Repentance1. Acquire Sin Awareness2. Feel Remorse for Sin3. Confess Your Sin to God4. Discover Root Causes5. Establish Clear Boundaries6. Create Accountability7. Embrace RestorationJ.I. PackerThe idea that there can be saving faith without repentance, and that one can be justified by embracing Christ as savior while refusing him as Lord, is a destructive delusion.God is King, but He is also our Father.Jesus is the Son of God, but He is also our friend.

Fishers of MenInvitations • March 27, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--Matthew 4:18 NIVAs Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.Matthew 14:19-20 NIV"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4: 21-22Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. 1. The initiator of discipleship is Jesus.Hebrews 12:2 - We fix our eyes on Jesus, the [author, champion, pioneer, founder, originator, initiator] of our faith...A disciple is an adherent and follower of a Master, an intimate companion in some common endeavor, and one who learns and promotes a particular ideology.Remain. Love. Fruit. 2. The cost (and reward) of discipleship is radical surrender.Charles Spurgeon"Nothing teaches us about the preciousness of the Creator as much as when we learn the emptiness of everything else." 3. The result of discipleship is a missional lifestyle.Romans 10:9 NIV"Declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved."

Come and DrinkInvitations • March 20, 2022Teacher: Dave Brown--Isaiah 12:3 NIV"With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation."John 7:37b-38 NIV"Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow within them."1. Rest in Relationship2. Not all water is the same3. Only drink from Jesus75% of our brain75% of our heart85% of our lungs65% of our skin30% of our bonesHappiness is the water of our soul.Aristotle"What is the highest of all goods pursued in action? As far as its name goes, most people virtually agree, since both the many and cultivated call it happiness."We tend to "drink" anything that we think will make us happy.15ppb1.5x10^-6%Two types of spiritual water: Clean water or dirty water.John 4:13-14 NIV"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring welling up to eternal life."Sin is the lead of spiritual water,And there's no acceptable amount of sin that we can ingest that will not kill our souls!What exhausts us is trying to control what we cannot!Jeremiah 2:13 NIV"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."Clean water + Dirty water = Dirty WaterJesus + Nothing = Clean WaterThomas Aquinas"It is impossible for any created good to constitute man's happiness. For happiness is the perfect good, which lulls the appetite altogether... it is evident that nothing can lull man's will, save the universal good. This is to be found, not in any[thing created], but in God alone..."Grace is not an excuse to keep drinking dirty water!

Come to MeInvitations • March 13, 2022Teacher: Leanne Benton--How goes your walk? Hurry SicknessCome after me= a call to follow JesusCome to me= a call to intimacyMatthew 11:28-30 NIVCome to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.Trying harder will not get us where we want to go.Matthew 11:28-30 MSGAre you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.1. Rest in RelationshipIntimacy= In To Me SeeDallas Willard"You must arrange your time so that you are living in deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday experience with God."Dallas WillardYes, you will always produce who you are. You can never plow around that.2. Try softerWhat exhausts us is trying to control what we cannot!3. Take on the easy yokeMatthew 11:28-30 AMPCome to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls. For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.Whose yoke will you choose?Jesus is not the giver of the easy job. He's the giver of the easy yoke.John Ortberg"The more inward ease that I live in, the more outward hard I can handle." God direct my thinking today so that it be divorced of self pity, dishonesty, self-will, self-seeking and fear. God inspire my thinking, decisions and intuitions. Help me to relax and take it easy.

Follow MeInvitations • March 6, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--Luke 9:51 ESVWhen the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his fave to go to Jerusalem.K.N. Giles"The travel narrative of Jesus has an ecclesiological purpose that invites readers to see themselves as a community on mission, always on the move, always on the journey, always in the presence of the Lord. Disciples must learn to walk the path of self-denial themselves. This travel setting becomes an opportunity for discipleship formation in which Jesus provides instruction on the nature, call, costs, and rewards of discipleship. Jesus' instructions along the way became a paradigm for the mission of the church."Ecclesiological purpose refers to theology as applied to the nature and structure of the Christian Church. Radical self-denial is required of anyone who wishes to follow Jesus.Luke 9:57-58 NIVAs they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."Luke 9:59-60 NIVHe said to another man, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." The moment to say yes and follow Jesus is never tomorrow. The moment is always now.Luke 9:61-62 NIVStill another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."βλέπωνεἰςτὰὀπίσω.Looking on the things behind.To follow Jesus requires full, undivided concentration.Lee Camp"Jesus of Nazareth always comes asking disciples to follow him – not merely "accept him," not merely "believe in him," not merely "worship him," but to follow him: one either follows Christ, or one does not. There is no compartmentalization of the faith, no realm, no sphere, no business, no politic in which the lordship of Christ will be excluded. We either make him Lord of all lords, or we deny him as Lord of any." Discipleship is the commitment.

SimplicityUnhurry • February 20, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--Jean Baudrillard"In the Western world, materialism has become the new dominate system of meaning. Atheism hasn't replaced cultural Christianity; shopping has."James Smith"We unconsciously learn to love rival kingdoms because we don't realize we're participating in rival liturgies. Don't think that the mall isn't religious. The mall is a religious site, not because it is theological, but because it is liturgical. Its spiritual significance (and threat) isn't found in its ideas or messages, but in its rituals. The mall doesn't care what you think, but it is very much interested in what you love. Victoria's Secret is that she's actually after your heart."The more we own, the busier we are. The busier we are, the more hurried we live.More stuff = less time. Less time = more hurry.Richard Foster"Simplicity is the only thing that sufficiently reorients our lives so that possessions can be genuinely enjoyed without destroying us. It is an inward reality that can be seen in an outward lifestyle, choosing to leverage time, money, talents, and possessions toward what matters most."Matthew 6:19-21 NIV"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.Colossians 3:1-2 NIVSince, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.The point of this life is preparation for the world to come. You cannot take your treasure with you.Mark 8:36 NIVWhat good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?Matthew 6:22-23 NIV"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Stewardship is putting God's Kingdom first.More stuff = less time. Less time = more hurry.1. Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.2. Refuse to purchase the most recent gadget.3. Develop a habit of giving things away.4. Don't shop impulsively.5. Before a purchase, consider the true cost of the item.6. Live on a budget.7. Resist the lie of advertisement.8. Tithe.9. Empty your storage unit.10. Give spontaneously or secretively.Alan Fadling"The drive to possess is an engine for hurry."Jesus (Luke 2:15)"Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."

SabbathUnhurry • February 20, 2022Teacher: Ryan Myers--Karl Rainer, S.J."Knowing God is more important than knowing about God."Genesis 2:1-2 NIVThus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.Exodus 20:8-11 NIV"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.Why most of us don't practice the Sabbath:PrideDistractionsFearRemember these two things:Definitions matterPay attention to what you're paying attention toWe are all practicing various things.What are you currently practicing?What do you desire to practice going forward?Sabbath is about practicing delight!Dan Allender"The only parameter that is to guide our Sabbath is delight. Will this be merely a break or a joy? Will this lead my heart to wonder or routine? Will I be more grateful or just happy that I got something done?"Rhythm and improvisation as a means of both creating & connectingBig questions begging for answers in adolescence that oftentimes go with us into adulthood:1. What is life for?2. Who am I?3. Does my life matter?Jeff Johnson"The best journeys answer questions that in the beginning you didn't even think to ask."The most important and holy decision we make multiple times a day, every day, that we often are not even aware of –> What shall I give my attention to?

Slow Down and Catch Up With GodUnhurry • February 13, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--Am I addicted to hurry?Walter Adams"To walk with Jesus is to walk with a slow, unhurried pace. Hurry is the death of prayer."We need to slow down and catch up with God.John 14:6 NIV"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."John Mark Comer"Jesus' weekly schedule was a prophetic act against the hurried rhythms of our world today." Early Stage:Rushing everywhereOverly busyInability to say noConstantly thinking of workNo days offMiddle Stage:Consistently work 40+ hoursOnset of other addictionsChronic fatigueAborted attempts to do lessLacking basic gratitudeLate Stage:Physical painEmotional deadnessSleeplessnessMoral or spiritual bankruptcyAlways agitated with others Mark 4:35-41 NIVThat day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"Richard Swenson"Margin is the space that once existed between our load and our limits. Margin is the space between vitality and exhaustion. It is our breathing room, our reserves, our leeway. It is the opposite of overload. When Jesus went to the back of the boat, he was practicing margin." 1. Schedule time with God.2. Learn to say no.3. Quit something.4. Adopt new disciplines.5. Resist social acceptability.6. Turn notifications off.7. Give the Sabbath a try.

Silence and SolitudeUnhurry • February 6, 2022Teacher: Dave Brown--Luke 5:12-16 NIVWhile Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.1. Essential Works2. Managing Expectations3. Silence and Solitude1. Essential WorksLuke 10:38-42 NIVAs Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!""Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed–or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."Francis Chan"Our greatest fear in life should no be of failure, but of succeeding at things that don't really matter."Luke 5:12-13 NIVWhile Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him.Jim Collins"Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great."So the first thing that we must do to break the cycle of busyness and depression is recognize that our value does not come from what we do, but who we are in Jesus...And that is beloved Son or beloved Daughter of the Most High God. 2. Managing ExpectationsJesus had two types of expectations to manage:1. The expectations he put on himself2. The expectations others put on himLuke 4: 18-19 NIVThe Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."Luke 5:16 NIV"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."2 Corinthians 5:20 NIVWe are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.3. Silence and SolitudeJohn Mark Comer"The wilderness isn't the place of weakness; It's the place of strength."

God's MissionPursuit • January 30, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--2 Corinthians 5:17-20 NIVTherefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.Ministry of Reconciliation: a Christian's Spirit-empowered service that introduces others to God's love.A chosen ambassador is a trusted diplomat authorized to speak on behalf of God's Kingdom.Ambassadors of Christ live with an unquenchable desire to see others come to know Christ as Lord and Savior.

Good WorksPursuit • January 23, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--Ephesians 2:10 NIV"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."We are God's handiwork.Created in Christ Jesus.John Stott"The most common description in the Scriptures of a follower of Jesus is that he or she is a person 'in Christ.' The expressions 'in Christ,' 'in the Lord,' and 'in him' occur 164 times in the letters of Paul alone, and are indispensable to an understanding of the New Testament. To be 'in Christ' does not mean to be inside Christ, as tools are in a box or our clothes are in a closet, but to be organically united to Christ, as a limb is in the body or a branch is in the tree. It is this personal relationship with Christ that is the distinctive mark of his authentic followers."To do good works.We don't do good works for God... God does good works through us! We are the conduit, not the source.Ephesians 2:8-9 NIVFor it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.

God's GloryPursuit • January 16, 2022Teacher: Adam Barnett--The glory of God is the public display of His infinite power, beauty, holiness, and worth.We are created for God's glory. - Isaiah 43:7God created us for His glory, not to make Himself more glorious.Ephesians 1:6-8 GNTLet us praise God for his glorious grace, for the free gift he gave us in his dear Son! For by the blood of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God, which he gave to us in such large measure! 1 Corinthians 10:31 - So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Oklahomans 10:31 - so whether you _ or _ or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Creation PursuedPursuit • January 9, 2022Teacher: Dave Brown--Psalm 8:3-5 NIVWhen I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.Why has God been pursuing His people since the beginning of time? For Love and RelationshipWe Are:1. Created Out of Love2. Created in God's Image3. Created for Relationship 1. Created out of LoveThomas AquinasWhen we say that in Him there is a procession of love, we show that God produced creatures not because He needed them, nor because of any other extrinsic reason, but on account of the love of His own goodness.John 4:16 NIVGod is love.Genesis 1:27 NIVSo God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 2. Created in God's ImageBruce WatkeA human being is... made like God so that God can communicate himself to people. He gave people ears to show that he hears the cry of the afflicted and eyes to show that he sees the plight of the pitiful.God created us in such a way that we would be a Reflection of Him to all creation—including ourselves.Emil BrunnerThe most powerful of all spiritual forces is man's view of himself, the way in which he understands his nature and his destiny, indeed it is the force which determines all the others which influence human life.God has created us to be stewards of the Mundane, reflecting Light and Purpose into the Dark and Chaos.Genesis 2:4 NIVThis is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.Brevard Childs"What is clear in Genesis 1 is that creation is understood, not as a self-contained autonomous act, but in closest connection with redemption. The goal of creation was God's dwelling with his people, which was a vision of the future, not a return to the past."Revelation 21:3-4 NIVAnd I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 3. Created for RelationshipGod's pursuit of His people is so intense that He does not rest until we can rest in Him.

WaitJanuary 2, 2022Teacher: Daniel Bunn—Psalm 40:1–5 NIVI waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.Hosea 12:6 NRSVBut as for you, return to your God, hold fast to love and justice and wait continually for your God.Psalm 37:34 NRSVWait for the Lord and keep to his way. And he will exalt you to inherit the land.John 9:24–25 NIVA second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

DecompressDecember 26, 2021 • DecompressTeachers: Adam Barnett, Alison Myers, Dave Brown, and Leanne Benton---/// AdamMatthew 6:25-27, 34 NIV"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.Michel de Montaigne"My life has been filled with terrible misfortune; most of which never happened."---/// AlisonCharlie Chaplin"A day without laughter is a day wasted."Proverbs 17:22 NLT"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a persons strength."Ecclesiastes 3:1;4 NIV"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens... a time to weep and a time to laugh"---/// DAVEThe most important thing in life is to develop a strong relationship with God. All other good things flow out of the fountain of a deep relationship with our Creator.John 14:15-21 NIV"If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."I am in my Father... You are in me... I am in youIf we are not experiencing God's presence in our life, it's because we are not seeking him, not because he can't be found.

The Good News of Christmas is that Christ came to bring hope, joy, love, and peace to all the earth. Adam Barnett, Dave Brown, and Kayla Canfield shared a powerful reading of the Christmas narrative during our Christmas Eve worship.

Good News — God's JoyGood News • Week 4 • December 19, 2021Teacher: Adam Barnett--Luke 2:8-12 NIVAnd there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."Christmas is not normal joy. Christmas is great joy.Luke 2:13-18 NIVSuddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.Joseph BaileyPraise God for Christmas. Praise him for the incarnation, for the Word made flesh. Today, I will sing praise to the Father who stood on heaven's threshold and said farewell to his Son as he stepped across the stars to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. And I will sing praise to the infinite, eternal Son, who became most finite, a baby who would one day be executed for my crime. Praise him in the heavens. Praise him in the stable. Praise him in my heart.

Everything – Love = NothingGood News • Week 3 • December 12, 2021Teacher: Leanne Benton--Mark 12:30-31"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself."John 13:34"A new command I give to you: Love one another."John 13:35 NIV"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."1 John 4:7-8"Whoever loves has been born of God and knows God." "Whoever does not love does not know God... for God is love."1 Peter 4:8"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.1 Corinthians 14:1"Make love your aim."1 Timothy 1:5"The goal of our instruction is love."1 Corinthians 13:13"And now these three remain; faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."1 Corinthians 16:14"Do everything in love."1 Corinthians 13:1-3"And now, I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all that I possess to the poor and give over my body to the flames but do not have love, I gain nothing.Everything-Love= NothingJohn 3:16"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.""I pray that you..."Matthew 5:44"Love your enemies."1 John 14:19"We love because He first loved us."Dallas Willard"We must understand that God does not 'love' us without liking us... Out of eternal freshness of His perpetually self-renewed being, the heavenly Father cherishes the earth and each human being upon it. The fondness, the endearment, the affectionate regard of God toward all his creatures is the natural outflow of what He is to the core- which we mainly try to capture with our tired but indispensable old word love."Jamie Austin"God loves you, and there's nothing you can do about it."Martin LutherNow we have received from God nothing but love and favor, for Christ has pledged and given us his righteousness and everything he has; he has poured out upon us all his treasures, which no person can measure and no angel can understand or fathom, for God is a glowing furnace of love, reaching even from the earth to the heaven.Jesus wouldn't cancel anyoneJohn Ortberg"No one who succeeds in love fails at life. And no one who fails at love succeeds in life."1 Corinthians 13:12-13"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

God's PeaceGood News • December 5, 2021Teacher: Adam Barnett--Luke 1:26-28 NIVIn the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."So why the Virgin Birth?1. It highlights the supernatural2. It reveals that redemption must come from God, not humanity3. It put God's initiative on display.4. It hints at the nature of Jesus being both fully human and fully divineLuke 2:8-14 NIVAnd there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.""And on earth peace"Peace is not the absence of conflict. Instead...Peace is the result of presence!Luke 2:14 NIV"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."1. The Glory of God2. The Salvation of HumanityRichard Thomas France"Our sin has put hostility and wrath between us and God, and a mere ceasefire will never suffice. We are not meant to live under the cloud of an uneasy standoff with God based on self-righteousness or sheep grace. Instead, Jesus became incarnate, died, and rose so that believers might be adopted into God's own family and eat at the table with him in unbroken fellowship forever!"3. The Holy Spirit

Arrival of HopeGood News • November 28, 2021Teacher: Dave Brown--Luke 2:10 NIVBut the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."Advent means arrivalIsaiah 7:14 NIV"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV"For to us a child is born, To us a child is given, And the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, Establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever."Webster Dictionary: "to cherish a desire with anticipation""to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment"Timothy Keller"You and I are unavoidably and irreducibly hope based creatures. How we live now is controlled by what we think will happen later by our understanding of our future state."Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 NIVI said to myself, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. "Laughter," I said, "is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?" I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem as well—the delights of a man's heart. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.C.S. Lewis"Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water...If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy [my desire], that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or to be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage."Because of Jesus' birth, there is hope for a ruined humanity, a hope of forgiveness, a hope of peace with God, and a hope of future glory.There's purpose in our past because God intends to use our past for his glory!Acts 1:11 NIV"This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

Future LeadersStudent Sunday • November 21, 2021Teacher: Wopsle--The call to being a disciple is a call to making disciplesJohn MaxwellThe best leaders lead today with tomorrow in mind by making sure they invest in leaders who will carry their legacy forward. 1. We should celebrate the faith of the next generation2 Timothy 1:5 NIVI am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.2. We should encourage the gifting of the next generation2 Timothy 1:6-7 NIVFor this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.3. We should include the next generation in our testimony2 Timothy 1:8-9 NIVSo do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 4. We should pursue Jesus as an example to the next generation2 Timothy 1:13-14 NIVWhat you have heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

The Armor of GodNovember 14 2021 • Ephesians • Week 6Teacher: Adam Barnett---Ephesians 6:10-18 AMPIn conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God’s people.Ephesians 6:10 NIVFinally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power."Power" in Eph 1:19 is δυνάμις (dynameōs)- "dynamite""God exerted" his power in Eph 1:20 is ενεργεω (enērgēken) – energy."Power" in Ephesians 6:10 is ἰσχύος(ischyos) – power, might, and forcefulness.God's power is a mighty, energetic, active, dynamic force that is unparalleled and unrivaled!Ephesians 6:11-13 NIVPut on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.You are in a spiritual war, and a spiritual war requires spiritual weapons.Ephesians 6:14-17 NIVStand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.1. The Belt of Truth2. The Breastplate of Righteousness3. Sandals made of the Gospel of Peace4. The Shield of Faith5. The Helmet of Salvation6. The Sword of the SpiritEphesians 6:18 NIVAnd pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.Ephesians 6:21-24 NIVTychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

Mutual Submission in ChristNovember 7 2021 • Ephesians • Week 5Teacher: Dave Brown---Ephesians 5:21-23 NIVSubmit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.Ephesians 5:21 NIV Ephesians 5:22, 25 NLT"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord... For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church."1. Husbands2. Wives3. The ChurchOur wives are the daughters of the most high King.To love our wives like Christ loved the church means to sacrifice ourselves in such a way that enables them to be everything that God created them to be.1 Peter 2:21-3:2 NIVTo this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed." For "you were like sheep going astray," but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.Wives, in the same way submit...A better example of marital submission is our submission to Christ's headship.In the context of marriage, submission is not about dominance. It's about love and respect.1. Headship2. Submission3. FreedomEphesians 1:22 NIV"And God placed all things under [Jesus'] feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."When I submit to Christ as the head of the body, I can live into the absolute fullness of who God has created me to be.When a husband loves his wife like Christ loved the church, he enables her to live into the absolute fullness of who God has created her to be.

A Unified BodyOctober 31 2021 • Ephesians • Week 4Teacher: Adam Barnett---1. A local congregation2. Members of neighboring churches3. Believers around the worldEphesians 4:1 ESVI therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,Ephesians 4:2 ESVwith all humility...Ephesians 4:2 ESVwith all humility and gentleness...Ephesians 4:2 ESVwith all humility and gentleness, with patience...Ephesians 4:2 ESVwith all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,Ephesians 4:3 ESVeager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

An Uncovered MysteryOctober 24 2021 • Ephesians • Week 3Teacher: Adam Barnett---Ephesians 3:6 NIVThis mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.Galatians 3:28 NIVThere is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 3:14-19 NIVFor this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 1. Strength in the Inner Man2 Corinthians 4:11 NIVTherefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2. The Indwelling ChristRobert Munger"The Christian life is like a house through which Jesus goes from room to room. In the library, which is the mind, Jesus finds trash and all sorts of worthless things, which he throws out and replaces with His word. In the dining room of the appetite, he finds many sinful desires listed on a worldly menu. In the place of such things as prestige, lust, and materialism, he puts humility, meekness, love, and all other virtues for which believers are to hunger and thirst. He goes into the closet, where hidden sins are kept, and so on through the entire house. Only when he had cleaned every room, closet, and corner of sin and foolishness could Christ settle down and be at home. To have Christ dwell in our hearts through faith means he is at home in every corner of our lives." 3. The Boundless Dimensions of Christ's Love 4. The Fullness of GodEphesians 3:20-21 NIVNow to him who is able to do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Unity by GraceOctober 17 2021 • Ephesians • Week 2Teacher: Dave Brown---1 Sin2 Temptation3 SalvationEphesians 2:1-10 NIVAs for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:1 NIVAs for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.Sin is anytime we rebel against God in our thoughts, in our desires, in our words, or in our actions.The ways of this WorldThe Ruler of the Kingdom of the AirThe Cravings of Our FleshC.S. LewisIt does not matter how small the sins are, provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing...Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one– the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.The result of sin is disunity with God and disunity with others.Disunity with God = DeathJ.I. PackerWe are not sinners because we sin, but rather we sin because we are sinners, born with a nature enslaved to sin.Ephesians 2:4-5aBut because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.ἀγάπη—agapēEphesians 2:8-9 NIVFor it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith— and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works so that no one can boast.Mercy is the withholding of rightful punishmentGrace is the giving of something that we do not deserveWe have a new identityποίημα - pŏiēmaWe have a new purpose

Prayer of EnlightenmentOctober 10 2021 • Ephesians • Week 1Teacher: Adam Barnett---Acts 19:25-27 NIV"Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that manmade gods are no gods at all. There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshipped throughout the whole province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty."1. The Greatness of God2. The Exalted Christ3. Salvation4. The Status of Believers5. Unity of Jew and Gentile6. Struggle with Evil7. Ethical Obligation of Believers8. Ministry to the Gentiles9. The ChurchD.M. Lloyd Jones"Ephesians is the distilled essence of the Christian religion, the most authoritative and most supreme compilation of our holy Christian faith."Klyne Snodgrass"One of the divinest compositions of man, the Bach of the Bible, the Switzerland of the New Testament, and the crown and climax of Pauline theology."James Dunn"If theology is measured in terms of articulation of Christian belief, then Paul's letters laid a foundation for Christian theology which has never been rivaled or superseded. It is important, therefore, for each generation to reflect afresh on Paul's theology."Ephesians 1:15-23 NIVFor this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.1. Enlightenment to know the hope to which we are called.2. Enlightenment to know riches of his glorious inheritance.3. Enlightenment to know his incomparably great power.

5 Minutes/5 QuestionsOctober 3 2021 • The Bible • Week 4Teacher: Dave Brown---1. How can we really trust what the Bible says?Psalm 1:1-2 NIVBlessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.Reading the Bible because it says so only works if we already believe it has authority. 2. Are the modern or contemporary translations trustworthy?The Old Testament was written primarily in HebrewThe New Testament was written in Greek 3. Do we read all scripture the same way?2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIVAll Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.Scripture is either descriptive or prescriptive.Narrative | Poetry | Letter | Prophecy 4. How do we apply scripture to our daily lives?Author's ContextOur ContextPartner with the Holy Spirit to bridge the gap 5. What's the deal with the end times?Matthew 24:36 ESVBut concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

Doctrine 101September 26 2021 • The Bible • Week 3Teacher: Adam Barnett---Doctrine is a set of ideas or beliefs that are taught or believed to be true.Biblical doctrine refers to teachings that align with the revealed Word of God — the Bible.False doctrine is any idea that adds to, takes away from, contradicts, or nullifies biblical doctrine. 2 Timothy 1:13 NIV"What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus." ὑγιαίνω (hoo-gee-ah-ee-no)ὑγιαίνω = to be healthy "We confess God's word, the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, as the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct." 1) The Holy Spirit1 Corinthians 2:12 NIVNow we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given to us by God. John 16:13 NIV"But when he, the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth." 2) Rigorous Study of Scripture3) Communal Discernment

The Old in The NewSeptember 19 2021 • The Bible • Week 2Teacher: Dave Brown---New Testament authors used QuotationsNew Testament authors used AllusionsNew Testament authors developed Themes New Testament authors quoted the Old Testament Revelation 1:7 NIV"Look, he is coming with the clouds," and "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him"; and all peoples on earth "will mourn because of him." So shall it be! Amen.Daniel 7:13-14 NIV"in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.New Testament authors alluded to the Old TestamentRevelation 1:12-16 NIVAnd when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."Daniel 7:9-10 NIV"As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened. New Testament authors developed themes from the Old Testament Son of Man It was not God + Messiah, it was God = Messiah God has been up to the same thing since the very beginning- unveiling a divine rescue plan. Progressive Revelation is the revealing of God's redemptive plan over the course of time.

Is the Bible True & Authoritative?September 5 2021 • The Bible • Week 1Teacher: Adam Barnett---Caroline Westerhoff"Our danger lies in questioning too little rather than too much. After all, our questions can be the voice of God."We affirm the centrality of the word of GodWe (the covenant church) confess God's Word, the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, as the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct."Phillip Spainer"Thought should be given to a more extensive use of the word of God. We know that by nature, we have no good in us. If there is to be any good in us, it must be brought about by God. To this end, the word of God is the powerful means, since faith must be awakened through the gospel. Therefore, the more at home the word of God is among us, the more we shall bring about faith and its fruits."- Phillip Spainer2 Timothy 3:16 KJVAll scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.5,800 manuscripts | 450 pages in length | 2.6 million pages of text | 100's of witnesses | 99.5% pureCongratulations, you have won 10 million dollars!C0ngr@tulations, you h@ve just won 10 milli0n doll@r$!

Kingdom PersistenceSeptember 5, 2021Teacher: Daniel Bunn---Mark 4:30-32 NIVAgain he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade."Do not despise small beginnings.Mark 4:11-12 NIVThe secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!

Step OutAugust 29, 2021 • Steps • Week 2Teacher: Dave Brown & Wopsle---/// DAVE Redeemer exists to see Christ exalted in our church, community and world.So what exactly is a disciple?A disciple is anyone committed to pursuing Christ and Christ’s priorities in the world.If I simply attempt to just add Christ to my current life, I will fail miserably as a disciple.So what type of lifestyle are we committing to as disciples of Jesus?Acts 2:42-45 NIV They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.Christian EducationFellowshipMissionSo how important is discipleship?Matthew 28:19-20 NIV Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.The mission of the church has always been to make disciples that make disciples.---/// WOPSLEEzekiel 47:2-5 NIV He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side. As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross.---/// DAVEDiscipleship is an individual commitment to a new life.You and you alone are in charge of your discipleship journey.Equip ClassesSunday SchoolSmall GroupsMen’s & Women’s MinistriesYoung Adult Ministries