Redeemer Weekend Sermons

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.

Old Testament Faith Faithful God | Week 2 September 6, 2020 | Bill Clark---Genesis 12:1-3 NIVThe Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you." "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse.”Deuteronomy 9:4 NIVThe Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness. No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you.Exodus 34:6 NIVThe Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, is slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.Revelation 5:9-10 NIVAnd they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign over the earth."

Economy of MercyFaithful God | Week 1 September 6, 2020 | Daniel Bunn--Jonah 4:1-3 NIV But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Our Mission John | Week 15 August 23, 2020 | Bill Clark--John 20:10–13 NIVThen the disciples went back to where they were staying.Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”John 20:19–22 NIVOn the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.Peace be with you!Matthew 20:20–23 NIVThen the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.“What is it you want?” he asked.She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”“We can,” they answered.Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”

Jesus’ Kingdom John | Week 14 August 16, 2020 | Daniel Bunn--John 18:33-38 NIV Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”“Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”“What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.My kingdom is not of this world.

Complete Unity John | Week 13 August 9, 2020 | Adam Barnett--John 17:3 NIV Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.1 John 5:11-12 NIV And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.“The disciples were now entrusted with a new task. This involves inward purification. This purification is the work of the Holy Spirit. The very message which they are to proclaim will exercise its sanctifying effect on them. That message is the continuation of his message; their mission in the world is the extension of his mission.” // Frederick BruceJohn 17:20–23 NIV My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.Is unity even possible?John 17:24 NIV Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.John 17:25–26 NIVRighteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.“In this unbelieving world...Jesus goes forward. His disciples, soon to be scattered and shaken, would also go forward, infused with the Holy Spirit, united in loyalty, sure of God’s love in Christ, with a gleam of glory in their hearts, and aware of the unfailing presence of the living Christ among them. In them, and upon us as well, the Lord’s own prayer is being constantly fulfilled.” // R. E. White

The Vine & The BranchJohn | Week 12August 2, 2020 | Adam Barnett--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.John 15:1 NIV I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.John 15:2,6 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. 6 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.John 6:66 NIV From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.John 15:3 NIV You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.John 15:4-5 NIV 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.John 15:7 NIV If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:8 NIV This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.The first step of Christianity is to become Christ’s disciple; and its summit, to be Christ’s disciple.

Servant ChurchesJohn | Week 11July 26, 2020 | Bill Clark--Week 11 Devotional page 91John 13:1-9 NIV It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”John 13:12–17 NIV When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.John 13 | Jesus' picture of the kind of community God wants us to be.Chapter 13–18 | "love" used 31 times.Jesus wasn't just washing feet; he's giving a lesson to his followers.God wants us to become servant churches.

A Contrast of ValuesJohn | Week 10July 19, 2020 | Adam Barnett--John 11:35 NIV Jesus wept. John 11:44 NIV The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”John 11:57 NIV The chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he should report it so that they might arrest him.A Contrast of ValuesJohn 12:1–3 NIV Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.John 12:4–6 NIV But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.John 12:7–8 NIV “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”What is Jesus worth to me?Philippians 3:7–8 NIV But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ

The Shepherd's VoiceJohn | Week 9July 12, 2020 | Bill Clark--John 10:1–6 NIV“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.John 10:6 NIVBut they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.How do we hear to the voice of God?

Testing TruthJohn | Week 8July 5, 2020 | Wopsle--Week 8 Devotional Page 67John 8:12 NIV When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”John 8:31b-32 NIV …Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”Criteria for Testing Truth:CorrectionDoes it make you want to correct other’s mistakes?Or do you want to work on yourself?ConvictionDo you feel condemned because you have areas that need work?Or do you feel FREE to run—to go and sin no more?ChallengingDoes it only confirm what you already feel and believe?Or does it challenging some of your thoughts and behaviors?John 8:58-59 NIV “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.John 9:5 NIV “I am the light of the world.”John 8:6b NIV “Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.”John 9:6 NIV Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. John 9:25 NIV He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

The Forgiven WomanJohn | Week 7June 28, 2020 | Adam Barnett --John 8:2-6a NIVAt dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.John 8:6b-8 NIV But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. John 8:9 NIV At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.John 8:10-11 NIV Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”Forgiveness is the chief gift of the New Testament gospel.Jesus' grace empowers holiness.

Spiritual ThirstJohn | Week 6June 21, 2020 | Bill Clark--John 7:16 NIV My teaching is not my own, it comes from him who sent me.Jesus claimed he was speaking for God, not about him.John 7:37-39 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." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.Everyone has spiritual thirst—they may just not know it.What if there is a God?

Bread of LifeJohn | Week 5June 14, 2020 | Adam Barnett--John 6:14–15 NIVAfter the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.John 6:26–27 NIVI tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.They saw the sign, but they didn’t see what it signified.John 6:30 NIV“What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?"“Show us something, Jesus. Do one of your cool tricks and we will believe in you.”John 6:31 NIVOur forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’John 6:35–40 NIVThen Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 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. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”John 6:43–51 NIV“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”God has designed the entire universe to reveal Jesus!“The Argument from Desire.” C.S. Lewis“Make a meal of me! Enter into me, and I into you, and live forever!”

The Work of JesusJohn | Week 4June 7, 2020 | Daniel BunnJohn 5:1-18 NIV Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.What was the work that Jesus was doing?Jesus performed the work of healingThe central tension of this passage is that Jesus has broken the sabbath and made himself equal with God.The work of overturning unjust systemsFollowing Jesus is not optionalDo we fear, or do we trust?

The Gathering GodJohn | Week 3May 31, 2020 | Bill Clark--John 4:4-26 NIV Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”“I have no husband,” she replied.Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”John 4:10 NIV Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”This is the Gathering God.

Light Brings FreedomJohn | Week 2May 24, 2020 | Wopsle--John 3:19 NIV This is the verdict: Light has come into the world,John 3:19 NIV This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.John 3:20-21 NIV Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.James 5:16 NIV Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.Exposed sin has no power.Freedom is living in the light.What if I don't understand what the light is?———Prayer:Heavenly Father,I believe in the verdict. Light has come into the world! I believe that light came in the form of your Son, Jesus, and He was crucified for my sins, died, and rose from the grave in order to bring me into the light.I know that a great price was paid for me and I receive your love in my heart right now. Please show me how to live a life empowered by the Holy Spirit, living in the light so that my deeds may glorify you.Thank you God. Amen.———If you have made a decision for Christ today, please let us know.

In the Beginning was the WordJohn | Week 1May 17, 2020 | Adam Barnett--John 1:1-5 NIV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.John 1:1 NIV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.When did the story of Jesus begin?Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."John 1:2 NIV He was with God in the beginning.John 1:3 NIV Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.John 1:4-5 NIV In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.Psalm 36:9 NIV “With you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light!”Darkness cannot overcome the light of Christ.John 1:12 NIV Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Enabled to LoveThe Holy Spirit | Week 4May 10, 2020 | Bill Clark--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.Love is a verb, an action; it's something that we do.Galatians 5:13 NIV ...serve one another in love.

Comfort & JoyThe Holy Spirit | Week 3May 3, 2020 | Adam Barnett & Ruben Cenea John 14:1, 16-17, 25-27 AMP Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me.And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you. Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]Links:Mission of Hope, Haiti

Personal Experiences The Holy Spirit | Week 2April 26, 2020 | Adam Barnett, Bill Clark, and Tami Roach

Peace & ComfortThe Holy Spirit | Week 1April 19, 2020 | Adam Barnett--Rejoice in the ResurrectionRemember your BaptismReturn to Habits of Spiritual FormationReflect on the Birth of the ChurchReceive Gifts of the Holy Spirit]\Luke 24:39-43 NIV Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.“Typical encounters with the recently deceased do not issue in claims about an empty tomb, nor do they lead to the founding of a new religion. And they certainly do not typically eat and drink, and they are not seen by crowds of up to 500 people, I’m sure of it.” // Rudolph BultmahnJohn 14:1 AMP Do not let your heart be troubled (afraid, cowardly). Believe [confidently] in God and trust in Him, [have faith, hold on to it, rely on it, keep going and] believe also in Me.John 14:16-17 AMP And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.John 14:25-27 AMP I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you. Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]Is your heart troubled today?Lean into the peace and comfort of the Holy Spirit today.

Jesus is AliveJesus Is | Week 6April 12, 2020 | Bill Clark--John 20:1-18 NIV Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”Jesus said to her, “Mary.”She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them the things that he had said to her.Women were the first witnesses of the empty tomb.Christianity is the only movement that grew after the death of its founder.God has hard-wired us, not just to die, but to have a longing for eternal life.

Jesus is GlorifiedJesus Is | Week 5April 5, 2020 | Adam Barnett--John 12:12-15 NIV The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”John 12:16-19 NIV At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”John 12:20-28 NIV Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”John 12:23 NIV "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”Glorification was accomplished through Jesus’ death on the cross.Glorification is the result of Jesus loving the Father more than His own life.Glorification demands a response from all disciples of Jesus.John 1:12-13 NIVYet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.Prayer of SalvationFather God, I believe with all my heart that Jesus died on the cross for me. I believe He rose from the dead, and that same power makes me a new creation. I renounce my past and ask you to forgive me of my sins. I receive your forgiveness today. I receive new birth in you. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. I long to be with you all of my days here, and for all of eternity. Through the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.If you prayed that prayer today for the first time and accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, please let us know at this form. We would love to connect with you over email or a phone call and celebrate with you!

Jesus is NearJesus Is | Week 4March 29, 2020 | Bill Clark--Matthew 4:1-11 NIVThen Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ”Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.Where is God in all of this?God is all powerful, therefore God can prevent suffering. But God apparently does not always prevent suffering. Therefore, God is either not all powerful or not all loving.// JAMES MARTINWe are not called to be dismissive; we are called to help.Experience the nearness of Jesus.Despite the tragedy of all this, this time is really a strange gift to us.Opportunity to be still.Let the ever near Jesus come to you and surprise you with joy.

The Light of the WorldJesus Is | Week 3March 22, 2020 | Adam Barnett--Jesus is the Light of the World, and darkness cannot overcome it!John 8:12 NIV When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."“I am the light of the world.”“Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”Everything looks different in the light of Christ!Matthew 5:14-16 NIV You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.“When he came, there was no light. When he left, there was no darkness.”

Calming the StormJesus Is | Week 2March 15, 2020 | Bill Clark--Mark 4:35-41 NIV That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”"Don’t you care that we are about to die!""Quiet! Be still!"“They were terrified.” The problem was solved—but they were still terrified.“Who is this?”

Jesus is MoreJesus Is | Week 1March 8, 2020 | Tim Mannin--Mark 6:34-37 NIV When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”John 6:7-11 NIV Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.I’m not looking for big people who can do big things. I’m looking for people who know they are small and surrender to me with all that they have, so that I can use them in the biggest of ways.Matthew 10:7-8 NIV As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.John 6:35 NIV Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.Psalm 107:9 NIV for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.Matthew 19:26 NIV Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”--Links | OKC Community Church

Watch the full Unfinished Recap Video--Treasure in HeavenA Generous Life | Week 3March 1, 2020 | Adam Barnett--Luke 16:13 NIVNo servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.Mammon: riches, possessions, property, or treasure.You cannot serve God, but also trust money to provide your internal peace and security.Mark 10:17 NIVAs Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”Mark 10:18-20 NIV“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”Mark 10:21 NIVJesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”Mark 10:22 NIVAt this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.Mark 10:23-27 NIVJesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them & said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

CaretakingA Generous Life | Week 2February 23, 2020 | Daniel Bunn--Deuteronomy 15:7-11 NIV If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.Generous with our money.Be generous with your money because the church needs money to operate.Be generous with your money because generosity is actually good for you.God does NOT want you to be generous with your money.Implies that what we have is ours.the land that the LORD your God is giving you...Leviticus 25:23 NIV The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers.Psalm 24:1 NIV The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;Everything is the LORD’S. All human wealth depends ultimately on what God has entrusted to us in the immeasurable riches of the earth’s crust.// Christopher WrightEverything comes from God, everything belongs to God.What is the amount that I can give that will be “enough”?Why would we live our lives seeking the minimum amount that we can do? Motivated by love.What is the most I can do?

StewardshipA Generous Life | Week 1February 16, 2020 | Bill Clark--Growth in Giving2015 General Giving | $2,395,3732019 General Giving | $3,638,726Increase of | $1,243,353NW Tulsa GivingFrom Redeemer & Directed Gifts | $617,000Missions Budget Allocation | $65,000 to dateLuke 6:27-38 NIV But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.Love our enemies.Do good to those who hate us.Bless those who curse us.Pray for those who mistreat us. Lend your money without any expectation of return!Luke 6:38 NIV Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.Don’t Settle

God Cares How I Treat Others2020 | Week 6February 9, 2020 | Adam Barnett--God cares how I treat others.Philippians 2:1-2 NIV Therefore 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.So we learn here that our oneness in Christ is based on being encouraged by:Comfort from his love. Fellowship with the Holy Spirit.Tenderness and compassion.We are like-minded.We have the same love.We are one in spirit and purpose.Philippians 2:3 NIV Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,Without exception, I found that every person who was sincerely happy — radiantly alive — was living for the purpose and cause of others. // Abraham MaslowPhilippians 2:4 NIV not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.Our love for others should not just be reactive, but also proactive. We purposely look to sacrifice for others.Philippians 2:5 NIV In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.phroneó: I think; I direct the mind to...

Life Together2020 | Week 5February 2, 2020 | Bill Clark--FellowshipSharing in the life of Christ together; being in community with others who also love Jesus.Philippians 1:3-8 NIVI thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.Philippians 1:4-5 NIV“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now…”Fellowship means praying for one another.A Christian fellowship lives and exists by the intercession of its members for one another, or it collapses. // Dietrich BonhoefferPhilippians 1:5 NIVBecause of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.The happiest Christians are those who serve others.Philippians 1:6 NIVBeing confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.God will ultimately make us complete.Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet.Philippians 1:8 NIVGod can testify how I long for you with the affection of Christ Jesus.-- Further ResourcesLife Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer | Amazon Link

A Revitalized Prayer Life2020 | Week 4January 26, 2020 | Adam Barnett--Disciplined Prayerintentional and planned communion with God (either individually or corporately).Matthew 6:9-13 NIV“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today 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.’Matthew 6:9-13 AMP'Our Father, who is 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 have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment]. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIVPray without ceasing.Spontaneous Prayerunintentional, unplanned prayers that erupt from your heart“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Won’t You Love Your Neighbor?2020 | Week 3January 19, 2020 | Adam Barnett--Matthew 22:36-40 NIV“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”Love God holisticallyLove YourselfLove your NeighborFour Basic Features of Evangelism:Embodied communication (in word, deed and life).Addressing the non-Christian world (to whom we proclaim).The Good News of the kingdom and Jesus Christ (what we proclaim).An approach that is consistent with the nature of the gospel (how we proclaim it).Within the walls of the church (where we proclaim it).John 4:7-9 NIVWhen a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)John 4:10-26 NIVJesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true." “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”Find your Samaria.Practice HOSTIPITALITY: show hospitality where there could be hostility.

Love Yourself2020 | Week 2January 12, 2020 | Daniel Bunn--Love your neighbor as yourself.You cannot love your neighbor properly until you love yourself properly.Who are you?Dove AdDove Spoof AdWho are we in the eyes of God?Exodus 20:1-17 NIV And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."We might love our potential selves, but not our actual selves. Not because of what they have done, and often in spite of what they have done.NOT Behave/Believe → BelongBUT Belong → Behave/BelieveThe only obstacle to success is my own perspective.In God’s eyes, we are loved.