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Join us for our series on the 10 Commandments.

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For the latest sermons, stories, & training: https://alivewesleyan.com/sermons/

For the latest sermons, stories, & training: https://alivewesleyan.com/sermons/

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Palm Sunday message that asks the question we all ask at some point... "What's the big deal with the donkey?!"

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"I'm fighting the battle, You've already won."
- Shane & Shane

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For more information on the Matthew 13 Project head to https://alivewesleyan.com/matthew13project/

alivewesleyanchurch

For the latest sermons, stories, & training: https://alivewesleyan.com/sermons/

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For the latest sermons, stories, & training: https://alivewesleyan.com/sermons/

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Dive into this week's message with Pastor Tom as he talks about true gospel love that is available to us and through us.

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alivewesleyanchurch

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alivewesleyanchurch #depression

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Honesty

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Topic of Confession Pt. 1

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A relationship has the power to change what a religion does not, it can change a heart.

To provide the best environment for a person to live a righteous life.
To protect us from anybody or anything that would threaten a righteous life.

What is God trying to provide and protect the righteous life from?

Love, Truth and Power.

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Matthew 9:9-13
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.

When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Community — a unified body of individuals

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The Call—Jesus invitation toward something.
The Cost—Jesus invitation to walk away from something.

The storm brings out the worst in the disciples and the best in Jesus.

Matthew 8:23–24 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.

“Why did you bring us out here Jesus?”

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“For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.”
--St. Theresa of Avila
Come as you are and I won’t leave you as you are.

How do I know if I am good?

The dikaiosune of God is seen in Jesus.

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“Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing at all”
—Helen Keller

Matthew 4:18–22 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

And they left their nets at once and followed him. A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat. . . And he called them to come, too. They immediately followed him

Two Important Realities
The Call—Jesus invitation toward something.
The Cost—Jesus invitation to walk away from something.

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JESUS ISN’T INTERESTED IN BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.

HE’S INTERESTED IN HEART TRANSFORMATION.

Isaiah 29:13 (NIV) “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

Matthew 5:20 "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:17-18 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

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Amen.

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come, they will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.

Amen.

*Romans 15:33 (NIV84)* The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

John 3:3 (NIV84) In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth (Amen), no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

Revelation 3:14 (NIV84) “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.

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The most basic motivation for giving to God's work is self-interest.
The Bible speaks about giving out of spiritual gratitude.
The next level of motivation for giving is about spiritual obedience.
Highest Level of motivation: love

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Five uses for money:

Lifestyle

Taxes

Debt

Saving

Giving

80%-10%-10%

Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

Our natural position, as members of the human race, is to build treasures on earth.

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There is a sound I love to hear

It’s the sound of the Savior’s robe

As He walks into the room where people pray

Where we hear praises (Verse 2—worship) he hears faith.

Worship is my expression and belief of God’s Worth-ship in my life.

What if we are skipping leg day?

Luke 16:13–15 (NIV84)“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.

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Revelation 1:13–18 (NIV84) . . . among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.

15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

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Matthew 21:1-11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to Daughter Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

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Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

**Two Realities.
1. Visible Reality
2. Invisible Reality

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.Simple distinction between angels & demons:
Angels help us.
Demons hurt us.**

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Intimacy is formed through shared experiences over time.

Kingdom—Any place where what God wants done is actually done

What does it look like in my life?

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The upside down becomes the normal. The darkness becomes what everybody and everything adjusts to. It informs realities, determines values and establishes priorities.

Jesus came to set the upside down, right side up.
Kingdom — Any place where what God wants done is actually done.
God can change anyone and anything into something kingdom worthy.

Jesus set the upside down, right side up, when it comes to how people view God.

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What kind of person do you want to be?

What kind of life do you want to live?

What do you mean by “good?”

When we say life is good we are speaking of behavior or circumstances.

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Jesus came to set the upside-down, right side up.

Matthew 4:17 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

“The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of principles to be obeyed apart from identification with Jesus Christ. The Sermon on the Mount is a statement of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is getting his way with us.” — Oswald Chambers

Kingdom — Any place where what God wants done is actually done

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Jesus came to set the upside-down, right side up.

Have’s - experience good things.

Have not’s — rest of us.

Anawim

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2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV84) 17 . . . if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

We learn (truth) in rows.
We grow (train) in circles.

Being a disciple is stepping into a new life that starts the moment that you bump into Jesus and start trusting him.

Matthew 4:17 (NIV84) 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Spiritual formation — identifying untrue ideas, thoughts and definitions about God, yourself and the world and replacing them with the ideas, thoughts and definitions that filled the mind of Christ.

Building a life that stands begins by sitting at the feet of Jesus.

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We want to reach spiritually hungry people and introduce them to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and an active role in Christian community.

Mark 3:33–35 (NIV84) 33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

We learn (truth) in rows.

We grow (train) in circles.

I long for the day when anyone who calls ALIVE their church, joins a small group or forms a small group.

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Do you have any porch people in your life?

Church attendance has been cut in half since the 1950’s.

We want to reach spiritually hungry people and introduce them to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and an active role in healthy Christian community.

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Who am I?

What am I worth?

Why am I here?

Who gets to write on your page?

If you knew, believed and lived out of what God says is true about you would it change anything?

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Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"

The first part is being awakened to who God is all of His glory, all of His holiness, all of His power. The second part that follows is being awakened to who we are in light of that all-powerful, God.

Luke 5:10 …..Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people." 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him

We all have to decide how closely we are going to follow Jesus. Because one thing certain about Jesus , is He does not stay in His lane!

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We think if our lives were a little more perfect, then we’d be happy.

A perfect God sent his perfect Son so that, through Him, an imperfect people may reach and love an imperfect world.

So how do we, with all our own imperfections be a people full of joy? And how do we love those that are also imperfect?

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How can we grow in our trust and in turn grow in our joy?

1) They are tempted to control.

“Joy comes to us in moments—ordinary moments. We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary.” - Brene Brown

Genesis 17:16

16 “I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

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2) They are tempted to cynicism.

Genesis 18:14 “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

Genesis 22:2 2 “Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’”

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“It’s not your problem that’s the problem, it’s your reaction to the problem that’s your problem.”

“JOYFUL RESPONSE”

Joyful Response is actually caused by an expectant acceptance of the truth

Shift our perspective from where we are and the season we are in to what’s ahead and that shift will change everything.

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Contentment - a state of being happy or satisfied.

Philippians 4:12b (NIV84) 12b “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation . . .”

Three False Pathways to Contentment

1. “The Prosperity Gospel”
2. “The Poverty Gospel”
3. “The Power Gospel”

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The Gospel either works for all people or it works for none.

Joyful Endurance.

Pain.

Humanity is fluent in the language of suffering.

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Fierce Joy isn’t dependent on circumstances, but rooted in eternity.

Philippians 3:1-11

1 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh.

Ephesians 2:8-10

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

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Where does joy come from and why does it seem so elusive?

Acts 16:25 (NLT) 25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.

True joy is not dependent on circumstances, but is rooted in the eternal.

Acts 16:26 (NLT) 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!

Philippians 1:1–6 (NIV84) Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus . . .3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, Ialways pray with joy

5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

"The test of authentic joy is it is compatible with deep suffering." - John Ortberg

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Demolition precedes renovation.

Deconstruction precedes reconstruction.

We buy into a deception.

This produces something new in our lives, division.

The result of deception and division in our lives, destruction.

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Demolition precedes renovation.

Luke 10:25–37 (NLT) 25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

27 The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

29 The man wanted to justify (to be declared right) his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

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Low view of God’s Law (I am already perfectly loving God)
Low view of ourselves (I have to keep the law or I am toast, perform or lose)
Low view of others (How much do I have to love others to pass?)

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Two Very Different Approaches:

Pressurized Striving
Living from the Place of Peace.

The Place of Peace Reminds Me Who I Am

False Identity Narratives

I am What I Have
I am What I Do
I am What People Think
I am What I've Been Through

The Place of Peace Reminds Me How I'm Made

Spiritual Love Languages

Heart - Passionate
Soul - Contemplative
Mind - Intellectual
Strength - Activist

The Place of Peace Reminds Me Who's in Charge.

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The quality of the construction rests on the commitment of the crew.

Matthew 22:36–40 (NIV84) 37 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. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Abide in God’s Presence and Live God’s love in the world

We want to reach spiritually hungry people and introduce them to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and an active role in Christian community.

A basic default line in us shifts from struggling to get our lives together to struggling to give our lives away.

The quality of the construction rests on the commitment of the crew.

Being a body of Christ followers involves being a redemptive place for individuals with broken families, which is all of us.

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Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT) 24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Jesus was actually talking about our lives.

Jesus isn’t giving advice – He is issuing commands.

We are forced to decide who He is and whether we are going to believe Him or not.

The crowds were amazed at his teaching because He (Jesus) had taught with REAL authority

What are we going to do with Jesus today.

How we respond to this will change everything.

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Unbelievable - So great or extreme as to be difficult to believe; extraordinary

The strangeness of the resurrection, points to the significance of the resurrection.

John 3:16 (NIV84) 16 “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.

The level of confidence we have in the belief that Jesus is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do.

John 20:1–2 (NIV84) . . . Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple. . . and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

John 20:3–8 (NIV84) 5 [John] . . . looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter . . . arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.

8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.

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What does faith look like when life falls apart?

David intentionally makes decisions based on what he knows to be true about God, even though it may not feel good or right in the moment.

When was the last time I was moved in a worship service or private devotion?

Is it possible to feel what we know to be true about God?

Surrender—to give up and give in

Have you ever wished you could hide from God?

We convince ourselves what God says is true for most, isn’t true for me.
We ignore God and act like He isn’t here or He doesn’t care because He has bigger fish to fry. What we are doing is not a big deal compared to others.

Psalm 139:23–24 (NIV84) 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

When we are overwhelmed by someone’s power.

They wanted to know what evil was.

One of the most commonly used definitions for sin is one borrowed from the world of archery—Missing the mark.

How will God solve the problem of our forsaken status while remaining righteous, true to himself?

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What does faith look like when life falls apart?

What do we really put our faith in?

Does it work?

Psalm 139:1 (NRSV) 1O Lord, you have searched me and known me.

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Psalm 139:2–6 (NRSV) 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.

3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.

5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.

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Have you ever wished you could hide from God?

We convince ourselves what God says is true for most, isn’t true for me.
We ignore God and act like He isn’t here or He doesn’t care because He has bigger fish to fry. What we are doing is not a big deal compared to others.

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Genesis 3:7–10 (NRSV) 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves . . . the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:9–13 (NRSV) 9 But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.”

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Do I want to be in a relationship with Jesus?

All of us need a relationship with God.

We go into those situations with a relationship with God.

Or we go into those situations alone.

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Jesus desires to be my friend.

John 15:13–15 (NIV84) 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (“philos”—brotherly love). 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

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ACCEPTANCE - Matthew 9:13 (NIV84) 13 "But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

JOY - John 15:11 (NIV84) 11 "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

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PEACE - John 14:27 (NIV84) 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."

REST - Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV84) 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

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Galatians 5:1 (NIV84) It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Our minds are troubled, corrupt, anxious, rash, confused, deluded, depraved, dull, restless and evil.

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Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV84) 9 The heart (mind) is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

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Our minds have a full time job and that job is deception.

Our minds lie to us about who we are.

Our minds spiral to dark places.

Broken minds lead to broken lives.

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Romans 12:2 (NIV84) 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Colossians 2:8 (NIV84) 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

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Colossians 3:1–2 (NIV84) Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Colossians 3:5,8 (NIV84) 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry . . . rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

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Grace.

Can something really change inside of me so that what comes out of me is different?

Whatever is going on in my life is coming from inside of me.

Spiritual formation — something new is being formed in me. Grace is coming in and as a result, Christ is coming out.

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Can people really change in their careers?

John 3:16–17 (NIV84) 16 “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. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

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How does Jesus IN me (Grace) change HOW (Vision, Intention, Strategy) I go to work and/or school (Real world)?

Occupation — this refers to our job.

Vocation — this refers to a calling (wherever you are, you leverage it for God).

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Does God desire for our society to change in how we relate to each other? If he does, how?

Genesis 12:2–3 (NIV84) 2“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Blessing in this context means three things.

First, we are God’s people.

Second part of God’s blessing is God takes care of his people.

The third part of the blessing is a command: God’s people become blessings.
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The Promise (Vision) is for us to become his people.

The Power (Intent and Strategy) is I will do whatever it takes for my promise to be true (Intent). I will even send my son Jesus (Strategy).

Believers are to be living proof that the Kingdom of God is here.

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Can people really change when it comes to family and friends?

If left alone and there is not a constant introduction to outside energy, everything will move from order to disorder and chaos.

Probably the greatest pain you have experienced and the greatest pain you have caused was in the context of a relationship.

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People see me as ______________.

Behaviors are an overflow of what is inside.

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Can people really change?

Imagine living in a world where we didn’t believe change was possible. I don’t want to live in that world.

Vision—what would life be like if someone opened the door to freedom?

Intention—what must I choose to do differently?

Strategy—what will my plan be to freedom?

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Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord of God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul.

Today I want to talk about what may seem like an oxymoron, I want to talk about the Satisfied Soul. Unfortunately, all of us have to learn to resist the temptation to be satisfied too soon. This detox is for heads that are full, but hearts and lives that are empty.

We are often kept from our goals, not always because of obstacles, but a clearer path to a lesser goal. – Will Mancini

We have the potential danger of making the supernatural common place. The temptation that God making himself known to us, would no longer amaze us. – Nancy Leigh DeMoss

My brothers and sisters, comfortable Christians is an oxymoron. It is wanting a Savior, but not a Lord. It is asking God is to bring you out of the fire, but resist him when he wants to send us back in to save others. I’ve come to realize again this week that God is not concerned with our comfort, he is concerned with our growth. He is not committed to our little kingdoms, but he does want to advance his Kingdom.

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We are not a body with a soul; we are (first) a soul with a body.

Exodus 20:3–5 (NIV84) 3 You shall have no other gods before me. 4“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything . . . 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. . .

Our souls are created to worship the One true living God.

Deuteronomy 4:16-19 So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form...whether a man or a woman, an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky, a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea. And when you look up in the sky and see the sun, the moon, and the stars-all the forces of heaven...don't be seduced into worshiping them.

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What if my soul has been seduced? What if I have been seduced into elevating what might be a good thing and making it a supreme thing?

Identify the idols of our souls.

Psalm 24:3–4 (NIV84) 3Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol.

How do I spend my time?

How do I spend my money?

What do I talk about?

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Psalm 40:12 New Living Translation (NLT)

12 For troubles surround me—

too many to count!

My sins pile up so high

I can’t see my way out.

They outnumber the hairs on my head.

I have lost all courage.

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He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8: 44b

These lies are part of a strategy to rob the world of the beautiful transformation you could be living out. These lies are what will keep you so busy managing a toxic soul that you don’t have the time or energy to gift the world with all you were created to be.

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. James 5:16

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Research tells us that we judge people in areas where we’re vulnerable to shame,

14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Hebrews 9:14

What happens is the world misses out on you and your story. So much of our energy is used up managing our sickness we can’t be who we were created to be.

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:34

There is another resource here at ALIVE and they are a group of trained volunteers called Stephen Ministers. They are a group of highly trained volunteers who spend one on one time with people who need care. The relationship is confidential so this may be the first step to healing.

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Genesis 2:7 (NIV84) 7 The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being (nephesh, soul).

We are not a body with a soul; we are a soul with a body.

Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV84)5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart"

Psalm 139:13–14 (NIV84) 13 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb."

What is the state of your soul?

Psalm 51:10 (NIV84)10 "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

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The Christmas story is one of real people who had real lives and faced real events that sometimes got real weird and produced real fears in a very real Bible.

Hope God cares for me.
Hope God has not forgotten me.
Hope I am not alone.
Hope God hasn’t given up on me.
Hope is the only way we move from fear to faith.

I stink at waiting. Waiting is part of learning to trust, its part of having hope.

Luke 2:25 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting (to remain in a place or state, with expectancy) for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

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Luke 2:8–20 (NIV84) 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

God is good and He keeps His promises.

15 . . . “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

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God chooses real people to do things we never thought possible in ways we never considered.

Faith is the belief that God is who he says He is and will do everything He has promised to do.

The belief I’m good enough (qualified) and I can do (solution) and will do (ability) everything that needs to be done.

I wonder if there are two kinds of faith.

Faith that saves us.

Faith for the battle at hand.

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I wonder if we have almost sanitized the Christmas story so it’s believable as a Fairy Tale for children and yet not believable as adults who know better.

Baby Jesus came to die on the cross because we had to be forgiven.

But that is too dark for us, so we sanitize it and prefer to think of Christmas this way.

These were real people who had real lives and faced real events that sometimes got real weird and produced real fears in a very real Bible.

“How did this happen?”

“What will I do now?”

What would I do if that happened to me?

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Our lives are burdened under the epidemic of busyness.

What is the antidote for a world that is weary and exhausted?

SABBATH.

Sabbath literally means cease or stop.

Sabbath is a posture ofbecoming instead of doing.

It's about moving from managing time as a scarce reality to keeping time as an abundant gift

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Worship--treasuring God above all things.

Jesus wouldn’t cave to something he admires less at the cost of what he admires the most.

Did you know what happened this week during the Compassion Experience?

2,830 Stories walked through

226 Children Rescued (sponsored)

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The Bible talks about a heart that is divided, a heart that pursues one thing but needs another. The heart needs tending. The heart is powerful. The heart is to be protected and valued.

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV84) 23Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

Heart of Prostitution vs. Heart of Holiness

The biggest competition that Jesus faces in our lives is our question of who or what will ultimately take care of us.

So how is a heart of prostitution changed to a heart of holiness?

Worship--treasuring God above all things.

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This series is built on the premise that every single one of us—man or woman, young or old, religious or not—we were all created by God to know and to worship him.

Colossians 1:16: For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth…

—all things were created through him and for him.

Isaiah 43:21

“the people I formed for myself

that they may proclaim my praise.”

The Creature inside us is a “God-shaped vacuum,” and it “cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator” – Blaise Pascal

We all become like what we admire the most.

Who are we?

And what do we admire the most?

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1--God’s greatest goal in my life is to form me into the kind of person who He can trust with whatever it is that I want.

Matthew 17:20 (NIV84) . . . I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

2--As our character is formed into the same character as the character of Jesus, our “wanter” will begin to want the same things that Jesus wants.

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We work for big incomes, large houses, easy retirements and long lifelines. John 10:10 (NRSV) 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 3:16 (NRSV) 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 17:3 (NRSV) 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Spiritual formation—linking arms in a safe group is the best environment to learn who Jesus really is so he can be fully formed in us. John 10:10 (NRSV) 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 3:16 (NRSV) 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. John 17:3 (NRSV) 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Spiritual formation—linking arms in a safe group is the best environment to learn who Jesus really is so he can be fully formed in us.

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Spiritual formation—something Spiritual is being formed in us, making us into something better.

Growing spiritually isn’t about me changing what I want. It’s about Jesus changing the inside of me.

John 17:3 (NRSV) 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

What would be the best possible environment for any seed to grow?

Is what I am currently doing, working?

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Last week we started with some big questions.

What does Jesus say needs to be done?
What does Jesus say needs to change?
What does Jesus say I need to do better?

#1 - God’s greatest goal in my life is to form me into the kind of person who He can trust with whatever it is that I want.

#2 - As our character is formed into the same character as the character of Jesus, our “wanter” will begin to want the same things that Jesus wants.

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And after coming out of a series like Meat and Potatoes we would place ourselves under a similar scrutiny but we would add some Jesus.

What does Jesus say needs to be done?
What does Jesus say needs to change?
What does Jesus say I need to do better?

Do I want to do it?

If I don’t want to do something, then what I need to do is irrelevant.

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Former Southern Wesleyan University Religion Professor, Dr. Bob Black goes deeper into the concept of Holiness. This event was the third of three weekly classes provided at ALIVE Wesleyan Church.

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Do I have a relationship with God and if I do, what does it look like?

Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV84) 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Leviticus 19:2 (NIV84) 2 Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

Matthew 5:48 (NIV84) 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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Former Southern Wesleyan University Religion Professor, Dr. Bob Black goes deeper into the concept of Holiness. This event was the second of three weekly classes provided at ALIVE Wesleyan Church.

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God allows us to reject him.
What is God like?
What does God want with me?
God made us individually to be like Him.

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Former Southern Wesleyan University Religion Professor, Dr. Bob Black goes deeper into the concept of Holiness. This event was the first of three weekly classes provided at ALIVE Wesleyan Church.

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Do I have a relationship with God and if so, what does it look like?

“ . . . let us remember that we are in the battle for our own souls here, and when we decide the fate of holiness for this generation, we are, in that moment, deciding everything else.
-Steve Deneff

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There is great power in presence.

I am most afraid when there is an awareness of how out of control I really am.

Do you have a relationship with God and if so, what does it look like?

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Do I have a relationship with God and if I do, what does it look like?

Leviticus 19:2 (NIV84)2Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

Matthew 5:48 (NIV84) 48Beperfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father isperfect.

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Do I have a relationship with God and if I do, what does it look like?

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I want to hear God’s voice and know it’s God’s voice.

Do I know God’s voice?

1 Samuel 1:11 (NIV84)11. . . “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life. . .”

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We are not alone.
We are not fending for ourselves.
We are not meant to sustain ourselves. And, that’s ok. It’s a good thing.

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If we can’t control everything, is there someone who can? And if someone else can, are we willing to trust them through the unknown?

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What is true confession?

What does actual repentance look like?

Hosea 6:1-6 (NIV)

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If God decides He wants to do something, He will do it and nobody can ruin or stop His plans.

Your past does not have to disqualify your future because God’s grace is bigger than your sin, or anyone else’s.

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God has the ability to intervene in His creation and do the impossible.

Do I hold onto my faith or let go of my faith and pursue something different?

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Even though we can’t see what God is doing, it doesn’t mean He isn’t doing something. And whatever God is doing is good.

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Malachi 3:6 (NIV84) 6 “I the Lord do not change.

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV84) 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever.

But the “You gotta be kidding me” moment has to do with the main character of this story, not Jonah, not the fish . . .but this all powerful God who opts for compassion over force.

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Malachi 3:6 (NIV84) “I the Lord do not change.

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV84) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

God is good. God is faithful. God is able.

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Value 6: Relational Evangelism—We will intentionally leverage our influence in the world for the purpose of introducing people to the transforming love of Christ.

The number one way the Gospel spreads is one person telling another and that is because of your relational collateral.

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Excellent Environments—We believe that our role is to remove obstacles and create opportunities for people to bump into Jesus so that He can teach and do what only he can teach and do.

Excellent Environments—If we believe Jesus is the hope of the world, then shouldn’t we do our best to create an environment that says what we do really matters?

Psalm 23:6 (NRSV)6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

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Gifted Service—We are committed to reflecting the purpose and personality of Jesus by leveraging our God-given gifts for the benefit of others, both inside and outside the church.

I long for the day at ALIVE where this is true of us.
Everybody serves somewhere.
Everybody gives something.
Everybody helps someone.
So that everybody has a place at the table.

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Psalm 23 (NIV84) Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Value #3 - Authentic Community — We believe pursuing truth together is the best way to discover and apply truth to my life.

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Relational Intimacy — No matter what you have done wrong, by grace through faith in Jesus alone, it is possible to be restored into an intimate relationship with God.

Luke 19:10 (NIV84) 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

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One of the key phrases Jesus used when he was talking to folks was this, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.”

“Because I am now available to everybody, to be in you and around you, you might want to rethink your strategy for life.”

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Jesus is the greatest treasure the world has ever seen.

Matthew 13:44 - "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

We were created to treasure him!

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Do I even believe in Jesus?
Can I trust Jesus?

Week 1: Jesus cares about all parts of our lives, the inner world and the outer world.

Week 2: No matter what we’ve done, Jesus offers acceptance, love, friendship and forgiveness

Week 3: Jesus offers mercy and grace to everyone because everyone needs it.

Jesus will not leverage his power for himself, but will leverage his power for me.

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When you sell something to someone else, it is for personal benefit and profit. When you give something away, it is for someone else’s benefit and profit.

The REAL Jesus doesn’t want something from us; he wants something for us.

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A supersized Jesus, extra grace, double forgiveness, hold the hard truth, with a big order of “don’t make me feel bad about anything I want to do” on the side. Answer every prayer I ever offer and protect me from any hurt or pain in my life and eventually let me die in my sleep.

If we don’t allow Jesus to fix the inside, nothing on the outside really changes for long.

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A supersized Jesus, extra grace, double forgiveness, hold the hard truth, with a big order of “don’t make me feel bad about anything I want to do” on the side. Answer every prayer I ever offer and protect me from any hurt or pain in my life and eventually let me die in my sleep.

Do I even believe in Jesus?
Can I ever trust Jesus?

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There is a heaven and there is a hell and every person in history will spend eternity in one or the other based on what they did with Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 (NRSV) 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Matthew 28:18–20 (NIV84) 18 . . . “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I found something good for my life. Do you want to come and see?

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Anyone, at any time, can find themselves in a room with Jesus.

Matthew 28:16-20 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Disciple - Someone who is learning from and following Jesus.

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ALIVE will become a multiplying movement.

Is this Gospel, this Jesus, worth the effort?

It is time to take the inspiration and information you have received in this series, and add some perspiration.

Many of us are carrying conviction; God has burdened our hearts for the people on our lists. And perhaps more than conviction, God has given us compassion at a whole new level for the lost people in our lives. He has given us that New Testament compassion word, splongnon—which means bowels.

God has been good to me in the past but will he take care of me in the days ahead?

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War—a struggle to achieve a goal.

War Effort— A group of people willing to change and do whatever needs to be done in order to achieve a common goal.

Do I place enough value in what Jesus has done for me to enter the struggle of introducing Jesus to others?

You have been uniquely, strategically and specifically positioned by God to have a certain level of (GOSPEL) influence in someone’s life.

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War—a struggle to achieve a goal

War for a specific number on a scale.War for our families.War against cancer.War for the environment.War against an addiction.War for our children.

Do I place enough value in what Jesus has done for me to enter the struggle of introducing Jesus to others?

There is a heaven and there is a hell and every person in history will spend eternity in one or the other based on what they did with Jesus Christ.

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War effort - A group of people willing to change and do whatever needs to be done in order to achieve a common goal.

There is a heaven and there is a hell and every person in history will spend eternity in one or the other based on what they did with Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 (NRSV) 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Strategy - a plan of action or policy designed to achieve an overall aim.

Military strategy could be moving entire forces on a map, or they could be more tactical, moving an individual. We actually employed strategies as part of the war effort.

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War—a struggle to achieve a goal.

A group of people willing to change and do whatever needs to be done in order to achieve a common goal.

There is a heaven and there is a hell and every person in history will spend eternity in one or the other based on what they did with Jesus Christ.

Another battlefield term. It is called “Unity of command.” The military functions under a vitally important hierarchy. There is always someone in charge and if that ever falters, the goal is in jeopardy. On any field, there must be absolute clarity about who is in charge. That is unity of command.

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War—a struggle to achieve a goal.

War effort—a coordinated mobilization of a society’s resources towards the support of a force seeking a goal and the good of its citizens.

Another way we might define war effort might be this:
A group of people who are willing to change and do whatever needs to be done in order to achieve a common goal.

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One Problem – Sin
One Solution – Jesus
One Hope – Jesus’ Resurrection and 2nd Coming
One Mission – Make and Multiply Disciples
One Vehicle - Love

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Reality Check. Faith. Repent. Do you know what Step 4 always is? Road Block. And many of us have already discovered this, maybe even this week. We defined our here and set out to make real, lasting change. “I’m going to get in shape.” “I’m going to get fired up and be Joe Sangl, be financially free.” “I’m going to change my marriage.” “I’m going to get serious about my relationship with God.” “I’m going to patch a broken friendship.”

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Joe Sangl led ALIVE Wesleyan Church in a Financial Learning Experience on January 15th, 2018.

Joseph Sangl is a leading teacher of personal finances. It is his passion to help people accomplish far more than they ever thought possible with their personal finances. He believes when people are financially free, they are much more likely to go do exactly what they have been put on earth to do –regardless of the income potential. He is the founder of I Was Broke. Now I’m Not., an organization that provides financial teaching through live events, print and web resources. He is the President and CEO of INJOY Stewardship Solutions, a company that provides solutions that resource the vision of the local church. Joe is also the Co-Founder of Fully Funded, an organization that helps churches implement systems to create a generous culture and fully fund their vision.

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You are able to do exactly what God has put you on earth to do regardless of the cost or income potential.
You are able.
God owns it ALL.
God recognizes our ABILITY.

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You are here.

Two Reactions:I don’t want this life.
This isn’t the life I thought I would

Today is the sum total of your life to date.

Romans 3:23 (NIV84)23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,John 16:33 (NIV84)33 . . . In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”Psalm 40:17 (NIV84)17Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

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Have you ever found your self in a place where you are suddenly and painfully aware you are an outsider? You look around and have no clue what you are supposed to do or say.

Have you ever had a moment like this at church? Have you ever felt like this when people talk about the Bible?

We can get overwhelmed focusing on the methods of how we are supposed to engage with the Bible that we stop focusing on the Bible.

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Christmas is this tension between style and substance.

If we remove the manger from the Nativity, can we still have Christmas?

Matthew 1:1 (NIV84)A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Do you know what the name Jesus means? It means “He saves

John 3:16–17 (NIV84) 16 “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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Sometimes we get confused and think Jesus came to make a nice and naughty list. That isn’t Jesus that is Santa. Jesus came to save us, not tell on us. Jesus came with one clear purpose, to save. He saves.

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A few observations about this crossroads:

· First, we will often choose to listen to our fears more than God.

· Second, we will often listen to our selfishness and pride more than God.

· Third, I have no problem with God when he asks me to do something I was going to do anyway.

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A couple of observations about stumps:
There is little to no value in a stump.
There is little to no hope in a stump.
A stump is simply a memorial that something used to live there.

Isaiah 11:1 (NIV84) A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

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You don’t get to choose your family.

If we are not careful, we begin to believe some of those things about ourselves.

· I am less because of where I grew up, so I had better perform or pose.

· I can’t beat this; it’s been part of my family tree—my dad, my grandfather and his Dad before him.

· My mom left and her mom left, so I guess that will be true of me.

If Jesus had people like that in his family tree, is there a place for me in his family?

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Running is hard.
Hitting wall is going to happen.
Running in a team is better than running alone.
And running with a limp changes the game.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

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Hebrews 10:19–25 (NIV84)19 Therefore, friends, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

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To reveal the kind of faith required for the life of Christianity and this is revealed through Jesus

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV84) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Faith is not:
If I do this, God will do this. That is God as puppet.
Not a formula. If I do the spiritual hokey pokey I will be healed.
Not a way to figure out the answers to the universe.

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Maybe you have never ran or cycled in such a way as to hit a wall, but we all share experiences when life became so tough, a season of life was so trying that we felt it was going to crush us and we hit a proverbial wall.
· Mothers of young children know what it is to hit the wall.
· Anybody who has tried to diet and then driven by a Dairy Queen knows what it is to hit the wall.
· Anybody who has a dysfunctional family to spend thanksgiving with knows what is to his the wall.
The Bible often uses the concept of running to describe life.

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Whether you are believer or not, I don’t have to convince you of evil. We may differ on where evil comes from.

Some people believe evil is random.
Some believe evil is part of humanity so evil happens whenever people get together.
Some people evil is from a minority of humanity, but generally people are good.

John 10:10 (NIV84)10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

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And now we can see the two main strategies Satan uses in our lives.

Strategy 1: To get you to believe something different than what God says is true about himself or his promises.
Strategy 2: To get you to believe something different than what God says about you.

Questions about who God is based on your circumstances. He attacks people on what they know and do not know about God.

Questions about who you are and what God says is true about you. You decide to believe something about you that is counter to what God says about you.

We call it truth because we feel it and that is a terrible source of truth. Satan’s native tongue is liar.

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Research reveals about 80% of Americans believe in God while only 60% believe in the Devil.

He is saying that fear that there is something under the bed, is a legitimate fear.

The Bible affirms there is more than meets the eye and if that’s true, who and what are we talking about. Most often the Bible calls the personality Satan. It is a word that means adversary, enemy, devil.

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Can one person really make that big difference

One person can make a difference to God.

So this idea of making a difference to God sounds like an oxymoron,
creation making a difference to the creator.
The finite making a difference to the infinite.
The weak making a difference to the omnipotent.
And yet the scriptures indicate we can make a difference to God.

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ALIVE will become a multiplying movement. If churches don’t plant churches, who will? We need more churches to reach our communities. In order to build campuses and plant churches, ALIVE is getting intentional about raising missional leaders We need people who will live risky lives in order to reach people, sacrificial lives in order to meet needs, and Godly lives in order to have something to offer.

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God honors movement. God honors sacrifice. Today I want to go after the way we think about sacrifice. Throughout the New Testament there is a word that is used 29 times. It is the word “phroneo” which is translated “mind.”

Mark 8:33 (NRSV) 33But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting yourmindnot on divine things but on human things.”

Philippians 2:5 (NRSV) 5Let the samemind(attitude) be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

Colossians 3:2–3 (NRSV)2Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth,3for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

The Scriptures are teaching us that the mind of Jesus isn’t just logic, but it suggests attitude. So now we have the word “Phroneo”

“phroneo” meaning logic, attitude and the desires of one’s heart.

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ALIVE will become a multiplying movement.

In order to become a multiplying movement, we have to get intentional about raising up leaders, men and women who understand that God has gifted them and God has called all of us to be part of advancing His kingdom in our neighborhoods

There are four main strategies we are establishing to build up leaders.

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Vision Submission must be part of any group that believes it is being led by God-given vision.

Tom, the daily responsibilities for the ministry have lessened for you but the responsibility of charting the course of all that is ALIVE has risen in importance and need. God honors movement.

Judges 2:6–10 (NIV84) 6 After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance. 7 The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. 10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.

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This lawyer has lived his life in his bubble. But, his bubble was not about personal space thing. Because, from his perspective, eternal life - the good life - a life that would honor God means staying away from everything that would make him dirty. It means following all the rules, staying clean, and trying to convince everyone else to live like him. This is why walking by on the other side would make sense to him. His bubble was meant to keep bloody, beat up, dying people outside. His bubble was meant to keep him focused on keeping things clean.

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We can never be good enough. We can never earn what we do not deserve. And what the lawyer didn’t understand is what some of us do not understand. The answer to his problem was standing right in front of him.

God loves his creation and he sent Jesus to do what we could not do for ourselves.

Luke 10:29 (NRSV) 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Luke 10:30–37 (NRSV) 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him (literally means, came down upon him) and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them.

Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’

36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

The word Jesus uses in the story is this word,

Σπλάγχνον--splangkh´-non – it literally means “to have the bowels yearn.”

Luke 15:20 (NRSV) 20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

ἔλεος -- el´-eh-os

The Greek term for mercy, eleos, is often used to characterize the action of God’s faithfulness. To be merciful is to be like God; to give because someone has need, not because someone deserves.

Luke 1:78 (NRSV)78By the tender(splongnon) mercy (elehos) of our God,

Mercy does not need reasons.

What can we do, out of compassion and mercy, to prevent people from getting in the ditch to begin with?

1. Dream Center

The Dream Center exists to encourage, educate, and empower people in need through the love of Jesus Christ. This is a focused ministry to the poor of our communities. In 2017, 353 people in needing some sort of emergency assistance. 190 of them were considered homeless 176 of those with children.

Opportunities : Teaching classes on a variety of topics, helping out at Opportunity Village, to serving food at SHINE, the soup kitchen.

2. Volunteering in Pickens County Schools

Opportunities: become a reader, a classroom mom or dad, helping with homework, going on field trips or working one on one with kids in the classroom. Volunteer Training here at the church.

3. Meals on Wheels

Mission:

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I pay my own way. I am all that. The two great cliffs people who follow God frequently make the mistake of jumping off of. And you know what, people who do not believe find these two schools of thought repulsive and they detest any gathering that espouses these two ideas. And if that is you, you are just like Jesus. He too detests these religious ideas.

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He talked about how we can be like the religious lawyer and get stuck thinking

I’ve earned it and I pay my own way.

How can we be a people who give mercy away?

The story is in Luke 10:25-37. If you have a bible Luke is about 3/4ths of the way through. In this passage Jesus is talking to the religious lawyer. And he has just had this conversation with the lawyer about what must I do to inherit eternal life, Jesus has tried to tell him he can’t earn it and he’s not all that, and here is the follow up response from the religious lawyer:

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

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Let me share the two mistakes the lawyer makes and perhaps some of us make, as we relate to God.

“Pay my own way.” Another more boring term would be to over-moralize. “God blesses me because I am good. The “good-er” I am, the more blessings I achieve.

The second mistake is “I am all that.” A more boring term for this would be to over spiritualize. “I am at the head of class when it comes to God. God and I are good, in fact we are probably better than anybody else, certainly better than anybody else at church.

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We all have a personal code we live by. Last week, we discovered the code of Jesus.

First, he tries to appeal to the physical desires and physical appetites.

When the temptation to his physical desires doesn’t work, he appeals to the possibility of personal gain.

Satan plays his biggest card and tempts with power and personal glory.

And we all get this because every temptation in our lives is this temptation.

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What is the code that moves us from regret to redemption?

If the only things that change are time and circumstances resulting in less opportunity to build regret, then we haven’t really changed. Circumstances do not build solid character. Circumstances reveal character.

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Last week we began this series called back to the future. This idea that looking back we see a series of events that lead us to this moment. If one thing had been changed the outcome could have been completely different and you may not be sitting here. When we look back, we do so knowing the outcome of the story, and this is the case in the incredible story we are going to be diving into.

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Speaker: Matt Irvine

Ruth 1:1
"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 for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion."

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The issue is not how big this moment seemed to be but rather how small and insignificant we label the miracles God does in our lives every day

What matters is our anticipation of them and our response to them.

This requires anticipation.

This requires belief.

This requires hope.

This requires action.

So what is our part?

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Since the beginning of time, God has been doing completely impossible things in the hearts of completely average people like us. He won’t stop now.

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What do you do when you don’t feel like God is with you?

Heat Series:
Wrestling through trusting God when life is painful, confusing and doesn’t make sense.

Speaker: Tom Harding

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God doesn't "need" a person like you. You need a God like Him.

Speaker: Tom Harding

Heat Series:
Wrestling through trusting God when life is painful, confusing and doesn’t make sense.

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The most important thing that a church will ever do is announce that it is possible to be saved by grace through faith in Jesus. After that, all things are now possible.

Speaker: Tom Harding

Heat Series:
Wrestling through trusting God when life is painful, confusing and doesn’t make sense.

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The most important thing that a church will ever do is announce that it is possible to be saved by grace through faith in Jesus. After that, all things are now possible.

Speaker: Tom Harding

Pieces Series:
Under the headship of Jesus, all of the most important pieces of our lives are brought back into a right relationship with one another.

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There are two primary threats to our marriages: what we bring in from before we are married and what we allow in after we are married.

Speaker: Tom Harding

Pieces Series:
Under the headship of Jesus, all of the most important pieces of our lives are brought back into a right relationship with one another.

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Happy Mother's Day! Join us as we take a deeper look at what the Bible says about parenting.

Speaker: Tom Harding

Pieces Series:
Under the headship of Jesus, all of the most important pieces of our lives are brought back into a right relationship with one another.

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There are two primary threats to our marriages: what we bring in from before we are married and what we allow in after we are married.

Speaker: Tom Harding

Pieces Series:
Under the headship of Jesus, all of the most important pieces of our lives are brought back into a right relationship with one another.

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What Did God Say? - The reason that marriage and gender are under such attack in today’s world is the same reason that they have been under attack since the beginning of time.

Speaker: Tom Harding

Pieces Series:
Under the headship of Jesus, all of the most important pieces of our lives are brought back into a right relationship with one another.

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Faith: Everybody has a faith system that they lean their lives against. Some holdup. Some fall apart.

Speaker: Tom Harding
Alive Wesleyan Church

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Unshakable: When Jesus rose from the dead, He proved that He will be able to keep His promise to give us an unshakable life inside of His Kingdom.

Speaker: Tom Harding
Alive Wesleyan Church

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Freedom: Jesus redeems (purchases) us out of slavery and into freedom. But, it is possible to BE free, and not ACT free.

Speaker: Tom Harding
Alive Wesleyan Church

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Two Covenants, Two Kings: Under the New Covenant, King Jesus gives us the power to put our faith into action and crush the enemy.

Speaker: Tom Harding
Alive Wesleyan Church

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Rest - Jesus, as our Great High Priest, brings us into a right relationship with God the Father, and we find rest.
Speaker: Tom Harding
Alive Wesleyan Church

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Mercy - Many of us walk around with a profound sense of shame from the things we’ve done, the things we didn’t do or the things done to us. How does Jesus remove our shame and make us clean?
Speaker: Matt Irvine

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Good Father OR Confidence: Confidence in yourself grows only when confidence in God grows. But how is that possible?

Much of our lives are marked by a distinct sense of separation from our Creator. We might believe that He exists, but it feels like He is distant or like there is something in the way. What we need is someone to remove the wall, to take us where we could not go on our own. In this series we will explore some of the most significant things we find when Jesus takes us "behind the curtain" that separates us from living in a relationship with our Creator.

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As we study through the Book of Ephesians and our six values, we will see how Christ can bring unity and “one-ness” in each one of us individually and in all of us as a church.

When something is effective, important and makes a real difference in our lives, we naturally share it with others.

ALIVE Wesleyan: Recent Episodes

ALIVE Wesleyan

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