South Plains Sermons: Recent Episodes
South Plains Church of Christ
South Plains Church of Christ exists to engage others, leading them into a relationship with Jesus, and Celebrating with them the hope, healing, and redemption that comes through him. We pray that these messages reveal God's truth to you. If you would like to request prayer please visit southplains.info.
God uses ordinary people of faith. Significance is found in God’s plans.
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Jim is out sick, so Elder and long time member, Charles Stephenson preaches.
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We don’t have a time problem, but a priority problem. Restlessness and hopelessness are the enemies of redeeming work.
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A special message from student ministers, Sam and Carter, as well as recognition of our graduating high school seniors.
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You are not who you say you are, you are who God says you are.
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The greatest money danger is inside you, not inside your bank account. Materialism is finding your security and self-worth in excess accumulation.
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Today we recognized our University Graduates and heard a special message from University Minister, Kent Mereness.
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How does pornography warp God’s design for sex? Pornography rips the gift of sex away from the God who created it with devastating consequences.
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How does the Hope of Jesus lead us to overcome addiction? The solution to the sin of excess and consumption is God-given contentment, being satisfied with who you are in Christ.
How the foundation of the risen Jesus leads to overcoming false gods (idols) in our lives. Addiction takes so much but Jesus gives eternally more. Commitment over consumption.
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A look at the Old Testament prophecy about Jesus’ resurrection, the hinge of hope. God wants everyone to experience the miracle of resurrection. When the fear of death shakes you, the resurrection of Christ assures you.
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Working with Open Door, South Plains has supported Chase Smith as a minister there since the Sumer of 2014. Their focus is on developing a community that trusts God, knowing that relationships with God and one another are the most powerful causes of transformation in the poor and homeless, as well as us all. Since becoming a part of the ministry team at Open Door, Chase has been able to dedicate more time to the ongoing Kingdom work among the community.
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A look at the lives of Pricilla and Aquila and how they equipped Apollos, showing how teamwork requires an intentional focus where God places you. And how the smallest most ordinary gesture can make a huge difference.
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How Paul helps Timothy. A mentoring friendship helps you find the real you; helps you mature in your faith; helps you seek God’s power not your own; helps you find joy in God’s hard but rewarding work. Let us help each other surrender to who Christ is, to what he can do in us and ultimately give us the victory.
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A special message from Bobby Clark.
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How does Aaron support Moses? Support a friend with God’s agenda. Humility and sacrifice.
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The bond between Jonathan and David. Loyalty endures as a friend pursues God’s heart, is rooted in bravery and humility, and is destroyed by jealousy.
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Jesus is the perfect example of friendship and the perfect friend.
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A special message from University Minister, Kent Mereness.
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Why do we need to be seen? Why do we long for a God who sees us? And what difference does that make to us? The story of Hagar found in Genesis 16 – the loneliest and most unseen any person has ever felt.
What can the church do for the community: help us deal with loneliness.
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This message focuses on looking forward with vision to the next 50 years as we celebrate the first 50 years of South Plains Church of Christ.
Being adopted into the new family of God brings rights, privileges and responsibilities. Romans 8:12-17
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Visit southplains.org to request prayer and to stay up to date, or join our Facebook Group.
From Proverbs 3:25-26; Luke 11:27-28 considering Mary as a courageous woman, a model of courageous obedience to God. There were many reasons for Mary to have fear (Matt 1:18-25) but she chose to put her confidence in God’s promises and make his work her priority. Evil is real but grace always wins.
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From Isaiah 49:15-16; Matt 2:13-15; Luke 2:14-20, and 39-52 we consider Mary’s role as a mother. A mother’s tough tenderness is a reflection of God himself. Mary’s willingness to be with Jesus so that he could be with us. God’s sovereignty. Living for Jesus is recognizing that God’s treasures are wrapped in humility.
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From Isaiah 49:15-16; Matt 2:13-15; Luke 2:14-20, and 39-52 we consider Mary’s role as a mother. A mother’s tough tenderness is a reflection of God himself. Mary’s willingness to be with Jesus so that he could be with us. God’s sovereignty. Living for Jesus is recognizing that God’s treasures are wrapped in humility.
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Mary is unlike any other person in the Scriptures, especially when talking about the virgin birth of Jesus, but she is also like others in the Scriptures. She is there to do one thing ultimately, and that is to reveal something about Jesus, to be a willing vessel God can use for his great kingdom purpose in the world.
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Visit southplains.org to request prayer and to stay up to date, or join our Facebook Group.
Our extraordinary Redeemer brings the grace of God that breaks through all our sins. The grace of God grafts all kinds of people into his kingdom.
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Marriage is for God and from God. Committed marriages require patience and honor. Marriage is NOT based on self-fulfillment but on self-denial. Stop looking for a soul-mate when who you really need is a Savior.
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God works in all things, so says Paul in Romans 8:28. All things are everyday life things, every person things, so ordinary people. The third chapter is the climax in many ways. In it three themes emerge: commitment, redemption and wisdom.
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God is in control but your decisions still matter in his plan. God expects you to take the initiative when he provides an opportunity. God honors humble, hard-working people.
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God blesses relationships tied together with honesty and faithfulness, and his grace extends beyond geographic and ethnic borders.
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A special message from Rob Anderson, Groups Minister.
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A special message from Rob Anderson, Groups Minister.
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The final message in this series looks at the victory we have through the resurrection of Jesus. There is a way out of the darkness! The Good News in victory is we are justified, not accused.
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Satan was busily seeking throughout the Old Testament to destroy anyone who could potentially be the Messiah. And in the New, Satan works hard to lure Jesus away, thus the personal temptations, because you can’t absolutely trust God: Serve yourself, Receiving is better, and prove yourself. Satan was even working in Peter to get in the way of God’s plan of salvation.
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We don’t want to obsess over the enemy, but we do want to be aware of him. Satan is intelligent, but he is unwise; strategic, but flawed. He is powerful but defeated. Those who follow Jesus are people of light, and light always overpowers darkness. Don’t live in fear. Don’t be deceived. Live for Jesus, stand on his Good News. He is stronger.
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The spiritual struggle is the basis for all conflict in the physical world.To be equipped for the unseen struggle puts us in a better position for the seen struggles. This is what Paul points to in Ephesians 6; we are to be strengthened by the mighty power of God, to stand against the strategies of the enemy. What does this armor have to do with being part of the movement of light Jesus started?
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A special message from University Minister, Kent Mereness.
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The commandment, "Do not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor." This final command shifts to attitude, motive, internal desire. It is an ungodly desire that brings discontentment.
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The commandment "Do not bear false testimony." Truth is the bond of a genuine relationship. The most important truth is not what you know but who you know.
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The commandment "Do not steal" is bigger than the issue of property. It is depriving someone of what rightfully belongs to them. It’s injustice.
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The commandment 14 Do not commit adultery - we need to cherish the covenant of marriage. Marriage is for God and from God. It is meant to glorify God. The Scriptures opens with a wedding, between Adam and Eve and also ends with a wedding, between Christ and his bride the Church. It is God who gives us marriage. We should seek to understand his purposes for it.
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Every life has value. The commandment 13 Do not murder - is clear cut, open and shut. Murder is wrong. We value life because God values life. It is a gift from God.
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“Honor your father and your mother.” This command transitions us from God’s direct claims to how we treat others, and that starts in the home. “Honor” means to recognize the value of someone and act accordingly. The New Testament is clear, part of your devotion to Jesus is honoring your parents.
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“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” When God rested on the 7th day, he didn’t rest because he was tired or exhausted, but because he was revealing something about his redemption.
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“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God”. This commandment is about words. Words have meaning and they matter, they are important. How we use God’s name matters. We need to be careful about trivializing God or using his name falsely. He tells us who he is. We are to use the Lord’s name in a way that honors him; and live a life of integrity.
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“You shall not make for yourself an image (idol)”. This commandment is about worship. Bad worship and Good worship. Good worship begins with submitting yourself to God. In view of God’s Mercy… offer your life…; “Let us come before him” into his presence Ps 95:2. Bad worship is trying to use anything other than Jesus to get closer to God.
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“You shall have no other gods before me.” Jesus demands you give up anything that comes between you and God.
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A special message from Small Groups Minister, Rob Anderson.
Psalm 42
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Being Part of The Church - Romans 12:1-5 - What does it mean to be a part of the body, part of this church family, unified for God’s mission? Sharing life, sharing needs, sharing resources, sharing the Good News.
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Being The Church - Ephesians 1:22-23 - We are called out of the world into the body of Christ, only to be sent back into the world on the mission of God.
John 17:14-18 The core of the Christian mission: 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world."
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A special message from Youth Ministers, Carter Shuman and Sam Reynolds.
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Happy Mother's Day!!
Matthew 28:18-20 - God has given the church a mandate to make disciples. And as individuals he has given us a church family for a context where we can be discipled.
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What does it mean to be a disciple? Discipleship is the process of devoting yourself to becoming like the one teaching you. It’s not hard to understand, but you must be willing to accept it. (John 6:49-69)
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The story of Paul and Barnabas being sent out on mission by God to Pisidian Antioch. We are called to be on mission whatever choices we make. Sometimes the will of God is more about being obedient in a choice than the choice itself.
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We are compelled by God’s demonstration of love, to tell others the Good News. The Gospels all are telling the story of Jesus moving towards Jerusalem (Lk 9:51), towards the cross. In Acts the story is of Jesus’ people moving away from Jerusalem on the mission of God. (Acts 1:1-11) To be witnesses of the Good News of Jesus. To pick up where Jesus left off.
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How important is the resurrection really? It is the cornerstone of the faith. If you don’t believe in the resurrection, you cannot be a Christ follower. A major problem today is people who believe there is no hope! If you believe in the resurrection you have eternal hope. Jesus literally rose from the dead, because God literally loves us. That’s how important it is. (Matthew 28:1-10) The point is to celebrate Jesus so you will proclaim Jesus. Even in our failure and fears, God’s love is greater.
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In the most basic of terms, the cross is death. A crucifixion was brutal. (Romans 5:8): “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” This is the idea of grace. Jesus relentlessly pursuing you even when you are at your worst. A case study for this is in Luke 23:32-43. The thief on the cross. The cross is where the justice of God intersects with the love of God. Everyone is guilty, but anyone can be saved.
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We begin looking at “hope”, by considering the suffering of Jesus at the conclusion of his earthly ministry. John 18 begins (what is referred to as) the passion of Christ. Jesus’ passion was his willingness to suffer for the kingdom of God. This is the connection between the cross and the kingdom. The King had to suffer. We don’t stand before God through our own strength, but through the strength of Jesus Christ. This is Good News!
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In John 4 Jesus provides us a picture of living water, the Holy Spirit. The woman in this story knew that the coming of the Messiah is central. And Jesus tells her “I am he.” Jesus breaks down barriers. Anyone can be saved at anytime and anywhere. We all thirst for the same thing: God! Many came to believe in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony. That is the power of the Holy Spirit working in you.
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As followers of Jesus, redeemed by his blood, he sends us out into the everyday world to share the Good News of God’s redemption. He doesn’t send us without what we need, he fills us with the Holy Spirit so that we might finish his mission.
Luke 9:1-6, 10:1-3, 20:35-38
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As followers of Jesus, we are recipients of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The church must know and experience the Holy Spirit, but on God’s terms not our own. My hope is that the Spirit moves in such a way you know it is him. In the early church, you can say they were fired up, but the truth is they were filled up, and you cannot deny the power of what happened; it changed the world. God can!
Acts 2:1-13
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The call for peace comes from a place of fear. Ps 4:7-8 True peace is found only in the sovereignty of God. Jesus is predicted to be the prince of peace. Jesus explains his peace in John 14:30
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Do You See What I See?
Prophecies of Advent: Immanuel
God’s name “Immanuel” helps us understand how God is with us. Jesus is the answer. We need God with us.
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Do You See What I See?
Prophecies of Advent: Egypt
Jesus answered the question “Who Am I?” with support from the Old Testament. The OT prophecies point to the coming Jesus. “Out of Egypt I called my Son.” Evil is hostile to grace, but grace always wins. You are either receptive to grace or hostile to grace.
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The biggest sign that is mostly ignored. The sign of life. The bad news is never the last news.
Luke 24:1-12
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Due to technical difficulties we do not have recordings of the first 2 sermons in this series.
Today we received a special message from Jim Gullette as we celebrated his nearly 40 year partnership in missions with South Plains .
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Everyone admires a person with resolve. People who are determined to reach their goal and not easily disturbed impress all of us. One difficulty in our spiritual lives is we quit. But the people who please God are those who tough it out regardless of the cost. The greatest example of sheer determination is Jesus himself. From the moment Jesus began his ministry, he was resolved to die for the sins of the world. And when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, he offered no resistance.
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An overview of the Passover Meal Jesus and his disciples celebration along with the institution of Jesus’ New Covenant Meal.
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Following Jesus isn’t just about being a better person or having a better personality, it’s turning your life over to Jesus as Lord in all things. In Luke 21 Jesus gives a series of warnings to his followers preparing them for the dangers that lay ahead. This was an uncertain time and his words still speak to us. We should pay attention.
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From the beginning humanity has struggled with submitting to God’s authority. In Luke 20, Jesus’ enemies challenge his authority confronting him with 3 questions. His response to each one revealed his authority from God and as God.
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Youth Minister, Carter Shuman kicks off a new series entitled "Jesus Is Savior".
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In the story in Luke 19:1-10, Jesus encounters someone who has been used by one group and despised by the other group so much so that he becomes isolated and self consumed. Having seen the dead end road he was on, he was seeking purpose, belonging and a new path of transformation.
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Jesus, as Lord of personality, brings transformation of life. He takes human lives and makes them useful for kingdom purposes (1 Tim. 2:5). Jesus brings the power of God into our daily lives transforming the darkness of sin into the light of God’s holiness.(2 Cor 3:18). In this story, Jesus uses a tragic decision on the part of a blessed young man, to teach transforming truth. There is no transformation, there is no change in direction of life, there is no change in where his confidence was placed. It was in himself and his stuff.
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There is something irresistible and powerful about a little child. In this tense moment, Jesus says his followers must become like little children, if they are to be a part of his kingdom. Those inherent qualities like innocence, wonder and faith. We need to emulate those, believing God will do what he says he will do.
Luke 18:15-17
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Jesus points out the point of this story - “Always Pray and don’t give up.” God delights in his children’s prayers, their sincere, honest conversations. How long has it been since you had a good talk with the Lord and shared your innermost thoughts and heart? He longs to hear.
Luke 18:1-8
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"So We Will Trust": a message from University Minister, Kent Mereness.
2 Corinthians 1:9-11
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Luke 17:20-37
Despair leads people to insecurity and failure. Jesus wants to transform us into people who are hopeful (filled with hope), thus reflecting confidence and joy. Hope brings a balanced perspective and dispels unsettling rumors.
Luke 17:11-19
Gratitude pleases God and brings joy to our own lives.
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Luke 15:1-32 - Where people are the family business A Church for the unchurched, disconnected from God and his people. “The church is the only organization which exists for those people who are not yet members.” Here are three pictures depicting how God sees people separated from him. Like Jesus, we are on a rescue mission. And we celebrate every person Jesus finds!
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Luke 14:25-35 - Where privilege brings responsibility Balancing the privilege of being in God’s family with the responsibilities that come with being part of his family is a continual journey. Falling in the ditch on either side dishonors Jesus. Jesus calls for complete surrender. Priorities, Thoughtfulness, Consistency.
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Where the hungry are fed.
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Where humility is the order of the day.
Luke 14:1-14
This may be the most counter-cultural chapter where Jesus challenges the Me First mindset. Instead Jesus calls his family to humility, recognizing God’s family is a place for flexibility, a place for humility, and a place for all.
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Where passion for people leads to active engagement.
Luke 13:18-35
Continuing in the context of God’s Family following the lead of Jesus, he describes it as a place of growth, reconciliation, inclusion and passion. That’s what the kingdom of God is in all the world, and who we are to be here.
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Where action is taken to meet needs: The context in Luke 13:10-17 has Jesus calling, urging Abraham’s descendants to hear God’s message and embrace his Messiah. God is doing something through Jesus. His awareness and compassion is evident in what he is doing. God’s family will follow Jesus by taking action to meet needs.
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Part one of a special two part message from Groups Minister, Rob Anderson.
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Part one of a special two part message from Groups Minister, Rob Anderson.
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Luke 12:22-26
Jesus truly wants to be lord of our anxieties. He invites us to cast all of our burdens on him and he will carry the load for us. Three times in this passage, Jesus says “Do not worry.” Jesus wants us to be free from worry, so that our lives are characterized by a confidence in God that shines out in our world.
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Luke 12:12-21
Jesus knows how difficult it is to keep things in perspective, and so most of his parables are about possessions. In this story, he sizes up the problem recognizing that the problem wasn’t inheritance, but greed and selfishness. There’s more to life than things!
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Luke 11:1-13
The disciples had connected the strength and life of Jesus with his praying. So they simply asked him to teach them to “pray like he prays” - Prayer 101. The Jesus way to pray.
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A special time of recognition of our Elders, and the initiatives they are taking to better shepherd this congregation.
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A special Senior Sunday message from Youth Minister, Carter Shuman.
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Luke 11:14-22, 37-44
It’s our mothers who remind us: Be kind to others, Go to Church, Behave yourself. The Scriptures teach that it’s not enough to just do the right thing, we’re to do the right thing with the right motive. Motives are not always easy to identify or measure
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Luke 10
One big challenge for those wanting to follow Jesus is prioritizing life! It is so easy to focus on the immediate need that we don’t have time for those things that are eternally significant. This is the story of Martha, a good woman doing some good things, but Jesus praises Mary because she chose what was better. She had her priorities right.
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The familiar Good Samaritan story is easily ran over because we know it. Go out of your way to help a stranger in need. But if we take a closer look we: See the question, the answer, the truth and the challenge. Extend compassion by getting involved; giving something you love for something you love more. Be conformed into the image of your Lord.
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Matthew 28:1-10
The most important victory in history is the triumph of Jesus Christ over the grave! It happened only once but impacts everyone - the conquest of a dreadful adversary. The empty Tomb is a cause for joyous celebration!
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All of our lives we have heard about the importance of a right attitude. When Jesus becomes Lord of your life, he begins to do a work on your attitude; there is to be a different spirit developing in us. This is developed in several incidents at the end of Luke 9.
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Luke 9:18-27
One’s identity reveals something about their character and destiny. “Who is Jesus” is a really important question, and his Lordship a really important message. His resurrection declares he is King of kings and Lord of lords. What does it mean to follow the resurrected Lord? Jesus tells us himself, if we follow him then he is Lord of Life.
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A special message from guest speaker, David Fraze.
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Luke 8:40-56
Two different stories of hopeless people, in situations beyond their control who turned to Jesus in desperation and found healing. Trust Jesus through the obstacle of people, through the obstacle of disaster.
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In this episode of Jesus’ ministry with his disciples, a storm takes center stage (Luke 8:22-25). There is always the potential for fear in a storm, but Jesus moves them toward faith. At the conclusion of this story, Jesus moves his followers from fearing circumstances and things, to a healthy fear of God. “Who is this?” What is fear keeping you from? Jesus is the prince of peace, and offers you confident peace.
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This report (Luke 8:26-39) concerning a demon possessed man is a graphic warning about the potential of evil to enslave us. At one point in this man’s life he was an innocent child, but at some point he gave Satan an opening and he became a prisoner to evil. If you are struggling with an addiction or edging closer to a problem, Jesus is a friend who loves you and wants to free you from that.
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Jesus tells an illustrative story (Luke 8:5-8), and then basically asks “What are you listening for?” Although he mentions “ears” we find that he is telling us that hearing has to do with the “heart.” Just so, being lost or saved has to do with the heart as well. What do you hear?
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This story tells of Jesus befriending a sinful woman. Understand there is no sin so awful that it can’t be completely cleansed by the blood of Christ, because he wants to befriend you. If you’re a follower of Jesus, he wants you to befriend sinners like he did. When sinners came into Jesus’ presence they sensed so much love that they were motivated to change. The church should be a place where guilty people feel welcomed and moved to positive transformation.
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Many people in our community are hurting, and many are hidden hurts, or people who have prolonged pains that people have long forgotten. Our mission is to bring hope, healing and redemption through Jesus Christ who is a friend of the wounded in heart. In this story, Luke shows us how Jesus can be a compassionate friend when we hurt.
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Jesus related to people’s needs, challenged people to grow, and made the message understandable. In his communication, what he said is important, but what he did at the cross was even more important. What kind of message will you get across to people this year?
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With what kind of courage will you take on 2022? In the stories in Luke 5:36-6:11, Jesus deals with rigidity, inflexibility and threats. We will be challenged to be like Jesus having the courage to celebrate, change and confront.
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Who or What will control your life in 2022?
In this story we are reminded of what Jesus said about the devil. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) We will be encouraged by Jesus’ example, reminded of the devastating consequences of sin and the amazing power God’s Word and Holy Spirit can have in our lives.
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A special time of testimony from 2 of our members, Gary Evans Sr. and Josh Fowler.
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This season often creates conflict between the spiritual and material, God and stuff. The Shepherds in the field had such a conflict and their actions in searching and conversing teach us some helpful principles.
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Sometimes the holiday season isn’t exactly the way we imagined. We may be disappointed in people or God. Instead of joy it turns into a time of conflict and disillusionment. Mary & Joseph had that kind of trouble, but didn’t give up.
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Is the story of Jesus real or just pretend? The first story in Luke’s gospel can help anyone struggling with the inner conflict of doubt. Zechariah - act on the faith you have.
Luke 1
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A special message from Youth Minister, Carter Shuman.
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Acts 22 - How baptism relates to our surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
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Romans 10
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A message from our Small Groups Minister, Rob Anderson.
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We hear talk of surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus, but what does that mean? On the day of Pentecost, Peter called for people to ‘repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away, and times of refreshing will come from the presence of the Lord. Repentance cleanses us and clears our conscience and allows us to someday stand before a perfect God and experience his amazing grace.
Acts 3
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Greatness originates with God, is achieved because of God, and culminates in Jesus Christ. Our expectation is for the greatness of Jesus.
Haggai 2:20-23
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How God builds your commitment. Give God your heart and hands. Move forward in devotion, not backward in sin.
Haggai 2:10-19
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How God builds hope in your life. Hope is relying on God’s strength even when your work feels small. Hope looks forward to God’s future.
Haggai 2:1-9
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God builds when our priorities are aligned with his priorities. Having the right priorities. God’s blessing is satisfaction in God, no matter what is happening around you or to you.
Haggai 1
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In this third chapter of Philippians, Paul reveals the theme of genuine joy, by dealing with a group who wanted to make faith about “what you do” rather than about “who you know.” This genuine joy is rooted in a correct understanding of the gospel, and making progress towards God’s goal, not perfection.
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Paul interrupts his instruction to introduce his two friends. Life is more fun with people, and we need friends. Friendly joy elevates people over convenience, and looks out for people. How the body of Christ interacts with itself. Being interested in, concerned for, and serving each other.
Philippians 2:19-30
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Pride says, “I am mine.” Humility says, “I am His.” Arrogance is not a good vehicle for the gospel. Humility exalts Christ. Since we have the blessing of salvation, we must live the responsibilities of salvation. Humble joy grows stronger through consistent character.
Philippians 2:1-18
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Jesus gives faithful joy, and it is nourished in his church. Faithful joy finds opportunities, and works to advance the good news of Jesus.
Philippians 1
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How followers of Jesus can live a good life. What does a Good Life look like? Stop looking for opportunities to argue and start acting on opportunities to be kind. View others with compassion and not contempt. Set aside all distractions to the gospel.
Titus 3
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So what does a good church look like? A good church behaves the way it believes. A good church looks into God’s word for truth and looks forward to the 2nd coming of Jesus. And while we await the return of Jesus, a good church equips all generations to live for Jesus and proclaim the Good news of salvation from sin. Jesus sacrificed everything to rescue you.
Titus 2
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Titus is a good book that focuses on doing good. In the first chapter the focus is on appointing good shepherds for the churches in Crete. Good shepherds help others grow in being like Jesus. They love the church and lead the church with God’s Word and with prayer. You can tell who they are by their pattern of good behavior, by their commitment to family, and their selfless focus on others.
Titus 1
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In the final two verses of his letter, Elder James is calling on his fellow followers, to be real community, to care for each other! If a fellow follower of Jesus is wandering away from faith, remember they are loved by the Good Shepherd and go after them. This is part of maturing in our faith. Shepherds help direct people in knowing Jesus better.
James 5:19-20
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James was an elder of the church in Jerusalem, and it is obvious from his letter that prayer was a powerful force in his life. Prayer is part of maturing in our relationship with Jesus. Those who knew him well were shepherds among God’s people.
James 5:13-18
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A lot of things are uncertain and that leaves us concerned about tomorrow. How do followers of Jesus plan for such a precarious future? James gives us in one small paragraph a wealth of wisdom on planning for tomorrow that brings confidence and inspiration.
James 4:13-17
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When ambition is out of control, it creates havoc, chaos in nations and in families, but when it is under control it can be a force for constructive achievement. James speaks about it’s reality and dangers while at the same time urging us to channel it into spiritual relationships.
James 4:1-10
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Rob fills in for Jim!
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The sage Proverb says NLT “The tongue can bring life or death (or) has the power of life and death.” NIV “Words Kill, words give life.” (18:21a) In his third chapter, James focuses on the power spoken words have, for good and for evil; to build up or to destroy. If we are going to follow Jesus, we must control our tongue.
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Faith in Favoritism
Relating to people who are very dissimilar to us as fully loved humans is an important subject for a follower of Jesus, since his church is one group where all barriers are broken down. James is clear that the command to love one another includes not prejudging anyone.
James 2:1-13
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Faith in Anger
Angry tempers can live in places of worship and work, in our neighborhood and most apparently in our homes. But uncontrolled anger has no place in the life of someone following Jesus. James gives a word of caution and throws a light on some side-effects of uncontrolled anger, before giving some ways to keep control.
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Faith in Temptation
James gives us insight into how sin works in our lives, why it's so dangerous and how we can learn to say no.
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Faith in Trouble
Trouble and pressure come without announcement. James instructs those scattered followers of Jesus to anticipate trouble. How? By rejoicing in it, praying to understand it, and focusing on his promised reward to overcome it.
James 1:1-12
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