Pine Tree Church of Christ's Podcast: Recent Episodes
Pine Tree Church of Christ
In Luke 5, we have two examples of "call" stories. Jesus calls fishermen and a tax collector to be his followers. He tells Simon Peter that from now on, you will "catch people." The Greek word that is used there means "captured alive." We sometimes say that faith is not just taught, it is caught. What does it mean to be "caught" by Christ? Who is the least likely person that you think would ever "catch" the faith? Who has believe in you? Who do you believe in? What is God inviting you to die to? What do others "catch" from us?
The central message to Jesus' preaching/teaching ministry was the kingdom of God. But what is the kingdom of God? This lesson seeks to explore the layers of meaning behind Jesus' most frequent (but often overlooked) teaching and its meaning for us today.
In Luke 4:14-30, Jesus goes to his hometown and says the time of Isaiah's prophecy is now, it's being fulfilled. His hometown tried to kill him, and part of their anger is because his mission is much wider than they would have ever anticipated. The passage in Isaiah functions as a missional vision for Jesus' ministry.
Picking back up our missional theme in Luke's writings, we meet Jesus in the wilderness in Luke 4:1-13. This sermon shares four main postures from Jesus that we should imitate; disciplined rhythms, spiritual awareness, scriptural discernment, and steadfast resistance. Jesus begins His ministry with a big "no!" to Satan. How can we imitate Jesus in our own walk? What does this have to do with the mission of God?
Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-3; Luke 3:1-18 - Luke had a "one" he was discipling, a missional purpose for researching and writing the gospel. John the Baptist, when asked for what change should be made, had one specific change in mind for people. Who are you discipling and what needs to change?
How do you read the Bible? Through what lens? This lesson explores a few of the incomplete habits we have when reading Scripture, a framework Jesus gave to his disciples to view Scripture (Luke 24:25-27, 44-47), and proposed missional hermeneutic.
There is an epidemic of loneliness in our Western culture today. We are wired for friendship, for face-to-face relationships. Proverbs teaches us some friendly advice on friendship. This lesson explores the topic of friendship from the wisdom of Proverbs.
Proverbs is a parenting document. Proverbs believes that discipline is vital to raising children. As Jesus people, we know what our long-term goal is in raising our children (or do we?). But how do we discipline, how do we live into our goals, and are we being intentional?
This lesson focuses on the theme of loving your enemies from Proverbs, launching us into Romans 12:14-21 and Matthew 5:38-48. What happens within the church if your anger fantasy was reality?
This lessons centers around the theme of money in Proverbs. How much money is enough? How should we handle and make money? What role does generosity play? What kind of table do you want for your family? What should we pray for?
Proverbs has a lot to say about our speech habits (our tongue, mouth, lips). Most of us learn habits of speech that we have to unlearn and replace if we are going to grow into the Godly Wisdom that Proverbs invites us into. Three habits in particular include airing our opinions, lying, and gossip. It is one thing to try and stop doing those things, but replacing those habits with healthier habits will help us begin to truly experience transformation.
This lesson explores the plans we make as humans and the Lord's role in plans. Learning to align our plans with God's plans rather than making our own plans and asking God to bless it. As we discern God's plans and bend our wants towards His wants, pride is our obstacle. Proverbs 3:5-7 and Proverbs 15:33-16:9.
On this Mother's Day, we take a look at the conclusion of Proverbs in 31:10-31. How does the "wife of noble character" function as a conclusion to the entire wisdom book?
On this senior Sunday, we are reminded of Colossians 3:12-17, a theme passage for our Pine Tree Roots group. Aaron, our Youth Minister, brings a message for the seniors and our church centered around a prayer that we all need to pray.
This week in our Proverbs series, we spend time in some of the warnings the father gives to the son (Proverbs 1-9). He warns him of the enticement of joining "the gang" and of the seduction of the "the strange woman." Essentially, what the father is trying to do is to get us to think about the path we are on, the choices we make, and think about where that road will end before we even make those choices.
In week two of our Proverbs series, we look at 1:1-7. However, we also look at the big picture of Proverbs by way of overview. This will help us as we continue our series, understanding where we are on the map so to speak.
On this Easter Sunday, we looked at the resurrection through the lens of John 11, Jesus' power over death.
In John 17, Jesus prays a prayer of intercession for His Apostles and for all who will believe in Him throughout the ages. As we spend some time dwelling in Jesus' prayer, the twofold goal is to help us get unstuck if our prayer life is on autopilot, and also to think about who we need to be intentionally praying for.
In our fast-paced, busy, screen-based culture, making and keeping true friendships seems more complicated than ever. In John 15:12-17, Jesus calls his disciples friends. What is a friend? What does it mean for the church to be a community of missional friendships? What does it look like to be a missional friend in the community?
Josh Fowler is our Family Connections Minister. He continues in our series of examining the Gospel of John as disciple-making equipping. Josh's text is John 8.
What has God done in your life? What is your testimony and who can you share it with? In John 9, Jesus heals a man born blind, and eventually he gives his one-sentence testimony.
In John 4, Jesus has the longest conversation recorded in the Gospels. We see from Jesus this amazing ability to have a spiritual conversation with anyone, anywhere. How can we learn to speak of God more often? Can we learn to have spiritual conversations outside of our normal church settings? One practice to implement is creating a new habits of making spiritual statements...
As we continue to explore "missional discipleship," we now turn to the Gospel of John as a guide for practical disciple-making. We imitate Jesus, and in John 1:14, we are told that through the incarnation, Jesus was "among" us. Or, as Eugene Peterson once put it, He "moved into the neighborhood."
The Sower provides a missional model for us. The parable & explanation Jesus teaches in Matthew 13:3-9; 18-23 is like two sides of the same coin. What type of soil are you? As disciple-makers caught up in the mission of God, how can we sow quality seed to everyone, everywhere we go?
Pine Tree has a strong missional heartbeat. How can we take that missional enthusiasm and begin to equip everyone to be everyday disciple-makers? Understanding our time and place is important. We live in a mission field. We are a sent church, not just sent individuals. Psalm 137:1-4; Jeremiah 29:4-7; Luke 10:2
God is a sending God.
Abraham; Moses; Gideon; Isaiah; Jeremiah; Ezekiel; Jonah; Etc.; Jesus; Me; You; Us
Dr. Richardson joins us from Searcy, Arkansas on our Missions Sunday. His jump off text was Matt. 28:1-7.
Romans 5:6-10 - how does God treat enemies?
Romans 12:14-21 - how should we treat our enemies?
Replicating the pattern of the cross in our lives...
Main Texts: Galatians 6:14; 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 & Paul confronting idolatry in Acts 14, 17, & 19.
Exodus 19:1-6. Why did God choose Israel, what was their purpose, and what does that mean to the church today?
Four convictions that have helped keep me on a path to continue to intersect with Jesus.
New year, new theme: Cruciform Discipleship. As we begin a theme this year, we will look at our life, mission, and worldview through the lens of the cross.
Continuing 1 Peter series, the main text in this sermon is 1 Peter 2:21-25
Today, Pine Tree celebrated its 60th anniversary as a church plant. This sermon explores how to define reality for a church, an exercise in descriptive theology. To do so, we look at external markers (attendance numbers through time & contribution) and internal markers (1 Peter 3:3-4 & 4:8-11).
1 Peter 2:4-10
**FOUNDATION: Is Jesus your cornerstone, or is He just your capstone?
IDENTITY: Are you feeling out-of-place (rejected) and tempted to just blend in? Do you need to be reminded that you are chosen by God?
PURPOSE: Are you embracing your role, as a functioning member of this church, to be priests in this community?**
Peter refers to the Christians in Northwest Asia as "exiles" multiple times (or "strangers," "foreigners," "aliens," or even older translations "sojourners."). Why does Peter call them this, what significance did it have then? How might this apply to us today in the twenty-first century?
1 Peter 1:1; 17; 2:11-12; 5:13
This lesson begins a new study on 1 Peter. We compare Peter's spiritual maturity journey from what we see of Peter in the Gospels compared to what he writes in this letter. Take that and then compare it to your own journey, how have you matured in your faith the last few years? Are you growing? Staying the same? Stagnant? Regressing?
We've explored core discipleship all year long. You can't talk about core discipleship without a lesson on the core commands, or as we often call it, the greatest commands. It's exciting to narrow the focus and say, "love God and love people." It sounds great! But, how do we live this out? The focus of this lesson is the practical side of how we live out loving God and loving our neighbor.
End of the Core Beliefs sermon series. "I believe in the resurrection of the body & life everlasting."
Phil. 3:20-21 is the main text for this sermon
The Apostles Creed words it, "communion of the saints." It's interesting that the idea of "fellowshipping" with Christ's people is important enough to our faith that it made it in to the original core beliefs. In this lesson, I share a brief version of my own "Theology of Fellowship."
One of the unique claims in the Christian faith is the belief: One God in Three Persons. Where do we get that from and how does it impact our day to day discipleship?
Jesus ascended into Heaven, is seated at the right hand of God, and promised that He would come again...
Apostles Creed
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, buried, and descended to the realm of the dead...
Who was Pilate and how did he make it into the Apostles Creed?
What does it mean "he descended into hell" (or "descended to the dead")
What do we know about Roman crucifixions?
What is Cruciform Discipleship, this invitation that Jesus gives to anyone who wants to follow Him?
Using the Apostles Creed as a guide, we know get to the centerpiece of the Creed = Jesus. He was "conceived of the Holy Spirit & born of the Virgin Mary."
Deut. 6:4-9 - Parenting Emphasis
How do we create space for conversation with our children (Deut. 6:7) in order to impress the faith on them?
Increase Meaningful Interaction
Cultivate Ongoing Conversation
Limit Technology
We discuss how these three keys in parenting and instilling faith in our children...
Matt. 5:43-48 is the key text in the series for Core Discipleship.
Matt. 28:5-10 is the additional text for Easter Sunday.
Matthew 5:3-12
How do we find ourselves in these beatitudes? Are you "poor in spirit"? Do you "hunger and thirst for righteousness"? Are you "merciful"? Are you a "peacemaker"?
Ecclesiastes Ch. 8 & 9 - How can we find meaning in a world that sometimes seem meaningless?
Missions Sunday. Guest Speaker Monte Cox.
Monte Cox has been the Dean of the College of Bible and Ministry at Harding University since 2005. Monte and his wife, Beth, spent ten years planting churches in Kenya. Monte has served as an elder of the Downtown Church of Christ in Searcy since 2002 and was also the preaching minister from 2013-2022). Monte has an M.A. in Missiology and Church Growth from Harding School of Theology in Memphis and a Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. He has taught Bible and comparative religions courses at Harding since 1992. He is the author of Significant Others: Understanding Our Non-Christian Neighbors (Leafwood 2017). He and Beth have three grown children and four grandchildren.
Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:6
The Teacher shares with us his pursuit of happiness in this life. This pursuit was not just for himself, it was for all humans. What did he discover?
Ezekiel 37:1-14
God doesn't just meet us on the mountain, God also meets us in the valley. We often describe our faith journey in terms of "peaks and valleys." The "peaks" are the times when we feel really near to God, the "valleys" are probably best described when we are in a low point and we want to hear from God or feel His presence.
God takes Ezekiel to a valley filled with death. Through this experience, God is showing the prophet that He is going to restore hope to his people who are symbolically in the valley.
How does this valley experience relate to our own experiences? How does God show up to us when we are in the valley?
Matthew 28:16-20
The last mountain that Jesus meets His disciples on in the Gospels. We aren't told the name of the mountain, but we know that it was a mountain in Galilee. It is at this setting that Jesus commissions his disciples to go make more disciples throughout the world. This mountaintop moment gives us our mission as well. Sometimes we get off task, and this sermon will hopefully remind us of our purpose and give us a renewed sense of Christ's mission in the world.
Mark 14:26-52
This week we come to the Mount of Olives. On this mountain there is a Garden called Gethsemane. It's on this mountain that Jesus experienced an overwhelming amount of fear. Jesus' courage in the midst of fear gives us an example to follow when we are stalled out by fear: step forward!
What causes fear in your life? Beyond just the normal fears and phobias we might experience, what are some of the fears that work in the background of your life? I call these the "less obvious fears." These fears impact our thoughts, behaviors, and decisions more than we realize. If we are honest, what are they? Bring those with you to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus teaches that if we have enough faith, we can move a mountain. Obviously, we don't think he literally meant that we could rearrange the landscape. There is usually a deeper meaning behind some of the stranger teachings of Jesus. So, what did he mean by this teaching? Where is the emphasis, is it on us having more faith? Is it less about the size of our faith and more about the size of the God we believe in? Is it both?
Matthew 17:19-20; Luke 17:5-6; Mark 11:20-24
Mark 9:1-27. Jesus and three of his disciples have one of their best moments on the mountain, and then some of their worst moments back in the valley. This lesson covers the Transfiguration followed by doubt back in the valley.
Today, we go to Mount Horeb with Elijah. He goes from having a mountain top moment with God on Mount Carmel, to being in the valley, to depression on Mount Horeb by himself. What do we learn about God when we are in the valley? Why is this story in the Bible? This amazing and peculiar story from 1 Kings 19:1-18 will help answer some of those questions.
Today, we go to the top of Mount Carmel to make a decision about who, or what, we will worship with our lives. 1 Kings 18:17-40 is our main text.
Do Mount Carmel moments still happen today? I don't know, but I know Mount Carmel decisions still happen today.
1 Kings 18:21 is the key verse. "How long will you go on limping between two opinions?" ... choose who you are going to follow.
In Exodus 3, God appeared to Moses at Mount Horeb, the Mountain of God.
In Exodus 19, the Israelites (led by Moses) arrived at Mount Sinai, the Mountain of God.
In this lesson, we study Exodus Ch. 19 & 20 - their first major encounter with Yahweh at Mount Sinai. Moses ascends and descends the mountain several times. He functions as an intermediary. God's presence comes in a powerful display at the mountain. God gives the Ten the Commandments. The people are afraid. How do we read and understand this today?
We, as Christians, view through this mountain experience through a different lens that the Hebrew writer provides us in Heb. 12:18-24.
First of all, this sermon was preached on a Sunday without electricity. A bad storm came through on the previous Thursday night, so we were without power. The recording is not the greatest audio quality because it was recorded on an iPhone and then we attempted to reduce the background noise (from the giant fan we had going).
Anyways, this sermon was a bit shorter due to the heat in the room. The focus is meeting God on the Mountain, specifically the mountain top experiences that we have with God. We talk about the experience, the perspective of worship and our attitude when we return home. We also discuss the potential for mountaintop experiences at home, or when you least expect it.
Psalm 121.
New series = Meeting God on the Mountain. Throughout Scripture, God often met His people on a mountain. This summer, we go to the mountains of Scripture to meet with God.
The fruits of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship? A calmed & quieted soul. Psalm 131 claims that this is attainable. Does this describe me? What leads us to a noisy & restless soul, and how can we aim in the direction of a calmed & quieted soul?
Emotionally Healthy Discipleship
2 Corinthians
How is strength found through weakness? How did Paul develop his Theology of Weakness?
Series: Emotionally Healthy Discipleship
Sermon: Break the Power of the Past
Main Texts: John 8:14; 2 Tim. 1:5; Exodus 20:4-6; John 9:1-3; Ezekiel 18:20
If we are growing spiritually, we simultaneously mature emotionally. One of the ways we can measure our maturity is by our love. How can we love like Jesus? Jesus gives us the practical examples of slowing down to be present with the people in front of him, to actually see them, and to listen.
Matt. 22:34-40
John 13:34-35
Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Part 3 - Processing Grief & Loss
Throughout our lives, we all accumulate losses. Some are devastating or unexpected, and some are natural/expected losses. Regardless the severity, losses need to be grieved. If we do not take the time to grieve before the Lord, this emotional pain will continue to weigh heavy on our souls. In this lesson, we discuss Peter Scazzero's three phases of processing grief and loss, we go to the cross with Jesus and learn from him on how to deal with pain, and we touch on the need to lament (especially in the Psalms).
Mark 8:34; Mark 15:22-33; James 1:2-4
Part 2 of the Emotionally Healthy Discipleship Series...
When presented with opportunities and invitations, how do we know what to say yes to and what to say no to? We can't say yes to everything, and when we say no, it gives more meanings to our yes.
Without a Theology of Limits, we will have a tough time making wise decisions. God gave Adam and Eve a limit in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:15-17; 3:4-6). Jesus worked within limits in His ministry (Luke 4:42-43 as an example). John the Baptist embraced his limits (John 3:36-30 as an example). And the Twelve acknowledged their limits while staying rooted in their calling (Acts 6:1-4).
What are the limits we need to receive?
What are limits that we need to breakthrough?
Decision-Making is an important part in our Spiritual & Emotional maturity.
Easter 2023.
Start with Luke 24 & Acts 1 - why is it so obvious to the Angels that Jesus is not among the dead, but it's not so obvious to the human eye? Why is it so obvious to the Angels that Jesus will come back, but it's not so obvious to the Apostles who are staring into the sky? There is what I will call an "obvious gap". The Angels are seeing the unseen, seeing behind the curtain.
In Revelation Ch. 1, John the Revelator invites us to look behind the curtain and see Jesus the way he saw him. Jesus is described by John in a beautiful and layered way. He sees a vision of Christ, which invites us to view the Easter story from a broader perspective.
The "key" statement for this lesson is Rev. 1:18 - "I was dead, and now I am alive forever and ever. I have the keys of Death and Hades." Jesus has the keys! The one who has the keys has the authority.
Luke 23:26-31
Today's lesson is designed to help us begin drawing near to the cross of Christ this week.
Jesus taught a lot of "stranger things." These words from Christ would fall under that category. Why does Jesus say what he says to these women who are following him and mourning for him? And what do we have to learn from Simon of Cyrene and the Daughters of Jerusalem when it comes to coming to closer to the Crucified Lord?
Today's text is Titus 1:5-9 & 1 Timothy 3:1-7. We are looking at the character sketch of an Elder that Paul gives us. Although this presents the type of character we are looking for in an elder, these lists should also encourage anyone who is following Christ to either be described this way, or for this to describe who we are becoming in Christ.
1 Peter 5:1-4 & Ezekiel 34:1-6
What is an elder of a church? What do we call them? If we can figure out what we call them, that will give us a better idea of what their role is.
The final Apostle of the original twelve: Judas Iscariot. He is forever known as the "betrayer." Why did Judas follow Jesus to begin with? Was he sincere at the beginning and then inauthentic as time went on? Why did Judas betray Jesus?
John 6:66-71 - One of You is a Devil
John 12:1-6 - Greed
Matt. 26:14-16 - Greed
John 13:2; Luke 22:3; John 13:21-30; Matthew 26:22-25 - Judas Opened His Heart to Satan, but the other Apostles still did not know at the time
Matt. 26:47-50 - Judas Betrays Jesus with a Kiss. Was he trying to force Jesus to act? Was he doing this because of unfulfilled expectations?
Matt. 27:3-10 - Tragic Ending to Judas's Life. Sin never satisfies the way we hope it will.
Mark 3:13-19 - Which Apostle do you connect with the most and why? Also, in this lesson we talk about meeting God on the mountain, the Apostles James the Younger, Simon the Zealot, and Judas (not Iscariot)/Thaddeaus, and the two main objectives Jesus had with the Twelve.
The Apostle Thomas is known most popularly as "Doubting Thomas." Some also refer to him as "Thomas the Pessimist." Thomas stands in the tensions faith & doubt, of faith & pessimism. If you've ever struggled with either of those, you might connect with Thomas. John 11:7,8...16; John 14:1-6; John 20:19-29
Who is the most unlikely person who you think might become a disciple of Jesus? That is who Matthew was; an unlikely candidate. Yet Jesus called him and he said yes. What do we learn about discipleship from Matthew? What do we learn about disciple-making from Jesus calling Matthew?
continuing our series studying the 12 Apostles, today we look at two of them. Philip (from the Gospels, not from Acts) & Bartholomew (most suggest is Nathanael).
John 1:43-51
John 6:5-7
John 12:20-23
John 14:8-11
Continuing our 12 Apostles series, a character study, as we also consider our mission to Make, Mature, and Multiply Faithful Followers of Christ.
Today we focus mainly on the Apostle John. In the Synoptic Gospels, John desired to become more powerful, was impulsive and wanted to destroy his enemies, and was exclusive towards outsiders. You could say that John's growth area was love!
We learn a lot about John from his writings. No one writes about love as much as John does in the New Testament. As an older man, you could definitely say that John matured deeply in love.
Today we study the Sons of Thunder, which is the nickname that Jesus gave to James and John. These two were being trained to not only be disciples and disciple-makers, but they were also being trained to be leaders. One key area they they need to be enlightened in was how power works in God's Kingdom and who gets power.
Mark 1:18-20; 3:16-19; Matt. 20:20-28; Luke 9:51-58; Acts 12:1-2; John 13:3
Today we study the Apostle Andrew. He is mainly known for being "Simon Peter's brother." He was in Peter's shadow and worked in the background. We no very little about Andrew. In the Gospel of John, we see him three times: John 1:35-42; John 6:5-11; John 12:20-22. Each time we see him, there is a pattern we see in Andrew. What can we learn from Andrew about being a disciple and being a disciple-maker?
A study of the Twelve Apostles as we consider our own Mission and Vision.
This is the Apostle Peter Part 2. The main text is John 21.
What do we know about Peter?
What do we know about his character?
What do we know about his name: Simon or Peter?
It seems that a lot of us can relate to Peter, he fluctuated between his old self and new self quite often.
Our mission is to Make, Mature, & Multiply Faithful Followers of Christ. In short, I am calling this the "3 M's." How did Jesus go about making, maturing, multiplying followers? His main strategy was to pick 12 ordinary men, train them for a few years, and then hand it over to them. He saw potential in them, he gave them an opportunity, and was patient with them.
How are we going to Make, Mature, and Multiply faithful followers of Christ? Following the lead of Jesus, we have 7 commitments as a church that serves as our vision:
- We will cultivate a deeper love for God
- We will be a loving intergenerational family
- We will pursue unity focused on Jesus
- We will nurture marriage and young families
- We will make disciples who make disciples
- We will have an outward focus on our local community
- We will be mission minded for the lost of the world
What did we do in the year 2022? Where is God leading us in 2023?
A new year brings a fresh start. How will you respond to these two words from Jesus this year, "follow me"?
Today we begin a short Advent series leading up to Christmas.
Series = Key Players. We are looking at some of the key players that God chose to work through in the incarnation. Who did God use, why did He use them, and what do we have to learn from them?
Old Faithful = Luke 1:5-7; 2:22-38
Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, Anna - what is the common connection with these four key players?
Post-Thanksgiving - everyone's attitude is great during Thanksgiving, but how long will it last? Do you throw out the attitude when you throw out the left-over turkey a few days later? Phil. 2:1-15 is the main text.
James 5:13-20
This is the final lesson in the series going through the Book of James. James ends his letter with a plea to pray. Pray when you are suffering. Ask the elders to pray over you when you are sick. Confess your sins and pray for each other. Pray for those who have wandered from the faith...
James 3:1-12
Two Truths About Our Words:
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Our words have incredible potential (for both the negative and the positive. To encourage, bless, and lift someone up. The potential also to crush someone.)
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Our words come from something within us (Jesus tells us "the heart speaks what the mouth is full of." Our words are a diagnostic tool that reveals what is going on in our hearts).
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing...
No one can tame the tongue...
James 2:14-26.
We live in a world where you can photoshop pictures, get spray on tans, get tattoos that make it look like you have a 6-pack, etc. How can we know what is real and what is a facade? James is looking for real, authentic faith. Real faith, according to James, requires action. Don't we have a saying, "actions speak louder than words"? How do we hear what James is saying to us? How does this line up with Paul's teaching on grace?
James 1:19-26
We usually do the opposite of V. 19. We are often slow to listen but quick to speak and quick to get angry. How can we become better listeners? How can we be more deliberate and calm with our words? How can we be less reactionary with our anger?
In our main text today, James introduces our two final themes: words & actions. We blend the introductions into those themes today.
How do we know if we are putting the word into practice?
One indicator would be less about our outward deeds and more about being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry!
James 4:13-17
In today's text, James seems to go from practical Christianity to more of a larger life perspective/reflection.
James 4:13-17
In today's text, James seems to go from practical Christianity to more of a larger life perspective/reflection.
James 1:9-11 & James 5:1-6.
We now move into a new theme in this James series: warnings to the rich. James begins this topic in Ch. 1, and then returns to it a few times throughout the letter. In Ch. 5:1-6 is the harshest rhetoric of the whole letter.
In one sense, James just continues Jesus' reversal theme from the Gospel of Luke. We are invited to look at the world through a Kingdom lens that is upside-down and inside-out. On the other hand, we might ask some questions about why such a strong warning: Is it wrong to be rich? Who is considered rich? Why is it dangerous for our faith to be rich? What is an appropriate response?
James 3:13 - 4:10
Part 2 of the "Wisdom" sub-theme in James. He introduced the topic in Ch.1, and officially picks it back up here in Ch. 3 (although you could argue that the whole book is about wisdom). Remember that James did not include chapter divisions originally. Ch. 4:1-10 is a continuation of the end of Ch. 3.
What are the two types of wisdom and how do we live it out?
James 3:13 - 4:10
Part 2 of the "Wisdom" sub-theme in James. He introduced the topic in Ch.1, and officially picks it back up here in Ch. 3 (although you could argue that the whole book is about wisdom). Remember that James did not include chapter divisions originally. Ch. 4:1-10 is a continuation of the end of Ch. 3.
What are the two types of wisdom and how do we live it out?
James 1:5-8 is our main text for today.
We are taking a theme by theme approach to James rather than chapter by chapter. Today, we move to a new topic in James: "Wisdom." What is wisdom? How would you define it? What does James mean by wisdom?
James is considered by some as the Proverbs of the New Testament. James also includes several allusions to the Sermon on the Mount.
James 1:5-8 is our main text for today.
We are taking a theme by theme approach to James rather than chapter by chapter. Today, we move to a new topic in James: "Wisdom." What is wisdom? How would you define it? What does James mean by wisdom?
James is considered by some as the Proverbs of the New Testament. James also includes several allusions to the Sermon on the Mount.
James 5:7-11
Why do we suffer? Why do we go through trials? How does James address this? How are we supposed to go through trials?
James 5:7-11
Why do we suffer? Why do we go through trials? How does James address this? How are we supposed to go through trials?
James 1:13-18 is the main text in this lesson. We are taking a theme by theme approach to the book of James. We are currently studying the theme of "trials" according to James.
When? It's not if we will go through trials, it's when...
Where? It's not where temptation comes from during a trial, it's within...
What do you consider "pure joy"? We probably don't answer that question with all the hardships and trials we've been through. Yet, this is what James says we should consider "pure joy." James 1:2-4; 12 is our main text today. Several people say that they wish this wasn't in the Bible because it is such a difficult teaching. What does James mean by this paradoxical teaching, and how do we apply it today?
Today we begin a series on the Book of James. Rather than taking a chapter by chapter approach, we are going theme by theme. Most of the main themes in James are introduced in chapter one, then James continues to elaborate on these themes throughout the rest of the letter.
The overarching theme is to grow into a Mature Faith. This lesson focuses on James 1:1-4, who is the author and who is he writing to? Also, if you read the book as a whole, James gives us a snapshot of immature faith and a snapshot of mature faith.
Mark 10:46-52. This sermon falls on the beginning of a new school year. A new school year is a fresh start for everyone involved. What do we learn from Bartimaeus at the end of Mark 10? Jesus is going to give him a fresh start in life, but it comes with some life-altering challenges. Bartimaeus becomes a model disciple for us.
Mark 8:22-26 - Mark is the only Gospel writer that includes this specific episode of a blind man healing. It is an interesting one. Why does the healing not work all the way at first? Why is his vision not fully restored, he's a little blurry? Metaphorically, sometimes our spiritual vision may feel like that, not real clear... How can we stay close to Jesus when we're not exactly sure what God is up to?
1 Kings 19:1-18 Part 1. We continue discussing the "disquieted soul" aka anxiety. This sermon focuses on Elijah at his lowest moment and how God slowly and gently restores him. The invitation to rest in the Lord & then re-engage in ministry is still for us today.
Continuing the thought on anxiety/the disquieted soul. Getting to the root of our anxiety includes understanding who we are and why we are the way we are. John. Ch. 6, 7 , 8 are what I call the "Identity Interrogation" section. John 8:14 is the key text for most of this lesson. "I know where I came from and I know where I'm going." It would be very important if we knew the same things.
Do you ever think about what you think about? We've been in a series on anxiety the last month, and you can't talk about anxiety without talking about our thought life.
What are you afraid of? If you don't know, ask yourself, "what am I running from?" Or, "what am I avoiding?" The answers to those to questions might just show you what you fear.
Numbers 13
We continue our study on the various aspects of Anxiety, however we spend our third and final week in Psalm 42. What does this Psalm teach us about how to deal with the Disquieted Soul?
We often go through life unaware of what is going on inside of us. The Psalmist is... Self-Aware - he realizes that something is not right in his soul and he names it. If you can name the anxiety and where it is coming from, it will de-escalate the power it has over you. The Psalmist is...Other-Aware - he realizes that other people's hurtful words have caused him anxiety. We are all interconnected, and anxiety is contagious. The Psalmist is... God-Aware - he realizes that, although he is disquieted, that God is still working on Him.
Psalm 42:1-2 - the soul that thirsts for God. What does that mean exactly? We thirst for God from a dry, empty or satisfied soul. If we are following Christ, why would our souls be empty or dry?
We begin a new series on anxiety. Anxiety is a problem in our society. Although it has always been around (as we will see from the Psalm), it has increased dramatically in our current culture. If anxiety describes something you have dealt with in the past or are currently dealing with, you are not alone.
This lesson uses Psalm 42 & 43 as guide on this topic. Three different times the writer uses the word "disquieted" when it comes to his soul. We are using that word interchangeably with anxiety in this lesson. Check it out. I hope it will be a blessing to you.
Today (4/24) we are blessed with a guest speaker named Derek McNamara. Derek is the preacher at the North Ridge Church of Christ in Mt. Pleasant, TX. In this lesson, Derek delivers a great lesson on the book of Colossians. Enjoy!
Luke 24:13-35. Easter Sunday, 2022. The road to Emmaus. Jesus shows up, unrecognized, and walks 7 miles with two disciples that we haven't even heard of until now. In Luke, this is the first appearance of the resurrected Jesus. Why were the kept from recognizing Jesus?
Luke 19:1-10. This is the final stop on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus and Zacchaeus. Most of the time we just think of this as a story for kids, but it is way more than that! This is a powerful, life transforming encounter with Jesus that will change the rest of Zacchaeus's life.
Luke 18:9-14 is the main text for this lesson: the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector...
The parable of the persistent widow is about prayer... but what does it teach us about prayer? The more we pray about something the more likely we will get God to change his mind? Or is there more going on? Let's dive deeper into it!
Luke 17:11-19 - the Healing of the Ten Lepers
We take a slow walk through the text during then first part of the sermon. After that, we talk about some of the lessons learned from this story:
From Jesus: the church should be the place where outsiders become insiders
From the Nine: It's easier to have faith in times of desperation than times of wellness
From the One: Be the one who responds with gratitude
Luke 16:19-31 - the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
Another Shocking Parable
the 3rd "Rich Man" Parable in Luke
A Parable that Stimulates the Imagination about the Afterlife
Who is Invisible to You?
Will You Cross the Chasm Now, or Wait Until it's too Late?
Luke 16:1-9 - the Parable of the Shrewd Manager. This is probably the most confusing parable that Jesus taught, and it's definitely the most widely debated. We will spend some time walking through this parable and looking at possible meanings.
Luke 16:10-15 - right after this parable, Jesus offers us some principles that shed some light on his intentions of the parable and provides us with something a little more practical. In summary, are you faithful in the small things? You never know what God may be preparing you for.
Today's text is Luke 15:1-10. Jesus tells three "lost and found" parables. One of them is very famous (the Lost Son/Prodigal Son).
We start with this: why does Jesus tell these parables in the first place? What motivates Jesus to teach these parables?
Then we move to: How do view these parables? Are we the searchers, or are we the searched for?
Luke 14:25-33 is the main text for this sermon. We are continuing in our sermon series called "Outsiders." Today's text deals with discipleship, specifically discipleship for the long haul. The quote that is used during this sermon is, "It's a lot easier to start something than it is to finish."
Luke 14:1-24 is the main text for this sermon. We are still in the "Journey to Jerusalem" section in the middle part of Luke's Gospel.
Luke 12:13-21 - This is known as the Parable of the Rich Fool. What does this teaching have to do with us as disciples today? Jesus seems to really warn against greed. Is this something that we have in our hearts?
Luke 11:1-13 - today we study the next unique text in Luke's Gospel found in the "Journey to Jerusalem" section. It starts with a request from the disciples, "teach us to pray." Jesus goes on to give them a template for prayer (known as the Lord's Prayer in church history) and he gives them an understanding of what God is like by telling them what God is not like. Luke 11:5-8 is the teaching that is only found in Luke's Gospel.
As we study this passage, hopefully we discover that we are all students of prayer. Jesus takes us to prayer school.
Today we focus on Luke 10:25-37.
Who is my neighbor?
How do we understand the depths of such a familiar parable (the Good Samaritan)?
Luke 9:43-56
New series through the "Journey to Jerusalem" section in Luke's Gospel. His travel begins at Luke 9:51 and He doesn't arrive in Jerusalem until late in Ch. 19. In-between you have several stories, parables, teachings and interactions that are unique to Luke's Gospel only. We will use the uniqueness of this middle section in Luke as our guide over the few months.
Today we wrap up our series on our 7 commitments.
Our 7th Commitment: We Will Be Mission Minded for the Lost of the World
During this sermon, several themes converge: the 7th commitment, Christmas, and the Gospel of Luke (not to mention to the conclusion to the whole series).
Luke 1:46-55 - the Magnificat (with special attention on the "reversal" them in Mary's song)
Luke 2:1-7 - the Birth of Christ (with special attention on "no room")
Today we take a look at commitment # 6: We Will Have an Outward Focus on Our Local Community.
Matthew 25:31-46
Commitment # 5 - We Will Make Disciples Who Make Disciples.
Mark 1:14-20; Mark 2:13-17; Mark 3:13-19
7 Commitments (abbreviated)
- We will cultivate a Deeper Love for God
- We will be a Loving Intergenerational Family
- We will Pursue Unity Focused on Jesus
- We will Nurture Marriage and Young Families
- We will Make Disciples who Make Disciples
- We will Have an Outward Focus on Our Local Community
- We will be Mission Minded for the Lost of the World
Today, Lane Brown from the Chandler St. Church of Christ joins us to to bring a message on 2 Thessalonians.
Today we focus on our 4th commitment: We Will Nurture Marriages and Young Families.
The main passage we used was Eph. 5:21-6:4
Here are our 7 Commitments:
7 Commitments (abbreviated)
- We will cultivate a Deeper Love for God
- We will be a Loving Intergenerational Family
- We will Pursue Unity Focused on Jesus
- We will Nurture Marriage and Young Families
- We will Make Disciples who Make Disciples
- We will Have an Outward Focus on Our Local Community
- We will be Mission Minded for the Lost of the World
Today we discuss commitment # 3 - We Will Pursue Unity Focused on Jesus
Here is the original wording to this commitment:
3) We, being a diverse group, will pursue unity as we focus on Jesus.
- We will provide unified Godly leadership that communicates clear vision, demonstrates grace and exemplifies boldness in following Jesus.
- We will develop a culture of grace, forgiving as we’ve been forgiven, keeping no record of wrongs, and bearing with one another in love.
This lesson focuses on commitment # 2: We Will be a Loving Intergenerational Family. These commitments were originally presented in 2016. We have taken them, abbreviated them, and are now looking at them from a fresh perspective.
Original Commitment # 2
2) We will be a loving family, full of hope, joy and excitement for Jesus and each other.
-We will meet together to share in vibrant sincere worship as we celebrate God and praise Him for all He is doing.
-We will intentionally encourage and help our members develop meaningful relationships across all generations.
-**We will nurture a community of encouragement, support and growth within the body.
Abbreviated Commitment # 2
We Will be a Loving Intergenerational Family
7 Commitments (abbreviated)**
- We will cultivate a Deeper Love for God
- We will be a Loving Intergenerational Family
- We will Pursue Unity Focused on Jesus
- We will Nurture Marriage and Young Families
- We will Make Disciples who Make Disciples
- We will Have an Outward Focus on Our Local Community
- We will be Mission Minded for the Lost of the World
Today we being a new series on our seven commitments as a church. These commitments were initially presented in the Fall of 2016. Because it has been five years, we decided it was a good time to re-evaluate who we are and who we want to become. We have now abbreviated the commitments as follows:
7 Commitments (abbreviated)
- We will cultivate a Deeper Love for God
- We will be a Loving Intergenerational Family
- We will Pursue Unity Focused on Jesus
- We will Nurture Marriage and Young Families
- We will Make Disciples who Make Disciples
- We will Have an Outward Focus on Our Local Community
- We will be Mission Minded for the Lost of the World
Today's sermon places the focus on Commitment # 1 - We Will Cultivate a Deeper Love For God. All the other commitments must flow through this one. Loving God with all of our being is easier said than done. It requires continually cultivation, getting down to the roots, making sure we aren't operating out of a spiritual deficit, or that our "doing for" God does not exceed our "being with" God.
1 Thessalonians 5:14-18. This is the last lesson in our series going through 1 Thessalonians. Rather than focusing on every verse to close out ch. 5, this lesson places all attention on those 5 verses. You could say today's text is full of "rapid-fire, short impactful statements."
How are we growing spiritually from year to year? There may be small, subtle changes in our spiritual growth, but if you take a look at our lives in chunks of 5-years at a time, how have we grown? One way to measure our spiritual growth is to examine ourselves with 1 These. 5:14-18.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 5:11 is our main text for this sermon. This deals with the certainty of the second coming of Christ and the uncertainty of when it will happen. I believe that Paul (Silas & Timothy) are answering a question/fear that the church in Thessalonica had: what will happen to those who have died before Jesus came back?
It is unfortunate that there is a chapter division where it is. I believe that Ch. 5 is a continuation of the same subject. Therefore, for this sermon we will study this entire text together in one lesson.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12. We are now moving into the practical part of the letter. How do we live lives that please God? What if we are already doing that? Well, today's text tells us not to settle for the status quo. "More and more" is the challenge, keep pressing in and digging deeper. What does "sanctification" mean and how do we live that out and live into it? There are three main focus areas according to our text today, and they are just as applicable in our world as it was 2,000 years ago.
Today we cover 1 Thessalonians 2:17, 18 & then Ch. 3. The sermon theme is based around the children's song "This Little Light of Mine." The third verse in this song is "never let Satan put it out." In our text today, Paul claims that "Satan blocked our way." What does that mean? Is it possible that if Satan blocks one door, God can open another? The main fear that Paul has is whether or not the church in Thessalonica is still shining their light? What do we learn about God's open doors along the way?
1 Thessalonians Ch. 2. In this chapter:
2:1-6 - Paul (& Silas & Timothy) defend their motives in ministry
- What is our motive in following Christ?
2:7-12 - They use several family metaphors, why?
- How are you loving like family?
2:13, 14 - Prayer of thanksgiving, side-by-side with a reference to their suffering
- What are you thankful for? Why do we also go straight to the negative?
2:19, 20 - Another reference to the "coming" of Christ
This lesson focuses on 1 Thessalonians Ch. 1. Paul, Silas, and Timothy are co-authors writing to a church that they love dearly. In this chapter we see the impact that this young church was having on other churches both locally and globally. They turned from idols to God. They are imitators (being discipled) and examples (discipling others). They were leaving a "Jesus Sized Footprint."
Today we being a new series on the letters of 1 & 2 Thessalonians. At the end of each chapter in the first letter, Paul references the "Parousia" (coming of Christ). The major theme in the letter is that Christ is coming again. What does it mean to live in anticipation that Jesus is coming? During this lesson we will spend some time going backwards, back to the origins of this church, found in Acts 17. How does Paul's experience in Thessalonica impact his attitude towards the people of that city and the church that he loves so dearly? How does it impact what he writes to this congregation?
Luke 4:1-13. This is our third and final week exploring the "Temptation in the Wilderness" text. Philip Yancey once referred to it as the "Throw-down in the Desert." In this lesson, we explore how to resist temptation the way that Jesus did. Relying on sheer willpower doesn't seem to work very well, does it? I want to learn to immerse myself into a disciplined spiritual life like Jesus did so that we the tempter comes, the life of God flows out of me in response.
Matt. 4:1-11. This week we focus on the three temptations in the wilderness and how they compare to the way the devil tempts us today.
Rev. 3:1-6 - the letter to the church in Sardis
NIV
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits[b] of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
NRSV
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars:
“I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. 3 Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4 Yet you have still a few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels. 6 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
CEB
“Write this to the angel of the church in Sardis:
These are the words of the one who holds God’s seven spirits and the seven stars: I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, and you are in fact dead. 2 Wake up and strengthen whatever you have left, teetering on the brink of death, for I’ve found that your works are far from complete in the eyes of my God. 3 So remember what you received and heard. Hold on to it and change your hearts and lives. If you don’t wake up, I will come like a thief, and you won’t know what time I will come upon you. 4 But you do have a few people in Sardis who haven’t stained their clothing. They will walk with me clothed in white because they are worthy. 5 Those who emerge victorious will wear white clothing like this. I won’t scratch out their names from the scroll of life, but will declare their names in the presence of my Father and his angels. 6 If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
Rev. 2:12-17 - Letter to the church in Pergamum. The strength in the church in Ephesus is the weakness in Pergamum. Just like the ref says before a fight, "obey my commands at all times, protect yourself at all times."
Revelation 2:8-11. This is the letter to the church in Smyrna. What do learn from the letter to this church?
Rev. 2:1-7. This week we focus on what we can learn from the letter to the church in Ephesus.
This is the first lesson in a series on the first few chapters of the Book of Revelation. Chapter one is the focus for this sermon. What do we do with Revelation? Why is it in our Bibles? How do we read it in a responsible way? How is Jesus presented?
This sermon can be considered a "bonus" lesson in the D2 series, wrapping it all up. Matt. 13 is the main text, specifically the parable of the sower/soils. There are a few things to pay close attention to in this chapter when it comes to discipleship.
First, notice the crowds that flock to Jesus. Just because you're in the crowd does not mean that you are committed to Christ. There is nothing wrong with being in the crowd, but we shouldn't confuse the two.
Second, the parable is obviously understood as a self-reflection; what type of soil are you? Do you fluctuate between different types of soil? This reminds me of the old hymn "None of Self and All of Thee" (which we sing in this sermon). This song is about our spiritual journey.
Third, the parable is a model for evangelism. We are to partner with Jesus in the mission of making disciples. We are to be sowers of quality seed to everyone. We are not supposed to pre-determine who is good soil and who is not. Our responsibility is to sow quality gospel seeds to everyone.
D2 - it's cyclical!
This week one of our elders, Leonard Riley, brings the message on Ch. 7 of our D2 book.
Week 6 of our D2 (squared) series. What are the "greatest" passages in Scripture? Matt. 22:34-40 & 28:17-20 gives you an answer. The "greatest commands" and the "great commission." In short, 1. Love God, 2. Love Others, 3. Make Disciples. How can we develop a plan to grow Spiritually based on those three things?
Well, for one thing, we are expected to live these three things out within the context of being a functioning church member. If you are, there are expectations we have at PT. 1. Attend and participate in weekly worship, 2. be a part of a Bible Community, 3. be in a Connect Group, 4. Serve in at least 1 area per quarter, 5. actively and intentionally discipling someone.
Gal. 5:16-25. If you are a disciple of Jesus, you are called to be a disciple maker. One of the most effective ways to make disciples is to be an ever-increasing, ever-growing, ever-maturing disciple yourself. But how do you know if you're maturing in Christ? Are you possessing the Fruit if the Spirit in INCREASING MEASURE?
Matthew 28:16-20 is known as "The Great Commission." Most missionaries use this as their motivating passage for mission. We allude to it often, but do we ever slow down enough to hear the text afresh? What is the difference between making converts or making disciples? How do we define disciple, discipleship, discipling, spiritual maturity, and spiritual formation?
There are two irrefutable truths for all humans: 1. we are always being discipled by someone or something, 2. we are always discipling someone. Most of the time we are unaware of this, even though it is true. Jesus was very intentional about living out these two truths, and we can be too.
Today we start a new series called D2 (D Squared) based on a book by Phil McKinney II. The main text for this first sermon is Hebrews 5:11-14. As Americans, we love our fast food! Why do settle for fast food so often, even though we know its less-than-quality food and not very healthy for us? The American church often approaches our faith development and church affiliation with the same fast food mentality. We need to repent and resolve not to settle for this approach. How do we counter a fast food mentality that is embedded in our culture?
Easter Sunday 2021. Main text = John 20:1-18. The resurrected Jesus takes Mary through a process. Jesus often takes people through a process. This tells me that God cares about the process that I go through. What does it mean to be faithful to the process? Or, what does it mean to be faithful during the process?
Exodus 20:17 - the 10th commandment. Today we wrap up our series on the ten commandments. What is coveting? Why should we not do it? Do you even know if you covet or not? According to Paul, what is the antithesis? According to Jesus, why would there be no need to covet?
The 9th commandment restricts "bearing false witness against your neighbor." We usually interpret this to mean "do not lie." See Exodus 20:16; Eph. 4:25, 29; James 3:5-10.
Today we cover the 7th and 8th commandments - "Do not commit adultery" and "Do not steal." Exodus 20:14, 15. What does this mean for us as Christ followers? Join us as we dive into these two important "words." See also Eph. 4:28 & Matt. 5:27-37.
Commandment #6 is "Do not Murder" in Exodus 20:13. Jesus takes this commandment and turns it in on ourselves in Matt. 5:21-26. How are you doing with your anger?
Today we study the 5th commandment. Exodus 20:12. "Honor your father and mother" seems simple, but it's actually a complicated subject. How do you honor parents through the different stages of life? If you're a parent, how can you be an honorable parent?
The 4th commandment. Deuteronomy 5:12-15. What does the Sabbath mean to us today? This command is often debated and not agreed on today as Christians. What would a day of rest and worship look like in our world as followers of Jesus?
Exodus 20:7. This lesson focuses on the third commandment, traditionally quoted as "do not take the Lord's name in vain." What does that mean to us today as Christians? How do we avoid misusing the Holy name of the Lord and also honor and represent the name well?
Exodus 3:4-6. The second commandment forbids idolatry. What does that even mean for us today? There is a cryptic warning of punishment for three to four generations. What does that mean? There is also a promise of blessing for generations to come. What does that mean? This lesson will cover all of that and highly emphasize how our families are the most powerful group we will ever belong to, how much the generations before us influence who we are and what we do, how we can break away from old family behaviors and values if they are preventing you from being faithful to Christ, and how we need to be intentional about what we are passing on to the generations that will follow us.
This is the first sermon in a new series going through the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). Why study the Ten Commandments as Christians? Why study them right now, during this pandemic?
Emotions are running high right now. Everyone is experiencing Covid fatigue. There is a whole lot of relational strife everywhere. Who really is the enemy? What is it that we are up against? How would Satan like for us to respond during all of this? Exodus 4:10-12 & Eph. 6:12
Jonah Ch. 1, or scene one. What do we learn from Jonah? We learn what not to do. Jonah's character is contrasted with the Pagan Sailors in this chapter. They come across as more caring and faithful than Jonah does. What about us as followers of Jesus? Are we mindful of our example around others? Somebody is always watching how we act and behave. Represent Christ! Beware of the Jonah Complex!
Luke 9:57-62 - Is Jesus being too hard on these "Would-Be Followers" or are they making excuses? How often do we make excuses for ourselves? Are we allowing Jesus to speak truth into the areas of our life that needs to change?
Ephesians 6:18 - "Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests..."
This is the first lesson in a new series on Spiritual Rhythms. How do we build spiritual rhythms into our daily routines that will help us be aware of the presence of God throughout our day? Try going to your "Daily Office."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqr8FiFpqRY
That link is the full worship service from this past Sunday. Check out that link if you want to hear the full sermon, including the intro.
A second look at the sermon - People Problems: Responsible to Others and for Ourselves. Gal. 6:1-10
Gen. Ch. 37-50. The story of Joseph and his brothers. People problems, Family problems, roller coaster, faithfulness, forgiveness, reconciliation... God causing good to come from evil!
John 15:12-17
For video and better audio quality, check out our youtube page: https://youtu.be/io9ROxwEjWM
https://youtu.be/jz-7_6kMMzA - this is a link to our youtube livestream service.
John 21 is the main text for this sermon. We are all stuck in a season of waiting, what lessons can we learn from the disciples as they waited?
Luke 10:17-20 is the main text for this sermon. You can also check out our youtube livestream of this service and listen to the sermon (better audio) on there. https://youtu.be/F496LiFSDzk
Luke 6:37-45
Living with a Generous Disposition
Sermon Notes
Luke 6:37-45
This is the ____________________ and ____________________ principle.
“Do not ____________, and you will not be _______________” – The tension?
Notes:
“Do not ________________, and you will not be _____________________” – Don’t try to play the role of _____________________.
“_______________, and you will be __________________”
Notes:
“___________________, and you will be _____________________”
What’s going on __________________ of you is what comes ______________ of you
Notes:
2-23-20 Connect Group Discussion Guide
Love Your Enemies & Living with a Generous Disposition
Weekly Readings Discussion and Sharing Time
- Allow time for anyone in the group who wants to share any insights, thoughts, observations, or questions they have from the previous week’s readings (last two weeks):
a. Feb. 9 - Feb. 23 – Luke Ch. 1 – 14
The Text Discussion
- Sermon Series the last three weeks: The Sermon on the Plain - Luke 6:20-49.
Love Your Enemies
-
Read Luke 6:27-36 – what is most challenging for you out of this section of the sermon? Why?
-
Who are our enemies? More specifically, who are your enemies? (you may not share individual names, but try to describe what an enemy is to you in your life)
-
Why do you think Jesus expects us to love our enemies? How do we go about loving them? How does this go against our natural instincts?
-
Do you think this works?
-
Do you trust Jesus enough to internalize this teaching and put it into practice?
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If you have time: compare to Matthew 5:38-48
Living with a Generous Disposition
-
Read Luke 6:37-45
-
What stands out to you from this section?
-
How does V. 37, 38 go against our natural instincts?
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Why does Jesus teach us not to judge? How does the “plank” and the “speck” example expound on this?
-
Do you feel that you are often tempted to judge others? In what ways? Why is this such a strong temptation?
-
Why do you think Christians have a reputation for being judgmental? Do you think that is fair or unfair?
-
How do people sometimes misuse the “do not judge” language?
Take-Home
-
From the entire “Sermon on the Plain”, what is one thing you think you should put into practice this week? Is there one thing you could start doing or start doing that would help you live more obediently to what Jesus teaches here?
-
Pray as a group
One Cruciform Way to Unity
Sermon Notes
John 17:20-23
Jesus prays for _______________________ - has His prayer ever been ______________________?
What does ______________________ look like?
What does _____________________ look like?
Two types:
- ________________________ __________________________; 2. ________________________
_________________________
In John, Jesus’ ______________________ is connected with the ___________________________. The
___________________________ is the path towards _____________________________...
There is an __________________________ purpose to unity…
Action Steps:
2-2-20 Connect Group Discussion Guide
One Cruciform Way to Unity
Weekly Readings Discussion and Sharing Time
- Same as the last few weeks, allow time for anyone in the group who wants to share any insights, thoughts, observations, or questions they have from the previous weeks readings. The readings from this past week:
a. Jan. 26 – Mark 4 - Sunday
b. Jan. 27 – Mark 5 - Monday
c. Jan. 28 – Mark 6 - Tuesday
d. Jan. 29 – Mark 7 - Wednesday
e. Jan. 30 – Mark 8 - Thursday
f. Jan. 31 – Mark 9 - Friday
g. Feb. 1 – Mark 10 - Saturday
- Go around the room, and for anyone who feels comfortable, look back over what you read and let this be a time of sharing and reflection (take as much time as you need with this. As a leader, you aren’t required to have all the answers, just let the group hear how God is speaking to the group members during the weekly readings. Let the discussion go where it needs to go here).
The Text Discussion
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Read John 17:20-26 – What are your initial thoughts on this part of the prayer? What stands out to you? What questions do you have?
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How does it make you feel knowing that Jesus prayed for you?
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John 17:20-23 is our theme passage for the first part of the year. We are challenging you to memorize it. What do you think is the main thing Jesus is praying for, and why?
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Do you think Jesus’ prayer has ever been answered?
Unity Discussion
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What is unity? Why is it so hard?
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What is the difference between relational unity and spiritual unity?
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Read Eph. 2:13-16 – How does the cross create spiritual unity?
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How does the cross help with relational unity? (In what ways does following Jesus’ example of sacrifice, self-denial, forgiveness, reconciliation help promote unity?)
Personal Reflection
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Where in your life are you experiencing disunity? Take a few minutes to pray for there to be peace and reconciliation… (this may require a few minutes of silent reflection)
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How are you pursuing unity? What steps can you take in your life, family, work or church to pursue unity?
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Pray together as a group
One Voice above all the Noise
Sermon Notes - Bulletin Insert
John 10
V. 1 – Jesus is talking about the difference between the ______________ Shepherd and the _______________ shepherd’s (example: Ezekiel 34).
V. 3-5 – How do we ___________________ the ________________ of Jesus?
V. 7-10 – “I am the ____________________”
V. 11-14 – “I am the ______________________ ______________________”
V. 16 – “other sheep” = the _______________________
“They too will listen to my _______________. So there will be _____________ flock, __________________ shepherd.”
How do we learn to ____________________ to our shepherd together?
One Voice
There is a lot of noise competing for our ____________________. Perhaps the noisiest place
for some of us is _____________________________________________...
Discipline yourself to ask:
_______________________________________________________________________?
One Person in Four Portraits (Part 2)
Sermon Notes
If the pursuit is as important as Jesus says it is, we have to be willing to put in the ________________ to hear from God!
Gospels – Zoom Out Notes:
All four gospels are ______________________ _______________________
Gospels – Zoom in Notes:
Mark:
Matthew:
Luke:
John:
-Each Gospel presents Jesus in a ___________________ way. They are ______________________ on each other to give us a complete picture of Jesus.
-You can’t put a _________________ on how _________________this pursuit is. It is worth ____________________!
One Person in Four Portraits
Sermon Notes
Vision Focus for 2020: Christ in _________
Theme Passage: ______________ 17: _____-_______
As you read:
1. ___________ it a ______________
2. Watch for ___________________
3. ________________ and ask the ______ ____________________
4. Be ______________________________
5. Discover _________________________
Which way should we worship our God? Perhaps it's not exactly how you have previously approached the subject.
This sermon is entitled "What a Fellowship" and is part of the "Blessed Assurance" series.