Five Stones Church - NC: Recent Episodes
Five Stones Church
Five Stones Church is a community of Christ followers who meet in Waxhaw, NC. Following Christ seems to require a giant leap. God does not expect you to make giant leaps in your faith. He desires for you to step forward. Every big thing that Jesus asks us to do starts with a step. Come and participate in the message and decide what your next step is. Five Stones is a church that celebrates steps in our walk with Christ.
October 30, 2016
informing vs. MODELING Practical advice for husbands and fathers on sacrificially loving your family.
Fun is not a luxury in marriage. If you don’t make time for fun, you may not have a marriage for long.
Our purpose and vision is to encourage people to know God and to take their next step with Him. Which will result in our vision of Christ Followers that are changing the community and the world by actively living out their faith.
Discern the good that God intends “in, through, and in spite of,” your family and past.
When God wanted to help the dysfunctional family called the “human race” it required the intervention of His Son.
The best way we can proclaim the good news is the way we choose to live our lives as followers of Christ.
Struggling with God does not mean that we lack faith.
This Sermon was inspired by the article by Mark Galli called “God Wins: A Response to Rob Bell's Love Wins”
Daniel 10 & 12
Lies the Enemy Wants Us To Believe
- God is not aware or does not respond in our times of sorrow.
- God’s delays are God’s denials.
- That there is not a spiritual battle taking place everyday.
- Someone else will do it.
Don’t spend your time looking for the Antichrist instead spend your time getting to know the Father.
Don’t fall for the lie that your life is unsinkable. Are you ignoring the warning signs?
What if when someone stepped into Five Stones... they saw people who know they are loved and they experienced love.
All of your views as a Christian should be counter cultural.
We have the opportunity to show the world a better way.
"It’s the mountains that we underestimate that can prove to be the most challenging but where we experience the most growth."
The Elders and Dream Team talk about the current status and future of our Community Campus. Exciting news!!
God is committed to crushing everything in your life that you trust in, other than Him, so that you worship nothing but Him.
The Church can’t exist without mission.
The mission of Five Stones is to encourage people to know God and to take their next step with Him.
Did Jesus Really Die?
How can you explain the missing body?
Were there any eyewitnesses?
The doctrine of the Trinity is both central and necessary for the Christian faith
to be what it is. Remove the Trinity, and the whole Christian faith falls apart.
The doctrine of the Trinity is the differentiating doctrine of the Christian.
- D. Martin Lloyd-Jones
It is not what I call myself but how I see myself that influences my actions.
The more I see God for who He is, the more I see myself as He does.
The more I view myself through God’s eyes, the more I will reflect who He is.
Don't fall into the trap of reducing who Jesus is at Christmas.Don't forget why He came.
Am I a Christ Follower or Consumer?
Don’t put up with spiritual immaturity in yourself.
We all need to live for something bigger than ourselves.
That longing to be part of something more in your life - that's God given.
Are you showing signs of Spiritual Life?
When was the last time that you did a Vitals Check?
Be thankful that the Father chose you; be thankful for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
If you did anything to deserve or earn your salvation, then it is not grace.
No one is going to force you to go from duty to devotion to God.
That's something you have to do.
How do we live in light of this brief and unpredictable life?
Enjoy every good gift that God has given you as long as it lasts!
There are three things that we normally think are bad, but the Teacher says they can actually be good.
We can influence, we cannot determine what someone will do.
Choice is a powerful thing.
While we will go to the grave empty handed, we will still carry our reputation and character.
How Can I Guard My Steps in Worship?
• Come Prepared.
• Do What You Say You are Going to Do.
What Should Our Response Be?
• Stand in Awe of God.
• Approach Him in Confidence.
Do you know what it’s like to find comfort in the friendships you have with other believers?
Life is full of lots of things, some of which we like and some of which we don’t. The universe has an ebb and a flow that’s beyond human control. The Good News is that God is in Control. The bad news is that we are mortal and are trapped in time.
Meaning isn't found in wisdom, pleasure, or possessions, but in seeing life as a gift from God.
How Do You Walk With God When the Whole World Has Turned Away?
- You Walk By Faith.
- You Walk in Obedience.
- You Continually Take Your Next Step.
Genesis 6:9-22 ESV
- His Scars Shows Us That History Has Been Changed.
- His Scars Show Us That Our Lives Can Be Changed.
- His Scars Show Us that Some Scars are worth Celebrating.
Mark 15:16-47 ESV
Anxiety is incompatible with a lifestyle that is focused on the King.
The King will sustain your life.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25 ESV
The King will take care of your material needs.
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26 ESV
The King has appointed your days.
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Matthew 6:27 ESV
The King will take care of your needs.
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Matthew 6:28-30 ESV
The King Desires to Expand His Rule in your life.
Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:31-33 ESV
Jesus gives us two application points when it comes to worrying about tomorrow:
First: Tomorrow will take care of itself
"God only gives you the help that you need for today"
Second: Each Day has enough trouble of its own.
"Stay in one Square at a time"
Before You Upgrade Your Lifestyle Ask God's Permission.
- Greed Lies to Us.
- Greed Blinds US.
- Greed Destroys Us.
God hates divorce.
God does not hate the divorcee.
** Be sure to check out the message from March 23rd as Pastor Greg brings additional clarity to the topic of Marriage and Divorce in regards to abusive situations.
The City on the Hill (Local Church) should be the clearest expression of the Kingdom on Earth.
The City on the Hill (Local Church) should be known for telling the truth.
Live decisively for God’s kingdom and reject the world’s values.
To Live a Blessed Life You must recognize that the greatest need that you have is a Spiritual Need and not a Material Need.
To Live a Blessed Life You Must Live in Dependence of God.
To Live a Blessed Life You Must Adopt God’s Values While Rejecting the World’s Values.
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 5: 1-11 ESV
Luke 6:20-26 ESV
John 6:26-27, 53:55 — For Jesus, eating was believing; drinking was believing.
What Jesus was telling them here was that the bread was not the gospel, his message of salvation from sin was the gospel.
He had come not to save them from starvation but from damnation.
Begin to prepare yourself for how you will deal with pain and hurt.
Remember that God is at Work.
Habakkuk lives by faith, how will you live?
YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THE WAITING!
You can trust in His Sovereignty.You can trust in the providence of God.You can trust in His perfect love.
Habakkuk 2:1-20 ESV
Our faith has to be more than just superficial.
Habakkuk 1:1-2:1 ESV
Why does God allow suffering
- To remind us that the world is broken and groans for redemption. [Romans 8:20-23]
- To do justice in response to Adam’s (and our) sin.
- To remind us of the severity of the impact of Adam’s (and our) sin.
- To keep us dependent on God. [Herews. 12:6-7]
- In order for us to long more for heaven and less for the world.
- To make us more like Christ, the suffering servant. [Romans 8:29]
- To awaken those who don't know Him to their need for God. [Psalm 119:67, 71]
- So that Christ will get the glory in being our strength. [John 9:3]
The birth of Jesus includes all of us. The birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of all of God's promises.
Everyone who hears the story writes his or her own ending by how they respond to the kindness of God toward sinners.
The invitation to be a part of His great banquet is still open to all.
Everyone who hears the Prodigal story writes his or her own ending by how they respond to the kindness of God.
Luke 15:11-32
How do we wind up one-way rich? (i.e. a fool)
How do I decide for myself when enough is enough?
This is the age old question:
How can I be made righteous before God?
How can I be saved and be brought into the circle of salvation.
What are the conditions to get into the Kingdom?
Luke 18:9-14 ESV
Don't just be generous with the menu when you throw a party.
Be generous with the guest list.
Luke 14: 15-24 ESV
God lays in front of us a fork in the road in this famous parable. Which path will you take?
From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. Galatians 6:17
Sowing and Reaping are separated by time. What you do today marks the path for tomorrow.
Galatians 6:1-10
True freedom doesn’t mean indulging the sinful nature; it means changing through the Spirit’s power.
We never see ourselves as a legalist. Instead we see ourselves as obedient.
If we are not careful we can become "Accidental Pharisees".
When people remember you, what do you hope they never forget? We all leave a legacy. Build your legacy RIGHT NOW.
Faith is not about what we can do,but instead understanding and respondingto what God has already done.
Our response to faith should be less out of discipline and more out of desire because of our delight in God.
It is our jobs as Christ Followers to bring everything in our lives in line with the gospel.
Before you can fully live, you must totally die. - Luke 9:23-24
Matthew 10:39, Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35, Luke 17:33, John 12:25
Whenever Jesus meets someone there is a change.
It is impossible to serve both God and Money.
Jesus is the Biggest Giver: Live a Generous Life
God doesn’t want us to worship our money but to worship with it.
Some people expect God to do great things in their life so they plan accordingly.
Others expect God to do very little in their life so they plan accordingly.
In what areas have you placed a limit on what God can do in your life?
When David focused on God, giants fell.
David had to meet this challenge in order for Israel to move forward.
Faith results in change and obedience.
My trust in who God is leads me to have faith in what He says.
Impatient decisions often lead to unforeseen consequences. Learn to trust in God's perfect timing.
We live in a world with two kings; you must choose whom you will serve.
Genesis 14: 1-24
Could it be that you are no longer or even perhaps were never compatible?
Is there a way to avoid being with someone that you are not compatible with?
Compatibility: Ability to exist together in harmony with limited or no conflict.
Compatibility has been elevated above commitment.
Lack of compatibility is a symptom. it is not the diagnosis.
Rather than live a life that is compatible I should strive to live a life that is complimentary of my spouse.
Complimentary: Expressing admiration, given freely.
Unity allows me to glorify. Acceptance allows me to rectify.
Singles...
Seek an active Christ Follower that is actively and compassionately living out their faith under the authority of scripture.
Married....
Focus more on what is right than what is wrong in my marriage.
Focus on my spouse’s needs more.
What am I doing to invest in my marriage?
Do I see my spouse as God’s perfect provision or has sin, selfishness, resentment or even complacency cloudED that perspective?
Malachi 2:10-15 ESV
• Make sure your marriage is rooted in worship.
• The biggest problem in your marriage isn't your spouse, IT'S YOU.
• Toil and Trust
• Pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on you!
The fact is the normal natural pace of your life in 2013is not likely to push you towards spiritual formation.
A message based on the series My One Word from Port City Community Church.
http://myoneword.org/
John 11: 1-43 ESV
• Jesus allows suffering to happen so that God’s glory can be displayed.
• What are the grave clothes that you are wearing?
• Death is not a period; it is a comma.
• Have you heard Jesus calling your name during this series?
The power that helped the blind man see, lives inside of me.
My choices over time can cause me to become blind.
It's not what we see but what we believe that results in worship.
John 9: 1-39 (The Message)
What is one area of your life where you are afraid of the waves around you?
John 6:16-22 ESV
John 6:1-15 ESV
Jesus is not about to let you go hungry if you belong to Him.
Is my soul starving? Just as our body gives us signs to know that we are hungry our soul also gives us signs.
- I pass by opportunities to spend time in God’s Word
- I show a lack of joy in areas of my life
- I am more concerned with myself than others
- Trusting more in myself than on God
- I can’t see the hunger pains in others
God offers wholeness and healing in oceans, not in dixie cups.
Jesus will not take our excuses for why we are not well.
John 5: 1-9
• Don’t become so familiar with Jesus that you treat Him like everyone else.
• Stop expecting Jesus to jump through your hoops.
• Sometimes God allows storms to come into our life to bring us closer to Him.
John 4:43-54 ESV
How does the Church handle a scandalous report?
1 Corinthians 5: 1-13 (MSG)
- Church Discipline defined and explained
Do you OWN the mission, or do you just agree with it?
"Together" - a message on coming together to build a church
The BIGGER God is... the smaller things become.
• God requires faith in order to show His faithfulness.
• God does not desire to be part of our life.
• God desires to become our life.
Numbers 12:1-33 NIV
Jonah 4:1-11 ESV
• How we react is a better gauge of our heart than how we act.
• Do you care more about __________ than about people coming to know Christ?
• God doesn't just want to wake up Jonah; He wants to wake the church.
• Are you personally obeying God in this great commission, or have you fallen asleep?
Do you respond to God with Worldly Sorrow or Godly Sorrow?
Worldly Sorrow is concerned with the consequences of being found out, with the punishment for discovery, with the loss of image or with embarrassment. It never changes a life.
Godly Sorrow is the kind of sorrow which causes you to put aside the embarrassment, the humiliation, and the consequences. It is the kind of sorrow which causes you to be concerned with the sin you have committed and the God you have offended. It is a sorrow which works repentance. It always leads to eternal life
A real encounter with the living God changes everything!
The local church is the hope of the world! -Bill Hybels
If you were to wander around our city just for one day what would you find?
Jonah 2:10-3:5
How should you respond when you are in a storm of disobedience?
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God cares as much about you as he did for Jonah.
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What is it going to take to get you to come out from the depths?
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What is going to get you to stop your downward journey?
Jonah 1:17-2:10 ESV
Jonah 1: 4-17
How do you respond to the storm?
Everything depends on how we respond to the storm.
Is there a gap between what you believe/confess and how you are living?
• The call on your life might not be to a place as dangerous as Nineveh, but it is a call all the same.
• The enemy will always provide a ticket if you are looking.
• What is your Ninevah?
• God's relentless love is chasing after you.
The trellis is the framework that is needed to support the vine so that it grow and reach its full potential.
As the ministry grows the trellis will also need attention.
Vine work is the work of planting, watering, fertilizing and tending the vine.
Mark 8:34-35
Matthew 28:19-20
The goal of the church is to grow the Vine and not the Trellis.
Both Singleness and Marriage Are Good and Gifts from God.
Both Singleness and Marriage Display the Gospel.
Both Singleness and Marriage Are Under Attack.
Daryl Sutherland, the new Five Stones Student/Engage Culture Pastor brings the message.
Judges 16:4-31
Don't get to the end of your life and realize that you have missed out on the life that God wanted for you.
• The grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence.
• The grass is greener where you water it.
Judges 16:1-4
When a person falls into a great sin, it is not an accident.
- Don't think your sin won't be found out….You Will be Seen.
- Sin is not something that you play with.
- Sin is patient
- Sin is quiet
- Sin leads to destruction
The sign of a strong person is not their outward strength or skill.
The sign of a strong person is their inner strength.
Don't Always Expect God to Bail You Out.
First Pride and then the CRASH!
First pride, then the crash — the bigger the ego, the harder the fall. Proverbs 16:18 MSG
Don’t place your personal pleasure over purpose.
Don’t Live for Yourself!
The Cure for Pride is the Gospel.
What's under the surface is more important than what is visible.
•What compromises are you making in your life?
•What boundaries have you chosen to ignore?
Judges 13:1-25
If you believe in ultimate truth, how can you communicate itin a world that doesn’t want to hear it?
How can you be salt and light?
- Put Relationships First
- Live a Life of Humility and Compassion
- Live a Life that stands out from those around you
- Expect Persecution
Can Christians Drink and Not Sin?
Romans 14:17 ESV
Some common thoughts covered are:
The wine in the Bible was not the same type of wine that we have today.
Genesis 9:20-21 ESV
John 2:1-11 ESV
1 Timothy 3:2-3 ESV
1 Timothy 3:8 ESV
If Jesus turned the water into wine He would have been promoting drunkenness.
Luke 7:33-35 ESV
Alcohol can cause others to sin.
Romans 14:21 ESV
Can anyone drink?
2 Peter 2:19 ESV
I am not only the object of God’s love but I am also the instrument of His love to others and to the church.
1 John 4:15 - 5::5 ESV
This is the Message of Easter:Salvation is received not achieved.
2 Kings 5:1-15
Isaiah 53:1-10
• As I understand God's love for me, I love others the way God wants them to be.
• If I do not love others the way God wants them to be, I do not understand God's love for me.
1 John 4: 1-16
1 John 3: 11-24
• Learn to Connect with People.
• Become a Servant.
• Let the Way you Live your Life be a Bullhorn for God.
1 John 3:1-10 ESV
Have you completely embraced the love that the Father has for you?
Have you reserved for yourself an area of life devoted to sinful practices?
How long can someone who professes their faith in Christ continue to live in their lifestyle of sin and still call themselves a Christ Follower?
Do you act more like the world or more like the Father?
A LIVING IN A LIFESTYLE SIN IS THE DANGER ZONE.
STOP. DROP. PRAY.
Daniel 10:12-13
If you stop, drop, and pray, then you never know where you’ll go, what you’ll do, or who you’ll meet.
Moses had learned this lesson well: if you don’t take the risk, you forfeit the miracle.
Numbers 11: 4-6, 21-23, 31-32 ESV
The size of our prayers depends on the size of our God. And if God knows no limits, then neither should our prayers. - Mark Batterson
What is the “step of faith” that you need to take in pursuing your big dream?
Is there a promise you need to circle?
Would you be able to spell out the promises, miracles, and dreams God has put in your heart?
Matthew 11: 28-30
Learn to keep company with Jesus.
Your relationship with Christ affects your circus.
Your relationship with God is the most important thing that you can do for your family.
The normal person spends up to 80% of his or her waking hoursmaking money, spending money, or worrying about money.
The fact is the normal natural pace of your life in 2012 is not likely to push you towards spiritual formation. At the end of the year what do I want my heart/life to look like?
The Christmas Story is a story of everybody's plans getting changed.
When God changes your plans, you need to remember 3 things:
- He's trying to get your attention.
- It means he has a better plan.
- He's saying I want you to learn to trust me.
Micah 4:8 ESV
Luke 2:8-20 ESV
The Birth of Christ Resulted in Celebration. We need to make time to celebrate the Great News. We need to make time to celebrate because we can now have Peace. We need to make time to “spread the celebration"
Sometimes we just need to REWIND and REMEMBER the goodness of God.
God can use our regret as a tool for accomplishing HIS great work.
Mark 6
The way you live clearly reveals what you believe about God. It's your actions, not your words, that show what you believe.
God does not just want to heal you and forgive you; He wants to restore you.
He loves you and He knows what he's doing.
Mark 5: 21-40
How do I respond to the delays of God in my life?
When all my efforts have failed, God through Jesus can succeed.
When you are going through a trial how do you think God feels about you?
Would my level of faith right now leave me inside or outside of the house?
What is Communion? Greg explains it all.
Stay tuned to the end to hear an exciting announcement from Greg and Ralph!!!
DOES GOD HAVE THE LEAD IN MY LIFE? - Romans 8:14
IS MY CONFIDENCE IN GOD GROWING? - Romans 8:15
IS MY LOVE FGOR GOD INCREASING? - Romans 8:15
AM I SECURE IN MY POSITION? - Romans 8:16
DO I DRAW MY IDENTITY FROM CHRIST? - Romans 8:17
ANTICHRIST’S EVERYWHERE
1 John 2:18-28 ESV
FIVE STONES IS NOT ABOUT SPIRITUALITY.
WE’RE ABOUT JESUS AS GOD.
How much can a Christian sin and still be a Christ Follower? How we handle temptation is a matter of belief. Being a Christ Follower isn't sin management. We cannot live in fellowship with God if we live a lie. To walk in the light means we must face and deal with the reality of our sin.
.....
The Message is True,Jesus is Real,Sharing Life Together is Vital, andOur Lives Should Promote Joy.
1 John 1: 1-4
Is Jesus real to you or is He plastic?
Have you become a Christ follower?
Commit to being a follower of Jesus.
Nehemiah 10
They Would Obey Scripture
Nehemiah 10:29 ESV
They would lead their families.
Nehemiah 10:30 ESV
They Would Encourage People to Know God and take their next step with Him.
Nehemiah 10:31 ESV
They Would Make Sacrifices for God's Work to be Done
Nehemiah 10:32 ESV
Will you make the commitment to build a great church in order to make a great city?
Nehemiah 11:1-2
Whenever you begin to rebuild your life you can expect the enemy to attack.
Nehemiah 6 & 7
It's your actions not your intentions that produce change.
We are called to action... We are called to a Revolution.
Nehemiah 4
You have to take the first step and trust God with the rest.
Surrender your life to Christ and let him rebuild it.
There will be a day that is too late. Don't get caught up in the routine of the everyday.
Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people is one of the most difficult questions to answer in all of theology.
When we become overloaded by our busyness, inevitably out priorities will get all our of order. Before we know it we're running on empty.
Money is not a financial issue, it's a spiritual issue.
God doesn't want your money, he wants your heart. The problem is, our hears get all wrapped around money. That's why God deals with out wallets. In doing so, He's reminding us who is King.
God has a covenant love for you!
There is nothing that you could ever do to make him love you less.
Faith is built in the valleys of life.
Trust that God is in the valley with you.
Trust in His protection.
Trust in His comfort.
The Shepherd knows His sheep by name. The Shepherd is kind to His sheep. The Shepherd goes to great lengths to rescue His sheep. Psalm 23
It is God whom we are accountable to. He made us and we turned away from His Kingdom.
There is a way for us to be citizens again.
The solution to our rebellion is the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus the Son of God.
Most people aren't satisfied!
We are a very discontent people.
The more we have the more discontent we can become.
Greed is the desire to possess more than I need.
Greed is a deadly sin because it destroys our ability to trust God.
It hardens our heart.
What lies behind the deadly sin of sloth is lack of love.
Failure to love God with all of our heart, mind and soul.
Sloth slides into our everyday lives easily and unannounced.
Sloth keeps us from living the life that God has for us.
We begin to live life in small ways.
Don't live your life in a small way! Live Wide Open.
There are two kingdoms that are trying to coexist in our lives - but there is only room for one.
God does have a plan for us.
But it's a game plan with lots of freedom, not a blueprint with every detail spelled out.
Our job is not so much to find something; it's to become someone - a reflection of His image and character no matter where we find ourselves.
One of God's biggest dreams for us is authentic community. This is the kind of meaningful relationships that are best characterized by oneness with Him and with one another.
The Christian Life was never meant to be lived in isolation. Christian Community is the final argument for Christianity.
Our call to worship means we still live in the same world but we understand differently.
It means breaking through the christian bubble.
Real worship means finding our life in God and practicing that life in the world,
especially for the sake of the poor, the oppressed, and the forgotten.
At Five Stones Church, we love God. This is our main core value as a church.
Teaching Pastor Greg King talks about what you can expect to see around Five Stones.
Today, Five Stones has our third baptism service with 12 people taking their next step with Christ.
God uses our regret as a tool for accomplishing His great work.
The regrets of yesterday can be redeemed for tomorrow.
We are the people of the second chance.
Our perceptions determine our reality.
Our perceptions about God are the most important thing about us and determine how we live.
WE NEED TO LEARN TO FOLLOW A GOD WHO IS BIGGER THAN OUR EXPECTATIONS.
Have you ever stepped back to see the Threads that God has been weaving throughout history to show His love fopr YOU? God has always been working on your behalf.
How is it that we can say that we are following Christ bu tat the same time look and act so much differently than Him? Being a Disciple means that we are willing to take our next step with Him.
You and your spouse live in a love story that is set in the midst of a very real war. We will put untold amounts of pressure on our marriage until we realize that God is the one who can make us whole again.
How can a couple keep the flame burning hot when there are so many things that are waiting to snuff the flame out?
What would happen if your marriage changed from a "changing you" to a "changing me" focus?
God loves a good “Love Story” and wants to work in your marriage.
Song of Solomon 1:1-17
Every big decision takes you down a path; it impacts your future in some way. Emotionally driven decisions rarely lead us down the right path.
THE BIG IDEA: God's will for your life will always line up with His law, His principles, and His wisdom.
Our poor decisions aren't really because of a lack of information. Surrendering always precedes direction. Divine direction begins with surrender.
Don't waste your life on the wrong path. When you see a warning sign, TURN AROUND! "The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it." Proverbs 27:12
Whatever road you are on determines where you end up. Your direction determines your destination. Your intentions DO NOT determine your destination.
Christ took care of my baggage.... I choose to carry it. John 10:10Galatians 5:22-23, 25-262 Corinthians 5:17Romans 8:13Romans 12:2Philippians 4: 8, 11-13
If you are under the weight of addiction it is never too late to turn around and check it.James 1: 14-15
We need to unlearn some of the fears that are keeping us from becoming who God wants us to be. 1 John 4:18
We were never meant to carry around all of our baggage. Instead, God wants us to let go of those things we call baggage. Truth: My secret past is no secret to God.
Dr. Wayne Poplin, the visionary behind Five Stones Church and the Senior Pastor at Carmel Baptist Church, continues the Second Mile series.
The world sees us on the first mile; they see Christ on the second mile. Matthew 5:41 tells us "And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.".
If asked, many of us say we relate very well to the younger brother in the parable of the prodigal son, with all our selfish and rebellious ways. Some say that they are more like the father who watched their prodigal from a distance, waiting for them to "come home." A few may even say, perhaps proudly, that they were the loyal and faithful older brother, who stayed home and "did their duty." Loyal? Faithful? Did their duty? You might want to re-think that older brother.
Have you every had anyone humble, even humiliate themselves, in an effort to restore a relationship with you that you have spurned? Just another rabid co-dependent? Or a love totally beyond your ability to comprehend?
Are there still insights to be gleaned from the oft-repeated story of The Prodigal? Absolutely. Greg King serves up implications for us as individuals and as the corporate body known as Five Stones Church.
Greg King completes his first sermon series, Lord of the Storm, at Five Stones Church. We'll head back to the scriptures and dive deep into the life of Paul who faced storms of all kinds, inside and out. Paul's testimony declared the faithfulness and sufficiency of God for every possible circumstance. What can we learn from Paul?
How do you respond in the face of castastrophic loss? Listen to the story of a woman who faced such circumstances and learn how her response to God impacted the world.
Teaching Pastor Greg King launches both his series and Five Stones Church with Lord of the Storm. Storms are inevitable, both in nature and in our lives. How we respond to the storms of life will reveal much about our relationship with The Lord of the storms.
Following Christ seems to require a giant leap. God doesn’t expect you to make giant leaps in your faith. He desires for you to step forward. Every big thing that Jesus asks us to do starts with a step. Come and participate in the message and decide what your next step is.