Central Church of Carroll

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Unpopular – Week #6Theory or Truth?2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 8:37Critical Theory = my identity is based on my gender, my race or my sexual orientationBiblical Faith = my identity is based on who I am in Christ• First Identity• Primary Identity• Jesus didn’t die to be a part of our life, He came and died to be our lifeThis means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! -2 Corinthians 5:17My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. -Galatians 2:20• The word repentance comes from the Greek word metanoia, which means to change the way you thinkDon’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. -Romans 12:2• Critical theory is all about my thoughts• Biblical Faith is all about God’s thoughts2 main expressions that come out of Critical Theory:1. “I’m living out my truth”2. “If it feels good, do it“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. -Isaiah 55:8-9God has revealed Himself to us in 2 primary ways:1. The person of Jesus2. The Holy ScripturesCritical Theory = Victim / VictimizerBiblical Faith = Overwhelmed / OvercomerNo, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. -Romans 8:37

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Unpopular Week #5 - November 3, 2024Politics in the Church?Daniel 2:1-19; 24-30; 46-4Christianity is a personal issue, but it’s not a private issueWe are called to be the salt of the earthThere is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king—your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar—made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon. Daniel 5:11One night during the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had such disturbing dreams that he couldn’t sleep. 2 He called in his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers, and he demanded that they tell him what he had dreamed. As they stood before the king, 3 he said, “I have had a dream that deeply troubles me, and I must know what it means.” 4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “Long live the king! Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.” 5 But the king said to the astrologers, “I am serious about this. If you don’t tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into heaps of rubble! 6 But if you tell me what I dreamed and what the dream means, I will give you many wonderful gifts and honors. Just tell me the dream and what it means!” 7 They said again, “Please, Your Majesty. Tell us the dream, and we will tell you what it means.” 8 The king replied, “I know what you are doing! You’re stalling for time because you know I am serious when I say, 9 ‘If you don’t tell me the dream, you are doomed.’ So you have conspired to tell me lies, hoping I will change my mind. But tell me the dream, and then I’ll know that you can tell me what it means.” 10 The astrologers replied to the king, “No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! 11 The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.” 12 The king was furious when he heard this, and he ordered that all the wise men of Babylon be executed. 13 And because of the king’s decree, men were sent to find and kill Daniel and his friends. 14 When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. Daniel 2:1-14 A Christian who has a political opinion doesn't have to be mean He asked Arioch, “Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?” So Arioch told him all that had happened. 16 Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time to tell the king what the dream meant. 17 Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. Daniel 2:15-17The greatest form of censorship in America today is self-censorshipHe urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. 19 That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. Daniel 2:18-19Then Daniel went in to see Arioch, whom the king had ordered to execute the wise men of Babylon. Daniel said to him, “Don’t kill the wise men. Take me to the king, and I will tell him the meaning of his dream.” 25 Arioch quickly took Daniel to the king and said, “I have found one of the captives from Judah who will tell the king the meaning of his dream!” 26 The king said to Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar), “Is this true? Can you tell me what my dream was and what it means?” 27 Daniel replied, “There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can reveal the king’s secret. 28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed. 29 “While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen. 30 And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart. Daniel 2:24-30Then King Nebuchadnezzar threw himself down before Daniel and worshiped him, and he commanded his people to offer sacrifices and burn sweet incense before him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret.” 48 Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men. 49 At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court. Daniel 2:46-49Spirit of GodPeople of GodPurpose of GodBlessing of God

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Unpopular - Week 4 - October 20, 2024Dealing with Feelings2 Corinthians 10:5

Emotional Health- The ability to manage feelings, think, and cope with life events.
When conflict arises, we can have effective confrontations!
Inward-focused tools- Self-Awareness, Self-Belief, and Self-Regulation
Outward-focused tools- Social Awareness, Belief About Others, and Relationship Skills.

1. Think Before Acting“casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;” -2 Corinthians 10:5 (ASV)2. Identify Feelings“Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.” -Psalms 31:9 (NIV)“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” -Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV)3. Be Aware Of Emotions And Reactions5. Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as [committed] believers. Examine yourselves [not me]! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves [by an ongoing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit? -2 Corinthians 13:5“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” -Philippians 2:3 (ESV)4. Express Emotions Appropriately5. Stress Management“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” -John 14:27 (NLT)“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” -Psalm 55:22 (NIV)“And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span?” -Matthew 6:27 (NASB)6. Coping Skills“6. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB)“3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” -Proverbs 3:3-6 (ESV)7. Connecting With Others“18 Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” -2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (HCSB)

Connect Relationally
We’ve been lied to or are lying to ourselves.

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” -Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV)22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! -Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

Pray for God's wisdom: Ask God to help recognize and evaluate your emotions.
Receive God's grace: Acknowledge difficult days and ask for God's grace.
Ask for help: Don't be afraid to reach out to a trusted friend, pastor, or counselor for help. Get connected to someone who can help you!

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Unpopular - Week 3 - October 13, 2024The Blueprint of TruthMatthew 16:181. The Foundation“On this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” – Matthew 16:18

Jesus gave us the blueprints for us to live sacrificially and lay down our lives for the glory of God.
God’s Truth is not a suggestion but rather it’s why He created it to protect those He loved.

2. Relentless Pursuit of Jesus“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,….But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, ….For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21

Be bold enough to seek an adventure that can move you to a whole new identity.

“One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” -Proverbs 11:24-253. Sin and Its Wages“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

It is out of love that God points out our sin.
The reality of God’s destiny for us cannot change simply because we don’t accept it.

“For our struggle is not against human opponents but against rulers, authorities, cosmic powers in the darkness around us, and evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realm.”– Ephesians 6:12“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” - 2 Timothy 1:74. The Reward“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 6:1

The Gospel demands that we set our sights on a Heavenly reward and not earthly praise.

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Unpopular Week #2A Helper Uniquely Designed by God to be a BlessingGenesis 2:21-22; 3:1-21According to the Scriptures, a Woman is:1. A Helpera. Encouragementb. TrustIt’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home. Proverbs 21:9It’s better to live alone in the desert than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife. Proverbs 21:19A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm; 16 restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand. Proverbs 27:15-162. Uniquely Designed by GodSo the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. Genesis 2:21-223. A BlessingThe serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” 4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” 6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. Genesis 3:1-7If Satan can get us to feel shame, he will shackle us to our past“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” Genesis 3:11-13Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live. 21 And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. Genesis 3:20-21

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Unpopular week #1A Godly ManJohn 2:13-17Four Qualities of a Godly Man:1. A Godly man will pursue the LordIt was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. John 2:13It is a spiritual impossibility to pursue Jesus and to pursue sin at the same timeThe man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:7Real men follow Jesus2. A Godly man will see as Jesus seesIn the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. John 2:14When we see as Jesus sees, we are more likely to do what Jesus says3. A Godly man will fight when necessaryA Godly man will always stand and put his life on the line for the oppressed, the weak and the marginalizedJesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. 16 Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” John 2:15-164. A Godly man will be passionate about what Jesus is passionate aboutThen his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.” John 2:17

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It’s All in Your Head - Week #4 - September 22, 2024Breaking StrongholdsExodus 8:1-10Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go back to Pharaoh and announce to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. Exodus 8:1God is fighting for youIf you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs across your entire land. 3 The Nile River will swarm with frogs. They will come up out of the river and into your palace, even into your bedroom and onto your bed! They will enter the houses of your officials and your people. They will even jump into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4 Frogs will jump on you, your people, and all your officials.’” 5 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Raise the staff in your hand over all the rivers, canals, and ponds of Egypt, and bring up frogs over all the land.’” 6 So Aaron raised his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the whole land! 7 But the magicians were able to do the same thing with their magic. They, too, caused frogs to come up on the land of Egypt. 8 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, “Plead with the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your people go, so they can offer sacrifices to the Lord.” 9 “You set the time!” Moses replied. “Tell me when you want me to pray for you, your officials, and your people. Then you and your houses will be rid of the frogs. They will remain only in the Nile River.” 10 “Do it tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. Exodus 8:2-10A stronghold is a place in our lives where we have gradually surrendered ground to the enemy to the point where we feel trapped, helpless, thus causing us to accept it as our identityWhat are some strongholds?a. Addictionb. Anger and bitternessc. Despaird. LegalismLies the enemy tells us when it comes to strongholds:a. Keep it a secretThe consequences of concealment are far greater than the consequences of confessionb. It’s not a big dealc. It’s too lateFor though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4How do we demolish strongholds?a. Ask Jesus for helpb. Ask for the help of othersYou cannot heal yourselfc. Know that Jesus’ strength is greater than the enemy’s stronghold

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It’s All in Your Head – Week #3The Fear WithinIsaiah 41:10“Don’t be afraid for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” –Isaiah 41:10

What we see and what we hear has a lot to do with what we fear
Jesus is always with us
Peace begins with a recognition of who God is
We all need the help of God and the help of others
A life with Jesus equals a life with more
Jesus, today, help me to trust You and surrender to Your plans, strengthen me, help me, and remind me I’m in Your hands.

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It’s all In Your Head - week #2 - September 8, 2024Perfect PeaceIsaiah 26:3

Peace is a state of mind that allows us to stand firm in any situation

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Peace begins with a recognition of who God is
Peace is a promise from God
The area of my life where I am worried the most is also the area of my life where I trust God the least
What we pay attention to the most will consume our thoughts

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

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It's All In Your Head - Week 1 - September 1, 2024Who's Voice Is It?1 Kings 19:1-18LIE- A true Christian will never struggle with mental health issuesSpiritual PressureFinancial PressureRelational PressurePhysical Safety Pressure = conflictNow Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 1 Kings 19:1-3

Solitude is when you just get alone for the purpose of refreshing
Isolation is when you start telling yourself nobody cares

while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 1 Kings 19:4-10The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” 1 Kings 19:11-183 takeaways:1. You are not alone2. Get other people involved3. God still has a plan for your lifeThe video and/or audio clips may contain content copyrighted by third parties but is used as part of education and commentary and therefore subject to the fair use exception under Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 107 of United States law. Central Church makes no claims to third party content contained in these clips and no infringement is intended.

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Holy Shift - Week 4 - August 25, 2024Opportunity Takes Perspective2 Corinthians 5:7

Perspective sees Obstacles as the greatest opportunities.

for we walk by faith, not by sight. -2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)

Opportunities Require Taking Risks

“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” -Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)

Seeing people in relation to their potential shapes our perspective.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” -Ephesians 3:20 (ESV)

A proper perspective ties the present in relation to God's promises.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 3:13-14

Your PERSPECTIVE determines your purpose.

“Do not be conformed to the standards of the world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God.” -Romans 12:2

Jesus gives a winning perspective

Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” -Matthew 14:15-18

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Holy Shift - Week 3 - August 18, 2024An Acquired Taste John 8:31-59Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need first hand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. I hope the test won’t show that we have failed. But if it comes to that, we’d rather the test showed our failure than yours. We’re rooting for the truth to win out in you. We couldn’t possibly do otherwise. -2 Corinthians 13:5-9We don’t just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then go on to celebrate every strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives. -2 Corinthians 13:5-9 (MSG)• Embracing Jesus’s word is the cornerstone of freedom, freeing us from the bondage of sin and the illusions of this world.Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. -John 8:31 NKJV• Belief is the beginning, but true disciples are marked by a continuous and living relationship with Christ, not just sporadically.And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32The truth of Jesus is not merely intellectual but life-transforming because it renews and sanctifies us.Jesus said, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You’ve even seen him!” -John 14:6-7 (MSG)33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. -John 8:33-36• We need to shift our need for the truth• We need to seek the truth• We need to live the truth in boldness• Becoming Courageous in Faith“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” -Franklin D. RooseveltI’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. -Philippians 3:12-14 (MSG)• Willingness to stand firm in our faithBe prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. -Ephesians 6:13-18 (MSG)• Willingness to step out in faith“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” -John 8:31 (NKJV)• Willingness to persevere“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” -James 1:12 (NIV)• Willingness to surrender““Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” -Luke 22:42

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Holy Shift Week #24 Steps to a Holy Shift Part 2Esther 5:1-14 4 Steps to a Holy Shift:1. Refuse to settle for your shadow mission

Shadow Mission = a derailment of your true mission

2. Ask for the help of Jesus and others

Just because you’ve stalled, doesn’t mean you’re stuck

3. Believe that God does His best work in His timeOn the third day of the fast, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace, just across from the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her and held out the gold scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter. 3 Then the king asked her, “What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!” Esther 5:1-3God gave Esther 2 things:a. wisdomIf you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5b. self-controlAnd Esther replied, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for the king.” 5 The king turned to his attendants and said, “Tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet, as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to Esther’s banquet. 6 And while they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, “Now tell me what you really want. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!” 7 Esther replied, “This is my request and deepest wish. 8 If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and do what I ask, please come with Haman tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for you. Then I will explain what this is all about.” Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious. 10 However, he restrained himself and went on home. Then Haman gathered together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 and boasted to them about his great wealth and his many children. He bragged about the honors the king had given him and how he had been promoted over all the other nobles and officials. 12 Then Haman added, “And that’s not all! Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow!” 13 Then he added, “But this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate.” 14 So Haman’s wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, “Set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet[a] tall, and in the morning ask the king to impale Mordecai on it. When this is done, you can go on your merry way to the banquet with the king.” This pleased Haman, and he ordered the pole set up. Esther 5:4-14

When you want more, you cannot be thankful for what you have
Make a shift from entitlement to gratitude

That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. 2 In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king’s private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate King Xerxes. 3 “What reward or recognition did we ever give Mordecai for this?” the king asked. His attendants replied, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4 “Who is that in the outer court?” the king inquired. As it happened, Haman had just arrived in the outer court of the palace to ask the king to impale Mordecai on the pole he had prepared. 5 So the attendants replied to the king, “Haman is out in the court.” “Bring him in,” the king ordered. 6 So Haman came in, and the king said, “What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?” Haman thought to himself, “Whom would the king wish to honor more than me?” 7 So he replied, “If the king wishes to honor someone, 8 he should bring out one of the king’s own royal robes, as well as a horse that the king himself has ridden—one with a royal emblem on its head. 9 Let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. And let him see that the man whom the king wishes to honor is dressed in the king’s robes and led through the city square on the king’s horse. Have the official shout as they go, ‘This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!’” 10 “Excellent!” the king said to Haman. “Quick! Take the robes and my horse, and do just as you have said for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the gate of the palace. Leave out nothing you have suggested!” Esther 6:1-10So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet. 2 On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”3 Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. 4 For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king.” 5 “Who would do such a thing?” King Xerxes demanded. “Who would be so presumptuous as to touch you?” 6 Esther replied, “This wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy.” Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen. 7 Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden. Haman, however, stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him. 8 In despair he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king was returning from the palace garden. The king exclaimed, “Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?” And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman’s face, signaling his doom. 9 Then Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs, said, “Haman has set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet[a] tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to impale Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination.” “Then impale Haman on it!” the king ordered. 10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided. Esther 7:1-104. Be all about other peopleThen Esther went again before the king, falling down at his feet and begging him with tears to stop the evil plot devised by Haman the Agagite against the Jews. 4 Again the king held out the gold scepter to Esther. So she rose and stood before him. Esther 8:3-4So urged on by the king’s command, the messengers rode out swiftly on fast horses bred for the king’s service. The same decree was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. 15 Then Mordecai left the king’s presence, wearing the royal robe of blue and white, the great crown of gold, and an outer cloak of fine linen and purple. And the people of Susa celebrated the new decree. 16 The Jews were filled with joy and gladness and were honored everywhere. 17 In every province and city, wherever the king’s decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had a great celebration and declared a public festival and holiday. And many of the people of the land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them. Esther 8:14-17

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Holy Shift - Week #14 Steps to a Holy Shift - Part 1Esther 1:1-224 Steps to a Holy Shift:1. Refuse to settle for your shadow mission

Shadow Mission = a derailment of your true mission

These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. 2 At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. 3 In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces. 4 The celebration lasted 180 days—a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his majesty. 5 When it was all over, the king gave a banquet for all the people, from the greatest to the least, who were in the fortress of Susa. It lasted for seven days and was held in the courtyard of the palace garden. 6 The courtyard was beautifully decorated with white cotton curtains and blue hangings, which were fastened with white linen cords and purple ribbons to silver rings embedded in marble pillars. Gold and silver couches stood on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones. 7 Drinks were served in gold goblets of many designs, and there was an abundance of royal wine, reflecting the king’s generosity. 8 By edict of the king, no limits were placed on the drinking, for the king had instructed all his palace officials to serve each man as much as he wanted.9 At the same time, Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes. 10 On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine, he told the seven eunuchs who attended him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas— 11 to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman. Esther 1:1-11

If we are not careful, our shadow mission will take us to places we never wanted to be

But when they conveyed the king’s order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. This made the king furious, and he burned with anger. Esther 1:12But after Xerxes’ anger had subsided, he began thinking about Vashti and what she had done and the decree he had made Esther 2:1Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in early winter of the seventh year of his reign. 17 And the king loved Esther more than any of the other young women. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. 18 To celebrate the occasion, he gave a great banquet in Esther’s honor for all his nobles and officials, declaring a public holiday for the provinces and giving generous gifts to everyone. Esther 2:16-18 2. Ask for the help of Jesus and others Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” 15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” 17 So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him. Esther 4:13-17 If we are going to become who God has called us to be, we need God and we need the people of God

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I Love Central Week #7ValuesLuke 5:33-39They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.” Luke 5:33

Comparison is a dangerous trap to fall into
It’s ok to have personal convictions
Don’t force your convictions onto other people

Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 35 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.” 36 He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’” Luke 5:34-39Three things Central will Value:1. We will value conversation over condemnation2. We will value maintaining the relationship over winning the argument“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. John 17:20-233. We will value honesty over hypocrisy

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I Love Central Week #6Focused on His HolinessIsaiah 6:1-8False Idea- I don’t need church to worship JesusWe all need church if we're going to maximize our relationship with JesusIt was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. Isaiah 6:1-2The first step away from God is a step away from the people of GodIt is not information that changes people, it is revelationThey were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” 4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. Isaiah 6:3-4Revelation changes our livesThen I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Isaiah 6:5Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” Isaiah 6:6-7Our past sin may be what we did, but in Christ, it is not who we areThen I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). Isaiah 7:14 (Video and audio clips in this video may contain content copyrighted by third parties but is used as part of education and commentary and therefore subject to the fair use exception under Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 107 of United States law. Central Church makes no claims to third party content contained in this video and no infringement is intended.)

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I Love Central Week #5Free from the Words of OthersJohn 7:12-44The reason it often seems difficult to follow Jesus is because it's actually difficult to follow JesusThree things to focus on that will set us free from living under the oppression of the words of other people:1. Ignore their opinionsThere was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” 13 But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders. John 7:12-13The crowd replied, “You’re demon possessed! Who’s trying to kill you?” John 7:20When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.” 41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” 43 So the crowd was divided about him. 44 Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him. John 7:40-44It's possible to know the scriptures and not know JesusThe quickest way to lose sight of what God says about me is to hyper-focus on what other people say about meBut Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer Luke 5:16If Jesus needed some time to get his focus on The Father, then we do too2. Don’t submit to the standards of othersFor John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ 35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it” Luke 7:33-35If Jesus doesn't affect everything, then he means nothing to our lives ultimately3. Talk about celebrationsCentral will be known as a church known more for our celebrations rather than our condemnationsI was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122:1What can we celebrate?a. When a Prodigal comes home!b. When an addict is clean for a day!c. When people find hope to keep on living!d. When people meet Jesus!Where were you when Jesus found you?How far has Jesus brought you?What has he brought you through?How much strength has He given you?What did He rescue you from?

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I Love Central - Week 4 - July 7, 2024The Second “Yes”Mark 10:17-22 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”8 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.” 20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” Mark 10:17-20

If we don't have self-awareness we will be self-righteous

Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Mark 10:21

I can trust Jesus because He is always speaking out of love

Love is the primary motivator for the Word of God being spoken into our lives

Jesus deals with us one issue at a time

The first “yes” is easy

The reason Jesus comes after things in our life is because He knows what satisfies us now, in the moment, eventually will let us down

At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Mark 10:22

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I Love Central - Week #3 - June 30, 2024Is Baptism My Next Step?Matthew 3:13-14• We all have a next step in our walk with Jesus • Your next step is your best step• Baptism is an outward profession of an inner connectionThen Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Matthew 3:13-14• Opposition is an opportunity to continually say yes to Jesus.Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented Matthew 3:15• The best time to take your next step is right nowAs soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. Matthew 3:16• Breakthrough comes after follow throughAnd a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17• When we take our next step in our walk with Jesus, God is pleasedWhen the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Acts 2:37• When the Holy Spirit cuts to our heart, it’s because He wants to do something in us, so eventually He can do something through us.Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38• Repent means to turn away from sin and submit your life to Jesus.• Walking with Jesus is a process• Repentance is internal, baptism is external• Baptism is the way that we are given to identify with JesusOr don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:3-43 POINTS ABOUT BAPTISM:1. Baptism is always after salvation• Baptism is symbolic of the fact that we’ve entered into a covenant with God2. Baptism is by immersion3. Baptism is everyone’s next step after salvationThen he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:23-27This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24If you would like to be baptized on July 14, please sign up at http://yourcentralchurch.com/baptisms (by July 10, 2024)

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I Love Central - Week #2Ask, Seek and KnockLuke 11:5-10Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit Ephesians 5:18

The Holy Spirit fills us with joy
The Holy Spirit enables us to love other people
The Holy Spirit empowers us to speak the truth
Prayer #1- I want to see God’s Spirit poured out in this church
Prayer #2- I want to see God’s Spirit poured out in me
Resurrection is greater than healing

“Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” 40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” John 11:39-43

When the Word of God is spoken, things happen

And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” John 11:44

People that don't know Jesus are always going to live like they don't know Jesus

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! Acts 16:25-26Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence 9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Luke 11:5-10

What are you asking Jesus for?
Seek means participate in the process
Knock and keep on knocking

...how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” Luke 11:13(b)

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I Love Central - Week #1 - June 16, 2024Your Church or Nacho Church?We’re Nacho Church if you’re:1. Looking for the perfect pastor

Letter of the Law vs. Spirit of the Law

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 1 Timothy 3:1-4You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27-282. If you have super high expectationsWhatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-243. If you want the staff to do everything

One of the primary causes of anxiety is people trying to be who others expect them to be and do everything others expect them to do
A church is not effective when the staff ministers to the people. But rather when the body ministers to the body.

4. If you hate a certain group of people

We are for people meeting Jesus and taking their next step as He leads them to take their next step

5. if you don’t love people who are far from GodBut the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. Luke 19:7For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10We are your church if you:1. Want to come as you are2. Want to be who you are

Everybody is welcome. Nobody is perfect. Anything is possible.

3. Want to understand confession does not lead to exclusion

Central Church is a church for misfits, failures and outcasts, led by misfits, failures and outcasts

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How to Love JesusJohn 14 (NIV)

Have you ever been in a situation where confusion and anxiety reigned?

1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. He continues…) 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. -John 14:1-319 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. -John 15:9-11Commands of Jesus:

Love God
Love your Neighbor
Love one another
Love and pray for your enemies

15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. -1 John 4:15-16

God is love.

5. Treat people as you want to be treated6. Be reconciled7. Forgive others8. Confront your fellow believer in private first9. Repent10. Let your light shine11. Preach the Gospel12. Make Disciples13. Don’t Lust14. Keep guard against sin15. Don’t Judge16. Beware of false prophets17. Be on guard against greed46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” -Luke 6:46-4922 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. -James 1:22-25

If Jesus was willing to take all of our sins and suffer on the cross for us, keeping His commands is the least we can do.
We don’t need to try to deal with life’s struggles on our own.
Trust that His Holy Spirit will give us the guidance we need.
He knows exactly what we need and even more so, what we don’t need.
Let’s love Jesus better by following His commands.

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Are you willing to go out on a limb for Jesus?Luke 18:10-14, Luke 19:1-10 1. We get in a rut of rationalize and repeat. Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” -Luke 19:1-10 2. Long before Zacchaeus needed it, God planted that tree. 3. God knows you by name. 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— -John 10:14 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, -Romans 3:22-23 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. -Matthew 6:21

What is your treasure? _____________________________

Where is your heart? _______________________________

What do you give all your time to? _______________________________

4. Faith = Risk - You must be willing to take risks to follow Jesus. 5. If we are willing to take the first step, God is waiting for us. 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” -Luke 18:1-14 6. Jesus has come to seek and save the lost

Will you step out on a limb for Jesus?

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Dealing with Denial1 John 1:8; John 8:31-326 “I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. ~Ezra 9:6 (NIV)“‘When people fall down, don’t they get up again? When they discover they’re on the wrong road, don’t they turn back? 5 Then why do these people stay on their self-destructive path? Why do the people of Jerusalem refuse to turn back? They cling tightly to their lies and will not turn around. 6 I listen to their conversations and don’t hear a word of truth. Is anyone sorry for doing wrong? Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done?” ~Jeremiah 8:4-6 (NLT)19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. ~Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV)14a “You can’t heal a wound by saying it’s not there!” ~Jeremiah 6:14a (TLB)1. Disables our feelings18 For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. ~2 Peter 2:18-19 (ESV)2. Energy lost3. Negates growth13 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them from their distress. 14 He brought them out of darkness and gloom and broke their chains apart. ~Psalm 107:13-14 (HCSB)4. Isolates us from God.5 “God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. 6 If we say, “We have fellowship with Him,” yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” ~1 John 1:5-8 (HCSB)5. Alienates us from our relationships.25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. ~Ephesians 4:25 (MSG)6. Lengthens our pain.2 O Lord my God, I pleaded with you, and you gave me my health again. 3 You brought me back from the brink of the grave, from death itself, and here I am alive! ~Psalm 30:2-3 (MSG)16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. ~James 5:15-16 (NASB)“If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ~John 8:31-32 (NASB)

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Waiting in the In-BetweenLuke 2:51-52

One of the most challenging places in life is the “in-between” moments.” It is that place where patience is required and choices are tested.

51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. ~Luke 2:51-52If we don’t live our lives in the in-between there are two potential outcomes:A. We could miss what God’s doingIn one of his “in-between-times,” David wrote: Psalm 27:13-14 “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord” (Amplified).B. We can negate what God’s doing2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. ~Romans 12:2 (NASB)Three Challenges for Living in the In-Between:1. Wherever You Are, Be There“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” ~Romans 5:1 (NIV)2. Don’t allow the Hurriedness to be your priority in your life.“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” ~Psalm 46:10 (NLT)3. God's purposes are found in the in-betweens of life.“Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.” ~Ephesians 4:1-2 NKJV

“Your “in-between times” are moments where God can build something new, fresh and something wonderful

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

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Mother’s Day 2024Luke 1:26-381. You’ve got what it takesIn the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Luke 1:26-282. God has an amazing plan for your life

God is not trying to hide his will for us from us

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” Luke 1:29-34How can we know God’s will for our lives?a. The Spirit of God

It is impossible to live the life Jesus wants us to live without His Holy Spirit

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35

The Holy Spirit does not make you weird or weak

As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah. 6 At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion’s jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat. But he didn’t tell his father or mother about it. Judges 14:5-6

You’re stronger than you think by the power of The Spirit of God

b. The Word of God

The Spirit of God and The Word of God work together
When it comes to God’s Word, are you open to His instructions?

What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.” Luke 1:36-373. You are going to make it through thisMary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. Luke 1:38

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Refueled Week #4Filled by His Amazing GraceGenesis 16:1-5; 17:1-2; 21;1-7But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children. Genesis 11:30Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” Genesis 15:4-5Three things that drain us of our joy:1. When we listen to people who do not listen to Jesus, we can lose our joy.Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not been able to bear children for him. But she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. 2 So Sarai said to Abram, “The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal. Genesis 16:1-2

Be very careful of using the standards of your life to judge other people
The enemy knows what we’re going to wrestle with, so that is the thing he will tempt us with

So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.) 4 So Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant. But when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to treat her mistress, Sarai, with contempt. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “This is all your fault! I put my servant into your arms, but now that she’s pregnant she treats me with contempt. The Lord will show who’s wrong—you or me!” Genesis 16:3-5When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life. 2 I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.” Genesis 17:1-22. We are drained of joy by our self–doubt“Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked. “She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied. 10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?” 13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” Genesis 18:9-14

Your situation is not impossible!

3. We are drained of joy when we refuse to take steps of faithIt was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. Hebrews 11:11The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. 2 She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. Genesis 21:1-2

You are not powerful enough to stop the work of God

And Abraham named their son Isaac. 4 Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. 5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. 6 And Sarah declared, “God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me. 7 Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!” Genesis 21:3-7

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Refueled week #3Fight to be FullGenesis 13:11-13; Genesis 14:11-16Lot chose for himself the whole Jordan Valley to the east of them. He went there with his flocks and servants and parted company with his uncle Abram. Genesis 13:11The first step away from God is always a step away from the people of GodSo Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain. 13 But the people of this area were extremely wicked and constantly sinned against the Lord. Genesis 13:12-13The Wrong Question = How close can I get to sin and still be a Christian? The Right Question = How close can I get to Jesus?The victorious invaders then plundered Sodom and Gomorrah and headed for home, taking with them all the spoils of war and the food supplies. 12 They also captured Lot—Abram’s nephew who lived in Sodom—and carried off everything he owned. Genesis 14:11-12Sin affects more people than just meBut one of Lot’s men escaped and reported everything to Abram the Hebrew, who was living near the oak grove belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his relatives, Eshcol and Aner, were Abram’s allies. Genesis 14:13We should rejoice that we do not get what we deserveSo many people would rather pray about something so they don’t actually have to do anythingWhen Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household. Then he pursued Kedorlaomer’s army until he caught up with them at Dan. Genesis 14:14Lost people matter to GodFor the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10Since lost people matter to God, they should matter to the people of GodHow many Lots do you know in your life?There he divided his men and attacked during the night. Kedorlaomer’s army fled, but Abram chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. Genesis 14:15Jesus has called us to reach the worldAbram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives. Genesis 14:16At Central we will:Be serious about what Jesus is serious aboutContinue to fight for people who have been taken by the enemySee people experience victories that only come from GodMake a difference in the communitySee people savedSee people be healed and restoredWatch people be blessed and live a full life

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Refueled Week #2Filled with MercyGenesis 12:10-20

Despite the consequences, the place of your greatest mistake is an opportunity to experience God's greatest mercy

At that time a severe famine struck the land of Canaan, forcing Abram to go down to Egypt, where he lived as a foreigner. Genesis 12:10 3 key words- Famine Forcing Foreigner

A famine will cause us to feel empty and lose focus

The famine forced them to go to Egypt

Any time we take our eyes off of Jesus and we look at circumstances around us instead of looking to Him, we will wind up in places that we do not belong

As he was approaching the border of Egypt, Abram said to his wife, Sarai, “Look, you are a very beautiful woman. 12 When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife. Let’s kill him; then we can have her!’ Genesis 12:11-12

When we're full, we will make decisions based on faith. And when we're empty, we will make decisions based on fear

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 So please tell them you are my sister. Then they will spare my life and treat me well because of their interest in you.”Genesis 12:13

Whenever we walk away from God, and we get empty, we do selfish things that always hurt other people

And sure enough, when Abram arrived in Egypt, everyone noticed Sarai’s beauty. 15 When the palace officials saw her, they sang her praises to Pharaoh, their king, and Sarai was taken into his palace. 16 Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels. Genesis 12:14-16

When we walk into “The Devil’s Playground,” we will give up what we want most for what we can have in the moment

But the Lord sent terrible plagues upon Pharaoh and his household because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. Genesis 12:17

God wants to do a work in us. The enemy wants to do a work on us

God will always fight for His children

God does not give up on people

So Pharaoh summoned Abram and accused him sharply. “What have you done to me?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? 19 Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ and allow me to take her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and get out of here!” 20 Pharaoh ordered some of his men to escort them, and he sent Abram out of the country, along with his wife and all his possessions. Genesis 12:18-20

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Refueled Week #1Living Half Empty or Half FullGenesis 11:27-32; 12:1-7

In order to live full, you have to get full

This is the account of Terah’s family. Terah was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran was the father of Lot. 28 But Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, the land of his birth, while his father, Terah, was still living. 29 Meanwhile, Abram and Nahor both married. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah. (Milcah and her sister Iscah were daughters of Nahor’s brother Haran.) 30 But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children. Genesis 11:27-30

When we feel stuck, we don’t believe that we can move forward

One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. 32 Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran. Genesis 11:31-32

Anytime we settle, something inside of us dies

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. Genesis 12:1

If we remain in an environment that labels us, we will never step into what God has for us

I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:2-3

Some people stuck on empty want to stay stuck on empty

So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. 5 He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, Genesis 12:4-5

You cannot get full on your own

Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him. Genesis 12:6-7

It’s not over

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Palm Sunday 2024No MoreActs 3:1-81. No more ordinary Sundays

When we experience Jesus on a supernatural basis, He transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary

Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. Acts 3:1

Many times, the reason we show up at church and receive no revelation is because we have no expectation
When we experience the presence of Jesus, we cannot stay the same

2. No more “less than” peopleAs they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. Acts 3:2

We are all born sinful

3. No more low expectations

What is it that God wants to do inside of you that has not yet happened?

When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. Acts 3:3

Do not allow your dysfunction to become your identity

Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” Acts 3:4-6

Jesus will deliver you out of your dysfunction

4. No more pretending we can do it on our own

We need the help of Jesus and each other to make it through life

Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. Acts 3:7He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Matthew 26:38

Religion pushes you down. Jesus helps you up

5. No more staying silentHe jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. Acts 3:8

Church should be a place of celebration, not condemnation

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Momentum - Week 2“Unstoppable Momentum”1 Samuel 17: 32-54Unstoppable Momentum is a moving force that overcomes resistance.Stone #1: Having The Right Perspective.32 “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” 33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” 1 Samuel 17:32-33“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8Stone #2: Ignore the criticisms of others when your cause is just and your direction is clear.34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37a The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” 1 Samuel 17:34-37a“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.” 2 Timothy 1:6Stone #3: Victory or Defeat is determined by what leads us. 37b Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!” 38 Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. 39 David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. “I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. 40 He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:37b-40Stone #4: Be confident where you’re at and be courageous in the moment.41 Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, 42 sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. 43 “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. 44 “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled. 45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” -1 Samuel 17:41-47Stone #5: Seize the Opportunity48 As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. 49 Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. 1 Samuel 17:48-49“Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.” Mark 11:22–23Stone #6: Preparation creates confidence which produces Unstoppable Momentum 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. 51 Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines, chasing them as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 Then the Israelite army returned and plundered the deserted Philistine camp. 54 (David took the Philistine’s head to Jerusalem, but he stored the man’s armor in his own tent.) 1 Samuel 17:50-54“But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you.” Exodus 23:22DavidYouth/ShepherdNo ArmorStaff, Sling, StonesThe LordGoliathExperienced SoldierArmor and ShieldSword, Spear, Javelin

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Momentum - Week 1“Forward Momentum” - March 10th, 2024Philippians 3:8-9Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ, and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. Phil. 3:8-9I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. Phil. 3:12

The life of faith is more about embracing a journey than it is about arriving at a destination.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. Phil. 3:12

It's impossible to press on or chase after Jesus with everything that we have if we're living in the past.
The enemy's plan is that it would define you God’s plan for your past is that it would refine you.

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Phil. 3:13Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadow boxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Don’t be complacent in how you train for spiritual growth.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:14

Jesus isn't the means to an end Jesus is the end.

Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

Don't give up! Keep chasing after the one who says I hold you at every turn.

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. Phil. 3:15-19

You have a choice who you keep in your view.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Phil. 3:20-21

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Signs of The Times Week #4Jesus Said It... Not MeMatthew 16:13-18When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” 15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. Matthew 16:13-18

The word Ecclesia means- a group of called out people

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. Matthew 16:21

Jesus is coming back for His Bride- The Church

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” John 14:1-4And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. Matthew 24:141. Let’s get engagedYes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 1 Corinthians 12:14-192. Let’s ask people to come sit with usJesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Mark 16:15You are witnesses of these things. Luke 24:48Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” John 20:213. Let’s stop making excuses

Bad Christians happen to good people

Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. Luke 15:1

People who were nothing like Jesus, liked Jesus, and, Jesus liked people that were nothing like Him

This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! Luke 15:2

If you’re not connected, you’re not fully alive

For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. Colossians 1:27

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Signs of the Times Week #3Packed and Ready1 Corinthians 3:10-15; Revelation 20:11-14; Matthew 7:21-23Are you packed and ready for eternity?TWO END TIME JUDGMENTS:1. The Judgment Seat of ChristSo now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15Three things we will be judged on:A. Time

Time is the great equalizer

B. TalentWith talent comes responsibilityC. TreasureWherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be Matthew 6:21

It’s not a money issue, it’s a heart issue

2. The Great White Throne JudgmentAnd I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-14Who will be there?A. The ProcrastinatorB. The Fearful

God will give you the strength to put down whatever you need to put down so you can pick up what you need to pick up

C. The Casual Christian

There is a difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ Matthew 7:21-23

Our salvation depends on Him, not us

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

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Signs of the Times - Week #2It’s in The BookMatthew 24:3-12Seven Signs Jesus gives in Matthew 24:1. Religious ToleranceJesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. Matthew 24:4-5

A survey showed that 57% of Christians believe all religions teach the same thing
38% of Christians believe that you don’t have to believe in Jesus to get to heaven

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:62. Wars and threats of warsAnd you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Matthew 24:63. Ethnic unrestNation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come. Matthew 24:7-84. Famines5. Earthquakes6. PersecutionThen you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Matthew 24:9-11

There is a difference between hate speech and speech that you hate

7. A love growing coldSin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. Matthew 24:12

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Signs of the Times - Week #1Having a Right Focus on The End TimesI Thessalonians 4:16-18; Matthew 24:32-36

Closed handed issues- we have to fight for these

A few examples:The ResurrectionThe Sinless life of JesusThe Authority of ScriptureVirgin Birth, Sinfulness of man, The Trinity, Deity of Jesus, Faith alone in Christ alone as the only way for salvation.

Open handed issues- Not essential to our salvation

A few examples:Drinking, Worship Style, Church Government, the day of Worship, how often should you take communion, etc.

The study of The End times is called eschatology

Where Christians and the church Get it Wrong:1. We won’t talk about the end times

Approximately 30% of The Bible is prophecy
Prophecy is given for two reasons:

a. To encourage the believerb. To warn the unbelieverFor the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

The term used for Jesus coming back is the word, Rapture

Three Views on the Rapturea. Pre- Tribulationb. Mid- Tribulationc. Post- Tribulation2. We set dates“Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. 36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. Matthew 24:32-363. We obsess over the “how,” the “what” and the “when,” and we miss the “who”

The Book of Revelation is primarily about Jesus. The end times are secondary

From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. Revelation 4:5Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” Revelation 4:8

The word Holy means without sin

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.” Revelation 4:11

God created what He pleased

Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. 12 And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered— to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.” 13 And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” Revelation 5:11-13

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Great Expectations Week #5Chopping Wood2 Kings 5:20-6:7

Spiritual transformation takes place as we seek the presence of God, not the presents of God

But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said to himself, “My master should not have let this Aramean get away without accepting any of his gifts. As surely as the Lord lives, I will chase after him and get something from him.” 2 Kings 5:20

When we categorize, we demonize

So Gehazi set off after Naaman. When Naaman saw Gehazi running after him, he climbed down from his chariot and went to meet him. “Is everything all right?” Naaman asked. ²²“Yes,” Gehazi said, “but my master has sent me to tell you that two young prophets from the hill country of Ephraim have just arrived. He would like 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them.” ²³“By all means, take twice as much silver,” Naaman insisted. He gave him two sets of clothing, tied up the money in two bags, and sent two of his servants to carry the gifts for Gehazi. ²⁴But when they arrived at the citadel, Gehazi took the gifts from the servants and sent the men back. Then he went and hid the gifts inside the house. ²⁵When he went in to his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” “I haven’t been anywhere,” he replied. ²⁶But Elisha asked him, “Don’t you realize that I was there in spirit when Naaman stepped down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to receive money and clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and cattle, and male and female servants? ²⁷Because you have done this, you and your descendants will suffer from Naaman’s leprosy forever.” When Gehazi left the room, he was covered with leprosy; his skin was white as snow. 2 Kings 5:21-27

When we move from spectator to participator we will face problems

One day the group of prophets came to Elisha and told him, “As you can see, this place where we meet with you is too small. 2 Kings 6:1

Problems often lead to opportunities

Let’s go down to the Jordan River, where there are plenty of logs. There we can build a new place for us to meet.” “All right,” he told them, “go ahead.” 2 Kings 6:2

God has called us to move forward

“Please come with us,” someone suggested. “I will,” he said. ⁴So he went with them. When they arrived at the Jordan, they began cutting down trees. 2 Kings 6:3-4

It is the presence of God not the pressure of man that changes lives

God’s work is more powerful than man’s work

It takes commitment to move from spectator to participator

With opportunity comes distraction

But as one of them was cutting a tree, his ax head fell into the river. “Oh, sir!” he cried. “It was a borrowed ax!” ⁶“Where did it fall?” the man of God asked. When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it into the water at that spot. Then the ax head floated to the surface. ⁷“Grab it,” Elisha said. And the man reached out and grabbed it. 2 Kings 6:5-7

Please take your envelope and pray over the next week and ask God to show you how you can participate in this campaign. Please bring the envelope back on Sunday February 11, 2024. You can also go HERE to start giving to the campaign online.

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Great Expectations - Week #4From Smug to Servant2 Kings 5:15-191. When we receive Jesus, the work of God immediately begins in our livesBut Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” 11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! 2 Kings 5:10-11Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” 2 Kings 5:152. Renewing our minds takes timeBut Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept any gifts.” And though Naaman urged him to take the gift, Elisha refused. 17 Then Naaman said, “All right, but please allow me to load two of my mules with earth from this place, and I will take it back home with me. From now on I will never again offer burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the Lord. 2 Kings 5:16-17Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:23 ways to renew your mind:a. Church AttendanceThe first step away from God is a step away from the people of Godb. Worship Musicc. God’s WordWhen you read God’s Word, you read God’s willYour word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:1053. Pressure does not mean we are losing the fight. Pressure indicates we are fighting the fightHowever, may the Lord pardon me in this one thing: When my master the king goes into the temple of the god Rimmon to worship there and leans on my arm, may the Lord pardon me when I bow, too.” 19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said. So Naaman started home again. 2 Kings 5:18-19Two Things to understand today:1. Jesus is in you2. Jesus is for you

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Great Expectations - Week #3Hey Now, It’s Your Birthday2 Kings 5:9-14When did you surrender your life to Jesus?

The only thing we contribute to our salvation is the sin that made it necessary

So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:9-10When you surrender your life to Jesus, life doesn’t become easier, but you become strongerBut Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! 12 Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. 2 Kings 5:11-12If you don’t deal with your anger, it will turn to rageYou can be sincere and sincerely wrong at the same timeBut his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’”2 Kings 5:13Our next step with Jesus isn’t always easy, but it’s always simpleSo Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed! 2 Kings 5:14Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3

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Great Expectations Week #1 (1/7/24)Don’t Allow Your ‘But’ to Get in the Way2 Kings 5:1-5

Your ‘But’ matters to God

The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. 2 Kings 5:1

Every gift we have is a gift from God

In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. Matthew 5:45The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. 2 At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. 2 Kings 5:1-2

We live filtered lives

One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:3

Love your enemies

So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. 5 “Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. 2 Kings 5:4-5

When you confess out loud, the power your sin has over you begins to shatter
Why do you matter to God? Because of His Amazing Grace!

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Great Expectations - Week #2Stop Seeking Worldly Solutions to Worldly Problems2 Kings 5:3-9

If you’ve ever gotten off track:

a. You’re not the only person who hasb. It’s never too late to get back on trackOne day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. 2 Kings 5:3-4

You cannot take what God has put inside of you to someone who doesn’t know Him or know about His presence and His power

Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. 2 Kings 5:5

The cross is a reminder that our debt is paid in full

The letter to the king of Israel said: “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.” 2 Kings 5:6

Jesus did not die on the cross so He could be a part of our life, He died so He could be our life
God – Government = Chaos
Government – God = Tyranny
God is our Healer, our Peace, our Provider and our Protector

When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? Why is this man asking me to heal someone with leprosy? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.” 2 Kings 5:7

When we become unaware of God's power and God's presence... the natural result is to freak out

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 (NIV)Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:5 (NIV)

Even if you're not pursuing Him, He's pursuing you

But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 2 Kings 5:8-9

Two of the words that describe God in the Scriptures are “patient and “kind”

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 2 Peter 3:9In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to bring back the remnant of his people— Isaiah 11:11

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Voyage to the Manger - Week #5Your Voyage into 2024Psalm 73Four Simple Steps to Having a great year spiritually:1. Go to churchAttend Regularly But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. Psalm 73:2 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked. Psalm 73:17Central is a church where all people can experience the presence of Jesus every week 2. Grow in churchTWO ways to grow: a. ServeNot so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, Matthew 20:26 (NIV) b. Give3. Show the churchInvite BoldlyJesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 4. Know that immeasurably more is coming Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, Ephesians 3:20

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Voyage to the Manger - Week #4Say “Yes” to the VoyageMatthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:8-15If we allow other people to label us, it will limit us from the life that God ultimately has for usThis is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18God never calls us into our comfort zone, He calls us out of our comfort zoneJoseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. Matthew 1:19-25Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. Luke 1:38That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:8-15What do I need to say “Yes” to?

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Voyage to the Manger - Week #3A Voyage Thru the ChaosMatthew 2:1-12

Chaos is a really great indicator that we need Jesus
Always anticipate an encounter with the Savior because He’s alive and He’s closer to you than you think

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2

Jesus says, ‘Follow me and you will change”

King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” Matthew 2:3-6

Information + Application= Transformation
Do you view Jesus as King?

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:23-24Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” Matthew 2:7-8

When Jesus isn’t King, we will use people rather than love them
When we get close to a work of God, the enemy will compel us to try to kill that work of God

After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! Matthew 2:9-10

A voyage toward Jesus is a voyage filled with joy!

They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11

When we know Jesus is King, we worship
When we know Jesus is King, we give

When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. Matthew 2:12

You cannot meet Jesus and stay the same

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The Voyage to the Manger – Week #2The Shepherds’ VoyageLuke 2:2-8That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people Luke 2:8-10There is a difference between good advice and good newsGod wants you to be filled with joy!The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:11-12The manger is not a symbol of how clean we are, it is a reminder of how dirty we are, and how much we need God’s graceChristianity is not about measuring up, it’s about opening upSuddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” 15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:13-15What if we spent half as much time on Sunday preparing our hearts as we did in preparing our appearance?They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. Luke 2:16-20There is a difference between a person who doesn’t know Jesus, and the person who knows that Jesus is aliveBut as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. Job 19:25

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The Voyage to the Manger - Week #1Mary’s VoyageLuke 1:30-38; 2:1-7; Matthew 2:1-23When it comes to following Jesus, the best is yet to come“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! Luke 1:30God speaks to people in different ways, and in different times, and in different placesYou will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:31-35You will go insane trying to explain what the Holy Spirit is doing inside your lifeAt that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. Luke 2:1-6Sometimes God has to take us out of our comfortable situation so that we will actually pay attention to how desperate we really are for HimShe gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. Luke 2:7God is at work in the Christmas storyGod is at work in your storyAfter the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.”16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A cry was heard in Ramah— weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.” 19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. Matthew 2:13-19God will handle your HerodGet up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” 21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother. 22 But when he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod’s son Archelaus, he was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee. 23 So the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth. This fulfilled what the prophets had said: “He will be called a Nazarene.” Matthew 2:20-23It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Isaiah 6:1-3

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Master of the Miraculous - Week #5Miracles in the StormMatthew 14:22-33 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. Matthew 14:22

God loves you so much that sometimes He will take something away from you

After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. Matthew 14:23

Are you intentionally spending time with Jesus every day?

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. Matthew 14:24

Some people drive into their own storm

About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. Matthew 14:25When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!” Matthew 14:26

Sometimes Jesus takes us through the storm so we can see Him in ways we’ve never seen Him before

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here! Matthew 14:27

When we get in the middle of the storm, The Spirit brings in the Word that we need to hear

Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” 29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Matthew 14:28-30

One of the biggest battles in the Christian life is the battle for our mind

Finally, brothers… whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- think about such things.” Philippians 4:8Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” Matthew 14:31

What could God do in our lives if we just had a little faith?
Jesus give me the faith to follow you, even when it doesn’t make sense

When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed. Matthew 14:32-33

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Master of the Miraculous - Week 4Greater ExpectationsMark 6:30-4130 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. 32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. Mark 6:30-32 (NLT)1. In our weariness Jesus is our Real RestThen Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-2933 But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. 34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. Mark 6:33-342. Jesus is moved by compassion35 Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. 36 Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.” Mark 6:35-363. Don’t compare your situations with your own resources30 “But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” 31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” Numbers 13:30-31 37 But Jesus said, “You feed them.” “With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!” Mark 6:374. Focus on the task not the obstacle38 “How much bread do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.” They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.” 39 Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred. Mark 6:38-405. Gather in a community41 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. Mark 6:416. You are invited to the miracle12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves. John 6:12-13 7. He didn't just meet the needs of the crowd, he exceeded the needs of the crowd.

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The Master of the Miraculous - Week #3Covered by Grace in the House of GraceJohn 5:1-9 Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. John 5:1“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. John 5:2Bethesda = House of Grace Central is a House of Grace where we are covered by graceCrowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches waiting for a certain movement of the water, 4 for an angel of the Lord came from time to time and stirred up the water. And the first person to step in after the water was stirred was healed of whatever disease he had. 5 One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. John 5:3-5 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” John 5:6Some people don’t want to get well “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” 8 Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” John 5:7-8Don’t accept a label religion tried to put on you Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath John 5:9

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Master of the Miraculous Week #2Don’t Allow the Familiar to Become FamiliarJohn 4:43-54Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. 44 He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. John 4:43-44

When we let the supernatural become familiar, we miss the miracle

Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there. 46 As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. John 4:45-46

The individual matters to Jesus

When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die. John 4:47

We often don’t get the miracle because we’re not asking for it
Jesus wants us to bring Him our problems, but he doesn't need our ‘how’

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” John 4:48

If Jesus doesn’t do what you want Him to do the way you want it done, it’s still a miracle

The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.” John 4:49

Are you calling Jesus Lord?

Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home. John 4:50

The Word of God can bring healing to our lives

While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. 52 He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” 53 Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. John 4:51-53

The miracle that Jesus wants to do in you and through you is bigger than you

This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea. John 4:54

If you are in Christ, the enemy has no power over you

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Master of the Miraculous - Week 1Do Whatever He Tells YouJohn 2:1-10The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. John 2:1-2People that were nothing like Jesus, liked Jesus. And Jesus liked people that were nothing like Him.The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5 But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” John 2:3-5On the other end of obedience is a miracleStanding nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. John 2:6Jesus has more for you than you could ever imagineJesus used incomplete, unclean vessels for the miracleJesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled... John 2:7Walking with Jesus is a processDon’t shortcut yourself by saying “no” to the processJesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, 8 he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions. John 2:7-8Jesus called us to be light into the darkDecember 3rd is our last baptism for the year. Go public for Jesus. Sign up at the welcome desk today.When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. John 2:9Only the servants got to see the miracle“A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” John 2:10Jesus only has the best in mind for you!

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The Hands that Hold the Golden ChainGuest Speaker: Dave StephensRomans 9:1-33 (NASB) 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. ~Romans 8:29-301 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my countrymen, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and daughters, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the temple service, and the promises; 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. ~Romans 9:1-5Why do some people believe while others don’t?6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “through Isaac your descendants shall be named.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9 For this is the word of promise: “At this time, I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” ~Romans 9:6-910 And not only that, but there was also Rebekah, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” ~Romans 9:10-13Establishes divine election.14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? Far from it! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will show compassion to whomever I show compassion.” 16 So then, it does not depend on the person who wants it nor the one who runs, but on God who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very reason I raised you up, in order to demonstrate My power in you, in that My name might be proclaimed throughout the earth.” 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. ~Romans 9:14-18All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.Justice demands that sin be punished and the punishment is death.19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, you foolish person, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does the potter not have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one object for honorable use, and another for common use? 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with great patience objects of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon objects of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 namely us, whom He also called, not only from among Jews, but also from among Gentiles, ~Romans 9:19-24That’s not fair!Is man’s will equal to God’s will?25 as He also says in Hosea: “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ and her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’” 26 “And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.” ~Romans 9:25-2627 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of sons of Israel may be like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved; 28 for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.” 29 And just as Isaiah foretold: “If the Lord of armies had not left us descendants, We would have become like Sodom, and would have been like Gomorrah.” ~Romans 9:27-2930 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but the righteousness that is by faith; 31 however, Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though they could by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, And the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” ~Romans 9:30-33

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Love and War - 10/15/23 - Week 6Wasted Worship?Romans 12:1 That Thing We Do - “It’s what you were made to do. Should you for some reason choose not to give God what He desires, you’ll still worship something- exchanging the Creator for something He has created.”37 He (Jesus) said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. ~Matthew 22:37While it’s simplistic to say that worship is love, it’s a fact that what we love most will determine what we genuinely worship.If we put too much of our time and energy into those things, they can become our idols, the created things start to have more meaning than the One who created us.4 Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. 5 They have mouths but cannot speak. eyes, but cannot see. 6 They have ears but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. 7 They have hands but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throats. 8 Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them. ~Psalm 115:4-8If we are not careful, we will become just like those in this scripture. We become worshipers of the created, not the creator.“I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, 15 as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. 27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:14-16, 2712 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. ~Romans 12:1Regardless of our perception, viewpoint, past experiences, or feelings, God is still worthy and will be praised!39 Some of the Pharisees from the crowd told Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if they were to keep silent, the stones would cry out! ~Luke 19:39-40Worship is an action word, it’s something we do!Serving IS worshipping.

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Love and War – 10/8/23 – Week 5In the PitsGenesis 37, 39Genesis 37:5-6 “Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”Genesis 37:8 8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

Don’t lower your standards to someone else’s expectation in exchange for being accepted by them.

Genesis 37:23-24 “So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.”

There are moments when betrayal wasn’t designed to break you, but deliver you.

Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”Genesis 39:2 “The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.”

Look for God’s Favor to free you

Genesis 39:11-12 “One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.”

We need to be committed to where God is taking us that we are willing to leave what we have.

Psalms 23:4 “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are withme; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”Genesis 39:21 “the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.”

You may feel at rock bottom but start being intentional with where God has you

5 Anchors in a Relationship:1. Telling the truth1 Corinthians 13:6 “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”2. Being transparentJames 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”3. Keeping your wordMatthew 5:37 “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”4. Offering acceptanceRomans 15:7 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”5. Demonstrating sorrow, repentance, and accountability1 John 3:18 “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

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Love and War - 10/1/23 - Week 4Conquering the Transitions of LifeGuest Speaker: Raymond Causey 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” ~Joshua 1:1-9 (ESV) 1. There is more to life's transitions than what meets the eye. 2. Life transitions are invitations from God to experience His faithfulness in new ways. 3. During life transitions, in order to appropriate the promise we must meet the challenge with courage. 4. During life challenges, we must intensify our focus on God and His Word

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Love and War Week #3Man Up and Embrace God’s PlanGenesis 3:6-9Three questions that every man is asking or will ask at some point in his life:The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. Genesis 3:61. Do I have what it takes?To be a manTo be a good husbandTo be a dadTo be a good follower of Jesus2. Can I trust you?As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. Proverbs 31:113. Is it too late?It’s not too late if you understand 2 things:a. Get honest with GodThis poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. Psalm 34:6 (NIV)b. Surrender everything to JesusAt that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:7-9

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Love and War - Week 2The Attack on the WomanJohn 4:4-30He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food. 9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” John 4:4-93 major ways Satan comes after and attacks a woman:1. Uncertaintya. Did God really say?b. Did God really say that to you?c. Why would God speak to you?2. ComparisonThe enemy gets us to believe “I’m not enough”

Not pretty enough
Not godly enough
Not good enough

3. CondemnationThe woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!” John 4:25-26

Jesus changes uncertainty into clarity
Jesus changes comparison into completion

“Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— 18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!” John 4:16-18

Jesus didn’t come to condemn you but to complete you
Jesus turns condemnation into celebration

The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him. John 4:28-30

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Love and War – Week 1 – September 10, 2023 Keep Jesus at the Center Genesis 2:18-25 Men and women are different God gave us the differences not to divide us, but to draw us closer together 1. God multiplies Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of […]

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Hurt People HURT PEOPLE – Week 2 BLINDSIDED BY HURT Genesis 25:24-40 And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! 25 The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau. 26 Then the other twin was born […]

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Hurt People Hurt People – Week #1 Alignment with our Assignment Luke 7:36-50 Do I want to be in alignment with the assignment God has for my life? To be aligned we need about 5 things: 1. We must be connected to Jesus and His church One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner […]

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The Fork in the Road Matthew 7:13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find […]

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Acrostics Week #4 The Amazing GRACE of God Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. 1 John 5:12 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. […]

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Acrostics Week #3 Standing in UNITY Acts 9:1-19 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He […]

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Acrostics – Week #2 An Exercise in GROWth Genesis 28-Genesis 29 Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. Genesis 29:1 Gracious Spirit When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome […]

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ACROSTICS Week #1 Shame Has No Power 2 Samuel 10:1-18 Some time after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king. 2 David said, “I am going to show loyalty to Hanun just as his father, Nahash, was always loyal to me.” So David sent ambassadors to express sympathy to Hanun about his […]

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Be Bold – Week 4 Drop the Dime Malachi 3:6-12 “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Malachi 3:6 God is an unchanging God in a changing world Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have […]

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Be Bold Week #3 Be Bold in Surrender Genesis 28:13-15 Over time, and with the help of others, Jesus can take a mess and turn it into a miracle There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your […]

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Be Bold Week #2 Holding onto God’s Word 1 Samuel 16:13 God’s word to you is true and can be fully trusted So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from […]

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Be Bold Week #1Stuck Between an Obstacle and OppositionExodus 14:13-28We wait until we receive a word. And after we received the word, we no longer have the option to wait, unless we want to be in a state of disobedienceSometimes in life, if we're not careful, the thing we escaped to will eventually become the thing that we need to escape fromA slave is someone who's in a place they don't want to be doing something they don't want to doBut Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14 The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm. 15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Exodus 14:13-15Always move toward the obstacle, not the oppositionThere is never a reason to go back to the place God delivered you fromPick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. Exodus 14:16Be Bold in confessionBe Bold in authenticityBe Bold in taking your next stepAnd I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. Exodus 14:17When God gets glory, you get joyGod will take the opposition coming against you and use that opposition for His glory and your joyWhen my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!” 19 Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. Exodus 14:18-19Sometimes God will intentionally lead us to obstacles, so we have to learn to trust Him in that situationThe cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night. 21 Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. 22 So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! 23 Then the Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers—chased them into the middle of the sea. 24 But just before dawn the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. 25 He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!” 26 When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.” 27 So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived. Exodus 14:20-28

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May 28, 2023 Better Than Normal Philippians 4:8 Normal: Behavior that is typical, expected, and adjusts to a standard that society has put in place. Normal is not always a measure of what is good, healthy, or God-pleasing. “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where […]

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May 21, 2023DecisionsJohn 15:5-8 Decision #1: You’ve decided to do it but will you do it?Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. ~Matthew 3:8 (NLT)Decision #2: Jesus gives us an offer and we have to decide if we want it The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. ~John 10:10a (NIV)I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. ~John 10:10b(ESV)Decision #3: Are we willing to trust in Christ?The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. ~Psalms 28:7Decision #4: Even though we may intend what is right, do we avoid the life that would make it a reality?“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ~John 15:5Decision #5: Are you willing to cut off a branch in order to grow?If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ~John 15:6By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ~Matthew 7:16-18 (NIV)No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. ~Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)Decision #6: To celebrate with joy in the midst of suffering If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ~John 15:7About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ~Acts 16:25Decision #7: We must keep it before us or we will stray from glorifying God with our lives.This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. ~John 15:8

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Flawed Week #5 Fear vs. Faith Matthew 14:22-3322 Immediately, He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side while He dismissed the crowds. 23 After dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone. 24 But the boat was already over a mile from land, battered by the waves, because the wind was against them. 25 Around three in the morning, He came toward them walking on the sea. ~Matthew 14:22-25Jesus sees you right where you are!26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear. ~Matthew 14:2627 Immediately, Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” ~Matthew 14:2728 “Lord, if it’s You,” Peter answered Him, “command me to come to You on the water.” 29 “Come!” He said. And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. ~Matthew 14:28-2930 But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” ~Matthew 14:30Peter took his eyes off Jesus and started focusing on the situation rather than the Savior!31 Immediately, Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ~Matthew 14:31-32Fear is faith in reverse!Are you willing to take a step of faith, or are you afraid of failure?33 Then those in the boat worshiped Him and said, “Truly You are the Son of God!” ~Matthew 14:33Are you going to choose fear today or faith?

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Flawed Week #4Frustrated with WaitingJohn 21:1-7Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. 2 Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. 3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. John 21:1-3“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. Luke 22:31But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:32Just because you fell, doesn’t mean you failedRepentance is not changing your behavior, it’s changing your mindAnd immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept. Mark 14:72My current situation is not my final destinationNow go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” Mark 16:7When we wait, we often get frustratedLater, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. 2 Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin) Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. 3 Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. 4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. 5 He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. 6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. 7 Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. John 21:-7Are you willing to wait?

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Flawed - Week #3Right, Then Wrong... Then Right AgainMatthew 16:13-23When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” 15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Matthew 16:13-15Who do we say that Jesus is?Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Matthew 16:16-17Three things Jesus told Peter:1. You heard from God2. I’m going to use youNow I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. Matthew 16:183. I will give you the keys of the kingdomAnd I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” Matthew 16:19From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. 22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Matthew 16:21-23We serve a God who is into:Forgiveness rather than fault findingRestoration rather than retributionCelebration rather than condemnationSix days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. 2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. Matthew 17:1-2

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Flawed Week #2The Great HealerLuke 5:12-15Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8“Those who suffer from a serious skin disease must tear their clothing and leave their hair uncombed. They must cover their mouth and call out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 As long as the serious disease lasts, they will be ceremonially unclean. They must live in isolation in their place outside the camp. Leviticus 13:45-46Three Types of Death1. Physical Death2. Emotional DeathWe were not created to do life alone3. Spiritual DeathIn one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” 13 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Luke 5:12-131. Jesus can heal instantly2. Jesus might heal graduallySometimes Jesus doesn’t heal us immediately, but gradually, because He wants us to stay connected through the process3. Jesus might not heal at allThen Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.” Luke 5:14-15... By His wounds you are healed. I Peter 2:24It’s not by our works, but by His wounds

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Flawed Week #1I Surrender_____________John 1:35-42In Scripture, the people God chose are the people religion rejectedWill you surrender everything to Jesus?The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. 36 As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” 37 When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. 41 Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). 42 Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”). John 1:35-42We want Central to be a place where:1. You can always bring your friends and family2. We realize we don’t change people, Jesus changes peopleAfter leaving the synagogue that day, Jesus went to Simon’s home, where he found Simon’s mother-in-law very sick with a high fever. “Please heal her,” everyone begged. 39 Standing at her bedside, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and prepared a meal for them. Luke 4:38-39As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one. 41 Many were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But because they knew he was the Messiah, he rebuked them and refused to let them speak. Luke 4:40-41One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. 8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” Luke 5:1-8Jesus uses broken and messy people because broken and messy people are all that there areFor he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. Luke 5:9-113 Options when following Jesus:1. I surrender this2. I surrender some3. I surrender all

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Easter 2023Jesus is Alive1 Corinthians 15:3-8Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. 3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5 He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. 6 After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his follower at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. 9 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. 1 Corinthians 15:1-9But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 1 Corinthians 15:12-143 REASONS WE CAN BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS ALIVE:1. Jesus said it would happen After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. 23 He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” And the disciples were filled with grief. Matthew 17:22-23As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. 18 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. 19 Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” Matthew 20:17-192 cornerstones of Christianity are; Jesus is God, and Jesus came back to life. 2. The Resurrection cannot be reasoned away 4 FALSE THEORIES AGAINST THE RESURRECTIONa. The Disciples “Stole the Body” TheoryThat Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. John 20:19So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:18-20b. The “Roman or Jewish Officials Stole the Body” Theoryc. The “Wrong Tomb” Theoryd. The “Jesus didn’t Die” Theory 3. The resurrection = changed livesThey all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. Acts 1:14WHAT DOES “JESUS IS ALIVE” MEAN FOR US TODAY?1. In Christ I can have hope2. In Christ I can have a new beginning

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You Gotta FightMark 9:14-27Mountaintop experiences don’t lastWhen they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. 15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him. 16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked. 17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. Mark 9:14-17You need to speak what you are struggling withAnd whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” 19 Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” Mark 9:18-19Jesus wants the people that nobody else wantsSo they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. 21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. Mark 9:20-21The first step in the fight is admitting you have a problemThe spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” 26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up. Mark 9:22-27Jesus specializes in taking dead things and bringing them back to life

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3/26/23Bound by the Golden ChainRomans 8:1, 28-39 1995 New American standard version8 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ~Romans 8:128 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~Romans 8:28-39 How we can know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him:

Foreknew

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” ~Jeremiah 1:51 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all. 5 You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” 12 Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. ~Psalm 139

Predestined

5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, ~Ephesians 1:56 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 1:6

Called

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ~John 3:344 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. ~John 6:44

No one = all inclusive
can = has the ability
come to Me unless = requires a prerequisite
the Father who sent Me draws him (the prerequisite);
and I will
raise him up on the last day.

Justified

26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. ~Romans 3:26

Glorified

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A Simple Choice Week #6Close Your Umbrella1 Kings 18:41-46“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. Isaiah 55:10-11

Do I really want to receive the Word the Lord has for me?

Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!” 1 Kings 18:41

Both Ahab and Elijah needed the same amount of rain to sustain their life
People that are far from God matter to God
We get changed as we receive the Word of God

So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees. 43 Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.” The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.” Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. 44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’” 1 Kings 18:42-44

Condemnation is meant to shame us
Conviction is meant to change us and point us in a new direction

And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. 46 Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel. 1 Kings 18:45-46

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3/12/23 - A Simple Choice - Week 5What Cage Are You Stuck In?Mark 2:1-121 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” ~Mark 2:1-12A time of excitementLife’s biggest expectation is not always what you should be but what you could beEvery hero has a guide5 principles to step out of the cage: (v3-5)

They dared to do what was difficult
They dared to do the unusual
They dared to do the costly thing
They dared to not settle for anything less than Jesus
They dared to be Persistent that led to Extraordinary Faith

Sometimes the reason we can’t get out of the cage is because we listen to the wrong information (v6-7)2 barriers that keep you in the cage: (v8-12)1. Internal barriers 2. External barriers“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17Don’t choose the miracle over the message!

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A Simple Choice Week #4Available to Grow?1 Kings 18:22-39Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8Am I available and do I want to grow?God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the calledThen Elijah said to them, “I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. 23 Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. 24 Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed. 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood.” 26 So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. 1 Kings 18:22-26Activity does not equal availability Our relationship with Jesus is built on intimacy, not activityAbout noontime Elijah began mocking them. “You’ll have to shout louder,” he scoffed, “for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!” 1 Kings 18:27Religion = do more; try harderSo they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. 29 They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response. 1 Kings 18:28-29Without connection, we don't move in God's directionThen Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down. 31 He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, 32 and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. 33 He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, “Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood.” 34 After they had done this, he said, “Do the same thing again!” And when they were finished, he said, “Now do it a third time!” So they did as he said, 35 and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench. 36 At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” 1 Kings 18:30-37A lot of people are willing to pray for things, but we're not willing to participate in themImmediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”1 Kings 18:38-39The fire fell because things were preparedElijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. James 5:17-18God only uses messy and broken people because messy and broken people are all that there areSign up at http://yourcentralchurch.com/serving today!

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A Simple Choice - Week #3What Holds You Back?1 Kings 18:1-2, 11-21Later on, in the third year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah, “Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!” 2 So Elijah went to appear before Ahab. 1 Kings 18:1-2When you’ve prepared for something, you can accomplish itWhen Ahab saw him, he exclaimed, “So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?”1 Kings 18:17Any time you get ready to step into what God has called you to do you're going to face accusation and condemnation from the enemyConviction is from God and it's always good because it's designed to draw us closeCondemnation is always from the enemy and it's designed to push us awayThree Questions to ask when trying to figure out if something is conviction or condemnation:1. Is it true?Who you used to be is not who you are today in ChristIf it's true, it's convictionIf it's not true, it's condemnation2. Is it helpful?3. Does it draw me in or push me away?“I have made no trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the Lord and have worshiped the images of Baal instead. 19 Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel.” 20 So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. 21 Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent. 1 Kings 18:18-21But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9Confession is transformationalThere is power when we come into agreement with GodConfess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16

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2/19/23 - A Simple Choice - Week 2Next Steps?Matthew 28:19-20

Everyone has a NEXT STEP, what’s yours?
Connecting people to Jesus and others.

5 points of connection:

Attend Regularly
Give Generously
Serve Purposefully
Connect Relationally
Invite Boldly

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31 “The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.” ~Mark 12:30-3119 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ~Matthew 28:19-20

What steps are you taking?
God will often use us and our circumstances to help others that may be going through the same thing!

Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer, Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossip, Thomas was a doubter, Sarah was impatient, Elijah was moody, Moses stuttered, Zacchaeus was short, Abraham was old, and Lazarus was DEAD! So, you think God can’t use you? Think again!What is your next step?

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A Simple Choice - Week #1We Don’t Choose the Drought1 Kings 17:1–18:1Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” I Kings 17:1Israel was agricultural economyEverybody has a next step. What’s my next step?2 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 3 “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. I Kings 17:2-3We often aren’t open to receiving what God saysDrink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.” I Kings 17:4God can use things some people call unclean to sustain us in our droughtSo Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land. I Kings 17:5-7Sometimes God will let us run out so we can understand that He is our sourceThen the Lord said to Elijah, 9 “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.” 12 But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.” 13 But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. I Kings 17:8-13Even Non-Christians have a next stepFor this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!” 15 So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. 16 There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah. 17 Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died. 18 Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?” 19 But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed. I Kings 17:14-19No matter how unclean we think we are, God will embrace it Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?” 21 And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” 22 The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! 23 Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!” I Kings 17:20-23Whenever God asks you for something, you’re always going to get back moreThen the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.” Later on, in the third year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah, “Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!” I Kings 17:24-18:1

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From Ruin to Redemption - Week #5Grace Leads to RedemptionRuth 4:1-17You don’t get from Ruin to Redemption without GraceBoaz went to the town gate and took a seat there. Just then the family redeemer he had mentioned came by, so Boaz called out to him, “Come over here and sit down, friend. I want to talk to you.” So they sat down together. 2 Then Boaz called ten leaders from the town and asked them to sit as witnesses. 3 And Boaz said to the family redeemer, “You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 I thought I should speak to you about it so that you can redeem it if you wish. If you want the land, then buy it here in the presence of these witnesses. But if you don’t want it, let me know right away, because I am next in line to redeem it after you.” The man replied, “All right, I’ll redeem it.” Ruth 4:1-4God’s delays are not always God’s denialsThen Boaz told him, “Of course, your purchase of the land from Naomi also requires that you marry Ruth, the Moabite widow. That way she can have children who will carry on her husband’s name and keep the land in the family.” 6 “Then I can’t redeem it,” the family redeemer replied, “because this might endanger my own estate. You redeem the land; I cannot do it.” Ruth 4:5-6If God can use Ruth, He can use youNow in those days it was the custom in Israel for anyone transferring a right of purchase to remove his sandal and hand it to the other party. This publicly validated the transaction. 8 So the other family redeemer drew off his sandal as he said to Boaz, “You buy the land.” 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, “You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. 10 And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. You are all witnesses today.” 11 Then the elders and all the people standing in the gate replied, “We are witnesses! May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended! May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 And may the Lord give you descendants by this young woman who will be like those of our ancestor Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.” 13 So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the Lord enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. 15 May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!” 16 Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. Ruth 4:7-16Second chance does not mean second classThe neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. Ruth 4:17Truth without grace has never changed anyoneGrace is what changes us from who we are to who we need to be

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From Ruin to Redemption Week #4Step or Snooze?Ruth 3:1-18One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. 2 Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. 3 Now do as I tell you—take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.” Ruth 3:1-4If we’re going to take a step of faith, we need to step out of what is comfortable and into the unknown“I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor that night and followed the instructions of her mother-in-law. Ruth 3:5-6God can bring anything form ruin to redemptionAfter Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he lay down at the far end of the pile of grain and went to sleep. Then Ruth came quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. Ruth 5:7You and I are not responsible for someone else’s obedience, we’re responsible for our own obedienceAround midnight Boaz suddenly woke up and turned over. He was surprised to find a woman lying at his feet! 9 “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.” 10 “The Lord bless you, my daughter!” Boaz exclaimed. “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor. 11 Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman. Ruth 3:8-11Jesus doesn't see us the way the world sees us. He sees us in a greater lightBut while it’s true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am. Ruth 3:12Just because we do not see Jesus working does not mean Jesus is not workingStay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the Lord lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.” 14 So Ruth lay at Boaz’s feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, “No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor.” 15 Then Boaz said to her, “Bring your cloak and spread it out.” He measured six scoops of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he returned to the town. Ruth 3:13-15You never walk away from an experience with Jesus without being blessedWhen Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “What happened, my daughter?” Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her, 17 and she added, “He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” 18 Then Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.” Ruth 3:16-18We're not waiting on God, He's waiting on us

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From Ruin to Redemption Week #3Keep WalkingRuth 2:1-23Change comes when we embrace progress, not just striving for changeNow there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech. Ruth 2:1Sometimes God will not give you what you’re asking for, but he’ll connect you with someone that has itOne day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.” Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” 3 So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. Ruth 2:2-3Luck is when hard work meets opportunityWhile she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said. “The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied. 5 Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?” 6 And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. Ruth 2:4-6She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.” 8 Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. Ruth 2:7-8Jesus knows about your past and He still pursues youSee which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.” 10 Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.” Ruth 2:9-10You’ve never disappointed God“Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. 12 May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.” 13 “I hope I continue to please you, sir,” she replied. “You have comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, even though I am not one of your workers.” 14 At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.” So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over. Ruth 2:11-14We cannot change ourselves, but as we walk with Jesus, over time, He changes usWhen Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. 16 And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!” Ruth 2:15-16Victims never walk in victorySo Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. 18 She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal. 19 “Where did you gather all this grain today?” Naomi asked. “Where did you work? May the Lord bless the one who helped you!” So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. She said, “The man I worked with today is named Boaz.” 20 “May the Lord bless him!” Naomi told her daughter-in-law. “He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.” 21 Then Ruth said, “What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.” 22 “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.” 23 So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law. Ruth 2:17-23

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From Ruin to Redemption Week #2Moab or Bethlehem?Ruth 1:8-22Who or what we are connected to will ultimately determine what we doBut on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. Ruth 1:8-9“No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? 12 No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? 13 Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.” Ruth 10-13Solitude is refreshing, isolation is destructiveAnd again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. Ruth 1:14Orpah chose messiness over a blessingWe have 86,400 seconds in a day“Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” 18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. 19 So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. Ruth 1:15-20Naomi means sweetheart. Mara means bitterI went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?” Ruth 1:21You getting filled back up is all dependent upon who and what you’re connected toYou can’t get things right until you’re willing to admit that something is wrong in your lifeBe happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest. Ruth 1:22

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From Ruin to Redemption Week #1Get Ready Ruth 1:1-7 In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. Ruth 1:1 Desperate people make dumb decisions In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there. Ruth 1:1-2 Bethlehem means House of Bread Stop settling and turn back to God Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. 4 The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband. 6 Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. Ruth 1:3-6 God is relentless when He pursues us With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah. Ruth 1:7 Get ready for what God is going to do next

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We're so glad we can connect with you online today! If you haven't connected with us "officially", please text welcome to 712-217-2550. If you feel led to give this morning, please go to http://centralgive.com. #yourcentralchurch

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Christmas Chronicles Week #4Christmas List1 Tim. 1:12-17“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.~ 1 Timothy 1:12-171. Jesus is a DIFFERENT kind of King

He came because He WANTED TO not because He was forced to.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” ~Luke 19:10

He came because He CHOSE TO not because He was required to.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” ~John 3:16-17

He came because He DESIRED TO not because He was commanded to.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). ~Matthew 1:21-23

He came TO GIVE His Life as a Ransom for Many

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” ~Mark 10:45

He came TO CALL Sinners to Repentance

“Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” ~Luke 5:31-32

He came TO GIVE Eternal Life

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ~John 14:62. Jesus is Approachable“He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.” ~Isaiah 42:2-43. Jesus is Accessible “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~Romans 8:38-394. Jesus is Available“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ~Matthew 7:7-8

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Christmas Chronicles Week #3The Power of GodMatthew 2:1-12 With the power of God working through you, you can accomplish anything that He has called you to accomplish Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” 3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. ~Matthew 2:1-3 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” ~Matthew 2:4-6 If you’ve ever been “church hurt’” more than likely you were hurt by people who knew the Scriptures but missed the Savior Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” ~Matthew 2:7-8 Be careful who you make agreements with After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ~Matthew 2:9-11 Three Reason to Give:1. Become more like Jesus 2. Invest in what matters to Jesus The church is still God’s plan to change the world 3. Giving paves the way to blessing You can’t out give God The enemy always wants us to go back the way we came When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. ~Matthew 2:12 You can’t meet Jesus and stay the same!

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Christmas Chronicles Week #2The Name of JesusLuke 1:26-37Three things we feel get canceled out of our lives:1. Joy2. Peace3. HopeThree Things the Name of Jesus Reminds us of at Christmas:1. PowerIn the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! Luke 1:26-30Another word for favor is the word graceYou will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. Luke 1:31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Luke 1:31-33God is okay with your questionsMary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail” Luke 1:34-372. HealingThis is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. Matthew 1:18-19Often times, when we’re hurt, we will walk away from a move of God because we don’t understand what He is doingWhen two people in a relationship are listening to God, eventually He will bring them together and tell them the same thingAs he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Mathew 1:20-21Healing begins with the name of Jesus3. LifeJesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2

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Christmas Chronicles Week #1God with Us2 Chronicles 33:1-13Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. 2 He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, following the detestable practices of the pagan nations that the Lord had driven from the land ahead of the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the pagan shrines his father, Hezekiah, had broken down. He constructed altars for the images of Baal and set up Asherah poles. He also bowed before all the powers of the heavens and worshiped them. He built pagan altars in the Temple of the Lord, the place where the Lord had said, “My name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” 5 He built these altars for all the powers of the heavens in both courtyards of the Lord’s Temple. 2 Chronicles 33:1-5One step at a time we go to “those” places and do “those” things we said we would never doManasseh also sacrificed his own sons in the fire in the valley of Ben-Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the Lord’s sight, arousing his anger. 7 Manasseh even took a carved idol he had made and set it up in God’s Temple, the very place where God had told David and his son Solomon: “My name will be honored forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem—the city I have chosen from among all the tribes of Israel. 8 If the Israelites will be careful to obey my commands—all the laws, decrees, and regulations given through Moses—I will not send them into exile from this land that I set aside for your ancestors.” 9 But Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the Lord had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land. 10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they ignored all his warnings. 2 Chronicles 33:6-10God is always going to speak to usImmanuel= God with usAs we’re stepping away, God is looking at us and saying, “Are you sure you want to do that?”So the Lord sent the commanders of the Assyrian armies, and they took Manasseh prisoner. They put a ring through his nose, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. 12 But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the Lord his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. 2 Chronicles 33:11-12When we try to bargain with God, we don’t have a humble heartAnd when he prayed, the Lord listened to him and was moved by his request. So the Lord brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh finally realized that the Lord alone is God! 2 Chronicles 33:13God is not trying to get you back, He’s trying to bring you backGod is a God of second chances!And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” Matthew 1:21-23

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Thanksgiving weekend 2022 From Trouble to The Table Psalm 23:5-6 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalm 23:5 At God’s table there is: 1. Unconditional love 2. Amazing Grace Grace is for what you did 15 years ago, and Grace is for […]

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11/20/22 Let the Light In 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep […] Genesis 1:1-2 […] and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Genesis 1:2 God has Always Been & will Always […]

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11/13/22 “But God” Ephesians 2:1-10 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ~Ephesians 2:1 (ESV) 1. We need a Savior because of our corruption in sin. in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at […]

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Empowered Week #5 What are you Holding? Judges:13, 14, 15 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” Luke 24:49 The Holy Spirit lives inside of you from the moment of salvation […]

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Empowered Week #4 Grabbing My Attention Isaiah 38:1-6 How is God grabbing your attention? Sometime God speaks through people, sometimes God speaks through circumstances About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: “This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your affairs […]

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Empowered Week #3 Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 1. Love God is not in love with some future version of you. God loves you […]

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Empowered Week #2 We are Empowered Acts 3:1-12 Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. 2 As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so […]

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Empowered Week #1 Empowered by The Spirit Acts 2:1-4 1. Because of the Holy Spirit we have unity On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Acts 2:1 The devil does not fear a big church, but he does fear a unified church Five things we […]

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Misinformed week #4 Mistaken Identity Matthew 16:13-17 Social media is a tool that we should use rather than a tool that controls us The misinformation is— you need to find your identity in the ideas that other people have about you When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his […]

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Misinformation week #3 Tipping the Golden Calf Exodus 32:1-6 Three points of Misinformation: 1. The better you are, the more God loves you 2. When I mess up I lose my salvation 3. I’ve got to work my way back When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the […]

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Misinformed Week #1 Don’t Be Afraid, Just Have Faith Mark 5:21-42 What do I intentionally do on a daily basis to put my focus on Jesus? Nobody accidently follows Jesus Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the […]

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Unexpected Week #4 What Are You Waiting For? Genesis 45:3-8, 50:14-21 When it comes to connecting with others, one of the biggest obstacles in regards to our walk with Jesus is our unwillingness to forgive “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They […]

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Unexpected Week #3 Lost and Recovered Genesis 41-42 Joseph got it all back, and then some 3 Things Joseph lost and recovered: 1. Joseph lost his position. But he got it back, and then some! When we lose our position, we put ourselves in the prison of self-pity Self-pity always leads to self-doubt, and self-doubt […]

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Unexpected Week #2 Preparing for the Palace Genesis 39 and 41 What would you be willing to do if you absolutely knew God was with you? God is with you and He’s greater than anything that you’re going through. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” […]

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Unexpected Week #1 Promoted not Punished Genesis 37:2-28 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” Genesis 41:41 This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons […]

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7/31/22 – I’m A Work In Progress – Week 8 The Perils of Pride Proverbs 16:18 “‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your […]

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Peacemakers 101 James 1:19-21 The Maker knows how it works “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” James 1:19 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 “If it is possible, as […]

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I’m a Work in Progress – Week #6 I Can Cast My Cares 1 Peter 5:7 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25 “So […]

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I’m a Work in Progress – Week #5 Morning Mercies Lamentations 3:22-23 For great is Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. Psalm 86:13 So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor. They forced […]

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“A Work in Progress” – Week 4 A REALITY CHECK Revelations 3:14-22 (NIV) Christ Is faithful even when we are faithless! 14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. ~Revelation 3:14 Christ is not interested in […]

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I’m a Work in Progress Week #3 Trust Issues Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your path straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 Even when we’re out of control, God is still in control Often times, God puts things in […]

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I’m a Work in Progress Week #2 Fear is Contagious 2 Kings 6:8-18 Fear is forgetting that God is in control When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, “We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place.” -2 Kings 6:8 The enemy’s […]

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Work in Progress – Week #1 Not If, but When James 1:2-4 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. James 1:1-2 Isolation is only one step away from destruction We cannot be healed until we get real For you know that when your faith is […]

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Lean In 1 Corinthians 13:12, John 11:1-45 12 We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just […]

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5/29/22 Busting the Door Wide Open Acts 16:16-33 1. Persecution is not new. Jesus taught us in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” […]

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Put Me In, Coach! Matthew 9:35 – 10:1 We’re not called to be spectators, we’re called to be participants. 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on […]

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Shattered Week 4 Declaring the Good News Esther 8-10 Good news by its very nature demands that somebody share that good news 1. Good news should always be shared The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. Mordecai sent the dispatches by swift messengers, who […]

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This week’s prayer focus: Lord, give me the strength to celebrate in my walk with you even when pieces in my life appear shattered. This week’s sermon takeaway: Text 2-3 people who have made an impact in your life, either recently or in the past, and remind them of the positive impact in your life. […]

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Shattered Week #2 Picking up the Pieces There is often a waiting period between the mess and the miracle On the third day of the fast, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace, just across from the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing […]

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Shattered week 1 Broken Pieces On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine, he told the seven eunuchs who attended him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas— 11 to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and […]

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Easter 2022 Because He Lives Matthew 28:1-10 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3:16 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who […]

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Forgiven and Free Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:16-17 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, […]

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Walking Through My Area John 4:1-7 Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). 3 So he left Judea and returned to Galilee. 4He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the […]

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Habits Week #5 Invite Boldly Exodus 2:1-10 Attend Regularly- The habit of making church a priority Give Generously- The habit of giving back from what God has given me Connect Relationally- The habit of experiencing life change by engaging in authentic relationships Serve Purposefully- The habit of sharing my gifts and talents to further the […]

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Habits Week #4 Serve Purposefully Luke 10:25-37 Everybody knows what the church is against, not many people know what it stands for! Followers of Jesus Christ purposefully serve other people Every person here is called, gifted, equipped, and empowered to serve On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” […]

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3/13/22 – Week 3 Connect Relationally Galatians 5:13-26; Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 Connect Relationally: “The habit of experiencing life change by engaging in authentic relationships. 2 Barriers We Experience Relating To ‘Connect Relationally’: 1. It takes up our unobligated time 2. We’re uncomfortable interacting with new people We were designed for connection “To Connect”: When you’re consistently […]

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Habits – Week 2 Give Regularly Matthew 6:19-24 Give Generously. That is, the habit of giving back from what God has given to me 1. What does the Bible say about money? Q. Why does the Bible have so much to say about money? A. Because money is the #1 competitor to your heart when […]

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Habits – Week #1 Attend Regularly Revelation 2:1-7; Acts 18:8-20; Hebrews 10:25 Attend Regularly- The habit of making church a priority What we value will ultimately determine what we do Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right […]

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2/20/22 Stepping Out with Courage to Our Destination When you see what God wants you to see, you can do what God wants you to do. 29 Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for […]

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All Aboard week #6 All Aboard the Peace Express Mark 3:1-6; John 11:45-48; Matthew 26:39; Matthew 27:45-46 Peace is not an absence of problems, but rather perspective on how the story ends 4 things that rob us from the peace of God 1. A hard heart A hard heart is somebody that knows what God […]

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All Aboard Week #5 All Aboard for My Next Step Acts 8:26-38 Christianity is not about climbing ladders, but about taking steps No one who has a defect qualifies, whether he is blind, lame, disfigured, deformed, 19 or has a broken foot or arm, 20 or is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or has a defective eye, or […]

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All Aboard Week #4 Gracefully Broken Mark 6:30-44 Brokenness oftentimes leads to blessing The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going […]

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All Aboard Week #3 All Aboard for a Move of God Mark 4:35-41 It’s a tragedy if we move as a church but Jesus isn’t moving in our lives individually As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” Mark 4:35 Spiritual activity doesn’t always relate to intimacy The […]

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All Aboard Week #2 Onboard with Worshipping God 2 Chronicles 20:1-25 Uncertainty is one of the things that brings about stress, worry and anxiety in our lives In my darkest moments of uncertainty, I can know that Jesus is with me After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war […]

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All Aboard week #1 Not Alone in the Fire Daniel 3:1-30 To make it in life, we need the help of Jesus and other people When it comes to taking steps forward, spiritually, we is greater than me Are we going to blend in, or are we going to stand out? Then Nebuchadnezzar flew into […]

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January 2, 2022 Clear Focus for 2022 3 Questions to ask as we step into 2022 1. How can I do a better job of _____________ others? So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another […]

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December 24-25, 2021 Home For Christmas Week #4 Come Home for Christmas Christmas is about connecting with God Therefore, go and give this message to Israel. This is what the Lord says: “O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever. Jeremiah 3:12 Movies and songs […]

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Home For Christmas Week #3 Know Jesus, Know Peace Luke 2:8-14 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 1:8-9 But the angel said […]

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Coming Home for Christmas – WEEK #2 Home is not a Place for Disgrace Luke 1:5-25 When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of the priestly order of Abijah, and his wife, Elizabeth, was also from the priestly line of Aaron. 6 Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous […]

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Home for Christmas Week #1 Peace in His Presence Exodus 3:1-19 There will never be peace on earth until there is first peace in me Many people think peace can be found: a. Somewhere else b. With someone else c. In something else Peace is found in the presence of God and nothing else But Moses […]

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Central Church wrapped up the “Rescued” series with Rescue Stories – featuring 5 of Central’s own, sharing how Jesus Christ rescued them.

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Rescued – Week 6 – 11/21/21 Rescued From My Feelings Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. ~Colossians 1:13-14 We must learn to separate News from Truth News: Information Truth: God’s […]

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Rescued Week #5 No Shame In Being Rescued John 8:1-11 Fine = Frustrated, Insecure, Negative and Evasive For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14 Guilt= I did something bad Shame= I am bad […]

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Rescued Week #3 Rescued from Guilty Condemnation Colossians 1:13-14 Guilt leads to regret We can be defined by guilt Once we let guilt define us, then guilt defeats us So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 THREE TYPES OF CONDEMNATION THAT DO NOT EXIST IN THE LIFE […]

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Rescued Week #2 Transferred Identity Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14 Abram= father of height or exalted father When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I […]

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Rescued Week #1 Rescued Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. Colossians 1:13-14 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called […]

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Overcomers – Week 9 – 10/10/21 Overcoming Addiction – Part 2 Hebrews 4:15-16 Addiction often leaves us feeling lost and alone Before the enemy can destroy you, he has to isolate you For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted […]

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Overcomers Week #8 Overcoming Addiction Luke 15:11-24 If you step out of an addiction but you only deal with the fruit, not the root, chances are you’ll just step right into another addiction. Four Steps To Overcoming addiction: 1. Self-Realization Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The […]

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Overcomers – Week 7 – 9/26/21 Overcoming Complacency I’m Complacent in what area:________________________ I’m Committed in what area:________________________ You can be complacent until the need becomes bigger than the want One of the most dangerous traps that a Christian or a church can fall into is the slippery slide from commitment […]

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Overcomers Week #6 Overcoming Divorce Malachi 2:16 “For I hate divorce!” says the Lord, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.” Malachi 2:16 There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: 7haughty eyes, a […]

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Overcomers Week #5 Overcoming Being Overwhelmed 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 Two words that could describe many of us today: crushed and overwhelmed Courage + Clarity + Connection + Reflection = Helping me Overcome 1. Courage We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in […]

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Overcomers Week #4 Overcoming Loneliness Leviticus 15:19- 23; Luke8: 40-48 There’s a difference between being viewed and being seen There is a big difference between solitude and loneliness Jesus is: A Way Maker A Miracle Worker A Promise Keeper A Light in the Darkness “Whenever a woman has […]

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Overcomers Week #3 Overcoming Self Hate Luke 5:8-10; Romans7:24 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James […]

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Overcomers Week #3 Overcoming Worry Philippians 4:6-7 Worry left unchecked leads to anxiety Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 Too many people are looking for relief instead of peace […]

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Overcomers Week #1 Git Rid Of… Ephesians 4:31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32 To be an Overcomer you need to get […]

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House Party Week #8 Celebrating Baptism Matthew 3:13-14 All of us have a next step in our walk with Jesus Your next step is your best step Baptism is an outward profession of an inner connection Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter […]

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House Party – Week 8 – 8/1/21 You’re Already at the Party Luke 15 1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” ~Luke 15:1-2 4 “Suppose one of you has […]

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Rob Chagdes, Family Ministry Pastor from Prairie Lakes Church in Cedar Falls, shared this week’s message. House Party – Week 8 – July 25, 2021 Changing Your Family Story Deuteronomy 30:1-6 1. Accept What You Cannot Change When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to […]

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House Party Week #6 Celebrating Even If Genesis 34:1-26; Joshua 5:1-8 It’s during the ‘even if’ moments of our life that our faith grows and we see God more clearly than we’ve ever seen Him before. One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived […]

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House Party Week #5 Not My Stance John 9:1-35 Five Ways to be connected: Attend Regularly, Invite Boldly, Serve Purposefully, Give Generously and Connect Relationally Too many people love their stance more than they love other people As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who […]

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House Party Week #4 Celebrating Partnership Luke 5:5-11 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. Luke 5:5-6 Myth #1- If you pray […]

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House Party – Week 3 – 6/27/21 Celebration over Condemnation John 8:1-11 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman […]

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House Party Week #2 Pushing Through to Victory Luke 8:40-56 1. Faith Was Born Out Of Need 40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house […]

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House Party – Week #1 The Hope of the World Jesus is the Hope of the world 5 Things we want Central to Be: 1. A place where you are accepted as you are, not as others want you to be One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, […]

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Grave Robbers Week #6 Stepping into Generosity John 12:1-8 Generosity has a way of impacting our lives Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who […]

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Grave Robbers Week #5 Freedom in Relationship John 11:45-12:11 Religion can best be described as a system of rules, traditions and regulations created by a group of men for the purpose of control and manipulation through the means of guilt and shame Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus […]

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Grave Robbers Week #4 Called to Life John 11:33-44 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” John 11:33-34 Jesus feels what we […]

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Grave Robbers Week 3 Buried Faith John 11:17-34 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha […]

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Grave Robbers Week #2 A Simple Yet Difficult Step John 11:7-16 No matter your situation, Jesus has no limitations Everyone has a next step. And that next step is always the right step Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” John 11:7 The next step may be simple, […]

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Grave Robbers Week #1 No Limitations John 11:1-6 Lord, I can’t see you, so help me to trust you A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with […]

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4/25/21 What’s the Point? 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, Romans 8:28-30, 1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 Corinthians 7:17, 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us […]

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The Greatest Upset Exodus 14:5-31 1. How quick we are to forget what God has done and demonstrated. 5 When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. “What have we done, letting all those Israelite slaves get away?” they asked. 6 So […]

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Planks and Specks Week #5 Don’t Walk the Plank I Kings 19:1-18 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this […]

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Planks and Specks – Week #4 Two Planks and 3 Nails – Easter 2021 Mark 16:1-6 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Mark 16:1 The only way to deal with doubt is to get it […]

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Planks and Specks Week #3 You Mad Bro? Luke 15:25-32 Angry people always miss out on the work that God is doing in the world and the work that He wants to do in them. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music […]

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Planks and Specks: Week #1 Don’t be Judgy Matthew 7:1-6 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. Matthew 7:1 Two reasons people judge others: 1. They are jealous 2. They are self-righteous Judgment = when you size somebody up and then you write them off Self-righteous people are rarely self-aware […]

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From Wounds to Wins Week #5 Hiding Never Leads to Healing Luke 10:25-37 Prayer is not for us to change God, but for God to change us Jesus, teach me to see people as you see people On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must […]

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From Wounds to Wins week #4 Healing Can Be Messy Mark 8:22-26 1. Who do I need to bring to Central Church? They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him Mark 8:22 People who were not welcomed at the temple were always welcome […]

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From Wounds to Wins: Week #3 – 2/21/21 Message in the Mess Acts 13, 2 Samuel 11, Philippians 1, 2 Corinthians 12 1. You might be In a Mess, but you are Not a Mess “After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of […]

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From Wounds to Wins week #2 I Still Love You Proverbs 17:17 – Social media has not changed us, it has exposed us. Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. […]

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From Wounds to Wins – Week #1 Healing is a Process Ezekiel 37:1-10 3 types of pain: 1. Physical 2. Emotional 3. Spiritual The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and […]

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Don’t Miss the Love No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “‘Do not cut your bodies for the […]

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Don’t Miss This: Week #4 Pop Quiz 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 2 Reasons we consider something a “pet sin” a. Because I don’t struggle with it b. It allows me to deflect when I need to reflect Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither […]

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Don’t Miss This – Week 3 – 1/17/21 WHO’S YOUR LEADER? After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” -Mark 1:14-15 NIV When we Repent […]

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Don’t Miss This: Week #2 The Dangers of Self-Righteousness Unfortunately, Christians are known more for their lectures than their love Self-righteousness will sabotage our influence in the world. There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God […]

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Don’t Miss This – Week #1 A Place Where Change Takes place and Purpose Comes Alive Matthew 14:13-21 Central exists to be a place where the un-churched and the de-churched love to attend. 13 When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed […]

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Enjoy this service! Thank you for your commitment to Central Church! Welcome to Central Church Online! We hope you’re enjoying the holidays and relaxing today with your family. This service is our gift to our committed and dedicated volunteers – we couldn’t accomplish our mission without you! Central Church is a place […]

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Christmisfits Week #3 Misfits in the Field Luke 2:8-20 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Luke 2:8 The Shepherds were messy The Shepherds were lonely The Shepherds were uncertain 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the […]

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Pastor Ryan shared that only Jesus can change people in his 2nd message of the Christmisfits series.

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Christmisfits Week #1 All Alone with My Doubt Luke 1:26-38 Don’t doubt in the darkness what God has declared in the light In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a […]

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Armor Bearers – Week 5: November 29, 2020 Let’s Chat Matthew 4; Matthew 9; Luke 9; Mark 16; Mark 10; Philippians 3 1. I want you to take your next step We can get wrapped up in spiritual activity and not experience any maturity When we get immersed in activity apart from intimacy, it always […]

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Armor Bearers – Week 4: November 22, 2020 Contagious Can I really live outside my bubble? Hebrews 10:19-25 1. Don’t be hesitant to ENTER with CONFIDENCE (Hebrews 10:19-21) Without the BLOOD there is no FORGIVENESS “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the […]

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Armor Bearers – Week 3: November 15, 2020 Love is a Verb Romans 12:9-21 9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard […]

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Armor Bearers – Week 2 – November 8, 2020 Experiencing True Rest Mark 6; Genesis 2, Matthew 11, Psalm 46, John 16 FOUR truths about rest: 1. Rest Is Natural “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and […]

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Armor Bearers – Week 1: November 1, 2020 From the Heart: A Message About Worship Worship = worth-ship. We worship God because he is the only One worthy “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then […]

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Recalculating week #5 Turn Back Psalm 22; John 13; John 16; Matthew 11; Hebrews 12 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but […]

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Recalculating – Week 4 October 18, 2020 On the other side of Endurance 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 […]

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Recalculating Week #3 Forward, not Backward John 20:1-18 As we “recalculate” to move forward, we need to remember: 1. God’s Grace covers us in our unbelief Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed […]

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Recalculating Week 2 Storms Change Everything Acts 28:1-6 1. Storms often carry us to new places Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. Acts 28:1 The storm is evidence that God is with you and He will get you through whatever you’re going through 2. […]

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Recalculating Week #1 Change of Plans Authenticity is greater than artificiality In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s […]

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September 20, 2020 Back to Church Sunday Matthew 16:13-18 Church is not something that should be tolerated, Church is something that should be celebrated When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi… He asked his disciples who do people say the Son of man is? Matthew 16:13 Caesarea Philippi was known as the gates […]

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Anchors Week #7 Anchored to Salvation Mark 1:16-18 Sin is when you and I decide to deny Jesus. As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you […]

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Anchors Week #6 Anchored in Generosity Genesis 28:18-22 Giving will break the cycle of greed in the life of a follower of Jesus The early church was known for their generosity and hospitality Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as […]

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Anchors Week #5 Anchored to My Gifting Genesis 28:13-15; Matthew 15:29-38 Compassion is a call to action If compassion is not the foundation for us using our gifts… then our gifts never will be effective There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the […]

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Anchors Week 4 Anchored in Grace Genesis 25:21-26; Genesis 28:10-22 Runners typically aren’t looking for a safe place, they’re looking for an open space. Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. Genesis 25:21 Sometimes when we pray, we’ve got […]

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Anchors Week 3 Anchored in Prayer Psalm 5:1-3 4 reasons we give for not praying: 1) Not sure how to pray. 2) Get bored or distracted while trying to pray. 3) Think your requests are too small for God. 4) Not sure prayers will make a difference. • […]

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August 8-9, 2020 Anchored to Forgiveness Matthew 18:21-35 Being bitter and angry at somebody can rob us of our joy Forgiveness is not easy, but it is necessary for us to take our next step in our walk with Jesus Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall […]

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August 1-2, 2020 Anchored by Compassion Just because you’ve been wounded doesn’t mean you’re worthless We must Anchor ourselves to Compassion, not Condemnation But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness ~Romans 1:18 People that are excited about other people […]

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July 18-19, 2020 True or False Acts 16:6-30 Four False ideas: 1. Following Jesus will always be easy Following Jesus is always the right thing to do; it’s not always the easy thing to do Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept […]

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Don’t Quit Ruth 4:1-22 In difficult times, we’re not called to quit, even if life seemingly feels like_____________ Boaz went to the town gate and took a seat there. Just then the family redeemer he had mentioned came by, so Boaz called out to him, “Come over here and sit down, friend. I want to […]

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Bouncing into Grace Ruth 3:1-18 The Grace of God pushes me to go, even when I don’t exactly know how things will turn out One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. Ruth 3:1 […]

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Left on Read Ruth 2:1-23 Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind […]

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More than a Comeback Ruth 1:1-22 A setback is actually a setup for a comeback which prepares us for a breakthrough In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live […]

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Trusting Jesus in Everything Luke 24:13-35 God doesn’t want us to trust Him with some things. He wants us to trust Him with everything. Until we completely trust Him, our lives will never be complete TWO REASONS WE HAVE A HARD TIME TRUSTING GOD: The speed of […]

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God is Always with You God loves me, is always with me, and has great plans for me. Often times we allow circumstances to shape our belief in God rather than our belief in God to shape the circumstances that we’re going through. Now Israel loved Joseph more than […]

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Walking thru the Fire Daniel 3:12-30 Stress and anxiety come from things that happen in our life that are unplanned or things that we are unprepared for. 5 WAYS TO WALK THROUGH AND OVERCOME STRESS AND ANXIETY 1. Understand that God is holy and good. Our circumstances will never alter his character. 2. Realize God’s […]

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Praise Him in the Storm Matthew 14:22-34 The one who is in you is greater than what you’re going through 22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. Matthew 14:22 Jesus is not limited by time 23 After […]

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God First 1 Kings 17:1-16 God give me the faith to put you first, so I’ll get your best and not the world’s worse Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in […]

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Battle Ground week #6 It’s Time to Say Yes Mark 5:14-20 We find spiritual success when we say “yes” to Jesus Success may not come immediately… but it always comes eventually Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out […]

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Battle Ground Week #3 Give in or Push Through Mark 4:47-31 SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER IN REGARDS TO SPIRITUAL WARFARE: 1. Jesus hears our cry That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Mark 4:35 Church isn’t supposed to be a castle of condemnation, but […]

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We need to acknowledge that Satan wants us to lose and does everything in his power to make that happen. Jesus changes who we are – if we’ll let him. As you saw in the cardboard testimonies video, your fellow Jesus followers here at Central showed us how Jesus changed their identity – AND how […]

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“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” -C.S. Lewis That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to […]

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Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. – Matthew 23:1-3 After this, Jesus […]

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Luke 5:17-26 One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. – Luke 5:17 Do we come to church for evaluation or participation? […]

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While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Luke 5:12 “Don’t put a period where God has put a comma because […]

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