StoneBridge Church Sermon of the Week: Recent Episodes
David Eldridge
Welcome to the StoneBridge Church sermon of the week. For more information about StoneBridge Church please visit www.stonebridgemarietta.org.
Russell MarshallMatthew 5:13-16Jesus has called us to be salt and light to the world around us. Are we living that way?
David EldridgeMark 8:14-33There is a progression in our understanding of who Jesus is and the resurrection helps us see him more clearly. His resurrection affirms that Jesus is the Savior of the world, King of the world, and Hope of the world.
Matthew 21:1-17Palm Sunday As Jesus rides into Jerusalem he fulfills Old Testament prophecies that show He is the Messiah. In this He demonstrates His meekness and that He is pure in Heart (singularly devoted to God). Are we living the same way?
David EldridgeMatthew 5:1-16Cultivating the values in the Beatitudes make us salt and light to the world around us. As messengers of God's Kingdom we have a preserving effect (salt) to the world around us. And our good deeds illuminate (shine a light) on God's Kingdom.
Jeremy MorrisMatthew 5:1-12In the Beatitudes, Jesus gives a counter-cultural message- to mourn over our sins, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be poor in spirit. He wants to fill us with more of His Spirit, we just need to recognize our need and ask Him.
David EldridgeMatthew 4:12-4:25We live in the tension that the Kingdom of God is here, but not fully here yet. In that tension, we want to have faith for God to move in powerful ways now. We also want to trust in His goodness regardless of our current circumstances.
David EldridgeMatthew 3:13-4:11Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, but He did not sin. Where we have been unfaithful, Jesus has been faithful and made the way for us. When we are tempted we need to submit to God (align ourselves with Him) and resist the devil.
Russell MarshallMatthew 3:1-12True repentance is entering into a life of continual repentance and turning back to and returning to Jesus daily. We don't just leave our sin, but we gain the Kingdom of God.
David EldridgeMatthew 1:18-2:23We see in the life of Joseph that our obedience to God matters. Joseph's obedience was costly, quick, and consequential. To follow Jesus implies obedience to Him.He determines where we go and how we get there and he sets an example for how to live.
David EldridgeMatthew 1:1-17As we look at the lineage of Jesus we see that God always finds a way, that He is love, He brings beauty from ashes, and He honors those who trust Him.
David EldridgeJohn 14:16-17Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as our Helper. We need to ask daily for His help and surrender (give up control) to His leading in every area of our lives.
David Eldridge1 Samuel 16:4-13Luke 4:14-21God desires to anoint us (set us apart and empower us) to do the works He has prepared for us to do (Eph 2.10). And we need His anointing to be fruitful in those works. We want to discern and be led by Him to do those good works and recognize the anointing He has made available to us.
David Eldridge21 Days of Dedication: The Holy Spirit as FireGod's desire is that we become more and more like Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps purify us as and strengthen our faith as we cooperate with His work in our life. Some of the tools He uses to refine us are the Bible and the circumstances of our life.
David EldridgeEach Sunday during the 21 Days of Dedication we will be focusing on the role of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. This Sunday we are focusing on the Holy Spirit as Living Water that both refreshes us and flows out of us. Our responsibility is to keep drinking.
David EldridgeAdvent: Week 4 - LoveChristmas EveFor God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.
Jeremy MorrisAdvent: Week 3 - JoyLuke 1:46-55Joy is more than happiness. Joy is only found through magnifying Jesus.
David EldridgeAdvent Week 2: PeaceJesus is our Prince of Peace. One of the great enemies of peace is worry. Jesus said we can cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us. We can have peace knowing that He has defeated every enemy.
David EldridgeWeek One of Advent: HopeMark 13:24-37While we wait in hope for God to work we can engage through worship and prayer.
David EldridgeWe want to take time to thank God for who He is, what He has done, and what He is doing.
David EldridgeGalatians 6:11-18What matters most to God is that we've been born again through faith in Jesus and becoming a new creation. As we put our trust in Jesus our faith should be expressed by our love for God and love for others.
David EldridgeGalatians 6:1-10Two questions to reflect on from this passage:Is there a burden you should be sharing that you are trying to carry on your own?What are you sowing?
David EldridgeGalatians 5:13-26 - The Fruit of the SpiritWhat kind of person are you becoming? As we walk in the Spirit He forms love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in us and we become more and more like Jesus.
Galatians 5:13-21We've been set free from the law, but we don't use that freedom to indulge in sin. If we put our trust in Jesus, we will use our freedom to follow Him.
Guest speaker, Trent Jones, teaches on Galatians 5:1-12.We can't serve two Masters- we are either trusting Jesus or trusting the law. Are you trusting Christ's sacrifice is sufficient for you? Is your faith being expressed in your actions? Is love the motivator?
David EldridgeGalatians 4:21-31When we trust in Jesus, we enter a covenant relationship with God. However, we can fall into ditches of trying to earn His favor through our works and relying on ourselves.Putting our trust in God can often look like waiting on Him.
David EldridgeGalatians 4:8-20If you feel like you've been detoured (like Paul was in Galatia) ask God what it looks like to be faithful where you've been detoured and how He wants to use it for good. God is providentially at work in our lives.
David Eldridge |Galatians 3:23-4:7 |If we are living under the law, we can't receive all that God wants to give to us by faith. If we try and live by the law it can lead to despair. God sent Jesus to redeem us from the law so we can have intimacy with the Father and the inheritance He offers to us. Are you living in the reality that you have been adopted into the family of God?
David Eldridge | Galatians 3:15-22 | What we think about when we think about God is the most important thing about us. Do you think about a Father who loved us so much that He sent His Son so that we could be reconciled to Him?
David Eldridge / Galatians 3:1-14 / On our own, none of us can keep the law perfectly. We are justified, or given right standing with God, through our faith/trust in Jesus. Are you in right relationship with God? Do you believe your relationship is based on your efforts or your faith in Jesus?
David Eldridge Galatians 2:15-21 We are declared righteous by God through our trust in Jesus. When He died, we did too. Through His death the penalty of our sins was paid. And now we live our life by faith in Him. Do you know you have been declared righteous by the Father? Is the life you are now living being lived by faith/trust in Jesus?
David EldridgeGalatians 2:11-14What are the circumstances where you are tempted to put on a mask and veer from the Gospel?Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you to make the right choices regardless of the situation or the people involved.
David EldridgeGalatians 2:1-10Regret is sadness or disappointment over things done or undone. We all have regret, but God can redeem our past and we can move forward in hope as we put our trust in Him.
David Eldridge Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus was about as radical a conversion as any other in history. A man completely set on doing what He thought God wanted him to do, saw that he was actually working against what God was forming. His whole world was undone. One of the early Church's greatest persecutors became its greatest evangelist.
Who in our lives have we lost hope in their ability to be saved and come to a place of repentance, like Paul did? What areas of our our own lives have we become hardened to the works of God?
David Eldridge Galatians 1:1-10 We are living in the tension of this present evil age. As we live in a world where there is still sin and suffering, those things can help conform us more into the image of Jesus as we learn to trust and follow Him in every circumstance.
David Eldridge finished the two part series this week on the four Anchors of StoneBridge Church. This week he covered Doing The Good Works God Has Prepared Us To Do and Serving Where God Has Planted Us.
Songs Holy (Song Of The Ages) - Belonging Co. God Of Revival - Bethel Music Reign Above It All - Bethel Music Worthy Of It All - David Brymer Make Room - UPPERROOM
David covered two of our anchors this week; Becoming More Like Jesus and Being Led By The Spirit. Focusing on humility in Luke 18:9-25.
Where are you from? David Scott, pastor of Highlands Church, teaches from the Sermon on the Mount; asking the question, can people tell where you are from? Can they tell if you are a follower of Christ? Looking at the Beatitudes is a good measuring stick to see if we are living as citizens of the Upside Down Kingdom.
To find out more about Highlands Church visit: https://www.highlandsmarietta.org
Russell Marshall (Pastor of The Church At Dwell, one of the churches in our Network), teaches from Psalm 19. What is the connection between desiring God and perceiving/seeing Him in our lives?
Jeremy Morris (Youth Pastor) recaps our week of OneCamp and explains the importance that parents and the greater church body have in continuing to disciple the kids that were transformed at camp. We must fan the flames that were ignited to see them grow.
David Eldridge Jesus is uniquely positioned to be our Good Shepherd as one who is fully God and who can also sympathize with us in our weaknesses.
David Eldridge We continue the series, Jesus Is Our Good Shepherd, by looking at Luke 15:1-7.
David Eldridge John 10:11-15 As a Good Shepherd Jesus invites us to follow Him. We have to be intentional in walking in relationship with Him because the pull of the world is so strong.
David Eldridge John 10:1-10 Jesus is a Good Shepherd who protects, guides and provides. As His sheep we hear his voice.
Welcome to the StoneBridge Church sermon of the week. For more information about StoneBridge Church please visit www.stonebridgemarietta.org.
David Eldridge1 Peter 5:8-11The enemy roams around looking for people to devour through intimidation and deception. We need to be on our guard and stand firmly in God's love for us.
David Eldridge1 Peter 5:1-5Be shepherds of whatever flock God has given to you, clothed in humility.
David Eldridge1 Peter 3:18-22Jesus may not always rescue us from what we are going through, but He will rescue us through it.
Jeremy Morris1 Peter 3:8-17As followers of Jesus, we will experience suffering, but we can trust Him to help us walk through it and to continue to follow Him.
Kenny GrantMatthew 25:14-30As stewards we need to know our ability, possibility, responsibility, and accountability.
David Eldridge1 Peter 2:18-25Jesus has setup relationships in our lives; boss/employee, student/teacher, parent/child, etc., to teach us submission to authority. We must learn to submit to earthly authority, that we can see; to be able to truly submit to God, who we can't see.
David Eldridge1 Peter 2:11-17Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; submit yourself freely to God’s kingship.
Chad Almy1 Peter 1:13-25The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but love is its completion.
David Eldridge1 Peter 1:3-12How can we rejoice in the midst of our trials?Jesus is our living hope.
David Eldridge1 Peter 1:1-2We are elect exiles -citizens of the Kingdom of God spread throughout the earth to reveal God's glory.
Jeremy MorrisPsalm 23:5-6God prepares a table for us. It was a costly table to prepare.
David EldridgePsalm 23:4Jesus walks with us through the valleys and leads us to the heights. He never leaves or forsakes us.
David EldridgePsalm 23:1-3During our 21 Days of Dedication we will be focusing on understanding who God is as our Good Shepherd. As our Shepherd, Jesus restores and leads us.
David EldridgeAdvent: Week Four - Isaiah 7:10-16Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. When He comes, He brings salvation and Truth.
Chad AlmyIsaiah 11:1-10Jesus coming to earth and giving His life is the ultimate act of love.
David Eldridge First Week of Advent: Isaiah 2:1-5 Advent is a season of expectant waiting for the arrival of Jesus. We want to live in light of His first coming and with hopeful expectation that He is coming again.
David Eldridge Mark 15:40-16:8 God's love for us is foundational to our love for him. Because we don't yet know his love perfectly we will regularly be confronted with opportunities to be courageous or fearful.
David Eldridge Mark 15:16-39 Jesus took our judgement upon Himself and was forsaken so that we could be with Him.
Mark 14:32-65 & 15:1-15 Do we trust God enough-His goodness and His ability-to be able to fully surrender to Him?
David Eldridge Mark 14:27-52, 66-72 How do we stand firm and not fall away when tests and trials come?
David Eldridge Mark 14:12-26 God has given us a new covenant which makes it possible for a deeper relationship with Him and for our sins to be forgiven fully.
David Eldridge Mark 13:1-37 Keep watch and watch out- To keep watch we need to be faithful and wise. To watch out we need to know the Truth- Jesus is the Truth.
David Eldridge Mark 11:20-12:12 Am I bearing fruit in my life? Am I being formed into the character of Jesus? Do my actions help or hurt others?
David Eldridge Mark 10:13-52 Where are you being tempted in marriage? In wealth? In positions of leadership? What do those things look like in the Kingdom of God?
David Eldridge This is the second week of our two part series on our anchors as a church. David will discusses the call to do the good works God has prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10) and to serve where God has planted us (Jeremiah 29:7).
David Eldridge This is the first of a two week series on our four anchors (core values) as a church. This week David discusses being conformed in the image of Jesus (Romans 8.29) and being led by the Spirit (Galatians 5.25).
David Eldridge Mark 9:1-29 We see three different experiences in the passage with a question for each: What do you want to teach me on the mountaintop? Where am I worried or weary? What does it look like for me to re-engage?
David Eldridge Mark 8:27-9:8 Are there places I've allowed the world to get into me? (Sorry for the static in this podcast. We are working to resolve the issue with our microphone.)
David Eldridge Mark 8:11-30 We need to acknowledge the areas where we are conforming God into our image instead of being conformed into His. Pray we would see Him more clearly in His holiness and love.
David Eldridge Mark 7:31-8:10 Some questions to reflect on: Do we believe God does all things well? Can we say God satisfies all of our desires? Do we remember?
Sermon Slides - https://stonebridgemarietta.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Mark-7.31-8.10.pdf
David Eldridge Mark 7:24-30 Praying with shameless audacity: Are we secure enough in our relationship with God to approach Him with confidence and boldness? We can trust Him because He is good.
David Eldridge Mark 7:1-23 Take time to examine yourself at a heart level. Invite the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of sin to confess.
Russell Marshall shares about what it means to be content.
Find out more about the Church at Dwell https://www.thechurchatdwell.org/
David Eldridge Mark 6:30-56 When Jesus feeds the 5,000 He is declaring He is our King and shows us that He is a King who is moved with compassion When He walks on the water He is declaring He is our Messiah. He passes by us so we can see Him in the midst of our struggle. We don't want to have hearts that are hard and miss how He is revealing Himself. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see Him more fully.
David Eldridge Mark 6:30-56 When Jesus feeds the 5,000 He is declaring He is our King and shows us that He is a King who is moved with compassion When He walks on the water He is declaring He is our Messiah. He passes by us so we can see Him in the midst of our struggle. We don't want to have hearts that are hard and miss how He is revealing Himself. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see Him more fully.
David Eldridge Mark 6:1-30 We can often miss who Jesus really is because our perspective is limited. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the character of Jesus on a deeper level.
David Eldridge Mark 5:1-20 The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus comes to bring life. Have you given the enemy a foothold in your life?
David Eldridge Mark 4:1-25 Parable of the Soils:
If your heart is hard: ask God to soften your heart and repent
If your heart is rocky: develop deeper roots – pray Ephesians 3:16-20 (that you would know God’s love for you) and 6.24 (that you would love Jesus w/an undying love)
If your heart is thorny: pull out the weeds – identify what is competing with Jesus and submit those things to Him
Nancy Hutchins Mark 4:26-35 We see who God is and how He is speaking to us through the parables.
David Eldridge Mark 3:21-35 We can either miss God/discredit where He is at work or try to manage God. Pray for eyes to see where He is at work, give thanks and yield to Him.
David Eldridge Mark 3:21-35 We can either miss God/discredit where He is at work or try to manage God. Pray for eyes to see where He is at work, give thanks and yield to Him.
David Eldridge Easter Sunday Mark 15:40-16:8 God has revealed enough of Himself so that we can say 'yes' to Him, but not so much that we must. We all have empty tomb moments where we may be bewildered by our current circumstances. It is those times when faith is required.
David Eldridge Mark 11:1-21 God reveals enough of Himself that people can accept Him, but not so much that they must. Salvation is reconciled relationship with Him. A loving relationship is freely chosen, not coerced. As we walk in relationship with God we will bear fruit.
David Eldridge Mark 3:7-19 We have all been sent by Jesus to be a part of His mission. We don't necessarily need to change locations, we need to change the way we see ourselves and our role in what God is doing here on earth.
David Eldridge Mark 3:7-19 We have all been sent by Jesus to be a part of His mission. We don't necessarily need to change locations, we need to change the way we see ourselves and our role in what God is doing here on earth.
David Eldridge Mark 2:23-3:6 Rest is a gift from God. It is an expression of trust in God. We are to work from a place of rest.
David Eldridge Mark 2:13-22 Jesus came for those who know they are sinners. Do we recognize our need for Him?
David Eldridge Mark 2:1-12 Jesus commends the friends of the paralytic for their faith. Praying for others is a privilege and responsibility. Do we recognize the authority and access we have to Jesus and his willingness to help?
Jeremy Morris Mark 1:35-45 The blood of Jesus redeems is from sin and restores us to relationship.
David Eldridge Mark 1:21-34 Jesus as the King: He has all authority and power and He is full of compassion. What do you need from Him?
David Eldridge Are you following Jesus or just walking in the same direction as Him for a time? Do you recognize Him as your King?
David Eldridge Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. What are the ways we can encounter God in the wilderness?
Chad Almy This is our story. Things aren't as they were meant to be right now because of sin, but God sent His Son so we can have eternal life. And He has given us His Holy Spirit now so that we can see His Kingdom break in here on earth as it is in Heaven.
21 Days of Dedication: Week 4 As friends of Jesus we are appointed to - go and bear fruit, ask for anything in His name and to love one another as we have been loved by Him.
Abiding John 15:4-10, 9-12
To remain in Jesus is to recognize His love for us and then to love Him in return through our obedience
David Eldridge 21 Days of Dedication: Week One-Emptying Ourselves Where are the places I need to be pruned? Am I loving God more than myself?
David Eldridge The wise men (Magi) sought Jesus for one purpose, to worship Him and bless Him with gifts. We also have received the call to daily seek Jesus and give Him our worship/adoration.
David Eldridge Advent Week Three: Isaiah 11:1-3 Spirit of Counsel and Might: Jesus shows by his miracles that He is more powerful than all of the things that bring destruction in our lives. Where in your life do you need Him as a Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God?
David Eldridge Advent: Week Two - Isaiah 11:1-3 The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding The wisdom of God often looks different from the wisdom of this world.
David Eldridge - Ephesians Recap Our identity (who we are in Jesus) and our activity (how we live in Jesus) flow from being rooted and grounded in God's love for us.
David Eldridge - Ephesians 6:10-20 We are in a spiritual battle and we need spiritual weapons. The enemy uses lies, accusations and temptations to fight. We stand our ground by trusting God.
Chad Almy - Ephesians 6:1-9 How does our relationship with Jesus impact our other relationships? What does it look like between parents and children and workers and employers?
David Eldridge - Ephesians 5:21-33 Marriage is a picture of how Jesus love the Church. What does that look like between a husband and a wife?
David Eldridge - Ephesians 5:3-20 How do we continue to put off the old and put on the new? Find out what pleases God and be filled with the Spirit.
David Eldridge - How do we put off the old and put on the new? And how do we keep from veering off of the path of love?
David Eldridge - How do we live a life worthy of the calling we've received? How do we keep our hearts from becoming hard? How do we renew our minds?
David Eldridge - Jesus gives gifts (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers) to the church to help us grow into maturity. As a follower of Jesus you are one of those gifts.
David Eldridge - Because of what God has done for us, we are called to live in unity with one another. Gentleness and humility are the way we get there.
Jeremy Morris - God is inviting us into an intimate relationship with Him. We grow in intimacy with Him, as we spend time with Him.
David Eldridge - God's calling on our lives is an expression of grace. It has an unseen impact. It may also lead to personal suffering. We want our roots to be deep in God's love so that we can persevere even in the midst of hardship.
David Eldridge - Jesus came to tear down the walls of hostility between us. Where are we rebuilding walls? Who do we need to walk a second mile with?
David Eldridge - We are seated in Heaven with Jesus at the right hand of the Father. Do you pray as one who is seated with Jesus?
David Eldridge - Do you know God better today than you did last year? God desires a deepening relationship with us-the goal is to know Him as deeply and fully as we can. He gives us His Spirit of wisdom and revelation so we can know Him more.
David Eldridge - The Heavenly Realm is here and available to us now. If we are in Christ every spiritual blessing is true of us. How do we live according to those truths?
David Eldridge - Dedication and joy go hand in hand. As we dedicate our lives to the One who loves us we are filled with joy. Joy is rooted in our relationship with God and trusting Him with our lives.
We are Living Stones formed into the Temple of God. Wherever we are gathered together, He is there.
Temptation is not sin. We must stand firm against it and invite God in to help us resist it.
Temptation is not sin. We must stand firm against it and invite God in to help us resist it.
God created Adam and Eve, gave them directions on what to do with their lives, and immediately calls them to rest before they even get started.
God created the universe for us to be in awe of who He is and to realize our value to Him.
Everything is dependent on Him because He created all things and holds all things together. Is there anything we have made more important?
God is a sending God who told us to "Go" into all the world. What do we do when we get there?
Jesus wants us to be where He is, know what He knows, have what He has so we can do what He does.
Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount by pushing for a personal response to His teaching.
In the coming of Jesus, God redefines our identity, our allegiances, our values, and our experiences.
Who am I? What am I doing? Where am I doing what I'm doing? How am I doing what I'm doing?
God has given us a New Covenant and has written His law on our hearts. The guardrails He has given as we follow Him are to love Him and to love people.
We are to run the race set before us with our eyes fixed on Jesus-but we often get entangled by other things.
Paul gives an example of giving up personal rights in order to be faithful to God and love others.
Some Corinthian believers were eating meals in pagan temples and were encouraging others to do so.This was causing some "weaker" Christians to stumble in their faith.
Jesus has given us an invitation to be with Him. All we have to do is receive the grace He is extending.
The thing that gets us through life and makes life worth living is fixing our eyes on Jesus.
Paul rebukes the Church in Corinth for their immaturity in Christ and warns them about the dangers of poor leadership.
Paul emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in revealing God-His character and attributes, and God's ways-His plans and purposes-to God's people.
Paul opens his letter to the Corinthians by reminding them of who he is, who they are, and why he is writing to them.
The Resurrection of Jesus is both the linchpin of Christianity and a constant reminder of the supernatural character of our faith.
The death of Jesus served as a ransom (payment) on our behalf purchasing for us forgiveness, healing, and freedom.
We are meant to live in relationship with one another. Small groups are a great way to build those relationships.
During His arrest and trial Jesus displays a profound sense of peace because He is aware of how God is at work in the circumstances
In preparation for His darkest hour, Jesus models for us what is necessary to 'stand firm until the end.'
At His last Passover meal, Jesus institutes a New Covenant (a new way of relating to one another) between God and God's people.
Mary's extraordinary act of devotion draws a sharp contrast between her heart for Jesus and that of the religious leaders and even Jesus' disciples.
Jesus closes out his teaching in the Temple by holding up a most unlikely person as a picture of what He is looking for from His followers.
We can learn how to better read the Bible by looking at how Jesus responded to challenges He faced regarding His understanding of the Scripture.
Jesus has given us authority to reach the people around us and influence areas in our city. But He didn't just give us authority, He also gave us Power through the Holy Spirit to accomplish these things.
We are created to live an abundant life in Christ. However, when we hold onto to past hurt or anger it can cut us off from all God has for us.
Jesus cleansed the Temple as a sign that its lack of fruitfullness was displeasing to the Lord. As followers of Jesus, we are now the Temple of he Holy Spirit and Jesus expects us to bear fruit.
God has chosen to partner with us and use us to accomplish His purposes. To do this we need to ask Him for what we need and trust He will show up. We also need to be willing to serve others.
In order to receive the Kingdom of God we must receive it like children. However, we are all tempted to lean on things other than the grace of God.
God's love for us is sacrificial and wide open. We should love others with the same kind of love.
The disciples were arguing about who was the greatest, but in God's Kingdom the one who serves is the greatest. Instead of building up ourselves, we should be thinking of how we can help others.
The disciples are confused when what they experience does not line up with what they have been taught. We need to stay connected to the Father and ask Him to continue to help us believe in Him.
Easter Sunday is the anchor that pulls us through our Good Friday. The hope that we have of being with Him is the joy that carries us through the difficult times.
God is always at work orchestrating things in our lives. We need to be aware of where He is working and join Him.
Our understanding of Jesus is somewhere on the continuum from totally lacking to partial to totally clear.
Jesus is the perfect integration of compassion (motivation to act) and kindness (way He acted, and power and ability to act).
Jesus both demonstrated and proclaimed the good news and power of the gospel. We often want to show when we should be telling, and tell when we should be showing the Truth of God's Kingdom. We need the Holy Spirit to fill us with power and change us into His likeness
In these passages Jesus addresses the problem of our hearts. Following rules and traditions won't make our heart clean. We need new hearts which we can receive by believing in Jesus.
The miraculous events that Jesus performed were signs pointing to who He is-not just the Messiah, but God. He wants us to know Him, and He will put us in situations where He can reveal who He is.
As we do the things God has created for us (our deal) we need to be prepared for: resistance, success and failure. We always need to remember that our identity, as Sons and Daughters, precedes our mission.
When we surrender ourselves fully to God and let His Spirit live in us and through us we will be transformed and bring transformation to the world around us.
There are two ditches we can fall into when approaching Jesus: "The Right Guy" approach or the "Wrong Woman" approach. Neither are good. We need to approach Him based on His grace and what He has done, not based on who we are or what we have done.
Names are significant. We live up to or are lowered down to the expectations given to us by the labels or name tags people put on us. When we know who Jesus has called us to be our lives are transformed by the new name He gives us.
When we face storms, as the disciples did in Mark 4, it can tend to seem like Jesus is asleep in the boat. In order to trust that He cares and will always take care of us we have to know Him and believe He is who He says He is.
It is not good for us to be alone. We all need people in our life who love God and love us. Small groups are a great way to form these types of relationships.
Jesus used parables to circumvent people's expectation which kept them from understanding Him and His ministry. The parables recorded in Mark 4 all compare God's activity to a seed-not a tree. God plants seeds and they continue to grow and consume. The link to the video used in this message is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo.
There are 3 possible responses we can have to Jesus: unbelief, partial belief, and belief. God chose use, adopted us as His own. If we believe fully in Him and that He chose us, obedience will be the result.
We can miss God's activity/coming in our lives because it does not line up with our expectations. To make sure we don't miss Him we need to: know Him well so we can recognize His voice, not put Him in a box, and respond to what we believe He is saying. The link to the video in this message is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0.
Jesus was born so He could die for us. We must be born again to follow Him. In order to be born again, we must die to ourselves.
The journey of our faith is all about our heart. Even when we are unfaithful and go after other things, God continues to love us and pursues us. On this journey we need people walking with us who will help us during the rough spots and pull us back on course
As we follow God we need to trust and accept the ways in which He chooses to work. We need to accept our responsibility in the work he gives and a willingness to accept on-going direction from him.
Waiting on God is hard, because we want to be in control of everything. But as we wait we need to consider who He is-that His ways are higher than ours and worship Him for all that He has done.
Two questions from this passage: Do you feel like you missed your opportunity to receive something from Jesus? Do you have the type of confidence in Jesus that you would do the same thing as the paralytic man's friends?
Spending time alone with God gives us clarity and courage to do the things He has called us to do. Solitude with Him helps us to be led by the Spirit instead of driven by our circumstances.
Regular occurrences in Jesus' ministry were driving out demons and healing the sick. His Kingdom is stronger than the kingdom of darkness. We are still in a war against the power of darkness, but His Kingdom is victorious.
The "bumper sticker" for Jesus' ministry is that the "Kingdom has come near". We are all born turned away from God. If we want to enter His Kingdom then we need to repent and start following Him.
John the Baptist was doing his deal. As we step out in obedience and do our deal it will provoke a response from others. We need to wrap our lifestyles around what God has called us to do.
As we walk out our faith it is important that we know our identity in Christ, that we follow where He leads us, and know who our enemy is so we can stand against him.
Two main themes: God is sovereign and God expects His people to honor Him regardless of circumstances/consequences.
There are two main topics addressed here: Being devoted to prayer and relating to people outside the church/faith.
We are to work at all we do as though we were serving the Lord, not just when people are watching us, but all the time in all things-whether we are the employer or the employee.
We are created for an abundant life in Jesus. However, there are things that can keep us from the fullness we are made for.
Paul is giving commands to households: Husbands and wives are to submit to and sacrifice for one another. Children are to honor and obey their parents. Parents are told not to exasperate their children.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart. Be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in your heart. Whatever you do, do in the name of Jesus.
Because of who Jesus is and what He has done we can be in relationship with Him and it changes our statue before God and changes our heart.
There is a rhythm to life of work, rest and relationships. We all need to be in relationships with people who love God and love us. Small groups are a great way of connecting and forming these relationships.
It is impossible to obey Jesus without first dying (our sinful nature) and rising with Him. As we live in Christ we are to set our minds on things above. We have 4 options with our thoughts: dwell, dissect, divulge, dismiss.
As Christians, we often approach God based on what we've done versus what He has done-which is not grace and leads to judgment of others.
When we feel helpless due to our circumstances, it can lead us to feel hopeless...unless we are trusting in the Living Hope.
We have a sinful nature that leads us to do sinful acts. But through Christ, our sinful nature is cut off and dies and we can live in Him and all of the fullness that He brings: Hope, freedom, life, grace, reconciliation, forgiveness, peace, provision, integration, all good things.
Be careful that you are not taken captive by the hollow and empty philosophies of this world, but rather, remain and abide in Jesus and He will fill us in every way.
It is important that we recognize that Jesus is Lord over all. And as our Lord we must follow Him and continue to live in Him be being rooted in Him, built up in Him, and strengthened by Him. A tool to help us "continue to live in Him" is a life rule.
As we do the things we are called to there will be labor involved, but we are to do it in the strength God provides. The Holy Spirit is our fuel. Jesus is our source.
Even though it is hard for us to understand, suffering can be used in our lives to help mature us and connect us with what Jesus endured on a more intimate level. Suffering doesn't mean we are doing something wrong. It often means we are following in Jesus' steps.
As we grow in the knowledge of God (knowing Him, not just knowing about Him) and remain connected to Him we will bear good fruit
Prayer is an invitation for God to get involved in our lives. We need people praying for and with us on a regular basis. A prayer for our life should be to live in a way that is pleasing to God.
There is a Q and A segment in the beginning where you won't be able to hear everything, but there is more talking after that.
As we discern God's will for our lives there are 3 heart postures we should take: trust His will is good, rest in knowing He will accomplish it, and submit to what He asks us to do.
As Christians we need to be all in or all out. When we try and give just part of our lives to God it is worse than not giving anything at all. As we understand how He loves us, forgives us, and pursues us, it should cause us to run to Him and give Him everything.
There are times in our lives when God deliberately withdraws Himself from us in order to strengthen our roots in Him and to re-establish the basis of our identity.
One of the most important questions we can ask ourselves this Easter is- where is Jesus in my life? Is He at arms-length? Face-to-face? Side-by-side?
Jesus is the Word of God. He is the message of God to earth. We are supposed to be like Him, therefore we should be prophets too. We can ask God to give us words to strengthen, encourage, and comfort others.
Jesus is King over all. However, we can miss Him as King because we want Him to fit our expectations.
As we are formed and knit together as a Body, we will better be able to impact the community around us.
God uses the things that appear small and insignificant in the world's eyes to do mighty things for His Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God is worth everything it takes to obtain. When we enter we must go in with both feet-with our full weight on God alone.
When God says "no" to something we desire to do we need to remember that His no to one thing is in the context to a bigger "yes". The key to dealing with disappointment is contentment in fellowship with Him.
There are two giants we encounter in our walk that can derail us from what God has called us to: sin and suffering.
We all need people in our lives who love God and love us. Small groups are one way of making this kind of connection.
God has a deal for us that He has determined. Our hearts are the primary qualification. We can rest in knowing that God will confirm it to us and save it for us.
Resolutions never work because we are trying to change our behaviors when what we need is a heart change.
God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He wants us to be more like His Son, so we must change in order to be like Him.
Jesus came to give us an abundant life in Him. It is not always an easy life, but life with Him is better than anything without Him
One reason Jesus came was to destroy the works of the devil. He does this by freeing us from our sins and restoring our identity.
Jesus came in to the world as a light so that those who believe in Him could come out of the darkness.
Jesus came to fulfill the law. God established the law to define the relationship between God and His people. We could never meet the requirements, but Jesus made the way so we could be in relationship with Him.
How do we live in faith? How do we maintain a posture of belief that God will work in our lives and a posture of trust for him to work if, when and how He want to?
We need to pay attention to our speech because it reflects our hearts-towards others and towards the Lord. All people are created in the image of God and when we say things that demean, dishonor, or tear down people we are tearing down little Divine-Image-Bearers.
Believing in Jesus goes beyond an academic knowledge of Him. It is relational and experiential and there will be fruit in our lives when we believe.
Our love for God should compel us to join Him in doing the things He is doing and care about the things He cares about.
God created us for good works that He prepared for us in advance. However, we often encounter trials in the process of completing what we were created for. But we are commended to face our trials with joy so they can produce in us perseverance.
Jesus didn't die just so we could be forgiven of our sins. He died to redeem our lives so we could do the good works He created us to do. We may be uncertain of what to do or face obstacles or opposition, but we must run the race set before us knowing we are never running alone.
In Mark 14 we read that Mary "did what she could" for Jesus. When God pours out His grace on our lives, He is looking to see if we are good stewards of what He has given to us.
God pours out the wine of His grace on our lives. We must have appropriate wineskins (lifestyles) in order to receive it and then give it to others.
We want to be people with generous hearts. How do we get them? We can ask for them, recognize how much we have been given, realize everything we have is a gift, and we can give.
Jesus said "freely you have received, freely give". We have all been given a place in this world and grace of God in some form. What's your world? What grace have you received to share with the people there?
Part of our identity as Christians is an Ambassador. As Ambassadors we need to know the sphere of influence we have been given and the message we are to announce there.
We are given a Jedidiah identity by the Lord- fully loved by Him. If we don't know who we are in the Lord, we can't live the abundant life God offers us.
Jesus' command to us is to go make disciples. As we launch our small groups, it is not about Christian education, but spiritual formation-helping others become disciple makers.
We were created to be in life-giving relationships. We need to be in relationship with God and others with whom we can be vulnerable and transparent with.
Baptism is a place where our faith intersects God's grace. Are there areas in your life where this is happening? God desires to pour Himself out on us, but will give Himself to the measure that we are willing to receive from Him.
Many of us have responded to the call of Jesus, but are still wrapped in grave clothes. We are forgiven, but never move from forgiveness to freedom.
There is often a tension in our hearts when we have situation where we need God to work and He is not showing up. We know He can, so why isn't He?
Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life so anything apart from Him is dead. If there are areas of death in our lives, we need to respond to Him and let Him bring life to those places.
We are called to run the race set before us. As we run our race we often judge others in how they are running theirs. We need to trust the Holy Spirit to lead them and give them encouragement along the way.
Our influence has limits because those we are influencing still have the freedom to choose. Influence is not control. Once we try and control, we are no longer operating in the Spirit. We need to speak with Grace and Truth and focus on the relationship.
If you are a Christian, everywhere you go, every situation you are in, you can be an expression of the Kingdom of God. One avenue of expressing the Kingdom is speaking. The right words at the right time can have a huge impact.
In the Old Testament God filled the temple with His glory and presence. Now, He calls us living temples and He fills us with His Spirit. Wherever we go, He is with us and we have the ability to be an agent of change and bring His presence.
God provides for His faithful people, even in the midst of terrible circumstances. When Jesus left, He promised to send the Holy Spirit, who lives in Believers and is the Source of everything we need.
God desires us to have obedient and repentant hearts. The more we understand of His grace, mercy, and forgiveness towards us, the more we will love and obey Him.
God uses our circumstances to show us what is in our hearts and to strengthen our faith in Him.
Jesus heals us and makes us whole so we can live the abundant life and bring glory to His name.
God had established boundaries where we have an inheritance. We can be tempted to move them in or out, but when we live within the ones God has established we will be the most fulfilled and effective.
The question Jesus asked the disciples, "Who do you say I am" is the most important question we can ask ourselves. It determines our eternal future and how we live our lives here and now. There are many different things we can believe about Him and the resurrection, but there is only one Truth, and that Truth sets us free.
We glorify God by bearing fruit. Bearing fruit doesn't save us, God's grace does. But the fruit in our lives is evidence of our connectedness to God.
We are a highly individualistic society that tends to see a person's life as a direct result of the choices that individual made. Our individual choices are important, but we are all connected, and our choices will impact those around us.
There are two postures that we can take when "doing something", faith or unbelief. A posture of faith is one of confidence and trust. It opens our arms to receive God's grace. A posture of doubt is often expressed in confidence in ourselves, and keeps us from receiving God's grace.
We must get rid of every weight (sin) that entangles us so we can run the race marked out for us. In order to do this, we must fix our eyes on Jesus, because He is the Way.
We need both good soil and good seed to produce good fruit. We can come under the rain of God's grace and help the seeds He has planted in our hearts to grow by giving, fasting, and praying.
In order to fulfill "God's deal" for our lives we must acquire the skills needed for the task and our character must be developed. This often comes through trials and training, but the result is worth it.
If we want to tear down the walls that keep us from moving forward into our destiny, then we must build up the walls that keep the enemy from getting access into our lives. To do this we must repent and obey.
We want hearts (soil) where God's deal for us can take root, grow and produce fruit. You may be doing your deal, but if your heart soil is not good, it won't result in much fruit and be more burdensome then joyful.
God has a dream for us that ties into His plan for the world and the enemy is bent on doing what he can to undermine that Plan. Your role in the battle is strategic. It is vital that each of us discover God's dream for us then begin to live that dream in our lives.
On the road we take to seeing our dreams fulfilled we may encounter opposition, temptation, despair, and hopelessness. But all these things are being used to form in us the things we need to fulfill God's plan for our lives.
God has a dream for each one of our lives. As we pursue and fulfill this dream we need to trust that He will reveal it, give us desires in our heart for it, it is always about blessing others, and it will suit how God created us.
We need both wisdom and revelation to accomplish what God has for us. It is not only important to know what God wants us to do, but how He wants us to do it.
When was the last time you were amazed by Jesus? Busyness, familiarity, and fear can keep us from being in awe of our amazing God who never changes and is always at work around us.
God is a good God and we can expect Him to do good things in our lives, but sometimes there is a waiting period before we see His promises. We have a choice to make in that waiting time, we can continue to wait or quit.
God loves us and demonstrated this love for us in sending His Son Jesus. Knowing and receiving His love is the greatest gift we could ever get.
We must undergo testing in order to become the men and women God has destined us to be.
Because God is a great God, everything He does is great. As we remember all of the ways He has worked in our lives we should be filled with joy knowing we have such an awesome God.
God doesn't want to just influence our lives, He wants to lead them. To be led by Jesus is to give Him not just the pieces of your life, but your life itself. When we understand what He gave up to become a man, it is easier to trust Him and give our lives to Him.
Gift giving gets to the true meaning of Christmas. The first gift was when God gave His Son. We all need this gift, and once we have received from God we need to give it to others by giving our time and love.
In the Golden Rule Jesus requires us to love with intentional action. The only way we can do this is by knowing that God is a good Father who loves us and who can help us love others.
In these passages Jesus is illustrating the character of relationships in the Kingdom of God. We need to have people in our lives that we can be transparent and vulnerable with to help us mature as Christians.
In these passages Jesus is illustrating the character of relationships in the Kingdom of God. We need to have people in our lives that we can be transparent and vulnerable with to help us mature as Christians.
Worry is often a symptom of being a person of little faith. Jesus said if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we could move a mountain. The point Jesus is making is not how much faith is required to get God to act, but how little. The ground for answered prayer is God's heart.
We become hypocrites when we pretend to be something that we are not. God doesn't deal with fake. We have to be honest with Him and others and confess our sins so He can work in them and with them.
Our desire is to see everyone become more like Jesus before they die. The best way for this to happen is to be involved in a small group with people who love Jesus and love you and you can be open and honest with.
No matter how hard we try to obey the law we will ultimately fail because we have a wicked heart. But Jesus is the fulfillment of the law, and when He makes us clean He enables us to keep it by giving us a new heart.
In the Beatitudes, the ones Jesus says are blessed are not the ones that looked blessed in the eyes of the world. But they are the winners in God's economy. His values are very different from the values of this world.
It is not enough to know the Truth, we must live out the Truth that we know. God is concerned about our hearts, but our actions should reflect what is in our hearts. If the Truth is in there, it ought to be coming out in the way we live.
Jesus wants us to cast our cares and anxieties on Him. We do this by humbling ourselves before Him, praying, and turning our focus from our problems to the One who is the Answer.
Making a transition from one thing to another can be difficult, but if we keep looking to Jesus He will provide us with all we need to make the change.
Making a transition from one thing to another can be difficult, but if we keep looking to Jesus He will provide us with all we need to make the change.
When we try to do things in our own strength, things will eventually fall apart and we will not be useful. When we trust in God's strength, He will hold all things together and will be able to use us.
Relationships are at the heart of life. What can we do to ensure that we are living in peace with everyone?
When we are neglecting God's plans for our lives, He will often frustrate our plans to get our attention and turn our focus back to Him.
God isn't interested in doing business with you, He wants to be in a relationship with you. When we negotiate with God we fail to realize that everything we already have is his.
We all have a Mara in our lives (someone who has become bitter from their circumstances). If we reach out to them in love and devotion, God will orchestrate things so we can introduce them to the One who redeems.
We are all headed for Judgment. The question is whether we want to be judged based on what is written in the book of our life or the Book of Jesus' Life.
The Great Prostitute described in Revelations 16-19 represents the End Time anti-Christian Kingdom. What we will see in the End Times will differ only in scope and intensity from what we experience now. We must learn to engage with Jesus to combat the pull towards the worldly values of politics, lukewarm religion, and economics.
We need the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life. The Holy Spirit seals us through tribulations, confirms Truth in our Spirit to keep us from being deceived, strengthens us to stand firm, and empowers us to do the work of ministry and evangelism.
It is important to be able to identify deception. Satan's strategy is to get us to believe anything other than the Gospel. As we become firmly planted in the Truth, and know the voice of God, we will be able to distinguish Truth from the lies.
We don't want to be people with no roots. We are to be firmly planted in the love of God so that when tribulations come, we can stand firm to the end.
When we understand that God is a God who not only wants us, but pursues us with relentless love, it transforms our lives and fuels our passion to seek Him.
We don't know the day or the hour when Jesus is coming back, we just know He IS coming. What can we do to prepare and be ready?
Jesus did signs and wonders that point us to who He is. When we follow the signs, we come to know Him more as the Source of every good thing.
The greatest commandment is to love God and to love people. This also the most difficult commandment.
God uses prayer not only to change us, but also to change our community. Prayer is less a sharing of information and more of an invitation to action.
One of the most common hindrances to becoming more like Jesus is a lack of alignment with God's purposes in our lives.
Giving is one of the tools we give to the Potter in order to form us into the image of Jesus.
There is a special place in God's heart for the poor and we have a responsibility to demonstrate that love in our community.
God is determined to conform us into the image of Jesus. The question for us is: are we willing to be molded?
God has an overarching ideal for every person He has created- to be conformed into the image of Jesus.
The Resurrection of Jesus is God's guarantee that everything Jesus said and did is trustworthy.
"God loves you" has become cliche, but the reality of that statement is the most important truth in the universe.
It is tempting to compare God's work (or lack of work) in our lives with how we see Him working in the lives of others.
God is looking for people to fully support, but often we don't give Him the chance to support us.
When we become Christians we are adopted into God's family. However, many of us continue to see ourselves as less than God's sons and daughters.
Jesus lived a perfect life, so He probably didn't need to make New Year's Resolutions. However, we don't live a perfect life and I wonder what Jesus would resolve if He were us.
Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that Jesus was born a King and that He came to establish the Kingdom of God here on earth.
Jesus is described as the Prince of Peace however many of us do not experience that peace in our lives.
As we approach the End of History our world grows increasingly chaotic and we need to stand firm if we are to inherit eternal life.
Many struggle with chronic conditions- physically, emotionally, relationally, spiritually- and we wonder if God will ever make things right.
We reap what we sow and we reap HOW we sow. If sow generously to the Lord in all areas of our lives, we can expect to reap generously back from the Lord.
The degree of freedom we experience in our lives is directly tied to how clearly we see the glory of God. The catch is, most of us are at least partially blind.
Everyone smells. We can try to cover it up, but we can't change the fact that we all smell. Our only choice is what we smell like- sweat, smoke, or Jesus...