Redeemer Weekend Sermons

Christ Be Exalted!Steps | Week 1 | August 22, 2021Teacher: Adam Barnett/---Vision is seeing where you are going and knowing how to get there. Proverbs 29:18 NIVWhere there is no vision, the people perish.Redeemer Church exists to see Christ exalted in our church, community, and world.Philippians 2:1-11 NIVTherefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy completely being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted himto the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.1. Christ Exalted in our Church2. Christ Exalted in our Community3. Christ Exalted in our WorldRedeemer Church’s Mission is to lead people into the Presence of God, devotion to His Word, authentic fellowship with others, and discovering their ministry. “Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” — Joel BarkerPray | Participate | Serve | Give

Praise the Lord!August 15, 2021 • Psalms • Week 15Teacher: Adam Barnett---γυμναζω Challenge — to train with one’s full effort.Psalm 150:1-6 NIVPraise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.Praise is the crown of the created order.Psalm 150:6 NIVLet everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.How do you prioritize worship in the busyness of life?How has God’s power compelled you to praise?

Search MePsalms • Week 14 • August 8, 2021Teacher: Leanne Benton---Psalm 139:23-24 NIV“Search me, God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”Search MePsalm 139:23a NIV“Search me, God, and know my heart;”Jeremiah 17:9 NLT“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?”Jeremiah 17:9 ESV“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it.”Jeremiah 17:9 NIV“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”It’s one thing to understand that God knows everything about us.It’s another thing to ask Him to bring those things to our attention!“At its core, our heart is all about self—not Christ. It’s about what’s temporary—not eternal. It’s about what’s easy—not what’s right. It’s obsessed with what we want—not what God wants.” // Craig GroeschelThe me I want to be; a me I cannot see.Reveal My FearsPsalm 139:23 NIV“Search me, and know my heart. Test me, and know my anxious thoughts.”“This is what breaks my heart about worry. It makes you miserable in the present moment to try and prevent misery in the future. For chronic worriers, this process leads them to be continually distressed all their lives in order to avoid later events that never happen. Worry sucks the joy out of the ‘here and now’ to prevent an unrealistic ‘then and there.’” // Dr. Lucas LaFreniereWhat we fear the most often reveals where we trust God the least.“God, reveal my fears. Test me, and show me where my anxious thoughts fall.”Uncover My SinsMatthew 7:3–5 NLT“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”We confess to God for forgiveness.We can confess to people for healing.1 John 1:9 NIV“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”James 5:16 NIV“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.”Romans 5:20 NIVWhere sin abounds, grace abounds much more.Romans 5:17 NKJVMuch more will those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”Lead MePsalm 139:24 NIVSee if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”“Show me God what I need to DO to deal with what has been revealed.”James 1:22-24 NLT“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance.”Knowing God’s word is important but knowing without doing is tragic!

My Help Comes From The Lord!August 1, 2021 • Psalms • Week 13Teacher: Adam Barnett---Psalm 121:1–8 NIVI lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.Psalm 121:3 NIVHe will not let your foot slip...Psalm 121:4 NIVHe who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.Psalm 121:5 NIVThe Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand.Psalm 121:6 NIVThe sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.Are you trusting God for help on your journey?Are you trusting God will keep you both now and forevermore?

Grateful Praise to GodJuly 25, 2021 • Psalms • Week 12Teacher: Adam Barnett---A.W. Tozer “God wants worshippers before workers. The only acceptable workers are those who have learned the art of worship.” Worship:To truly know God, and to respond from the heart, with reverence and awe, by treasuring and enjoying God, and being satisfied in Him above all other things.What is your posture before the Lord in worship?ConsumersEvaluatorsSpectatorsParticipants WorshippersPeople who truly know God, and respond from the heart, with reverence and awe, by treasuring and enjoying God, and being satisfied in Him above all other things.Psalm 100 NIV Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.Psalm 100:1–2 NIV Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.Psalm 100:3 NIV Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.If we are made by God, and made for God, then true satisfaction is found in God! John 6:35 NIV “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”Know that the Lord + ___________ is God.Psalm 100:4 NIV Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.Psalm 100:4a MSG “Enter with the password: ‘Thank you!’”Psalm 100:5 NIV For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Essential TrustPsalms • Week 11 • July 18, 2021Teacher: Wopsle---Psalm 91:1-2 NIVWhoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”Our goal is to move from only talking to actually trusting.Psalm 91:9-12 NIVIf you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.Matthew 4:7 NIVJesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”Demanding that God prove himself to you is not just a bad idea, but it’s actually sinful.Psalm 91:14-16 NIV“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”Our love of, trust in, and obedience to God positions us in His shelter.Romans 8:28a NIVAnd we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,

Passion for the PresenceJuly 11, 2021 • Psalms • Week 10Teacher: Dave Brown ---Psalm 84:1-12 NIV How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob. Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.How can I develop this passion for God’s presence?Where can I experience God’s presence?Blessed are those who dwell in God’s house.Psalm 84:1–2 NIV How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.Blessed are those whose strength is in God.Psalm 84:5 NIV Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.The first step in developing a passion for God’s presence is desiring it.Psalm 84:6 NIV As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs.The pilgrimage is the journey from our strength to God’s strength.Psalm 84:7 NIVThey go from strength to strength til each appears before God in Zion.Ryan StevensonIt's okay to cry, it's okay to fall apart.You don't have to try to be strong when you are not.But don't ever fight your tears, because there is freedom in every drop.Sometimes the only way to heal a broken heart is when we fall apart.Blessed are those who trust in God.Yahweh - The Promise DeeperCommander of ArmiesThe Living GodMy KingMy GodGod is a sun in the darkness.God is a shield.God is the Grace GiverGod is the The Glory MakerPsalm 84:2 NIV My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.Although we must develop a passion for God’s presence, he has always had a passion for ours!

Moving Through The Darkness Psalms • Week 9 • July 4, 2021Teacher: Dr. Joe Scruggs---Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths Most do not fully see this truth that life is difficult. Instead they moan more or less incessantly, noisily or subtly, about the enormity of their problems, their burdens, and their difficulties as if life were generally easy, as if life should be easy. — Scott PeckLeviticus 18:1-4 NIV The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘I am the Lord your God. You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices. You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God.There is a great market for religious experience in our world: there is little enthusiasm for the patience acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christians called holiness. — Eugene PetersonGo to God with unfettered honesty and complete openness about your problem and struggles; even your frustrations with God.Psalm 77:1-9 NIV I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered you, God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak. I thought about the former days, the years of long ago; I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired: “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”Develop a much more thorough understanding of the word, **"deserve”. **Accept the mystery.God doesn’t owe us explanations. Don’t put God in a box.Isaiah 40:27-31 NIV “Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;They will run and not grow weary,They will walk and not be faint.”Trust and Obey“Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human looks upon a universe in which every trace of God seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken and still obeys.” — CS LewisKeep praying; even though it's hard. If we are focused on our internal feelings, we’re not focused on God.Psalm 77:10–15 NIV Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider on all your mighty deeds.” Your ways, God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.2 Timothy 4:7 (PHILLIPS)The glorious fight that God gave me I have fought, the course that was set I have finished and I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:8 (PHILLIPS)The future holds for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the true judge will give me in that day and, not of course only to me, but to all those who have loved what they have seen of him.

Create In Me A Pure Heart June 27, 2021 • Psalms • Week 8Teacher: Adam Barnett---We can’t fully comprehend the magnitude of God’s grace until we acknowledge the vulgarity of our sin.Psalm 51:1-4 NIVHave mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.God’s faithfulness is not conditional upon human faithfulness.Psalm 51:5–9 NIVSurely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.Psalm 51:10-12 NIVCreate in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.Repentance (to be aware of and disgusted by sin):“For I know my transgressions. Against you, I have sinned.”Matthew 4:17 NIV“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”Confession (to express remorse and ask for help):“I have done evil in your sight… wash me… cleanse me…”Restoration (to receive transforming grace):“A pure heart… a steadfast spirit… restore me and sustain me.”Declaration (to witness about God's grace):Psalm 51:13 NIVThen, I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.Repentance → Confession → Restoration → DeclarationComfortComplacencyComparisonFatigueIsolationSin is my condition; Saint is my identity.

God is Our RefugePsalms | Week 6June 20, 2021 | Adam Barnett -- Psalm 46 NIV God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.Psalm 46:4-5 NIV There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.The city is safe not because of walls, weapons, or war strategies, but because of God’s Presence.“We sing this psalm to the praise of God, because God is with us, and powerfully and miraculously preserves and defends his church and his word, against all obsessive spirits, against the gates of hell, against the relentless hatred of the devil, and against all the assaults of the world.” — Martin Luther2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV “Do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, let’s fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”2 Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.Psalm 46:10 NIV “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”Text the name JESUS to (918) 376-3438 to let us know!

Wait for the LordPsalms • Week 6 • June 13, 2021Teacher: Dave Brown --- Psalm 27:1-14 NIV The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord. Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations. I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:1 NIV The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?Life is HardSeek God's PresenceHappiness in HardshipWait for the LordPsalm 27:2 NIV When the wicked advance against me...Psalm 27:3 NIV Though an army besiege me...Psalm 27:5 NIV For in the day of trouble...Psalm 27:10 NIV Though my father and mother forsake me...Psalm 27:12b NIV For false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.Genesis 3:17-19 NIV Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”—Declaration of Independence“Happiness, then, is apparently something complete and self-sufficient, since it is the end of the things pursued in action.” —Aristotle“Final and perfect happiness can consist in nothing else than the vision of the Divine Essence.” —AquinasPsalm 27:4 NIV One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.There’s a direct correlation between us gazing on the beauty of the Lord and our ability to experience true happiness.Psalm 27:6 NIV Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.Without the Lord, there is no such thing as true happiness.“Present reality without hope is, to be sure, a false happiness, in fact, and utter misery...[but] If anyone accepts the present life in such a spirit that he uses it with the end in view of that other life on which he has set his heart with all his ardor and for which he hopes with all his confidence, such a man may without absurdity be called happy even now.” —AugustineRevelation 21:3-7 NIV And 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. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.Psalm 27:14 NIV Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Prayer & The ShepherdJune 6, 2021 • Psalms • Week 5Teacher: Bill Clark---Psalm 23 NIV The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.Do I trust God with my life?Is your soul in the process being continually restored?God is radically “other”.Isaiah 45:15 NIV Truly you are a God who hides himself.Take the time to pray.Find the place in your life where you need to be re-created.Speak to God honestly.Talk less and listen more.

Three Looks at Psalm 19May 30, 2021 • Psalms • Week 4Teachers: Kayla Canfield, Mark Cruz, Josiah Barkley---Mark CruzPsalm 19:1–6 NIVThe heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.What do you see?What do you hear?How do we respond?Psalm 19:3–4 NIVThey have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.Kayla CanfieldPsalm 19:7–9 NIVThe law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.Life derived from and ceded back to Yahweh begins in obedience and ends in praise. Obedience is the unavoidable initiating point of praise, and praise is the appropriate culmination of obedience. — Walter BrueggemannObedience ≠ PerfectionPsalm 19:10–11 NIVThey are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.Josiah BarkleyPsalm 19:12-14 NIVBut who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.Psalm 19:12–14 NLTHow can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.God, keep me from consciously choosing things that are so clearly not OF you, and not FOR me.Psalm 19:16 NLTMay the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.Not just in actions, not just in words, but in every thought.Surrender yourselves to God to be his sacred, living sacrifices. And live in holiness, experiencing all that delights his heart. For this becomes your genuine expression of worship. — Dr. Brian Simmons

I Love You, Lord, My Strength Psalms • Week 3May 23, 2021 • Adam Barnett--Psalm 18:4-6 NIV The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. God is our Rock, and we can hide in Him from the storms of life.Psalm 18:2 (The Message)God is a bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. My God – the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout.“One with God is a majority.” — William Carey. Psalm 18:1 NIVI love you, LORD, my strength.Psalm 18:1I am loving you now, and will continue to love you, LORD, my strength.A Christian is one who seeks and finds God, yet continues to pursue Him.We taste Thee, O Living Bread, and long to feast upon Thee still; We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead, and thirst our souls for Thee to fill. — St. BernardThe love of feeling.The love of willing."The will is the automatic pilot that keeps the soul on course." — A.W. TozerPsalm 18:4-6 NIV The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

Psalm 8 Psalms • Week 2May 16, 2021 • Dave Brown--Psalm 8 NIV Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When 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. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!To Know our PlaceTo Know our Savior To Know How to Worship31% of Oklahomans report signs of clinical anxiety and depressionThat's 1.25 million people in our state.We are a pride based and a shame based culture.We are constantly doing one of two things:Elevating ourselves as God or Thinking of ourselves as nothingPsalm 8:5 NIVYou have made them a little lower than the angels.ποίημα = masterpiecePsalm 8:2 NIV Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.Matthew 21:14-16 NIV The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, ‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?”We must praise God with our lips and with our lives.Psalm 8:1,9 NIV “LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”“Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name...”Christ is either our Savior and Lord or He’s nothing to us at all.Both sin and busyness have the exact same effect—they cut off your connection to God, to other people, and even to your own soul.—John Mark Comer

Introduction & Psalm 1Psalms • Week 1May 9, 2021 • Adam Barnett -- Steven Lawson “The Psalms have been a bedrock of comfort and a tower of strength for believers in every experience of life. From the soul-stirring heights of praise to the heart-rending depths of despair, the full range of human emotion is captured in these magnificent anthems.” The γυμναζω Challengeγυμναζω is to train with one’s full effort.Psalm 1:1-6 NIV Blessed 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. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.The godly do not WALK in the counsel of the wicked. The godly do not STAND in the way of sinners.The godly do not SIT in the company of mockers.Psalms 1:2-3 NIVbut whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.Psalms 1:4-5 NIV Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.Just start somewhere and with someone.

Our Responsibility to the PoorLet Justice Roll Down | Week 4May 2, 2021 | Adam Barnett ---Multidimensional Poverty: poor health, lack of health care, lack of education, unsafe living standards, limited access to food, poor quality of work, disempowerment, and the threat of violence.“God is going to rewrite the narrative of the forgotten zip code, and it is going to become the favored zip code.” —Amy WopsleGalatians 2:1-2, 8-10 NIV Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain.For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.Prayer → Perspective → Sacrificial Giving → Time → Advocacy

Community of EqualityLet Justice Roll Down • Week 3April 25, 2021Guest Preacher:Josef Rasheed, Senior Pastor of CrossRoads Covenant Church---Revelation 7:9-10 NIVAfter this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”The community has an Equality of Location. (v. 9)The community has an Equality of Level. (v. 9b)The community has an Equality of Love. (v. 10)Salvation belongs to OUR GOD who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.Equality doesn’t start in heaven, it starts on earth . . . with US.This is the Community of Equality God intended.

The Orphan & The WidowLet Justice Roll Down | Week 2April 18, 2021 | Adam Barnett—To do justice is to make things right in relationships, communities, and creation. James 1:27 NIVReligion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.James 1:27 AMPPure and unblemished religion [as it is expressed in outward acts] in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit and look after the fatherless and the widows in their distress, and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the [secular] world.Matthew 23:23 NIV"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. Exodus 22:22-24 NIVDo not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.

What The Lord RequiresLet Justice Roll Down | Week 1April 11, 2021 | Dave Brown--Micah 6:6-8 NIVWith what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.Micah 2:1-2 NIVWoe to those who plan iniquity, To those who plot evil on their beds! They covet fields and seize them, And houses, and take them. They defraud people of their homes, They rob them of their inheritanceMicah 3:9-11 NIVHear this, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel, sho despise justice and distort all that is right; who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money.Lexham Theological WordbookThis term can be used to describe the characteristic that governing authorities, kings, or judges should exhibit. Earthly authorities must conduct themselves with integrity and ensure that justice is carried out in accordance with Yahweh’s standards.Micah 2:3 NIV“I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly for it will be a time of calamity.”Micah 3:12 NIVTherefore because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets.What God really wants is for us to: Act Justly, to Love Mercy, and to Walk Humbly with Him.That is because God is just, God is merciful, and God is humble.Scripture is clear, God will not tolerate injustice.Psalm 78:6-8 NIV“So the next generation would know them, Even the children yet to be born, And they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God And would not forget his deeds But would keep his commands. They would not be like their ancestors—A stubborn and rebellious generation, Whose hearts were not loyal to God, Whose spirits were not faithful to him.”As we embrace humility, we learn to love mercy.We have to go out and do our research. It is not the job of the disenfranchised to educate us.

The Resurrection & The Life I Am | Week 5April 4, 2021 | Adam Barnett--John 11:3 NIV Lord, the one you love is sick.John 11:21-26 NIV “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”John 11:25 NIV “I am the resurrection and the life.”Bob Goff – “Darkness fell, His friends scattered, hope seemed lost, but heaven just started counting to three.” Mark 16:1-6 NIV When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.Philippians 2:9 NIV God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name.Your past can be forgiven, your present struggle can be endured, and your future can be secured. “My King” (S.M. Lockridge, 1976) Do you believe this?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. Thank you for being with me here now, and for all of eternity. Through the name of Jesus, my Lord, I pray. Amen. If you prayed that prayer for the first time today, please let us know so we can celebrate with you. Text the name JESUS to (918) 376-3438.

The Good ShepherdI Am | Week 4March 28, 2021 | Dave Brown -- John 10:11-18 NIV “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”We are sheep.Jesus is the Good Shepherd.Sheep know their Shepherd.You’ve never heard of a wild sheep before; that’s because sheep without a shepherd die.We need a good shepherd or we’ll die too.John 10:11 NIV “I am the good shepherd.”Psalm 23:1 NIV"The LORD is my shepherd.”C.S. Lewis “I 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. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”A Good Shepherd: Guides, Provides, Protects, and CorrectsThe Good Shepherd Guides UsJohn 6:37,39 NIV "All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever come to me I will never drive away...And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.”The Good Shepherd Provides For UsJohn 6:35 NIV “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”The Good Shepherd Protects UsJohn 10:11 NIV “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”The Good Shepherd Corrects UsPsalm 23:4 NIV Your rod and your staff comforts me.I’d rather limp into heaven, than run into hell. John 10:14 NIV I know my sheep and my sheep know me.

The DoorI Am | Week 3March 21, 2021 | Wopsle -- John 10:1-5 ESV Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” John 10:6 ESV This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.John 10:7,8 ESVSo Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. =John 10:9,10 ESV I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. John 10:10 ESV The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The VineI Am | Week 2March 14, 2021 | Leanne Benton -- John 15:1-8 NIV “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.I Am the Vine!We are the branches!Rebecca LyonsThis tethering becomes our provision, meaning all the nutrients of heaven are offered to us right now, to renew us and bring us back to life. Everything the vine possesses belongs to the branch.The nature of the branch is to cling to something.Abide!Fruit: the reproduction of the character of Christ in us, being formed into the image of Christ.2 Corinthian 3:18 HCSBWe all...beholding as in a mirror the glory of God are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory...Galatians 5:22-23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.Dallas WillardWhat is the central message of the church? What did Jesus preach? Not just the Kingdom of God but the availability of the Kingdom of God to everyone wherever they are. God in action is the same thing as grace and Christians burn grace like a 747 burns fuel on takeoff.Colossians 1:6 NIVIn the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.John 15:2 NIV He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.Pruning is not punishment!Dr. Yonggi ChoI read (the Bible). I pray. And then I obey.I’m just the branch. I’m connected to the Vine. I’ve learned to abide.John 15:7–8 NIV If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear MUCH fruit and so prove to be My disciples.Movements Start: Founder Knows Jesus DeeplyMovements Die: Followers Know Only FounderJohn 15:5 NIV ...apart from me, you can do nothing.Reflection QuestionsHow is your spiritual life going?What is nourishing your soul?Do you need to be lifted up out of the dirt of life?Are there areas where you need the pruning power of the vinedresser?

The Light of the WorldI Am | Week 1March 7, 2021 | Adam Barnett--John 7:37-38 NIV On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 8:12 NIV “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”1 John 1:5 AMP This is the message [of God’s promised revelation] which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection].John 8:12 is an exclusive claim. I am the light of the world.John 8:12 is an inclusive claim. I am the light of the world.John 8:12 is a missional claim. I am the light of the world.John 8:12 is an existential claim. Whoever follows me...will have the light of life. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness.

True FellowshipOne More Step | Week 4February 28, 2021 | Dave Brown--Acts 2:42-47 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. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.Five Crucial Questions About Fellowship: What is fellowship?With whom do we share fellowship? What guides our fellowship?What empowers our fellowship?What should happen when we fellowship?Tertulian“It is mainly the deeds of a love so noble that lead many to put a brand upon us. See how they love one another, they say, for they themselves are animated by mutual hatred; how they are ready even to die for one another, they say, for they themselves will sooner put to death.”Fellowship is not about fulfilling our personal need for friendship; rather it’s about our responsibility for developing a compelling Christian community.1 Corinthians 10:16-17 NIV “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.”When we think of fellowship, we must necessarily think of unity, unity with Jesus Christ and unity with the body of Christ.Irenaeus“This preaching...and this faith...the church, although scattered in the whole world, diligently guards as if it lives in one house, and believes...as if it had one mind and the same heart, and preaches and teaches and hands on these things harmoniously, as if it had one mouth. And although there are different languages in the world, the force of the tradition is one and the same.”1 John 1:3 NIV “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”We cannot have true fellowship without complete submission to God’s Word.Fellowship is inherently missional.

Mission CommandedOne More Step | Week 3February 21, 2021 | Adam Barnett--Not Acts 1:8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth…should you choose to accept it.To follow Jesus is to participate in His mission.2 Corinthians 5:18-20 NLTAnd all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”Lesslie Newbiggin“If the Gospel is the story of the astonishing act of God himself in coming down to be a part of our alienated world, to endure the full horror of our rebellion against love, to take the whole burden of our guilt and shame, and to lift us up into communion and fellowship with himself, breaking into a self-centered search for our own happiness, shifting the center from the self and its desire onto God and his glory...Then the Perversion of the Gospel...is when Christians turn the Good News into something they could possess for themselves; privatizing this mighty work of grace, and talking as if the whole cosmic drama of salvation culminated in the question: ‘How can only I be saved?’”--More from this series | Watch Message Video

Three Types of Reconciliation One More Step | Week 2February 14, 2021Mark Cruz, Daniel Bunn, and Dave Brown Mark Cruz on Racial ReconciliationWhat is your next step?the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.…the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.John 17:21 NLTI pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.Pastor Tony EvansThe goal isn’t just about repenting from the sin of racism, but it’s geared towards developing authentic friendships with different races and cultures than our own. Once we repent from the sin of racism, develop relationships across racial lines, then in unity, we can serve our communities. The church is supposed to be the salt and light of our neighborhoods regardless of the racial demographic.ListenJames 1:19 NIVUnderstand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.LearnPsalm 25:5 NIVLead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.LeverageEphesians 5:15-16 NIVSo be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.The Heart of God is Unity Daniel Bunn on Familial ReconciliationPhilippians 2:1-4 NIVTherefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Dave Brown on Spiritual ReconciliationWhat did the sons do?How did the father respond?Luke 15:20 NIVBut while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.Luke 15:31-32 NIVMy son...You are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again. he was lost and is found.Tim KellerTo ask this while the father still lived was the same as to wish him dead. The younger son was essentially saying that he wants his father’s things, but not his father.Tim KellerThey both were using the father for their own self-centered ends rather than loving, enjoying, and serving him for his own sake. This means that you can rebel against God and be alienated from him either by breaking his rules or by keeping all of them diligently.

Deliberate Abstinence One More Step | Week 1February 7, 2021| Adam Barnett--“The stomach, in many ways, is like a spoiled child, and a spoiled child does not need indulgence, but needs discipline.”// Richard FosterFasting is the deliberate abstinence from physical gratification for a greater spiritual goal.Isaiah 58:6-11 NIV“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.We fast to loose the bonds of injustice.We fast to turn from our sin.We fast as a plea for God to move.We fast as an expression of grief.We fast as a proclamation of hope.If you’re not feeling it, you’re not fasting it.Holy Spirit, reveal to me if something controls me.

God SpeaksHouse of Prayer | Week 5January 31, 2021 | Dave Brown--God speaks to us Powerfully, Softly, and BiblicallyGod Speaks PowerfullyExodus 3:1-4 NIVNow Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”God speaks powerfully to engage us in His mission.God Speaks Softly1 Kings 19:11-13 NIVThe Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”God speaks softly to give us personalized guidance.God Speaks Biblically2 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.Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs.// DALLAS WILLARDGod speaks biblically to engage us in a relationship with Him.

Unanswered Prayers House of Prayer | Week 4January 24, 2021 | Adam Barnett--Wow!Sorry!Thanks!Please!Yes!Amen!Philippians 4:6 NIVDo not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God.Matthew 21:22 ESVWhatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.John 14:13 ESVWhatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.Our prayers are hindered when we neglect the poor.Proverbs 21:13 NIVIf a man shuts his ears to the cries of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.Our prayers are hindered when we have selfish motives.James 4:3 NIVWhen you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your own pleasures.Our prayers are hindered when we hold grudges.Mark 11:25 NIVAnd when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins.Our prayers are hindered when we are unkind to our wives.1 Peter 3:7 NIVHusbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect...so that nothing will hinder your prayers.Our prayers are hindered when we are disobedient.1 John 3:21-22 NIVDear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.Our prayers are hindered when we don’t seek God’s will over our own.1 John 5:14 NIVThis is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us.If you have prayed for ____ and it hasn’t happened, God is not punishing you.Philippians 4:6 NIVDo not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God.Philippians 4:7 NIVAnd the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus.

Devoted to Prayer House of Prayer | Week 3January 17, 2021 | Adam Barnett--“The Church will win the world for Christ when—and only when—her people are fully immersed in prayer.” // Evelyn UnderhillRomans 12:12 ESVRejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.“Prayer is more than self-stimulation. It is not a method of creating a positive mental attitude in ourselves. Rather, prayer is in large part a matter of creating in ourselves a right attitude with respect to God’s will. Jesus taught us persistence in prayer: keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. Persistent prayer makes it apparent that our petition is important to us, as it is to God.” // Millard Erickson“I persist; I persevere in; I continue steadfast in; I wait upon.”1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESVPray without ceasing.“It is not in the moving of the lips, but in the elevation of the heart to God, that the essence of prayer consists.” // J.B. LightfootHow long should I pray, what time of the day, and what do I say?Wow!Sorry!Thanks!Please!Yes!Amen!

Billy Graham Sermon on Trusting In God--Teach Us To Pray House of Prayer | Week 2January 10, 2021 | Garth Bolinder--Luke 11:1-4 NLTOnce Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Jesus said, “This is how you should pray: "Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. Give us each day the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation.”Matthew 6:9-13 NLTPray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.The Lord's Prayer is a pattern for prayer and a pathway for life.God is Personal (Matthew 6:9)God has a Plan (Matthew 6:10)God Provides (Matthew 6:11)God Pardons (Matthew 6:12)God Protects (Matthew 6:13)God is worthy to be praisedOur Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.

The Inclusivity of God’s House House of Prayer | Week 1January 3, 2021 | Adam Barnett---Be faithful to the mission, but flexible with the methods.PrayerFastingReconciliationMissionFellowshipIsaiah 56:1–2 ESVThus says the Lord: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”Isaiah 56:6–8 ESV“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.”God’s love is not exclusive.Redeemer Church is a HOUSE of PRAYER, and all are invited!

God Was ThereDecember 27, 2020 | Wopsle -- Ruth 1:1 NIVIn the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.Ruth 1:14-18 NIVAt this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.Ruth 1:19-21 NIVSo the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” “Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.”Ruth 1:22 NIVSo Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

Assurance of PeaceGod WITH Us | Week 4December 20, 2020 | Adam Barnett--Luke 2:8–15 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.” 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.”Luke 2:14 NIV"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”εἰρήνη — God’s gift of wholeness and peace of mindPeace is found in the assurance of Jesus’ abiding presence.John 14:1 NIV“Do not let your hearts be troubled.”John 14:27 NIVPeace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. Luke 2:11 NIVToday in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Unwarranted Love God WITH Us | Week 3December 13, 2020 | Wopsle--Luke 7:36-37 NIVWhen one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.Luke 7:38 NIVAs she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.Luke 7:41-43 NIV“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”Luke 7:47 NIVTherefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.We think that we are unlovable.We think our bad deeds outnumber our good deeds.

Mandatory JoyGod WITH Us | Week 2December 6, 2020 | Adam Barnett--Psalm 98:1–9 ESV Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.The foundation of our joy is in the story of Christmas, and in the promise of Christ’s return.Joy is the deep settled conviction that God is for us.C.S. Lewis //“Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with things of this world, when infinite joy is offered to us. Like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by an offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”For the Christian, joy is mandatory.

HopeGod With Us | Week 1November 29, 2020 | Dave Brown--Advent is a season of expectation, hope, and preparation.Genesis 3:11-24 NIVAnd he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?" The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.The Human ConditionGenesis 1:26-27 NIV "Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness...So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created it; male and female he created them.Sin Deeply Perverts the MindWe Have Hope in JesusRomans 8:33-39 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. Who 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.If you believe in Jesus, then He has restored you back into the perfect image of God.We Must Prepare Our HeartsRevelation 22:12-14 NIV“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.Have HumilityBuild a Stronger RelationshipGet involved in God’s Mission

CalledStudent SundayNovember 22, 2020 | Wopsle--Matthew 10:1,8 NIVJesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.Matthew 10:40 NIVAnyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.The Call for Jesus’ DisciplesConnect people to God.Matthew 10:41 NIVWhoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.Be a blessing.Matthew 10:42 NIVAnd if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”Think Small.Matthew 28:16-20 NIVThen the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

WorSHIP: More Than A SongShips | Week 4November 15, 2020 | Leanne Benton--"Two currents of life that meet, one proceeding from the transcendent reality, the other flowing from the religious life of the subject; one descending, the other ascending." // EVELYN UNDERHILLWe are designed for a transcendent relationship with God to fill in the gaps of our human existence! Romans 1:25 NLT They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.Acts 17:22–25 NLT I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need.Worship overflows into our daily lives out of an awareness of God and relationship with Him! "Worship is the believer's response of all that we are – mind, emotions, will, body – to what God is and says and does." // WARREN WIERSBE"...conscious, human awareness of the presence and purpose of God.” // FINNMARK BRENNERBethel: house of GodJohn 4:23-24 MSG It’s who you are and the way you live that counts before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is looking for; those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship."Many Samaritans did come to believe! Some (scholars) consider the woman at the well the first missionary… words can set you free!" // ALISON MYERS"Once Jesus read her soul, the process of transformation began. She was free to witness, and then worship in Spirit and Truth." // MARILYNDA LYNCHWorship unifies us as followers of Christ! "We are not all in the same boat, but we are all in the same storm.” // BILL GAITHER "The story of the Bible isn’t primarily about the desire of people to be with God. It’s about the desire of God to be with people." // JOHN ORTBERGJeremiah 29:13-14 NLT If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you, says the Lord.

FellowSHIP in Prayer Ships | Week 3November 8, 2020 | Daniel Bunn--Fellowship with God through prayer comes through time with God.Psalm 119:164 NIV Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.Fellowship with God through prayer comes through vulnerability with God.Psalm 139:1-6 NIV You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.Psalm 44:20-26 NIVIf we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. Awake, Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself!Do not reject us forever. Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression? We are brought down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love. Fellowship with God through prayer comes through relationship with God.Psalm 103:1–13 NIV Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

CitizenSHIP Ships | Week 2November 1, 2020 | Bill ClarkLeftRightsFairnessGroup RightsDoingRegulationNew IdeasRelativismChangeWhole FoodsRightAuthorityLibertyIndividual RightsBelievingFreedomTraditionsCertaintyStabilityCracker BarrelOne of those is the commandment to love one’s neighbor.Conservative Values: You are welcome here.Liberal Values: You are welcome here.Our political culture is toxic right now and it is making enemies out of people who should be friends.Make an effort to have a good conversation with someone who doesn’t agree with you about politics.Don’t see the “other” as an enemy.Fast from your favorite news channel.Practice the art of empathy.Pray for our country and its leaders, all of them.Take your citizenship seriously—your country needs you.Mark 3:25 NIVA house divided against itself cannot stand.

StewardSHIP Ships | Week 1October 25, 2020 | Bryan Storms--Philippians 4:10-20 NASB But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.Stewardship: The conducting, supervising or responsible managing of something entrusted to one’s care. Philippians 4:14-17 NASB Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.Philippians 4:18 NASB But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.We give as an act of obedience.We give as an act of worship.We give as an exercise in the spiritual gift of generosity.Philippians 4:17 NASB Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.When we give, God’s work is done and treasure in heaven is stored up.Philippians 4:19 NASB And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.When we give, we can rest in contentment through Christ Jesus.ChallengeStart where you are, trust God and take a step forward in your giving journey.Embrace the process: pray about giving, commit to God, and follow through.Level One: Not Currently GivingLevel Two: Give OccasionallyLevel Three: Consistent Giving but Not TithingLevel Four: TitherLevel Five: Radically Generous

I'm AngryLet’s Be Honest | Week 4October 18, 2020 | Adam Barnett--Ephesians 4:26 ESVBe angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.Psalm 4:4 NIVIn your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Righteous Anger is a holy reaction to what makes God angry.1️⃣ Righteous Anger begins with humility.2️⃣ Righteous Anger leads to grief.3️⃣ Righteous Anger seeks redemption.Righteous Anger begins with humility, leads us to grief, and seeks redemption.Sinful Anger begins with ego, leads to rage, and seeks vengeance.When we find ourselves getting angry and when those emotions start to rise up, we should stop and ask ‘What is this big thing that’s so important to me that I get this defensive? Why is my heart moved to feel angry?’ If you ask that question, more often than not, you’ll immediately be embarrassed, because many, many times, the thing you’re defending is your ego, your pride, and your self-esteem.// Tim KellerEphesians 4:26 ESVBe angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger...Ephesians 4:27 ESV...and give no opportunity to the devil.Satan preys on angry hearts.

What to Fear Let’s Be Honest | Week 3October 11, 2020 | Bill Clark--We’re living into a new normal we don’t like and we find it scary.Philippians 4:6 NIVDo not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.Luke 12:4–5 NIVI tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.Fear, respect, and obey the Living God. Fear is a present moment reaction that is appropriate in the face of danger. Imagine you had a direct confrontation with the Living God. There is only one thing to be afraid of—the loss of friendship with God.God just IS and always has been.

Overwhelmed & Exhausted Let’s Be Honest | Week 2October 4, 2020 | Adam Barnett--“There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence… and that is activism and overwork. To be carried away by the multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to violence. The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work and destroys our inner capacity for peace.” // Thomas MertonMark 4:35-37 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. Mark 4:38-41 NIVJesus 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!”When the storm is raging, and Jesus is sleeping, which looks more powerful?1 Release the Idol of ProductivityPsalm 127:2 BSBIn vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat — for He gives sleep to His beloved.2 Learn to Say “No”3 Quit Something4 Fast from ___ for a week.“Abandon your spiritual disciplines for one week. While this may seem like a radical exercise, it may serve to free you from the performance trap, pride in your spiritual works, religious addiction, and the judging of those who do less than you. Use that time to relax and enjoy God. Spend an hour visiting with your neighbor about nothing important. Watch the sun go down. Talk a walk, not for exercise but just to walk and listen to the birds. Sit in silence. Do nothing. Need nothing.”// Richard Foster5 Take a NapMatthew 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.

Nearness of GodLet’s Be Honest | Week 1September 27, 2020 | Bill Clark--Isaiah 40:1–2 NIV“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for. Isaiah 40:6,7 NIV“All men are like grass…the grass withers and the flowers fade.”Isaiah 49:15 NIV“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget I will never forget you!”Isaiah 55:8 NIV“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.”...not by asking what if,but by believing even if.

Human Suffering & Deliverance Faithful God | Week 4September 20, 2020 | Adam Barnett--We are desperate for an enduring sense of safety and security. Psalm 91:1–16 NIV Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him, I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”Matthew 4:6 NIV “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you,” [Psalm 91:11] and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone’” [Psalm 91:12].Jim Elliott //“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Suffering and death serve our joy and glorify our God!Accept God’s invitation to rest.Psalm 91:1 NIV Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.Acknowledge God’s Presence with you.Psalm 91:11 NIV For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.Apply your suffering to serve others. 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 NIV Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. Soul liberation occurs when you replace “what if” with “even if.”

The Blazing Furnace Faithful God | Week 3 September 13, 2020 | Adam Barnett--Daniel 3:7 NIV Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.Daniel 3:9–12 NIV They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”Daniel 3:16–18 NIV Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”But even if God does not...Daniel 3:22–30 NIV The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.“The fact that Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan, identified the fourth being as deity is remarkable, though it is extremely doubtful that he would have had the insight to understand that he was in the presence of the Son of God. Yet, most Bible students do believe that this was a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, who also appeared with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, who feasted with Abraham, who wrestled with Jacob, who spoke to Moses in the burning bush, who appeared to Joshua, who spent the night with Daniel in the lion’s den, and who came to be born in a stable. God manifest in the flesh!”// Donald CampbellIsaiah 43:2 NIV When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.But even if God does not...Soul liberation occurs when you replace what if with even if.