Summit Church Garden City: Recent Episodes
Summit Church Garden City
- The God Who Is Infinitely Holy
- The God Who Exposes What We Really Are
- The God Who Cleanses Guilty Sinners
- God's glory in our failure
- God's glory in intimacy
- God's glory in holiness
- God's glory in beholding
Genesis 28 - 1. God Meets Us When We Least Deserve It 2. God Gives What We Could Never Earn. 3. The Ladder Points Us to Christ
Hebrews 13:20-25
The God of Peace Has Secured Our Salvation
The God of Peace Is Transforming Us Through Christ
The God of Peace Will Keep Us By His Grace
Hebrews 13:7-19
Remember Those Who Faithfully Pointed You to Christ
Do Not Drift from the True Gospel
Offer God a Life of Worship and Trust
Hebrews 12:12-17
1. When You’re Tired… Don’t Quit
2. Real Faith Moves
3. Don’t Trade Christ for Something Small
Hebrews 12:4-11
God Uses Hardship to Train His Children
God’s Discipline Proves You Belong to Him
God’s Discipline Produces Holiness and Lasting Peace
Hebrews 11:8-40
1. Faith Obeys Even When the Future Is Unclear
2. Faith Lives Like This World Is Not Home
3. Faith Keeps Going Even When Life Gets Hard
4. Faith Trusts That God Is Building Something Bigger Than Your Lifetime
Hebrews 11:1-7
1.Faith Trusts What It Cannot Yet See
2. Faith Worships God According to His Way
3. Faith Walks With God Daily
4. Faith Finds Its Refuge in Christ
John 20:1-19 - Is there evidence of the resurrection in your life?
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Secret to Sold Out
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Panic to Perceiving
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Anguish to Announcing
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Doubting to Devoted
Matthew 27:20-22
1. We have nothing good to offer God
2. The cross was no tragedy – it was God’s plan
3. The cross will turn your life upside down
- The danger of rejecting Christ
2. Remember how God sustained you before
3. True faith perseveres because it trusts God’s promises
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The Death That Activated the Covenant
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The blood that secured forgiveness,
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He Appeared, He Appears, He Will Appear
- Because Christ Appeared, Access Changed
- Because the Blood Is Better, Redemption Is Finished
- Because the Conscience Is Cleansed, Service Is Free
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The problem was not the law
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The promise of internal transformation
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You fight sin differently
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Your relationship with God becomes personal, not performative
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Full and final forgiveness
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Don’t live like you’re still at Sinai
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A Better Priest Because of a Better Promise
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A Better Priest Because He Lives Forever
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A Better Priest Because He Saves Completely and Is Perfect for Us
- Each Priesthood Has A Duration:
- Jesus’ Priesthood Is For Today
- Each Priesthood Has A Basis:
- Jesus’ Priesthood Is Based Upon His Immortality
- Each Priesthood Has A Level Of Efficacy:
- Jesus’ Priesthood Brings Us Into God’s Presence
- A Priest who appears outside the system
View 1: The Historical / Typological View
(real historical man who points forward to Christ)
View 2: The Christophany View
(pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus)
View 3: The Angelic / Heavenly Being View
(supernatural or angelic figure)
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A Priest greater than Abraham
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A Priest greater than Levi
- The Oath
- The Collateral
- Faith & Patience
- Christ is the Oath & the full Payment
- The Oath = His Word
- The Collateral = His Being
- Taking Hold = Enduring Faih
- He is Returning
- The danger of spiritual drift
- A serious warning to a drifting church
- View 1: Loss of salvation
- View 2: Hypothetical / Loss of Reward
- View 3: Exposure Without Regeneration
- Press on with confident perseverance
Application:
- Check for drift not just sin
- Move from consumption to contribution
- Don’t panic – persevere
FROM STRIVING TO ABIDING
- Unhurried time in God’s presence
- Honest, ongoing prayer – not impressive prayer
- Obedience in small things
Prayer for 2026: “Lord, teach us how to abide!”
- Love took on flesh
- Love came near
- Love has a face
- Love is full of grace and truth
Application points:
- Let Jesus define love for you
- Stop hiding from God when He has come near
- Stop loving from a distance
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TRUE JOY STARTS WITH WHO GOD IS, NOT HOW LIFE FEELS
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Mary’s theology creates her joy
- Mary’s joy is not rooted in what she understands, but in who God is
- Mary’s joy comes from God’s initiating grace
- Mary’s joy is rooted in God’s unchanging character
- Mary’s joy foreshadows the joy of all believers
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Mary’s joy points to Jesus
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TRUE JOY GROWS WHEN WE SEE GOD REVERSING WHAT THE WORLD BUILDS
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TRUE JOY RESTS ON GOD’S UNBREAKABLE PROMISE
Where do we find joy right now?
- Let’s rejoice when life feels small — because God sees you!
- Let’s rejoice when life feels reversed — because God is working in the hidden places
- Let’s rejoice when the future feels uncertain — because God’s promises are not
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BEFORE JESUS BRINGS PEACE TO THE WORLD, HE MUST END OUR WAR WITH GOD
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THE PRINCE OF PEACE WINS PEACE BY ENTERING OUR BROKENNESS
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BECAUSE THE KING HAS MADE PEACE WITH GOD, WE CAN NOW LIVE IN PEACE WITH OTHERS
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PEACE BECOMES OUR MESSAGE TO A WAR-TORN WORLD
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Where are you still at war with God?
- Who do you need to pursue peace with?
- Will you let Christ’s peace rule your heart this Christmas?
- Who are you going to bring this message of peace to?
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Hope speaks before the light breaks
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Hope has a name
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Hope breaks chains not just darkness
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Hope reigns forever
Application:
- Lift your eyes, even if you don’t feel like it
- Step out of the chain He already broke
- Anchor your hope in the kingdom that’s coming
- Move The Ball Forward
- What Is Christian Apologetics?
- Why Is Christian Apologetics Important?
- Methods:
- Creation
- Origin Of Science
- Science Emerging From Within Christian Society
- Some Arguments For The Existence Of God:
- The Cosmological Argument
- Historical Argument For The Resurrection
- Where Do We Go From Here?
- Don’t Sleepwalk Through Your Time Here
- Use your gifts
- The Great Commission
- Recommended Resources:
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- The reliability of Scripture – Wes Huff
- How to answer Atheism – Frank Turek
- How to answer Islam – David Wood, Robert Spencer
- Historical reliability of the Gospel – Gary Habermas
- How to answer Roman Catholicism – James White
- How to respond to Evolution – Stephen Meyer, James Tour, John Sanford
- How to answer Church of LDS (Mormons) – Ron Rhodes
- How to answer the Jehovah’s Witnesses (the Watchtower) – Mike Winger
- Christian Apologetics Articles – carm.org , gotquestions.org
- The High Priest Must Be Chosen
- The High Priest Must Be Sympathetic
- The High Priest Must Be Able
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God’s promise demands a response of faith
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Don’t just hear the Word—respond to it
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Guard your heart against familiarity
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God’s rest is still open
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Trust Jesus today
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Trust deeper
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God’s Word Cuts Through the Counterfeits
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Let the Word Search You Daily
- Stop Hiding Behind Religion
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Consider Jesus - Our Greater Calling
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slow down your mind
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shift your focus
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Jesus is Greater Than Moses- The Faithful Son
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don't settle for the shadow
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hold fast to hope
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Hold Fast - Because You Belong to the House
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keep showing up
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boast in hope
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Jesus Restores What Adam Lost
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Let Jesus define who you’re becoming
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Live like a child of God, not an orphan
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Jesus Died to Destroy Death
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Remember who went first
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Replace fear with faith
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Jesus Became Like Us to Help Us
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Run to Him, not from Him
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Remember: you have a High Priest, not a judge
Summary:
"The Son of God became the Son of Man, so that the sons
and daughters of men might become sons and daughters of
God"
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Don’t drift
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anchor yourself daily in God’s Word
- stay tied to God’s people
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keep the cross in view
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The seriousness of God’s Word
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treasure the Gospel daily
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act on what you hear
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The greatness of our salvation
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declared by the Lord Himself
- confirmed by eyewitnesses
- validated by God’s power
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witness of the Spirit’s gifts
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use your gifts boldly
- Jesus: the Eternal Creator
- Angels: Mediators, Servants, and Usurpers
- Jesus: the Messianic Son and Firstborn Inheritor
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God has spoken
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slow down
- ask questions
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respond in prayer
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The final Word - Jesus
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stop looking for a backup plan
- run everything through Him
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let Him have the last word
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Who is this Son
-worship Him
- trust Him
- rest in His finished work
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Better than angels
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do a throne check
- reorder your loves
- Help me see more of You than ever before
(More of Him)
- Reveal to me just how little I know of You
(Less of me)
Whose sin are you focused on?
Who is the first to be served?
- Make what I do know more alive in my life
(More like Him)
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Don’t boast in religion
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Check where you find your worth
- Recognize the temptation to downplay the cross so people won’t think less of you
- Stop comparing yourself to others spiritually
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Ask yourself: what do I talk about most?
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Boast in the cross
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Shift your identity from what you do to what Christ has done
- Stop living like you’re still chained
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Start walking in Spirit-empowered obedience
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God isn’t after religion, He’s after a new creation
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Check what you’re offering to God
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Expect transformation not modification
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Peace, mercy, the marks of Christ, and grace
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Restore the fallen with gentleness
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We need to be reminded that the church is not a museum for perfect people
- We cannot ignore sin
- We need gentleness
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We need to be reminded that the work of restoration is gospel work
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Carry the weight – don’t let people be crushed alone
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Look around, not just within
- Step in even when it’s messy
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Be willing to be carried
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Keep sowing even when it feels slow
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Watch what you plant
- Keep sowing even when it feels small
- Trust God
The Spirit Brings Victory Over The Flesh Because:
- Christ Has Set us Free From The Law
- The Spirit Provides Us With A New Reality
- The Spirit Leads Us Away From Sin
Freedom in Christ…
- Will not negotiate with the slavery of your self-made righteousness
- Is the realization of the New Covenant
- Looks like selfless service and love of one another
Setting up Galatians 4:21-31
- God is in charge
- Big difference between God’s will and God’s timing
- When we try to help God, we end up hurting others
- Are you creating a law culture or a grace culture?
Law based system leads to 3 common attitudes:
- the self-justified
- the religious performer
- the cause warrior
- God’s good is better than your bad
The Law:
- reveals God’s holiness (Romans 7:12)
- reveals our sinfulness (Romans 3:20)
- prepares us for the Savior (Galatians 3:24)
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Seek to be a means of grace
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Don’t overlook the demonic
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Show grace and truth
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Connect before you correct
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Do you belong to Christ?
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Do you see yourself as a son or a slave?
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Do you see God as a father or a master?
- Jesus is the seed to who belongs the promises
- The law was not for the one seed but for the seeds
- Only through the one seed is any future and past seed established.
Self-made righteousness is…
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Logically foolish
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Historically incoherent
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Theologically a curse
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So that we would receive the promise
The Gospel:
- you have a problem
- you are the problem
- there is a solution
- you are not the solution
- Jesus is the solution
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Revelation vs speculation
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Redemption vs religion
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Calling vs job
Accepting an altered Gospel…
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Is a rejection of the true Gospel
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Is to subject oneself to the Judgment of God
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Is not a matter of personal preference
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Your choices are important
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Your bad choices have consequences
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The necessity of the Holy Spirit
- Start with God
- he finds strength in God
- he seeks God’s will in prayer
- he acts on God’s word in faith
- Go With God
- Do as God
God will use trials:
- to strip away other objects of faith that we're trusting in
- to reveal to us our true selves
- to remind us that something has gone terribly wrong with our planet and someone needs to fix it
- to reveals to us who and what really matters
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Living out your faith brings conflict with the world
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The highest goal of our life is to bring glory to God
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Trust in God’s sovereignty
- He will provide a way of escape
- He will work all things for the good of those that love Him
The allure of En-dor…
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Begins and ends with fear
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Promises answers but leads to death and isolation
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Is the result of not listening to the voice of God
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The Resurrection is a life-altering historical event
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The Resurrection is the key to understanding all the Bible
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The Resurrection is a powerful message to the world
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The resurrection gives us hope for the future
- Real
- Personal
- Certain
- Unimaginably beautiful
- We are to live in the world, but we are not of it
3 access points to our hearts:
- desires of the flesh
- desires of the eyes
- boastful pride of life
- We are to live as good citizens in the world
- submit yourselves to the governing authorities
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pray for and seek the good of your community
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We are citizens of a different kingdom
Rationalizations that lead to sin:
5. I’ll just do it one time
4. Nobody will know
3. That’s not sin, that’s not wrong, everyone is doing it.
2. This can’t possibly be wrong
1. God will forgive me
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Trust God to make things right
Lesson: Watch out for temptation -
Trust God to Protect you
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Trust God for your salvation
Ways we can be misled into thinking we have assurance of salvation:
1. I said the sinner’s prayer (Acts 20:21)
2. I’m convicted when I sin (2 Cor. 7:10)
3. I feel close to God
4. I pray, read the Bible, and go to church (Mat. 7:22-23)
5. God is blessing my life (Mat. 5:45)
6. I know Jesus died and rose again (James 2:19)
- Do not repay evil for evil
- Be careful to display the Gospel in everything
- Live at peace with everyone as far as possible
- Do not take revenge but leave it in God’s hands
- Return good for evil, not evil for good
- This will lead others to conviction and repentance
- Respond properly to suffering
- Be a man or a woman of prayer
- Don’t hold grudges, but forgive others
- Be patient
- Be Kingdom focused
- Be a lifelong learner
- Seek God’s will through the word of God and prayer (David at Keilah)
1st lesson: we should be bold in trusting God’s promises
2nd lesson: we should be wise in avoiding unnecessary danger
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Persevere and grow in the faith (David at Ziph)
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Trust God’s providential care (David at Maon)
1st lesson: Be alert, the enemy seeks to destroy you
2nd lesson: Be at peace, God is in control
What do we trust when we are afraid or desperate..
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Do we trust in our own plans?
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Do we trust in a common enemy?
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Do we trust in the Lord?
- The absolute importance of biblical friendship2. Faithfulness and honesty are crucial components of biblical friendship3. Where do we get the strength to pursue biblical friendship
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Delayed Repentance->Deeper shame->Dimmer discernment
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EVIL NEVER CHANGES
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Dimmer Discernment: God appears further and the darkness around you will deepen
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How to be free:
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Christ our inheritance
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Christ our deliverance
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Christ our confidence
- What is envy?
- comparison
- desire
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resentment
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What does envy do?
- it robs
- it grows
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it hides
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How do you escape envy?
- we need to grasp the Biblical meaning of love
- we need to understand the absence of envy in Jesus Christ
- we need to pursue the freedom of surrender
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God is even Sovereign over evil
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There is no such thing as a spiritual neutrality
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Be faithful in following God’s call but allow Him to produce the result
Kinds of Suffering: Adamic, Consequential, Demonic, Victim, Disciplinary, Testimonial, Preventative
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Suffering for the good of others
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Suffering for your growth
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Suffering for God’s glory
Application:
- Be honest
- Talking about it helps
- Praying for one another is the most we can do
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Humility Defined
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A Gospel-centered humility
**3 reasons to be humble:
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we did not create ourselves
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we are sinners
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we are saved by grace
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Humility Displayed
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Humility Pursued
**Practices:
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immerse yourself into God’s Word more
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try kneeling in prayer when you get the chance
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take regular periods of fasting
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practice intercession prayer for others (VOM app)
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try others-centered conversations
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Bowing low, standing tall
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Help me see more of You than ever before
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Reveal to me just how little I know of You
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Whose sin are you focused on?
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Who is the first to be served?
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Make what I do know of You more alive in my life
The Love of God is:
1. The Light and Life of mankind
2. Rejected by the darkness
3. Reproduced in us by God
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Jesus is the Savior
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Jesus is the Lord
2 Practices:
- Find your joy in Jesus
- Spread joy by sharing the Gospel
- Does the peace of Christ produce perseverance in your life?
- Do we have peace with God or peace with the world?
- Allow the Gospel of Peace to remind us of who we are and who Jesus is.
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Look backward to examples of faith
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Look forward to our heavenly home
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Look upward to Christ
- Look for comfort from God and not from the world
- Hatred and anger, when unchecked will lead to murder
- God uses the weak to supplant the strong
- Partial obedience is still disobedience
- God’s commands are not always easy to obey
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God’s commands are to be fully obeyed
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Pride goes before a fall
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Sin is Deceptive
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don’t try to justify your sin
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God’s kindness should prompt us to obedience
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To obey is better than sacrifice
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Making foolish decisions will always cost you
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Learn to not waver back and forth on decisions
- don’t make promises you can’t keep
- be willing to admit when you’re wrong
- don’t lose trust with people
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don’t become weary and give up
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Who’s estimate is more important to you, man’s estimate or God’s estimate?
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Do not fight like the world fights
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we fight a spiritual battle
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we fight with spiritual weapons
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Move forward with faith
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the church should be on the offensive
- nothing can hinder the Lord from saving
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true faith always results in action
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Victory comes from the Lord
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the battle is not yours but God’s
- your faith will encourage others to follow Christ
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It is impossible to obey the commands of God without the heart of God
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God desires a life dedicated to Him instead of a life dedicated to ritual.
- Maintain a good reputation with God and man
- make yourself accountable to the people in your life (v1-3)
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if you’ve wronged anyone, make it right (v3-5)
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Give testimony of God’s goodness
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Urge people to follow God
- remind people of the consequences of obedience and disobedience (v12-15)
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warn people that God calls them to repentance (v16-18)
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Never stop praying
- Begin with the Holy Spirit
- the Holy Spirit changes your heart (v9)
- the Holy Spirit brings visible change (v 10-12)
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the Holy Spirit leads you to worship (v13)
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Let God do the promoting
- wait for God’s timing (v 14-16)
- trust God to open the right doors (v 17-19)
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humble yourself and let God lift you up (v 21-24)
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Serve an audience of one
- honor God and His Word (v25)
- know that you will have followers and critics (v 25-27)
- God’s providential hand is at work in our life
- in our family background (verses 1-2)
- in the interruptions and setbacks (verses 3-4)
- in the people He has placed around us (verses 5-10)
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in the timing of events (verses 11-14)
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A peek behind the scenes
- God’s plan precedes your present circumstances (15)
- God’s plan is bigger than you (16)
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God will tell you what you need to know when you need to know it (17)
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A divine appointment
- God’s plan is often different from our plan
- God’s plan is always better than ours
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Why do people that call themselves Christian do not get baptized?
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do not understand the importance of it
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more committed to a church tradition than the Word of God
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pride
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thought they were Christian but they are not
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What is baptism?
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From a physical point of view, baptism is a ceremony during which a person, in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, is immersed in the water.
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What’s the purpose of baptism?
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Do you have to be baptized to be saved?
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When should I be baptized?
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Consider God’s Will
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Consider the consequences
- What will happen if God says “yes” now?
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What will happen if God says “no” later?
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Consider the stubbornness of your own heart
Guideline for prayer:
- Humble yourself before the Lord
- Seek God’s will first
- Trust God with the answer
- The Providential Twist
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Revelation: God's Revelation Guides us to Repentance
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Repentance: God is the rational solution, Not the last ditch attempt
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Restoration: Remember God's Goodness
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Passive leaders will allow their followers to walk into destruction
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Inviting a Holy God into an unrepentant life will not produce salvation
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Who is able to stand before a Holy God?
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God was silent then, but don’t say God is silent now when your Bible is closed
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All you need is an open Bible, consistency, an open heart, and prayer
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God ultimately speaks through Jesus
The Progression of Sinful and Godly Leaders
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A Lack of Contentment
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Contentment in Serving God
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A Hardened Heart
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Favor with Lord
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Public Awareness of Sin
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Public Awareness of the Gospel
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God is in control; therefore, I rejoice
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God humbles and exalts; therefore, do not be arrogant or discouraged
Pursuing Holy Spirit enabled, Jesus centered humility:
Whose sin am I focused on?
Where do I find my comfort, joy, peace, and security?
Who is the first to be served?
- God gave us the Gospel through Jesus the King; therefore, we worship
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God gives to us struggles so that:
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He might draw our hearts
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Exact His will
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God gives to us gifts so that:
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We might share His gifts
- We might participate in His will
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What’s one thing you can do to increase your enjoyment of God?
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What’s the single biggest time-waster (distraction) in your life, and how can you redeem the time?
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What’s the most helpful way you could strengthen your church?
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What’s one thing you could do to improve your prayer life?
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For whose salvation will you pray fervently and frequently?
- Your value has nothing to do with your net worth
Two dangers:
money can make us proud
money is uncertain
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Put your hope in Christ
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The Gospel is our most valuable possession
To persevere, the man of God has to:
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Flee worldliness
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Pursue righteousness
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Will fight for the faith
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Take hold of eternal life
Motivators:
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God’s presence
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Christ’s coming
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God’s sovereignty
Some questions to consider:
- Is proper theology and sound doctrine important and practical
to you? - What need do you have, what problem do you face, that cannot
be met by getting a bigger vision of the Almighty God? - Is your goal to live a life of integrity, but you’re feeling pressure
to compromise your testimony?
Belief in alternate doctrines produces:
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A conceited mind
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Parasitic treatment of others
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A love of money
The antidote is found in sound doctrine, embracing Godliness, and contentment.
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It’s better to appoint no one than to appoint the wrong one
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True character is revealed in time
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Selective obedience is not obedience
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Disrespectful Christians dishonor the Gospel
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Good works open the door for the good news of the Gospel and people are saved
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How should we treat leaders that do well?
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Honor the leader
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Follow the leader
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How should we treat leaders that have fallen?
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2 errors that churches make: intentional ignorance & overreaction
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We rebuke persistent and unrepentant sin
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Follow the Leader, the Good Shepard Jesus Christ
You can unfriend someone, but you can’t unfamily someone.
We are family:
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We spend time together
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We don’t give up on each other
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We take care of one another
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The real widows
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You are never too old to honor your parents
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The widows with family
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The young widows
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Live a life that people look up to
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Devote yourself to God’s Word
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Following Jesus takes time
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The salvation of many is on the line
Instruct believers in Godliness, avoid myths, train in faith, and strive for eternal hope through Jesus Christ.
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Godliness is not a competition to see who can sacrifice
the most -
Godliness starts by responding to God with gratitude
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Jesus is the mystery of Godliness
You don't have to be an elder, deacon, or have any position in the church to be able to do ministry.
Proper Prayer for All People is accomplished through:
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Holy Hands
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Good works
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Proper submission
We pray because:
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For the Good of the church , which is for the Good of
all: so that we may freely adorn the Gospel through
our lives so as to reveal the personal and societal
redemption that is available in christ . -
The Fathers Love : God desires all to be saved
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Our inability, Christs exclusivity and sufficiency:
there is one mediator and one ransom for all men.
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God erases your sins, but not your story
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If Jesus can save Paul, then Jesus can save you
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If Jesus can save you, then Jesus can save your
enemy
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An overall picture of 1st Timothy
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How to recognize false teachers
Famous Heresies:
- Jesus was just a good guy
- Don’t take the Bible too literally
- God will be good to everyone in the end
- Good people go to heaven
- Christians will be healthy and wealthy
Criteria for teachers (v5):
Are they helping me love God and others more?
Does the teaching lead to a pure heart?
Does the teaching lead to a good conscience?
Are they strengthening my faith?
- Spread the Gospel of Glory
That first Easter Morning was not a happy one like it is for us (at first). It was dark and fearful, with Jesus' followers wondering if they were next.
What can we learn from Lazarus' resurrection as it relate's to Jesus?
Jesus gave exactly what was needed:
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Truth for Martha
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Tears for Mary
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Life for Lazarus
Come out of the Grave!
That day was dark and full of fear. Good Friday became known to be good, only after the resurrection. Those events took place for our salvation. What do you think of that?
Palm Sunday
Jesus, our coming King:
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Is Humble and Victorious
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Is the God who saves
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Heals the exile
Philippians 4:4-9
Prayer producing peace:
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is prayed with gratitude
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creates resurrection awareness
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guards our hearts and minds
Colossians 1:3-12
Three evidences of real Christianity: faith internally, hope eternally, and love externally
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Praying together brings glory to God
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Praying together brings unity and releases power
Ephesians 6:10-20
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Know your enemy
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Know your King
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Know your weapons
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Prayer is the key to everything we have in Christ
There is a frequency of prayer, variety of prayer, manner of prayer, and prayer for all the saints.
Mathew 17:14-23
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God is good, Satan is evil
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Satan cannot be defeated apart from Jesus
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Little faith results in ministry failure
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Jesus resurrected to give us power for our mission
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What if nothing was impossible for you?
Matthew 7:7-11
The ultimate gift the Father gives is the Holy Spirit. He empowers us to live more and more like Christ.
James 4:1-10
- Dwell in the Gospel rest and this will give birth to prayer
- Prayer motivated to see Christ exalted and His pleasure
- We will labor most in prayer when we rest most in His Good news
We pray because God is sovereign.
The 2 "Wills of God" :
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God’s Sovereign Will (God’s Will of Decree)
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God’s Will of Command (the Revealed Will of God)
Seeking God’s Will in Prayer:
priority – “I want to know you more than anything”
surrender – “I submit to your will, whatever that may be”
sensitivity – “I want to be more sensitive to your voice”
obedience – "Show me how I can obey You so that I can glorify you"
3 Kinds of Biblical Fasting:
Normal fast – Matthew 4:1-2
Partial fast – Daniel 10
Absolute fast – Acts 9:9
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Fasting teaches us to say no to our desires
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Fasting turns up the volume in prayer
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Fasting turns up the volume to our communing
with God
When will you fast?
When we pray in faith:
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We have faith in God, not faith in our prayers
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We do not hesitate or doubt
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We pray for Wisdom
Prayer is:
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Communion with God
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Not directing God
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A reminder of who God is:
• Hallowed (sanctify) be your name --> God is Holy and eliminates evil
• Let your kingdom come --> God affects perfection
• Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven --> God is sovereign
- A reminder of who we are:
• Give us our daily bread --> We are dependent and needy
• Forgive our sin as we have forgiven others --> We cannot produce perfect relationships
• Do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from Evil --> We are prone toward evil
- What’s one thing you can do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
- What’s the single biggest time waster or distraction in your life, and how can you redeem the time?
- What’s the most helpful way you can strengthen the church?
- What’s the one thing you could do to improve your prayer life this year?
- For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
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Salvation always involves a divine visitation
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Salvation is accomplished through the display of
God’s mighty power -
Salvation includes forgiveness of sins and
renewal of holiness -
Salvation is God’s light breaking into the
darkness of the world
We Rejoice in the coming of Jesus because He:
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Exalts the humble and poor
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Opposes the proud
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Is rich in mercy toward His people
While we rejoice and celebrate the coming of Jesus, let us remember to:
- Wait for the Lord to exalt us when we are humble and poor
- Not be proud or haughty but charitable
- Share the good news of his mercy toward us all
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Three relationships of peace:
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Peace with God
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Peace with ourselves
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Peace with others
Closing observations on Esther:
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Kings rule over nations, but God rules over them both
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Important ministry work is often done by those not in vocational ministry
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Women play important roles in God’s kingdom
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God is relentlessly committed to caring for His people
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In the end, God wins and His people rejoice
In our latest sermon, Esther 9, we see 3 reversals:
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You don’t have to die with your family
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You don’t have to have all your questions answered
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You don’t have to live a greedy life
But above all, Jesus is the better reversal.
Esther 8 and Our Salvation
V 1-2: New Birth, a paradigm shift
V 3-6: Baptism, Identity
V 9-14: Two decrees, damnation and salvation
V 15-17: Glorification, A Christian hope
Take aways:
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God remains faithful to Israel under judgement.
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God raises up people. Do not despise the position God has put you in, He can use you in your unique position.
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God is in control and will act when He sees fit. We can rest and trust God even with injustice running about because we know God is on the throne and He has provided a rock. “I might tremble on the rock but the rock never trembles.”
In Esther chapter 7, we focus on 3 characters:
- The Illustrious Coward
- The Powerful Fool
- The Faithful Servant
There is much to learn from the book of Proverbs as well in this part of the story. Will Esther, Mordecai, and the Jews finally be saved from genocide?
Looking at Haman's pride in chapter 6, here are some questions we need to ask ourselves. What do we believe will satisfy but never does? Do we believe we deserve more because we already have so much? Do we grow through our humiliation, or do we just ignore or avoid it?
We are going to take a look at the emotional spectrum of Haman and the fact that when his idol is fed, he is happy, and when his idol is threatened, he gets violent. If you’re not sure what your idol is then follow your emotions. What do you get super emotional about?
The plot thickens in chapter four as Esther is forced to step out in faith and devise a plan to save her people. What is God trying to teach us from Esther's conversations with Merdocai throughout chapter four?
Esther chapter three gives us a chance to look at 3 things that complicate our life to the point of discouragement, despair, and chaos. They are the sins, the mistakes, and the tragedies in our lives. As we look at these three things in the story of Esther and how they pain people’s lives, it is good to remember that God puts these stories in Scripture for our instruction, encouragement, and correction.
Although nations and rulers change, the human heart never changes. Chapter two is a reminder that God is a faithful and committed God to save His people from their sin and brokenness.
For the next ten weeks, we will walk through the book of Esther. Today we are setting up this beautiful drama by looking at the big picture and then focusing on God's providence and deliverance; two big themes running through the book.
As we end our series, we are looking at one of the most undermined fruit from the list: self-control. We will look at its importance and the fact that for the Christian, self-control is actually Christ-control.
You cannot be faithful if you are self-absorbed. As we look at the faithfulness of God in our sanctification, trials, and the Gospel, we are encouraged to grow in faithfulness in our life.
Have you ever thought that God would include gentleness in the fruit of the Spirit list? Take a listen and see how important gentleness is and how God showed it to us through Jesus Christ.
The following fruit on the list is goodness. The goodness of God through the Gospel gets a hold of our lives and hearts. Also, His goodness works in us and then through us, bringing the Gospel and hope to a broken world as well.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you? It's actually the Gospel. In Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection we see the kindness of God on display for us. This kindness changes us and gives us a heart of compassion for anyone in need
Is there an ability in your life to wait without becoming annoyed, upset, and angry? The reality is that many of us struggle in this area. If we open ourselves up to the working of the Spirit in our life, He will grow us in patience.
Joy is the feeling we get from being satisfied in God. Let's look at 1 Peter 1:3-9 and learn more about this joy, which is solely based on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
Is your heart troubled? Jesus' peace guards our hearts and minds from the onslaught of anxiety that comes our way on a daily basis. As we focus solely on Jesus, the Holy Spirit will bear the fruit of joy in our life.
We are starting a new series navigating through the fruit of the Spirit. God didn't just set us free from the power of sin through Jesus, but He wants to set us free to be the people that He's designed us to be.
In this stand-alone sermon, we talk about the importance of baptism and how it's a beautiful picture of the Gospel
We were never meant to go live the Christian life on our own. It's Christ in us the hope of glory, living through us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God injected grace into our depravity, and He did it through Jesus Christ dying on our behalf at the cross. In our third park session, we are talking about Jesus' crucifixion
In this stand-alone message, we look at God's plan for mankind. We are called to bring God pleasure, glorify Him, trust, and obey Him.
When we grasp and understand our depravity and sinfulness, only then do we get the greatness of the Gospel and the majesty of our Savior.
What does it mean to proclaim God's kingdom? This is the second week looking at our new mission statement, "To pursue the high call of knowing Jesus Christ and proclaiming His kingdom"
We are taking the next 2 weeks to talk about our new mission statement, "To pursue the high call of knowing Jesus Christ and proclaiming His kingdom"
We see God's plan of salvation very clearly from the pages of the Bible right from the beginning of Genesis. Let's look at the sovereign hand of God over the prophecies that were fulfilled in Christ and the ones that are still pending to be fulfilled
As we conclude our journey through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges us to be like the wise builder who builds his house on the rock, not the sand. He refers to building a faith in Him that stands the test of time
Today's passage is one of the most terrifying passages in the whole Bible. Jesus is trying to warn His disciples to be careful of the path that we choose, the influences in our lives, and our relationship with God
For as much as we ask God for things, we all still run into problems when we pray. What about all the people who don’t pray, but still get much more than their daily bread? And what does daily bread mean?
As we start chapter 7, Jesus challenges us to use our discernment and not our judgment when dealing with others. He challenges us to first take the log out of our own eye, and then we can help our brother and sister take the speck out of their eye.
Did you know that Jesus was buried in a garden tomb? Gardens are a place of transformation. When we encounter the resurrected Christ we can’t help but walk away changed and transformed.
One in every three people listening to this message struggles with mental health, specifically, worrying about their physical existence. As Jesus continues with the Sermon on the Mount, He addresses this struggle by challenging us to have an eternal perspective and to depend on our Father in Heaven daily
Jesus talks about two kinds of treasures that we could store up: one that is temporal where rust and mold get to it, and one that is eternal. What's important is that where our treasure is, our heart is there also.
The third core spiritual practice that Jesus talks about in chapter 6 and one that He expects His genuine disciples to have on their resume is fasting. Therefore we will take a deeper look at what biblical fasting is and three reasons why we should pursue it as a lifestyle.
Jesus continues with the next challenge, namely, He expects His disciples to practice prayer as a lifestyle, and the kind of prayer that is in secret and not to be seen by others. The overarching reason is that we would pursue communing with God.
We are starting chapter 6 with another challenge from Jesus. He is calling us to be generous givers just like our Father in heaven.
As we continue with our series, Jesus finishes chapter 6 with probably the most challenging of commands, to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
How do you respond when you are wronged? Today's passage has to do with how we respond to being wronged or sinned against. Jesus takes the oldest law known to mankind, lex talionis, eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth, and elevates it to a seemingly impossible level.
We live in a culture of compromise. Jesus in our passage today calls his people to lives of integrity, consistency, and truthfulness. One of the most powerful things we can do is simply to be true to our word
As we continue our series, today we are looking at Jesus' vision for our sexuality. We need to understand that sex is God-given and should therefore be God-governed.
As we continue our series, Jesus is going to talk about the sin behind the sin of the 6th commandment, "You shall not murder." He is going to talk about anger, hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness, and the urgency of reconciliation.
What does the Old Testament have to do with me? Have you ever asked yourself that question? The reality is that many Christians don't know what to do with the old covenant law. As we continue our series, Jesus is very clear on that answer.
As we embark on a new exciting series, we are going to look at the backdrop and the premise of the "Sermon on the Mount", the greatest sermon ever preached.
This encouraging stand-alone message will highlight for us the promise of great rewards God has reserved for all who believe and trust in Him
We want to turn our New Year's resolutions into a prayer that we bring before the throne room of grace and mercy before the Father, frequently and consistently in 2023
As we are coming to the close of this Christmas series, we will be looking at Jesus as the King. The greatest news is that the King of Kings came into our world to live among us and die for us, bringing us back into the presence of God. This reality should produce great joy in our hearts
In the second part of this Christmas series, we are looking at Jesus the High Priest of God, who has atoned for our sins and is now interceding for us at the right hand of the Father. He is for us, sympathizing with us, saving us, which means He is God redeeming. This reality should produce great joy in our hearts
In this 3 part Christmas series we are looking at Jesus the Prophet, who is God with us, Emmanuel. God sent His Son in the fulfillment of all the prophecies and He is the Messiah who came to deliver us. This reality should produce great joy in our hearts
We have come to a close in our James series. In the last section, James talks about how our faith works in suffering and in prayer.
Do you want to be rich? As we journey through the first 6 verses of chapter 5, James warns us of many dangers if our hearts are set on pursuing wealth and riches. Because wealth can be a dangerous trap, we should be careful not to use it in an ungodly way, but rather to be faithful.
To what extent is your life shaped and directed by the reality that Jesus is coming back? Much of our thinking, planning, and behavior, is affected by what we can see of present circumstances. As God's children, we are to be motivated by the certainty of His coming.
As we continue our series into chapter 4, James encourages us to pursue humility and not the selfish ambition and pride which he talks about in chapter 3. He challenges us to submit ourselves to God, who "opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
As we continue the study in the book of James, chapter 3 finishes with an exposition of godly wisdom.
The world we live in is constantly seeking to get us to emotionally escalate and engage in all kinds of conflict and unhealthy conversation. As we continue our study in James chapter 3, James wants to ask us, how does your faith work in those moments?
Is your faith alive? Is your faith a working kind of faith? If it is, then it will produce works and fruit.
James seems to be taking a turn at the beginning of chapter 2. Ultimately, he confronts us in regard to the sin of partiality by turning our attention to the impartial love of God and the Gospel
As we continue our verse-by-verse study in the book of James, this week we are looking at answering the following question: How does faith work when we are angry?
As we continue our journey through the book of James, we will be looking how faith works as we are tempted.
In the first sermon walking through the book of James verse by verse, we will be answering the question, "How does faith work as we go through trials?"
In this two-part series, our guest speaker Dennis Williams talks about the importance of becoming a disciple of Jesus and making disciples for Jesus.
In this two-part series, our guest speaker Dennis Williams talks about the importance of becoming a disciple of Jesus and making disciples for Jesus.
In this stand-alone sermon, Pastor Lucas talks about the journey from a new covenant to a new creation
We are ending our study in the book of Daniel with the encouraging chapter 12. So many things to look forward to.
As we are getting closer to the end of our study in the book of Daniel, chapter 11 is filled with prophecy and history. God is sovereign over history and over the future as well.
As we navigate the latter prophetic part of Daniel, this is what God shows us in chapter 10: We understand our answered prayer best when we understand the Glory of our God. Our prayers have spiritual and material consequences, and God will provide the strength and comfort we need.
As we continue with our series in the book of Daniel, we look at four different sections in chapter 9, namely, the Bible study, the prayer, the Helper and God's love, and the prophecy.
As we navigate through chapter 8, we can observe of few things that God intends for His people to know. They are as follows: we need to be prepared for the task ahead, we need to be clear-eyed about the spirit of the Anti-Christ, and secure in God's provisions.
Daniel chapter 7 is a tough passage to tackle, but one thing is clear from navigating through it, Jesus is coming back on the clouds.
As we continue in the book of Daniel, chapter 6 presents us with the famous story of Daniel in the lion's den and at the same time, we are reminded, that Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah.
As we continue our journey through the book of Daniel, chapter 4 has been unique in showing us the fact that Jesus is King above all
Are you going through trials? Are you going through a fiery furnace? We are going to look at chapter 3 today, and how Jesus is with us in the fiery furnace and will deliver us from death or through death.
As we are continuing our series in the book of Daniel, we are going to look at chapter 2, and how God is in control of who is in control.
We are excited about this new series in the book of Daniel. We are taking the next 12 weeks to walk through the 12 chapters in Daniel. In this first sermon, Pastor Lucas is setting the backdrop for this fascinating book.
This Mother's day message is from Isaiah 49:15 and Isaiah 66:13. What does God say about mothers? What does the world say about mothers? Let's compare and see
We are concluding our Ephesians series with the last few verses, and our main focus is the "The Whole Armor of God" passage.
As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus by looking at Luke 24, we'll be observing 4 main things about the 4 different stories that revolve around Christ's resurrection from this beautiful chapter.
Just as children learn by imitation, Apostle Paul calls us to imitate our Father in heaven as we enter chapter 5.
As we continue our series in Ephesians, Apostle Paul continues by giving us practical ways in which we ought to put off the old self and put on the new self.
When we know who we are in Christ, then we know what to do, how to act, and how to behave.
When we understand our calling and gift within the body of Christ, then we start to experience greater unity in the body of Christ.
As we enter chapter 4 of our study, Apostle Paul talks about the importance of unity within the body.
This is an older sermon we are just posting now. It was a part of a series called "Truth over Trend" that our church went through last year. Let's see what the Bible says about woke theology.
This is an older sermon we are just posting now. It was a part of a series called "Truth over Trend" that our church went through last year. Let's see what the Bible says about gender and sexuality.
This is an older sermon we are just posting now. It was a part of a series called "Truth over Trend" that our church went through last year. Let's see what the Bible says about CRT.
Nothing of value happens unless God's people devote themselves to prayer. Apostle Paul models for us the heart of prayer, in this passage, as he's praying for his church in Ephesus.
Have you ever wondered what God's plan for your life is? The key is not being hyper-focused on our own lives, but we need to zoom out and observe God's plan for the world, and then join Him.
As we are saved, Jesus brings peace in our relationship with God and with one another. Also, as we build our lives on Christ, the Holy Spirit builds us together with one another.
Without our Savior we don’t have a hope in this world. When we let Jesus into our lives, everything changes. God offers us the gift of salvation according to His great love and rich mercy. In this passage we are reminded what we are saved from, who God is, and what we are saved into.
In this stand-alone message, Pastor Mike Hanafee unpacks 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, and he points us to 4 steps in taking communion the right way: remember, examine, proclaim, and celebrate.
Our world is more rude, critical, and demanding than ever. Our text for today speaks in a timely way about love and appreciation, but specifically, the love and appreciation that God has for His people.
We are starting a new series, verse by verse in the book of Ephesians, and the passage we are looking at today is one of the densest passages in the whole Bible. If we are in Christ, we are extremely and infinitely blessed. It's an explosion of blessing from God and an explosion of joy from Apostle Paul.
As we look at Romans 6, we realize that one of the most amazing promises that we have for this life is that the power of sin is broken in our life through Christ's resurrection.
Jesus entered this world, not in the highest of places but the lowest ones by the measurement of the world. Luke 2:1-14 challenges us to welcome Jesus into the dirtiest parts of our life, and to watch Him cleanse us and make us whole.
As we are continuing the "Good News" series, we are looking at an important element of the Gospel, namely repentance. This week we are in Mark 1:1-8.
In this 3-week series, we are preparing our hearts for the birth of Christ. We are going to be looking at different elements from the Gospel from 3 different passages, and the first one is from Isaiah 64:1-9
Malachi's parting words tell us how to have reconciled families. It shows the heart of God for people and for redeemed relationships.
God is generous and He wants us to be generous with His resources. In Malachi 3:6-18, God is showing us that He is more interested in relationships than resources. Once He can change our hearts, the hands will learn how to give generously.
Have you reached the mark of the perseverece test in your relationship with God? How about your relationship with your spouse? In this section of Malachi, we are reminded of His great love for us, so that we would persevere.
When God is charging the priests in Malachi 2:1-9, what we can learn is to "take to heart" Christ, because we are royal priests.
As we continue our series in Malachi with verses 6-14, the underlying theme is honor. We give the greatest honor to those we know deeply, but that was not the case with the Israelite priests.
In this new series walking through the book of Malachi, we find God's final words and instructions preparing everyone for the coming of Jesus, preparing for the first Christmas.
Where do you run in times of trouble? Our reflex is to exhaust every other option but run to God. In this stand-alone sermon, we are encouraged to make God our shelter.
Is social justice biblical justice? Sinful men apart from God will always fall short of true justice.
In light of the most recent social trends, we want to examine how social justice, critical race theory, sexual and gender foolishness, and woke theology, actually stand in juxtaposition to the Word of God. This sermon is an introduction to all four.
To be alone with Him must be our greatest treasure if we are to say Christ is our greatest treasure.
One of the hardest things for us to do in our society is to get silent. But it is very important if we are to hear the still small voice of God which brings healing and peace to our souls.
There are benefits or gifts that God wants to impart to us when we go through the wilderness. But we’re recipients of these gifts only if we choose to suffer well. The question is, are we going to receive them with humility or reject them with complaining.
God allows us to go through suffering because we love our idols too much and love Him too little. Into the wilderness, God has a way of being efficient in fixing the reordering of loves in our hearts.
It would serve us well to remember who satisfies us, who protects us, and who makes us great as we go through suffering