Community Baptist Coweta - ReFill

The very first verse of the very first book of the Bible has God as it’s main subject and main focus. From the very outset we see that all of Scripture and therefore all of creation is pointing us to God. But what can these 10 words of this first verse of Scripture teach us about God? In this weeks message we look at how God’s very act of creation gives us great insight into who God is and how the first act of God’s great story changes our purpose, our priorities and our prayer life.

There are certain events in ones life and in the history of the world that people have been present for whether it be Presidential inaugurations, Super Bowls, Natural Disasters, events were history was made but only a handful of individuals were on hand to see the birth of Christ. In this weeks message we will look at the most unlikely of individuals God would announce the birth of Christ to and send to be witnesses of the first moments of the Messiahs time here on earth.

When you think of the parents of royalty the image of kings and queens in a pristine palace with servants and the finest amenities comes to mind. you think of power, status and wealth. The earthly parents of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords was none of these things, they possessed no power, the held no status and they were peasants yet God chose them to be the parents of the Son of God! In this weeks message we will look at Mary and Joseph the earthly parents of Jesus.

When one thanks of major cities of the world cities like New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Rome, Dubai, Madrid come to mind but only one city was the site of the birth of Jesus Christ, God Incarnate.Bethlehem too little to be among the clans of Judah was the perfect place for God to come in the form of a babe splitting history into two parts. In this weeks message we look at this city and the rich Biblical history it has and why one earth was this the place God chose for the Second Member of the Holy Trinity to be born in.

The Apostle Paul begins to conclude his Epistle to the church at Ephesus and as he does he wants to remind them and exhort them with three last truth he prays that would never lose sight of. Unfortunately only 4 decades later Jesus would chastise the church at Ephesus for having failed and exhorting them to return to their first love. In this weeks message we look at those 3 emphasis of importance Paul concludes his letter with and how implementing them in our lives can help us avoid the same admonishment.

As a Roman soldier prepared for battle he would not be ready to wage war until he had picked up his shield, put on his helmet and had his sword at the ready. As followers of Christ we come ill prepared to the spiritual battle lines if we lack these three vital pieces of armor entrusted to us by God. In this weeks message we look at how faith extinguishes the arrows the enemy shoots at us, the assurance of salvation Christ provides us and the great weapon…God’s Holy Word and how we are to wield it.

The message of the gospel started with a hundred plus gathered in a small room in Jerusalem that spilled out onto the city streets and it would spread like wildfire and hasn’t stopped doing so in the centuries that followed. What is most amazing is how God has chosen to have that message spread; His people. Although just frail jars each believer holds a most magnificent of treasures…the story of redemption. In this weeks message we examine the next piece in the armor of God the shoes of the gospel of peace.

God has given us armor for the spiritual war we find ourselves in daily that are of the utmost importance for the believer to fight these battles. In this weeks message we look at the first two pieces of armor the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness.

As Christians, we are in a spiritual battle of some sort on a daily basis. In warfare, battles are fought on different fronts, for different reasons, and with varying degrees of intensity. The same is true in spiritual warfare. Our spiritual battles and warfare are real, even though we cannot physically see the attacker. But, we can educate ourselves on how the battles are fought and how they impact our lives on a daily basis. In this our final series in the book of Ephesians we will go “In the Trenches” and look together at what God’s word tells us about this war, why we need to fight it and ways that we can effectively do just that for the glory of God.

The Lord’s Supper is done in remembrance of the sacrifice Jesus willingly made on the cross to pay for our sins. Through the 4 Gospel accounts of the cruxifixction we have 7 sayings of Jesus recorded that He made from the cross. In this weeks message we look at what insight those 7 statements can give us as to how to take the Lord’s Supper in a proper and worthy manner.

Baptism is one of the most special moments in the life of a believer and it is the very first act of obedience a new follower of Christ is called by Jesus to take. It is a public declaration of an inward truth and cause for much celebration within the body of Christ. What exactly is the meaning of baptism though? Who can be for baptized and what is the proper mode of baptism? In this weeks message we answer these questions and more as we take an in-depth look at believers baptism.

We can spend anywhere from 40-70 hours a week away from home at work. With this reality in mind what does God’s word say about work and how should we go about it. Is your job your everything? Do you feel like your job is meaningless? In this weeks message we look at these two positions most tend to take with work, either idolatry or idleness and what the proper Biblical balance is to the God given gift of work.

In this message we explore how the Apostle Paul instructs the believers in Ephesus to live a transformed life as Holy Spirit filled Christ followers. Chapter six of his letter, Paul specifically speaks to children and parent about their calling as Christians and how they are to live unified in the body of Christ. Paul tells children to first obey and honor their father and mother but also that parents should bring up their children in the way and instruction of the Lord.

Our families and our homes are under attack. So many marriages are failing and the foundation of our homes are crumbling. God call us in the spirit of Nehemiah 4:14 to fight against this attack. In this weeks message we look at how we can combat three of the major schemes the enemy uses to try and destroy our marriages and homes.

God’s word instructs all believers to walk in wisdom. In this weeks message we look at what wisdom is, what the antithesis of wisdom is and whether or not it is wise for followers of Jesus Christ to consume alcohol. We also take a look at the new song God has put on our hearts and in our mouth through the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus told all those who would follow him as recorded in John 8:12 that al those who follow Him would never walk in darkness but have the light of life. Paul interacts the Ephesians and subsequently us to walk in the light. In this weeks message we look at how we can do that and what walking in the light means for a believer.

We all are created in the image of God and are therefore His image bearers. Due to the fall and the entrance of sin into our world that image is marred and distorted. Faith in Jesus begins to restore that image to a true reflection. One of the main characteristics that should be displayed in a follower of Christ’s life is that of love and not love by any other standard than God’s love; gospel love. In this weeks message we look at how we are to live a life as image bearers of God marked by love.

God instructs us in His word not to grieve the Holy Spirit. In this weeks message we look at who exactly the Holy Spirit is and how He can be grieved.

God provides for the bird yet he doesn’t put their food into their nests. Work is a reality of our world and when viewed properly through the lens of Scripture we see that work is actually a blessing that was a part of God’s perfect creation before the fall that gives us a purpose (not an identity), a way to provide for ourselves and family as well as a means by which we can partner with God in the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this weeks message we look at the characteristics each follower of Jesus Christ should display in their work.

Christians often just sit and soak up information about the Bible. However, Isaiah 6 tells believers that they have not just been saved from their sin and the wrath of God, they have been saved to tell others about the truth found in God's Word. Believers are to move from a consumer mindset into a contributor mindset once they are saved.

What makes you angry? What is it that really gets your blood to boil? Anger can cause a ton of destruction in our lives and the lives around us yet God says in his word there is a type of anger that is not sinful and actually beneficial. In this weeks message we look at how we can be good and angry.

Gods word tells us that we will give an account for every word we have spoken. Now that is a scary thought. It should also be a sobering thought and a reason for us to give pause and assess in light of God’s revealed word just what is in our mouth, life or death? In this weeks message we look at what the Apostle Paul said shouldn’t be in a believers mouth and what should be.

Everyone has a different idea of what church clothes are and are not. In previous eras of our society one never went to church without putting on their “Sunday Best”. But what exactly is our “Sunday Best” and is God only concerned with us wearing it on Sunday? In this weeks text of Ephesians 4:17-24 the Apostle Paul shows us that as followers of Christ we are to take off the old and put on the new. He shows us ultimately exactly what our “Sunday Best” really is and what it really looks like.

Paul likens the Church to a body and shows that each member of the body have a unique and specific role to play in the health and the function of that body. In this weeks text of Ephesians 4:7-16 we see Paul laying out 6 key nutrients the body of Christ must make a priority to strengthen the body and keep it healthy.

As the Apostle Paul shifts his letter from who believers are in Christ and the new identity that establishes to how we live that out on a daily basis in a variety of relationships and contexts he emphasizes the need for this to be done in the unity of the local church. We see in this weeks teaching that if we do not maintain unity within the body of Christ we will allow the devil a foot hold which leads to division and a weakened church and witness to the lost and dying world around us.

This weeks teaching shows us 7 Biblical principles on Fatherhood.

In this passage we examine Paul's Posture, Paul's Prayer and God's Power. Paul's prayer is that the church would be strengthened by the Spirit, Christ would be at home in their hearts, they would understand His deep love for them, and they would experience the fullness of God. These things are possible in and through His power working in us.

God has giving us a great mission to accomplish. How do we effectively do this in an increasingly hostel world? The Apostle Paul shows us in our text this week we are most effective in doing the work God has given his church to do when we focus on the Presence of God.

What is the Church? Who makes up the Church? How does one become a part of the Church? As God's change agents in this broken world it is important for us to understand the answers to these questions. In the teaching this week we will look at Ephesians 2:19-22 and see that Paul reveals to us 4 things that the church is and what that means to us today.

The sin of man created a great wall of division both vertically and horizontally. Sin created a vertical wall of separation between God and sinful man, it also created a horizontal wall of separation between peoples. There was none more hostile that the Jew on one side and the Gentile on the other. In this weeks teaching we see how the cross of Jesus Christ tore down both of those walls reconciling man to God and creating one new man, the Christian, from the former two; the Jew and the Gentile.

How are faith and works compatible in the Christian faith? Scripture tells us throughout that it is only by faith that we can be saved and this is a gracious gift of God. Yet we also see the call for us to do good works. Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians shows us that the root of salvation is grace and the fruit of that salvation is good works. We are not saved by our good works but for them. In this weeks teaching we see that a faith without works is dead.

God's grace is an amazing thing that is hard to fully comprehend. How is it that the God of the universe would show such love and mercy to sinners? The depth of God's grace is unfathomable yet is undeniable in the hearts and lives of all those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ. There is a story found in 2 Samuel 9 that gives us a beautiful picture of God's grace and love towards us. In the story a man who has nothing to offer in and of himself is brought out from a desolate land to be seated at King David's table as if he were one of his own sons. In this weeks teaching we see an insightful picture of God's grace displayed between King David and a man named Mephibosheth.

Today we looked at the story of the Samaritan woman at the well and how her life was transformed when she met Jesus.

Jesus not only transforms our person and our priorities but he also transforms our purpose. Christ has called us on a great adventure to go out into the world and be his ambassadors. He has called us to drop our nets and to pick up our cross knowing when we do so we find the very purpose for our lives; to bring God glory through the declaration of the gospel. In this weeks teaching, Jesus encounters two sets of brothers who were fulfilling the purpose they felt like was there lives destiny until they encountered Jesus Christ who called them out of their boats, away from their nets and transformed their purpose from temporal to eternal.

There are many things in this world pulling out us for our time and attention. There are many needs in this lost and dying world that we as the church of God must rise up and meet with fervor and zeal. However, we must never prioritize the work of God he has for us over the word of God because it is only in our understanding of the word of God that we will truly understand with any clarity and certainty what the work of God we have been called to do actually is. If we are to prioritize serving at our Masters side we must first and just as emphatically prioritize sitting at His feet. In this weeks teaching Jesus encounters two sisters, one chose to be busy and the other chose the better… sitting at the feet of Jesus.

A true encounter with Jesus Christ changes our lives literally forever. We are transformed by Jesus Christ when we place our faith in him. He changes the trajectory of our life but also gives us a testimony to share with those who once lived among the tombs like we did. In this weeks teaching, the first of our Transformed series, we meet just such a man who had a eternity altering encounter with Jesus Christ who set him free from the graveyard he was living in to share the truth of his transformation.

Paul concludes his prayer for the church at Ephesus by pointing them to the rest of the story of Jesus Christ after his resurrection. Paul points them and subsequently us to the fact Jesus sits on the eternal throne as King of kings and Lord of lords having ascended to heaven and sat down at the Fathers right hand. To know Jesus fully is to know him beyond the virgin birth, earthly ministry, death, burial and resurrection but to know him as he sits victoriously on the throne of grace with all authority and in all supremacy.

Paul the Apostle faced many hardships in his life serving Christ from being flogged on 3 separate occasions, to being beaten with metal rods, pelted with stones and left for dead, to being shipwrecked and bit by a venomous snake yet he weathered all the storms. Paul would write the letter to the Ephesians from prison and after he praises God for the many treasures he has given us in Christ he pauses to pray for those at Ephesus. In his prayer we gain great insight into how we can wether our storms as well for in the prayer Paul prayer for us to know God on a deeper level and how he has covered our future, our present and our past by giving us a hope, making us saints and cleansing our unrighteousness.

A trust fund baby is someone who has been giving an extravagant inheritance and didn’t have to do a thing to earn it. As believers we have been giving an inheritance that is grander than anything a billionaire could give and we too didn’t do anything to earn it but it was freely lavished on us by the grace of God. The question is what will we do with it? Although as believers we can never lose our inheritance we can squander it by living to find our satisfaction through fulfilling our fleshy desires instead of being satisfied in doing God’s will.

While in Babylonian captivity the Israelites were giving a message of hope through the prophet Isaiah to “Behold My Servant”, to take their eyes off their current situation and put it on the one promised to bring justice, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring the prisoners out of the darkness. As we live in a culture today that very much resembles the Babylon of old we must look to Jesus who is the redeemer, the forgiver of sins and the uniter of all things. As we follow God’s instructions to “Behold My Servant” the things of the world grow strangely dim.

One of the most amazing things about the Christian faith is that God has chosen to relate to those in Christ Jesus in a Father child relationship. The Creator of the universe loves us so much that when we place faith in Jesus Christ He adopts us into his forever family. One of the greatest signs of spiritual maturity displayed in the life of a believer is the understanding that he did not give us a spirit of slavery producing fear but in love He instead gave us the Spirit of adoption which allows us to cry out to God as our Father through an intimate relationship. It is resting in that relationship that gives us spiritual refreshment. In this message we look at joy that comes from the treasure of being adopted into God’s forever family.