The Chapel Cleveland's Podcast

Psalm 19:7-11

The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, even much fine gold and they are sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Made things make invisible qualities known.

Proverbs 24:13-14

Eat honey, my son, for it is good; honey from the comb is sweet to your taste. Know also that wisdom is like honey for you….

To experience the tiny theophany is itself to adore. Gratitude exclaims, very properly: “How good of God to give me this.” Adoration says: “What must be the quality of that Being whose far-off brilliance is like this! One’s mind looks along the sunbeam back to the sun.” -Lewis

Psalm 34:8

Taste and see that the Lord is Good.
God wants us to experience Him.

Looking for his invisible nature in creation all around you will cultivate wonder, thankfulness, and anticipation.

Made things make invisible qualities visible.

You are a made thing.

We become like what we behold.

Hebrews 1:3

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

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2 Samuel 24 | Happily Ever After

Slides:

Theme: Romans 5:20(b)… but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more

Deuteronomy 6:10-12

"Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, 12 then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

1 Chronicles 21:1

Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.

Job 1:12

Then the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him." So Satan departed from the presence of the LORD.

Job 2:3

What can we know?

God watches over His Word to perform it – Jer. 1:12

God does not tempt – James 1:13

God is sovereign over temptation, evil, and Satan himself – Is. 45:7

God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him (through their sanctification) – Rom. 8:28-29

1 Chronicles 21:25

So David gave Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site.

The Gospel is a free gift, but we’re told to count the cost.

Luke 14:26-28

"If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?

Matthew 13:44-46

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid [again;] and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Theme: Romans 5:20(b)… but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more

2 Chronicles 3:1

Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where [the LORD] had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

Romans 8:28-30

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined [to become] conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

2 Corinthians 7:9-10

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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2 Sam. 23:8-39 | Act Like Men!

Slides:

Theme: Act like men!

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.

Leviticus 25:23

'The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are [but] aliens and sojourners with Me.

What if we had this type of zeal to please God?

Titus 2:14

who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

We don’t come to God as mighty men and women of valor.

1 Samuel 22:1-2

So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father's household heard [of it,] they went down there to him. 2 Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.

Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Our adequacy and weaponry come from God.

2 Corinthians 3:5

Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as [coming] from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,

Ephesians 6:17

And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Acts 1:8

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Our calling is based on covenant.

1 Chronicles 11:10

Now these are the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.

Matthew 28:18-20

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

The source of our courage is in our unity with Christ.

Romans 6:5-7

For if we have become united with [Him] in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be [in the likeness] of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with [Him,] in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

Romans 7:4

Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.

Luke 22:20

And in the same way [He took] the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.

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John 12:20-29 | A Glorious and Disrupting Invitation

Slides:

Recap: Realities for Experiencing God:

God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.
God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
You must make major adjustments in life to join God in what He is doing.

“and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” —Acts 17:26-27

He says, It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. —Isaiah 49:6

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” – vrs. 24

There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. —John 1:9-10; 14

Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. —Colossians 1:25-27

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. —Matthew 5:14-15

This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. —Matthew 24:14

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” —Acts 1:8

“He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world, will keep it to life eternal.” – vrs. 25

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. —Matthew 13:44

If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.” – vrs 26

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:18-20

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. “For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. “Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. —Isaiah 60:1-3

For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts. ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former, ‘ says the Lord of hosts, and in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts. —Haggai 2:6-9

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ —Matthew 25:34-40

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. —Matthew 5:16

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2 Samuel 22:1-23:7 | The Reality of Knowing God

Slides:

SEVEN REALITIES FOR EXPERIENCING GOD:

Adapted from Experiencing God by Henry T. Blackaby, Claude V. King

God is always at work around you.
God pursues a continuing relationship with you that is real and personal.
God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.
God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
God's invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.
You come to know God by experience as you obey Him, and He accomplishes His work through you.

Those who know God call on Him.

God delights to deliver the ones who know Him.

Zephaniah 3:17

"The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

Psalm 147:10-11

He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He does not take pleasure in the legs of a man. 11 The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness.

Isaiah 55:7-9

Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. 9 "For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

God empowers those He knows.

Those who know God are confident in His character and His covenants.

2 Peter 1:2-4

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

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2 Samuel 21 | Powerful Promises

Slides:

Theme: We serve a covenant-keeping God. Proceed accordingly.

Thought: What ongoing problems in our lives have a spiritual cause?

Joshua 9:3-6

When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4 they also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended, 5 and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry [and] had become crumbled. 6 They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us."

Covenant – a solemn binding agreement made by passing between pieces of flesh

Genesis 17:1

Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.

Hosea 5:15

I will go away [and] return to My place Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.

Seek His presence in every season, not just when you suffer.

Principles of promises (mostly David Guzik)

God keeps His promises.
God expects us to keep our promises.
God expects nations to keep their promises.
Time does not diminish the obligation to a promise.
God’s correction is not bound by time.

You may not be to blame, but you may still be responsible.

Leviticus 18:20-25

'You shall not have intercourse with your neighbor's wife, to be defiled with her. 21 'You shall not give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the LORD. 22 'You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. 23 'Also you shall not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion. 24 'Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled. 25 'For the land has become defiled, therefore I have brought its punishment upon it, so the land has spewed out its inhabitants.

Numbers 35:33-34

'So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. 34 'You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.'"

Another prayer for our church: “God raise up the next generation of leaders in the church, and send out all of us as workers into His harvest.”

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor [the] covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Galatians 3:13-14

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"-- 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

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2 Samuel 19:40-20:26 | Fight for your Right?

Slides:

How can our church stay united in these divisive times?

Recognize, understand, and master your triggers.

James 4:1-3

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; [so] you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; [so] you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend [it] on your pleasures.

A loose tongue feeds divisiveness.

James 3:3-5

Now if we put the bits into the horses' mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and [yet] it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!

A society that has no respect for and submission to authority (civil, religious, family) will descend into chaos.

1 Peter 2:13-17

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 [Act] as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but [use it] as bondslaves of God. 17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

James 3:1

Let not many [of you] become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.

Wisdom can often diffuse divisive situations.

How can our church stay united in these divisive times?

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2 Samuel 19 | Return of the King

Slides:

Theme: Who sits on the throne of your life? Can you say, take the world and give me Jesus?”

How can Christians overcome the greatest trials and sufferings we experience in life?

• We must seek our comfort in the Lord.

• We use that comfort to serve others.

• Through the continual filling of the Holy Spirit for self-control.

• By storing up treasures in heaven, not here on earth.

Return of the king:

• It’s the kindness of God that leads to repentance.

Romans 2:3-4

But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same [yourself,] that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Return of the king:

• Love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober [spirit] for the purpose of prayer. 8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

Return of the king:

• Our love for Jesus needs to grow beyond any earthly thing.

Luke 14:26

Theme: Who sits on the throne of your life? Can you say, take the world and give me Jesus?”

Acts 26:14

"And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

Revelation 3:20

'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

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2 Samuel 17:15-19:8 | The Overcomers

Slides:

How can Christians overcome the greatest trials and sufferings we experience in life?

Psalm 103:13

Just as a father has compassion on [his] children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Isaiah 49:14-16

But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me." 15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. 16 "Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms [of My hands;] Your walls are continually before Me.

What’s the difference between Ahithophel, Absalom, and David? How can Christians overcome the greatest trials and sufferings we experience in life?

• We must seek our comfort in the Lord.

2 Corinthians 1:3

Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort…

How can Christians overcome the greatest trials and sufferings we experience in life?

• We use that comfort to serve others.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

How can Christians overcome the greatest trials and sufferings we experience in life?

• Through the continual filling of the Holy Spirit for self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

How can Christians overcome the greatest trials and sufferings we experience in life?

• By storing up treasures in heaven, not here on earth.

Matthew 6:20-21

"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

How can Christians overcome the greatest trials and sufferings we experience in life?

• We have to accept the world as it is.

Romans 5:3-8

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man;though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

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2 Samuel 16:1-17:14 | Strength in Sovereignty

Slides:

Theme: There is strength and freedom in the knowledge of the sovereignty of God.

Leadership lessons:

• Be SLOW to judge a situation or speak.

James 1:19-20

[This] you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak [and] slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

Proverbs 18:13, 17

He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him. ... 17 The first to plead his case [seems] right, [Until] another comes and examines him.

Leadership lessons:

• Be SLOW to defend yourself, to control your circumstances.

2 Samuel 12:11-12

"Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give [them] to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 'Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.'"

There is strength and freedom in the knowledge of the sovereignty of God.

Genesis 50:20

"As for you, you meant evil against me, [but] God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

1 Samuel 30:6

Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

Psalm 31:24

Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.

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2 Samuel 15:13-37 | Fidelity

Slides:

Fidelity - Faithfulness to a person, cause or belief demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support.

Philippians 1:20-21

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

1 Samuel 4:3

When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us take to ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that it may come among us and deliver us from the power of our enemies.”

2 Samuel 17:14

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had ordained to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring calamity on Absalom.

How was this fidelity cultivated?

Ittai fought alongside David.
Zadok worshiped with David.
Hushai was a friend and servant of David.

David’s suffering was a consequence of his own sin.

Christ’s suffering was for our sin.

Matthew 24:9-14

“they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

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2 Samuel 14:1-15:12 | No Fear, Know Fear

Slides:

Proverbs 29:25

The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.

The fear of man is both physical and emotional. It is the fear of what men may do to us or that they may not approve of us.

1 Peter 3:14-16

But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always [being] ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.

Two common characteristics of walking in the fear of man:

Passivity

Control

The Proverbs on the fear of God:

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…
Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate.
Proverbs 14:26 In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge. 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, That one may avoid the snares of death.

How do we repent of the fear of man and grow in the fear of God?

“All experiences of the fear of man, share at least one common feature: people are big. They have grown to idolatrous proportions in our lives. They control us…whenever people are big, God is not. Therefore, the first task in escaping the snare of the fear of man is to know that God is awesome and glorious, not other people” (Ed Welch)

Psalm 139:7-8, 16-18, 23-24

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. ... 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained [for me,] When as yet there was not one of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. ... 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

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2 Sam. 12:26-13:39 | Kill or Be Killed

Slides:

Theme: “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” John Owen

Deuteronomy 27:22

'Cursed is he who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or of his mother.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

Exodus 20:5-6

"You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Theme: “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” John Owen

Chapel vocabulary word of the day: Concupiscence

• A strong desire/lust for the forbidden

James 1:13-15

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Romans 1:24, 28

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. ... 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper…

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

For this is the will of God, your sanctification; [that is,] that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

Colossians 3:4-6

When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. 5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience…

I may or may not be to blame for my sinful desires, but I am responsible for them.

Joshua 7:13

"Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus the LORD, the God of Israel, has said, "There are things under the ban in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst."

Joshua 3:5

Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."

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2 Samuel 12 | Consider the Cost

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Slides:

Much of our sin is born out of forgetfulness and lack of gratitude.

1 Samuel 15:13, 20-21, 24-25

Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD." ... 20 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 "But the people took [some] of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal." ... 24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. 25 "Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the LORD."

Psalm 51:2-4, 10, 17

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. 4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge. ... 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. ... 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

Part of repentance is the acceptance of responsibility.

Considering the cost of consequence:

• Consequence is born out of love.

Proverbs 3:11-14

My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, 12 For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father [corrects] the son in whom he delights. 13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. 14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold.

Considering the cost of consequence:

• The intended result of consequence is the wisdom that…

Hebrews 12:4-7, 11

You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; 6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom [his] father does not discipline? ... 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Considering the cost of consequence:

• The intended result of consequence is the wisdom that produces righteousness.

Considering the cost of consequence:

• “Sometimes, the innocent may suffer because of the guilty.” David Guzik

“Chastening is not punishment meted out by an angry judge who wants to uphold the law; rather, it’s difficulty permitted by a loving Father who wants His children to submit to His will and develop godly character.” Warren Wiersbe

Hebrews 3:12-13

Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is [still] called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Deuteronomy 30:1-4

"So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call [them] to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, 2 and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, 3 then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4 "If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back.

Isaiah 53:4-6

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being [fell] upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

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2 Samuel 11:14 - 12:13 | The Sure Mercies of David

Slides:

Power Over Passions

• As a Christian, what you feed (Spirit or flesh) will rule your life.

• We must learn to repent of “respectable” sins.

• Sex is not the ultimate solution, Spirit-empowered self-control is.

• Anything put before God is an idol, all idolatry is adultery in God’s eyes.

Theme: Through God’s covenant-keeping faithfulness (Hesed), the sure mercies of David are available to you and to me.

Holiness is a group project.

Galatians 6:1-2

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; [each one] looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

James 5:19-20

My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Psalm 103:11-12

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Through God’s covenant-keeping faithfulness (Hesed), the sure mercies of David are available to you and to me.

Isaiah 55:2-3, 6-9

"Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. 3 "Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, [According to] the faithful mercies shown to David. ... 6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. 9 "For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Acts 13:32-34, 38

"And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33 that God has fulfilled this [promise] to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, 'YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.' 34 "[As for the fact] that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: 'I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY [and] SURE [blessings] OF DAVID.' ... 38 "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you…

There is no “getting away with” sin.

Proverbs 28:13

He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes [them] will find compassion.

Psalm 32:3-5

When I kept silent [about my sin,] my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away [as] with the fever heat of summer. 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my sin.

The fruits of repentance include love, mission, and worship!

Psalm 105:8

He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations…

Lamentations 3:22-23

The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23 [They] are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

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2 Samuel 11 | Power Over Passions

Slides:

The Peril of Prosperity:

• Prosperous circumstances can produce passive faith.

• Stop viewing sin through a lens of victimhood.

• Holiness requires warfare.

Theme: The key to victory over sin is a Holy Spirit empowered control over our passions.

As a Christian, what you feed (Spirit or flesh) will rule your life.

1 Corinthians 2:14-3:3

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ. 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able [to receive it.] Indeed, even now you are not yet able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?

Galatians 5:22-24

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

We must learn to repent of “respectable” sins.

Matthew 5:27-30

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 "If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

David lost this battle with sin in the years, months, and days before he saw Bathsheba.

God is faithful to warn us, and warnings are our way out.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Anything put before God is an idol, and all idolatry is adultery in God’s eyes.

Hosea 3:1-3

Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman [who] is loved by [her] husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes." 2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen [shekels] of silver and a homer and a half of barley. 3 Then I said to her, "You shall stay with me for many days. You shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so I will also be toward you."

James 4:4

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Sex is not the ultimate solution, Spirit-empowered self-control is.

1 Corinthians 7:2-5

But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. 3 The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband [does;] and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife [does.] 5 Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

1 Peter 1:13-16

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober [in spirit,] fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts [which were yours] in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all [your] behavior; 16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

Sobriety, temperance, and self-control essentially mean a Holy-Spirit infused power over our passions, desires, and the seductions that the world has to offer.

Christian community can’t enable the sin of others through:

• Silence

• Participation

• Rescue

Psalm 32:2-4

How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! 3 When I kept silent [about my sin,] my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away [as] with the fever heat of summer.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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2 Samuel 10:1 - 11:5 | The Peril of Prosperity

Slides:

Prosperous circumstances can produce passive faith.

• Deuteronomy 6:10 "Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, 12 then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Joab’s exhortation in the face of fear:

• Courage is a choice, not an absence of fear

• Remember what you’re fighting for

• God is sovereign, the battle is in His hands

Stop viewing sin through a lens of victimhood.

• James 1:13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Holiness requires warfare.

• Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places.] 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

• Hebrews 12:3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin…

We must learn to repent of “respectable” sins.

• Matthew 5:27 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 "If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

God is faithful to warn us, and warnings are our way out.

• 1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

Remember what you’re fighting for, and Who’s fighting with you!

• Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as [we are, yet] without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

• Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

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2 Samuel 9 | Come to the Table

Slides:

Theme: The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. -Keller

1 Sam 20:14-15

…show me unfailing kindness like the LORD’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the LORD has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth...”

2 Samuel 4:4

Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.

Ephesians 2:1-9

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Are you coming to the table?

What will we do for Him if we will not feast with Him?

We will not suffer with Him if we will not enjoy Him. -Reeves

Revelation 3:15-17, 20-21

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked… Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

At the cross we are simultaneously humbled by our sin and strengthened in the grace of Christ.

We are Mephibosheth: -Broken, Fearful, Unable

But, we are Mephibosheth: -Sought, Welcomed, Blessed

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2 Samuel 8 | Victory in Jesus

Slides:

Your gentleness made me great.

"...but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits." (Daniel 11:32)

The scriptures urge us to know Jesus, to love Jesus, and to know and believe that Jesus loves us. It is only from this place that we can truly live the Christian life as God intends.

We can trust Jesus’ leadership in the unfolding of human history and in the unfolding of our own life stories, because He has proven His meek and lowly heart to us at the cross.

Psalm 20:7

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Psalm 147:10

His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Christian maturity does not consist of becoming a more independent person, it consists of growing more and more dependent on Jesus.

In times of doubt and despair take courage in the truth that God has appointed times of victory.

When we live for the glory of God, we find the joy of living for something far greater than ourselves, and we leave an unshakeable legacy for the generations to come.

Isaiah 9:7

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Let Christ subdue you more fully. Know the freedom of coming more deeply under his control. That is the place where you will experience victory.

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2 Samuel 7 | Blessed to Bless

Slides:

Theme: The Lord has blessed us with Himself, so that we can share Him with others.

David was active in asking, “What can I do for God?”

All that God has done should strengthen us to trust all that He will do!

Jeremiah 23:5-6

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute righteousness in the earth... Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Isaiah 9:6-7

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder... Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it... from that time forward, even forever.

Luke 1:31-33

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.

2 Corinthians 5:21

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 Peter 2:22-24

“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

The blessings of the Lord should make us overflow with praises to the Lord.

It is pleasing and glorifying to God for us to ask Him for what He has offered.

Genesis 12:2

“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.

1 Peter 2:5, 9

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ... But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Isaiah 11:10

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

Psalm 67:1-2

God be gracious to us and bless us,

And cause His face to shine upon us—

So that Your way may be known on the earth,

Your salvation among all nations.

“It is precisely because God, from his own glorious fullness, fills us with joy in him that we begin to bubble over with it to those around. This is the theological dynamic of mission. The wellspring of healthy, happy mission is God himself…It is our knowledge of God and our enjoyment of him that fills us up and sends us out with his own life, love, and happiness into the world to communicate and bless as he does.” Reeves

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2 Samuel 5 & 6 | Walk This Way

Slides:

Theme: The Word is our guide, it is the clearest way that God tells us Who He is, who we are, and how to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

Deuteronomy 17:16-20

"Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, 'You shall never again return that way.' 17 "He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. 18 "Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 "It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.

Exodus 25:12-15

"You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet, and two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. 13 "You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 "You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. 15 "The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it.

Numbers 4:15

"When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy [objects] and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry [them,] so that they will not touch the holy [objects] and die. These are the things in the tent of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.

1 Chronicles 15:11-13

Then David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab, 12 and said to them, "You are the heads of the fathers' [households] of the Levites; consecrate yourselves both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel to [the place] that I have prepared for it. 13 "Because you did not [carry it] at the first, the LORD our God made an outburst on us, for we did not seek Him according to the ordinance."

Theme: The Word is our guide: it is the clearest way that God tells us Who He is, who we are, and how to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Even men and women after God’s own heart are in constant need of the grace of God.

Hebrews 4:14-16

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2 Samuel 3-4 | Pride Goeth

Slides:

-When we are the lord’s of our lives, the end will be destruction.

-When Jesus is Lord, there will be grace.

Deuteronomy 17:17a

He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away…

Our sovereign God can and does use sinful men.

-Unforgiveness is ungodly and contrary to the Lord’s grace.

-but nothing can confound the Lord’s grace!

Mark 7:21-22

“For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness”

“Pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.”

-Lewis

James 4:1-8

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; [so] you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend [it] on your pleasures. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore [it] says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

Philippians 3:18b-19

…many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.

When God humbles us, it is often an act of His grace.

“One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor”

Proverbs 29:23

Only when Christ is more precious to us than our own reputations will we give up our petty rivalries and personal agendas. Only when His glory eclipses all else will we live for His cause and no other. As we approach the God of glory, we should grow in humility. Rather than thinking less about ourselves or about ourselves less, we marvel more at Christ. - Reeves

2 Samuel 3:18 - Now then, do it!

“Those who have no master are slaves to themselves. Depend upon it. You will either serve Satan or Christ, either yourself or the Saviour. You will find sin, self, Satan, and the world to be hard masters; but if you wear the livery of Christ, you will find him so meek and lowly of heart that you will find rest unto your souls. He is the most magnanimous of Lords.” -Spurgeon

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2 Samuel 1 & 2 | Family Drama

Slides:

Leviticus 19:33-34

'When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 'The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.

Psalm 78:70-72

He also chose David His servant And took him from the sheepfolds; 71 From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. 72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, Andguided them with his skillful hands.

Diffusing the drama in ourselves:

• Remember God’s grace given to you.

Matthew 18:21-22, 33

Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ... 33 'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?'

Diffusing the drama in ourselves:

• Think and remember the best of others, even those who believe they are your enemies.

1 Peter 4:8

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

Diffusing the drama in ourselves:

• Make yourself accountable.

Colossians 3:8, 12-13

But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, [and] abusive speech from your mouth. ... 12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

Diffusing the drama in ourselves:

• Check the state of your communion.

John 15:4-5

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither [can] you unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

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1 Samuel 29-31 | The King is Dead, Long Live the King

Slides:

There is nothing greater in life than to have God with us!

1 Samuel 23:16

And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.

1 Chronicles 10:13-14

So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the LORD, because of the word of the LORD which he did not keep; and also because he asked counsel of a medium, making inquiry [of it,] 14 and did not inquire of the LORD. Therefore He killed him and turned the kingdom to David the son of Jesse.

The picture of David vs. Saul is a picture of “God with us” vs. “God gave them up.”

Psalm 103:8-11

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9 He will not always strive [with us,] Nor will He keep [His anger] forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

Romans 1:28-32

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; [they are] gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Saul and David also show us the nature of true repentance.

2 Corinthians 7:9-11

I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to [the point of] repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to [the will of] God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. 10 For the sorrow that is according to [the will of] God produces a repentance without regret, [leading] to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

Jesus came according to the Scriptures, and He’s coming again!

Psalm 22:7-8, 16-18

All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, [saying,] 8 "Commit [yourself] to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him." ... 16 For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; 18 They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.

We can die a sinner’s death (like Saul) or accept the free gift of God through the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Romans 6:1-7 | United in His Likeness (Easter 2024)

Slides:

Theme: To be united with Christ is to take on a new identity. It is a dying to sin and a living to righteousness.

The Christian’s relationship to sin has changed: We have died to sin, but it has not died to us.

Baptism = immersion or submersion

1 Corinthians 6:19

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

Jesus didn’t come “just” to save you, He came to set you free!

Galatians 5:17

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

It’s not enough to know the facts of the Gospel, you must be united with Jesus through it.

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1 Samuel 27-28:2 | Inside Voice

Slides:

Theme: We’re all susceptible to discouragement and doubt. Be careful when making decisions in these times.

Make sure to monitor your inside voice because it will likely become your outside behavior.

Numbers 11:14-15

"I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. 15 "So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness."

1 Kings 19:4

But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers."

It’s easy to justify bad behavior when you’re being led by your inside voice.

Deuteronomy 20:16-18

"Only in the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. 17 "But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the LORD your God has commanded you, 18 so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 25:17-19

"Remember what Amalek did to you along the way when you came out from Egypt, 18 how he met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God. 19 "Therefore it shall come about when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies, in the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget.

The relief that comes with compromise is only temporary and may actually put you in a worse position.

Battling the discouraged inside voice: Talk to God about everything & dwell on the right things.

Philippians 4:6-9

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Battling the discouraged inside voice: Remember Jesus’ example for us.

Hebrews 12:2-3

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Battling the discouraged inside voice: Ask, how God can receive glory?

John 12:27-28

"Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 "Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."

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Exodus 20:18-20 | Fear

Slides:

Theme: The fear of the Lord that Scripture teaches and the Gospel produces is not being afraid of God, but the right fear of the Lord is an overwhelming love for God that draws us more and more towards Him.

Jas 2:19

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

Gen 3:9-10

Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself."

Jer 32:38-40

"They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for [the good of] their children after them. "I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.

Jer 33:6, 8-9

'Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth... 'I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me. 'It will be to Me a name of joy, praise and glory before all the nations of the earth which will hear of all the good that I do for them, and they will fear and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.'

Deut 6:1-2, 4-6, 13

"Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God..."Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.... "You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him…

Isa 11:1-3a

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD…

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

What does the fear of the Lord cultivate in us?

-True Sanctification

Exod 20:20

Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin."

2Co 7:1

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Isaiah 11:3

And He will delight in the fear of the LORD…

What does the fear of the Lord cultivate in us?

-True Sanctification

-Zealous Worship

Psalm 47:1-2

Oh clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy. For the LORD Most High is to be feared, A great King over all the earth.

Exodus 15:11

Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

The biblical theme of the fear of God helps us to see the sort of love toward God that is fitting. It shows us that God does not want passionless performance or a vague preference for him. To encounter the living, holy, and all-gracious God truly means that we cannot contain ourselves. He is not a truth to be known unaffectedly, or a good to be received listlessly. Seen clearly, the dazzling beauty and splendor of God must cause our hearts to quake. - Reeves

What does the fear of the Lord cultivate in us?

-True Sanctification

-Zealous Worship

-Peace From Other Fears

Isaiah 8:11-13

This is what the Lord says to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. “Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.

Psalm 115:11, 13

You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield... He will bless those who fear the LORD, The small together with the great.

Luke 1:50-52

"AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. "He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble.”

How do we cultivate a right fear of the Lord?

-Come to the cross.

-Psalm 130:4 But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.

Fear toward the Lord, and toward his goodness. This fear leans toward the Lord. When you really know God, you would be thrice happy if you would run toward Him, falling down before Him, worshiping Him with bowed head yet glad heart, all the while fearing toward him, and not away from him. Blessed is the man whose heart is filled with that holy fear.

Spurgeon

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1 Samuel 26 | History Repeats Itself

Slides:

Theme: Don’t worry, God will appropriately judge every act of good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

The conclusion, when all has been heard, [is:] fear God and keep His commandments, because this [applies to] every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

1 Samuel 24:16-17, 20

When David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 He said to David, "You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you…20 "Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand.

Proverbs 26:11

Like a dog that returns to its vomit Is a fool who repeats his folly.

Like Saul, we find it easy to go back to our own foolishness.

The uncertainty of life will either create in us a dependency on God or independence from Him.

Psalm 139:16

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained [for me,] When as yet there was not one of them.

Psalm 33:12

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

For David, joining with God’s people was more important than life. For us, it’s often just a freedom we take for granted.

Romans 12:4-5

For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Don’t let your circumstances define you.

Romans 8:35-39

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What do you want the summary of your life to say? What are you prepared to do to so that you walk faithfully?

James 4:17

Therefore, to one who knows [the] right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

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1 Samuel 25 | How Rude!

Slides:

Theme: Obedience results in blessing, and disobedience brings a curse, even in difficult circumstances.

Proverbs 17:12

Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly.

Proverbs 11:22

[As] a ring of gold in a swine's snout [So is] a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.

How Rude (Applications):

The church is a corrective community.

Matthew 18:15

"If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

How Rude (Applications):

We are accountable for our own response to every situation.

1 Peter 2:18-20

Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this [finds] favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer [for it] you patiently endure it, this [finds] favor with God.

How Rude (Applications):

Hurt feelings can’t be used to justify disobedience.

James 1:19-20

...But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak [and] slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

How Rude (Applications):

God will deliver the righteous and repay the wicked. So don’t grow weary!

Hebrews 12:1-3

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

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1 Samuel 24 | Listen to Your Heart?

Slides:

“God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.” Henry Blackaby

Jeremiah 17:9

"The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Jeremiah 31:33

"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

It’s very easy to over-spiritualize a situation to achieve a desired outcome.

Deuteronomy 32:35

'Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things are hastening upon them.'

Psalm 54:5

He will recompense the evil to my foes; Destroy them in Your faithfulness.

Putting vengeance in the hands of the Lord…

• Allows God to replace anxiety with peace

• Allows room for love and forgiveness

• Makes room to be wrong without error/sin

James 4:8

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Real Repentance:

• Contrition

• Confession

• Correction

• Clean Conscience

Theme: The best way to know God’s will is to know God Himself.

Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Psalm 57

A Mikhtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.

Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by. 2 I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes [all things] for me. 3 He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth. 4 My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, [Even] the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows And their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be exalted above the heavens, O God; [Let] Your glory [be] above all the earth. 6 They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; They dug a pit before me; They [themselves] have fallen into the midst of it. Selah. 7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises! 8 Awake, my glory! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. 9 I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations. 10 For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens And Your truth to the clouds. 11 Be exalted above the heavens, O God; [Let] Your glory [be] above all the earth.

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1 Samuel 23 | Winning in the Wilderness

Slides:

Theme: God often teaches His best lessons in the wilderness.

1 John 4:3

and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the [spirit] of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

Daniel 11:21, 23-24, 32, 38

"In his place a despicable person will arise, on whom the honor of kingship has not been conferred, but he will come in a time of tranquility and seize the kingdom by intrigue... 23 "After an alliance is made with him he will practice deception, and he will go up and gain power with a small [force of] people. 24 "In a time of tranquility he will enter the richest [parts] of the realm, and he will accomplish what his fathers never did, nor his ancestors; he will distribute plunder, booty and possessions among them, and he will devise his schemes against strongholds, but [only] for a time. ... 32 "By smooth [words] he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. ... 38 "But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor [him] with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures. 39 "He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with [the help of] a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge [him] and will cause them to rule over the many and will parcel out land for a price.

Winning in the wilderness:

• God will often confirm His will in the most difficult situations.

• Vengeance should be left to the Lord.

Psalm 54:3-5

For strangers have risen against me And violent men have sought my life; They have not set God before them. Selah. 4 Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul. 5 He will recompense the evil to my foes; Destroy them in Your faithfulness.

Winning in the wilderness:

• We are called to encourage one another.

Hebrews 3:13

But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is [still] called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 10:24-25

and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging [one another;] and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Winning in the wilderness:

• Allow God’s sovereignty to bring peace in the most difficult moments.

Genesis 50:20

"As for you, you meant evil against me, [but] God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

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Psalm 63 | Wild Satisfaction

Slides:

The wilderness is the way of God to wean us from the most precious things in the world. And those who savor the vision of God know that his love is better than all that this life can give. - Piper

Deuteronomy 8:2

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart…

Our goal: To let the Lord teach us through Psalm 63 how to be satisfied in the wilderness.

“Human desire is infinite by its nature. You must take your stand against it because you cannot satisfy it. Desire is infinite partly because we were made by God, made for God, made to need God, and made to run on God. We can be satisfied only by the one who is infinite, eternal, and able to supply all our needs; we are only at home in God. When we are distanced from God, the desire for the infinite remains, but it is displaced upon things that will certainly lead to destruction” -Dallas Willard

Jeremiah speaks to this: Jeremiah 2:11-13 "Has a nation changed gods when they were not gods? But My people have changed their glory for that which does not profit... For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns that can hold no water.

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” -Lewis

Jeremiah 29:13-14

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you…

This kind of peace is the result of praise.

Philippians 4:4, 7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice… And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

How can we be satisfied in the wilderness?

-Let God be your God.

-Seek Him earnestly.

-Seek God early, and seek Him in the night watches.

-Seek Him in the sanctuary.

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth.

-Worship in the wilderness.

-Cling to Christ and trust Him to uphold you.

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1 Samuel 22 | The Advocate

Slides:

Theme: Your future will either be shaped by your past or by the faithful love of Jesus, your Advocate.

1 Chronicles 12:8

From the Gadites there came over to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and [they were] as swift as the gazelles on the mountains.

Let your needs send you to Jesus, and He will transform you.

Ezekiel 16:23-25

"Then it came about after all your wickedness ('Woe, woe to you!' declares the Lord GOD), 24 that you built yourself a shrine and made yourself a high place in every square. 25 "You built yourself a high place at the top of every street and made your beauty abominable, and you spread your legs to every passer-by to multiply your harlotry.

Don’t fall victim to the “replacement trinity:” my wants, my needs, my feelings.

Psalm 119:29

Remove the false way from me, And graciously grant me Your law.

Psalm 52:1-3, 8

For the choir director. A Maskil of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul and said to him, "David has come to the house of Ahimelech." Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The lovingkindness of God [endures] all day long. 2 Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. 3 You love evil more than good, Falsehood more than speaking what is right. Selah. ... 8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.

When you commit yourself to Jesus, He commits Himself to you.

1 John 1:9-2:1

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

Romans 8:33-35

Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ?

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1 Samuel 21 – 22:2 | Moral Conundrum

Slides:

Slide: Theme: God will provide for your every need according to His faithful, enduring love even (especially) when you’re not sure what to do and even when you don’t see how He’s working.

Slide: David flees to Nob:

1 Samuel 22:9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by the servants of Saul, said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 "He inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

Slide: David flees to Nob:

Psalm 27:4 One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple. 5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

Slide: David seized by the Philistines in Gath:

Psalm 56:1 A Mikhtam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me; Fighting all day long he oppresses me. ... 10 In God, [whose] word I praise, In the LORD, [whose] word I praise, 11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Slide: David delivered from then philistines in Gath:

Psalm 34:1 [A Psalm] of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed... 4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. ... 6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles. ... 17 [The righteous] cry, and the LORD hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Slide: David escapes to the cave of Adullam:

Psalm 142:1 Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer. I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD; I make supplication with my voice to the LORD. 2 I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him.

Slide: David escapes to the cave of Adullam:

Psalm 57:1 A Mikhtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by. 2 I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes [all things] for me. 3 He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth.

Slide: David at the cave of Adullam (in Ziklag), when the “distressed and discontented” came to him:

1 Chronicles 12:1 Now these are the ones who came to David at Ziklag, while he was still restricted because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men who helped [him] in war. ... 8 From the Gadites there came over to David in the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and [they were] as swift as the gazelles on the mountains. ... 14 These of the sons of Gad were captains of the army; he who was least was equal to a hundred and the greatest to a thousand.

Slide: Lessons from David’s early exile:

• Grace upon grace!

• Our greatest responsibility is to cry out to God.

• The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

• He provides for our every need: physical, emotional, and spiritual.

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1 Samuel 20 | You've Got a Friend in Me

Slides:

Theme: You’ve got a faithful friend in Jesus.

Faith is not the opposite of fear. Fear is often the platform from which faith can be seen most clearly.

Hesed = covenantal love

Exodus 34:6-7

Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave [the guilty] unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

Lamentations 3:22-23

The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23 [They] are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Hosea 2:19-20

"I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In lovingkindness and in compassion, 20 And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the LORD.

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?

Theme: You’ve got a faithful friend in Jesus.

Hebrews 8:10

"FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

Psalm 46:10

"Cease [striving] and know that I am God…”

Numbers 14:18

'The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear [the guilty,] visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth [generations.]'

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1 Samuel 18-19 | Defense Wins Championships

Slides:

Followers of Christ will face great opposition. The Lord is our great defense and final victory.

“Most people are corrupted by praise and popularity to the same degree they are crushed by scorn and criticism.” David Guzik

Proverbs 29:25

The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.

Fear is one of the enemy’s greatest tools to oppose us.

“Faith is living without scheming.” Warren Wiersbe

Those spiritual new year’s resolutions will only stick if you “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.”

Followers of Christ will face great opposition. The Lord is our great defense and final victory.

What will determine whether I respond to life’s opposition in fear or faith? It will depend on what you feed – the flesh or the Spirit.

Psalm 59:2-3, 16

Deliver me from those who do iniquity And save me from men of bloodshed. 3 For behold, they have set an ambush for my life; Fierce men launch an attack against me, Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD, ... 16 But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength; Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, For You have been my stronghold And a refuge in the day of my distress.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57

But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

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1 Samuel 18:1-4 | Covenant Conclusions

Slides:

Covenant should impact our relationship not only with God but also with all believers, the local church, and the world around us.

1 Samuel 23:16-18

And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God. 17 Thus he said to him, "Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also." 18 So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD; and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house.

Jeremiah 31:31, 33-34

"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah…33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

What are some of the implications of the New Covenant in our lives?

He will forgive our iniquity and remember our sin no more.

“Justification is a free gift of God to those who believe.”

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

What are some of the implications of the New Covenant in our lives?

He will write His law on our hearts.

“Love, holiness, and zeal for good works are natural byproducts and indicators of our justification. At the Chapel, we call this our witness.”

Matthew 22:36-40

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

1 Peter 2:4-5, 11-12

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ... 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe [them,] glorify God in the day of visitation.

Titus 2:11-14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

What are some of the implications of the New Covenant in our lives?

He will be our God, and we will be His people.

“Covenant binds us in loving responsibility to God, the universal Church, and the local church. At The Chapel, we call this withness.”

1 Corinthians 6:19

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

Ephesians 4:15-16

but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all [aspects] into Him who is the head, [even] Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

1 Corinthians 11:25, 28-29

In the same way [He took] the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink [it,] in remembrance of Me." ... 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.

Psalm 51:10-12

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.

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Psalm 11 | Fighting Fear with Resolute Righteousness

Slides:

Psalm 43:5

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him

I Samuel 30:6

And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in YAHWEH his God.

APPLICATION - Strengthen yourself in Yahweh your God by speaking the truth to your own soul.

The voice of fear pressures our souls to embrace…

Resignation - There’s no stopping it so I might as well accept it

Helplessness - there’s nothing I can do and no one is coming to save me

Victimhood - the evil done to me determines my identity and my purpose

APPLICATION

When the facts are laid out before us, and the situation is dire. When the fearful thing is at hand…Our core temptation is to be OVERLY IMPRESSED by the EVIL around us and UNDERWHELMED with the PROMISES and FAITHFULNESS of the God who is with us.

APPLICATION

Fight fear by looking up to the Lord

YAHWEH tests the children of men.
Among the children of man there are two categories, the righteous and the wicked.
Yahweh tests the wicked based on his hatred of them.
In contrast, we can infer that Yahweh tests the righteous based on his lovingkindness.

APPLICATION

When the bible says things that are difficult for us to accept, we must humble ourselves under the authority of the Word of God. We should seek to understand difficult truths. We must not ignore them or attempt to change them to fit with our preconceptions.

APPLICATION

Is my relationship with God strong enough to keep me resolute in righteousness and doing righteous deeds in times of fearful testing?

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Merry Christmas!

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Psalm 110 | Joy in Our Perfect Priest-King

Slides:

LORD – YAHWEH (The name of God)

Lord - Adonai – The Sovereign One (The title of God)

Matthew 22:41-46

41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Hebrews 7:1-3

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.

Hebrews 7:26-28

26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

God The Father’s Promises to The Son:

I will put your enemies under your feet (v.1)
You will rule as king on earth in the midst of your enemies (v.2)
I will give your people a heart to freely give themselves to you (v.3)
You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (v.5)
I am at your right hand (v.6)
I will execute judgment on your enemies (v. 6)
I will give you all you need to endure (v.7)

The Joy of Our Lord

Joy in accomplishing his Father’s will on the cross
Joy in returning to his Father and sitting at His right hand

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Joy of Our Lord

Joy in accomplishing his Father’s will on the cross
Joy in returning to his Father and sitting at His right hand
Joy in sharing his joy with his people through their obedience

John 15:9-11

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Hebrews 10:11-14

11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

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Psalm 22 | Messianic Prophecies Unveiled

Slides:

Messianic Prophecies Unveiled: Psalm 22

Prophecy: Strongs #5016. A noun. A message from God or a prediction of the future.

Prophesy: Strongs #5012. A verb. To declare the message under inspiration from God.

We will read that there are many prophecies that are clearly referring to the Messiah and some prophecies are veiled.

Timeline of the Bible (handout)

Kings of Israel and Judah (handout)

What prophecies did Israel understand about the Messiah?

Why did Israel miss the coming Messiah?

Genesis 3:15

Genesis 12:3

Genesis 17:19

Numbers 24:17

Genesis 49:10

Exodus 12:46

Numbers 9:12

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6-7

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

Isaiah 11:1

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

Micah 5:2

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”

Daniel 2:44

Daniel 7:13-14

Zechariah 9:9

Zechariah 11:12-13

Zechariah 12:10

Malachi 3:1

Malachi 4:5-6

Why were the prophecies about the Messiah’s crucifixion veiled?

1 Corinthians 2:6-10

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

So, when was the veil on some of the Messianic prophecies UNVEILED?

Psalm 22:1-31

Isaiah 53:1-12

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Psalm 89 | Hope

Slides:

There is no more needed, effective, or durable hope than the Hope we have in Jesus Christ.

1- Praise

2- Promise

3- Problem

Hesed (חֶסֶד)

There is more hope in the truth that God has allowed tragedy, than in the thought that things have happened outside of His control.

Hebrews 4:14-16

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

-Prayer should focus on the character of God.

-Prayer should dwell on the promises of God.

-Prayer should be honest.

-Human hope desires something good for the future, but hopes with uncertainty.

-Biblical hope is not just a desire for something; it is an expectant confidence based in the character of God.

What is the Hope that we have in Jesus?

Hesed (חֶסֶד)

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

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1 Samuel 17 | Heart Failure

Slides:

Romans 15:4

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Luke 24:27

Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

Theme: Faith is the key to the heart that will not fail.

Fear is a great weapon of the enemy.

Hebrews 2:14-15

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

Isaiah 53:2-3

1 Samuel 5:4

But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [were] cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.

Genesis 3:15

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."

God wants to use His people to magnify His name in all the Earth!

Exodus 9:16

"But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.

1 John 5:4-5

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

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1 Samuel 16 | Appearances Can Be Deceiving

Slides:

Theme: Man looks at outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Matthew 1:5

Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse.

Psalm 78:70-72

John 10:11

"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

Job 2:1-3

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD. 2 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." 3 The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause."

Should I listen my heart???

Jeremiah 17:9

"The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Ezekiel 36:26-27

"Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [he is] a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

The heart is the center of life and must be guarded!

Proverbs 4:23

Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it [flow] the springs of life.

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1 Samuel 15 | Oops, I Did It Again

Slides:

Theme: To obey is better than sacrifice.

Exodus 17:14

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."

For more: gotquestions.org

• Search: “violence in the Old Testament” or “genocide”

Genesis 12:3

And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

Ezekiel 33:11

"Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?'

Hebrews 10:26-27, 29, 31

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. ... 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ... 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Theme: To obey is better than sacrifice.

The issue is not perfection or the worth of the sacrifice, it’s about love and Lordship!

1 John 5:1-5

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the [child] born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

1 John 1:6-10

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and [yet] walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

Real Repentance:

• Contrition +

• Confession +

• Correction =

• Clean Conscience

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1 Samuel 14:24-52 | One Bad Apple

Slides:

Theme: Legalism is a heart condition that overflows in our words and actions.

Pastors and parents are called to lead from gentleness.

Psalm 19:8-10

The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Psalm 66:18

If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;

Words often reveal the heart and character of a person.

Matthew 12:35-37

"The good man brings out of [his] good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of [his] evil treasure what is evil. 36 "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37 "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Legalism – an overemphasis on keeping rules and regulations as a means of salvation and/or spiritual growth

The legalist:

• Seeks approval in oaths, promises, and performance.

• Is caught up in his/her “rightness.”

• Struggles with the “spirit” of situations and circumstances.

Legalism:

• Often mistakes victories for personal, spiritual fruitfulness.

• Is often used as cover for a sinful heart condition.

• Is manifested in rules without relationship that lead to rebellion.

• Cultivates foolish commands that can lead to temptation to break obvious commands.

• Creates a dangerous state of spiritual independence.

Colossians 2:20-23

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" 22 (which all [refer] [to] things destined to perish with use)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, [but are] of no value against fleshly indulgence.

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1 Samuel 14:1-23 | It Only Takes One (Or Two) to Do Great Things

Slides:

Theme: The Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few.

The church needs more leaders and armor bearers and less crowds.

Matthew 16:18-19

"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

Matthew 28:18-19

The Lord will fulfill His purposes. The question is, what part do you want to play?

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1 Samuel 13 | The Heart of the Matter is a Matter of the Heart

Slides:

Theme: 2 Chronicles 16:9(a) For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.

When you punch the enemy in the mouth, prepare to be punched back.

Ephesians 6:11-13

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places.] 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Proverbs 4:23

Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it [flow] the springs of life.

James 4:1

What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?

1 Peter 5:6-8

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober [spirit,] be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Why are we to pray for the “peace of Jerusalem” and for the Jewish people?

Romans 11:25-29

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation--that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." 27 "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS." 28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of [God's] choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

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1 Samuel 11-12 | To Fear or Not to Fear, That is the Question

Slides:

Theme: The right kind of fear depends on your remembrance or your forgetfulness.

Acts 1:8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Lessons from Saul’s school for leadership:

• We are to deflect glory to God.

• Repay evil with good.

Romans 12:17-19, 21

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath [of God,] for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. ... 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

God’s people can’t afford to be “presence amnesiacs.”

We often get the leaders we deserve.

2 Timothy 4:3-4

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

How to develop the fear of the Lord that leads to life: Remember the Word.

Deuteronomy 17:19-20

"It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.

How to develop the fear of the Lord that leads to life: Remember the awesome things God has done!

Deuteronomy 10:20-21

"You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. 21 "He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.

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1 Samuel 9-10 | Set for Success

Slides:

Theme: There is a war inside of us for rulership between Spirit and flesh. There can be only one king!

God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit by the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church.

In Christ, you’re “special!”

1 John 2:20

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.

1 Peter 2:9-10

In Christ, you’re new!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [he is] a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

The clarity from calling and confirmation is intended to produce the endurance needed to obey in difficult circumstance.

1 Corinthians 14:3

But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. 4 One who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church.

Romans 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able [to receive it.] Indeed, even now you are not yet able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?

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Fireside Chat | October 1, 2023

Slides:

We feel called to be a sending church.

Matthew 28:19-20

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Ephesians 4:11-13

And He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists, and some [as] pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

We want to see discipleship happen from the inside out.

Some “inside” discipleship goals over the next 5 years:

• Small groups growth and maturation

• Leadership and process for biblical guidance

• Building renovations/updates/maintenance

How do we think the Lord wants us to send?

• School of ministry (2025)

o Better equipped local lay leaders + vocational ministry leaders

• PreK (2024)

o Incarnational ministry to children (birth – PreK) and families.

Needs:

• Growth in our service teams

• Maturity in our finances

o Growth in ministry capacity:

▪ Ministry area budgets

▪ School of Ministry

▪ Missions/Outreach participation

o Savings

o Debt reduction

Becoming the church God wants us to be will require great patience!

James 5:7-11

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. 10 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and [is] merciful.

Patience required for…

• The fruit/the Lord’s plans

• Ourselves

• Each other

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1 Samuel 8 | My Help Comes From the Lord

Slides:

Theme: To reject God as king is to lose our greatest help.

A pastoral pitfall: the money trap.

There are no perfect parents.

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.

A pastoral pitfall: children.

1 Timothy 3:4-5

[He must be] one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)

Titus 1:5-6

1 Samuel 12:17

"Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, that He may send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the LORD by asking for yourselves a king."

Deuteronomy 17:14-20

"When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,' 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, [one] from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. 16 "Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, 'You shall never again return that way.' 17 "He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. 18 "Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 "It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.

A pastoral pitfall: pride.

James 1:19-20

[This] you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak [and] slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

Be careful, God may give you what you ask for!

Exodus 19:5-6

'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel."

Deuteronomy 7:6

"For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Romans 12:1-2

Hosea 13:9-10

[It is] your destruction, O Israel, That [you are] against Me, against your help. 10 Where now is your king That he may save you in all your cities, And your judges of whom you requested, "Give me a king and princes"? 11 I gave you a king in My anger And took him away in My wrath.

Psalm 121:1-8

A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? 2 My help [comes] from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. 8 The LORD will guard your going out and you're coming in From this time forth and forever.

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1 Samuel 5:6-7:12 | Real Repentance

Slides:

Numbers 4:5, 15, 20

"When the camp sets out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and they shall take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it; ... 15 "When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy [objects] and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is to set out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry [them,] so that they will not touch the holy [objects] and die. These are the things in the tent of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry. ... 20 but they shall not go in to see the holy [objects] even for a moment, or they will die."

Hebrews 12:10

For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He [disciplines us] for [our] good, so that we may share His holiness.

Definitions for repentance:

• To breathe deeply, sigh in sorrow over sin

• To change one’s mind regarding sin

• To turn to God from sin

Not Real Repentance:

• Acknowledgment of the truth or…

• Conviction and sorrow or…

• Cries (for help) to heaven or…

• Many “acts” of worship or…

2 Corinthians 7:9-11

Real Repentance:

• Contrition +

• Confession +

• Correction =

• Clean Conscience

Acts 2:38

Peter [said] to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

“Conflict is God’s counterintuitive way of rescuing us from ourselves.” (Tim Lane)

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same way [He took] the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink [it,] in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

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1 Samuel 5:1-5 | The Ark vs. a Demonic Mermaid

Slides:

The presence of Christ is powerful to destroy idols.

Deuteronomy 32:16

They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger. They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known…

1 Timothy 4:1

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons…

An idol is anything that we come to rely on for some blessing, or help, or guidance in the place of a wholehearted reliance on the true and living God. - John Piper

The presence of Christ is powerful to destroy idols, because HE IS BETTER than they are.

Philippians 3:7-8

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ

Disturb us, Lord, when

We are too well pleased with ourselves,

When our dreams have come true

Because we have dreamed too little,

When we arrived safely

Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when

With the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst

For the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life,

We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our efforts to build a new earth,

We have allowed our vision

Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,

To venture on wider seas

Where storms will show your mastery;

Where losing sight of land,

We shall find the stars.

Francis Drake

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1 Samuel 4 | Faith or Formula

Slides:

When your faith becomes a formula, even instruments of worship can become idols.

Joshua 6:3-4

"You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. 4 "Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.

Deuteronomy 1:42

"And the LORD said to me, 'Say to them, "Do not go up nor fight, for I am not among you; otherwise you will be defeated before your enemies."'

Deuteronomy 7:17, 20-21

"If you should say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?' ... 20 "Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet against them, until those who are left and hide themselves from you perish. 21 "You shall not dread them, for the LORD your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.

John 1:14

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 9:13-14

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

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1 Samuel 3 | Can You Hear Me Now?

Slides:

Theme: “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”

Micah 3:6-7

Therefore [it will be] night for you--without vision, And darkness for you--without divination. The sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will become dark over them. 7 The seers will be ashamed And the diviners will be embarrassed. Indeed, they will all cover [their] mouths Because there is no answer from God.

Amos 8:11

"Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD.

Proverbs 29:18

Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.

Can You Hear Me Now: Experience often limits our perception of God’s voice.

Can You Hear Me Now: To have a relationship with God, we must be born again.

John 3:3, 6, 16

Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." ... 6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ... 16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Can You Hear Me Now: Put yourself in position to hear God’s voice.

Can You Hear Me Now: God speaks to the one with a humble, obedient heart.

2 Corinthians 7:10-11

For the sorrow that is according to [the will of] God produces a repentance without regret, [leading] to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong!

Can You Hear Me Now: “God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.” (Henry Blackaby, from Experiencing God)

Can You Hear Me Now: This all assumes that our Creator desires relationship with us!

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1 Samuel 2:11-36 | Get Your Weight Up

Slides:

Theme: “Those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed.”

Get Your Weight Up:

Don’t let your age stop you from ministering to the Lord.

1 Timothy 4:12

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but [rather] in speech, conduct, love, faith [and] purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.

Get Your Weight Up:

Generosity honors God.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Now this [I say,] he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one [must do] just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Get Your Weight Up:

To harden your heart against God is DANGEROUS!

Joshua 11:20

For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

1 John 5:16

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not [leading] to death, he shall ask and [God] will for him give life to those who commit sin not [leading] to death. There is a sin [leading] to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.

Get Your Weight Up: The practice of discipline honors God above our children and teaches them to honor Him.

Proverbs 13:24-25

He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently. 25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, But the stomach of the wicked is in need.

Get Your Weight Up:

We regard the sacrifice with honor and thanksgiving.

Psalm 50:23

"He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders [his] way [aright] I shall show the salvation of God."

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1 Samuel 1:21-2:11 | Commun/ication

Slides:

Don’t focus on the things we are praying about - focus on the One we are praying to.

Isaiah 29:13

“..this people approaches Me with their words and honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me…”

Colossians 3:2

Set your mind on the things above, not the things on earth.

Isaiah 26:3

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Don’t focus on the activity of prayer - focus on the one we are praying to.

Romans 8:5, 26-27

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit… In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

By asking God for things, we exercise our belief that he really is the foundation of all good and that without him we can do nothing that is actually good. If God was a single, independent person, independence would be the godly thing. That would be how to be like him. But as the Son always depends on the Father, that is the nature of Christian godliness. Being a Christian is first and foremost all about receiving, asking, and depending. It’s when you don’t feel needy (and so when you don’t pray much) that you lose your grip on reality, and think or act in a non-Christian manner. In fact, as you grow as a Christian, you should feel not more self-sufficient, but ever more needy. Prayer then, is enjoying the care of a powerful Father, instead of being left to a frightening loneliness, where everything is all down to you. Prayer is the antithesis of self-dependence. With this in mind, instead of chasing the idol of our own productivity, let us be dependent children - and let the busyness that could keep us from prayer drive us to prayer.

Michael Reeves (Enjoy Your Prayer Life)

Hebrews 4:14-16

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1 Samuel 1:1-20 | The Miracle of Life

Slides:

Four verses to help us understand the times in 1 and 2 Samuel:

Judges 21:25

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

1 Samuel 3:1

Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli. And word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent.

1 Samuel 7:15

Now Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

1 Samuel 8:5

and they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations."

To describe is not to prescribe.

T.H.I.N.K. before you speak.

Ephesians 4:29-32

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such [a word] as is good for edification according to the need [of the moment,] so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

“It’s Not About the Nail” video - link: https://youtu.be/-4EDhdAHrOg?si=fWK3DAk8soV8OcaZ

What do you do with a broken heart?

1 Peter 5:6-7

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Philippians 4:6-7

Prayer is a powerful partnership between man and God.

The miracle of life:

Genesis 25:21

Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Judges 13:9

God listened to the voice of Manoah…

Luke 1:13

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.

Psalm 139:13-16

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, [And] skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained [for me,] When as yet there was not one of them.

Deuteronomy 32:39

'See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.

The miracle of life…

reminds us that all life is to be valued, cherished, and respected.
points us to the coming King, the Lord Jesus Christ

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2 Chronicles 15:1-7 | The Lord is With You…

Slides:

The Lord is with you when you are with Him.

Joshua 1:6-9

"Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

2 Chronicles 16:7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, "Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the LORD your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. 8 "Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the LORD, He delivered them into your hand. 9 "For the eyes of the LORD move to and frothroughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars."

3 Challenges: Recommit yourself to abide…

in God. Seize onto Him!

Romans 8:31, 38-39

What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [is] against us? ... 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 Challenges: Recommit yourself to abide…

with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Hebrews 10:23-25

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging [one another;] and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

3 Challenges: Recommit yourself to abide…

in a spirit of Gospel intentionality.

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2 Corinthians 13:5-14 | Blessed by the Test

Slides:

The primary test for the church and its leaders should be the standard of the Word, not personal preference.

Romans 9:1-3

I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, [separated] from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh…

The costs of leadership:

• You’ll make hard decisions that negatively affect people you care about.

• You’ll be disliked, even by people you try your best to help.

• You’ll be misunderstood and won’t be given the chance to defend yourself.

“Tests” of godly discipline:

• The motive of discipline is to build up.

• Self-correction is preferred.

• Displays of power can be rooted in pride.

• Break glass in case of emergency.

Romans 15:22-28

For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; 23 but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you 24 whenever I go to Spain--for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while-- 25 but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 Yes, they were pleased [to do so,] and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. 28 Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.

Blessed by the test: Intimacy with Jesus

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4(a) who comforts us in all our affliction…

Blessed by the test: Ministry to others

2 Corinthians 1:4(b)so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

Blessed by the test: The power of God seen in you for Christ’s sake!

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

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2 Corinthians 12:19-13:5 | The Man in the Mirror

Slides:

James 1:23-24

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for [once] he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

Galatians 5:19 -21

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Sin is a cancer; it grows and kills. We must take sin seriously both individually and corporately.

James 1:14-15

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

1 Corinthians 5:6

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump [of dough?]

2 Corinthians 10:1

Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!

2 Corinthians 11:20-21

For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face. 21 To [my] shame I [must] say that we have been weak [by comparison.] But in whatever respect anyone is bold--I speak in foolishness--I am just as bold myself.

Some thoughts on church authority:

• Meekness is not weakness.

• Violence is not strength.

• Authority is derived from the Word.

Philippians 2:5-8

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, [and] being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Galatians 5:22-25

What do we do? Examine ourselves!

James 1:22-25

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for [once] he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the [law] of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Hebrews 4:14-5:3

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as [we are, yet] without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; 2 he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; 3 and because of it he is obligated to offer [sacrifices] for sins, as for the people, so also for himself.

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2 Corinthians 12:11-19 | Scheming Shepherds

Slides:

Schemes of Satan: Torment

2 Corinthians 12:7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself!

Schemes of Satan: Worldly Sorrow

2 Corinthians 7:10 For the sorrow that is according to [the will of] God produces a repentance without regret, [leading] to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Schemes of Satan: False Teachers

2 Corinthians 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

1 Corinthians 1:4-7

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,

1 Corinthians 9:11-12

If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share the right over you, do we not more?

2 Corinthians 11:7-8

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge? 8 I robbed other churches by taking wages [from them] to serve you;

John 10:11-13

"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 "He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters [them.] 13 "[He flees] because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.

Unconditional love desires, but it doesn’t demand or withhold.

Luke 6:32

"If you love those who love you, what credit is [that] to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

Paul’s “scheme” is to use his authority is to build (others) up.

2 Corinthians 10:8 For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame,

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2 Corinthians 12:1-10 | Suffering and the Sovereignty of God: Strength in Weakness

Slides:

Acts 9:15-16

But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."

Many of our most intimate experiences with the Lord are intended to prepare us to persevere through suffering.

Observations on the thorn:

It was “given” for a reason
In the flesh
A messenger of Satan
To torment Paul
It was “given” for a reason

What if???

God is more concerned with your sanctification than your comfort?
What if He’s able to take what Satan means for evil and turn it for good?
It requires your humble participation?

Job 2:3-5

The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause." 4 Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 "However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face."

Job 40:1-2

Then the LORD said to Job, 2 "Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it."

Job 42:5-6

"I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You; 6 Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes."

1 Corinthians 5:5

[I have decided] to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Romans 8:28-29

James 1:2-4, 13-15

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have [its] perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ... 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

Philippians 4:6-7, 12-13

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ... 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

2 Corinthians 1:3-6

Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation...

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him [be] the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

“God often gives grace instead of removing thorns.” (Not me)

Acts 26:14

"And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'

Romans 8:36-39

Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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2 Corinthians 11:16-33 | Irrefutable

Slides:

Acts 9:15-16

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

Acts 9:22-25

But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. 23 When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.

Matthew 10:16-18

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.

Galatians 6:17

From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

What is Paul telling the Corinthians?

-False teachers serve themselves, no matter the cost to others.

-True servants of Christ serve others, no matter the cost to themselves.

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

-Praising the Lord in Good times is easy, and easy for the world to ignore.

-Praising the Lord in hard times is harder, but is hard for the world to ignore.

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Timothy 4:6-8

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

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2 Corinthians 10:12-18 | Too Big for Your Britches

Slides:

Quotes on comparison:

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” Teddy Roosevelt

“Comparison is the death of joy.” Mark Twain

“Comparison is where joy goes to die.” Pastor Jeff

“Comparison bad. Stop it.” Me

Comparison leads to…

False exaltation or discouragement
Division and judgment
Man-appointed leaders

Galatians 2:7-10

But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter [had been] to the circumcised 8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in [his] apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), 9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we [might] [go] to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 [They] only [asked] us to remember the poor--the very thing I also was eager to do.

We don’t create or grant authority, we recognize it.

Authority has boundaries.

2 Corinthians 2:17-3:3

For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God. 3:1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? 2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Romans 15:20

And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was [already] named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation;

What are our ambitions?

The 4 W’s
To send workers into the harvest
Spiritual healing, biblical community, and personal sanctification
Growth of the Kingdom!

Jeremiah 9:23-24

Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD.

Too big for your britches:

Man-appointed, false teachers

2 Peter 2:1-3

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 and in [their] greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

“Paul wanted the respect of the Corinthian Christians, but he wanted it for their sake, not for his own.”

David Guzik

2 Corinthians 7:3

I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together.

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Fireside Chat - June 4, 2023

Slides:

Mission: Rescipleship = discipleship in the context of relationship.

Vision: (How we practice the mission of The Chapel)

Word
Worship
Withness
Witness

1 Peter 2:4-5, 9

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ... 9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God's] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Chapel ministry philosophy: The primary purpose of the church is to equip the saints for the work of service.

How this ministry philosophy impacts our church ministry, emphasis on:

-Primary worship service

-Small groups

-Service philosophy…

-Including young people serving

cKids and youth structure
Youth missions trips
Summer skills

Chapel ministry philosophy: We believe God wants us to be a “sending” church.

How do we think the Lord wants us to send?

School of ministry (2024 or 2025)

Assist in…

Sending short and long-term missionaries
6 since 2017
Praying for 10 more by 2027
Creating and participating in local ministries
Autonomous church plants
Praying for 2 by 2027
Equipping the saints for the work of service

PreK (2025 or 2026)

Website: Lionheartkid.org

Announcement: Two services (8:30 & 11am beginning August 6th).

Two service FAQ:

Why 2 services and why now?
Will the services be different?
Why 8:30 and 11?
How will we keep from becoming two churches?
Will the two services last year around?
What happens to pre-service worship and prayer?
Will volunteers serve both services?
Will we have cKids at both services?

The sacrifices of a sending church:

Leaders
Money
Comfort

Luke 14:27-30

"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'

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2 Corinthians 10:7-11 | Assessing Apostolic Authority

Slides:

Assess:

evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of.

calculate the price or value of.

VERSE 7 - Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we.

1 Corinthians 4:14-16

I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Acts 18:9-11

And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

1 Corinthians 8:1-3

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

VERSE 8 - For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed.

Matthew 20:25-28

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

John 13:3-17

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him…When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.

Many Christians reduce the definition of the word apostle to “sent one.” While it is true that the Greek word apostolos is derived from its cognate apostello (I send), people in biblical times associated the word with a messenger who had the role of a legal representative.

Recent research has shown that the formal structure of the apostolate was derived from the Jewish legal system, where one person could be given the legal power to represent another person. The representative with such power of attorney was called a shaliach (apostle), and so unique was his relationship to the one he represented that the shaliach was regarded as that person himself. Therefore to receive an apostle was to receive the person who sent him.”

The man commissioned is always the representative of the man who gives the commission. He represents in his own person the person and rights of the other. The Rabbis summed up this basis of the [apostolos/shaliach] in the frequently quoted statement: …“the one sent by a man is as the man himself.”

An apostle was an authorized legal representative (or messenger) of the one who sent him. For example, when a king in biblical times sent an apostle (or shaliach), this apostle represented the king's full authority.

So are there modern apostles? The question must always be asked, “An apostle of whom?” Is the apostle sent by Christ, the church, or any other authority? If Christ sends an apostle, this apostle will be like Christ, which is demonstrated by his miraculous powers and prophetic authority. However, if a local church sends an apostle, then this apostle is simply a missionary or church planter. However, I think using the term apostle, in this case, is not wise. Most people associate the term apostle with people like Peter or Paul. Apostles like them do not exist anymore.

Acts 9:13-16

But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

The LORD gave Paul authority to build up the Corinthian Church by

Establishing the Gospel as the theological and practical foundation of the Church
Declaring and enforcing God’s commands for the Church
Calling individuals in or out of the Church
Setting forth his life habits and practices as a standard for the Church

Such was the authority of the Apostle Paul that he was able to call the gospel HIS GOSPEL because he received it directly from Jesus himself

2 Corinthians 10:9-11

I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.

2 Corinthians 10:1-2

I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh.

VERSE 9: I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters.

VERSE 10: For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”

2 Corinthians 5:15-17

and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

VERSE 11: Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present.

1 Corinthians 4:19-21

But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 21 What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness

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2 Corinthians 10:1-11 | Truth and a Pack of Lies Fighting For Your Soul

Slides:

Ephesians 6:10-17

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

1 Corinthians 1:17-20

….to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

John 8:44

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.

Psalm 119:9

How can a young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it according to your word.

With my whole heart I seek you;

let me not wander from your commandments!

I have stored up your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

To the Lie of Lust:

Matthew 5:27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Romans 13:14 Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

To the Lie of Pride:

James 4:6

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Proverbs 13:10

Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

Exhortations:

Be confident in the Word.
Handle this Truth like Christ.

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Grace, Gifts, and the Gospel (2 Cor 9:12-15) | Let's Get Liberal, The Final Chapter

Slides:

Let’s review:

Generosity is a fruit of grace. (8:1, 6-7)
Our gifts are to be voluntary and according to what we have. (8:3, 12)
Gifts are to be administered wisely in the sight of the Lord and men. (8:18-21)
We sow what we reap. (9:6)
God loves a cheerful giver. (9:7)
Generosity is an act of faith. (9:8-10)

Generosity sows and reaps worship.

Want to create some community? Practice the Gospel through generosity!

John 13:35

"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Acts 2:44-47

And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they [began] selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Let every gift turn your eyes to the Giver.

Romans 8:32

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

James 1:17

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

Exhortations for The Chapel:

Teach your children to give in grace and as an act of worship.
Be intentional with your gifts and combine them with prayer.
Be generous because you’re inspired by the Gospel, not because it’s demanded.
Our generosity is a group project.
Glorify God both with and for generosity.

2 Corinthians 8:9

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

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Talking Tithes (2 Cor. 9:6-11) | Let's Get Liberal, pt. 4

Slides:

Malachi 3:8-10

"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9 "You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation [of you!] 10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.

An Old Covenant theology of giving:

Multiple required tithes = possible 23-25% of total income
Plus “freewill” offerings

Exodus 35:29

The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring [material] for all the work, which the LORD had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill offering to the LORD.

1 Chronicles 29:9

Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the LORD with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly.

A New Covenant theology of giving, the principles of sowing and reaping:

In general, you reap what you sow.

Luke 6:36-38

"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38 "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, [and] running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

Galatians 6:7-8

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

A New Covenant theology of giving, the principles of sowing and reaping:

The reaping takes time.
You reap in proportion to what you sow.
You reap more than you sow.

Matthew 19:29

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.

The principles of sowing and reaping teach us how to “harvest” righteousness.

Matthew 6:19-21

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 6:45

"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil [man] out of the evil [treasure] brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

A New Covenant theology of giving, the principles of sowing and reaping:

Righteous sowing produces righteous worship.

Malachi 3:8-10

The principles of sowing and reaping point us to the Gospel!

Isaiah 53:10

But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting [Him] to grief; If He would render Himself [as] a guilt offering, He will see [His] offspring, He will prolong [His] days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

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Proof of Love (2 Cor. 9:1-5) | Let's Get Liberal, pt. 3

Slides:

Why do we find it hard to give liberally?

A greater need for this grace in our sanctification. (8:1-2)
It feels forced/like legalism (8:3-4, 8-9)
A feeling that our gifts are insignificant. (8:12)
A lack of trust in God as provider. (8:15)
A distrust in leadership/administration of the gift. (8:20-21)

Why do we find it hard to give liberally?

We don’t see the use/ministry connection through our financial gifts. (9:1-4)

1 Corinthians 12:4-7

1 Peter 2:4-5

2 Peter 1:13

I consider it right, as long as I am in this [earthly] dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder…

Romans 12:10-13

[Be] devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

2 Corinthians 7:2-3

Make room for us [in your hearts;] we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. 3 I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together.

Why do we find it hard to give liberally?

Greed, focus on worldly things. (9:5)

Our financial gifts are ministry, they are the proof of our love!

Proof of your love:

8 unique ministry partners primarily sharing the Gospel with Muslims from here to Southeast Asia
Acts – disaster relief
CRU in Romania and on campus at Lee – college students
Ocoee FCA – local college and high school ministry
Foundation House – single moms
Hope 4 One – foster and adoption
New Hope Pregnancy Care Center – crisis pregnancies
Queens 4 Kings – church planting in South Africa
Sloan family – evangelism and discipleship in Guatemala
The Caring Place – practical needs based ministry here in Cleveland

Our liberality is participation in God’s work. He is the Giver, we are simply the vessels!

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2 Corinthians 8:13-24 | Let's Get Liberal, pt. 2

Slides:

Getting liberal (from 1 Cor. 16:1-4 & 2 Cor. 8:1-12):

Is of one’s own accord
Is according to one’s ability
Was directed to be planned and regular
Can be measured in ways other than giving money.
Is a “gift” of grace.
Requires understanding what we’ve received.

Romans 15:26-27

For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 Yes, they were pleased [to do so,] and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.

Exodus 16:16-20

"This is what the LORD has commanded, 'Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.'" 17 The sons of Israel did so, and [some] gathered much and [some] little. 18 When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. 19 Moses said to them, "Let no man leave any of it until morning." 20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them.

How does the Bible define equality?

Some observations from Ex. 16:16-20

Everyone gathered
Some gathered more, some less
All had what they needed
It couldn’t be hoarded
Everything came from above
They were still in the wilderness

Colossians 4:1

Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

Matthew 6:19-21

Matthew 6:31-34

"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' 32 "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Acts 4:34-35

For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35 and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 12

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all [persons.] 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ... 12 For even as the body is one and [yet] has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

Some marks of biblical equality:

Is not sameness
Is a sharing in and through our differences
Everyone does what they can
Not too much, not too little
Is voluntary, an act of grace

Administration of the gracious gifts at The Chapel:

An elder board for financial oversight.
Constant tracking of internal processes and spending by staff.
Conservative approach to spending and debt.
Emphasis on use of volunteer time and talent
Commitment to generosity.

2 Corinthians 7:4, 16

Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction. ... 16 I rejoice that in everything I have confidence in you.

2 Corinthians 8:7

But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, [see] that you abound in this gracious work also.

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2 Corinthians 8:1-12 | Let's Get Liberal, pt. 1

Slides:

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

1 Corinthians 16:1-4

Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. 2 On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. 3 When I arrive, whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem; 4 and if it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me.

Getting liberal:

Is of one’s own accord
Is according to one’s ability
Was directed to be planned and regular

Getting liberal:

Can be measured in ways other than giving money.

Proverbs 3:27

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do [it.]

Getting liberal:

Is a “gift” of grace.

Romans 12:6-8

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, [each of us is to exercise them accordingly:] if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Philippians 2:5-8

Getting liberal:

Requires understanding what we’ve received.
Requires us to resolve to finish the work.
Generosity is much more than the amount of a donation.

Luke 11:42

"But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every [kind of] garden herb, and [yet] disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

Luke 21:1-4

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. 2 And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. 3 And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all [of them;] 4 for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on."

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Easter 2023 | You Are What You Eat

Slides:

Why doesn’t the Gospel move me?

Philippians 3:18-19

For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is [their] appetite, and [whose] glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

2 Corinthians 6:11-13

Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide. 12 You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. 13 Now in a like exchange--I speak as to children--open wide [to us] also.

Lessons on the natural and carnal man:

The natural man can’t understand spiritual things or live in spiritual ways.
The carnal man chooses to feed his appetites and passions and is ruled by them.
The natural man needs salvation.
The carnal man needs sanctification.
They both need repentance.

Hebrews 4:15-16

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as [we are, yet] without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 5:1-3

For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; 2 he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; 3 and because of it he is obligated to offer [sacrifices] for sins, as for the people, so also for himself.

The reality of the resurrection is what gives us victory in life:

Romans 6:4-7 | Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with [Him] in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be [in the likeness] of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with [Him,] in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

The reality of the resurrection is what gives us victory in death:

1 Corinthians 15:53-55 | For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"

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2 Corinthians 7 | Sorry, Not Sorry

Slides:

2 Corinthians 5:18-21

Now all [these] things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

A huge part of the ministry of reconciliation is our responsibility to one another.

2 Corinthians 1:15-16

In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing; 16 that is, to pass your way into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be helped on my journey to Judea.

2 Corinthians 2:1-4

But I determined this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again. 2 For if I cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad but the one whom I made sorrowful? 3 This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy would be [the joy] of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.

God often uses human instruments to produce His comfort.

1 Samuel 15:9

But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

1 Samuel 15:13, 15, 20-21

Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD." ... 15 Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed." ... 20 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I did obey the voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 "But the people took [some] of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal."

Products of worldly sorrow

Anger and bitterness
Unforgiveness/division
Unceasing guilt and shame
Pride
Regret
Justification of sin
Fear of man
Gas lighting

2 Samuel 12:7, 9

Nathan then said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. ... 9 'Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

2 Samuel 12:13

Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.

Products of godly sorrow and repentance:

Zeal for ministry and purity
Holiness
Reconciliation with God and others
Change in life, not just emotional response
No regret
Humility
Salvation!

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

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Our Triune God

Slides:

We worship one God in trinity and the Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the divine being.

For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Spirit is still another.

But the deity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, equal in glory, coeternal in majesty. What the Father is, the Son is, and so is the Holy Spirit.

“Our Triune God is an unsearchable mystery, but He is worthy of our searching.”

-Ritchie Johnson

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD…

Gen 1:1-3 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

John 1:1-3:In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Matt 3:16-17 After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove [and] settling on Him, and behold, a voice from the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

Gen 1:1-3 In the beginning God….

Gen 1:26-27 Then God said, "Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth." So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Gen 18:1-2 Now the LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. When he raised his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed down to the ground…

Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

1 Peter 1:2 ….according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Matthew 28:19 "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit….”

Is the Spirit really a distinct Person of God?

-He speaks and sends (Acts 13:2, 4)

-Chooses (Acts 20:28)

-Teaches (Jn 14:26)

-Gives (Is 63:14)

-He can be lied to and tested (Acts 5:3, 9)

-He can be resisted (Acts 7:51)

-He can be grieved (Is 63:10; Eph 4:30)

-He can be blasphemed (Mt 12:31)

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD…

-Genesis 2:24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one…

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all.

There is a depth of richness in considering the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit rather than just thinking ‘God’.

Things the Trinity helps us understand:

-The Love of God

-Creation

“The Triune God could hardly be starker: a lonely god is empty, hungry, grasping, envious, needy; but this God is superabundant, generous, radiant, and self-giving. And thus the Triune God can and does create. His Grace then is not only his kindness to those who have sinned; His very creating is a work of grace, flowing from His love…God’s love is creative. His love comes first. He gives life and being as a free gift; for His very life, being, and goodness is spreading out that there might be more that is truly good.” - Michael Reeves

Things the Trinity helps us understand:

-The Love of God

-Creation

-Worship

Applications for Trinitarian worship:

-Joyful Humility

-Cultivating Affections

-Worship

-Service

-Go ye

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2 Corinthians 6 | Responsibilities of Grace

Slides:

Responsibility 1: Grace works.

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,

[it is] the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His

workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that

we would walk in them.

Ephesians 4:7, 11-13

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's

gift. ... 11 And He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists,

and some [as] pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service,

to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the

knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to

the fullness of Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:10-11

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did

not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with

me. 11 Whether then [it was] I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

If not now, when will the acceptable time be?

The Corinthians’ problem was not Paul, it was their own worldly desires.

Philippians 3:18-21

For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping,

[that they are] enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is [their]

appetite, and [whose] glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. 20 For our

citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21

who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by

the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

2 Timothy 4:3-4

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but

[wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance

to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

What is restraining your affections?

Responsibility 2: Grace unifies.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14

For even as the body is one and [yet] has many members, and all the

members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one

Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and

we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.

1 Corinthians 5:9-13

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; 10 I [did]

not at all [mean] with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or

with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. 11 But actually, I wrote to you

not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an

idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what

have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within [the church?] 13

But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG

YOURSELVES.

Responsibility 3: Grace sanctifies.

The great gift of grace: God the Father will nourish, protect, and uphold you!

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2 Corinthians 5:11-21 | Compelled by Love

Slides:

1 Samuel 16:7

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God [sees] not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Don’t be surprised when people think you’re a little crazy. Don’t be quick to judge the ones you think are “beside themselves.”

What’s the motive behind our madness? The love of Christ.

We no longer recognize anyone by the flesh…including ourselves!

Lamentations 3:22-23

The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23 [They] are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

The love of Christ is a perfect reflection of the heart of God.

Romans 5:12-13, 19-21

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. ... 19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Revelation 21:1-4

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer [any] sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be [any] death; there will no longer be [any] mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

We are compelled by the love of Christ to see people reconciled to Him!

Romans 5:10-11

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

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Slides:

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, ... 1 Cor. 15:22-23

He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

Finding Your Courage in the Face of Death:

Know that we have an eternal house waiting on us in the heavens.

"O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" 1 Corinthians 15:55

Finding Your Courage in the Face of Death: The Spirit is a down payment.

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God's own] possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit… Ephesians 5:18

Finding Your Courage in the Face of Death: Our future is faith by sight!

Our ambition to please Him is still a work of the Spirit!

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. Acts 1:8

When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. Mark 6:34

Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is [to be] revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

Finding Your Courage in the Face of Death: Our God is a rewarder!

And without faith it is impossible to please [Him,] for he who comes to God must believe that He is and [that] He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. Hebrews 10:32-36

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him.] Romans 8:16-17

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

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2 Corinthians 3, Ephesians 5 | Spirit and Truth

Slides:

1 Corinthians 14:29-33

Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. 30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; 33 for God is not [a God] of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

The church discovers and submits itself to the agenda of Jesus through the Spirit of God and the truth of the Word.

Some observations and exhortations regarding the work of the Holy Spirit.

Don’t let cynicism and fear govern our relationship with the Him.
Discerning and following Him can be messy and tiring.
He may move in unique ways which we cannot control.
His work can be emotive.
He will not contradict the truth of the Word.
We should constantly pray that His Spirit would fill us to overflowing.

God’s Word is the most clear way He has given us to understand His nature, His ways, and His voice and to sanctify us through the renewing of our minds.

James 1:22-25

2 Corinthians 3:18

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:4-8

Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as [coming] from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also made us adequate [as] servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading [as] it was, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?

The interaction of the Word of truth and ministry of the Spirit:

If our discernment is fueled by cynicism and fear, then the letter will kill the life that comes in the move of the Spirit.
The Word handled in right doctrine and motive still serve the move of the Spirit by sanctifying the Church in and through it.

“Some churches believe in the gifts and ministry of the Holy Spirit, but don’t have a strong emphasis on Biblical teaching. Others place a strong emphasis on teaching the Word of God, but don’t believe the gifts of the Spirit are available and valid today. In Calvary Chapel we value the teaching of the Word and possess an open heart to the work of the Holy Spirit.” (Chuck Smith)

God has called us to be His bold witnesses: acting in love and unity, submitting to the authority of His Word, walking in the power of His Spirit.

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2 Corinthians 3 | Unveiled Glory

Slides:

The question is not, “Am I called?”, the question is “Where and how am I called?”

Romans 7:1-13

Romans 8:1-4

Galatians 2:19

“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.

What is the role of the Old Covenant for those of us in Christ?

The Law communicates our need for a savior.
The Law communicates Jesus’s love for us.
The Law fuels our worship.

Exodus 34:6-8

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” 8 Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.

1 Samuel 3:21

The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

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2 Corinthians 2:12-17 | Smells Like Victory

Slides:

We’re all subject to discouragement, even the apostle Paul.

2 Corinthians 11:24-29

Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine [lashes.] 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 [I have been] on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from [my] countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 [I have been] in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 Apart from [such] external things, there is the daily pressure on me [of] concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

Ephesians 4:29-32

So how did Paul go from “no rest in his spirit” to…

2 Corinthians 12:10

Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Demonstrating strength in weakness…

Is a process that must be learned.
Involves each other.

2 Corinthians 7:5-13

For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. 8 For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it--[for] I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while-- 9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to [the point of] repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to [the will of] God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. 10 For the sorrow that is according to [the will of] God produces a repentance without regret, [leading] to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. 12 So although I wrote to you, [it was] not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God. 13 For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

Hebrews 10:23-25

All those in Christ smell good to God!

Ephesians 5:1-2

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

Romans 12:1

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship.

Our lives should have a fragrance to others, and not everyone will like it.

Acts 19:8-9

And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading [them] about the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

This is our calling…

1 Corinthians 1:22-29

For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God.

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2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11 | Co-Workers for Joy

Slides:

Matthew 18:15-17

"If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 "But if he does not listen [to you,] take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5

It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. 2 You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. 3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 [I have decided] to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh…

Questions on church discipline: What is the goal of church discipline?

Matthew 18:15(b)

if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

1 Corinthians 5:5

[I have decided] to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Questions on church discipline: How public should church discipline be?

1 Timothy 5:19-20

Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. 20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful [of sinning.]

Questions on church discipline: What sins should be subject to church discipline?

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Galatians 5:19-21

Titus 3:10-11

Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, 11 knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.

Questions on church discipline: What sins should be subject to church discipline?

Habitual sin patterns that may indicate a lack of salvation.
Habitual sin patterns that threaten the health of the entire local body.

Luke 17:3

"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

What kind of person do you want to be? What kind of church do we want to be? A church of…

Legalism?
License?
Or Love?

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2 Corinthians 1:12-2:4 | The Cynical Church

Slides:

Criticism #1: Paul took his word to the Corinthians lightly.

Answer #1: Judge the messenger by the message and the one who sent it (and him).

Does this mean that it’s wrong to question spiritual authority at all?

Acts 17:10-11

The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily [to see] whether these things were so.

2 Timothy 4:3

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

From “A Time to Invest” – Nov. 27, 2022: How do we think the Lord wants us to send?

School of ministry (2025)

Assist in…

Sending short and long-term missionaries (10 more by 2027)
Autonomous church plants (2 by 2027)
PreK (2024)

Criticism #2: Paul assumed inappropriate authority over the Corinthian church.

Answer #2: Judge me by my love toward the church.

Luke 22:25-26

And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.' 26 "But [it is] not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.

Conflicts among cynical churches and cynical people:

Be as direct and plain spoken as possible. Don’t sweep things under the rug.
But sometimes a little space is ok. Don’t rush into every battle.
Don’t make every issue Defcon 1.
Be careful when judging motives.
A letter is often better.
Consider your own emotions and needs as well as others.
When you detect your cynicism, go back to the cross.

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Don’t Waste Your Suffering | 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

Slides:

A little review:

Paul is dealing with being judged in comparison to the “super” apostles.
A major theme of 2 Corinthians: God’s power is perfected in our weakness.
Jesus comforts us in our affliction (suffering and sin) through His presence.

Welcome to the priesthood!

Philippians 3:8-10

More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from [the] Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which [comes] from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

1 Peter 2:9

Don’t waste your suffering (i.e. get yo mind right!)

We share in divine suffering so that we can share divine sympathy so that we may see divine salvation.
We want the salvation without the suffering.
The result of comfort is salvation through patient endurance.

Suffering is intended to strip away self-reliance and encourage dependence on God.

Romans 8:34(b)

Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Two tools for sharing comfort: presence and prayer.

Human comparison is a comfort killer.

Isaiah 53:2-5

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no [stately] form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being [fell] upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

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2 Corinthians 1:1-4 | God of ALL Comfort

Slides:

Paul’s relationship status with the Corinthians: “It’s complicated”

Paul’s missionary visit to Corinth – Acts 18
First letter – 1 Cor. 5:9
Second letter – The book of 1 Corinthians
The sorrowful visit – 2 Cor. 2:1
Third letter – 2 Cor. 2:3-4 (the “severe” letter)
Fourth letter – The book of 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 11:5

For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.

A major theme of 2 Corinthians: God’s power is perfected in our weakness.

The idea of comfort is to strengthen one in grief, suffering, and weakness through nearness.

John 14:16-17

"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 [that is] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, [but] you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

Does “affliction” include both our circumstances and our sins?

Hebrews 4:15-16

Hebrews 5:1

Jeremiah 2:13

"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water.

Psalm 51:11

Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

“He sides with you against your sin, not against you because of your sin.” Dane Ortlund

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First Things | Ephesians 3:14-19

Slides:

Absence makes fond hearts wander.

2 Corinthians 4:18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Deuteronomy 6:5

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Matthew 22:36-38

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment

Exodus 20:3

You shall have no other God before me.

Galatians 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love…

Revelation 2:4

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

1 John 4:19

We love because he first loved us.

We cultivate love for Christ by meditating on His love for us. Ephesians 3:14-19

For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.

How can we invite the Holy Spirit’s work of growing us in affection for the Lord?

Meditating on ScripturePrayer1: It is Inspired.

2 Timothy 3:16 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness2: It is Understandable.

Proverbs 2:3-5 Indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.Psalm 119:130 The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding even to the simple.3: It is Useful.

For teaching: 2 Timothy 3:15-17. Initiates Faith: Romans 10:17Gives new spiritual life: 1 Peter 1:23, James 1:18Helps us grow: 1 Peter 2:2, 1 Thess 2:13, Acts 20:32Sanctifies: John 17:17, Eph 5:26Liberates: John 8:31-32Comforts: 2 Cor 1Helps us stand against the enemy: Eph 6:17 the sword of the Spirit, the Word.Refreshes, Renews, Satisfies, Protects, Guides, and all kinds of other things: Psalm 119.4: It is effective.

Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it produce and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.Suggestions for Devotional Times:

Check your motive. Are you seeking God, or checking a box?Suggestions for Devotional Times:

Have a Plan. Allow enough time, to not be thinking about time. Preselected scripture (Reading plan)Method for meditation: (S.O.A.P.)Allow Scripture to lead you into prayer. Suggestions for Devotional Times:

Make it a Habit.Consistency in time and place. Rituals can help on hard days.Suggestions for Devotional Times:

Rid distractions.Don’t multitask.Be proactive. Ask for accountability.Dumb-down your smartphone.People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.

D.A. Carson

2 Corinthians 4:18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

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A New Covenant in Christ | New Covenant

Slides:

"The nature of God is to step closer to the sinner and the sufferer."

(See Gentle & Lowly by Dane Ortlund)

Scripture:

Genesis 3:8, 21

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Matthew 1:18-23

1 Corinthians 6:19

Revelation 21:3-4

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Jesus is King! | Davidic Covenant

Slides:

Christmas is the celebration of the faithfulness of God, seen in the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Davidic Covenant: is unconditional, as is God’s love.

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The Davidic Covenant: still holds promises for Israel.

Ezekiel 37:24-25

"My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them. 25 "They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons' sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever.

Hosea 3:4-5

For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or [sacred] pillar and without ephod or household idols. 5 Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.

The Davidic Covenant: greatly narrows the prophecy of the seed.

Matthew 1:1

The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

The Davidic Covenant: is eternal.

Eternal dynastyEternal kingdomEternal throneEternal personLuke 1:31-33

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."

“All of the promises of God are fulfilled, confirmed, and secured in Christ.” (Reverend Jeffery Richardson)

Christmas is the celebration of the faithfulness of God, seen in the birth of Jesus Christ.

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Lawfull | Mosaic Covenant

Slides:

Exodus 19:5-6

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

Revelation 1:5-6

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever Amen

THE LAW says, “Do!”

The GOSPEL says, “Done!”

What is the purpose of the Mosaic Covenant?

James 2:10

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

Romans 3:19-20

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

AN AWFUL LAWFULL EXPERIENCE

(how one young man got his mouth shut by the law)

Romans 3:19-20

Justification is an instantaneous legal act of God in which he thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness belonging to us, and declares us to be righteous in his sight - Grudem

OUR LAWFULL LORD

(the uniquely righteous life of Jesus)

God intends for you to stand confidently and boldly in your justified status

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Faithfull | Abrahamic Covenant

Slides:

Romans 15:8 says, "Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs."

2 Corinthians 1:20, "All the promises of God find their yes in him."

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

-God alone, ensures the covenant’s success.

-We enter into this covenant through faith alone.

Romans 4:20-21

…with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

All the promises of God are fulfilled, confirmed, and secured in Christ!

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Fireside Chat

Slides:

Attitude is Everything: Kingdom mentality

Hebrews 11:17-19

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten [son;] 18 [it was he] to whom it was said, "IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED." 19 He considered that God is able to raise [people] even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.

Hebrews 12:28-29

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

Attitude is Everything: Where God guides, God provides.

"Venture out in faith, be willing to retreat.” Chuck Smith

Attitude is Everything: A people with a purpose.

1 Peter 2:9-12

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God's] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe [them,] glorify God in the day of visitation.

Attitude is Everything: Keep the main thing, the main thing

Acts 6:1-7

Now at this time while the disciples were increasing [in number,] a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic [Jews] against the [native] Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving [of food.] 2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 "Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 "But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5 The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. 6 And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them. 7 The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Attitude is Everything: Led by the Spirit

Acts 13:1-4

Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was [there,] prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

Attitude is Everything: Don’t just do, but be.

Luke 10:38-42

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up [to Him] and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but [only] one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Attitude is Everything: Grace is the glue.

1 Corinthians 5:5

[I have decided] to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 2:5-8

But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree--in order not to say too much--to all of you. 6 Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which [was inflicted] by the majority, 7 so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort [him,] otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm [your] love for him.

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Fireside Chat

Slides:

4 Observations from the parable of the talent:

We are slavesWe only need be faithful in a few thingsThe faithful may be put in charge of many thingsGod does not need usOur mission: Rescipleship = discipleship in the context of relationship.

Matthew 28:18-20

Our vision (practice of mission) at The Chapel:

WordWorshipWithnessWitnessActs 2:42-47

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they [began] selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

We want to see discipleship happen from the inside out.

Some “inside” discipleship goals over the next 5 years:

Small groupsMinimum 50% participation of Sunday attendanceIncorporating the ministry of the Holy SpiritGroups participating with missional opportunitiesLeadership and process for biblical guidance (pastoral counseling)A deliberate, biblical approach to biblical manhood/womanhood/gender/sexualityBuilding renovations/updates/maintenanceSchool of Ministry (to be continued…)From the inside out: We believe God wants us to be a “sending” church.

Clip from “Are We There Yet” 9:28-11:17 (from April 22, 2018)

From Ritchie's “Are We There Yet” notes:

Are We There Yet

Intro: from an acorn to oak tree

Vision – missionaries, ministries, church plantsThe sacrifices of a sending church:

LeadersMoneyReputationRelationshipsHow do we think the Lord wants us to send?

School of ministry (2025)Assist in…Sending short and long-term missionaries 6 since 2017Praying for 10 more by 2027Creating and participating in local ministriesAutonomous church plantsPraying for 2 by 2027PreK (2024)Zechariah 4:6(b)

'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts.

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Fireside Chat

Slides:

The role of the Spirit: The Holy Spirit of God seals us at salvation for our day of redemption, teaches us all things, and empowers us to be His bold witnesses.

Ephesians 1:13-14

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God's own] possession, to the praise of His glory.

John 14:12, 16-17

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do; because I go to the Father. ... 16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 [that is] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, [but] you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

John 14:26

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

Acts 1:6-8

So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

"God has called us to be His bold witnesses: acting in love and unity, submitting to the authority of His Word, walking in the power of His Spirit.” (The Chapel, January 2020)

The Sufficiency of Scripture: Scripture is the only inspired, inerrant, and therefore final authority for Christians for faith and godliness. It is sufficient for every need of the human soul.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

What 2 things does Paul say about the Scriptures in the passage?

It is inspired It is usefulThe Chapel: A local, Calvary Chapel fellowship led by imperfect men, leading imperfect people, filled by the power of the Spirit of God, operating under the authority of the Word of God.

Qualifications of elders:

Titus 1:5-9

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6 [namely,] if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Primary responsibility of elders:

1 Peter 5:1-2

Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as [your] fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to [the will of] God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;

Respect for and accountability of elders:

1 Timothy 5:17-22

The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages." 19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. 20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful [of sinning.] 21 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of [His] chosen angels, to maintain these [principles] without bias, doing nothing in a [spirit of] partiality. 22 Do not lay hands upon anyone [too] hastily and thereby share [responsibility for] the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

Work through photos of elders/families quickly one at a time, then on rotation as we pray.

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Mark 16

Slides:

Where was Jesus from Friday night until Sunday morning?

Luke 23:39-43

One of the criminals who were hanged [there] was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 "And we indeed [are suffering] justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" 43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

Requirements for salvation: Faith in Jesus alone!

1 Peter 3:18-20

For Christ also died for sins once for all, [the] just for [the] unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits [now] in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through [the] water.

1 Corinthians 15:20

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

John 20:26

After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace [be] with you."

Signs of salvation: Belief in the resurrection; our faith depends on it.

1 Corinthians 15:13-14, 17

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. ... 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

Mark 14:27-28

And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, because it is written, 'I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP SHALL BE SCATTERED.' 28 "But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee."

Signs of salvation:

Trust in His word.Grace.Matthew 28:19-20

Signs of salvation:

A life characterized by mission.Participation in baptism.John 3:19

"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

Calvary Chapels practice continuationism, the belief that all of the spiritual gifts are in operation and useful for the edification of the church today.

1 Corinthians 12:27-30

Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, [various] kinds of tongues. 29 All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not [workers of] miracles, are they? 30 All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?

What is Jesus doing now? Where did He go?

To prepare a place for us (John 14:3)The right hand of God, to make intercession for us (Rom. 8:34)To send the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:8)Acts 1:4-8

Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," [He said,] "you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Signs of salvation: A bold witness empowered by the Holy Spirit.

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Mark 15:15-47

Slides: Romans 16:13 Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine.

Psalm 22:16-18 For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; 18 They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.

Isaiah 53:12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

Psalm 22:6-8 But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people. 7 All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, [saying,] 8 "Commit [yourself] to the LORD; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him."

Psalm 22:1(b) My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.

Isaiah 53:10-11 But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting [Him] to grief; If He would render Himself [as] a guilt offering, He will see [His] offspring, He will prolong [His] days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see [it and] be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.

2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Luke 23:46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last.

John 19:30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

Hebrews 10:19-22 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and since [we have] a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled [clean] from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

John 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To grant those who mourn [in] Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Matthew 12:17-20 [This was] to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: 18 "BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. 19 "HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. 20 "A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.

James 4:6-9 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore [it] says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

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Mark 15:1-15

Slides:

We deserve death, and Christ has taken our place.

Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Isaiah 50:6-7 I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed.

“Anytime you find yourself in the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” - Samuel Clemmons

There is peace and power in knowing how the story ends.

Ephesians 2:8–9 “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God”

1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed”

We deserve death, and Christ has taken our place.

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Mark 14:43-72

Slides: Isaiah 53:7-9 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke [was due?] 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

Acts 12:12 And when he realized [this,] he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

Mark 15:29-30 Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, "Ha! You who [are going to] destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!"

John 2:19-21 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." 20 The Jews then said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

A place of grace: Chooses our words carefully because they carry the power of life and death (Prov. 18:21).

Mark 7:21-23 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting [and] wickedness, [as well as] deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride [and] foolishness. 23 "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."

Ephesians 4:29-31 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such [a word] as is good for edification according to the need [of the moment,] so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

Acts 10:38-39 "[You know of] Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and [how] He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 "We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.

A place of grace: Recognizes that the world hates us, but doesn’t grow bitter because of it.

John 15:18-19 "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before [it hated] you. 19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.

Luke 22:61-62 The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, "Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times." 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

A place of grace: Runs to Jesus in our failures.

Matthew 27:3-5 Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." But they said, "What is that to us? See [to that] yourself!" 5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.

John 21:7, 15-17 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped [for work]), and threw himself into the sea. ... 15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, [son] of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs." 16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, [son] of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, [son] of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.

A place of grace: Extends the same grace of forgiveness to others as we have received.

James 5:14-16 Is anyone among you sick? [Then] he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

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Mark 14:26-42

Slides:

2 Peter 1:12-13 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you [already] know [them,] and have been established in the truth which is present with [you.] 13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this [earthly] dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,

Jesus was a worshiper, and He seeks true worshipers.

John 4:23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

God chose you in the foreknowledge of your struggles.

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for [those of] the whole world.

James 3:2(a) For we all stumble in many [ways]…

Luke 22:44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

Jeremiah 25:15 For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, says to me, "Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand and cause all the nations to whom I send you to drink it.

2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

To watch and pray is a great weapon against temptation.

1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober [spirit,] be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Jesus teaches us the meaning and power of hope.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Noteworthy elements of Jesus’ prayer:

Calls on His Father Brought His supplications/requests Persisted in His prayer Surrendered to God’s will

Hebrews 5:7-9

Hebrews 4:14-16

The practice of communion is to be a reminder of Jesus’ great love for the remainder of our days.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

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Mark 14:12-25

Slides:

Exodus 6:4-7 "I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. 5 "Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 "Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 'Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

The Promises of Passover: 1. God will deliver us from slavery. 2. He will redeem us (buy us back). 3. He will take a people for His own possession.

Jesus is still in control.

Jesus is both the Conquering King and the Suffering Servant!

Daniel 7:13-14 "I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 "And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and [men of every] language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being [fell] upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

Jesus redefines Passover in a way that helps us to understand the realities of the new covenant.

Jeremiah 31:33-34 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

Exodus 12:5-8, 11-13 'Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 'You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. 7 'Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 'They shall eat the flesh that [same] night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ... 11 'Now you shall eat it in this manner: [with] your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD'S Passover. 12 'For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments--I am the LORD. 13 'The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy [you] when I strike the land of Egypt.

Exodus 12:17-19 'You shall also observe the [Feast of] Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance. 18 'In the first [month,] on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 'Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether [he is] an alien or a native of the land.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump [of dough?] 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are [in fact] unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

A proper understanding of Passover: - Causes us to grow in love for our great Savior. - Sheds light on how we are to forgive others. - Leads us to “clean out” the sin in our lives.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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Mark 14:1-11

Slides:

What can you do?

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." -T Roosevelt

Matthew 25:34-40 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me [something] to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me [something] to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You [something] to drink? 38 'And when did we see You [as] a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 'And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did [it] for one of the least of these brothers [or sisters] of Mine, you did [it] for Me.'

Matthew 25:34-41-46 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or [as] a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do [it] for one of the least of these, you did not do [it] for Me, either.' 46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

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Mark 13:14-37

Slides:

The 3 questions of the Olivet Discourse: 1. When will these things (the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple) happen? 2. What will be the sign of Your coming? 3. What will be the sign of the end of the age?

Daniel 9:25 "So you are to know and discern [that] from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince [there will be] seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.

Daniel 9:26-27 "Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end [will come] with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27 "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations [will come] one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate."

Daniel 11:31-32, 36 "Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation. 32 "By smooth [words] he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action. ... 36 "Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 8-9 Let no one in any way deceive you, for [it will not come] unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. ... 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 [that is,] the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,

Daniel 12:11 "From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, [there will be] 1,290 days."

Revelation 13:14-15 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. 15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

Genesis 15:16 "Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete."

“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of [the] archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

To my post-tribulation brothers and sisters, look to the return of Jesus with hope and joy.

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

To my pre-tribulation brothers and sisters, develop your theology of suffering.

Psalm 46:1-3 For the choir director. [A Psalm] of the sons of Korah, set to Alamoth. A Song. God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar [and] foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.

2 Peter 3:3-15 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with [their] mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For [ever] since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God [the] heavens existed long ago and [the] earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not let this one [fact] escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord [as] salvation…

Watch! Be on guard! Stay awake! - Don’t lose heart. - Strive for personal holiness - Passion for and commitment to evangelism - Gratitude for Jesus our great high priest!

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Mark 13:1-13

Slides:

Hebrews 1:1-2 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

Mark 12:38-40 In His teaching He was saying: "Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and [like] respectful greetings in the market places, 39 and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, 40 who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation."

Matthew 23:37-39 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38 "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! 39 "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

Matthew 24:3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what [will be] the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

The 3 questions of the Olivet Discourse:

When will these things (the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple) happen? What will be the sign of Your coming? What will be the sign of the end of the age?

John 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am [He,] you will die in your sins."

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

Luke 21:12 "But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake."

Luke 21:20 "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near."

Matthew 24:20 "But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath."

Revelation 12:6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

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Mark 12:28-44

Slides:

1 Samuel 15:22 Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, [And] to heed than the fat of rams.

Hosea 6:6 For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Matthew 9:13 "But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

The core of Christianity: Love and obedience are two sides of the same coin.

Luke 7:47 "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."

The core of Christianity: To look for salvation in works and not love is to be far from the kingdom of God.

The core of Christianity: Jesus was fully human and fully divine.

Hebrews 10:10-13 By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13 waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.

The core of Christianity: Watch out for false doctrine and false teachers.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

1 Timothy 5:17-18 The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages."

2 Corinthians 4:5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake.

Romans 12:6-8 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, [each of us is to exercise them accordingly:] if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 Now this [I say,] he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one [must do] just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

The core of Christianity: The Lord looks at the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God [sees] not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

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Mark 12:1-27

Slides:

Whose kingdom are you serving?

Matthew 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

"We Christ followers have legitimate responsibilities to the government, and as long as those obligations do not interfere with our ability to honor and worship God, we are called to fulfill them." - Daniel Aiken

Hebrews 11:35-38 There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

Romans 8:17-18 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Whose kingdom are you serving?

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Mark 11:20-33

Slides:

Some thoughts on praying in faith: - Faith must be in God as revealed in His Word.

“We should not interpret Mark 11:24 to mean, if you pray hard enough and really believe, God is obligated to answer your prayer no matter what you ask. That kind of faith is not faith in God; rather it is nothing but faith in faith or faith in feelings.” (Warren Weirsbe)

Some thoughts on praying in faith: - Unforgiveness is an obstacle to a powerful prayer life.

Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

Matthew 5:21-24 "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' 22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty [enough to go] into the fiery hell. 23 "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

Some thoughts on praying in faith: - Context matters

1 Corinthians 13:1-2 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have [the gift of] prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

Matthew 17:19-21 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not drive it out?" 20 And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. 21 ["But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."]

Mark 1:22, 27 They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as [one] having authority, and not as the scribes. ... 27 They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."

Mark 8:31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Mark 11:18 The chief priests and the scribes heard [this,] and [began] seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.

Prayer is a balancing act: - Prayer in balance: Accounts for God’s goodness and sovereignty. - Prayer out of balance: Leans toward functional deism or presumption.

Prayer is a balancing act: To the BAPTIcostals… - Allow the gift of faith to unlock the power of prayer.

1 Corinthians 12:7-10 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another [various] kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.

Mark 5:34 And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction."

Mark 10:52 And Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and [began] following Him on the road.

Prayer is a balancing act: To the baptiCOSTALS… - The wise prayer is based on the will of God and for the glory of God.

1 John 5:14-15 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us [in] whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

John 14:13 "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 15:7-8 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and [so] prove to be My disciples.

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Slide: The Lord cares how and why we approach Him. Motive…matters

Slide: The Lord cares how and why we approach Him.

Slide: Do something; but do it with the right motives.

Slide: There is Joy for us in worshiping the Lord.

Slide: True worship of Christ will humble you.

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Mark 11:12-19

Slides:

Jeremiah 8:8, 13 "How can you say, 'We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us'? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes Has made [it] into a lie. ... 13 "I will surely snatch them away," declares the LORD; "There will be no grapes on the vine And no figs on the fig tree, And the leaf will wither; And what I have given them will pass away."'"

Luke 13:6-9 And He [began] telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 7 "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' 8 "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; 9 and if it bears fruit next year, [fine;] but if not, cut it down.'"

Matthew 3:7-8, 10 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 "Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance…10 "The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Isaiah 56:3-7 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely separate me from His people." Nor let the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree." 4 For thus says the LORD, "To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, 5 To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, And a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off. 6 "Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath And holds fast My covenant; 7 Even those I will bring to My holy mountain And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples."

Jeremiah 7:11 "Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen [it,]" declares the LORD.

God has always been for the nations.

The Abrahamic covenant: Genesis 18:17-18 The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?

Dedication of Solomon’s Temple: 1 Kings 8:41-43 "Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your name's sake 42 (for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, 43 hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as [do] Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name.

The Triumphal Entry: Zechariah 9:9-10 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout [in triumph,] O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.

Provision for the nations: Deuteronomy 24:19-22 "When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. 20 "When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. 21 "When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. 22 "You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.

Provision for the nations: Leviticus 19:33-34 'When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 'The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 23:22 'When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'"

God’s temple is for the nations. His temple is… The church Ephesians 2:19-22 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner [stone,] 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

God’s temple is for the nations. His temple is… You 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

How can I minister to the nations? Give Go Pray Think local too!

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

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Mark 11:1-11

Slides:

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is righteous and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Zechariah 9:10 And I will eliminate the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be eliminated. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.

Malachi 3:1-2 “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts. “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap…”

Revelation 19:11-16 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND Lord OF LORDS.”

Revelation 19:7-9 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, 'Write, ‘ Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’

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Mark 10:32-52

Slides:

Mark 8:31-33 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

Mark 9:31-34 For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later." 32 But they did not understand [this] statement, and they were afraid to ask Him. 33 They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He [began] to question them, "What were you discussing on the way?" 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which [of them was] the greatest.

The flesh is set on man’s interests, not God’s.

It’s not always wrong to want to be great.

Isaiah 9:6-7 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of [His] government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Matthew 1:1 The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

“Rest assured that those are the best prayers in all respects, if they be earnest and sincere, which go most directly to the point. You know there is a way of praying in the closet, and praying in the family, in which you do not ask for anything. You say a great many good things, introduce much of your own experience, review the doctrines of grace very thoughtfully, but you do not ask for anything in particular. Such prayer is always uninteresting to listen to, and I think it must be rather tedious to those who offer it.” (Spurgeon)

The Power in Privilege - In relationship to others: We are called to serve without expectation of return. - In relationship to Jesus: As the chief of servants, He is always there for those who recognize their need of Him.

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Mark 10:13-31

Slides:

1 Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

Kingdom math: We are responsible to bring children to Jesus. They can be our greatest multipliers of the Gospel.

Kingdom math: The kingdom is not earned, it’s received. Salvation is free, free, free, free, free.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Philippians 3:4-8 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…

Matthew 5:17, 20-21 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. ... 20 "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses [that] of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 21 "You have heard that the ancients were told…

Mark 3:14-15 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He [could] send them out to preach, 15 and to have authority to cast out the demons.

Kingdom math: Mo money, mo problems.

1 Timothy 6:10-11 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance [and] gentleness.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Matthew 5:10-12 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when [people] insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Kingdom math: Jesus + nothing = everything.

Mark 8:34-37 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. 36 "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 "For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

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Mark 10:1-12

Slides:

Jude 22-23 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 "When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts [it] in her hand and sends her out from his house, 2 and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man's [wife,] 3 and if the latter husband turns against her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts [it] in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife, 4 [then] her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her again to be his wife, since she has been defiled; for that is an abomination before the LORD, and you shall not bring sin on the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance.

Matthew 19:8-10 He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. 9 "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." 10 The disciples said to Him, "If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry."

1 Corinthians 7:12-15 But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. 15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such [cases,] but God has called us to peace.

Ephesians 5:22-23, 25, 31-32 Wives, [be subject] to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself [being] the Savior of the body. ... 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, ... 31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

Application: How do we distinguish between timeless, unchanging truth and culturally relevant examples in Scripture? Nearness to the central message of the Bible. Recognize the difference between principle (moral issues) and application (peripheral issues). Look for Scriptural consistency and persistency.

1 Timothy 2:1-2, 8-10 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties [and] prayers, petitions [and] thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. ... 8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension. 9 Likewise, [I want] women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, 10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.

Application: God’s intent for marriage has always been, and continues to be, one man committed to one woman for life.

Application: Have mercy! Stand on truth in a spirit of grace.

Application: A message to those who have been through divorce…

James 4:6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore [it] says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."

Application: A message to those who have been through divorce… To the prideful… To the humble…

Application: It’s all about Jesus!

1 Corinthians 11:23-25 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same way [He took] the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink [it,] in remembrance of Me."

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Mark 9:30-50

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Luke 14:12-14 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Serving kills pride.

Seeking first His Kingdom kills comparison.

A right understanding of sin kills apathy.

Wisdom helps to kill sin.

Christ exalting fellowship helps kill sin.

The sacrifice of Jesus cancels death, and the power of the Holy Spirit allows us to kill sin.

Romans 8:11-13 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

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Mark 9:14-29

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Mark 9:1-13

Slides:

Mark 9:1

And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

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Mark 9:2

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them,

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Mark 9:3

And his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.

Luke 9:29…the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.

Matthew 17:2…his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

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II Peter 1:16-19

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

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Application - Christianity is unashamedly supernatural. The power of the Kingdom can and does break into our world. We should eagerly expect that.

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Competing Spectacles - Tony Reinke

The human heart bends toward what the eye sees. Today’s image makers fling into the world digital spectacles of sex, wealth, power, and popularity. Those images get inside us, shape us, and form our lives in ways that compete with God’s design for our focus and worship. (p.118)

Satan blinds hearts by filling eyes with worthless things. His veil over human hearts today is a veil of pixels…(p.133)

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II Cor 3:18

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

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Application - Gaze upon the world and become DEFORMED…Gaze upon Christ and be TRANSFORMED

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Mark 9:4

And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

Luke 9:30-31

And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

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Mark 9:5-6

And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.

Luke 9:32-33

Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.

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Application - Prayer…if at first you don’t succeed try, try again

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Psalm 33:8

Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 14:27

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.

Psalm 25:14

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

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Mark 9:7

And a cloud [a bright cloud (Matt 17)] overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; [my Chosen One (Luke 9)] [with whom I am well pleased (Matt 17)] listen to him.”

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II Corinthians 4:3-6

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God…God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

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II Peter 1:16-19

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

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Application - Believing is seeing. We have seen Jesus’ glory in salvation. We can now see Jesus’ glory in his word. We will see Jesus’ glory when he returns.

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Mark 9:8-13

And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

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MALACHI 4:5-6

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

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Slides: Slide: 1 Corinthians 12:12 For even as the body is one and [yet] has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.

Slide: Where we’ve come from: “Some churches believe in the gifts and ministry of the Holy Spirit, but don’t have a strong emphasis on Biblical teaching. Others place a strong emphasis on teaching the Word of God, but don’t believe the gifts of the Spirit are available and valid today. In Calvary Chapel we value the teaching of the Word and possess an open heart to the work of the Holy Spirit.” Chuck Smith

Slide: Where we’ve come from: Joshua 4:19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. 20 Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. 21 He said to the sons of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' 22 then you shall inform your children, saying, 'Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.' 23 "For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; 24 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever."

Slide: Where we’ve come from: The purposes of setting up stones of remembrance: To testify of the Lord to those around us. To teach younger generations. To remind us of the faithfulness of God as we face future battles.

Slide: Where we’ve come from: Some Chapel stones of remembrance:

Slide: Where we’ve come from: Genesis 39:2 The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and [how] the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand.

Slide: Who we are: Mission – Rescipleship = discipleship within the context of relationship.

Slide: Who we are: Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they [began] selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Slide: Who we are: Vision - The 4 W’s Word Worship Withness Witness

Slide: Who we are: How do I get involved? Make a covenant in your heart to… Worship together regularly Find a place to serve Get into a small group

Slide: Where we’re going: A vision for multiplication (Matt. 25:14-30)

Slide: Where we’re going: Some questions that need to be answered. What do we say no to? What do we invest in? Where do we take risks? How will we need to sacrifice? How can we multiply what God has given?

Slide: Where we’re going: From glory to glory! 2 Corinthians 4:15 For all things [are] for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

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Mark 8:27-38

Slides:

Matthew 16:16-17 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal [this] to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Isaiah 53:3, 5 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. ... 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being [fell] upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

Psalm 22:1, 16-18 A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. ... 16 For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; 18 They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.

Genesis 49:9-11 "Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up? 10 "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him [shall be] the obedience of the peoples. 11 "He ties [his] foal to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, And his robes in the blood of grapes.

Psalm 2:6, 9 "But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain." ... 9 'You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'"

Ezekiel 37:24-26 "My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them. 25 "They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons' sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever. 26 "I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever.

The 3 essentials: Deny yourself Take up your cross Follow Him

The 4 fors: Whoever loses his life for the Gospel’s sake will save it. What good is gain if you forfeit your soul? What will a man give in exchange for his soul? Jesus will be ashamed of the one who is ashamed of Him.

Application: We’re quick to confuse Earth and heaven.

Application: God is sovereign in suffering.

Application: To pick something up, you first have to put something down.

Romans 8:5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

Application: Don’t let the traditions of men determine our understanding of salvation.

Mark 7:5-8 The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?" 6 And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 7 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' 8 "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men."

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Mark 8:1-26

Slides:

Are you a scriptural archaeologist?

If the Devil can’t make us bad, he will make us busy. -Corrie ten Boom    1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

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Mark 7:24-37

Slides:

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Romans 11:25-29 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery--so that you will not be wise in your own estimation--that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." 27 "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS." 28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of [God's] choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Luke 18:10-14 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' 13 "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' 14 "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Isaiah 35:1, 5, 10 The wilderness and the desert will be glad, And the Arabah will rejoice and blossom; Like the crocus ... 5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. ... 10 And the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Jesus demonstrates that ministry is not a formula.

Jesus lived the Great commission.

Jesus taught us that there are no “unclean” people.

Acts 10:28, 34-35 And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and [yet] God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. ... 34 Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand [now] that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.

Revelation 5:9-10 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood [men] from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 "You have made them [to be] a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

How did they hear?

Mark 3:7-8 Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and [also] from Judea, 8 and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him.

Mark 5:18-20 As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He said to him, "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and [how] He had mercy on you." 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

Romans 10:12-15 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same [Lord] is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"

A challenge for this week: Have a spiritual conversation with someone. Or… Share your 2-minute testimony with someone.

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Mark 7:1-26

Slides:

It is possible to worship in vain.

Matthew 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven [will enter.] 22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

Romans 9:30-31, 10:1-4 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at [that] law…10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for [their] salvation. 2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3 For not knowing about God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

What is the commandment of God? In a word, love.

Matthew 22:36-40 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

Acts 10:10-15 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11 and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all [kinds of] four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13 A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!" 14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean." 15 Again a voice [came] to him a second time, "What God has cleansed, no [longer] consider unholy."

Romans 14:13-19 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this--not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. 14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who in this [way] serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

The loves of legalism * Legalism loves rules * Legalism loves comparison * Legalism loves glory

The lacks of legalism * Legalism lacks conscience * Legalism lacks mission * Legalism lacks understanding of the Gospel

1 Corinthians 15:1-5 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

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Mark 6:45-56

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John 6:14-15 Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15 So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king…

1 Kings 19:9-12 Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD [came] to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." 11 So He said, "Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; [but] the LORD [was] not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, [but] the LORD [was] not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake a fire, [but] the LORD [was] not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.

John 6:21 So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

John 6:26, 35-36 Jesus answered them and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. ... 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. 36 "But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.

John 6:66-68 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" 68 Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.

The safest place is the place of obedience.

James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have [its] perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The key to courage: the presence of God.

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Hebrews 13:5 [Make sure that] your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," 6 so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?"

Acts 18:9-10 And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid [any longer,] but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city."

Jesus is interceding for your faith!

Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Romans 8:33-34 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Matthew 14:32-33 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!"

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Mark 6:30-44

Slides:

Slide: You’ve been given authority to do everything Jesus asks you to do. You conduit!

Slide: Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Slide: Acts 1:8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Slide: Missionaries need R&R (rest and re-filling).

Slide: John 4:6...So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

Slide: Luke 8:46 But Jesus said, "Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me."

Slide: Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit…

Slide: We are conduits of the grace, power, and authority of God.

Slide: Jesus is our compassionate shepherd.

Slide: Matthew 11:28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, 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."

Slide: Most common reasons we don’t consistently demonstrate the compassion of Jesus: * We’re too tired, busy, and empty. * We don’t understand the grace of God given to us.

Slide: 1 Peter 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God's] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe [them,] glorify God in the day of visitation.

Slide: You’re only the conduit, not the source; just start by stewarding what you have well.

Slide: How can I find rest, satisfaction, and fruitfulness?

Slide: God’s Word as our spiritual food: * Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts. * Psalm 105:40 They asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven. * 1 Peter 2:2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, * Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" * John 6:31 "Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'HE GAVE THEM BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN TO EAT.'" ... 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

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Mark 6:14-29

Slides:

2 Tim 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…

Slide: Mark 8:34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[b] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

Slide: “The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ.   As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ.   When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. “  - Bonhoeffer   Slide: When we die to ourselves, we proclaim the value of Jesus…That is worship.  

Slide: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

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

Slide: -A man who has nothing he will die for isn't fit to live. The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time. -Samuel Clemens

Slide   John 15:18“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. 20Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.  2 Tim 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…   Mark 8:34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?  John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Matt 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Philippians 1:20 it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

Phil 3:7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.  Rev. 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

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Mark 6:14-16

Slides:

Slide: Who did Jesus say that He was? John 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. ... 41 Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, "I am the bread that came down out of heaven."

Slide: Who did Jesus say that He was? John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." 13 So the Pharisees said to Him, "You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true."

Slide: Who did Jesus say that He was? John 8:58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." 59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.

Slide: Who did Jesus say that He was? John 10:9 "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ... 11 "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. ... 19 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words… .30 "I and the Father are one." 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.

Slide 5: Who did Jesus say that He was? John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Slide: Who did Jesus say that He was? John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Slide: 1 Corinthians 15:1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

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Mark 5:1-20

Slides:

Slide: There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors… - CS Lewis

Slide: He could break chains; but he wasn't free until Jesus delivered him.

Slide: Matt 8: 29 “What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time”

Luke 8:31 They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.

Slide: Rev 19:19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. 20:1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended.

Slide: 2 Cor 12:7 I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

Slide: Luke 22:31 “Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Slide: 2Cor 12:8-10 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 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.

Slide: “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” Isaiah 61:1

Slide: -That demons are real, and dangerous. -That Jesus reigns over the enemy with complete authority, power and sovereignty. -That true freedom is ONLY found in and through Jesus. -That followers of Christ cannot be controlled by demons, but we can be tormented. -That Jesus is sovereign and powerful in those circumstances to help us. -That no one is too far gone for Jesus to save. -That Jesus can use anyone to further His Kingdom.

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Mark 4:35-41

Slides:

Slide: Some bumper sticker theology: In case of rapture, this car will be unmanned. I don’t question your existence. (God) God is my co-pilot. This fish won’t fry. Will you? Intolerant religious bumper sticker. Know Jesus, know peace. Keep calm and applied theology on.

Slide: Storms may come in obedience or in disobedience. (Wiersbe)

Slide: James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have [its] perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Slide: What do we do when we don’t know? We cling to what we do know!

Slide: 1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober [spirit,] be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in [your] faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen [and] establish you.

Slide: Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Slide: Psalm 89:8 O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. 9 You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.

Slide: Psalm 107:28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, And He brought them out of their distresses. 29 He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed.

Slide: Fear is a faith (in God) problem.

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Mark 4:1-20

Slides:

Slide: Matthew 13:14 "In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; 15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'

Slide: Acts 28:25 And when they did not agree with one another, they [began] leaving after Paul had spoken one [parting] word, "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, 26 saying, 'GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, "YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; 27 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES; OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES, AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM."'

Slide: Isaiah 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2 Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks, "Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me. 3 "An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master's manger, [But] Israel does not know, My people do not understand." 4 Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity, Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away from Him.

Slide: Isaiah 1:16 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, 17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow. 18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. 19 "If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; 20 "But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Slide: When it comes to salvation, remember that… God is sovereign. God is good. You have responsibilities. You can’t explain it all!

Slide: Applications: Sowers sow.

Slide: Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Slide: Applications: “Sow and sleep.” (John MacArthur)

Slide: 1 Corinthians 3:7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

Slide: Applications: Guard your heart.

Slide: Proverbs 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it [flow] the springs of life.

Slide: Applications: Listen up.

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Mark 3:20-35

Slides:

Slide: Was Jesus saying the family was not important?

Slide: Family is a picture of the Gospel: Genesis 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of [a son] in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.

Slide: Family is a picture of the Gospel: Ephesians 5:31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

Slide: Family is a picture of the Gospel: Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

Slide: Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

Slide: A kingdom perspective changes the way we relate to Jesus.

Slide: “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse… C.S Lewis

Slide: Mark 8:27 Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, "Who do people say that I am?" 28 They told Him, saying, "John the Baptist; and others [say] Elijah; but others, one of the prophets." 29 And He [continued] by questioning them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ."

Slide: A kingdom perspective changes the way we relate to others.

Slide: Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Slide: Mark 10:28 Peter began to say to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You." 29 Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, 30 but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

Slide: One discipleship practice here at The Chapel – “Withness” Intimate, mutually beneficial relationships that carry each other’s burdens and point each other to Christ.

Slide: So why don’t I have “withness”? Your brothers and sisters in Christ are broken too. Your expectations are out of alignment. You focus on what others have. You look to people over God. You’re not investing.

Slide: John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

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Mark 3:20-30

Slides:

Slide: Following the Lord can look a little crazy, even to those who love you.

Slide: What is blasphemy? Hateful speech that overflows the hardened, defiant heart.

Slide: Why is this blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and not against Jesus Himself?

Slide: Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, [and] being made in the likeness of men.

Slide: Why is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit so serious?  Slide: Daniel 7:8 "While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great [boasts.]

Slide: Daniel 11:36 "Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done.

Slide: Revelation 13:5 There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, [that is,] those who dwell in heaven.

Slide: Why is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit so serious? It is the spirit of antichrist.

Slide: Have I committed the unforgivable sin?

Slide: 1 Timothy 1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are [found] in Christ Jesus.

Slide: How does anyone get to the point of blaspheming the Holy Spirit? Is this a Gospel of cheap grace?

Slide: Exodus 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

Slide: Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ... 28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; [they are] gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Slide: How can I know that I am saved? Believe in and confess the name of Jesus Follow Him

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Mark 3:7-19

Slides:

Slide: What is a (true) disciple? A learner/pupil, a follower of a teacher’s life and teachings

Slide: What are the marks of disciples? They abide in the Word. (Word)

Slide: John 8:31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, [then] you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

Slide: What are the marks of disciples? They love their spiritual family. (Withness)

Slide: John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Slide: Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging [one another;] and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Slide: 1 Corinthians 14:26 What is [the outcome] then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

Slide: What are the marks of disciples? They bear fruit. (Witness)

Slide: John 15:8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and [so] prove to be My disciples.

Slide: What did Jesus appoint His 12 disciples to do? To be with Him (invites us in)

Slide: What did Jesus appoint His 12 disciples to do? To do His work (sends us out)

Slide: God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

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Mark 3:1-6

Slides:

Books by Phillip Rodgers: How Tall is God? Where Does God Live? When Does God Sleep? When Was God Born? Does God Celebrate Christmas?

What makes God mad? • A hard heart

God’s commandments are God’s enablements.

Why does a hard heart make God mad? • Because He is exclusive.

Exodus 20:2-5

Why does a hard heart make God mad? • Because He is worthy

Job 38:4-35

Why does a hard heart make God mad? • Because He is love.

Exodus 34:12-16

Who are the hard hearted?

Ephesians 4:17-31

God’s commandments are God’s enablements.

Galatians 5:16

Ephesians 6:11

James 4:7-8

Hebrews 12:3

Hebrews 4:15-16

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Slides: People simply love their sin

John 3:19

Satan blinds people to the Truth

2 Corinthians 4:3-4

Zechariah 9:9

Some can’t see because they’re not looking

Some can’t see, but they will

Some can see, they just don’t like what they see

Some can’t see because they won’t

Truth doesn’t require belief to be true. It simply is true!

Disciples are not made up of the interested but of the invested.

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Mark 2:18-28

Slides:

Slide: -Mishna -Chumra

Slide: Deut 22:8 that says: “When you build a new house, you shall build a parapet (fence) for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it.”

Slide: Mark 7:5-8 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “ This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

Slide: Matt: 6:16-17 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Slide: “Jesus’ point was made clear by these examples. You can’t fit His new life into the old forms. Jesus traded fasting for feasting; sackcloth and ashes for a robe of righteousness; a spirit of heaviness for a garment of praise; mourning for joy; and law for grace…. Jesus came to introduce something new, not to patch up something old. This is what salvation is all about. In doing this, Jesus doesn’t destroy the old (the law), but He fulfills it, just as an acorn is fulfilled when it grows into an oak tree. There is a sense in which the acorn is gone, but its purpose is fulfilled in greatness.” - Guzik

Slide (these will be quick and consecutive): -2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

-John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

-Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit

Slide: Sabbath Filter: -Is it rest? -Is it Worship?

Slide: This practice of Sabbath is a gift that the Lord has given us in His great grace, that cultivates Satisfaction.

Slide: Isaiah 58:6-14

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Mark 2:1-17

Slides:

Slide: We must walk in the tension between meeting physical and spiritual needs.

Slide: Mark 1:38 He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for."

Slide: James 2:15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for [their] body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, [being] by itself.

Slide: One of the ways we carry others to Jesus is through intercessory prayer.

Slide: Romans 8:26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for [us] with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to [the will of] God.

Slide: Is my suffering or sickness punishment from God because of my sin? It could be.

Slide: 1 Corinthians 11:27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

Slide: Is my suffering or sickness punishment from God because of my sin? Suffering often has a redemptive purpose.

Slide: John 9:1 As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "[It was] neither [that] this man sinned, nor his parents; but [it was] so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Slide: Is my suffering or sickness punishment from God because of my sin? We should fear sin more than suffering.

Slide: John 5:14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, "Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you."

Slide: Is my suffering or sickness punishment from God because of my sin? Forgiveness is a greater miracle than healing.

Slide: James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? [Then] he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Slide: Be careful when reasoning spiritual things if you won’t let God amaze you.

Slide: Fishing tips: Pick your spot. Take a friend. Don’t fall in.

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Mark 1:14-45

Slides:

Slide: Mature disciples follow despite the cost.

Slide: Luke 14:25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

Slide: Mature disciples go fishing.

Slide: “Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love one another, but to use violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.” Mother Teresa

Slide: Mature disciples: Seek and rely on the grace of God.

Slide: Maturity is not about becoming independent, but about recognizing how deeply dependent you are on God’s faithful grace.

Slide: Mature disciples recognize the reality of spiritual warfare.

Slide: Mature disciples seek to live with compassion.

Slide: Mature disciples understand that the time to act is now.

Slide: Hebrews 5:8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. ... 11 Concerning him we have much to say, and [it is] hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes [only] of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Slide: Ephesians 5:15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

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Mark 1:1-13

Slides:

Slide 1: Acts 12:12 And when he realized [this,] he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. ... 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with [them] John, who was also called Mark.

Slide 2: Acts 13:5 When they reached Salamis, they [began] to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.

Slide 3: Acts 15:37 Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. 38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. 40 But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.

Slide 4: 2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

Slide 5: The good news: He’s a God of second chances.

Slide 6: The good news: God values the servant.

Slide 7: The good news of the Gospel: It is proven. It can be known. It does not change.

Slide 8: Mark 10:38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" 39 They said to Him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.

Slide 9: Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

Slide 10: Romans 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Slide 11: Hebrews 10:1 For the Law, since it has [only] a shadow of the good things to come [and] not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. ... 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Slide 12: The good news: Salvation has never been earned, it is freely offered.

Slide 13: The good news: The Gospel is worth the effort.

Slide 14: 2 Kings 1:8 They answered him, "[He was] a hairy man with a leather girdle bound about his loins." And he said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite."

Slide 15: John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease.

Slide: The good news: God is no respecter of persons.

Slide 16: John 20:19 So when it was evening on that day, the first [day] of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace [be] with you." ... 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

Slide 17: Acts 1:4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," [He said,] "you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." 6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Slide 18: The good news: There is power for ministry in the Holy Spirit.

Slide 19: The good news: We are not alone when facing trial and temptation.

Slide 20: Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as [we are, yet] without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

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Slide: Jude 1:16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their [own] lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of [gaining an] advantage.

1 Corinthians 10:10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

Slide: “Where two or more are gathered in my name, those sinners are going to hurt each other.” (Source: not the Bible)

Slide: A Chapel distinctive: We believe in grace upon grace.

Slide: Even evaluate complaints and grumbling. The twelve: Prioritized ministry.

Slide: Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they [began] selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Slide: Mission: Rescipleship, discipleship within the context of relationship.

Slide: Vision: The 4 W’s Word Worship Withness

Slide: Small groups: Keep church small Are highly relational Foster greater pastoral care and personal accountability Are adaptable Are cheap Encourage greater use of spiritual gifts Have great missional potential

Slide: Vision: The 4 W’s Witness

Slide: Even evaluate complaints and grumbling. The twelve: Cast vision to the multitude.

Slide: Even evaluate complaints and grumbling. The twelve: Equipped people for the work.

Slide: Ephesians 4:11 And He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists, and some [as] pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

Slide: A Chapel distinctive: We believe the purpose of the local church is equipping.

Slide: A Chapel distinctive: We believe deeply in the Bible and highly prioritize its use and application in every avenue of ministry.

Slide: A Chapel distinctive: We believe in and pursue more of the Holy Spirit.

Slide: Ordination – to put in charge of, set apart for a purpose, or grant authority

Slide: Exodus 29:1 "Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them to minister as priests to Me: take one young bull and two rams without blemish, ... 4 "Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. ... 7 "Then you shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. ... 9 "You shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and bind caps on them, and they shall have the priesthood by a perpetual statute. So you shall ordain Aaron and his sons. 10 "Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull.

Slide: Acts 13:1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was [there,] prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. ... 5 When they reached Salamis, they [began] to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.

Slide: A Chapel distinctive: We believe that ordination is a calling that God places on people, and the church simply recognizes and embraces it.

Slide: For those who have recently come from other churches: Are you “called” here? Did you leave in good conscience from there? Is there anyone you need to forgive? Do you need to seek any reconciliation?

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Slide: Exodus 15:22-25, 22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.[f]) 24 So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.

Slide: Exo: 16:1-3: The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

Slide: Ex 17:3, 3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”

Slide: 32:1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods[a] who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”

Slide: Num 11:1: Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.

Slide: In the WIlderness, look out for: Impatience World/Self Focus Grumbling

Slide: 1 Sam 24 :4 The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said[a]to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.5 Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” 7 With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

Slide: We walk well in the wilderness by worshiping.

Slide: Desire is infinite partly because we were made by God, made for God, made to need God, and made to run on God. We can be satisfied only by the one who is infinite, eternal, and able to supply all our needs; we are only at home in God. When we fall away from God, the desire for the infinite remains, but it is displaced upon things that will certainly lead to destruction - Dallas Willard:

Slide: We can pursue worship in the wilderness through the disciplines of: -Scripture -Prayer -Praise

Slide: Grace is not opposed to effort, but to earning. -Dallas Willard

Slide: 2 Tim 3:16-17 - All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Slide: Psalm 119:9-11 How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Slide:

Slide: “Of all the spiritual disciplines, Prayer is the most important, because it ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father.” -Richard Foster

Slide: “Whenever the Christian idea of meditation is taken seriously, there are those who assume it is synonymous with the concept of meditation centered in Eastern religions. In reality, the two ideas stand worlds apart. Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind; Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind. The two ideas are quite different.” ― Richard J. Foster

Slide: “How do I know what I love the most? By looking at my life outside of Sunday morning. What do I enjoy the most? What do I spend the most time doing? Where does my mind drift to when I don't have anything to do? What am I passionate about? What do I spend my money on? What makes me angry when I don't get it? What do I feel depressed without? What do I fear losing the most? Our answers to those questions will lead us straight to the God or gods we love and worship.” ― Bob Kauflin

Slide:

You praise what you prize, and you prize what you praise.

Slide: We can pursue worship in the wilderness through the disciplines of: -Scripture -Prayer -Praise

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Christmas Eve 2021:

Slide: Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 In the same region there were [some] shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

Slide: Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." ... 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Slide: John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

Slide: What does it mean that Jesus is the light of the world?

Slide: Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

Slide: John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Slide: Salvation is a gift of grace!

Slide: John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Slide: What does it mean that Jesus is the light of the world? Jesus makes sense out of the world and out of my life (and yours).

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Slide 1: Ponder this: Practice prayer as pleasure, not pain.

Slide 2: Ponder this: God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action. (Henry Blackaby, from Experiencing God)

Slide 3: Ponder this: There is power in proclaiming the prophecies.

Slide 4: Numbers 6:24 The LORD bless you, and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.'

Slide 5: Genesis 18:14 "Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

Slide 6: Ponder this: Often, the clarity of the calling is equal to the task.

Slide 7: Your purpose is to proclaim.

Slide 8: 1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same way [He took] the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink [it,] in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

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Slides: Slide 1: Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Slide 2: Micah 5:2 "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, [Too] little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." ... 5 This One will be [our] peace…

Slide 3: Matthew 1:23 "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US."

Slide 4: 2 Peter 3:1 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior [spoken] by your apostles.

Slide 5: Peace –harmony; freedom from anger and division (with God and men)

Slide 6: Trouble – agitated, anxious, depressed; to take away calmness of mind

Slide 7: The trinity of peace: Peace with God Peace in the world Peace to men

Slide 8: Peace with God: Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ... 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ... 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Slide 9: Peace with God: Isaiah 54:13 "All your sons will be taught of the LORD; And the well-being of your sons will be great.

Slide 10: Peace in the world: Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Slide 11: Peace in the world: Isaiah 54:10 "For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken," Says the LORD who has compassion on you. ... 17 "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD.

Slide 12: Peace to men: 2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all [these] things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Slide 13: Advent: The Bethlehem candle (Peace)

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Slides: Slide: What is advent? Advent = “arrival” or “coming” Advent is the celebration of two primary things: The first advent (past arrival) of Christ in His birth. The second advent (future arrival) of Christ in His return.

Slide: Why light candles? Light represents life and hope! Jesus is the light of the world.

Slide: John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Slide: John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

Slide: Why light candles? We are His light to the nations.

Slide: Isaiah 42:6 "I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.

Slide: Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does [anyone] light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Slide: Today, we light the Prophet’s candle. It represents the hope we have in Jesus through the fulfillment of prophecy.

Slide: Hope is born: The joy of hope is in His presence. Our hope is present now but is not yet complete.

Slide: Isaiah 11:6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. 7 Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea.

Slide: Revelation 20:4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I [saw] the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

Slide: Hope is born: The best is yet to come!

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Slides: Slide: How do we contend for the faith? Maintain sound doctrine. (Protect the Gospel.)

Slide: Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Slide: Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor [to lead us] to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

Slide: How do we contend for the faith? Read and remember our Bibles.

Slide: 2 Peter 3:1 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior [spoken] by your apostles.

Slide: How do we contend for the faith? Keep yourselves in the love of God by praying in the Holy Spirit

Slide: How do we contend for the faith? Keep yourselves in the love of God by waiting anxiously for the mercy of Jesus Christ.

Slide: 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

Slide: How do we contend for the faith? Step into your ministry calling!

Slide: 1 Peter 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God's] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ... 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe [them,] glorify God in the day of visitation.

Slide: James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? [Then] he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? [Then] he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much…19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

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Slides: Slide: There is a divine order to life. Here’s how it works…

Slide: Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Slide: Things that are out of order: The worship or reviling of angelic majesties.

Slide: Colossians 2:18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on [visions] he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,

Slide: Things that are out of order: Being led through life only by your physical senses.

Slide: 1 John 3:10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 12 not as Cain, [who] was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.

Slide: Things that are out of order: Men and women in the church who don’t care for one another.

Slide: Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Slide: Things that are out of order: Church folks who use their words as weapons.

Slide: James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, the [very] world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of [our] life, and is set on fire by hell.

Slide: Our greatest threat to unity is often expectation, not right or wrong.

Slide: Some filters to avoid division:

Is the issue a biblical/moral one? Is it a preference issue? Is it a conscience issue? Do I need to speak to someone about it? Could there be other factors that I’m not aware of? Am I considering the whole of the Body or how it only affects me? Could it be that the Holy Spirit is leading differently than what I think or prefer?

Slide: Things that are out of order: Pastors, church leaders, and “Christian” academic institutions with contempt for the truth.

Slide: 2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

Slide: Search & be searched: “carefully examine(d)”

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Slides: Slide 1: Our position in Christ: Called – invited to a banquet Beloved – loved without condition Kept – carefully taken care of

Slide 2: There is only one way to salvation.

Slide 3: Ephesians 4:4 [There is] one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Slide 4: Make no mistake; we’re in a fight.

Slide 5: Luke 13:24 "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

1 Corinthians 9:25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then [do it] to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;

Slide 6: Our enemy: They are secretly among us. They use “cheap” grace as license. They confess Jesus but deny His Lordship. May be us.

Slide 7: Romans 5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath [of God] through Him.

Slide 8: Conclusions: Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Ask if Jesus is Master. Repent of any unclean behavior or doctrine. Contend for the faith.

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Slides:

Hebrews 3:13 - But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Josh 1:5-7 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

What should Biblical encouragement do?

True encouragement is not about making others feel better about themselves, but preparing them to know, obey, and enjoy more of God. -Piper

So what is Encouragement not?

Proverbs 26:28 A lying tongue hates it’s victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Flattery Filter: -Do I want them to think of me, or the Lord? -Am I hoping to get something out of this? -Do I encourage people that have nothing to offer me?

Matt 3:16-17 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Hebrews 3:13 - But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Matt 4:1-3 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights,he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jeremiah 2:13 “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

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Slide: Matthew 24:21 "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will.

Revelation 7:14 I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Slide: The fruit of the study of eschatology: hope of eternal life.

Slide: Genesis 17:7 "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.

Slide: John 5:28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good [deeds] to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil [deeds] to a resurrection of judgment.

Slide: The fruit of the study of eschatology: passion for ministry.

Slide: Acts 1:7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Slide: The fruit of the study of eschatology: (patient) understanding.

Slide: Isaiah 57:1 The righteous man perishes, and no man takes it to heart; And devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from evil, 2 He enters into peace; They rest in their beds, [Each one] who walked in his upright way.

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Slides: Slide 1: Matthew 24:3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what [will be] the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" ... 10 "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. ... 14 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. ... 29 "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.

Slide 2: 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for [it will not come] unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

Slide 3: 1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. ... 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.

1 John 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the [spirit] of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

2 John 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ [as] coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

Slide 4: Table Antichrist: V23 – deceitful V28 – heart set against holy covenant V31 – desecrates the temple V31 – abolishes sacrifice V32, 33 – persecutes and kills God’s people V36 – does as He pleases (willful) V36 – magnifies himself as God V36 – blasphemes God V38 – god of war V45 – will come to an end

Jesus Christ: Truthful Upholds covenant Purifies the temple 1 sacrifice for all Refines, purifies God’s people Submissive Does not regard equality with God as a thing to be grasped Glorifies God Prince of Peace Lives and reigns forever

Slide 5: The spirit of antichrist is here. Falling away Worldviews Persecution

Slide 6: https://www.persecution.com/globalprayerguide/?_source_code=WHPB20C

Slide 7: What do we do? Do not fear Display strength and take action

Slide 8: Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they [began] selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Slide 9: Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

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Slides: Slide 1: Isaiah 45:1 Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: ... 4 "For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen [one,] I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me.

Slide 2: Support for an early date of Daniel: Tradition Author fluent in both Hebrew and Aramaic Knowledge of Babylonian history Inclusion in Ezekiel 14

Slide 3: Ezekiel 14:13 "Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast, 14 even [though] these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their [own] righteousness they could [only] deliver themselves," declares the Lord GOD.

Slide 4: Daniel 8:8 Then the male goat magnified [himself] exceedingly. But as soon as he was mighty, the large horn was broken; and in its place there came up four conspicuous [horns] toward the four winds of heaven. 9 Out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful [Land.]

Slide 5: Daniel 8:23 "In the latter period of their rule, When the transgressors have run [their course,] A king will arise, Insolent and skilled in intrigue. 24 "His power will be mighty, but not by his [own] power, And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree And prosper and perform [his will;] He will destroy mighty men and the holy people. 25 "And through his shrewdness He will cause deceit to succeed by his influence; And he will magnify [himself] in his heart, And he will destroy many while [they are] at ease. He will even oppose the Prince of princes, But he will be broken without human agency. 26 "The vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is true; But keep the vision secret, For [it] pertains to many days [in the future.]"

Slide 6: From a worldly point of view… You’re either a victim or A schemer

Slide 7: From the point of view of faith… Don’t get too set on your plans. Instead, try to join His. The fields are ripe for harvest…

Slide 8: Matthew 9:36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."

Slide 9: From the point of view of faith… Get comfortable “in the middle” His eye is still on the sparrow

Slide 10: Matthew 6:25 "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, [as to] what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, [as to] what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and [yet] your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 "And who of you by being worried can add a [single] hour to his life? 28 "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.

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Slides: Slide 1: Observations about spiritual warfare: The worldly rarely recognize or value the spiritual.

Slide 2: Observations about spiritual warfare: It’s exhausting.

Slide 3: About those angels and demons: Remember that the real battle is a spiritual one.

Slide 4: Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places.]

Slide 5: About those angels and demons: There are spiritual hierarchies/authority structures.

Slide 6: Revelation 13:4 they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?"

Slide 7: Revelation 16:13 And I saw [coming] out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; 14 for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.

Slide 8: Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war,

Slide 9: Daniel 12:1 "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands [guard] over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.

Slide 10: Observations about spiritual warfare: God responds to prayer. Warfare can delay the answer to prayer. Persistent prayer is essential.

Slide 11: Observations about spiritual warfare: God gives spiritual strength for spiritual battles.

Slide 12: Hebrews 1:13 But to which of the angels has He ever said, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET"? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

Slide 13: Observations about spiritual warfare: New level, new devil.

Slide 14: Observations about spiritual warfare: Don’t be asleep, but don’t be anxious. We don’t have to be fearful.

Slide 15: Ephesians 1:18 [I pray that] the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. [These are] in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly [places,] 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Slide 16: Romans 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Slide 17: Revelation 1:17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Slide 18: James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

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Slide: “In what follows, I reserve the right to change my mind later this evening and as often as necessary for the rest of my life, until I finally settle the matter. What I’m about to unfold now for you will annoy some, disappoint others, confuse many, and perhaps encourage a few.” Alistair Begg

Slide: Prayer is an essential part of the Christian life…change my mind.

Slide: John 15:14 "You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Slide: Matthew 24:15 "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. ... 29 "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31 "And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Slide: Daniel 7:8 "While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great [boasts.] ... 21 "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them 22 until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom. ... 25 'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 26 'But the court will sit [for judgment,] and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. 27 'Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of [all] the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom [will be] an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.'

Slide: No matter your translation… - Prophecy sets apart Christianity… - Jesus is the way… - He has come to set apart a people to Himself… - And to seek and save the lost… - Change my mind

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Slides: Pray that the sufficiency of the Word will create a fervently praying church.

Matthew 6:9-13 - "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 11 'Give us this day our daily bread. 12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.']"

Philippians 4:6 - Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

The ACTS model of prayer:

A – Adoration (Verse 4) C – Confession (Verses 5-14) T – Thanksgiving (Verse 4 & 15) S – Supplication (Verses 15-19)

We see Jesus in intercessory prayer. Be like Jesus, intercede in prayer on behalf of others.

Hebrews 7:24-25 - "24 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

Romans 8:33-34 - "33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us."

We pray for God’s sake, for the sake of His kingdom.

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Slides: Slide: The death of James communicates: -That no one person is indispensable in our mission to take the Gospel to the world. -That bad things sometimes happen to good people. -That the Gospel of Christ is worth more than anything.

Slide: 2 Co 4:16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Slide: What is your prayer life like?

Slide: Eph 5: 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." 15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Slide: Seek God, and rest in His sovereignty.

Slide: Seek God, and take a nap.

Slide: Jos 11: 21 And Joshua came at that time and cut off the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua devoted them to destruction with their cities.

Slide: God wants you to be where He wants you to be, more than you want to be where He wants you to be.

Slide: They prayed together They prayed together...on their own They prayed anyway

Slide: ...whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. -1 Cor 10:31b

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Slides: Slide: The little horn of Daniel 7:

Came from the 4th beast Started small, grew larger than the others Replaces/subdues 3 of the 10 horns on the beast Eyes of a man and uttering great boasts Slain by the Ancient of Days Waged war with the saints and overpowered them Speaks out against the Most High Intends to make alterations in time and law Holy ones given into his hands for 3.5 years

Slide: The little horn of Daniel 8:

Came from the 3rd beast Came out of one of the four horns Started small, grew larger Causes stars to fall and tramples them Claims equality with God Stops sacrifices, throws down His sanctuary (2,300 days)

Slide: Matthew 24:15 "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. ... 21 "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. ... 29 "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.

Slide: 2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains [will do so] until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 [that is,] the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

Slide: Don’t fall in love with this world.

Slide: 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and [also] its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. 18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.

Slide: 1 Corinthians 7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; 30 and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; 31 and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.

Slide: God is involved in the details!

Slide: Psalm 139:2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all.

Slide: Luke 12:6 "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? [Yet] not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 "Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

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Slide: Why do these things matter to us? 1- You are living in the last days.

Slide: Hebrews 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

Slide: Why do these things matter to us? 2- They should cause us to look for Jesus return and be more like Him.

Slide: 1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober [in spirit,] fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts [which were yours] in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all [your] behavior; 16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

Slide: Why do these things matter to us? 3- Our lives matter in the building of the kingdom that we see culminating here…

Slide: Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me."

1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in [the power of] the evil one.

Slide: Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Slide: Why do these things matter to us? 4- We need each other more than we know.

Slide: 2 Timothy 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

Slide: Faith over fear? Fear can cause you to flee. Fear can cause you to fight. Or… Fear can cause you to focus (in faith).

Slide: Joshua 1:5 "No man will [be able to] stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Slide: How can I test my response to fear?

Slide: Hebrews 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as [we are, yet] without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

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Slides:

Slide: We live on a need to know basis.

Slide: So what do we need to know when we don’t know?

Slide: Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined [to become] conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

Slide: Revelation 13:1 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns [were] ten diadems, and on his heads [were] blasphemous names. ... 5 There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, [that is,] those who dwell in heaven.

Slide: Revelation 19:11-13, 19-21 NASB95 - 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it [is] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes [are] a flame of fire, and on His head [are] many diadems; and He has a name written [on Him] which no one knows except Himself. 13 [He is] clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ... 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Slide: Matthew 24:27 "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. ... 29 "But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory.

Slide: The kingdom you’re standing in should greatly affect your perspective.

Slide: Keep looking until you see Jesus. Every little things is gonna be alright.

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Slides: Slide: Romans 14:1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. (NIV)

Romans 14:1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. (ESV)

Romans 14:1 Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. (MSG)

Slide: What are some disputable (gray) matters today?

Slide: The clarity of the Scriptures, not the strength of anyone’s opinion, determines what matters are gray.

Slide: Some conclusions, for The Chapel: We will seek to submit ourselves to the Scriptures before government and despite difficult circumstance.

Slide: Some conclusions, for The Chapel: We will learn to disagree in unity; to be different, and yet be the same.

Slide: Romans 12:4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, [each of us is to exercise them accordingly:] if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Slide: Some conclusions, for The Chapel: We will not allow our language and opinions to dehumanize one another.

Slide: Some conclusions, for The Chapel: We will strive to make our motive love: for God, for our brother, and for the truth of His Word.

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Slides: Slide: Philippians 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Slide: Philippians 2:2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Slide: 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's [people,] that there are quarrels among you.

Slide: Some questions in light of our circumstances: How can we live at peace with others without compromising? How can we have differing opinions but remained unified? What kind of church do we want to be?

Slide: How do we live at peace with our enemies without compromising? The command: Overcome evil with good. The foundation: Vengeance belongs to God.

Slide: Daniel 4:19 "Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was appalled for a while as his thoughts alarmed him. The king responded and said, 'Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.' Belteshazzar replied, 'My lord, [if only] the dream applied to those who hate you and its interpretation to your adversaries! ... 27 'Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by [doing] righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to [the] poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.'

Slide: How do we live at peace with our enemies without compromising? It’s not wrong to be right. But it’s not right to be rude. You don’t get to pick your enemies.

Slide: How do we live at peace with our governing authorities without compromising? The command: Render to all what is due. The foundation: All authorities are established by God Slide: Daniel 1:8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought [permission] from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, 10 and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king." 11 But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 "Then let our appearance be observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king's choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see."

Slide: Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 "If it be [so,] our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 "But [even] if [He does] not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

Slide: How do we live at peace with our governing authorities without compromising? We must respect governing authorities as placed by God. We must not seek salvation in government.

Slide: Revelation 13:1 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns [were] ten diadems, and on his heads [were] blasphemous names. ... 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, [everyone] whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. ... 16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17 and [he provides] that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, [either] the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Slide: At The Chapel: We will seek to distinguish between overtly biblical and “gray” matters. We will seek the balance between truth and grace. We will cultivate an attitude of respect for governmental authority. We will seek God’s Spirit for the leadership of the church. We will consider the freedom of the individual.

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Slide: Romans 12:11 Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion. 12 Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.

Slide: May the world not be able to find any fault with us, unless it is in obedience to Jesus.

Slide: 1 Kings 8:30- ‘Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.’

Slide: Excellence is not an act, but a Habit.

Slide: There is freedom in knowing how the story ends.

Slide: Are you serving the Lord continually?

Slide:

Matt 6:33 But seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Slide:

Seek continuously His Kingdom.

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Slide 1: Don’t try to “medicate” your problems away. Let them lead you back to the Gospel.

Slide 2: 2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For indeed in this [house] we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,

Slide 3: Don’t grow discouraged; always be prepared to testify!

Slide 4: 1 Peter 3:14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always [being] ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;

Slide 5: Three of our greatest teachers in life should be: History Our elders God’s Word

Slide 6: God’s Word is trustworthy.

Slide 7: Isaiah 13:17 Behold, I am going to stir up the Medes against them, Who will not value silver or take pleasure in gold. 18 And [their] bows will mow down the young men, They will not even have compassion on the fruit of the womb, [Nor] will their eye pity children. 19 And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

Slide 8: Isaiah 45:1 Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: 2 "I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars. 3 "I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name... 6 That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, ... 13 "I have aroused him in righteousness And I will make all his ways smooth; He will build My city and will let My exiles go free, Without any payment or reward," says the LORD of hosts.

Slide 9: Jeremiah 25:12 'Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,' declares the LORD, 'for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation. 13 'I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.

Slide 10: Jeremiah 51:57 "I will make her princes and her wise men drunk, Her governors, her prefects and her mighty men, That they may sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up," Declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. 58 Thus says the LORD of hosts, "The broad wall of Babylon will be completely razed And her high gates will be set on fire; So the peoples will toil for nothing, And the nations become exhausted [only] for fire."

Slide 11: Ezra 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also [put it] in writing, saying: 2 "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 'Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 'Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.'" ... 7 Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods; 8 and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. ... 11 All the articles of gold and silver [numbered] 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Slide 12: How to humble yourself: Mourn your sin (practice repentance).

Slide 13: James 4:9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

Slide 14: How to humble yourself: Watch your mouth.

Slide 15: James 4:11 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge [of it.]

Slide 16: How to humble yourself: Practice submission. Slide 17: 1 Peter 2:18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.

Slide 18: 1 Peter 5:5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to [your] elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.

Slide 19: How to humble yourself: Take your anxieties to Him in prayer.

Slide 20: 1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Slide 21: 2 Chronicles 32:20 But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and cried out to heaven.

Slide 22: How to humble yourself: Serve others.

Slide 23: Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Slide 24: How to humble yourself: Forgive as you’ve been forgiven.

Slide 25: Colossians 3:12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

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Slides: Slide: A testimony is a powerful tool.

Slide: “Today, the greatest challenge facing American evangelicals is not persecution from the world, but seduction by the world.” CJ Mahaney

Slide: “Leadership is a stewardship. It’s temporary. And you’re accountable.” Andy Stanley

Slide: How deeply do you care for the lost?

Slide: Luke 6:35 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil [men.] 36 "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38 "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, [and] running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

Slide: It’s hard to go wrong going low.

Slide: James 4:6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore [it] says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."

Slide: The Most High God rules! So... o Submit yourself to God o Stop your striving o Be people of mercy!

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Slides: Slide: “Today, the greatest challenge facing American evangelicals is not persecution from the world, but seduction by the world” -CJ Mahaney

Slide: What is your Golden Image?

Slide: Philippians 2:14-16 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky

Slide: We have to love well, while still pointing to Christ as our absolute authority.

Slide: Stand Together Ecclesiastes 4:12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Slide: Be Prepared There is freedom in knowing the end of the story.

Slide: Know the Word. Know the rules and consequences; but also know the promises!

Slide: Communicate Christ Clearly in your Convictions

Slide: Rev 7:9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Slide: Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

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Slides: Slide: Remember:

God rules. He’s a covenant-keeping God. Slide: Make no mistake, it all points to the Gospel!

The stone is Jesus!

Slide: 1 Corinthians 10:4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.

Slide: Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone [for] the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes [in it] will not be disturbed.

Slide: 1 Peter 2:4-8

Slide: Make no mistake, it all points to the Gospel!

Remember the statue? Christ is the true head, and we’re His body.

Slide: Ephesians 1:22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Slide: 1 Corinthians 12:18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many members, but one body.

Slide: Make no mistake, it all points to the Gospel!

There is only one true kingdom, invest wisely.

Slide: Matthew 3:1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." 3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, "THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!'"

Slide: Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Slide: Make no mistake, it all points to the Gospel!

Everybody must get stoned.

Slide: Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."

Slide: Matthew 21:42-44

Slide: Luke 6:47-49

Slide: Philippians 2:9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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Slide: God cares about the details.

Slide: Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Slide: In a mess? Stop, collaborate, and listen.

Slide: James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

The World: - Led by emotion - Full of demands - Seeks worldly wisdom for answers - Looks for recognition - Has no spiritual understanding

The Way: - Practices discretion and discernment - Patient, kind, and peaceable - Seeks wisdom from above - Deflects praise and glory to God - Knows God

Slide: Galatians 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the [statement,] "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." 15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

Slide: Romans 12:17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath [of God,] for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. 20 "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Slide: Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

Slide: 1 Corinthians 3:6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

Slide: Psalm 46:10 "Cease [striving] and know that I am God…

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Peers and Beers (Daniel 1)

Theme: God rules.

Theme: We are in the world but are not to be of it.

We are the dispersed ones.

Esther 3:8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from [those] of all [other] people and they do not observe the king's laws, so it is not in the king's interest to let them remain.

James 1:1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

Everything is spiritual.

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places.]

Daniel’s decisions and direct disobedience.

Romans 13:1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

The role of the force of will!

2 Chronicles 12:14 He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD. Be bold!

Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion.

Be prepared to face the consequences.

Esther 4:13 Then Mordecai told [them] to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine that you in the king's palace can escape any more than all the Jews. 14 "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?"

Theme: He’s a covenant-keeping God.

Jeremiah 25:11 'This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

John 14:2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, [there] you may be also. ... 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

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Slides: Slide 1: Some textual criticisms of the book of Daniel:

Differences in dating Authorship Historical accuracy

Slide 2: Themes in Daniel: God rules.

Slide 3: Jeremiah 25:1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), ... 8 "Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Because you have not obeyed My words, 9 behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,' declares the LORD, 'and [I will send] to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about…

Slide 4: Isaiah 45:1 Thus says the LORD to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut…

Slide 5: Ezra 1:7 Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods…11 All the articles of gold and silver [numbered] 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Slide 6: Themes in Daniel: He’s a covenant-keeping God.

Slide 7: The Abrahamic Covenant:

Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

Slide 8: The Davidic Covenant:

1 Chronicles 17:11 "When your days are fulfilled that you must go [to be] with your fathers, that I will set up [one of] your descendants after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. 12 "He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 "I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. 14 "But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever."'"

Slide 9: The Mosaic Covenant:

Deuteronomy 28:1 "Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 "All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God:

Slide 10: Deuteronomy 28:15 "But it shall come about, if you do not obey the LORD your God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes with which I charge you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: 16 "Cursed [shall] you [be] in the city, and cursed [shall] you [be] in the country.

Slide 11: Exodus 19:5 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel." 7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the LORD had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do!" And Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD.

Slide 12: Themes in Daniel: We are in the world but are not to be of it.

Slide 13: Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Slide 14: Romans 13:1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for [rulers] are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. 7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax [is due;] custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

Slide 15: The conclusion: God is faithful to His Word and His people!

Slide 16: Hebrews 8:10 "FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 11 "AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, 'KNOW THE LORD,' FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. 12 "FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE." 13 When He said, "A new [covenant,]" He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

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Slides:

Slide: Guidelines for giving: - Prioritize the saints in need - All called to participate to some degree - Giving may be in accordance with prosperity - The best giving is cheerful giving (Not under compulsion) - Giving is a “gift” of grace - Should be handled with care by leaders

Slide: Summary of Vv 1-5: The motive for the giving and handling of money is love.

Slide: 1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able [to receive it.] Indeed, even now you are not yet able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?

Slide: 1 Corinthians 4:1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. 3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by [any] human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.

Philippians 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 in no way alarmed by [your] opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that [too,] from God.

Slide: Summary of Vv5-18: Your leaders love and serve you. Love and submit to your leaders.

Slide: God has called us to be His bold witnesses: acting in love and unity, submitting to the authority of His Word, walking in the power of His Spirit.

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Slide: “I have often heard this noise; I have sometimes contributed to it. I do not yet seem to have found any evidence that the physical and emotional exhilaration which it produces is necessarily, or often, of any religious relevance. What I, like many other laymen, chiefly desire in church are fewer, better, and shorter hymns; especially fewer.” -CS Lewis

Slide: Zeph 3:17 - The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Slide: Why do we sing? 1: To proclaim the Word

Slide: Col. 3:16 Let the Word of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and Spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Slide: Why do we sing? 2: To make war.

Slide: -2 Chron 20:21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his[c] holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”

22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped.

Slide: Why do we sing? 3: For Unity

Slide: Why do we sing? 4: For hope in suffering.

Slide: Worship is not a reflection of your feelings, it is a declaration of what you know to be true.

Slide: Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings…

Slide: Suffering in the path of Christian obedience, with joy - is the clearest display of the worth of God in our lives. Therefore, faith-filled suffering is essential in this world for the most intense, authentic worship. When we are most satisfied with God in suffering, he will be most glorified in us in worship. Our problem is not styles of music. Our problem is styles of life. When we embrace more affliction for the worth of Christ, there will be more fruit in the worship of Christ -John Piper

Slide: And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll, and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” (Revelation 5:9–10)

Slide: Why do we sing? 5:For the Glory of the Lord

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Slide: Worship:The act of ascribing Ultimate value to something, in such a way that engages your entire being. -Keller

Slide: What is He worth to you?

Slide: You can proclaim the worth of Jesus by: doing whatever you do- for His glory

Slide: 1 Corinthians 10:31, ‘Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.’

Slide: Colossians 3:23, NIV: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,”

Slide: You can proclaim the worth of Jesus by: resting with Jesus.

Slide: Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, NOT BY WORKS so that no one may boast.

Slide: Psalm 62:1-2 My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Slide: You can proclaim the worth of Jesus by: spending time at His feet.

Slide: You can proclaim the worth of Jesus by: humbling yourself.

Slide: Phil 3:8 - What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ

Slide: You can proclaim the worth of Jesus by: being willing to be extravagant.

Slide: Mark 12:41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Slide: “It was very costly, but it had not cost a penny too much now that it could be used upon him. There was a pound of it, but there was none too much for him. It was very sweet, but none too sweet for him.” -Spurgeon

Slide: You can proclaim the worth of Jesus through: PDA - Public Displays of Affection.

Slide: When our value of Christ is too low, we can feel offended by other people’s appropriate worship.

Slide: When our value of Christ is too low, other things become the Lord of our lives.

Slide: What we value most, ends up being in charge of our lives.

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Slides: Slide: 1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of [the] archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Slide: Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken.

Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be [any] death; there will no longer be [any] mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

Slide: Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death…

Slide: Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Slide: 1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man [came] death, by a man also [came] the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, ... 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

Slide: The emphasis of eschatology is destination and application.

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Slide 1: Is it really possible for the dead to be raised? Even if it was, what kind of body would we have?

Slide 2: Argument 1: the seed analogy.

Slide 3: Argument 2: the differences in flesh and glory.

Slide 4: Some heavenly hints: Our resurrected bodies will have a different nature, suitable for life in heaven. Our resurrected bodies will probably share some characteristics and yet be unique one from another.

Slide 5: 2 kinds of bodies: Earthly – subject to physical, emotional, and spiritual decay Heavenly – perfect in purity and power in perpetuity

Slide: Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Slide: Luke 24:36 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be to you." 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. 38 And He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 "See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." 40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. 41 While they still could not believe [it] because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" 42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; 43 and He took it and ate [it] before them.

Slide: Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer [any] sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be [any] death; there will no longer be [any] mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." 5 And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true."

Slide: Revelation 21:16 The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. ... 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp [is] the Lamb. ... 25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Slide: Why does this all matter? HOPE!

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Slides: Slide 1: Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with [Him] in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be [in the likeness] of His resurrection…

Slide 2: 2 Corinthians 11:18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also. ... 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine [lashes.] 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 [I have been] on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from [my] countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 [I have been] in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 Apart from [such] external things, there is the daily pressure on me [of] concern for all the churches.

Slide 3: Live by the investment principle.

Slide 4: Luke 12:31 "But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. 33 "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Slide 5: How would I live today if I saw the kingdom of God?

Slide 6: Community MATTERS!

Slide 7: Die to self daily.

Slide 8: Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Slide 9: Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Galatians 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

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Slides: Slide: Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23) -Was praise of thanksgiving -Was praise of anticipation

Slide: The resurrection of Jesus leads us to worship in thanksgiving, and in anticipation of our resurrection, because we will be raised with a body like His.

Slide: Romans 6:5 If we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection .

Slide: Romans 5:17-18 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! 18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.

Slide: 1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,[a] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Slide: Regarding eschatology and secondary issues: Do not be distracted from your daily application of the Word. Do not be lazy. Seek the Lord.

Slide: In the end, we will be free to worship God - All in all.

Slide: An Eternal perspective brings freedom, power, and LIFE to this heart-beating time.

Slide: 2 Tim 4: 1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Slide: Matt 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

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Slide: Romans 8:11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Slide: Phil 2:5-11

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Slide: J Curve by Paul Miller

Slide: What does it mean to believe in vain? -To believe with no effect on your life, no fruit. -To believe in the wrong thing, unsound doctrine.

Slide: Romans 4:24-25 It will be counted to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Slide: If the resurrection isn't true… are you living a life right now that should be pitied?

Slide: 2 Cor 11:23-27 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

Slide: Luke 14:12-14 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

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Slides: Slide: How can you believe in vain?

Slide: James 2:19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder…24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Slide: How can you believe in vain? To believe with no effect on your life, no fruit. To believe in the wrong thing, unsound doctrine.

Slide: What is the Gospel? Christ died for our sins

Slide: Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being [fell] upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

Slide: What is the Gospel? He was buried

Slide: John 19:30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. 31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and [that] they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; 33 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe. 36 For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture, "NOT A BONE OF HIM SHALL BE BROKEN." 37 And again another Scripture says, "THEY SHALL LOOK ON HIM WHOM THEY PIERCED."  Slide: What is the Gospel? He was raised on the third day

Slide: Psalm 16:10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.

Slide: Jonah 1:17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.

Slide: Genesis 22:1 Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 2 He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place from a distance. ... 7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.

Slide: What is the Gospel? He was witnessed by many

Slide: John 20:19 So when it was evening on that day, the first [day] of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace [be] with you." 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ... 26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace [be] with you." 27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing." 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed [are] they who did not see, and [yet] believed."

Slide: We have to talk about sin.

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Slides: Slide 1: God has called us to be His bold witnesses: acting in love and unity, submitting to the authority of His Word, walking in the power of His Spirit.

Slide 2: Come together to build each other up.

Slide 3: Instructions for public use of tongues: Only 2 or 3 Each in turn One must interpret No interpreter? Keep it between you and God.

Slide 4: Instructions for public use of prophecy: Only 2 or 3 Each in turn Let others pass judgment

Slide 5: Paul’s conclusions: Burn with zeal to prophesy Don’t forbid to speak in tongues Do all decently and in order

Slide 6: Use of tongues and prophecy @ The Chapel: On Sunday mornings: Tongues spoken to God in song and prayer Prophecy brought to a church leader Tuesday night prayer: Follow the instructions above! In small groups: Speak to your small group leader.

Slide 7: God has called us to be His bold witnesses: acting in love and unity, submitting to the authority of His Word, walking in the power of His Spirit.

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Slides: Slide: Deut. 34:1-6 - Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. And the LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD, and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day.

Slide: Strike 1- Sin

Slide: -Sin has consequences. Always for the sinner. Sometimes for the bystander. (Aaron) -Details Matter. They matter to the Lord They matter to the World that is watching you

Slide: Strike 2- Pride

Slide: He operates by his own power and He takes credit. -When we find ourselves working by our own power, we are striving for our own glory.

Slide: Strike 3: A lack of understanding

Slide: Hebrews 10:1- For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.

Slide: Hebrews 10:11- And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,

Slide: 1 Cor 10:1-4 Moreover, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

Slide: Moses messed up this Old Testament picture of Jesus.

Slide: Hurdles for our representation: -Sin -Pride -Lack of Understanding

Slide: A main purpose of the Holy Spirit in us, is to empower us to Glorify Christ!

Slide: John 15:5 -‘ I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.’

Slide: Stay aware of your dependence.

Slide: -Let your striving be a warning -Abide -Be unreasonably obedient.

Slide: Luke 9:28-32 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.

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Slides: Slide: On tongues: · Does not speak to men, but to God · No one (except God) understands · Builds himself up

Slide: On tongues: · V13 - The tongue speaker should pray that he/she might provide interpretation.

Slide: On tongues: · V15 - Tongues may be used in prayer and worship (singing).

Slide: The gift of tongues may be used in intercessory prayer.

Slide: Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

Slide: On tongues: · V16 - Content of tongues: praise, worship, and giving of thanks.

Slide: It appears that Paul’s use of the gift of tongues was primarily in his personal devotional life.

Slide: We have to consider the environment and all in attendance as we consider how to use the gifts.

Slide: On prophecy: · Speaks to men for edification, exhortation, and consolation · Builds up the church. · Convicts and calls all to account and worship.

Slide: Acts 2:37 Now when they heard [this,] they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Peter [said] to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

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Slides: Slide: Three primary principles: Chase after love. Burn with zeal for the gifts… Especially desire to prophesy.

Slide: On tongues: Does not speak to men, but to God

Slide: Acts 2:11 Cretans and Arabs--we hear them in our [own] tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God." Acts 10:46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.

Slide: On tongues: Does not speak to men, but to God No one (except God) understands

Slide: 1 Corinthians 14:27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, [it should be] by two or at the most three, and [each] in turn, and one must interpret; 28 but if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.

Slide: On prophecy: Speaks to men for edification, exhortation, and consolation

Slide: John 14:16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; ... 26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

Slide: 2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; 7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are [sharers] of our comfort.

Slide: On tongues: Does not speak to men, but to God No one (except God) understands Builds himself up Slide: On prophecy: Speaks to men for edification, exhortation, and consolation Builds up the church

Slide: Not spooked by the Spirit: The gift of tongues is not a body takeover! Prophecy does not rival Scripture!

Slide: The importance of a gift is based on the usefulness to the church, not the gift itself.

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Slides: Slide: Are spiritual gifts still in use today? If so, when will they end?

Slide: Love never fails, but gifts are only temporary.

Slide: Romans 13:8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled [the] law. 9 For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of [the] law.

Slide: Love never fails, but gifts are only partial.

Slide: Isaiah 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. 9 "For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Slide: 1 John 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and [such] we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

Slide: When will the gifts cease? · When the perfect comes · When we see face to face

Slide: The cessationist argument: · The miraculous gifts only existed to authenticate the apostles. · The completion of the New Testament rendered the gifts obsolete. · Miracles were reserved for three periods in history. · Absence of experience.

Slide: The continuationist argument: · Non-apostolic men and women performing signs and miracles in the Scriptures · Presence of spiritual gifts in the epistles. · The “perfect” has not come · The absence of any doctrinal statement on cessationism. · Experience.

Slide: 1 John 4:8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Slide: Don’t stop believin’ · Faith in the gifts is a reasonable faith. · Let the Word lead in the black and white and the church in the grey. · We’re going to make mistakes. · Love is greater than gifts.

Slide: 1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same way [He took] the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink [it,] in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.

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Slides:

Slide 1: 1 Corinthians 11:20-22

Slide 2: Numbers 20:8-12

Slide 3: Don’t miss the motive for the use of the gifts: love.

Slide 4: Love is: Patient & Kind– long-suffering/long-tempered & pleasant Romans 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? Rejoices with the truth – take part in another’s joy Bears all things – cover with silence 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Believes all things – don’t believe evil unless facts demand Hopes all things & Endures all things – trust, confidence in the future/to stay under, refuse to flee difficulty

Slide 5: Love ain’t: Jealous – covet/envy what others have Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Does not brag & not arrogant – proud, boast of self/puffed-up Does not act unbecomingly – rude Does not seek its own – demand from others, cliquish Rom. 12:10 [Be] devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; Is not provoked – easily roused to anger Does not take into account a wrong suffered – hold grudges, unforgiveness toward others Does not rejoice in unrighteousness – revel in failures of others

Slide 6: Going to The Chapel of Love Where there is a lack of love, repent. Use your words wisely James 3:8 But no one can tame the tongue; [it is] a restless evil [and] full of deadly poison. Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. Be prepared to go to your brother. Matthew 5:21 "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' 22 "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty [enough to go] into the fiery hell. 23 "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Matthew 18:15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 "But if he does not listen [to you,] take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Seek the Spirit. Galatians 5:22a But the fruit of the Spirit is love… Romans 5:5b…because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

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Slides: Slide: 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Slide: Philippians 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Slide: God has called us to be His bold witnesses: acting in love and unity, submitting to the authority of His Word, walking in the power of His Spirit.

Slide: Some new (to us) gifts/roles: Apostle – one sent forth with specific orders Has the office of apostle ceased?

Slide: 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2:5-6

Slide: Some new (to us) gifts/roles: Teacher – of the things of God/teachings of the apostles Helps – one who does anything and everything to help the church and those in need Administrations – to guide, govern, oversee church matters Tongues – unknown language

Slide: Questions regarding tongues: Is it a required evidence of salvation? Is it the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Do all Christians have access/ability to speak in tongues?

Slide: Are tongues a required evidence of salvation? Ephesians 1:13-14

Slide: Are tongues a required evidence of salvation? 1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Slide: Are tongues the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Slide: Are tongues available to all?

Slide: Talking about tongues at The Chapel: “Grace sandwich” In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity Tongues are not evidence of salvation. (Unity) We do not believe tongues to be the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Liberty) Be encouraged to desire all of the spiritual gifts. (Liberty) Consider your brother, and don’t be dogmatic in the grey areas. (Charity) Are you in good conscience???

Slide: 2 Timothy 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

Slide: Luke 11: 5 Then He said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7 and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you [anything.]' 8 "I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him [anything] because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 "Or [if] he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

Slide: 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

Slide: God has called us to be His bold witnesses: acting in love and unity, submitting to the authority of His Word, walking in the power of His Spirit.

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Slide 1: Matthew 28:18

Slide 2: “Unity is not a goal to achieve but a fact to be recognized.” David Guzik

Slide 3: Philippians 3:20

Slide 4: Critical race theory (CRT), the view that the law and legal institutions are inherently racist and that race itself, instead of being biologically grounded and natural, is a socially constructed concept that is used by white people to further their economic and political interests at the expense of people of colour. According to critical race theory (CRT), racial inequality emerges from the social, economic, and legal differences that white people create between “races” to maintain elite white interests in labour markets and politics, giving rise to poverty and criminality in many minority communities. (Britannica)

Slide 5: Don’t be deceived, God has designed you for a purpose and placed you according to a plan!

Slide 6: Psalm 139:13-18

Slide 7: The plan for world domination is a Spirit-filled, gifted, loving, fruitful church.

Slide 8: 1 Corinthians 12:7

Slide 9: Galatians 5:22

Slide 10: John 13:35

Slide 11: Acts 2:42-47

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Slides:

Slide: “There are many who believe in the gifts and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but they don’t have a strong emphasis on Biblical teaching, nor do they look to the Word to guide their experiences with the Holy Spirit. There are many who have a strong emphasis on teaching the Word of God, but they don’t share the view that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are available and valid today. In Calvary Chapel we find the teaching of the Word and an open heart to the work of the Holy Spirit. It is this balance that makes Calvary Chapel a uniquely blessed movement of God.” Chuck Smith

Slide: What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit? (2nd blessing)

“Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a term used to describe a movement of the Spirit upon and/or within a believer usually, sometime after the person is saved. There is controversy surrounding this phenomenon as to whether it is legitimate or not. Some people believe that once a person is saved the Holy Spirit is in the person and there is no subsequent "baptism in the Holy Spirit." In other words, they maintain that this Baptism of the Spirit occurs at salvation. Others believe that it is possible for the Christian to experience an additional movement of the Holy Spirit some time after salvation. Generally speaking, it is the charismatic movement that supports the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.” (Source: Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry)

Slide: Are there different baptisms?

Water Baptism Mark 1:8 "I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." “in water, by John”

Baptism into the Body 1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. “in the body, by the Spirit”

Spirit Baptism Acts 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Acts 2:38 Peter [said] to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “in the Spirit, by Jesus”

Slide: Are there different relationships with the Holy Spirit?

“With” us, to convict the world of sin John 14:16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 [that is] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, [but] you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. John 16:7-11

“In” us, as a seal, a mark of our salvation Ephesians 1:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God's own] possession, to the praise of His glory. 1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

“Upon” us, to empower us for ministry Acts 1:8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Acts 19:1-6

Slide: Non-Pentecostal pastors, teachers, and evangelists who believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit:

John Piper, J. Vernon McGee, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, David Platt, Matt Chandler, George Whitefield, John Wesley, John McArthur

Slide: Simultaneous with salvation: Mcgee, Platt, Whitefield, McArthur

Slide: Subsequent to salvation: Piper, Lloyd-Jones, Wesley, Chandler

Slide: Where can we all agree?

· Every believer is sealed at salvation with the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:13)

· This doctrine should not create “classes” of Christians. (1 Cor. 12:13)

· We depend on the Holy Spirit for empowerment in ministry.

· The western church lacks power.

· Sin has grieved the Holy Spirit in many churches and in many people.

o Eph. 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

· There is a close relationship between your faith and the release of the power of God through the Holy Spirit.

o Matt. 13:57-58

· Not all are exercising a spiritual gift(s)

Slide: So what should I do in response?

Continually seek the filling of the Holy Spirit, pray to be filled!

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Slides: Slide: Luke 11:9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 "Or [if] he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

Slide: John 14:16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 [that is] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, [but] you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

Slide: Word of wisdom and knowledge

Slide: Gen. 41:26 "The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one [and the same.] 27 "The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven thin ears scorched by the east wind will be seven years of famine. 28 "It is as I have spoken to Pharaoh: God has shown to Pharaoh what He is about to do. 29 "Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming in all the land of Egypt; 30 and after them seven years of famine will come, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 "So the abundance will be unknown in the land because of that subsequent famine; for it [will be] very severe…34 "Let Pharaoh take action to appoint overseers in charge of the land, and let him exact a fifth [of the produce] of the land of Egypt in the seven years of abundance. 35 "Then let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain for food in the cities under Pharaoh's authority, and let them guard [it.] 36 "Let the food become as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will occur in the land of Egypt, so that the land will not perish during the famine."

Slide: Faith, gifts of healings, effecting of miracles

Slide: Matt. 13:57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his [own] household." 58 And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

Slide: James 5:13-18

Slide: Prophecy and distinguishing of spirits

Slide: 1 Tim. 4:14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.

Slide: Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues

Slide: Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. ...11 Cretans and Arabs--we hear them in our [own] tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God." ... 14 But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. ... 37 Now when they heard they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Peter [said] to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Slide: We are to desire the Giver and the gifts.

Slide: 1 Cor. 12:31 But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.

1 Cor. 14:1 Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual [gifts,] but especially that you may prophesy.

Slide: A Spirit filled church is a healthy church. A healthy church is a fruitful church.

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Slides: Slide: How do we find unity among such great diversity?

Slide: How many spiritual gifts are there?

Slide: Rom. 12:6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, [each of us is to exercise them accordingly:] if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Slide: Are there categories of spiritual gifts?

Slide: 1 Pet. 4:11 Whoever speaks, [is to do so] as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves [is to do so] as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Slide: Eph. 4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. ... 11 And He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists, and some [as] pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Slide: Exo. 31:1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 "I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all [kinds of] craftsmanship, 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, 5 and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all [kinds of] craftsmanship.

Slide: How do we find unity among such great diversity?

Slide: Finding unity in diversity, some conclusions: - “God made you special, and He loves you very much.” Bob the Tomato - God’s plan is where we find our purpose. - This is our greatest witness, how we love one another.

Slide: Finding unity in diversity, some conclusions: Diversity produces unity only in great humility.

Slide: 1 Pet. 5:5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to [your] elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Slide: Finding unity in diversity, some conclusions: To the arrogant: - be prepared to step back - admit your need for help

To the anxious: - be prepared to step out - admit your need for help

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Slides: Slide: We are not to be ignorant of these things: God’s plan for Israel (Rom. 11) Suffering and trials in the Christian life (2 Cor. 1) The second coming/those who have died (1 Thess. 4) The example set for us in the O.T. (1 Cor. 10) Spirituals gifts (1 Cor. 12)

Slide: This means that an understanding of spiritual gifts in the church is important!

Slide: Isa. 46:5 "To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal and compare Me, That we would be alike? 6 "Those who lavish gold from the purse And weigh silver on the scale Hire a goldsmith, and he makes it [into] a god; They bow down, indeed they worship it. 7 "They lift it upon the shoulder [and] carry it; They set it in its place and it stands [there.] It does not move from its place. Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer; It cannot deliver him from his distress.

Slide: 1 Cor. 10:19 What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 [No,] but [I say] that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

Slide: Not spooked by the Spirit: The Holy Spirit testifies of and by Jesus.

Slide: John 15:26 "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, [that is] the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, 27 and you [will] testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

Slide: John 16:13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 "He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose [it] to you. 15 "All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose [it] to you.

Slide: Not spooked by the Spirit: He gives good gifts to His children.

Slide: Luke 11:9 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 "Or [if] he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

Slide: Not spooked by the Spirit: We will submit ourselves to God’s Word.

Slide: 1 Cor. 14:39 Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. 40 But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.

Slide: Not spooked by the Spirit: It’s a biblical command that we cannot ignore.

Slide: Eph. 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

Slide: God has called us to be His bold witnesses: acting in love and unity, submitting to the authority of His Word, walking in the power of His Spirit.

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Slides: Zec. 4:6 … "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts.

1 Pet. 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God's] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe [them,] glorify God in the day of visitation.

John 14:12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do; because I go to the Father. ... 16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;

Acts 1:8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."

2 Cor. 9:6 Now this [I say,] he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one [must do] just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. God has called us to be His bold witnesses: acting in love and unity, submitting to the authority of His Word, walking in the power of His Spirit.

website: thechapelcleveland.com

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Our memory of the Lord fuels our actionable belief.

Philippians 3:19-21 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

1:Study DAILY

Trickle is greater than Cramming

Mark 4:24-25 “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

1:Study DAILY 2:Ebenezers

Joshua 4:1-9 This may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, “what do these stones mean to you?” You shall tell them that the Waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord……So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever"

Journals are different than diaries.

1:Study DAILY 2:Ebenezers 3:USE it.

Repetition is the key to learning, experience is the key to belief.

Don’t Forget to Remember. -Remember who He is. -Remember What He has done. -Remember What He has promised.

John 14:12 “Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”

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Slides: 1. Trust in the God of the impossible!

Surround yourself with godly community!
Worship, even without all the answers!

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Slides: Slide: 1 Pet. 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God's] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe [them,] glorify God in the day of visitation.

Slide: Spiritual pride can feed our selfishness.

Slide: Jonah 4:2 He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my [own] country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. 3 "Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life."

Slide: Are your prayers focused on your agenda or the Lord’s?

Slide: Mark 10:35 James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You." 36 And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" ... 43 "But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Slide: Comfort can feed our selfishness.

Slide: Ecc. 2:10 All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart was pleased because of all my labor and this was my reward for all my labor.

Slide: When is it time to go for it? Watch for your opportunity. Be honest. Stay submitted. Have a plan and go big!

Slide: Suffering can feed our selfishness.

Slide: 1 Kings 19:1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." 3 And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers."

Slide: "There is no winning without warfare; there is no opportunity without opposition; there is no victory without vigilance. For when ever the people of God say, 'Let us arise and build,' Satan says, 'Let me arise and oppose.'" (Alan Redpath)

Slide: Rom. 8:35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Slide: Rom. 3:10 as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."

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Slides: Growing in Gratitude: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Always complaining 2. Not complaining, but never thankful 3. Only thankful when things are good 4. Thankful in ALL things!

“Be thankful in ALL circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

LOOK IN (examine yourself)

What’s your gratitude level?

LOOK OUT (for the good in every day)

Psalm 68:19 - “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits…”

Psalm 92:2 - “It is good to proclaim Your unfailing love in the morning, and Your faithfulness in the evening.”

Lamentations 3:23 - “Great is His faithfulness; HIs mercies begin afresh each morning!”

LOOK OUT (for the good in every situation)

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purposes.” • “God doesn’t say “Feel thankful”, He says “Be Thankful” “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25

LOOK UP (for the power to grow in gratitude)

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!” Ephesians 5:18,20 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13

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Slide: Scripture is the only inspired, inerrant, and therefore final authority for Christians for faith and godliness. It is sufficient for every need of the human soul.

Slide: 2 Tim. 1:5 For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that [it is] in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

Slide: Family has the first and most important role in passing on the knowledge of God’s Word.

Slide: https://www.thechapelcleveland.com/family-devotional-training

Slide: The Scriptures lead to salvation!

Slide: Rom. 10:17 So faith [comes] from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Slide: “All Scripture” includes the N.T.: 1 Tim. 5:18 For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages."

1 Thess. 2:13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted [it] not [as] the word of men, but [for] what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.

Slide: Paul says 2 primary things about Scripture. It is: Inspired (How can we know?) Manuscripts Archaeology Prophecy Science

Slide: Paul says 2 primary things about Scripture. It is: Inspired Useful

Slide: The result of Scripture is that we would operate according to the Manufacturers’ directions.

Slide: Psa. 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern [his] errors? Acquit me of hidden [faults.] 13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous [sins;] Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

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Slides: Slide: Communion is to be practiced as an apostolic tradition.

Slide: Zec. 11:12 I said to them, "If it is good in your sight, give [me] my wages; but if not, never mind!" So they weighed out thirty [shekels] of silver as my wages. 13 Then the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter, [that] magnificent price at which I was valued by them." So I took the thirty [shekels] of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

Slide: Exo. 12:5 'Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 'You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. 7 'Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 'They shall eat the flesh that [same] night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ... 11 'Now you shall eat it in this manner: [with] your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD'S Passover.

Slide: Jer. 31:31 "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. 33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

Slide: Exo. 24:5 He sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put [it] in basins, and the [other] half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read [it] in the hearing of the people; and they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!" 8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled [it] on the people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."

Slide: What message will your life preach as you receive communion?

Slide: Heb. 12:6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." ... 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Slide: 1 Cor. 10:16 Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.

Slide: Questions to ask and pray about as we receive communion: Am I right with God? Am I right with my brother? Am I ready to serve the kingdom?

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Slides: Slide: Why does the church assemble?

Slide: 1 Cor. 14:26 What is [the outcome] then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.

Slide: Heb. 10:24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging [one another;] and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Slide: Why does the church assemble? Out of obedience To draw near to God To give to others

Slide: Fellowship has always taken place around the table.

Slide: Acts 2:44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they [began] selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Slide: A little heresy is normal, and even…good?

Slide: 2 Tim. 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but [wanting] to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

Slide: 1 John 2:18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not [really] of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but [they went out,] so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

Slide: Light best stands out in darkness.

Slide: Corinthian church fights: Cliques/cult of personality Worldly wisdom Class conflict Selfishness Lack of concern/sharing Drunkenness/licentiousness Immorality issues

Slide: Fight for unity. Don’t panic when there is division.

Slide: Matt. 10: 34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 "For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. 37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

Slide: God has called us to be His bold witnesses: acting in love and unity, submitting to the authority of His Word, walking in the power of His Spirit.

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Slides: Slide: We’re better together!

Slide: We’re better together! In the home: 1 Pet. 3:7 You husbands in the same way, live with [your wives] in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Slide: We’re better together! In the church: Gal. 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.

Slide: Different can also be same. Same can also be different.

Slide: Rom. 12:4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Slide: (Almost) Final applications: To men: Loving, sacrificial, submitted leaders needed To women: Modesty and humility are godly To all: Love is greater than Liberty

Slide: “The key is beginning to count.” Jon Courson

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Slides: Slide: Is the tradition of male headship cultural or apostolic? Is it a tradition to be cast off or embraced? God re-affirmed male headship in the church and home in the New Testament.

Slide: 1 Tim. 3:1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires [to do.] 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.

Slide: Eph. 5:22 Wives, [be subject] to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself [being] the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives [ought to be] to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

Slide: To wives This is willful Measure of obedience is the Lord

Slide: To husbands This is unconditional and sacrificial Measure of obedience is the Lord

Slide: Is the tradition of male headship cultural or apostolic? Is it a tradition to be cast off or embraced? God established this order in creation.

Slide: Gen. 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Slide: Gen. 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. ... 18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him." ... 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.

Slide: For the man, this means tremendous responsibility.

Slide: Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. ... 17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Slide: For the woman, it requires tremendous humility.

Slide: Psa. 115:9 O Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. 11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield.

Slide: Is the tradition of male headship cultural or apostolic? Is it a tradition to be cast off or embraced? Headship should be embraced because of the angels?

Slide: God is a God of authority and order. Authority – Equality = Division through oppression Equality – Authority = Division through chaos Authority + Equality = Order

Slide: Gen. 3:16 To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you."

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Slides: Slide: Question 1: Does this passage address public or private worship?

Slide: Tradition: 2 Thess. 2:15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word [of mouth] or by letter from us.

Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

Slide: Question 2: Is then men and women in general, husbands and wives, or women and church leadership?

Slide: Some fundamentals of headship: All are under authority. Authority produces order and is for our good. Authority does not equal superiority. Under authority does not equal inferiority.

Slide: 2 Cor. 3:12 Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in [our] speech, 13 and [are] not like Moses, [who] used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.

Slide: Love is greater than Liberty

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Slides: “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive…” John 7:37-39

Realize Your Need to Power Up!
Remember that Power comes from a Person!

And Jesus said, ““And I will ask the Father, and he will give you (another) HELPER, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees HIM or knows HIM. You know HIM, for HE dwells with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17

Recognize that His Power has a Purpose!

"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the ]Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7

A. Power to Expand the Kingdom!

“Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised…In a few days from now you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth!” Acts 1:4, 5, 8

B. Power to Express God’s Love in the Kingdom!

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit…” Ephesians 5:18

Remain Powered Up constantly!

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Slides: Slide: Some “grey” matters are black and white after all.

Slide: Psa. 106:35 But they mingled with the nations And learned their practices, 36 And served their idols, Which became a snare to them. 37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons, 38 And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with the blood. 39 Thus they became unclean in their practices, And played the harlot in their deeds. 40 Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against His people And He abhorred His inheritance.

Slide: When it comes to grey matters, context is king! Meetings matter.

Slide: 2 Cor. 6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 17 "Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. 18 "And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.

Slide: Heb. 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging [one another;] and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Slide: When it comes to grey matters, context is king! Information matters.

Slide: Some questions we should ask when it comes to grey matters: Is my conscience saying anything to me? Is it to my (spiritual) advantage? Does it divide people, or bring them together? Does it build others up or cause them to stumble? Is it to God’s glory?

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Slides: Slide: Salvation has always been about faith, not works.

Slide: Rom. 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Slide: Our struggles are mostly symptoms of a more dangerous disease, a lack of faith.

Slide: Heb. 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of [things] hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval. ... 6 And without faith it is impossible to please [Him,] for he who comes to God must believe that He is and [that] He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Slide: Jude 1:5 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.

Slide: Col. 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

Slide: Truth about temptation: Your temptation is not special Prepare for the long haul God is faithful

Slide: 2 Thess. 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil [one.]

Slide: "Idolatry," the sin of the mind against God, and immorality, sins of the flesh, are associated, and are traced to lack of the acknowledgment of God and of gratitude to Him

Slide: How to flee idolatry: Acknowledge God Prov. 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Practice gratitude Col. 2:6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted [and now] being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, [and] overflowing with gratitude.

Slide: 1 Cor. 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same way [He took] the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink [it,] in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

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Slides: Slide: The foundation of a Pro-Life position is the Imago Dei.

Slide: All of mankind is created by God and in His image. We admire, respect, and honor the image of God in every human being.

Slide: Lessons from Philip’s ministry (Acts 8:5-8, 25-40): Risk is an inherent part of following God. He was sensitive to the Holy Spirit. He saw reconciliation through the lens of the Gospel.

Slide: 2 Cor. 5:16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know [Him in this way] no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, [he is] a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all [these] things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Slide: Racial reconciliation is a byproduct of spiritual reconciliation.

Slide: Eph. 2:11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," [which is] performed in the flesh by human hands-- 12 [remember] that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both [groups into] one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, [which is] the Law of commandments [contained] in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, [thus] establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. 17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner [stone,] 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

Slide: “If Scripture is sufficient, then it is sufficient for racial reconciliation.” (Voddie Baucham)

Slide: Matt. 22:34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him [a question,] testing Him, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

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Slides: Life in the Grey: Being a “Pro-Life” Church

Slide: The foundation of a Pro-Life position is the Imago Dei.

Slide: All of mankind is created by God and in His image. We admire, respect, and honor the image of God in every human being.

Slide: What about the unborn? Psa. 139: 13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, [And] skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained [for me,] When as yet there was not one of them.

Slide: What about the souls of the unborn? 2 Sam. 12:22 He said, "While the child was [still] alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.' 23 "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

Slide: Abortion History: a doctrine of demons. 2 Kings 23:10 He also defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for Molech. Jer. 32:35 "They built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through [the fire] to Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. 1 Cor. 10:19 What do I mean then? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 [No,] but [I say] that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons.

Slide: Abortion history: a legacy of lies. Margaret Sanger and the eugenics movement. Alfred Kinsey and the sexual revolution. The rise of political framing and the dehumanization of babies. Slide: So what’s the role of the church? Support the rights of the unborn and those who defend them. Reject emotional, politically framed arguments that are contrary to the Gospel. Teach a biblical ethic of sex, marriage, and family. Support the single mom and the orphan.

Slide: James 1:22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. ... 26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his [own] heart, this man's religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of [our] God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, [and] to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Slide: So what’s the role of the church? Intervene: Adopt, foster, advocate, and support those who do.

Slide: Eph 1:5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

Slide: So what’s the role of the church? Repent.

Slide: Dan. 9:4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. ... 8 "Open shame belongs to us, O LORD, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. ... 11 "Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him.

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Slides: But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Philippians 4:10

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Philippians 4:11-12

The Joy of Contentment

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Contentment is not what you think it is.

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6

Contentment is not settling for what you’re stuck with, it’s unlocking the joy in what you’ve been given.

Contentment is better.

Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 6:6

Contentment is learned.

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content Philippians 4:11

Three Steps To Contentment At Its Best

Step #1 Kill Comparison

Step #2 Say The Magic Word

Step #3 Jump Ship

“Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” Haggai 1:5-6

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:16-17

Challenge #1 Avoid “comparison zones” for one week.

Challenge #2 For one day - only pray THANKS.

Challenge #3 This week, take a step in giving.

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Slides:

Slide 1: Grey area ministry lessons from the life of Paul: He prioritized love for others over personal liberty. (V19) He met people where they were. (Vv20, 21) He considered the conscience of others, not just their outward actions. (V22) He kept his eye on the prize. (V23) And he did it all without playing the hypocrite!

Slide 2: “Paul was willing to offend people over the Gospel, but he wanted to offend them only over the Gospel.” David Guzik

Slide 3: Gal. 2:11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he [began] to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. 13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how [is it that] you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?

Slide 4: You will invest where you see the greatest reward.

Slide 5: It’s time to stop mourning the life you think you’ve lost or the life you think you’ll never get to live. It’s time to run!

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Slide 1: 1 Cor. 4:3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by [any] human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. ... 8 You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, [I] wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. ... 10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. 11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, [even] until now.

Slide 2: Paul defended his right to make a living from his ministry.

Slide 3: Matt. 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in [the] way of [the] Gentiles, and do not enter [any] city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ... 8 "Heal [the] sick, raise [the] dead, cleanse [the] lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. 9 "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a bag for [your] journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.

Slide 4: Love is greater than liberty!

Slide 5: When it comes the grey areas, sometimes you just can’t win.

Slide 6: Sometimes, the Spirit may lead YOU to a strong stance on a conscience issue for HIS purposes.

Slide 7: Don’t make your conscience issue someone else’s law!

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Slides: Slide: How do we determine a “grey” area? No clear biblical mandate Disagreement

Slide: Knowledge puffs up, love builds up.

Slide: Conscience – the part of man that judges between morally good and bad

Slide: A conscience can be defiled even if the person is not. But a defiled conscience powerfully affects the person.

Slide: Love is greater than liberty!

Slide: Phil. 2:1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

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Slides: Slide: What is this present distress? Is it specific or prophetic? Possible local and/or religious persecutions

Slide: 1 Thess. 3:4 For indeed when we were with you, we [kept] telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could endure [it] no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.

Slide: What is this present distress? Is it specific or prophetic? Possible local religious persecutions Nero’s persecution “End times” events

Slide: Matt. 24:15 "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. ... 19 "But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! ... 27 "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Slide: The time has been shortened?

Slide: 2 Pet. 3:3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with [their] mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For [ever] since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation." 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God [the] heavens existed long ago and [the] earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Slide: Psa. 90:12 So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

Slide: James 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are [just] a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.

Slide: Matt. 24:42 "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think [He will.] 45 "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.

Slide: Seeing the world as it truly is should produce urgency in us!

Slide: The main point: Paul’s greatest desire is that believers be as undistracted in their devotion to the Lord as possible.

Slide: The true purpose of life is to know God and make Him known!!!

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Slides: Slide: Scripture affirms spiritual blessing in authority structures such as the family.

Slide: 1 Pet. 3:1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any [of them] are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, 2 as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. ... 5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear. 7 You husbands in the same way, live with [your wives] in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Slide: Paul’s main point: A Christian should not divorce their unbelieving spouse for anything other than adultery or abandonment.

Slide: Dating and missions do not a marriage make.

Slide: 2 Cor. 6:14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

Slide: Single? Married? Divorced? You’re in the army now.

Slide: 2 Cor. 5:18 Now all [these] things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Slide: 1 Pet. 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God's] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ... 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe [them,] glorify God in the day of visitation.

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Slide: Two reminders to the single: You’re not broken. Singleness is not your identity.

Slide: If you’re “single and ready to mingle”, you need to get hitched.

Slide: Don’t be fooled, marriage doesn’t solve all sexual problems.

Slide: Implications to young Christians: Don’t be afraid to marry young. Not ready to marry? Then keep your distance!!!

Slide: Mal. 2:13 "This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts [it with] favor from your hand. 14 "Yet you say, 'For what reason?' Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 "But not one has done [so] who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did [that] one [do] while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 "For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously." 17 You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, "How have we wearied [Him?]" In that you say, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them," or, "Where is the God of justice?"

Slide: Matt. 19:3 [Some] Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, "Is it lawful [for a man] to divorce his wife for any reason at all?" 4 And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created [them] from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 5 and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'? 6 "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." 7 They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND [her] AWAY?" 8 He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. 9 "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." 10 The disciples said to Him, "If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry."

Slide: Paul doesn’t answer all of our questions. Some conclusions: Don’t make divorce the unforgivable sin. Failed already? Start here! Don’t embrace a culture of disposable relationships. Divorce is rarely permitted and never commanded.

Slide: Remember, marriage is designed as a picture of the Gospel!

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Slides: Slide: Is it more holy for Christians not to marry and to remain celibate?

Slide: There are many biblical “reasons” for sex in marriage: Pleasure – Song of Solomon, Proverbs 5:18-19 Comfort – 2 Sam. 12:24-25 Intimacy – Gen. 2:24-25 Children – Ps. 127:3-5 Protection from immoralities.

Slide: Immorality is steeped in selfishness.

Slide: The biblical foundation of sex in marriage is all about I.O.U.

Slide: Does this biblically justify things we regard today as abuse?

Slide: Can a husband or wife never say no?

Slide: The “gift” Paul refers to is the ability to be single and satisfied.

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Slides: Slide: Gen. 2:24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Slide: Eph. 5:31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

Slide: We were designed with sex in mind.

Slide: The standard for “good” sex is the intimacy and unity seen in our relationship with the Lord demonstrated exclusively in the relationship between husband and wife.

Slide: Justification 1: The “everyone is doing it” argument.

Slide: Paul’s answer: Christian freedom is not a license to sin.

Slide: Justification 2: The “I can’t help myself” argument.

Slide: Rom. 6:12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin [as] instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Slide: Paul’s answer: Sex is not a bodily need. If you have no self-control, you’re not saved.

Slide: Justification 3: The “my body, my rights” argument.

Slide: Paul’s answer: Your sexual morality greatly affects your relationship with God.

Slide: Justification 4: The “I could be doing a lot worse” argument.

Slide: Paul’s answer: Every part of you is holy and belongs to the Lord.

Slide: Psa. 32:1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! 3 When I kept silent [about my sin,] my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away [as] with the fever heat of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.

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Slides: Slide: Reminder: Our citizenship influences our behavior.

Slide: Rom. 13:1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.

Slide: Why fight over what you can’t take with you?

Slide: 1 Tim 6:7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Slide: Besides, everything is already waiting for you!

Slide: Rom 8:16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him.] 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Slide: 1 John 3:7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

Slide: Grace is the foundation for self-sacrifice.

Slide: Applications: 1. Take your church beef to leadership, not the courts. 2. F̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶r̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶ Be careful when prioritizing justice over witness. 3. Practice the golden rule.

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Slides:

Slide: Pandemic practices: Time spent in spiritual disciplines Rest Pursuit of fellowship

Slide: The fruit: Personal intimacy with God Physical, emotional, and spiritual healing Unity Seeing God’s provision Revival

Slide: Exo. 20:8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; [in it] you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

Slide: Exo. 21:2 "If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. 3 "If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 "If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. 5 "But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,' 6 then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.

Slide: Exo. 23:10 "You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield, 11 but [on] the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the beast of the field may eat. You are to do the same with your vineyard [and] your olive grove.

Slide: Deut. 15:1 "At the end of [every] seven years you shall grant a remission [of debts.] 2 "This is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because the LORD'S remission has been proclaimed. 3 "From a foreigner you may exact [it,] but your hand shall release whatever of yours is with your brother. 4 "However, there will be no poor among you, since the LORD will surely bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, 5 if only you listen obediently to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today.

Slide: Sabbath practices: Time spent in spiritual disciplines Rest Pursuit of fellowship

Slide: Sabbath fruits: Personal intimacy with God Physical, emotional, and spiritual healing Unity Seeing God’s provision Revival

Slide: Making Sabbath practical: Worship Rest Fellowship w/friends, family, and other believers Life-giving activities

Slide: One more thing: UNPLUG!

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Slides: Slide: “Great moments are born out of great opportunities.” Herb Brooks

Slide: Jos. 3:1 Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and he and all the sons of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and they lodged there before they crossed. 2 At the end of three days the officers went through the midst of the camp; 3 and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. 4 "However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before." 5 Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."

Slide: Revival – increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a church or society with a local, national, or global effect

Slide: Some characteristics of revival: Born out of great spiritual darkness and moral decline Emphasize personal relationship with God Cause GREAT social impact See the “recovery” of the Gospel Connected to corporate prayer

Slide: Some questions we need to be asking: What is my focus on right now? How can I consecrate myself to God? What is He doing today? Where is He working? How can He use me?

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Slides: Slide: Num. 13:27 Thus they told him, and said, "We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 "Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified [and] very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. ... 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us." 32 So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of [great] size. 33 "There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

Slide: A dependent person is a strong person. A dependent church is a strong church.

Slide: God’s promise to you is that He will never abandon you!

Slide: Heb. 13:5 [Make sure that] your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," 6 so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?"

Slide: How to “get a grip,” God’s instruction to Joshua: Know it Do what it says Speak it

Slide: God has called us to be His bold witnesses: acting in love and unity, submitting to the authority of His Word, walking in the power of His Spirit.

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Slides Slide: Leaven lessons: It doesn’t take much to spread.

Slide: Gal. 5:9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump [of dough.]

Slide: Leaven lessons: Like a virus, can be seen though its “ symptoms” or may be appear invisible for a time.

Slide: Matt. 16:6 And Jesus said to them, "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Luke 12:1 Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first [of all,] "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Slide: Leaven lessons: It is to be removed before it infects. The process is to remind us of purity.

Slide: Exo. 12:11 'Now you shall eat it in this manner: [with] your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD'S Passover.

Slide: If the “leaven” in this passage is not the incestuous man, but is actually the pride of the people, then what does that say about the sin of pride?

Slide: John 17:14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil [one.] 16 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. 20 "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, [are] in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Slide: Matt. 18:17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Slide: 2 Thess. 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us…14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame.

Slide: Insulate, don’t isolate.

Slide: We’re called to judge sin in the church, not outside of it. Humility mourns sin, but pride tolerates it. Tolerance for sin in the church is a breeding ground for division. The greatest enemy here is PRIDE.

Slide: So where’s the grace? Restoration of the sinning brother. Purity of the church, the bride of Christ. Witness among a lost generation.

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Slides: Slide: Humility mourns sin, but pride tolerates it.

Slide: Tolerance for sin in the church is a breeding ground for division.

Slide: Lev. 18:30 'Thus you are to keep My charge, that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them; I am the LORD your God.'"

Slide: Prov. 6:16 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness [who] utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.

Slide: Did they practice church discipline “the right way?”

Slide: Matt. 18:15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 "But if he does not listen [to you,] take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. 17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Slide: Authentic discipleship constantly challenges us.

Slide: A delivery to Satan? 1 Tim. 1:20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.

Slide: A delivery to Satan? * Into the enemy’s domain * Out of the “the circle of blessing”

Slide: Job 1:10 "Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

Luke 22:31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded [permission] to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

Slide: For the destruction of the flesh? * Not “body”, but the sensual nature of man. * Show the flesh no quarter, it’ll cost you!

Slide: Rom. 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to [its] lusts.

Slide: So that his spirit may be saved! * In discipline there is GRACE. * The goal of discipline is reconciliation. * If we err in our judgments, we err on the side of grace.

Slide: 2 Thess. 3:14 If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. 15 [Yet] do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Slide: Matt. 18:12 "What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? 13 "If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14 "So it is not [the] will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish. ... 18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. 19 "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

Slide: Church discipline is not a group of pious policeman out to catch a criminal. Rather, it is a group of broken-hearted brothers and sisters seeking to restore an erring member of the family.” Warren Weirsbe

Slide: Commercial Christianity doesn’t leave room for a biblical theology of suffering. * Paul’s thorn in the flesh resulted in Christ’s power perfected in man’s weakness. * Job’s trials resulted in better vision of and dedication to God. * Peter’s “sifting” resulted in stronger faith, better ability to encourage the brethren. * The suffering and death of the saints at Smyrna ended with the crown of life!

Slide: Don’t ever forget that there is a purpose to God’s process!

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Slides: Slide: A little review. Commercial Christianity… Creates people-pleasers, not Christ-followers. Puts the emphasis on style over substance. Cultivates the comparison trap.

Slide: Matt. 5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.' 39 "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Slide: 1 Cor. 9:11 If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the [food] of the temple, [and] those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? 14 So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.

Slide: 2 Cor. 11:24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine [lashes.] 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 [I have been] on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from [my] countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 [I have been] in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 Apart from [such] external things, there is the daily pressure on me [of] concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

Slide: Commercial Christianity doesn’t leave room for a biblical theology of suffering.

Slide: Authentic discipleship constantly challenges us.

Slide: 1 Thess. 2:10 You are witnesses, and [so is] God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; 11 just as you know how we [were] exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father [would] his own children, 12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Slide: Authentic disciples imitate. But choose wisely!

Slide: John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and [so] prove to be My disciples.

Slide: Authentic discipleship: Acknowledges the presence of suffering Keeps the Gospel as the foundation

Slide: Authentic discipleship works through authority structures.

Slide: Authentic disciples seek to practice humility.

Slide: Authentic disciples find unity through humility.

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Slides:

Slide 1: Commercial Christianity: We’re not owners, we’re managers.

Slide 2: Titus 1:7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Slide 3: Col. 1:25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Slide 4: Col. 2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Slide 5: Commercial Christianity: We’re not owners, we’re managers. Accountable to God… Serving people by serving God… Proclaiming the Gospel.

Slide 6: Commercial Christianity: These are matters of primacy, not doctrine or morality.

Slide 7: The comparison trap, a crucible for commercial Christianity: When we align with people or programs, we knowingly or unknowingly critique all others and divide the Body of Christ. Be careful to keep your opinions of people from becoming too high or too low. As much as possible, keep your opinions biblical. The comparison trap creates criticism, dissatisfaction, and spiritual blindness.

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Slides: Slide: The choice is yours…

Slide: Rom. 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,

Slide: Ecc. 1:16 I said to myself, "Behold, I have magnified and increased wisdom more than all who were over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge." 17 And I set my mind to know wisdom and to know madness and folly; I realized that this also is striving after wind. 18 Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge [results in] increasing pain.

Slide: The choice is yours…so get stupid!

Slide: All things belong to you.

Slide: Psa. 24:1 The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.

Slide: Heb. 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

Slide: Rom. 8:16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him.] 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Slide: Rom. 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined [to become] conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [is] against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Slide: To fight against dissention, you need:

A sober view of self

A graceful view of others

A kingdom view of everything

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Slides: Slide: 2 Pet. 1:12 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you [already] know [them,] and have been established in the truth which is present with [you.] I consider it right, as long as I am in this [earthly] dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,

Slide: Eph. 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places.] 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Slide: Spiritual men and women remember the real battle.

Slide: Jos. 1:7 "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Slide: Feed the Spirit, starve the flesh.

Slide: 1 Sam. 5:1 Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. 3 When the Ashdodites arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. 4 But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [were] cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.

Slide: Identify and exterminate idols.

Slide: 1 Cor. 3:16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and [that] the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Slide: Use worship as a weapon…wherever you are.

Slide: Matt. 20:25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and [their] great men exercise authority over them. 26 "It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Slide: Serve! We get selfish when we don’t.

Slide: You were made for withness…so embrace the awkward.

Slide: Phil. 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 Pet. 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober [spirit,] be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in [your] faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

Slide: Cast, and cast, and keep on casting your anxieties. He cares for you!

Slide: Heb. 4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as [we are, yet] without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Slide: Jesus draws near to us in our suffering.

Slide: You were made for this!

Slide: 2 Pet. 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Slide: Two questions that have to be asked: Is the foundation right? Have I built on the foundation with the right materials?

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Slides: Slide: Two indicators of spiritual maturity: Presence of division (1 Cor. 1:10-13) Relationship to God’s Word (1 Cor. 2:14-3:3)

Slide: Acts 18:24 Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; 26 and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. Acts 19:1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.

Slide: The marks of the mature: grace, humility, instruction, and FRUIT!

Slide: The only hero we should worship is our Heavenly Father.

Slide: Eph. 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

Slide: The Foundation: 1 Cor. 1:22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,

1 Cor. 2:2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

Slide: 1 Chron. 29:1 Then King David said to the entire assembly, "My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is still young and inexperienced and the work is great; for the temple is not for man, but for the LORD God. 2 "Now with all my ability I have provided for the house of my God the gold for the [things of] gold, and the silver for the [things of] silver, and the bronze for the [things of] bronze, the iron for the [things of] iron, and wood for the [things of] wood, onyx stones and inlaid [stones,] stones of antimony and stones of various colors, and all kinds of precious stones and alabaster in abundance.

Slide: Those in ministry are called to: Act as servants, not celebrities. Build upon the foundation, not lay a new one. Use quality building materials, no matter the cost or difficulty.

Slide: Some Chapel ministry philosophy The materials we choose to build with: Word, Worship, Withness, Witness We depend on God to produce the growth. We do our best to practice righteousness before God, not man. (Matt. 6:1-3)

Slide: There are degrees of reward in heaven.

Slide: 2 Cor. 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Slide: You are not mere men and women!

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Slides: Matt. 21:1-11 (Palm Sunday) Slide: Was Jesus a lunatic? No, He knew exactly what He was getting Himself into. Matt. 12:38-42, sign of Jonah Matt. 16:21-23, rebuke of Peter Matt. 20:27-28, to give His life a ransom for many

Matt. 26:36-56 (Thursday night) Slide: Was Jesus a liar? Jesus fulfilled at least 300 O.T. prophecies. Right place – born in Bethlehem Right family – descendant of Shem - Abe - Isaac - Jacob - Judah - David Right time – before destruction of Jerusalem and temple in 70 A.D. Right death – crucifixion

Matt. 27:24-54 (Good Friday/Passover) Slide: Jesus suffered more deeply that any of us will ever completely understand. And He did it for you. Slide: Jesus is Lord of all! And He desires all to be saved. 1 Tim. 2:3-4 2 Pet. 3:9 John 3:16-17

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Slides:

Slide 1: Philippians 3:17-19 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is [their] appetite, and [whose] glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

Slide 2: We can’t expect natural people to act like spiritual people.

Slide 3: Natural people shouldn’t influence spiritual people.

Slide 4: Isaiah 40:12-14 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales? Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him? With whom did He consult and [who] gave Him understanding? And [who] taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding?

Slide 5: John 14:16-18 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; [that is] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, [but] you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ... 26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

Slide 6: John 15:15 "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Slide 7: The spiritual man has the mind of Christ!

Slide 8: Hebrews 5:12-14 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes [only] of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

Slide 9: Want to be a spiritual person. You got to practice!

Slide 10: How can we know the difference between the natural, spiritual, and carnal man?

Slide 11: James 3:13-16 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and [so] lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

Slide 12: Jude 1:17-19 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, "In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts." These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.

Slide 13: Grown up stuff. What if we use this time to:

Grow up in our relationship with Christ? Invest in our families and friends? Seek reconciliation in broken relationships? Practice discerning good and evil? Fast from worldly wisdom? Look for ministry avenues around us?

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Slides:

Slide: 1 Cor. 15:23-27 -- But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then [comes] the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, "All things are put in subjection," it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.

Slide: Luke 10:21 -- At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from [the] wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.

Slide: Sacred Secrets… - Should make us even more thankful for His grace! - Should drive us to pray for revelation in the lost. - Should set us free from “responsibility” to save others.

Slide: God always had, and always has, a plan.

Slide: Gen. 3:15 -- And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel."

Slide: The future reality of the Gospel should affect our current condition.

Slide: Matt. 5:13-16 -- "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty [again?] It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does [anyone] light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Slide: He…speaks…to…you!

Slide: Acts 2:38 -- Peter [said] to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Slide: Rom. 8:14-17 -- For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him.]

Slide: What could be more important than this wisdom, this understanding of the Gospel, right now?

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Pastor Frank Ramseur (of Calvary Chapel Chattanooga) -- Slides: Paul’s Graceful & Glorious Life: 1. HIS EXAMPLE: He came across to others well, appropriate, and humble! Q: How do you think you come across to others?

HIS EMPHASIS: He was really about Jesus! Q: Are you genuinely glad when God gets the glory for what you've done?
HIS EXPERIENCE: His posture was proven! Q: Do we really practice what we preach?

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Contentment is a learned behavior.

Slide: Contentment is not based on circumstance.

Slide: Contentment comes through His strength, not our own.

Slide: There is a direct link between generosity and financial contentment.

Slide: Principles of Gospel-based giving: Generosity is a “fruit” of the Spirit.

Slide: Rom 12:6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, [each of us is to exercise them accordingly:] if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Slide: Principles of Gospel-based giving: Your heart will follow your investment.

Slide: [Mat 6:19-21 NASB] 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Slide: Principles of Gospel-based giving: You will reap as you sow.

Slide: 2 Cor 9:6 Now this [I say,] he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Slide: Principles of Gospel-based giving: God loves a cheerful giver.

Slide: 2 Cor 9:7 Each one [must do] just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Slide: Principles of Gospel-based giving: Generosity is born out of trust. Slide: 2 Cor 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 9 as it is written, "HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER." 10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

Slide: Heb 13:5 [Make sure that] your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," 6 so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?"

Slide: Principles of Gospel-based giving: Jesus is our example and inspiration for giving.

Slide: 2 Cor 8:1 Now, brethren, we [wish to] make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, [they gave] of their own accord, 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, 5 and [this,] not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

Slide: 2 Cor 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

Slide: 2 Cor 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

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Peace With Others: Paul “judges” with truth, love, and purpose.

Slide 3: Matt. 7:1 "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Slide 3: 1 Cor. 5:3 For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 [I have decided] to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. ... 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within [the church?] 13 But those who are outside, God judges. REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES.

Slide 4: Peace with others: Evan good people can have conflict with each other.

Slide 5: Peace with others: We can’t stand firm without standing together.

Slide 6: Peace with others: Sometimes requires community.

Slide 7: Peace with others: Resolve conflict by finding common ground.

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We must constantly examine the direction of our affection.

1 Peter 2:4-5 and 9-12

We are all called to ministry.

We are called to minister first to God and then to people.

Acts 13:2

Minister: Serve or perform a work for. Often translated as worship.

1 Peter 2:5

Minister to God: Through Holiness By being spiritual sacrifices.

1 Peter 2:9-12

Minister to others: By proclaiming By abstaining

Mark 6:30-32

Matthew 11:11

Key to Effective Ministry: Point people to Jesus

Mark 6:33-38

Key to Effective Ministry: Point people to Jesus Rest: Don’t starve. Make his word a priority.

Key to Effective Ministry: Point people to Jesus Rest: Don’t starve. Make his word a priority. Have Faith: Give God everything.

Key to Effective Ministry: Point people to Jesus Rest: Don’t starve. Make his word a priority. Have Faith: Give God everything. Be faithful: Minister to the individual.

Key to Effective Ministry: Point people to Jesus Rest: Don’t starve. Make his word a priority. Have Faith: Give God everything. Be faithful: Minister to the individual. Repeat: Ministry has no cruise control.

The Filter: God – Family – Work – Ministry

The simple filter: Put God First Point people to Jesus Rest: Don’t starve. Make his word a priority. Have Faith: Give God everything.

Put People Second Be faithful: Minister to the individual. Start with your family.

Allow God to handle the rest.

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Slide 1: The Christian life is the greatest race you could ever run.

Slide 2: 1 Cor 3:11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is [to be] revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Slide 3: Every person is at a different point in the race.

Slide 4: Acts 15:19 "Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.

Slide 5: Rom 9:30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at [that] law. 32 Why? Because [they did] not [pursue it] by faith, but as though [it were] by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,

Slide 6: Don’t play down to your level of competition.

Slide 7: The Word, our greatest source of attitude adjustment.

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The struggle is real.

Slide: Rom 7:15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I [would] like to [do,] but I am doing the very thing I hate.

Slide: Forget the PAST. Make the most of the PRESENT. Look to the FUTURE.

Slide: Luke 9:57 As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go." 58 And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air [have] nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." 59 And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." 60 But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." 61 Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." 62 But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

Slide: The goal is “to attain to the resurrection of the dead.”

Slide: He is the prize.

Slide: Acts 9:1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He [said,] "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, ...

20 and immediately he [began] to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."

Slide: Eph. 1:15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which [exists] among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention [of you] in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 [I pray that] the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. [These are] in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly [places,] 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

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A topical message regarding the heart of missions at The Chapel.

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Transformers (Phil. 3:10-11)

Slide 1: Knowledge of God results in perfection.

Slide 2: 1 Cor. 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man [came] death, by a man also [came] the resurrection of the dead. ... 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly. ... 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?"

Slide 3: Knowledge of God requires precision.

Slide 4: 2 Pet. 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. ... 8 For if these [qualities] are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Slide 5: Knowledge of God produces power.

Slide 6: Rom. 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Slide 7: Knowledge of God involves participation.

Slide 8: John 15:18 "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before [it hated] you. 19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

Slide 9: Rom. 8:16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him.] 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Slide 10: 2 Cor. 4:17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

Slide 11: Knowledge of God follows a pattern.

Slide 12: Rom. 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined [to become] conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

Slide 13: The conclusion is this: true knowledge of God is transformational!

Slide 14: 1 John 2:3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Slide 15: 2 Cor. 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

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There Can Be Only One (Phil 3:1-3)

Slide 1: 2 Cor. 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

Slide 2: Gen 17:10 "This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 "And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 "And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, a [servant] who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants. 13 "A [servant] who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

Slide 3: Col 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; 11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

Slide 4: Rom 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Slide 5: Rom 4:9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. 13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Slide 6: What we learn about circumcision: It was an outward sign of an inward condition. Our closest “sign” today is baptism Even Abe was made righteous before receiving the sign

Slide 7: Things we put confidence in today: The Law Church attendance and family tradition Baptism/christening/confirmation The gift of tongues Keeping Sabbath Having said the sinner’s prayer

Slide 8: The only confidence we should have…faith: Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Slide 9: The only confidence we should have…faith: Rom 10:8 But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus [as] Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Slide 10: The only confidence we should have…faith: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Slide 11: There Can Be Only One 1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God, [and] one mediator also between God and men, [the] man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony [given] at the proper time.

Slide 12: There Can Be Only One John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Slide 13: There Can Be Only One Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Slide: Role model #3, Epaphroditus: Paul’s “brother” Fellow worker Fellow soldier Your messenger Minister to Paul’s need

Slide: What we’re to lust for: Each other’s company and well-being (Rom. 1:11, 1 Thess. 3:6) Day of salvation (2 Cor. 5:2) The Word (1 Pet. 2:2)

Slide: How do I create an environment that encourages me to lust for the right things?

Slide: Some “Christian” principles on grieving: It is biblical to grieve We grieve for the distress of brothers and sisters in Christ We grieve over the salvation of the lost We grieve over our loss

Slide: 1 Thess. 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of [the] archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Slide: Some “Christian” principles on grieving: We grieve in hope Comfort one another “with these words”

Slide: Hold servants in high regard.

Slide: Servants are held in high regard.

Slide: Your challenge for this week: go gambling!

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Acts 16:1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted this man to go with him; and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

Slide: 1 Cor. 11:1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

Slide: 1 Cor. 4:16 Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

Slide: Role Models: Timothy Was a kindred spirit, an imitator Was sympathetic toward others Was sacrificial and Christ focused

Slide: Role Models: Even Paul had very few kindred spirits.

Slide: Role Models: Timothy Battle tested Submissive

Slide: Role models: Paul filtered his hopes, dreams, and timing through the Lord’s plans.

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You Got Served (Phil 2:17-18)

Slide: Service is sacrificial.

Slide: Num 15:4 'The one who presents his offering shall present to the LORD a grain offering of one-tenth [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of oil, 5 and you shall prepare wine for the drink offering, one-fourth of a hin, with the burnt offering or for the sacrifice, for each lamb.

Slide: Rom 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship.

Slide: Service can be physically exhausting.

Slide: Service can be emotionally taxing.

Slide: Service is priestly.

Slide: 1Pet 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God's] OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Slide: Phil 3:18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] enemies of the cross of Christ,

Acts 20:31 "Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.

2 Cor 2:4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.

Slide: Service is a fruit of humility.

Slide: Even so, service is joy!

Slide: Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Slide: 1 Cor 3:12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is [to be] revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.

Slide: Recognize your need to become more of a servant? This week… Make some investments Spend time with Jesus

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When it comes to obedience, there is no line.

Slide: Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Slide: When it comes to works: We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus alone. As Christians, God has created good works for us to walk in…so work it out!

Slide: The salvation “workout” Do all things without grumbling or disputing Hold fast (and forth) the word of life

Slide: We are made to be image bearers and glory spreaders.

Slide: Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Slide: Rom 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined [to become] conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

Slide: Hab 2:14 "For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.

Slide: A nice, healthy fear of God is a great motivator.

Slide: Unity is serious business to God.

Slide: Eph 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such [a word] as is good for edification according to the need [of the moment,] so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

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Citizenship, the foundation of our commUNITY.

Slide: How do citizens of heaven act? They stand firm in one spirit. They strive together for one purpose.

Slide: The benefits of citizenship: Security & Salvation

Slide: Oneness, the evidence of our commUNITY.

Slide: Humility, the practice of our commUNITY.

Slide: Jesus, the example for our commUNITY.

Slide: Don’t stop believing in commUNITY!

Slide: Unpack your expectations of commUNITY.

Slide: Sometimes, it’s ok to agree to disagree in commUNITY.

Slide: Practice the golden rule in commUNITY.

Slide: The presence of the Spirit is essential for commUNITY!

Slide: A humble, united church exalts the name of Jesus!

Slide: 1Cor. 10:16 Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.

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Humility – lowliness of mind Opposite of selfishness and empty conceit

Slide: Outward evidences of humility: Regarding others as more important than self Looking out for the interests of others Obedient submission Other characteristics seen with humility: peace, patience, gentleness, unity (See Eph. 4:26-31, Col. 3:8)

Slide: John 12:49 "For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment [as to] what to say and what to speak.

Slide: Matt. 26:44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Slide: “Opportunities” for submission in our lives: To government – Rom. 13 To one another – Eph. 5:18-21 Wives to husbands – Eph. 5:22 Children to parents – Eph. 6:1 All to God – James 4:7

Slide: “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him…” Humility (internal character) Obedient submission (external application)

Slide: The Way Up is Down Matt. 20:25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and [their] great men exercise authority over them. 26 "It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Slide: The Way Up is Down Matt. 23:11 "But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Slide: The Way Up is Down Prov. 18:12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, But humility [goes] before honor.

Slide: The Way Up is Down Prov. 25:6 Do not claim honor in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of great men; 7 For it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.

Slide: The prideful heart of man says: They’re going to win They’ll never change I’ll never be happy My needs will never be met Someone else will do it.

Slide: So how do I humble myself?

Slide: James 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. 11 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge [of it.] 12 There is [only] one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?

Slide: So how do I humble myself? Submit to God (agree He is right) Draw near to Him (personal devotion and corporate worship) Repent Stop speaking “against” Yield to the true Judge

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In a way it's almost easier for me to contemplate throwing out all of Christianity than it is to keeping Christianity and adapting it in these different ways.

Slide: I guess if we can with one generation make that radical a shift with the Bible, who's to say that another generation can't completely shift the Bible to, you know, to justify something that we would all think is horrendous? It starts to just be silly putty.

Slide: Kenosis theory – Jesus gave up some or all of his divine attributes (ex: omniscience, omnipotence) as a man. He laid down His deity to take up humanity.

Slide: How did Jesus empty Himself? Took the form of a bond-servant Made in the likeness of men Humbled Himself to death on a cross

Slide: Mark 13:31 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 32 "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father [alone.]

Slide: Col 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

Slide: Heb 13:8 Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday and today and forever. (Immutability)

Slide: Matt 26:53 "Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

Slide: Conclusion: Jesus was fully God and fully man. He practiced the power of submission. He chose not to exercise His deity at times in His humility and obedience to God’s plan.

Slide: So why does this all really matter anyway: The demotion of Christ leads to the deification of man. To deny the deity of Christ cheapens the grace of God.

Slide: Heb 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

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Prayer practices: · Don’t feel guilty for praying out of need or want. · Prayer is a partnership with God. · Humble, confident prayer arises from hope. · Pray big prayers for the glory of God.

Choose life: · For the love of people · For the glory of God

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Perspective matters.

Our lives are object lessons.

Sin is a joy stealer. Circumstance is not.

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Slide: Servitude: the key to not becoming a people-pleaser.

Slide: To kill the complaining spirit, practice praying praise.

Slide: Marks of true fellowship: · Communication · Cooperation · Communion

Slide: Agape Love lessons: · Love can grow. · Love is not dumb, it judges wisely. · Love helps us decide between good and best.

Slide: It’s all because of Him, through Him, and for His glory!

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To Philippi, With Love

Slide: There’s numbers in strength.

Slide: Fruit is born out of obedience. Obedience is born out of submission. Submission is born out of trust.

Slide: The Holy Spirit works though “no” as well as “yes.” He works in difficulty as well as in victory.

Slide: Focus on what you know, not what you don’t.

Slide: We are the island of misfit toys. Praise God!

Slide: True fellowship is the product of: Faith Service Mission

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Slides: Slide: “Collapse in the Christian life is rarely because of a sudden blow-out, but primarily due to a slow leak.” Jon Courson

Slide: What is our responsibility in an increasingly ungodly culture? To maintain our doctrine in our home and churches.

Slide: Deut. 6:6 "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Slide: Eph. 4:14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

Slide: What is our responsibility in an increasingly ungodly culture? To live in purity and good works

Slide: Eph. 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Slide: 1Pet. 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe [them,] glorify God in the day of visitation.

Slide: What is our responsibility in an increasingly ungodly culture? To live at peace with and honor all men

Slide: Rom. 12:17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

Slide: 1Pet.2:17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

Slide: What is our responsibility in an increasingly ungodly culture? To submit to governmental authorities

Slide: 1Pet. 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

Slide: What is our responsibility in an increasingly ungodly culture? To proclaim the Gospel in word and deed to a lost and dying world

Slide: Matt. 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Slide: We must go to war with our sin. It has to be put to death.

Slide: Don’t be lead by impulse. Be lead by the Word.

Slide: There can be only one king!

Slide: The cycle of sin: Sin – Slavery – Supplication - Salvation

Slide: Cycle breakers: Word, Worship, Withness, and Witness

Slide: When we seek Him, we will find Him!

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Activity: How Well Do I Know God? _ I struggle to believe that God loves me. _ I feel disconnected from God. _ I pray when I need help, but I don’t routinely spend time with God. _ I feel trapped in a cycle of shame about my past. _ I don’t feel much need or desire to read the Bible. _ I believe in God, but I can’t say I prioritize my life around Him. _ My belief in God doesn’t seem to keep me from worrying almost all of the time. _ I don’t experience worship or express praise to God in my daily life. _ I find it almost impossible to forgive people who have hurt me. _ My sense of security is impacted more by how I am doing financially than by how I am doing spiritually. _ I’m not sure my heart breaks for the things that break the heart of God. _ I tend to diminish or overlook my sins and failures rather than grieving them. _ I don’t often experience a passionate desire to please God. _ It feels like a long time since I’ve heard God’s voice or experienced God’s leading in my life. _ I often feel God is not fair. _ It’s rare for me to feel completely surrendered to God. Most of the time, I’m not even sure I want to be. _ I make most of my own decisions without submitting them to God’s Word.

Here’s the encouragement: Slide: If we seek Him, we will find Him!

[Jer 29:13 NASB] 13 'You will seek Me and find [Me] when you search for Me with all your heart.

[Pro 8:17 NASB] 17 "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.

[Act 17:26-27 NASB] 26 and He made from one [man] every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined [their] appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

[Jas 4:8 NASB] 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

[Heb 11:6 NASB] 6 And without faith it is impossible to please [Him,] for he who comes to God must believe that He is and [that] He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

[Rom 10:13 NASB] 13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

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Slide: Sometimes, our children need to be told they are bad so we can point them to the One who is good.

Slide: You can’t always trust your eyes.

Slide: Gen. 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make [one] wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

Slide: Gen. 13:10 Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere--[this was] before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah--like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar.

Slide: Gen. 16:5 And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done me be upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me." 6 But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is good in your sight." So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her presence.

Slide: James 4:6b …"GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." What is more arrogant than designer religion and morals? God does not exist to prosper and serve us.

Slide: What’s more dangerous to the church than the hireling?

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Power…in our witness/ministry.

Slide: Rom. 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Slide: What should the significance of the resurrection be in my life? Power…in new life! Power…in our witness/ministry. Power…to experience joy, peace, and hope.

Slide: Eph. 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; [and] that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Slide: What should the significance of the resurrection be in my life? Power…in new life! Power…in our witness/ministry. Power…to experience joy, peace, and hope. Power…to know the love of God and be filled by Him.

Slide: Acts 2:22 "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know-- 23 this [Man,] delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put [Him] to death. 24 "But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

Slide: Heb. 2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

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“There are many who believe in the gifts and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but they don’t have a strong emphasis on Biblical teaching, nor do they look to the Word to guide their experiences with the Holy Spirit. There are many who have a strong emphasis on teaching the Word of God, but they don’t share the view that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are available and valid today. In Calvary Chapel we find the teaching of the Word and an open heart to the work of the Holy Spirit. It is this balance that makes Calvary Chapel a uniquely blessed movement of God.” Chuck Smith - The Holy Spirit in the book of John and early Acts: John 1:33 " John 14:12 John 15:26 Acts 1:4 Acts 2:1 -What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit? “Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a term used to describe a movement of the Spirit upon and/or within a believer usually, sometime after the person is saved. There is controversy surrounding this phenomenon as to whether it is legitimate or not. Some people believe that once a person is saved the Holy Spirit is in the person and there is no subsequent "baptism in the Holy Spirit." In other words, they maintain that this Baptism of the Spirit occurs at salvation. Others believe that it is possible for the Christian to experience an additional movement of the Holy Spirit some time after salvation. Generally speaking, it is the charismatic movement that supports the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.” (Source: Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry) -Non-Pentecostal pastors, teachers, and evangelists who believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit: John Piper, J. Vernon McGee, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, David Platt, Matt Chandler, George Whitefield, John Wesley, John McArthur

Slide: Simultaneous with salvation: Mcgee, Platt, Whitefield, McArthur Slide: (Possibly) Subsequent to salvation: Piper, Lloyd-Jones, Wesley, Chandler Slide: Where’s the debate? The “timing” of salvation in the disciples (John 20:22-23), Samaritan believers (Acts 8), Paul (Acts 9), Cornelius and household (Acts 10), and the Ephesian disciples (Acts 19). Over Acts being descriptive, prescriptive, or both. Slide: Why do I believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Some primary roles of the Holy Spirit in our lives: “With” us, to convict the world of sin (Gen. 6:3 and John 16:7-11) “In” us, as a seal, a mark of our salvation (1 Cor. 6:19, Eph. 1:13-14) “Upon” us, to empower us for ministry (Acts 1:8, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:1-7) Slide : Why is this discussion so important? The Holy Spirit is the source of power in the Christian life and to become a bold witness of Jesus Christ. Slide: Power: ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something. Slide : There is a close relationship between your faith and the release of the power of God through the Holy Spirit. Slide: Where can we all agree on the Holy Spirit? We are saved by grace through faith and not of works! Jesus alone! We are all sealed in the Holy Spirit at our salvation. (Eph. 1:13) Receiving the Holy Spirit is a life altering experience. We should not be afraid of the Holy Spirit. He is God! Slide: Eph. 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such [a word] as is good for edification according to the need [of the moment,] so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Slide: Where can we all agree on the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Sin has grieved the Holy Spirit in many churches and in many people. Slide: Eph. 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Slide: Where can we all agree on the Holy Spirit? This doctrine should not create “classes” of Christians. Our experience with the Holy Spirit is not one time, it is continuous! Slide: So what should I do in response? Confess (quickly) Submit (totally) Believe (steadfastly) Be filled (constantly)

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Slides: Slide 1: Cycle breakers: Listen to your conscience

Slide 2: Cycle breakers: Unceasing prayer

Slide 3: Don’t wait on a sign.

Slide 4: Matt. 12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." 39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and [yet] no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40 for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Slide 5: Stay thirsty my friends.

Slide 6: John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"

Slide 7: Cycle breakers: Scripture

Slide 8: Cycle breakers: Go to war with your sin

Slide 9: When will the Lord remove His favor?

Slide 10: John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"

Slide 11: Eph 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such [a word] as is good for edification according to the need [of the moment,] so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Slide 12: Samson’s freedom led to slavery.

Slide 13: It’s never too late to cry out!

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Slides: Slide 1: The Power of Perception: Where’s the glory?

Slide 2: Isa. 10:15 Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it? [That would be] like a club wielding those who lift it, [Or] like a rod lifting [him who] is not wood.

Slide 3: The Power of Perception: How distracted is your devotion?

Slide 4: [Deu 20:5 "The officers also shall speak to the people, saying, 'Who is the man that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would dedicate it. 6 'Who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not begun to use its fruit? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would begin to use its fruit. 7 'And who is the man that is engaged to a woman and has not married her? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would marry her.' 8 "Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, 'Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that he might not make his brothers' hearts melt like his heart.'

Slide 5: 1 Cor. 7:32 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33 but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34 and [his interests] are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35 This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and [to secure] undistracted devotion to the Lord.

Slide 6: The Power of Perception: What if the difficulty in discerning God’s voice is one of the ways He draws us into relationship?

Slide 7: The Power of Perception: What’s the difference between a good idea and God’s will?

Slide 8: Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Slide 9: “…because Gideon was a Spirit-filled man, the supernatural can operate very naturally in his life.” David Guzik

Slide 10: The Power of Perception: What has changed about Gideon? Slide 11: The Power of Perception: What if our greatest challenges were the greatest opportunities?

Slide 12: Zec 4:6 Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts.

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God is always at work around you.

God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.

God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.

God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.

God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.

You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing

You come to know God by experience as you obey him and He accomplishes his work through you. - Henry Blackaby

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Slide 1: What is a firstfruit? The first, and best, of anything you have

Slide 2: What is a firstfruit? It could be… Praise – Heb. 13:15 Thanksgiving – Ps. 50:14 Our children – 1 Sam. 1:11, John 3:16 Our lives – Rom. 12:1 An offering – Lev 2:12

Slide 3: Let’s talk tithes. Three O.T. tithes… Levitical – Num. 18:21-24 Feasts – Deut. 14:22-27 Poor – Deut. 14:28-29

Slide 4: Why we shouldn’t tithe. We’re not under law – Rom. 6:14-15 We make only freewill (spontaneous, voluntary) offerings – Gen 14:18-20

Slide 5: Our giving should be… Planned, proportionate, and private – 1 Cor. 16:1-4 Generous, given cheerfully – 2 Cor. 9:5-7

Slide 6: Why are firstfruits important? Keeps us dependent and makes us grateful – Hag. 2:8 As an act of congregational worship So that each member of the Body experiences participation in the ministry of the church – Matt. 28:19-20, 1 Cor. 9, 1 Tom. 5:17 Keeps our eyes on the prize – Rom. 8:23, 1 Cor. 15:20-23 So we will prosper – Prov. 3:9-10, 2 Cor. 9:6, 10-11

Slide 7: Take a day this week, or even a meal, as an individual or as a family to fast and pray. Ask God that He would help you to give Him the firstfruits of your lives in 2019.

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A summary of our first year, and vision casting for our second.

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The Chapel Cleveland's Podcast: Recent Episodes

Ritchie Johnson

Mark 15:15-47

Mark 15:1-15

Mark 14:43-72

Mark 14:26-42

Mark 14:12-25

Mark 14:1-11

Mark 13:14-37

Mark 13:1-13

Mark 12:28-44

Mark 12:1-27

Mark 11:20-33

Mark 11:12-19

Mark 11:1-11

Mark 10:32-52

Mark 10:13-31

Mark 10:1-12

Mark 9:30-50

Mark 9:1-13

Mark 8:27-38

Mark 8:1-26

Mark 7:24-37

Mark 7:1-26

Mark 6:45-56

Mark 6:30-44

Mark 6:14-29

Mark 6:14-16

Mark 5:1-20

Mark 4:35-41

Mark 4:1-20

Mark 3:20-35

Mark 3:20-30

Mark 3:7-19

Mark 3:1-6

Mark 2:18-28

Mark 2:1-17

Mark 1:14-45

Mark 1:1-13