East End Christian Church Podcast: Recent Episodes

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Podcast of sermons from the East End Christian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio.

No, the video itself isn't twisted - its just the introduction played before each of the Twisted series of sermons.

If there is one amazing gift that God has given us, it is love. But, not the idea of love that we have become so accustomed to. God's love is more than just romantic feelings or a strong desire or the devotion of Romeo and Juliet. God's love is sacrifice, it thinks of others before self in many ways it is contrary to what we know as love. Of course God's greatest gift is the adversary's greatest weapon.
* Love means Sacrifice + v16 - This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers

Real Love is Physical
v18 - Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
Real Love is not Risky - It Removes Risk
v20 - For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything

What does it mean to be free? Sometimes we think it means we can do whatever we want - but that is way too selfish of an attitude. Freedom gives us the ability to do for others instead of simply looking out for ourselves. Self-Focus leads to sin and slavery, sacrifice leads to freedom.
* Freedom Isn't Free + If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. - v36

Freedom is a Choice
Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. -v34
Freedom is a Lifestyle
Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. -v32
If you hold to my teaching, you are truly my disciples. -v31

Money itself isn't bad. It can do great things when used correctly. It is when money is used incorrectly that problems start. When we recognize where money comes from and how it should be used, it can be a wonderful tool. When we think only of ourselves money gets twisted into greed and we get twisted in the process.
* Money is FROM God * Money is FOR God + Through Other People + Through the Church

Money becomes greed when we focus on US instead of GOD

Why do bad things happen? Where does evil come from?
Only God has the power to create something completely new. (Everything man has "created" is actually just rearranging the stuff that was already there.) Everything God created was good. So, where does the bad stuff come from. We read in the Bible that Satan (the accuser, the tempter, the adversary) is a liar. Some of his greatest lies are taking the good things God has created and twisting them (or our understanding of them) into something they are not. This has happened since the very beginning and it still happens today. Genesis 3:1-6 tells the story of the first twist.
* Doubt - "Did God Really Say?" + Question God's word and His will

Deceit - "You will not surely die."
Remove or reduce the consequences
Desire - "You will be like God."
Focus on you, not on God

So, we've identified that we need to be filled only with Jesus and started to look at what it is that keeps each of us from being filled. Now, how do we bring all of this together? How do we keep from becoming like the Jerusalem crowds who welcomed Jesus into the city with palm branches and singing, then shouted for his crucifixion just a few days later? In order for this to happen, we have to take a good, solid look at ourselves and make some changes.
* Stop the Routine + v9 "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan Woman"

Yield to God's Way
v19 ""I can see that you are a prophet"
Go - Worship & Tell - v20 & 39
v20 "Our fathers worshiped on this mountain..."
v39 "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony.

Americans are switching religions and churches at record rates. We are used to being given choices in everything in life, why should church be any different? The only time we don't keep choosing is when we've found something that works. So, what is the church's purpose? What is it meant to do? The answer can be found in the interaction Jesus has with a Samaritan woman he meets at a well. Here we find what the church is supposed to do and what keeps us individually from achieving that goal.

We all know we’re supposed to forgive, but why? And how much? And who? When Peter comes to Jesus with these questions, he responds with what can seem like a simple answer and with a parable. Together these answer the questions and show us that mercy is an attitude, not an account.
* An Attitude - v21-22 * We Give - v23-27 * We Receive - v28-31 * An Ultimatum - v32-35

The church exists for a number of reasons, but they all focus on relationships - the relationship between God and his people, the relationship that exists between those people and the relationship they have with those outside the church. Jesus confirmed this when he was asked about the greatest commandment. In order for a church to survive, it must find a balance between and within these relationships. Who better to ask about these relationships than those people who live them out on a daily basis?
* Worship + Sing and Serve - Matthew 4:10

Edification
Know and Do - 1 Peter 2:5
Fellowship
Work and Play - 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Evangelism
Reaping and Sowing - Matthew 13:1-30

Sin cuts. It divides us - people from God and people from people. One of God's Goals for us is to work to undo the damage that sin does. We have to look at how sin divides us and what we can do to pull people back together instead of pulling each other apart.
* Individual Importance - v12-14 + Everyone is the ONE

Start Small, Stay Simple - v15-17
Limit the Audience
Divine Design - v18
"your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" - 6:10
Stronger Together - v19-20

Do you ever feel like you're fighting a losing battle? Like you keep trying and trying, but never get anywhere. There are times when we all feel that way. We see a goal and we try to get to it, but we can't ever seem to get there. Sometimes we set the wrong goals. Sometimes there are obstacles in our path that we just can't get past. And sometimes those obstacles are us. God gives us goals that we should all have for our lives, goals that we can all reach. But, we can only reach them if we learn not to get in the way.

Welcome the Weaker - Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. v5
Open Yourself
Cut the Cause - If your hand or foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. - v8
Sacrifice Yourself
Don't look Down - See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. - v10
Examine Yourself

We all have secrets, things that we are afraid to tell anyone for fear of what it would do to the relationship. So, we hide these things inside, we push them down and try to cover them up. But, in truth these secrets act like a wedge between us and other people. The more we push them down, the further we push people away. If these secrets are sins, they drive the same kind of wedge between us and God. We long to feel close to God and to live real, authentic lives, but in order to do so we have to face the truth for real.
* Inside + True to Ourselves
"You are the man!" - 2 Samuel 12 + True to God
He will forgive us - 1 John 1:9

Outside
True to Others
Confess your sins to EACH OTHER - James 5:16
True to Life
...and the truth will set you free. - John 8:32

“Just follow your heart.” “Find your own truth.” “What’s true for you isn’t necessarily true for me.” “There is nothing that is absolutely true.” Sound familiar? Have you heard these ideas before, from Hollywood or your friends or neighbors? Maybe you even think this for yourself. Sometimes things just feel right when at another time they felt wrong. There are some things that you’ve heard are wrong that just feel so right. How can we know that there is such a thing as absolute truth that applies to everyone. If we as Christians have found absolute truth, how should we respond to it? What should we do with it?
* We cannot move or bend the truth: + In those days Israel had no king; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. - Judges 21:25 + "You have let go of the commands of God and are hanging onto the traditions of men.” - Mark 7:8 * We must follow the Word of truth as it is written: Matthew 4 + v4 - “It is written, ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
The Truth sustains us + v7 - "It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
The truth is proven + v10 - “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
The truth guides us

The world we live in doesn’t know what truth is. We are used to being lied to, cheated and swindled. We forget what the world looks like without wool pulled over our eyes. In the midst of this, we have come to think that there is more than one truth, more than one right way. If we want to handle the truth properly, we have to recognize that in the midst of this culture there is only one truth. There is only one way. Some may think this idea is arrogant or closed-minded, but that doesn’t make it any less true. That’s the great thing about truth - it’s true.

1 Kings 18:16-39
* The Truth sheds Light - v18 * The Truth demands a Choice - v21 * The Truth has POWER - v39

1 Tim 2:5-6 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men...

Do you know who you are? Do you act like it? We can know that God made us special, that he created us for a purpose, that he loaned us this life for a reason - but if we don’t act on this knowledge it doesn’t do us any good. We must remember that God made us salt and light that is useful and powerful. No matter what the situation, faith makes a difference.

Matthew 5:13-16
* You are the Salt of the Earth - v13 + not JUST flavor + but ALWAYS salty

You are the Light of the World - v14-16
not JUST shining
but NEVER hiding

You work hard. You do the right things and say the right things. You persevere despite the opposition, but why? Because it’s the right thing to do? Because God said so? They are good reasons, but not the right reason. Love must be our motivation, our guide and our sustenance. BUT, what happens when we don’t feel that love? We felt it before, but it seems to be gone now. We often try to find something else (some new teacher or group or program or book) to bring that excitement back. God doesn’t say to find something new. He says to go back to basics.

You're Doing well... - v2
BUT
You've forsaken your first love. v4
Tongues - Love = Noise (1 Cor 13:1)
Knowledge + Power - Love = Nothing (1 Cor 13:2)
Good Deeds + Sacrifice - Love = Nothing (1 Cor 13:3)

SO
* Renew Your Love - v5 + Remember the height from which you have fallen + Repent + Re-Do the things you did at first

How do you look at faith? Like a vitamin that you take every day to keep spiritually healthy? Like a good luck charm that keeps you from harm? Like a parachute to catch you when things get too intense? Like a book of rules to keep us on the straight and narrow? Do we get so stuck on these ideas that we miss what faith is really all about. If we are to fulfill our purpose with the lives God has loaned us, we must take a step back and redefine our faith, to align it with the faith found in God’s Word.

The Attitude of Faith
Bring it On! - ...I am ready not only to be bound, but to die... Acts 21:10-15
Get Behind Me - ... you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men... -Matthew 16:21-23
The Action of Faith
Follow Me - If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. - Matthew 16:24-26
Show Me - ...I will show you my faith by my deeds. - James 2:14-19

Are you a giver or a taker? Does all that taking make you happy, or does it just make you want more and more? Too many people in this world are takers, and not enough people know the joy of giving. God created us to give to those in need. He prepared us to do good works for those in need by giving us talents and resources to use for His purposes. Too often we have buried those talents or used them for our own purposes instead of looking for God’s purposes. It is up to us to reassign those resources to do God’s work here and now.

Luke 10:27-37
The Good Samaritan Gives: * Inconvenient Help - v33 * Personal Involvement - v34 * Sacrificial Transportation - v34 * Lodging and Companionship - v35

Matthew 25:14-30
The One-Talent guy was Scared, Lazy and Wicked because he: * Didn't look past his Fear * Didn't exert any Effort * Didn't take any Risks

What’s important to you?
What do you invest in? Things that make you noble, or things that make you just like everyone else? Throughout history it has become apparent that most men do not value anything but themselves. The same cannot be said of God. If we are going to lives our lives on loan from God, we must do what God would have us do with them. This means valuing the things that God values and living according to those values.

Isaiah 32:8 - But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.
* A Noble Man Values Purpose - v1-2 + ...if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. - 1 John 4:11-12

Noble Plans Value Preparation - v3-4
Seeing - Hearing - Knowing - Telling
Noble Deeds Value People - v5-7
Do you SEE this woman? - Luke 7:36-44

Jacob wanted to be someone else. He was jealous of what his brother had and what he was going to get. Sound familiar? In today's world we are constantly told what we should want and what we should try to be. But what about what God wants us to be? He created us as individuals with specific talents, faults, friends and connections to serve Him. Plus, he gave us a new life in His son, one fraught with benefits that enable us to make the most of the life God loaned us.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come! - 2 Corinthians 5:17

As a new creation in Jesus, YOU Are:
* A Child of God - John 1:12 * A Friend of God - John 15:15 * Forgiven - Psalm 103:2-3 * Loved - John 3:16 * NEEDED - Matthew 9:35-38

We LIVE in the harvest field. God put us there because He needs us there.

What do you do to get ready for church on Sunday? What should you do? If we look at the reasons for having a regular church service, it becomes clear that we have a lot to do before we come to church - and I'm not talking about your hair or your make-up. We have to prepare our hearts, minds and most importantly our attitudes before we even think about worshiping God and fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters.
* It's NOT about ME! + "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices...this is your spiritual act of worship." - Romans 12:1

It IS about HIM
"God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached..." - 1 Corinthians 1:21
It IS about THEM
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost." - Luke 19:10

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" - Matthew 22:37-39

Why do you attend the church you attend? Chances are that at some point someone you already had a relationship with invited you. This is the way that an overwhelmingly large majority of church attenders first came to church and it is the way that most people who are not Christians will become Christians. Before He was taken up to heaven, Jesus gave us the job of creating disciples in all the world. This process doesn't start on Sundays. It starts on Mondays, when we go back out into the world and create relationships with others, giving them a fleshly, personal link to God.
* Prepare a Plan + "...he had compassion on them..." - Matthew 9:36

Pray, Pray, Pray
"Devote yourselves to prayer..." - Colossians 4:2
Personal Petition
"...make the most of every oppoortunity" - Colossians 4:5

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. - 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

When a fault is found in the foundation of a building project, work is immediately stopped and the problem is removed. When sin appears in our lives we tend to not do the same thing. We go on living, trying our best to pretend that nothing has happened. If this goes on too long we lose our hatred of sin, we cease to be aware of its damaging effects and we wonder what could have caused the problems in our lives. When the Israelites returned from exile to rebuild the Temple, they knew they had to get rid of the sin in their midst that had been plaguing them for generations. If we are to rebuild our relationships with God, we must rid ourselves of the sin that has weakened that relationship in the past. It is not enough just to rebuild, we must ReBuild Stronger than before.
* Confront * Contrite - Isaiah 66:2b + Appalled at our sin - Ezra 9:3-4 + Bothered by its impact - 9:7 + Concerned for a future with sin - 9:14

Confess - 1 John 1:9
Admit we did wrong - 10:2
Blame only ourselves -
Call on God for Forgiveness
Control - Hebrews 10:22
Actions - 10:3
Conscience
Bow to God as Lord

There is something sad about an unfinished building. So much promise and hard work that will never reach its full potential. Does God feel the same way looking at our lives? What gets in the way of our efforts to build a relationship with God? What can we do to overcome these obstacles? And why are they there in the first place?

Opposition
Comes looking for us - Ezra 4:1-4
Can hinder us, but not stop us - Ezra 4:5, 24
Building Despite Opposition
God's Word and God's People - Ezra 5:1-2
Always Do the Right Thing - Ezra 5:8-10
Opposition Becomes Opportunity - Ezra 6:8-10
James 1:2 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds...