Desert Breeze Community Church: Recent Episodes
Ray Davis
Desert Breeze Community Church exists to provide a place where unchurched people can become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
Partying is rarely associated with the Bible and Christ-followers… but it should be! The Bible’s many references to singing, dancing, celebration, feasts, and festivities depict not only worship but also fun, laughter, and pleasure. The Kingdom of God is a Party – and everyone is invited!
Everyone lives for something. That something is the Lord of your life whether you want to call it that or not. Jesus is the only Lord that forgives you when you fail Him and fulfills you when you follow Him. Any other Lord is terribly unforgiving and ultimately unfulfilling.
What is greatness? What does it mean to live a great life? Besides Jesus, who has been the greatest and most influential person in your life? When you die will people say at your funeral that you were a great person?
There is a life in Christ that all the success in this world can’t give you and all the suffering in this world can’t take from you (John10:10). The only way to experience this life is by believing in Jesus Christ. Belief is truth about the person and work of Jesus entering the head (content), igniting the heart (conviction) and outworking through the hands (commitment). John shows us in his prologue (vv1-18) what it means to believe in Christ by answering three questions:
Unbelief is at the root of all our problems! Whenever you are terribly anxious, angry, or depressed or struggling with pride and/or idolatry it’s because at that moment you’ve forgotten who the God of the Bible is, or you’ve never really known Him. There is nothing more powerful and practical than to know the God of the Bible intimately through His Son Jesus Christ.
The happiest people on this planet are not the wealthiest people but the most generous people. Some are rich and some are poor, but most have a moderate income, and have learned how to find JOY in Generosity.
Philippians 4:10-14 1) Be Connected to God’s People. 2) Be Comfortable with God’s Providence. 3) Be Confident in God’s Presence.
The Apostle Paul has learned to be content in all circumstances. Now it is our turn as Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus Christ to learn how to be content and experience JOY in Discontentment.
Anxiety issues in our modern times are out of control. The key to finding joy (peace) in anxiety is learning how to apply cosmic (eternal) principles to common (temporal) places through spiritual disciplines. You must get good at applying who Christ is and what He has done for you specific to where your heart is most restless.
Perseverance is essential for facing life’s challenges. It is much easier to quit than to persevere but in the long run the costs of quitting are much higher than the costs to persevere. Perseverance is about finishing strong. In this text Paul gives us a formula for finishing strong: Holy Discontent + Holy Ambition = Holy Life that Finishes Strong!
Most people think the Christian message is an invitation to be religious (moralism: get your act together, do good works, obey the 10 commandments, etc.) rather than entering into the most soul satisfying and life liberating relationship you’ll ever know. Paul shows us in this text from his own life that there is a major difference between being religious (works righteousness) and having a relationship with God (faith righteousness).
Deep soul satisfaction can only be found in Christ which will lead to a life of Sacrifice. Sacrifice is giving up something that you love for something that you love more. Paul uses two men as examples of the kind of people who have been transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are living lives of satisfaction and sacrifice.
Stuck points are those chronic hurts, habits and hang-ups that won’t go away but only seem to get worse through the years. If you don’t deal with your stuck points, then your stuck points will certainly deal with you. God doesn’t convict us (reveals our stuck points) to shame us but to satisfy us and set us free.
Conflict resolution skills are in short supply in our American Culture. Does the Bible offer any help for our relational conflict, divisiveness, hatefulness, and alienation that we see in our country, communities, homes, marriages, and even in churches? Yes, the joy in Conflict is found in Christ and the unity He brings.
Paul was going through difficult suffering as he faced imprisonment, the threat of death, separation from believers, antagonism from fellow Christians and much more. Paul now waited to go before Caesar to find out if he was going to live or die. Paul had trusted, obeyed and rejoiced in the Lord through past (1:12) and current (1:13-18a) suffering. But what about in the future?
Relationships are not a luxury but a necessity for our emotional and spiritual wellbeing (Gen2:18). Our sinful tendency is anonymity and individuality. Anonymity is not wanting anyone to know your struggles (Fear) and individuality is not wanting anyone’s help (Pride). Most people fight their battles alone and keep their interior world private, even in the midst of Christian community.
There is an unspeakable and glorious JOY in Christ that should be normal for every Christian! In Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi he not only personally demonstrates but also teaches us how we can have this JOY in every situation of life.
There is a difference between knowing about God and truly knowing God. One of the marks of truly knowing God is spiritual growth. The whole book of 2 Peter is all about spiritual growth.
A citizen is a person who legally belongs to a country and has the rights and protection of that country. Citizens adopt the culture and practices of the nation or kingdom to which they belong. Every person is born into the kingdom of this world, in which Satan rules (2Cor4:4) and must be born again to see and enter the Kingdom of Heaven (John3:3,5). You are born again by grace through faith in Christ Jesus (John1:12).
Insecurity: is a feeling of general unease or nervousness that comes from perceiving of oneself to be vulnerable or inferior in some way that can lead to doubts and fears that control us.
Are you God’s Masterpiece? Is there evidence that God is working in you? Is there evidence that the God who began a good work in you is carrying it on to completion (Phil1:6)?
Over the centuries church “membership” has become less like what God intended and more like what quenches our earthly desires. Culturally "being a member" is more relative to a "club" that serves its customers, offering narrowly defined enjoyments, a singular identifying label and limited benefits that can expire. On the contrary, God’s vision for church membership is about blood-bought Kingdom citizenship. It offers a multifarious kingdom inheritance with eternal benefits and an imperishable identity that cannot be revoked.
Why do Christians gather every week? What are we doing? We gather to worship. Not to be entertained, not because it provides social standing in the community, and we certainly don’t meet to fulfill some sort of religious duty. We’re gathering because of this: We are Worshippers!
Imagine having courage to face anything, joy beyond circumstances, edifying and healing relationships, a perpetual song in your heart and a life abounding with thanksgiving and loving service to others. Sound too good to be true? The Spirit-filled life is the most amazing life you could ever hope or dream to live this side of heaven!
It doesn’t make sense that Almighty God would have children characterized by inordinate anxiety, anger and hopelessness. Chronic inordinate emotions in a believer is often the result of Gospel amnesia. To the degree you remember and relish who God is, who you are as his child, and what you have been given by His grace is to the degree you will experience love, joy, peace and abounding hope in all circumstances.
God is not a restrictor but a liberator! You are never freer than when you are fully devoted to Jesus Christ. Freedom isn’t doing whatever you want to do but doing what you were created to do. We were designed to know, serve, and love God supremely - and when we are faithful to that design, we flourish.
Everyone is building their identity on something. Our identity is what gives us meaning (What are you living for?) and worth (How well are you doing?). Identity apart from God is fundamentally unstable. Understanding our identity in Christ will give us an unshakable Identity of meaning and worth that all the success in this world can’t give you and all the suffering in this world can’t take from you.
Spiritual warfare is a hotly contested issue. One author said “Some people make the mistake of seeing Satan as a second god, viewing life as an ultimate conflict between good and evil.” Not only is this a misunderstanding of spiritual warfare, it also rejects the biblical view of the sovereignty of God over Satan. We must go to Scripture to understand what role we play in spiritual warfare. Throughout the book of 1 John we have seen that true spiritual warfare is done by abiding in Christ, fighting for righteousness, having pure doctrine, and lastly we will end the series by talking about prayer. Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons we have in this spiritual warfare and John gives us instruction for how and why we should be praying.
The Corona Virus has put our world on edge. As the number of confirmed cases grow so does fear and uncertainty. As Christians how should we be responding to this Pandemic? With Faith that overcomes Fear! Christianity is not a denial of the reality of this pandemic but embracing a greater reality that we have a God who is bigger than this pandemic, and we have a God who is stronger than any of the challenges we may face in the future.
It is not always easy to know who you can trust. It is not always easy to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys as the movies would lead you to believe. Truth and error are not as obvious as we would like them to be primarily because Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2Cor11:14). The battle field is our minds and what we believe (2Cor4:4, 11:3-4). If you don’t learn to be discerning between truth and error, you will inevitably be victimized (John8:31-32, 10:10; 2Cor10:3-5).
Our love for God and others grows out of an experience of God’s love for us. You can’t just grit your teeth and try harder to be a more loving person. True spiritual fruit of love, joy and peace comes from being swept up in intimate, loving encounters with Jesus Christ.
The Bible is very clear that everyone is in one of only two families. You are either in the family of the Devil or the family of God (John 8:35-47). We are born into this world as children of the Devil, but we must be born again to be children of God. In our pluralistic world that is not very politically correct, but it is very Biblically true, and the characteristics of each family are very distinct. The Children of God love God’s Son (Theological), love God’s Word (Moral), and love God’s people (Social). This love for God’s people is more than just words it is love in deed and truth (v18).
Righteousness is a characteristic that is unmistakably important to the Christian life. Nevertheless, many professing believers misunderstand it, substituting it for other concepts and vice versa. One of 1 John’s primary purposes is communicating what righteousness is and what it looks like in our lives. In chapter 3 John takes on the subject unapologetically.
The Christian life is not a morally restrained will but a supernaturally transformed heart. It is not behavioral modification but heart transformation. Fear and pride can restrain the will but only God’s love can transform the heart.
Our beliefs have consequences. If we come to believe wrong things about God, we will think, feel and behave in wrong ways about ourselves and life’s circumstances. Lies about God will reduce our potential, impair our vision and imprison our lives. Lies will enslave you but the truth will set you free
If we as Christians do not change from the inside-out—we are tempted to find external methods to satisfy our need to feel that we are different from those outside the faith. Boundary-Marker Spirituality is highly visible, relatively superficial practices that allow people to distinguish who is an insider and who is an outsider of the Family of God. Even worse, insiders become proud and judgmental toward outsiders. (John Ortberg “The Life You’ve Always Wanted”)
Maturity isn’t age, appearance, activity, achievements, or academics. Maturity is becoming more and more like Christ in character and conduct
Some people are easier to love than others. The gospel frees you to love people who hate you without needing love from then in return. All the love you need you have in Christ. It is the love you have been looking for your whole life!
All other religions send ADVISORS to tell us what we must DO to be right with God. Christianity sends an ADVOCATE to tell us what He has DONE to make us right with God.
To Walk in the Light is a condition to maintain intimacy with God not to attain intimacy with God. Intimacy with God is a blood bought gift from God but to maintain and grow that intimacy with God you need to Walk in the Light. In fact, to Walk in the Light is a sign that you really do have intimacy with God.
Satan delights in keeping true Christians unsure of their salvation because they’ll never experience the freedom, joy and confidence God wants for them. But he also delights in keeping those on their way to hell deluded into thinking that they are on their way to heaven, their consciences immunized from seeing their need to repent. To Know That You Know God is the believer’s ark in life’s storms, peace in panic, joy in sadness, the power and presence of God to face anything. “Christian assurance is Heaven on Earth!” –Thomas Brooks (1654)
We have a new year, new me culture that looks at January 1st as a magical day were anything and everything can be transformed. New year’s resolutions such as working out, a new bible reading plan, a new budget, a new attitude on life, etc. are not bad, but if they are done out of obligation they don't transform they merely modify. Malachi gives us insight on why we need to be transformed and what it means to be forever changed by the Father Heart of God.
You can give without loving but you can’t love without giving (John 3:16; Rom5:8). Thesis: Because we are generously loved by God, we will love generously both God and others. Normal Christianity is love philanthropy—receiving so much love from God that you recklessly give it away without expecting anything in return.
As the marriage goes so goes the family & as the family goes so goes society. The deterioration of our society is due to the delinquency of our children due to the disfunction of the family due to the high divorce rate. The Bible says that marriage is to be a lifelong monogamous relationship between a man & woman who are Christians
Why does the topic of marriage show up so early in the book of Genesis? Because as the marriage goes so goes the family and as the family goes so goes society. Satan's assault on the institution of marriage shouldn't surprise us. The Bible says that marriage is to be a lifelong monogamous relationship between a man and a woman who are Christians.
The God of the Galaxies invites us into a relationship with Him that involves a true dialogue. A mutual giving and receiving of love and truth.
You are what you love. And you worship what you love. And you talk about what you love. And you might not love what you say you love. If you were accused of being a wholehearted worshipper of God, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
If you only knew the Father heart of God for you. If you only knew what He thinks about you, how He feels about you and what He wants to do in and through your life it would change everything! You would love Him, worship Him, listen to Him, be faithful to Him, be generous to Him, transforming every part of your life
While doctrine IS systematic, meaning we look to what all of scripture says about a particular doctrine in order to define it, Doctrine is more than systematic, it’s a storyline.
A person can get through anything with hope. What is it that a Christian should put their hope in? It is the second coming of Christ! Whether we are struggling with suffering, or are being tempted to compromise our faith in this world, it is the doctrine of the second coming of Christ that will rekindle our passion to persevere. The return of our King and how we are to live in light of it is one of the most important and practical doctrines we have as Christians.
John 3:1-16 The Christian life is not about becoming a “NICE” person but about becoming a “NEW” person. It is not a morally restrained will (Self-improvement/Self-help/How-to) but a supernaturally transformed heart. The Christian life is not a call to morality and religion but a call to repent and believe in Christ Jesus (Mark1:15). It is about being Born-Again.
Relationships are only as healthy as the individuals that make up those relationships. Therefore, individual wholeness is the key to healthy relationships. Relationships do not put us in conflict with others as much as they put us in conflict with our own sinful nature (Pride). The extent to which two people in a relationship can bring up and resolve issues is a critical marker of the soundness of the relationship. The Incarnation (God becoming man) is the ultimate example of conflict resolution.
At the heart of the Gospel (basic message of the Christian faith) is the resurrection. Without the resurrection there is no Christianity. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just a historical FACT (Head Sound/Rational) but can and should be a daily reality of FAITH (Heart Satisfying/Relational) powerfully transforming every part of our lives.
The term Trinity is not found in the Bible, but the concept is clearly there, and the implications of this mystery are stunningly beautiful. “The historical doctrine of the trinity confronts us with perhaps the most difficult thought the human mind has ever been asked to handle. It is not easy; but it is true.” – J.I. Packer
The Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God. It is necessary, authoritative, clear, and sufficient for all of faith and life. Therefore, it is important to know which books belong in the Bible by God’s providential preservation and which books do not. The books that belong form the Canon of scripture. If there is no Canon, then there is no coherent message. If there is no coherent message, then there is no Christianity. As Greg Bahnsen states, “The notion of a canon is at the theological foundation of the Christian faith. Without revealed words available to God's people, there would be no exercise by God of Lordship over us as servants, and there would be no sure promise from God the Savior to save us as sinners.” Understanding the Canon correctly will strengthen our faith and life in our Lord and Savior.
Why is this world so full of sin (evil) and suffering? The answers in our American culture range from circumstances, to conditioning, to our chromosomes as the cause of our sin. The various solutions offered are politics, economy, education, counseling and self-help. What if our circumstances, conditioning and chromosomes aren’t the cause of our sin and suffering but only magnify something that is already inside of us? The Bible says that our problem is much deeper, and it is called Original Sin because all of us have inherited a sin nature that goes all the way back to the garden of Eden.
Those who dare to look beyond the prejudices and encounter the historical person and work of the real Jesus Christ are never ever the same. The name Jesus means, “God is salvation.” The title Christ means, “Messiah who delivers.”
When pilots fly into storms, they must follow their instruments even when it contradicts their feelings, or they’ll inevitably crash. So, it is with Christians, when we face the storms of life (i.e. smart skeptics or suffering), we must follow our instruments (doctrine) or we won’t survive!
Everyday we manage our image in an attempt to gain what we all want- authentic relationships and unconditional love. What would you give for a relationship where all pretense is stripped away and you are fully known and fully loved? Is that even possible? What would you do if you found it? It’s the idea behind this sermon series and the book of Psalms, your soul can be kept in the hands of a loving God or be kept out of them.
Everyone is made to worship. It is what we do and who we are. The world is NOT divided into people who worship and people who don’t worship. It is divided into people who worship created things and those who worship the Creator (Rom 1:25). You were created by God, for God, to give glory to God. “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him!” – John Piper
What are your greatest fears? In a fallen world it’s easy to be overwhelmed by fear, worry and anxiety. Mass shootings are becoming more frequent, drug overdoses are epidemic, add to that the bereavement of family and friends dying, the battling of serious illness, relational betrayal and financial reversal and you’ve got the making of a nervous breakdown.
Our inconsolable human longing is evidence that we were made to see, savor and show the riches of God’s Glory.
The world is full of false kingdoms or fortresses (sandcastle kingdoms) that crumble at the slightest bit of struggle or opposition. Your job, house, money, car, kids, sports, shopping, social media, friends, etc. are sandcastle kingdoms that will inevitably fall. If you find your refuge in these worldly things, then when the storm hits you will find yourself exposed, helpless, and desperate for a stronghold to sustain you. Psalm 46 shows us that the world and its kingdoms are unstable and unreliable, but the Lord is a strong and stable refuge that will be exalted in all the Earth!
The Gospel is not only intellectually sound but also experientially satisfying. Christ not only appeals to our minds (rational) but also fills our hearts (relational). The 18th Century Puritan Jonathan Edwards likened it to this…It is one thing to know intellectually that honey is sweet but it’s altogether another to experience the sweetness of honey on your tongue.
Have you ever felt abandoned by God? Feeling abandoned by God is more common than most people want to admit. The reason we’re not quick to admit it is because we’re afraid most of our friends would shake their heads and wonder if we’re a Christian. David is a giant in Scripture, a person “after God’s own heart” (1 Sam13:14), yet we find David talking about feeling abandoned by God. Faith is not the absence of questions, doubts and fear but bringing your questions, doubts and fears to God. Struggling with God over the issues of life doesn’t show a lack of faith – that is faith.
Our culture imposes on us an identity formation process that if we are not vigilant as Christians, we will be more conformed to this world than transformed by God’s Word (Rom12:2). The consequences are DIRE (Psalm 1)! Christianity gives us an identity that is the most unshakable, inclusive, freeing and satisfying identity you could ever have.
Psalm 11 was penned by King David to give direction and build trust in God by answering this question. When unbelief and faith wrestle within, this is a song of direction and trust for God’s people to sing from the heart.
“I know of no part of the Holy Scriptures where the nature and evidences of true and sincere godliness are so fully and largely insisted on and delineated as in the 119th Psalm.” -Johnathan Edwards
Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Psalms and the longest chapter in the Bible. It is a song of praise for the Scriptures. There are 176 verses spread out over 22 stanzas with 8 verses in each stanza beginning with the same Hebrew letter in alphabetical order.
It is the health of your soul that makes you or breaks you in life. The Book of Psalms is a medicine chest for soul healing and keeping. The Psalms will lay bare our lives and point us to God, His Word, and His promises for the flourishing of our souls.
It’s been said, “The longest journey a man will ever make is the journey from his head to his heart.” How do we make that journey? The Bible’s answer is Life Transforming Prayer.
Human beings are unavoidably hope based creatures. How we live in the present is inevitably shaped by what we believe about our future. Therefore, the more heavenly minded we are the more earthly good we will be (Col3:1-4; 1John3:1-3). Christians should live as if they had died, gone to heaven and come back.
Life is full of changes. No matter what season a child of God is going through, Psalm 23 is a psalm of faith that breathes confidence into every part of life. It is filled with powerful and caring mercies that are all tied to the essence and actions of the great shepherd. That shepherd is the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Everyone has experienced brokenness to one degree or another. Our brokenness is the result of sins we have committed and the sins that have been committed against us. There are only two choices in dealing with our brokenness: It’s either the bondage of bitterness or the freedom of forgiveness.
If there is nothing more life liberating and soul satisfying than knowing Christ, then why would we ever look anywhere else? And yet we do more often than we would like to admit! Evidence of this would be our bitterness, complaining and worry.
“Our emotions tell us our values and evaluations. Our emotions tell us what we really believe. Therefore, not even fear, worry, and anxiety can be attributed to something that happens to us. The Bible leaves us no room for debate. The source of fear, worry, and anxiety is unbelief. When we fail to believe that God is for us, will take care of us, has our future in His hands, and is with us right now, we cave in to fear, worry, or anxiety.” –Brian S. Borgman (Feelings and Faith)
A life without lack is a life completely satisfied and sustained, no matter what happens. It is not a matter of gritting your teeth and hanging on for dear life. It’s a matter of real provisions directly for those who allow God to be their shepherd.
Our soul cannot run on empty. But the soul doesn’t come with a gauge. One of the challenges of soul-weariness is that it doesn’t have the same obvious signs as physical weariness. The indicators of soul-weariness are more subtle. The neglected soul doesn’t naturally get better; it gets worse. Signs of soul-weariness…
Imagine the possibility of a life…without fear or fluster, anxiety or angst, a life without irritation, agitation or intimidation. A life that exudes peace, patience and poise. A life that is carefree, but not without care for others. A life that many have sacrificed time, money and relationships trying to possess. A life without lack.
It’s not how you start the race but how you finish it that matters most! 2Tim4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
It’s easier to quit than to persevere but the costs will eventually always outweigh and overtake the temporary pleasure physically, spiritually, relationally, and morally.
Three things we need if we are going to persevere in perilous (difficult) times.
“All Christians are but God’s stewards. Everything we have is on loan from the Lord, entrusted to us for a while to use in serving Him.” (John MacArthur) We are not called to serve God with a frustrated sense of obligation. Instead, we are called to serve Him with a heart of joy, in awe that we get to play a part in His magnificent story. True service will require sacrifice, but it also comes with the amazing reward of honoring our Father in Heaven who gives us all good gifts.
The Apostle Paul is awaiting trial and certain death and is passing on the ministry torch to young Pastor Timothy. This second letter reads like a coaches half-time motivational and instructional talk. When you consider the high stakes of heaven and hell, shrinking back from our calling as a Christian is not an option. This series will teach and motivate us to more fully embrace our Courageous Calling as Christians.
There is a violent side to living the Christian life. Spiritual growth is not for the timid. You must not only aggressively nurture a heart for Jesus but also a hatred toward sin. The only possible attitude toward sin is a declaration of all-out war. Don’t just bellyache about your struggles with sin (pride, anger, envy, lust, gluttony, slothfulness, worry, fear, bitterness, depression, discontentment…). MAKE WAR! (Gen4:7; Rom8:13)
People who love God with all their heart are always content regardless of circumstances because they always have what they most want and that is God. Signs of discontentment would be the opposite of 1Cor13:4-8.
“We live in a time when people go to a building on Sunday mornings, attend an hour-long service, and call themselves members of the Church. But have you ever read the New Testament? Do you find anyone who “went” to church? The fact that we have reduced the sacred mystery of church to a one-hour service we attend is staggering. Something that God has designed to function as a family has been reduced to an optional weekly meeting.” – Francis Chan (Letters to the Church)
It is in our nature to want a quick fix to the problems of life. However, quick fixes are not always desirable, even when they are possible. This is true physically and spiritually. Through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension Christ has defeated the enemy (Jn. 16:11) and now not even death itself (“the gates of hell”) can prevail over those who are in him (Mt. 16:18; Is. 38:10; Jn. 11:25). In this letter, Paul instructs Timothy on how to conduct himself while leading the affairs of the church (3:14-15). In today’s passage, he focuses on how Timothy should train himself for godliness, which includes declaring and living the truth (sound doctrine and life) so that others would follow his example.
Satan doesn’t leave fang marks on the skin but lies in the heart (John 8:44). A lie believed to be true will affect your life as if it were true (Pro4:23). Lies will imprison you but the truth will set you free (John 8:31-32). Who you are can be no better or no worse than the thoughts you entertain in your head. “Sound doctrine originates with God, is recorded in the Word of God, and is consistent with the whole revelation of God.” -Daren Dirksen: Captivated [series] Colossians-Unity in Doctrine
There is a major problem when people talk about meeting God or knowing God and yet remaining unchanged over time by God. If the God who is perfect in love, infinite in wisdom and unlimited in power comes to dwell within you, believe me, it will transform your life. You cannot live in vital union and communion with the Creator of the Universe and remain the same.
We have a leadership crisis in our world today. There is a major disparity between power and character. Those in power are not necessarily up to the task of discharging their responsibilities to the benefit of those they lead because of their lack of character. A church (family/nation/organization) rises or falls upon its leadership (Matt10:24-25)!
Our sexuality is not incidental, or unimportant, or a curse, or a burden. Our manhood and womanhood were created by the perfect love and infinite wisdom of our brilliant Father. When you own your manhood and womanhood through the clarifying lens of God’s Word you bring God much glory and experience much joy.
Through Christ, The Great Intercessor, we should not only desire to pray, but become enamored with reaching those outside of Desert Breeze through power of prayer.
Nothing can transform a human heart, heal a wounded soul, fill you with meaning, hope and happiness, turn hatred into love, bring about forgiveness, reconciliation and peace like the Gospel. (Rom1:16)
Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” –(Matt16:18) There is not a more exciting, compelling, fulfilling adventure this side of eternity than being a part of a Biblically functioning community that is redeeming, rebuilding and renewing people’s lives. This series will teach us, the church, how to become everything Christ died to make us.
Doctrine Matters because healthy doctrine promotes a healthy faith and a healthy faith is a life of love and a life of love is a life overwhelmed by God’s love.
Nothing has the power to transform your life like intimacy with God. Intimacy with God is enjoying the riches of God’s Glory (His indescribable greatness and unimaginable goodness). In this text we see some very deep changes in John the Baptist. If that is true about him, though he knows very little about the coming of the Messiah compared to us, even more so should that be true about us.
- Christmas is about light coming into our world of hopelessness through the birth of Jesus Christ the Lord.
- Christmas is about life coming into our world of death through the birth of Jesus Christ the Lord.
- Christmas is about glory coming into our world of emptiness through the birth of Jesus Christ the Lord.
We were created by God, for God, to See, Savor, and Show the Glory of God. Nothing is more life-liberating and soul-satisfying than enjoying the riches of God’s glory. The Glory of God is His Indescribable Greatness and Unimaginable Goodness. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.
Advent is about the arrival of life in the midst of death. Life is one of the major themes of John's gospel, where the word is used thirty six times. When it comes to this subject, we all know that it is possible to be alive, and yet not really have life in its fullest and truest sense. This true life is what we were made for.
“Light” Why do we put lights on our homes and trees and light candles to celebrate Christmas? Because Christmas is about light coming into this world through the birth of Jesus Christ. Seven times in our text the word “Light” is used.
If our prayer life reflects the quality of our relationship with God, then how can we have a prayer life that is filled with passion, power and the presence of God? Along with the Word of God and the People of God nothing will bring greater HEALING to our spirit, soul and body like communication, conversation and communion with God.
Our modern culture of impatience and instant gratification is the least able to develop perseverance in us than any other culture in history. However, in real life perseverance is crucial to our success in relationships, marriage, parenting spiritual maturity, physical fitness, career advancement, and in dealing with the normal difficulties of life. Our Christian faith gives us incomparable resources for the development of perseverance!
How you think, feel and handle wealth is a test that reveals the spiritual state of your heart. The wealthy are those who have more than they need to live. It is not sinful to possess the blessings of wealth, but it is a sin to take that which is a blessing from God and misuse it for our own ends. The more you have the more you are in danger of misusing it.
We all make plans while considering as many variables as possible. But when we ignore God’s will when we plan, we ignore this reality- God’s will determines whether or not our plans will succeed or have any lasting value! If we can determine the goals at the heart of our plans we will learn where our hearts treasure lies. Then we can learn to submit to God’s will and direction in our lives
Relationships don’t put us in conflict with each other as much as they put us in conflict with our own sinful nature. If you will not fight or flight but face the inevitability of conflict in relationships, you will find them to be wonderful opportunities to grow in greater levels of maturity and intimacy with God and others. Just as our words are a window into our heart, how we relate and treat others is a window into the quality of our relationship with God (1John 4:7-8).
If God were to grant you one wish, what would you ask for? In 1Kings 3 when Solomon had just begun his reign over Israel. God came to him and said, “Ask me for whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.” And so, Solomon, out of all the things he could have chosen he asked not for wealth, power or fame but for wisdom. Solomon later writes that wisdom is more valuable than jewels and nothing you desire compares with wisdom (Pro3:15, 8:11). We live in a day and time of unprecedented access to information unlike any other time in history. Though, we are drowning in information, yet we are dying of thirst for wisdom.
The quality and content of your words tell you a lot about your spiritual condition, the health of your soul. Most of the hurt in our lives have come from the words that we have spoken and the words that have been spoken to us. We live in a day and time of social media where words abound.
James 2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Romans 3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Who Is Right – James or Paul? BOTH! “Justified” = Gr. make yourself right or prove yourself right.
James teaches us that when you are saved by Christ, you are not only cleansed of your sin but you also have been given the power to mature in Christ-likeness through a process. In other words, true faith will always produce real fruit. In his pointed and straightforward style, James tells us that this forging of maturity is done through many trials of different kinds (cf. 1:2-4). How we respond to each of these trials exposes our hearts and has the potential to produce endurance and joy (leading to the crown of life) or the potential to sin (that leads to death) (cf. 1:12-14). James systematically goes through the most common trials of life, giving practical instructions on how to view them and what to do and not do. The trial we look at today is the tendency in all of us to view and treat others with partiality rather than mercy.
If we have been born again through the Spirit of God making the Word of God alive to our heart (v18a), then why aren’t our lives more remarkable (2Pet1:3-4)? Why are we too easily overwhelmed by trials (outward pressures) and overtaken by temptations (inward pressures)? When was the last time you were awestruck by the wealth of God’s presence, the comfort of His love, the strength of His power and the significance of being His beloved child?
Aron Lee Ralston Story (Matt5:29-30). Heaven and hell are at stake in what you do in dealing with temptation and sin. The more you experience the lifegiving joy of knowing Christ Jesus the more you will take drastic measures in dealing with any temptation and sin that will keep you from Him. All you must do is watch the nightly news and you will be confronted repeatedly with the question: “Why is there so much evil in this world?” James answers that question by teaching us about the nature of temptation and sin.
It’s not what happens TO YOU (circumstances) but what happens IN YOU (character) that either makes you bitter or better in life. It’s why you can have two people going through a similar set of difficult circumstances and one becomes bitter and the other becomes better.
If you ask people who don’t believe in God why they don’t, the number one reason will be suffering. If you ask people who believe in God when they grew most spiritually, the number one answer will be suffering. -Ortberg “Soul Keeping” It’s not what happens TO you (circumstances) but what happens IN you (character) that either makes you (better) or breaks you (bitter) in life.
There are always voices trying to make us captive to earthly things by pulling us from Christ or our liberty in Him. May God hold us from that danger by driving us to Christ with this Christ centered doctrine and direction. As Augustine said, “Christ is not valued at all unless He is valued above all.” May we be captivated by Him.
Paul was facing possible death while the church was experiencing persecution from the secular world. We face similar adversity in our world today. How does the churches unity in suffering impact the world around us?
The letter is written by Paul while in prison and is addressed to the church in the city of Ephesus. The first 3 chapters explores the story of the Gospel and how Jesus created a multi-ethnic community of followers united through Him. The second half explores how the gospel story effects the way we live every part of our lives. The hope for today is to scratch the surface of Ephesians just enough that you leave frustrated that we didn’t go deeper and that this will spur you on to read the book with a friend or with your small group.
No one places a lamp in a sunlit meadow. Lamps are made to be captives in dark rooms so that those who dwell therein might become captivated by the light and long for the Sun on their face.
Anxiety is an inescapable reality in our lives. It keeps us from where we should be and takes us where we shouldn’t be. We are anxious about many things, and there are many things we can do to battle anxiety’s symptoms; however, until we address the question at the heart of our anxiety, we will be unable to accept the answer to it.
The Bible says fear not 365 times. Proverbs 9:10 says “The fear of the Lord is beginning of wisdom.” It seems that we are being told two different things. How do we redeem fear in order to understand it the way the Bible commands us to and dispel the misconception that we are to be fearless at all times? We must remember that fear is a God given emotion and it can be viewed and felt in a healthy way. In order to have a biblical fear we must ask ourselves who or what is the object and cause of our fear?
If your shame is misplaced and pushing you away from God, it’s not God-given. Healthy shame should draw you toward repentance. The Psalms teach us how to think and feel from a biblical perspective. Psalm 51 teaches us that Christian, God-given shame produces Christian, God-given joy.
The experiences that shape us throughout our life story will heavily influence the perspective we take into seasons of suffering. If we hope to suffer well, it is necessary to purify and guard our hearts as life goes on.
We are emotional beings created in the image of an emotional God. There are no bad emotions, but because of the fall there are emotions gone bad.
God has created us as emotional people and we have times to weep and laugh, to mourn and dance, to hate and love (Eccl. 3:1–8). Sometimes emotions can be confusing in our walk. But as Brian Borgman points out, “They are always a significant piece of our lives because they are an inbuilt part of what it means to be a human being. They express the values and evaluations of a person, and influence motives and conduct.” Neither stoicism nor emotionalism is marks of healthy faith. It is God who helps us healthily deal with them and bring them under Christ’s caring lordship by His word.
The book of Exodus begins in slavery and ends in worship. The point of Exodus is that everyone lives for something. Anything you look to for your ultimate hope in life other than God will control your life and eventually break your heart. Not until God is the most important and central thing in your life and you are ravished by the beauty, glory, and presence of God, are you free. The climax of the story in Exodus is the tabernacle because the tabernacle is about God as the object of your ultimate worship and living life in His presence.
Ex1-19 Redemption by God->Ex20-40 Relationship with God Religion says, if I obey, God will love and accept me. But the Gospel says, if I know in my heart that God loves me and accepts me freely by grace, then I will begin to obey, out of inner joy and gratitude.
In Exodus 25-27 you have the detailed instruction on building out of the tabernacle and in Exodus 37-39 you have the almost verbatim obedience to building it out.
The Relationship with God (obedience) that saving faith produces will involve Hearing God’s Word (Ex25-27), Wrestling to Believe God’s Word (Ex32-34) and Doing God’s Word (Ex37-39).
Generosity isn’t something that God wants FROM US, but something he wants FOR US. He wants us to be so consumed with His Glory that we move instinctively in gratitude with Generous Hearts and Hands to a world of need around us. A heart that truly understands the gospel overflows with gratitude and generosity. If you don’t feel that way, then you probably don’t truly understand the Gospel.
Westminster Shorter Catechism: Q. 1. What is the chief end of man? A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever. God’s glory is best displayed in lives that are most satisfied in Him. No topic brings you greater healing, wholeness and happiness then beholding God's Glory and no topic brings with it more spiritual warfare.
We were created to enjoy the riches of God’s Glory. Man’s rebellion against God is the cause of our brokenness. Beholding the glory of God, we become Whole. What are the marks of people who are becoming Whole (Healthy/Holy)?
In Exodus 1-18 God rescues the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and in Exodus 19-40 in route to the Promise Land the Israelites come to Mt. Sinai, where God invites them into a covenant relationship and comes to live among them in the Tabernacle (Ex24-27—Blueprint for Worship). There is a major problem: We are sinful, and God is holy. God’s holiness is a consuming fire (Heb12:29). Nothing sinful can be in the presence of God without it being destroyed and consumed. How do we get into the presence of God? This is our greatest need! This text gives us God’s remedy.
The Israelites had been saved out of slavery by the mighty hand of the one true God and then given the gift of a covenant relationship with Him (Ex. 1-23:19). Through Moses on the mountain, God confirms his covenant with the people and tells them that he will lead them little by little into their new promised home (23:20-24:18). When Moses communicates this with the people, they respond with one voice, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.” But God has more to say and give (25-27).
The Gospel gap we all struggle with is the disparity between what we believe and how we behave. It is the gap between the fact that your past sins are forgiven (justification) and your future in heaven secure (glorification) but how do you Live Your Faith in the here and now (Sanctification/Phil2:12-13; Gal2:14)? Having been redeemed (Ex19:4-5) and given the Ten Commandments (Ex20:1-17), Moses explains and applies God’s law to various aspects of everyday life (Ex21-23).
If you were to summarize the characteristics of a perfect person, a perfect family, or a perfect community, what would be on your list? No need to do that, God has done that for us by giving us The Perfect Ten (10 Commandments)! God boiled everything He needed to say to people about how to flourish in life, in our relationship with Him and others into the 10 Commandments.
Every Christian is a leader. Leadership is about influence. Whether you are a CEO, teacher, parent, or friend you will lead (influence) others either directly or indirectly for good or bad (Matt5:13-16). If you want to influence people for the gospel, you must learn how to live a grace paced life in a burnout culture.
In the book of Exodus, we are learning that redemption is liberation. God intervenes in our lives to liberate us from the things that we build our lives on more than Him, that will enslave us and eventually devastate us.
Jesus’ work on the cross is finished but the benefits we gain from His resurrection are never-ending!
If you are forgiven, reconciled to God, adopted as His child, lavished with His love, empowered by His Holy Spirit and guaranteed a place in heaven all through the atoning work of Christ, then you have a song to sing. And it’s a song that no trial, no disease, no difficulty, no persecution, no power on earth or in hell can stop. The critical question is not Do You have a voice? But Do You have a song?
The people of God had been delivered out of slavery and set free. However, they find themselves in what seems to be an impossible situation. They feel trapped and without hope, but with God nothing is impossible. God had determined that He would save his people through the Red Sea.
God created us (Gen1:26) and redeemed us (Eph1:7) and therefore owns us (1Cor6:19-20). We owe our life to Him! God sets us free (Redeems us) so that we would no longer live for ourselves but for Him as we were originally designed (1Pet1:18-19). He owns us, and we owe Him our lives.
Freedom isn't doing whatever you want to do, it’s doing what you were created to do. You were created to enjoy the riches of God's Glory. The Gospel is our declaration of dependence on God and His declaration of our freedom in Him
The book of Exodus is not just about redemption but also about the revelation of God who makes Himself known. We have now entered the great conflict between Yahweh, the one true God, and the false gods of the Egyptians. What triggers the series of plagues coming down and striking Egypt is Pharaoh’s response to Moses’ command from God to liberate His people: “Who is the LORD, that I should obey Him?” The plagues come to answer that question!
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James4:6; 1Pet5:5). We all need humility. Some of us will embrace it willingly and others will have it forced upon us by God himself. One way is the easy way and one way is the hard way. If you want God against you, be proud like Pharaoh. If you want God to be for you, be humble like Moses. The proud like Pharaoh are less than they imagine but the humble like Moses are more than they ever dreamed.
Life is hard. If we aren’t careful the hardness of life can break our spirit and make us hard (bitter). Bitterness is evidence that we have missed the grace of God and this will inevitably cause trouble in our lives and defile other people’s lives
The covenant God (Gen. 15:5-7,13-16) had revealed himself more fully to Moses in a burning bush. He spoke to Moses of his plan to save his people from slavery in Egypt. He told him that He was going to use him to do this and He gave details on exactly what would happen. Moses made excuses pointing out why he can't do it and God made miraculous signs pointing out that God will save through judgment. When Moses shares God’s words and signs with the people they believe and worship in hope.
God never calls us into intimacy with Him (to bless us) without also sending us out to make an impact in this world (to be a blessing). He never sends us out without also giving us all that we need in Him. All that we need in Him almost always flows through obedience rooted in faith. When we consider what we have in Him, we have no excuses for not making an impact.
Moses believed in God, but it wasn’t until this encounter that God became a living spiritual reality to him. You cannot encounter the Creator of the Universe and remain the same! How do we encounter God (Bush), What happens when we encounter God (Fire), Why can we encounter God (Angel) and When do we know we have encountered God (Call)?
If I’m going to experience blessing in bitter times, I must believe God Knows, Cares and Rules the circumstances of my life for my good and His glory. (Ps9:9-10) My concept of God not only determines the quality of my relationship with Him and what I convey to others about Him but also my ability to get through adversity.
Exodus means “the way out”. Genesis is the book of beginnings and Exodus is the book of redemption. To redeem means “to set free”. Exodus describes Israel’s bondage in Egypt and the wonderful deliverance that God gave them. It presents many pictures of our salvation through Christ.
Tertullian, an early church writer and leader, said, “The blood of the martyrs is seed.” The reason he said that was because Christianity grew explosively through the Roman Empire in the 1st Century and beyond by the way Christians faced life, suffering and death. No one faced life, suffering and death like the Christians. They were Unshakable! Why? Because they had certainty in a world of doubt and Christ was a living presence in their lives.
John 3:16 There is not a more unshakable foundation for your life than to know that the God of the Universe loves you. There’s a difference between knowing His love & experiencing His love. Experiencing His love chases away the fear, bitterness and despair.
The people understood that Jesus was the promised Messiah/King but they could not imagine that such a King would die. At his death, the hope in their hearts became locked away in a cold tomb. However, the fact of the resurrection brought about the dawning of a new beginning.
We have spent over a year in the Gospel of Luke and we are coming to the end of the book and to the climax of the story, the crucifixion, resurrection and the commissioning of Jesus Christ. It’s almost as if Luke is asking us, “I have given you all of this information about Christ, have you responded in such a way that it has brought transformation to your life?” Do you get it? Have you had a life-transforming encounter with Christ (Luke 1:4)? In the Crucifixion account of Christ, some get it and some don’t.
Why are politics such a hot topic? Is it possible to take politics too seriously? What is the relationship between church and state? What are Jesus’ politics? As a follower of Christ what should be my politics? In our text, Jesus gives us a Paradoxical, Powerful and Personal answer to politics.
Just as physical darkness can impair your vision, there is a spiritual darkness that can impair your spiritual vision (1Cor2:14; 2Cor4:4; Matt13:13). The incidents that happened in the physical dark (night time) in this text are going to show us how this condition of spiritual darkness can creep into our lives and what Jesus has come to do about it.
To restore the loss of what is good, in a way that does not allow evil to win and provides complete satisfaction, not only for the loss, but for those who have suffered the loss, true forgiveness must include; the death of what is evil, the restoration of life and goodness through a sacrifice greater than that evil. The true currency of forgiveness is sacrifice and suffering.
The Bible couldn’t be clearer that the events leading up to the end of the world and the Second Coming of Christ will be quite catastrophic. However, there are four primary views on how the end times (eschatological) events will unfold that we can debate but shouldn’t divide over: blueletterbible.org/faq/mill.cfm
In this study we will focus on What We Know For Sure and How to Endure When Hell Breaks Loose. Whether it is the end of the world or the end of your world, whichever one comes first, I want to prepare you for it.
Everyone has to live for something or someone. Whatever that something or someone is becomes the Boss (Lord) of your life, whether you want to admit it or not. So, who’s the Boss of your life?
If the Boss of your life is something or someone other than Jesus, it will be ultimately unfulfilling and terribly unforgiving because the deepest longings of your heart cannot be satisfied by anything or anyone less.
On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus brought salvation (Himself) to Zacheus. As a result, Zaccheus’ life changed as it began to line up with Christ and scripture (19:1-10). Having watched this shocking transformation, the pilgrim crowd began to form wrong ideas about Jesus and the work he would accomplish once he got to the city. To explain, Jesus shared with them a parable (19:11-27) but they still did not get it. They continued following him for their own reasons. Why do you follow Jesus?
Have you ever felt like giving up? “Losing heart (v1)” means to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, and exhausted. It is having very little passion for life - ranging from listlessness to depression, to being suicidal (Pro15:13, 18:14). It happens when something you fundamentally trust, love, are living for, or hope in is threatened, blocked or lost. Your circumstances actually matter far less to your happiness than you think. It is the health of your heart that makes life heaven or hell
Saving faith is truth about the person and work of Christ entering the head (content), igniting the heart (conviction), and outworking through the hands (commitment). Faith is not a feeling, a force or a formula, but fellowship (relationship) with God. It is a relationship where God becomes your ultimate security, significance and satisfaction in life and death. It’s not the size of your faith but the object of your faith that matters most (vv5-6). The more you get to know the object of your faith the more your faith will grow
You can be shrewd (intelligent, wise, prudent, i.e. mindful of one's interests v8) with money in the here and now, but not be shrewd with money in light of eternity. But you cannot be shrewd with money in light of eternity, without also being shrewd with money in the here and now.
It’s not what happens to me (circumstances) but what happens in me (character) that either makes me or breaks me in life. Character is about spiritual maturity (Christ-likeness). A student’s character becomes like his teacher (Luke 6:40). It’s God’s amazing GRACE that transforms my HEART and produces Godly CHARACTER.
There is a major difference between a morally restrained will and a supernaturally transformed heart. Fear and pride can restrain the will but only grace can transform the heart. The key to life change is not the acts of the will but the loves of the heart. You are what you love.
Just as God parents us as His Children, we are to in turn parent the next generation. Christianity is only one generation away from extinction; therefore there is not a more important God given responsibility. This series is more than a to-do-list. It is a big picture view of parenting that will radically change not only your perspective of how God parents us but how we are to impact the next generation. It is based on Paul David Tripp’s book: Parenting (14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family).
King David describes the precious community of God. Jesus would have probably been meditating with the disciples on this Psalm when he went on His pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Lk. 9:51) where He would die on the cross for His church during the festival.
The Kingdom of God is a party-feast unlike you’ve ever known! Jesus regularly depicts the salvation He brings as a party-feast (Luke14:15-24). Our final homecoming (new heavens and new earth) will be marked by the ultimate party-feast (Isa25). And of course, Jesus’ parable of the lost sons ends with a party-feast cliff hanger. Will the elder Son come into the party at the Father’s tender pleading?
If you only knew the Father heart of God for you…it would change everything. If you only knew what He thinks about you, how He feels about you and what He wants to do in and through your life you would run to Him. You would make your relationship with Him your life’s greatest passion, pursuit and pleasure.
Desert Breeze is a place where strangers become friends and friends become family (Home). What is home? Home is not just a structure but a shelter from the stormy blast of life. It’s a place of love, laughter and learning. It’s a place where you can truly just be yourself and feel you belong. This world is cold, draining and stressful but home is warm, rejuvenating and restful. Home is the place you recharge your batteries. It’s a place of order and beauty. It is a place to build memories and grow into our future glory selves. It is a place of healing, humility, hospitality and honor.
No action requires more maturity and character and produces more maturity and character than repentance. Repentance is the key to everything in the Christian life. It is the grid in which we should process everything that happens to us in life. Nothing will give you a greater experience of God’s love being poured into your heart through the Holy Spirit like repentance
Jesus spent much of His ministry teaching His disciples about their ultimate future new location—the kingdom to come and their eternal citizenship in it. Our hope in the hereafter has practical application in the here and now. The Lord’s promised return is the Christian’s “Blessed Hope” (Titus2:13). The point of the Bible’s teaching on the second coming of Christ is not how to find that great day, but how that great day will find us. That day is going to be so glorious that 1 John 3:1-3 says that for anyone to hope for it (not to get there, but just to want it) will transform their lives.
More will never be enough because we were made for something that earth does not offer. The inconsolable human longing is irrefutable evidence that we were made to find our deepest and most durable satisfaction in the riches of God’s glory.
Jesus was involved in a very serious verbal fight with some key religious leaders. As he tried to move on, the leaders pressed and provoked him to keep fighting so that they might catch him. Chaos erupted. In the midst of all this commotion, Jesus stops to share with His disciples some extremely important warnings and encouragements. May we take these to heart and apply them to our lives today.
Doing the minimum required by law does not make you just, nor do outward appearances that gain you attention make you loving. The pure sacrifice of Christ on the cross provided an unattainable justice for the unjust and unconditional love for the unlovable.
One of the biggest obstacles to people coming to Christianity is that they think that they already know what it is all about. Non-Christians will typically hear gospel presentations as appeals to moralism unless we show them the stunning difference. Christianity isn’t a morally restrained will (moralism) but a supernaturally transformed heart (Gospel).
Does your life portray the love, joy and peace that you proclaim anyone can experience through the Gospel? There are plenty of good reasons in our modern world to be anxious, but as a Christian you have even better reasons not to be anxious.
You are more flawed than you think & the world is more fallen than most want to admit but God's Grace is greater than we deserve or could ever dream. We celebrate the intoxicating joy of God’s Irresistible Grace most fully when we grieve our sin and the brokenness of this world most deeply.
Is your love for Jesus contagious? To the degree you live in the reality of His love for you, is to the degree your love for Him will be contagious (1John4:19; 1Pet2:9). Your contagious love for Him is the best way to put on display His amazing love for you (Matt5:16).
We believe that full devotion to Christ (Living for God’s Glory) and fullness of life (Our Satisfaction) are one in the same pursuit (John10:10b; Luke9:23-25). We were created by God, for God, to give glory to God (Rom11:36). God’s glory is best displayed in lives that are fully satisfied in Him (Phil1:20-21).
Desert Breeze exists to help upchurched people become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. We believe that full devotion to Christ (God’s Glory) and fullness of life (Our Satisfaction) are one in the same pursuit (John10:10b, 17:3). There is a quantity and quality of life that is found in Christ that cannot be found anywhere else!
The Kingdom of God had arrived in Jesus Christ who was proclaiming it to everyone and authenticating it through miracles. In today’s passage, He is going to intensify his training of the 12 by giving his power and authority to them and sending them out on their first kingdom mission by themselves (9:1-9). When they come back the training continues as He commands his 12 to feed the five thousand (9:10-17). This will show that the impact of the Kingdom of God continues and that we can all be a part of it.
How do you hold onto your faith when God doesn’t make sense? What do you do when life doesn’t go as you had hoped it would? What do you do when circumstances seem to contradict God’s love, wisdom, & power?
In our fallen and broken world internal and external storms are inevitable. To the degree you are able to overcome your internal storms (questions/doubts/fears) is to the degree you will be able to overcome your external storms (people/things/circumstances).
s you grow in your intimacy with God, the more you will sense deep in your heart the delight of the only eyes in the Universe that matter, transforming every part of your life (Rom8:16; 1John3:1). What if I’m not hearing His voice like that? The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart (Pro4:23). This parable will help us to do a diagnostic check on our heart.
In our text we meet two people, one a very religious moral man and the other a very irreligious immoral woman. Both are drawn to Jesus, both are in the presence of Jesus, both are listening to Jesus’ teaching. But one leaves distant, indifferent and unchanged. The other leaves feeling close to God, lavished by His love and transformed by His grace. In a general since, everyone who comes to db this weekend will have one of those two experiences. What makes the difference? Intimacy with God!
A faith that has not been challenged by doubts is a naive faith that will be defenseless against suffering & smart skeptics. A person’s faith can collapse almost overnight if they carelessly go through life too busy or indifferent to ask the hard questions about “why” they believe “what” they believe. Neglect the “why” and you’ll drift from the “what”.
Easter at Desert Breeze-2017 Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection not only give us a model but also a means to get through days of pain and perplexity and RISE into days of JOY!
We are saved through faith (Eph2:8). It is by faith that we understand that the universe was created by the word of God (Heb11:3). Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb11:6). Those who are of faith are blessed (Gal3:9). The righteous will live by faith (Rom1:17). We walk by faith and not by sight (2Cor5:7). Faith apart from works is dead (James2:26). Trials test the genuineness of our faith (1Pet1:7) Faith comes from hearing the word of Christ (Rom10:17).
Relationships are only has healthy as the individuals that make up those relationships. Therefore, individual wholeness is the key to healthy relationships and individual wholeness is all about integrity.
The life change and the influence in culture that God most longs for, best happens through Christians in True Community. These are people who are not just checking the church box on weekends and getting lost in the crowd but are getting into small groups, meeting in homes and enjoying meals together and talking about real life issues as they listen, love, laugh and learn how to live a contagious Christian life. Church is a place where strangers become friends and friends become family.
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart (soul) is restless until it finds its rest in you.”—Augustine (Confessions) There is a kind of soul rest that all the sleep and vacations in the world can’t give you. If your soul is healthy, no external circumstance can destroy your life. If your soul is unhealthy, no external circumstance can redeem your life.
Jesus has just done something extraordinary in the presence of the religious leaders of Judaism (5:17). He had done what God alone can do (5:21). He had forgiven sins (5:20). In today’s passage, Jesus is going to effectually call a person named Levi to follow Him. Everyone would have agreed that Levi was in the group of the worst of the worst when it came to being a sinner. Basically, Jesus moves from proclaiming he can forgive sins to immediately freeing the heart of the person known as the worst sinner. He is going to give him a new and fresh life by the power of His word, while the old religious leaders are going to take up an old issue.
You cannot encounter Christ Jesus and live in communion with Him and remain the same. He will bring Complete Change to every area of your life so that you can experience not just a quantity of life but a quality of life unlike anything else (John 10:10b; 17:3). This is less about circumstances and more about our character because our circumstances matter far less to our happiness than our character.
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”-C.S. Lewis, “Screwtape Letters”
To most people in our society, Christianity is religion and moralism. If you can’t show the difference between religion and Christianity people will confuse morality with a changed heart. The gospel is neither religion nor irreligion, but something else entirely – a third way of relating to God through grace. Jesus’ teaching consistently offended the Bible-believing, religious people of His day while attracting the irreligious.
You have an adversary and you are no match for him but he is no match for your Savior! Your Savior Jesus is both your model and means to overcoming temptation.
When you go to a counselor, financial advisor, or doctor; it is very important to check their credentials. When so much is at stake, it is necessary to find out if they are qualified and can be trusted. If trusting a counselor, advisor, or doctor is important… how much more important are the credentials of the Savior, King, and giver of eternal life? Biblical Faith is based on fact. In chapters 1-4, Luke presents three powerful lines of factual evidence (the baptism, genealogy, and temptation of Christ) to assure us that Jesus Christ is the only qualified King and Savior of the human race. In this passage, we look at the second of three evidences.
Satan who is known as “the Deceiver (Rev12:9)” loves to keep true believers unsure of their salvation making them ineffective and those on their way to hell deluded into thinking they are on their way to heaven.
Everyone is building their identity (meaning/purpose) on something. Building our lives on anything other than God not only hurts us if we don’t get the desires of our heart but even if we do because it’ll never be enough.
A distracted life will eventually prove to be detrimental spiritually, emotionally and relationally. The key to an effective life is focus (Eph4:15-17). How do you do that? By asking the right questions! If you can answer these five questions you’ll know what to cut out of your life and what to add and your stress level will go down and your satisfaction will go up and you’ll live a more significant life.
Hearing and listening, are not the same thing. You can hear someone without actually listening to them. While hearing but not listening is bad for marriage, it is absolutely destructive in our relationship with God. Listening to God is a critical part to our personal relationship with God!
Stress is one of the prevailing characteristics in our modern culture! It is one thing to know when you’re stressed out and it is altogether another to know how to deal with it in a healthy way. Christmas tells us that peace is not the absence of problems but the presence of Christ.
God is always for us because in Christ our sins can never be held against us and this is what ultimately transforms us (Rom8:1, 31-32). It’s not a changed life that brings His blessings but it’s His blessings that bring a changed life. Therefore, how critical is it to our spiritual wellbeing that we revel regularly in God’s blessings?
God had promised His people the greatest gift that could be given to mankind. He had promised a seed/offspring who would be their forever King and Savior. At great cost he would give them himself. The time had finally come for his arrival. Luke most likely interviews Mary herself for this true and world changing story.
People defect from the faith primarily for two reasons: deceived by the pleasures of sin and disillusioned by the pain of suffering. The power of God’s promises breaks the power of sin’s promises and suffering’s perplexities. God is a promise making and promise keeping God!
It’s not the size of your faith but the object of your faith that matters most. Strong faith in a weak object is fatally inferior to a weak faith in a strong object. Get to know the object of your faith (Jesus) and your trust (Certainty) will grow. (Heb11:1; Ps9:9-10; Rom10:17)
There is nothing in this world quite like knowing God & making Him known. It beats anything else I’ve ever experienced! Once you’ve tasted of God’s greatness & goodness you have to want anyone else you care about to experience it too. If you don’t, then what you have isn’t very powerful. We live in a very pluralistic society. You more than likely live & work around people who have very different beliefs from you. How can we be very open about our beliefs & still get along? Only three ways you can respond: 1) Hide who you are in fear. 2) Speak out in a way that provokes anger in pride. 3) Share who you are with gentleness & respect
Fullness of Life and Full devotion to Christ are one in the same pursuit. When we urge people to become fully devoted followers of Christ we are inviting them to a full life of being a character in & a carrier of the great story of redemption through our Savior Jesus with infinite and eternal implications. God is not in the way of your happiness. He is your most satisfying reality!
We must understand that everything we are and have belongs to the Lord for glorifying him by making disciples.
Everyone is hard-wired to worship. It is what we do and who we are. The world is not divided into people who worship & people who don’t worship. It is divided into people who worship created things & those who worship the Creator (Rom1:25).
It is unhealthy to always want people around, and unhealthy to rarely want them around. All of us are inclined to one extreme or the other. Without solitude we are active but shallow. Without fellowship we can be deep, but stagnant. Christlikeness requires both. Silence and solitude is learning how to take a break from the chaos of life to behold the glory of Christ and become whole.
Prayer is an amazing privilege filled with astounding promise (James 4:2; 5:16)! Prayer causes things to happen that would otherwise not happen if we didn’t pray. We have been offered the amazing privilege of engaging with God in such way that we have an astounding promise that our requests can bring to past events in the Universe that would otherwise not happen if we don’t pray. It would be of unbelievable folly to not avail ourselves of this privilege and promise.
Beliefs do not automatically produce changed character. Beliefs must be turned into changed character through spiritual disciplines. Meditation is the key to making a Biblical truth real to our heart and the doorway into a deeper more satisfying prayer life.
Habits of grace are activities that are not about earning God’s favor, or twisting God’s arm, but about putting ourselves in the path of God’s amazing Grace and increasing our capacity to enjoying Jesus so that we can THRIVE spiritually. No spiritual discipline is more important than a regular & consistent encounter with God through His Word that involves not only the convictions of the mind but the affections of the heart.
A person who has been saved by the grace (unmerited favor and divine enablement) of God is going to grow in degrees of godliness (Phil. 1:6; 1 Tim. 4:7) and put their relationship with God in a position to THRIVE. This is done through the nourishment of disciplining oneself by the power of the Holy Spirit rightly motivated to do the spiritual disciplines.
It is one thing to understand the gospel but it is quite another to experience the gospel so deep in your heart that it changes everything about you and becomes the source of your identity, acceptance, security and significance. Do you believe what you believe is really real. The subject of assurance is one of the most important elements in the Christian experience. There is no higher privilege than to be a child of God and there is no greater experience than to know it. Romans chapter eight has a magnificent ending and yet the point is simple: It’s about assurance. The assurance of God Inseparable Love—that nothing can separate us from His love. Assurance of His Inseparable Love is heaven on earth.
These truths in Romans 8:1-30 are so immeasurably spectacular that we will struggle to really believe them, so Paul ends this chapter with five questions of relentless intense Gospel logic to beat us out of our disbelief.
Some Biblical truths can leave you almost speechless and at the same time a little suspicious because it seems too good to be true. Romans 8:1-30 has left Paul almost speechless. He begins our text verse 31 with “what then shall we say to these things?” And yet on the other hand he knows that these truths are so immeasurably spectacular we will all struggle really believing. So, Paul gives us five questions of relentless intense Gospel logic to beat us out of our disbelief. It’s logic on fire!
There is a joy in God that the worst kind of suffering cannot destroy (John16:22; 1Pet1:8; 1John1:4). It’s not the suffering that destroys us it’s the self-pity, bitterness and hopelessness that destroys us. The opposite of joy is not sadness but hopelessness. As Christians we are sorrowful yet always rejoicing (2Cor6:10). The joy God gives doesn’t eliminate our sorrow, it overwhelms it.
It doesn’t make sense that Almighty God would have children characterized by fear and insecurity. Chronic fearfulness in a believer is often the result of forgetfulness. To the degree you forget who God is, who you are as his child, and what you have been given by His grace is to the degree you will experience fearfulness.
. By embracing the truth about God’s extreme goodness, love & power and at the same time acknowledging our extreme capacity to be hideously sinful, we can begin to do battle with sin.
Paul is writing to Christians in Rome about a completely new life. It is a life in the Spirit. He opens the chapter by saying there is no condemnation and he closes the chapter saying we are more than conquerors. How can we know this is true? What does this all depend on?
Life is a Battle that we can’t lose if we are in Christ Jesus b/c… We are set free from the penalty of sin (v1) through Christ’s work (v3) We are set free from the power of sin (v2) through the Spirit’s work (v4)
It is one thing to understand the gospel but it is quite another to experience the gospel so deep in your heart that it changes everything about you and becomes the source of your identity, acceptance, security and significance. Romans 1-5 The Gospel is the Good News that God has reconciled us to Himself by sending His Son Jesus to die in our place for our sins, and all who repent and believe have eternal life.
In these last six verses in the O.T. book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon the wisest, wealthiest and most powerful man who ever lived gives us the “Bottom Line” to one of life’s most important questions: What is the Meaning of Life? It is a question you can’t afford to get wrong because you’re betting your life and destiny on it!
Heading toward the finish line of both his life and this book, Solomon as a remorseful burned out old man urges us to seek God while we are young and stick close to Him all the days of our life because apart from God life is meaningless
The teacher of Ecclesiastes genuinely cares about the practical parts of our lives and so he sits us down to share with us something essential for living it wisely. He opens today’s passage by sharing a story from his past that illustrates the lesson. Then he points out three clues that will help us both understand and move towards living it out more fully in different areas of life. What are those clues? They are; dead flies, venomous snakes, and talking birds.
We can observe two key realities when we look at life under the sun. First, the reality of death is inevitable. Secondly, life can be confusingly unpredictable. How are we to make sense of this in our lives and live in the middle of it all? In the center of the unpredictability of life and the inevitability of death God wisely commands us to something. The conclusion helps mature our Christianity. What is it? The answer may surprise.
Jesus says: “The humble are in and the proud are out.” (Luke 18:14) James 4:6-“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Beware of toxic teachers (Matt23:4), toxic churches (1Cor) and toxic beliefs (Col2:8) because they are more about bondage making than bondage breaking (John8:31-32; 1Tim4:16). A lie about God, believed to be true, will affect your life as if it were true.
If you have a relationship with God and walk with Him over time you will more and more put off folly and put on wisdom. Wisdom is seeing and responding to life from God’s perspective. Your perspective about the events in life will not only determine how you feel about those events but also how you will respond to those events (Pro23:7 NASB).
We live in a society that defines wealth as…How much money you make? What neighborhood you live in? How big your house is? What kind of car do you drive? “When our contentment is in Christ, it’s as durable as he is dependable. When our happiness is in Christ, we can’t lose our happiness, because we can’t lose Christ.” (Phil4:10-13) –Randy Alcorn “Happiness”
2 Kinds of Rich: Righteous Rich & Unrighteous Rich 2 Kinds of Poor: Righteous Poor & Unrighteous Poor
We are worshipers by nature and when we worship created things more the than the Creator it sets us up inevitably for inordinate anxiety, anger and depression. Our mission at db for 25 years has been to help unchurched people to relocate their ultimate love, hope and trust away from created things onto the Creator. Nothing will heal your heart, free your soul and fortify your faith like giving Christ your heart’s deepest loyalties and affections.
There is no way you will be able to survive or even thrive spiritually apart from a deep involvement in a Biblically functioning community of believers (Acts2:42-47).
You can live 40 days w/o food, just a few days w/o water, 4-6 min w/o O2, but not a single second w/o hope. Human beings are unavoidably hope based creatures. How you live in the present is inevitably shaped by what you believe about your future. You can’t avoid that! Hope in the bible is not “wishful thinking” but it is “confident joyful expectation”.
Research indicates that there is little correlation between the circumstances of people’s lives and how happy they are. Yet, when people respond to the question “Why aren’t you happy?” they tend to focus on their current difficult circumstances. Your circumstances actually matter far less to your happiness than you think.
Christianity gives us a meaning in life that the worst suffering in this world can't take and the greatest success in this world can't give.
No one can love us or hurt us like those who are closest to us. You only have two choices when it comes to dealing with hurt: It will either be the bondage of bitterness or the freedom of forgiveness. Not forgiving is more costly than forgiving. The price of unforgiveness is much higher than forgiveness. Bitterness is natural but forgiveness is supernatural.
When we enter relationships with the illusion that people are normal, we set ourselves up for disillusionment. People are normal until you get to know them. Everybody is somebody’s difficult person. If we respond unwisely, we can make difficult people more difficult.
Healthy people create healthy relationships. There has never been a healthy relationship without healthy communication. There has never been an unhealthy relationship that didn’t get that way in part because of unhealthy communication.
Boundaries are property lines defining what you are responsible for and not responsible for. They also let the good in and keep the bad out. (Proverbs 4:23) We are responsible for our core values, thoughts, beliefs, feelings, passions, actions, time, talents, finances, sins, weaknesses, past hurts, etc. Is your life out of control? Do you try to control others? Do people take advantage of you? Do you take advantage of others? Do you have trouble saying no? Do you have a hard time asking for help?
Life is all about relationships. Our fondest memories and deepest hurts involve relationships. Healthy people create healthy relationships (Matt22:34-40). Because we live in a broken world with conflict everywhere, healthy people know how to resolve conflict. Resolving conflict is one of the most important skills in life. The Gospel is a model and motivation for conflict resolution unlike anything else. Do you have good conflict resolution skills?
Conflict comes much more naturally to us than reconciling. We either fight, flee, or freeze in conflict rather than live as peacemakers. A quick look at our lives and others shows that true biblical peacemaking does not come naturally to anyone. We rewind the story of conflict and covenant reconciliation back to the book of Genesis. We find that at the root of all horizontal conflict is vertical conflict and the gospel of Jesus is the answer.
There is nothing more complex and challenging in life like relationships. The acknowledgment of struggle and failure should not overshadow the hopeful truth that in Christ relationships can be repaired, maintained and flourish.
The lie of the serpent in Eden was that if we obey God fully we will be miserable because happiness lies outside of God’s will, not within it. This lie has passed deeply into every human heart but nothing could be further from the truth.
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul & body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Money is the #1 rival God that not only blinds us to its power over us but also binds us from the financial freedom Christ died to give to us.
Christian Hedonism says God’s worth and value are displayed best in lives that are most satisfied in Him. It is a doctrine that is both compelling and convicting. It is compelling because it encourages our natural desire to be happy and it is convicting because none of us are as happy in God as He demands or deserves. (Phil4:4)
Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved (Ps80:3, 7, 19)! The restoration of our lives is not just to believe in God but to experience the joy of His presence (let your face shine) and to have our lives conformed to His will (that we may be saved) not out of duty but out of an inner sense of His beauty. Each prayer increases with intensity (Ps80:3, 7, 19) because restoration is not a quick fix but involves a wrestling with God in prayer. (Gen32:26; Ps51:12)
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.—Hebrews 11:6
The Cross is the symbol of the Christian faith, the crux of human history, a stunning revelation of the love & justice of God giving to us a life most people only dream about. “The Cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, but we have to get near enough for its sparks to fall on us.” – John Stott
Just as there are physical laws that govern our bodies and break them to our own disintegration—i.e. eating too many fatty foods can harm the physical structure of my heart/body and shorten my life. So it is also true that there are moral laws that govern our spiritual lives and breaking them will lead to even greater consequences—i.e. living your life against God’s laws can harm your life spiritually, psychologically & relationally. Your life will become the sum total of what your daily little decisions are in part.
In this letter, Paul is arguing that the gospel is the good news of who Jesus is and what he has done. It is the only true rescue for lost people and is not to be changed in any way. When the gospel message is changed, we are left with nothing more than an illusion. The gospel unites people into one family. Last week in Galatians 5:26 Paul told us how Christians should not treat each other in gospel Relationships. Today, in Galatians 6:1-5 we are told how Christians should treat each other.
Relationships are only as healthy as the individuals that make up those relationships. Therefore, individual wholeness is the key to healthy relationships. Relationships don’t put you in conflict with others as much as they put you in conflict with your own sinful nature.
As Christians we have incredible and incomparable resources for life change. And so, it just makes a world of sense that the Creator of the Universe would have Children who are less and less characterized by the “works of the flesh” (vv19-21) more and more characterized by the “fruit of the Spirit”
In the first half of chapter 5, we learned that Christian freedom gives us a whole new motivation for living. In normal religion, the motivation for morality is fear and/or pride. In gospel Christianity, the motivation is a heart captivated by Christ’s love (5:6, 14). In this passage we learn how to grow in character through this new dynamic of love.
If salvation is a gift from God by grace through faith in Christ Jesus then what incentive do I have to live a holy life? If you can’t earn your salvation by your behavior, and can’t “un-earn” it by your behavior than what would motivate you to obey God? It is the Freedom of the Gospel that gives us life changing incentive and motivation to live a life wholly devoted to Christ!
The text gives us two contrasts between Religion vs. the Gospel: 1st What it looks like in our relationship with God vv8-11 2nd What it looks like in our relationship with others vv12-20 Non-Christians will tend hear gospel presentations as appeals to become a “nice person” rather than a “new person” unless we are clear in articulating the drastic difference between moralism and the Gospel. Even among Christians the default mode of our hearts is “moralism”—that is, the idea that our performance determines how God feels about us. Unless we are actively preaching the gospel to ourselves and others daily, beating it into our hearts continually…. we will easily fall back into “moralism.”
The text gives us two contrasts between Religion vs. the Gospel: 1st What it looks like in our relationship with God vv8-11. 2nd What it looks like in our relationship with others vv12-20. Why does it matter? As Paul sees the Galatians failing to do this, he is “afraid” for them (v11) and “perplexed” about them (v20). Life and death, heaven and hell hang in the balance for both this life and the life to come.
“The notion that we are children of God, His own sons and daughter…is the mainspring of Christian living…Our sonship to God is the apex of creation and the goal of redemption.”—Sinclair Ferguson
Is our salvation through God’s promise or our performance? False Teachers: Believe and Obey and you’ll be Saved Gospel: Believe and be Saved and you’ll Obey
Experiencing Spiritual growth and power is found by regularly spending time understanding and knowing who and what has been given to you in the gospel. Process: study, worship and the testing of your faith.
Being able to articulate the Gospel with accuracy is one thing; having its truth captivate your soul and applying it to every area of your life is altogether quite another.
There is no greater feeling on earth than being FREE! And nothing will make you FREE like the Gospel. And nothing will bring UNITY quite like the Gospel. Yet, few organizations have fought more often or split more bitterly than the church.
There is no greater feeling on earth than being FREE! And nothing will make you FREE like the Gospel. There is no past hurt that can’t be healed or addiction that can’t be broken or problem that can’t be overcome through the Gospel. If you’re not astonished by the Gospel, then you don’t know the Gospel.
There is no greater feeling on earth than being FREE! Ask anyone who has stepped out of prison or broken free from oppression or has kicked an enslaving addiction. With confident expectation they begin a new life. Even more freedom and joy beyond words, are those who have experienced the gospel message found in the New Testament letter of Galatians. (Rom 1:16)
“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes” (Judges21:25). All human problems and pain are symptoms and the cause is our separation from God. The reason for all the abuse, brokenness and misery—is that we are not reconciled to God.
In some ways, the end of Samson is the end of the Judges story. The earlier passages give us a bird’s-eye view of things, only saying that the people “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1). The last four chapters of Judges give us a ground-level, detailed view of what life was like in Israel—the kind of spiritual condition God rescued them from (People without Hearts). Our character will either make us or break us in life. People of godly character 1st and foremost have a heart for God (Matt15:8-9; Hosea6:6; 2Chro17:9).
Have you ever given your best in a relationship and gotten the worst in return? Deep relational wounds can certainly diminish our sense of security and personal value. But even worse we tend to repeat the same mistakes of judgment over and over again or we build an impenetrable wall around our hearts to keep everyone out. Either way we and those closest to us lose. How do we let bad relationships make us wise rather than hard?
Character is about spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is NOT about age, appearance, academics, or achievements. It is about having a Christ-like attitude (Phil2:5). Behavior is the product of choices based on Biblical values (Thermostat/Proactive) vs. Behavior is the product of feelings based on people/things/circumstances (Thermometer/Reactive).
The first century church was living in a land of Dragons. It was difficult to be a Christian and they were struggling with two main things. They struggled with suffering and the temptation to compromise. Jesus gives this revelation to show that there is victory (nike) in the midst of all they are going through. It is found in Him. This grand finale of the Revelation not only rounds off this book, but the whole Bible itself.
The war for the hearts and souls of the next generation will be fought with the weapons forged by and for the Lord and the gates of Hell will not prevail.
What is the absolutely best thing about the Christian life? It is discovering and enjoying the presence of God! Today we meet a couple who encounter the presence of God and their lives are never the same. The more you hang out in the throne room of the powerful and personal King of the Universe, the more you’ll be satisfied and the less you’ll be intimidated by life.
On 4th of July alone, Americans consume 150 million hot dogs. Cheap hot dogs are a very little bit of meat & a whole lot of additives that are not good for you. Our next Judge (Jephthah) is a lot like many American Christians who have a very little bit of the meat of Christian faith with a whole lot of really bad additives from our culture poisoning their lives.
Gideon goes from cowardly (Judges 6) to courageous (Judges 7) to cocky (Judges 8). Gideon is a good leader who goes bad (rancid)…he never becomes an evil man, per se; he just spoils and ruins his ministry and his kids in the process leading the Israelites astray.
What is your favorite “underdog” or “comeback” story? The story of Gideon is much more than a great comeback story! When circumstances look the bleakest and our strength is the weakest is when God’s presence and power are the greatest. (2Cor12:9). Judges 6:12 “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
If you had to describe how God loves you right now, what would you write and what role would your circumstances play? The two most important questions you could ask: What God doing in my life? How should I be responding to Him? Phil1:6; Rom8:28-29 This passage of scripture will challenge and redefine what we think about the love of God.
The first century church was living in a land of Dragons. It was difficult to be a Christian and they were struggling with two main things. They struggled with suffering and compromise. Jesus gives this revelation to show that there is victory (nike) in the midst of all they are going through. It is found in Him. While this is written to the first century church, it is also written for us today. Do you struggle with suffering or compromise? He gives a picture perfect perspective.
Jesus said that there are more than two kinds of seeing and hearing (Matt13:13). Judges chapters 4 & 5 are dealing with the same events from two different perspectives. Judges 4 is from an earthly perspective (historian) and Judges 5 is from a heavenly perspective (poet). In chapter 4 God’s hand is hinted at and in chapter 5 He is everywhere. Uncommon Faith lives in chapter 4 with a chapter 5 perspective. Heb11:1; 2Cor5:7
If God has promised to be with us then we can face anything in life with strength and courage (Josh1:1-9) unless, of course, we are struggling with heart-forgetfulness (Spiritual amnesia). Spiritual amnesia happens when truths about God are clear to the mind but not captivating (real) to the heart. God’s people are in a self destructive cycle: Complacency->Compromise->Crisis->Crying out to God->Covenant Renewal
As Israel fought their way into possession of the promise land, we must fight on toward maturity and fullness of life defeating anything that would stand in the way. It wasn’t that Israel “could not” but they “would not” drive out their enemies and therefore now living among idols (Judges1:1-2:5). Nothing can rob you of the fullness of life Christ came to give, except idolatry. Idolatry is at the root of all of our sins. This is the second introduction and a summary of the whole book.
Fullness of life is to us what the promise land was to Israel. As they fought their way into possession of the promise land, we must fight on toward maturity, meeting and defeating enemies that would stand in our way. (John10:10; Josh1:1-9)
“In those days there was no king in Israel. It was a time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes” (Judges21:25). God’s people found themselves in a self destructive cycle over and over again of Complacency->Compromise-> Consequences-> Crying out to God-> Covenant Renewal. This study through the O.T. book of Judges will help us to daily face with faith and courage the choice between looking to God as our Lord, or following the inevitably destructive spirit & preferences of our pluralistic age.
A Creator owns you, a King rules you, but if that Creator or King is your Father all of His thoughts, feelings and actions are directed toward your best interests.
Our concept of God not only determines how we will relate to Him but also what we reveal about Him to others. These rules for prayer don’t earn or merit God’s attention. Christ’s indispensible and costly love on the cross has done that. They reveal whether you are praying to the real God of the Bible or a figment of your imagination.
We can pray because God is our loving Father, Christ is our mediator giving us access to the throne of the universe, and the Spirit Himself indwells us (Eph2:18). Learning how to pray is about learning the heart and art of prayer.
The driving force behind all great music, art, literature, drama, architecture and even great athletic performances is PASSION. Nothing great is ever accomplished without PASSION. Nothing great is ever sustained without PASSION. PASSION is what makes us come alive, vibrant, active, and creative. PASSION is what turns ordinary people into extraordinary. Nothing will REVIVE YOUR PASSION like living out the implications of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Prayer is conversation with God. However, conversations can remain mere exchanges of information that do not lead to true personal encounter and relationship. We don’t just want to know about God, but to know God, to seek his face and presence.
Prayer is an instinct, a gift, a conversation, an encounter with God—a foretaste of heaven on earth. Prayer is a continuation of a conversation God started. Since prayer is our reply to God, we need to explore how He first speaks and how we can learn to answer Him.
“We must know the awe of praising his glory, the intimacy of finding his grace, and the struggle of asking his help, all of which can lead us to know the spiritual reality of his presence. Prayer, then, is both awe and intimacy, struggle and reality. These will not happen every time we pray, but each should be a major component of our prayer over the course of our lives.” –Timothy Keller (This series is based on His book by the same title)
“Prayer is beyond any question the highest activity of the human soul. Man is at his greatest and highest when upon his knees he comes face to face with God.”- MLJ
Suffering has a way of reminding us of something that has always been true…we can’t survive or even thrive without vital union and communion with God.
When believers live in the fullness and power of the Holy Spirit the evidence in their lives will be supernatural. The church can’t help but be more beautiful and the world can’t help but be more attracted.” -- Francis Chan (Forgotten God)
The community of Jesus followers were a small group of broken people. Jesus had been taken to be put to death. Peter had denied Him, and His other followers had abandoned Him. However, after Jesus was resurrected, He sent word by the women who first went to His tomb that the disciples would see Him in Galilee (Mt. 28:10). Jesus was gently bringing restoration to this small group as a whole, and to the individuals within it.
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless (fully devoted) toward Him.
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless (fully devoted) toward Him.
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless (fully devoted) toward Him.
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless (fully devoted) toward Him.
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless (fully devoted) toward Him.
You can’t control what will happen to you in 2015 but you can control how you respond, which reveals your character. Your circumstances matter far less to your happiness than you think, it’s more about character. Your character is the sum total of your choices. We make our choices and then our choices make us.
The Lord’s promised return is the Christian’s blessed hope (Titus 2:13), yet the time of Jesus’ return and the manner in which he will come are highly debated issues. Studies of the events of His return are called studies of the “last things,” or “eschatology.” The most important question is, “How should we live in light of Christ’s return?”
The reason the church has very little impact on the culture around us is because we are too much like the culture around us. Life change doesn’t happen simply by trying harder to live according to biblical principles but by confronting the pseudo savior’s that are holding our hearts hostage, with the Gospel. Jesus may be our Savior in principle but in practice pseudo saviors can still control our heart’s deepest affections.
Worship is the life we live in Christ. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
When most people think of Jesus they only think of his past humble incarnation and neglect his current glorious exaltation. If you were to see Jesus today, it would be similar to what the Prophet Isaiah experience in Isaiah 6 (Jn12:41).
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just a historical FACT but can and should be a daily reality of FAITH powerfully transforming every part of our lives.
The Bible is not so much a set of disconnected stories giving us life lessons on what we must DO to be right with God, but it is a single story of what God has DONE through His Son to make us right with Him. At the heart of that story is the death of His Son. Why Did Jesus Die? So that we could be justified by grace through faith in Him! If you have this, it’s the end of your struggle for validation, worth, and acceptability.
The Bible isn't a book of rules or heroes as much as it’s a love story about a brave Prince (Jesus) who leaves His palace, His throne – everything – to rescue the one He loves.”-(Sally Lloyd Jones The Jesus Storybook Bible) The whole Bible is about this Prince (Jesus): The O.T. promises God’s rescuer through the mediator offices of Prophet, Priest & King and the N.T. presents God’s rescuer by fulfilling all three offices.
Christians believe the Bible is God’s Word because Jesus believed it. He didn’t simply believe the Bible but His life was saturated with it. If we believe he was who he said he was, then we must accept the entire Bible as God’s word. We can’t take on his Lordship and not have the same heart for Scripture that Jesus had. I believe in the bible b/c I believe in Jesus and I believe in Jesus b/c I believe in the bible. Isn’t that circular reasoning? Yes. So we must 1st start with seeing if the biblical accounts of Jesus are reliable.
No one is more hated or loved than Christ Jesus. Yet, those who dare to look beyond the prejudices and encounter the historical person and work of the real Jesus Christ are never ever the same.
Who is Jesus Christ? Since the 1st Century that question has never failed to create a stir. No one is more hated or loved and answers have ranged from Demon to Deity. Yet those who dare to look beyond the prejudices and encounter the historical person and work of the real Jesus Christ are never ever the same.
The more mature you become in the faith the more you realize that life is a battleground more than a playground. We have three enemies: Sin (nature), Society (values) & Satan (demonic influence) (Eph2:1-3).
Leadership is about influence. Whether you are a CEO, teacher, parent, or friend you will lead (influence) others either directly or indirectly for good or bad. What kind of leader (influencer) are you? (Matt18:1-6)
Life is a fiery furnace that can either burn you to a crisp or refine you as pure gold. Two people can go through similar circumstances with totally opposite responses. The same sun that hardens the clay melts the wax. It’s not the Sun but it’s the internal chemical structure of each substance. What are you made of? Daniel3:16-18
Living in light of eternity isn't something we do naturally. Most of us don't give death much thought until we lose someone close to us or have a close brush with it. How would you live if you knew you were going to die within the next year?
To be an armed and dangerous Christian is to be so equipped, fortified & prepared with the Gospel to not only face the challenges of life and not fail in times of crisis but to do some major damage to the kingdom of darkness by kicking down the gates of hell not just in your life but also in the lives of others (Matt16:13-19).
The gospel is about us being rescued from our worst-case scenario not just in the temporal but more importantly the eternal (John3:16). The more you see your dire condition without Christ (worst-case scenario) & the magnitude of His provision (Crucifixion, Resurrection & Ascension), the more you'll experience life-changing joy (Proclamation)! (1Pet1:8)
Jewish Christian believers were being persecuted for being Christians. Some wanted to return to Judaism, knowing they would not be persecuted. They thought that going back to worshiping God as they did in Judaism, would still be considered true worship. Hebrews is a sermon from a pastor warning them of the devastation of this, and encouraging them to keep fighting the true fight of faith.
Our calling isn’t to be judge, jury or jailer but to be witnesses for Christ (Act1:8). For the Christian, all of life is a witness stand giving testimony of the Beauty and Glory of the person and Work of Christ Jesus (Act4:20).
No one wants you to “love life and see good days” as much as your Father in Heaven wants for you! It’s not so much about what you possess or the absence of problems but the attitude that you bring to life. And that attitude has a lot to do with your character, conduct & convictions (spiritual maturity).
Mission Statement: Desert Breeze Community Church exists to provide a place where unchurched people can become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. (Jn10:10; 2Cor4:4, 11:3) Fullness of life = Full devotion to Christ!
Is your love for God con·ta·gious: spreading to & affecting others? Peter is teaching us how to live the Christian life in a non-Christian world (vv11-12) with a less than ideal…government (vv13-17), employer (vv18-21), following Jesus’ example of overcoming evil with good (vv21-25).
Peter is teaching us how to live the Christian life (The Gospel) in a non-Christian world (vv11-12) with a less than ideal…government (vv13-17), employer (vv18-21), marriage (3:1-7) & church (3:8-9). Is your love for God spreading to and affecting others? "The Christian is a person who makes it easy for others to believe in God." –Robert Murray McCheyne
Who are we as a church? What is our purpose? These questions have never been more important to the church than now. In todays passage, Peter is going to clear these questions up for us, knowing that out of being comes doing. Our Identity gives direction. Peter gives the church several titles of honor that are used for Old Testament Israel.
What you believe about Christ and yourself settles right here. Are you hungry for God’s word and truth today?
Maturity isn’t age, appearance, achievement or academics. Maturity is an attitude like Christ (Phil2:5).
1John gives us three tests for genuine Christianity: Doctrinal test (1Jn5:1), Moral test (1Jn3:9) & Social test (1Jn4:7). It is possible to have both doctrinal accuracy & moral integrity and not be a loving person.
The basis for the process of finding wholeness in a broken world is being born again. When you are born again you…see the invisible…hear the inaudible…expect the impossible & experience joy inexpressible because you are finally alive to the empowering presence of the living God.
To the degree I am captivated by God’s holiness (He has no rivals or imperfections & is of infinite & eternal worth & value) is to the degree I’ll be holy (wholly God’s).
To the degree I am captivated by God’s holiness (He has no rivals or imperfections) is to the degree I’ll be holy (wholly God’s). Holiness is giving your life wholly to God…mind (head), emotions (heart) & will (hands).
God is holy means that He has no rivals or imperfections in all of His attributes. Holiness is giving your life wholly to God…mind (head), emotions (heart) & will (hands). To the degree I am captivated by God’s holiness is to the degree I’ll be wholly God’s.
In 1:1-12 Peter describes our great salvation. Wholeness is given to us as a gift, purchased by the Lord Jesus Christ. In 1:13-21 Peter tells us what the response to this great salvation should be.
It is one thing to know the gospel in your head & be able to articulate it accurately but it is altogether another when the truth of the gospel captivates your heart. The Gospel isn’t the ABC’s of the Christian faith but the A to Z of the Christian faith. Growth in Christ is never going beyond the gospel, but going deeper into the gospel
Because this world was made by a triune God, relationships of love are what life is really all about. The essence of Christianity isn’t rules, rituals or routines but about relationships.
Holiness (wholeness) and hardship are inextricably connected. Fiery trials don't have to make you bitter but can make you better. It's not what happens TO you but IN you that matters most. It’s your Biblical world view or lack thereof that makes you or breaks you.
Holiness and hardship are inextricably connected. Americans are the least prepared for hardship. Christians should be the most prepared. (Daniel 3:16-18)
We are here to celebrate that through the Crucifixion & Resurrection of our Savior we can have a changed life, a fullness of life, a life that most people only dream about. This brand new life is the foundation to finding wholeness in a broken world. How does this life change happen?
Those who know God never grow bored! Because there is always more of God to know, more adventure to be pursued, greater pleasure to be experienced!
James tells us that Elijah was a man with emotions like ours (James 5:17). Elijah had just experienced God in a powerful way but now finds himself disoriented and dry. The flame was flickering and he was not hearing God. Have you been there? Are you there now?
What does it mean to be a Christian? What does it mean to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ? Full devotion = Fullness of life This audio includes the message as well as the baptism audio for all three weekend gatherings.
Jesus suffered not that we wouldn't suffer but that when we suffered we would suffer well!
There is a major difference between wrestling against God and wrestling with God. Wrestling against God wants nothing to do with God except for maybe as a means to an end. Wrestling with God is struggling to more fully embrace God and what He has for us. Progress in the Christian life always involves struggle & pain. No struggle & pain is too great if it brings us a greater capacity for the beauty and glory of Christ
A faith that has not been challenged by doubts is a naive faith that will be defenseless against tragedy & sneering skeptics. A dose of doubt can either strengthen or weaken your faith. The Bible neither condones nor condemns, but challenges our doubts.
Community with people and the God who made us is an indispensible condition of human flourishing. You can only be loved to the extent that you are known. By nature we hide & our pretense keeps us from being completely loved. Ps145:18
To the degree I know that I have peace with God (Rom5:1) is to the degree I’ll experience the peace of God (Phil4:7) ruling my heart to face anything.
If you don’t rest yourself you’ll eventually wreck yourself. There is a kind of weariness even when you rest and a kind of rest even when you are exerting energy. The rest we need is both body & soul.
Are you letting Media Mania strangle your soul? Rom12:2; Ps46:10 Scatter brained/Shallow/Self-absorbed (Narcissistic)
We live in an age where the future happiness and success of our children trumps all other concerns. It is a time where most parents are in a panic to give their children more options and opportunities than ever before. Has parenting become more complicated than it needs to be?
If you’re going to go from burnout to balance you must do first things first because you can’t do it all and time is running out. Unlike money, time cannot be stored and yesterday’s time is gone forever and will never come back. Time is one of our most precious resources.
The more you understand the significance of God completely giving His life for you, the more you can’t help but want to completely live your life for Him. How do you find balance between doing nothing and doing everything?
A crazy busy lifestyle will rob you of intimacy with God & a life without intimacy with God will drive you into a crazy busy lifestyle.
When we are Crazy Busy we put our souls at risk. The challenge is to not let our spiritual lives slip away.
Have you ever been so caught up in whatever season you are in, that you have found that your love has grown cold? How do you fight to have love flow through your veins and warm you again? In today's passage from Revelation, we see that the church in Ephesus had abandoned the love they had at first (cf. Eph 6:24,Rev.2:4). While Jesus lovingly walks among the churches and cares for her, he addresses this need to rekindle. May we really hear these words to us today.
How can you know beyond all doubt that you are saved? This is a serious question not just because it keeps some people from a state of fear but it keeps others from being dead wrong.
Because this world was made by a triune God, loving relationships with God & one another are what life is really all about. Loving relationships—especially within the family of God—are among our most powerful means of communicating the gospel.
Anxiety (worry) is the most prevailing quality of our modern culture. God’s will for your life is that you would not be anxious about anything.
Everyone lives for some kind of treasure. Christ is the only treasure worth leaving everything for! (Phil3:8)
How do you grow in your love for God & others, even to the point of loving your enemies? Plunging yourself consistently in the soul satisfying love of God through prayer.
Love Philanthropy? You're receiving so much love from God that you recklessly give it away without expecting anything in return. Christianity is a set of drastically transformed interrelated relationships with God, myself and others.
The more skillful we are at impression management (hiding), the more the healing power of community is diminished and the more we are trapped in our loneliness. People gripped by God’s grace will be people of integrity (openness, honesty & authenticity).
Sexual desire is good, except when it’s bad. Sex is a heart issue, one that our culture has made only physical and the consequences are devastating.
Jesus is not only concerned with our behavior but also the beliefs that drive it and the power to do it.
People gripped by God's grace (vv3-12) will be Salt & Light in this world & will be persecuted (vv11-16).
This Psalm teaches us how to handle anything in life. The reason we are overcome by life’s trauma, trials and temptations is because in the content of our self-talk we forget the Gospel (His benefits).
Nothing overcomes apathy for the Word of God like an appetite for the God of that Word. The more you are overwhelmed by the relentless love of God for you, the more you will be relentless in your love for Him & His Word.
Contentment! Everyone wants it, very few find it, the billion dollar add industry preys on our lack of it, poor men are rich with it, rich men are poor without it and it can only ultimately be found in the Good Shepherd.
Our psalm today is called a “song of ascent” or a “pilgrim song”. These songs (Ps. 120-135) were sung together with the people of God as they journeyed to Jerusalem, to take part in the Jewish feasts. Each Psalm has a theme. Psalm 130 is about Hope (waiting). In this song, the psalmist goes from the depths of despair to the mountain of hope in eight verses. It is such a glorious journey for the psalmist that he invites you along with him.
There is a popular saying within the sports community that says, “Defense wins championships”. Find out what Psalm 144 has to say about going to war with our enemy!
God is closer than you think & more eager to connect with you than you could ever dream or imagine & nothing will bring you greater fullness of joy.
When it comes to the hits we take in life we only have two choices: It’s either the bondage of bitterness or the freedom of forgiveness.
5) Knowing that God is the author of your story (Providence of God) how can you find rest in His loving & wise control even when life doesn't make sense (Rom8:28; Gen50:20; Pro3:5-6)? What does it mean to live in communion with the Holy Spirit (vv14-15; John 16:6-13; 1Cor2:10-16)? Thank God that He is not only an atoning Savior but an Authoritative Counselor. Where are you needing guidance for your life today? Pray.
The absolutely best part of being a Christian is intimacy with the Infinite! There’s nothing more soul satisfying & life liberating than to live in fellowship (friendship, relationship, intimacy) with the Creator & Sustainer of the Heavens & the Earth!
Experiencing God is more than just knowing and doing the will of God; it is having a personal encounter with Him that stirs emotion and directs our hearts back to Him. (Reletionship)
There’s no greater prescription for what ails our soul than deep communion with God (book of Psalms).
Although some anxiety is beneficial, many people have anxiety issues that interfere with their lives. It’s the #1 mental health issue. Therefore, what is your strategy for facing the difficulties of life? David shows us that there is one thing, that if we have it, we can face anything
There's no greater prescription for what ails our soul than deep communion with God (book of Psalms). Christians are the happiest people in the world when they are living in the reality of the infinite & eternal wealth given through the sacrificial love of Christ.
Fire (Neh8 The Spirit & Word of God) naturally grows when it has enough fuel (Neh9-10 Heart of repentance) & oxygen (Neh11-12 Community).
Three components to fire: Heat, Fuel & Oxygen. Heat = Holy Spirit/Word of God (Chapter 8) Fuel = Heart of Repentance (Chapters 9-10) Oxygen = Community (Chapters 11-12) Neglecting your need for community by claiming to be above it is as foolish as pretending you can live without oxygen.
Fire Components: Heat, Fuel & Oxygen. Heat = Holy Spirit/Word of God. Fuel = Heart of Repentance. Repentance is turning from sin and trusting in the Savior. (Acts3:19) It's the goodness of God that leads to repentance-which is a way of life.
What is revival? It is an intensification of the normal work of the Holy Spirit making Christ more real to us.
Three components to fire: Heat, Fuel & Oxygen.
Welcome to our annual Youth Sunday presented by the Backdraft Student Ministries led by Pastor Ryan Davis. This special service includes worship led by the Backdraft band, dramas, testimony video, and a message from Ryan.
Pastors Scott Fameli and Daren Dirksen bring the church up to speed on the various DB outreach efforts across the globe as well as an update to our building project.
I believe that the evidence surrounding the claims of Christianity is simply overwhelming & its message simply irresistible. But what if I still have doubts?
Christ's severest warnings were not given to atheists but to very religious people. Jesus' teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of His day.
Dogmatic Assertion: Absolute truth is a straightjacket. It harms and erodes freedom. Everyone deserves the right to determine their own truth.
The Doctrine of Hell is a topic we can't afford to be wrong on. Jesus spoke about hell more often & in more vivid terms than anyone else in the Bible.
It is a question that is as old as the first tear, and as recent as the latest newscast. People defect from the faith because they are deceived by the pleasures of life and/or disillusioned by the pressures of life intensified by the skeptics all around us in life.
Thesis: You can reason to a point of probability (proof) beyond a reasonable doubt that the Bible is reliable & building your life on it is a brilliant thing to do.
The Gospel is head sound (rational) and heart satisfying (relational). Christ not only appeals to our minds but He also fills our hearts.
There's no status quo in the Christian life...you're either going forward or going back. Momentum is sustained forward progress.
Nehemiah's passion for the glory of God and for the good of others has driven him to lead the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. They have met a lot of opposition but nothing has halted the project... Until now! Nehemiah and the people get a much needed integrity check. Let us take time to also check ours.
The extent to which two people in a relationship can bring up & resolve issues is an important sign of relational health.
What is Satan's most effective scheme against you? Is it Pride, Anger, Envy, Lust, Greed, Gluttony or Laziness? NO...Discouragement, resulting from Opposition! Have you felt like giving up lately? How do you press on beyond those quitting points? 2Cor4:7-9
Nehemiah has the impossible task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. What do you do when the odds are against you? How do you face impossibilities?
How do you keep your life full of zeal & fervor for the Lord? Finding our deepest satisfaction in God is not a luxury but a necessity for not only displaying God's greatness & goodness but to sustain us through the very painful and wearisome task of rebuilding brokenness.
We're all broken but God is in the business of rebuilding our brokenness! The rebuilding of our broken lives is a joint venture between God & us. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Everyone has experienced something of brokenness i.e. heart, home, health, finances, dreams, relationships, etc. It's brokenness that keeps us from receiving and giving God's amazing love and reaching our full potential.
We want to be a particular kind of church that is radically transformed in our thoughts, feelings and actions because of a deep durable delight in the Beauty & Glory of who Jesus is and what He has done for us that ruins us for anything else (Christian Hedonism!).
How do you know that the Gospel is on the Move OUT of your life? When the Gospel of Jesus Christ gets a hold of you, you�re consumed with a desire to grow in it and tell others about it!
As we get ready to make one of the biggest & most strategic moves in the history of db, more importantly, we want God to move exponentially "IN" our lives and then move contagiously "OUT" of our lives making a dramatic difference in our world.
Unresolved guilt and shame are emotional terrorists holding us hostage to the past, harassing us in the present and hindering our future potential.
Christmas is more than a baby in a manger. It is heaven invading earth so that earth can experience heaven. It is about "God with us" (Matt1:23). The Prophet Isaiah gives us further insight into what the impact of would have on our lives. Isa.9:6 says, "His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor (helps us with the dullness of life), Mighty God (helps us with the difficulties of life), Everlasting Father (helps us with the dimensions of life), Prince of Peace (helps us with the disturbances of life)."
Sooner or later everyone will be shaken by circumstances that defy explanation making you feel profoundly abandoned by God. There is only one thing worse than disappointment w/ God & that's disappointment without God. Ps91:1-2
Individual wholeness is the key to healthy relationships and individual wholeness comes from knowing Christ our Wonderful Counselor who leads us from dullness to fullness of life!
A postcard of the Grand Canyon is nothing compared to standing on its edge entranced by Beauty & Glory. Entranced by God's beauty & glory in Worship is not only the best mood-altering drug but nothing will make you a more radically generous person.
If you are a recipient of love beyond this world & friendship that cannot be equaled then you will leverage your money to create a fellowship of friends that will last forever.
There's a major difference between the richness of having and the richness of being. It's the difference between being foolish or wise with money.
All of our "Money Woes" both personally & culturally are due to misplaced values because we either don't know Christ or aren't living in the reality of the true wealth we have in Him.
Yay God! Several people make their faith public through baptism, Pastor Ray presents the Gospel, we hear a powerful testimony of healing and God's grace, and special musical performances from Surenda. Don't miss this season's Celebration Sunday!
As Christians, when we lose love ones we grieve but not like the world grieves. Because we have hope! Hope is not wishful thinking but a joyful certainty about the future.
Justification leads to Justice. Justification = God accepts you through Christ therefore you will live as you should. Justice = is being a Good Samaritan who meets needs through loving deeds.
We worship our work, work at our play & play at our worship until we encounter Christ & all of life becomes worship including work & play. In other words God wants us to live life to its fullest in every area of life and that includes work.
The theme of Jesus' preaching and ministry is the good news of the kingdom reign. Jesus goes to a mountain and sits down with His disciples and teaches them in front of a diverse crowd of followers, what it means to live in this kingdom.
Nothing can rob you of the fullness of life Christ came to give, except for idolatry. Idolatry is the sin beneath the sin.
People tend to think that there are two ways to relate to God: to follow Him and do His will or to reject Him and do your own thing. But, there are three ways to relate to God: religion, irreligion and the gospel.
It's 6th Cent BC & God's people have been humiliated in war, torn from the Promise Land & living in exile in the beautiful & brutal city of Babylon. What do you do when dreams are shattered & all hope is gone? How do you live in a culture that is hostile to your beliefs & values?
Satan doesn't leave fang marks on your flesh but lies in your heart to distort your view of God through temptation & accusation. Without your spiritual armor you are a pawn in the devil's game!
If Jesus came to give us fullness of life (Jn10:10) why is my life anything but that? IT'S A WAR...the thief comes to kill, steal & destroy! If the devil can't get you to go to hell he will bring as much hell into your life he can to make you miserable minimizing your impact.
We are diving into what the Bible has to say about the major topics of family life and work life.
Single and lonely or married and bored are not your only options according to God's loving wise plan!
The Spirit-filled life is the most amazing life you could ever hope or dream to live this side of heaven!
We were made for community. Relationships are a part of that system. Join us as we dive into the complexities and dynamics of relationships based on Biblical principles.
It's a classic story and the ultimate upset! Stinky, puny, shepherd boy VS big, stinky, barbarian warrior giant. Our identity in God has everything to do with what we consider a risk for God.
It's not walking in the light that makes us a Christian (being saved by what we do) but because we are Christians (being saved by what Christ has done for us) we will walk in the light.
You must no longer walk as unbelievers do (v17). Putting off the old self (v22) means you stop looking to anything other than God for your deepest satisfaction. Put on the new self (v24) means to make God your ultimate object of worship because He is our most satisfying reality. Be renewed in the spirit of your minds (v23) means living for God's Glory motivated by God's love according to God's Word. Pay attention to your uncontrollable or inconsolable emotions and you'll discover hanging from the roots of them are your counterfeit gods (idols). Life change happens when you identify your idols & begin to look to Christ to meet the need that you are trying to have met through the idol.
One of the greatest things about Christianity is that it gives you the resources for radical life transformation. Everyone has something that they want to change about themselves unless of course they are deceiving themselves (1John1:8). In this passage we are able to see how this change comes about.
If your inner life is strong then your outer life can be overcome but if your inner life is weak you're headed for a wild ride. Your biggest problems aren't external but internal. If you have the internal strength of the Holy Spirit you can face anything!
"So, I ask you not to lose heart"-(v13). When someone you love is suffering or you are suffering your heart can get taken out of you (Gr. to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted; you get cold, bitter, numb, cynical about life, feel like giving up). It can happen in general or in a specific area of your life i.e. marriage, finances, health, job, relationship with Christ, etc.
he Backdraft youth ministry is taking over the Sunday service and packing it full of testimonies, music, and a message from Youth Pastor, Ryan Davis. Be sure to check this one out as we celebrate what God is doing in our young people at DBCC!
It's what you were created for, it's what man lost but Christ restored, more than anything else God uses it to heal people, many think they have it but don't, nothing will give you greater joy & spiritual vitality like it, riches are best measured by it and our need for it with people and the God who made us is to the human spirit what food/air/water is to the human body. What is it?
A sure sign God's power is at work is when people outside the church who were enemies now inside the church are family. That's Paul's point in this text.
This is one of the richest texts in the Bible on what it means to be a Christian. Join us as we dive into the text and discover what it means to be truly alive!
We have everything we need already in us, through Christ to live the kind of life we all dream about (v3). Why are so many Christians not living up to their privilege & potential? Because we lack Vision (Pro29:18)! This is a model prayer for vision.
You can live 40 days without food, just a few days without water, 4-6 min without O2, but not a single second without hope (Prov.13:12). Human beings are unavoidably hope based creatures. How you live in the present in inevitably shaped by what you believe about your future.
The more you understand God's blessing the less you can restrain yourself & adequately articulate its multi-faceted irresistible attractiveness!
Give up your small ambitions & repent of your low expectations! There's no hurt that can't be healed or addiction that can't be broken or problem that can't be overcome!
If you are going to endure hardship you must see the loving WISE control of God. Peace is confidence in God's loving WISE control of my life. Counterfeit of peace is indifference, apathy or not caring. Opposite of peace is anxiety and worry that God isn't going to get it right.
Could an observer learn from the way you love others anything at all about the sacrificial love of God for you? Most have a very simple & shallow view of God's love. When God's love for you goes from concept (head) to reality (heart) it is indeed heaven on earth in which the spiritually underfed are alien to.
What is your strategy for calamity? We will learn one thing that can get us through anything. Join us as we dive into the mind-blowing topic of God's Beauty.
You were made to enjoy the riches of the Glory of God! No topic brings you greater healing & wholeness then beholding God's Glory & no topic brings with it more spiritual warfare.
We fight many battles in life: relational, financial, physical, etc. How can we win against all odds? The Promise land was to the Israelites what fullness of life (holiness) is to us. When God calls you to be holy because He is holy (1Pet.1:16) you are being called to do what will bring you the deepest & most durable joy.
If we are here by random chance & unlimited time than life has no purpose & you have no value but, if we are here by Divine Design than that will make all the difference in the world.
God is closer than you think and is more eager to connect with you than you could ever dream. It's not God but us who needs to show up amid the clutter. The invitation to "taste and see the Lord is good" is for you.
Great theology leads to healthy psychology producing soul satisfying doxology. That God is triune is a mystery and the mysteries of God are not meant to be conquered but to be celebrated. The term Trinity is not found in the Bible but the concept is clearly there and the implications are stunningly beautiful.
Peter writes a letter to the church right before he is about to be put to death for his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He yearns for what he has to say to resonate throughout the church. His desire is for Christians to grow.
The best part of being a Christian is fellowship with God! Those who fellowship with God, never grow bored because there is always more of God to know, more joy to be had, greater pleasure to experience!
Whenever you are terribly anxious, angry or depressed--it's because at that moment you've forgotten who the God of the Bible is or you've never really known Him. Moses believed in God but it wasn't until this encounter that God became a living reality to him.
What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. Fore we tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God - A.W. Tozer.
Ring in the new year as we celebrate what God's done in the lives of people at Desert Breeze and a highlight of the 5-G process that will conclude ministry in 2011.
Celebrate the Christmas season with us. Interviews with kids, a short message, and the wildest 12 Days of Christmas we've ever seen!
You have an enemy and if he can't get you to go to hell he will bring hell to you. (Jn10:10/Matt16:13-20) But Jesus said: Hell won't prevail!
When-not if-the storms in life hit, it is important that we understand the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. Join us as we look at a very intense experience Paul had during a real storm.
What is your life's story all about? Did you realize that you have a testimony in the making? Join us this week as we look at Paul's testimony and how radically different he was after he encountered the living God.
Fellowship characterizes those who follow Christ. Yes, there are both up�s and downs to Christian fellowship but the up�s outweigh the downs by far but you�ve got to learn how to keep the down side of fellowship up.
In our efforts to become more like Christ and display Him in our lives, we often forget about the legacy we leave behind. It's important that we ask ourselves what we will leave behind one day. Whether it's tomorrow or many years from now, we should be living lives that reflect Jesus and let our legacy glorify God
Imagine seeing the Holy Spirit manifest His power in front of you very eyes. Guess what: you can! Check out this week's message in Acts 19
Do you or have you ever suffered from burnout? Paul did! Check out this week's message as we study through Acts 18 and learn important principles to help us avoid burnout
What idols do you have in your life? What is it that you put as #1 instead of God? What is the ultimate treasure of your heart? Join us this weekend as we dive into Acts 17 and examine the world of idols that we live in
We're looking at a situation in Acts 15 where Paul, Barnabas, and other church leaders struggle with the religion and the Christian life.
Once you've tasted the goodness of God you'll want everyone you care about to know it! Why do so many Christians struggle in sharing their faith?
There is not a more exciting rewarding adventure than the one every Christian has been called to!
Check out this week as we see the ultimate prison break where an angel busts out Peter, then the praying church can't believe it.
Join us as we examine a Biblical example of handling criticism and how it applies to our lives.
On a journey to Damascus to persecute Christian men and women to the death, Saul has an Encounter with God that results in his conversion. In this encounter we see an amazing example of the glory and beauty of Jesus displayed. (1 Tim 1:16)
Steven faced martyrdom with boldness, calmness, joy and forgiveness. How did He do that? He understood this amazing Biblical truth: The Priesthood of Believers.
What is the most important thing God is doing on planet Earth? What is a healthy (vital) church?
Par.a.dox is a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. Thesis: The normal Christian life reaches & repels, receives blessings & beatings while treasuring Jesus above all things displaying His infinite worth & value.
Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, floods, forest fires have been headline news since the beginning of 2011 reminding us that we live in a fallen world and none of us are immune to crisis or catastrophe. (Hebrews 12:24-29) If I am shaken by God I will be unshaken by this world and become a shaker of this world.
A characteristic of someone who is walking in vital union with Jesus Christ is courage under fire.