Elevation Christian Church - CO

We are so excited to be able to continue our Summer Mix Tape Series with Pastor Ben Foote.  If you would like to reach out to Pastor Ben Foote then please feel free to email us at info@elevationcc.com 

We are so excited to be able to continue our Summer Mix Tape Series with Pastor Anthony Ropkin.  If you would like to reach out to Pastor Anthony Ropkin then please feel free to email us at info@elevationcc.com 

We are so excited to be able to start our Summer Mix Tape Series with Pastor Scott Bloyer.  If you would like to reach out to Pastor Scott Bloyer then please feel free to email us at info@elevationcc.com 

We are so excited to be able to start our Summer Mix Tape Series with Pastor Chris Bullard.  If you would like to reach out to Pastor Chris Bullard then please feel free to emai us at info@elevationcc.com 

We hope you enjoy this message from Elevation Christian Church on Father's Day.  If you would like to have more information about Pastor Scott or the church just click here.

“Our brains are hardwired to make much of modern life DIFFICULT.”   Romans 12:2 (NLT) 2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.   “Circumstances don't create Contentment; Contentment comes from Christ in our Circumstances.”   2 Corinthians 12: 6 – 9 (NLT) 6 If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won't do it, because I don't want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, 7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. 8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. Burdened   2 Timothy 1:15 (NLT) 15 As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me—even Phygelus and Hermogenes. Betrayed   2 Corinthians 11:25 (NLT) 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.   Acts 16:16 – 34 (NLT) 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Beaten, Boatless & Bound   1 Timothy 6:6 – 8 (NLT) 6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.   Philippians 4:11 – 13 (NLT) 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.   Romans 13: 1 – 3 (NLT) Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. Respect the Government   Galatians 5:22 – 23 (NLT) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things Grow in the Spirit   1 Corinthians 13:4 – 7 (NLT) 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love Others   Three Questions for Clarification: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

John 6:14 – 15 (NLT) 14 When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” 15 When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.   Matthew 20:21 (NLT) 21 “What is your request?” he asked. She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”   Matthew 20:22 (NLT) 22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”   “Our Understanding is to be shaped by Jesus and not by our Expectations.”   The Expectation of a Conquering King Luke 22:50 – 51 (NLT) 50 And one of them struck at the high priest's slave, slashing off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this.” And he touched the man's ear and healed him.   The Reality is a Risen Savior 2 Timothy 1:9 – 10 (NLT) 9 For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. 10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News.   The Expectation of Race Luke 10:33– 37 (NLT) 33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here.' 36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. 37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”   The Reality is ALL are family Galatians 3:28 - 29 (NLT) 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you.   The Expectation of Self-Righteousness Luke 18:9 – 14 (NLT) 9 Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.' 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.' 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”   Reality is Jesus MADE us Righteous Galatians 3:10 – 11 (NLT) 10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.   Matthew 9:13 (NLT) 13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”   The Expectation of Unbelief Mark 16:11 - 14 (NLT) 11 But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn't believe her. 12 Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. 13 They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them. 14 Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.   The Reality of Jesus Brings Belief Mark 16:15 – 16 (NLT) 15 And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.   Three Clarifying Questions: Head: What do I know now? Heart: How does this change me? Hands: What do I do now?

Make sure you check out more of the video messages on Youtube at the channel right here: Elevationcc10    Thriving in Babylon: Lessons from the life of Daniel   Three questions: What does it look like to live a godly life in a godless world? How do we stand firm and love well? Is our God bigger than our Babylon? Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn't find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.”  Daniel 6:4-5 NLT “But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.”  Daniel 6:10 NLT   What Daniel didn't do             Challenge the authorities             Rally the troops             Attack his detractors “But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.”  Daniel 6:10 NLT What Daniel did             Knelt down             Windows open             Towards Jerusalem              As he had always done  

Week One: 05/14/23 Series: Mother's Day Title: Lasting Legacy Bible: 1 Samuel 1:1 - 16   1 Samuel 1:1 – 2 (NLT) There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim. 2 Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not. Hannah Overcame Unrealized Expectations 1 Samuel 1:3 – 7a (NLT) 3 Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven's Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the Lord at that time were the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas. 4 On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children. 5 And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the Lord had given her no children. 6 So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. 7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. A Provoking Rival 1 Samuel 1: 7 – 8 (NLT) 7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat. 8 “Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren't you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn't that better than having ten sons?” Depression Crying Not eating Sadness of the heart 1 Samuel 1:7a (NLT) 7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Long-term Verbal and Emotional Abuse   1 Samuel 1:8 (NLT) 8 “Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren't you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn't that better than having ten sons?” Are You Serious? Moment with Her Husband     1 Samuel 1:16 (NLT) 16 Don't think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.” Anxiety   1 Samuel 1:4 – 5 (NLT) 4 On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children. 5 And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the Lord had given her no children. Receiving Grace     1Samuel 1:10 (NLT) 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. Passionate Persistent Prayer   1 Samuel 1:12 – 15 (NLT) 12 As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!” 15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven't been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord.   1 Samuel 1:11 (NLT) 11 And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven's Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”   1 Samuel 1:17 – 19 (NLT) 17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” 18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad. 19 The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the Lord once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the Lord remembered her plea, Practicing Healthier Rhythms   1 Samuel 1:24 – 28 (NLT) 24 When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine. 25 After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. 26 “Sir, do you remember me?” Hannah asked. “I am the very woman who stood here several years ago praying to the Lord. 27 I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. 28 Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” And they worshiped the Lord there. Making a Deeper Commitment to the Lord

“God has Faith in Job's Faith in Him”   Job 1:1 (NLT) There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.   Job 1:6 – 12 (NLT) 6 One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. 7 “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan. Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that's going on.” 8 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” 9 Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” 12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don't harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord's presence.   Job 2:3 – 7 (NLT) 3 Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.” 4 Satan replied to the Lord, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. 5 But reach out and take away his health, and he will surely curse you to your face!” 6 “All right, do with him as you please,” the Lord said to Satan. “But spare his life.” 7 So Satan left the Lord's presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.   Job Curses His Birth Job 3:1 – 2 (NLT) At last Job spoke, and he cursed the day of his birth. 2 He said: 3 “Let the day of my birth be erased, and the night I was conceived.   Job Wishes He was Dead Job 6:8 – 10 (NLT) 8 “Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant my desire. 9 I wish he would crush me. I wish he would reach out his hand and kill me. 10 At least I can take comfort in this: Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the Holy One.   Job Argues with Friends Job 19:19 – 22 (NLT) 19 My close friends detest me. Those I loved have turned against me. 20 I have been reduced to skin and bones and have escaped death by the skin of my teeth. 21 “Have mercy on me, my friends, have mercy, for the hand of God has struck me. 22 Must you also persecute me, like God does? Haven't you chewed me up enough?   Job Complains about God Job 21:4 – 5 (NLT) 4 “My complaint is with God, not with people. I have good reason to be so impatient. 5 Look at me and be stunned. Put your hand over your mouth in shock.   Job Never Loses Faith Job 42:5 – 6 (NLT) 5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”   Our three clarifying questions: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?   Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

“If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”   Mark 1:17 (NLT) 17 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”    “Discipleship is a defined daily direction not a destination then done”   Luke 5:1 – 11 (NLT) One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water's edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” 5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn't catch a thing. But if you say so, I'll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. 8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I'm such a sinful man.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.   Mark 1:17 (NLT) 17 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”   “Come, follow me” Romans 10:9 – 10 (NLT) 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.   “I will show you” Ephesians 3:16 – 19 (NLT) 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.   Acts 4:13 (NLT) 13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.   “How to fish for people!” Matthew 28:18 – 20 (NLT) 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”   Here are three clarifying questions: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

Week Three: 04/23/23 Series: “He Really Said That?” Title: “Cut it out!” Bible: Matthew 18: 1 – 10   Matthew 18:8 (NLT) 8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It's better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet.   “Become CHILD like as you serve others just don't act CHILDISH.”   Mark 9:33 – 34 (NLT) 33 After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” 34 But they didn't answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.   Matthew 18:1 – 10 (NLT) 1About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” 2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. 8 So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It's better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It's better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.10 “Beware that you don't look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.   Humble as we serve James 4:10 (NLT) 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.   Honest as we serve Romans 12:3 (NLT) 3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.   Galatians 3:26 - 28 (NLT) 26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. Thoughtful as we serve 1 Corinthians 3:1 (NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. 2 I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still aren't ready, 3 for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world?   Three clarifying questions: Head: What do I know now? Heart: How does this change me? Hands: What do I do now?

Week Two: 04/16/23 Series: “He Really Said That?” Title: “That's too Much!” Bible: John 6:26 – 66,   John 6:55 (NLT) 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.   “What Jesus teaches is NOT hard to UNDERSTAND but is hard to SWALLOW.”   John 6:26 – 27 (NLT) 26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don't be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”   John 6:31 – 33 (NLT) 31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.'” 32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn't give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”      John 6:52 – 60 (NLT) 52 Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked. 53 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54 But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” 59 He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”   John 6:66 (NLT) 66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.   “The preaching of the Word of God always leads to a sifting of the hearts of the hearers. God draws sinners to the Savior through the power of truth, His Word. Those who reject the Word will reject the Savior. Those who receive the Word will receive the Savior and experience the new birth, eternal life.”   Three Clarifying Questions: Head: What do I know now? Heart: How does this change me? Hands: What do I do now?

Week One: 04/09/23 EASTER SUNDAY Series: “He Really Said That?” Title: “Be Back Soon” Bible: Matthew 16:21, John 11:20 – 44, Luke 24: 2 – 8   Matthew 16:21 (NLT) 21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.   “If He Said it to Happen, why couldn't He let it Happen?”   John 11:20 – 27 (NLT) 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” 25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.   John 11: 32 – 36 (NLT) 32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?”   John 11: 38 – 44 (NLT) 38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” 40 Jesus responded, “Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”   Luke 24: 2 – 8 (NLT) 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” 8 Then they remembered that he had said this.   “The Bible is not a script for a funeral service, but it is the record of God always bringing life where we expected to find death. Everywhere it is the story of resurrection.” By Eugene Peterson   Three clarifying questions: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

Week One: 04/02/23 Series: Palm Sunday Title: The Present of the Palm Bible: Mark 11:1-8, John 12:12–19, Luke 19:41 – 44   “The Presentation of Palms expresses Jesus Position to You”   Mark 11:1-8 (NLT) As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?' just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.' ” 4 The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. 5 As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it. 8 Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields.   John 12:12–19 (NLT) 12 The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors 13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: 15 “Don't be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey's colt.” 16 His disciples didn't understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him. 17 Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. 18 That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign. 19 Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There's nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”   Luke 19:41 – 44 (NLT) 41 But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. 43 Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. 44 They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”   STOP (Hand raised to STOP) Acts 15:19 (NLT) 19 “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. (Slide)   SURRENDER (Hands up like the Military) Mark 8:34 – 35 (NLT) 34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.   SUBMIT (Hands in our lap open and facing up)   “Christianity is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”   Three Clarifying Questions: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

“Jesus creates CARE that stretches relationships far BEYOND”   Matthew 5:43 – 48 (NLT) 43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. 47 If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. 48 But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.   Romans 12:9 – 21 (NLT) 9 Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all! (17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. 20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” 21 Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.   Philippians 3:13 – 14 (NLT) 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.   1 Corinthians 4:20 (NLT) 20 For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God's power.   Three Clarifying Questions: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

Week Three: 03/19/23 Series: Fear Bravely Title: “Fearing Bravely Takes Trust” Bible: Leviticus 19:34, Zechariah 7:9 – 10, Luke 10:25 – 37    “The greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is for any one of them to provide help to a person in distress. People are more likely to take action in a crisis when there are few or no other witnesses present.”   “Step Out, Trust Him, & Care for Left Out”   Leviticus 19:34 (NLT) 33 “Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. 34 Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.   Zechariah 7:9 – 10 (NLT) 9 “This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. 10 Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.   Luke 10:25 – 37 (NLT) 25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” 27 The man answered, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.' And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' ” 28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” 29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits.They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. 31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. 33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here.' 36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. 37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”   Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”   STEP OUT Luke 10:34 (NLT) 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them.   TRUST HIM Proverbs 3:5 – 6 (NLT) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.   CARE FOR THE LEFT OUT Matthew 25:34 - 40 (NLT) 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.' 37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'   Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

Week Two: 03/12/23 Series: Fearing Bravely Title: Fearing Bravely Costs Bible: Luke 14:25 – 27; 33, Luke 15:1 – 2,   “Kingdom Cost leads to Lost Returns Celebrated!”   Luke 14:25 - 27 (NLT) 25 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.   And he finishes this conversation on the cost of being his follower with this:   Luke 14:33 (NLT) 33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.   Luke 15:1 – 2 (NLT) Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!   Luke 15: 3 – 4 (NLT) 3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?   Luke 15:8 (NLT) 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it?   Luke 15:12 – 13 (NLT) 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.' So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. 13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.   Lost and Left   Luke 15: 5 – 6 (NLT) 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.”   Luke 15: 9 (NLT) 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.'   Luke 15: 20 – 23 (NLT) 20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.' 22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began.   Found and Returned   Luke 15:7 (NLT) 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away!   Luke 15:10 (NLT) 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents.”   Luke 15:32 (NLT) 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!' ”   Joyful Heavenly Celebration   Questions to think about: Who do you know that is lost? What are you doing to help them be found or return?  What would it look, sound, and feel like to you if that person was found and returned to Jesus? “What is the cost worth to you? What are you willing to do?     To be able to say, He was lost, but now he is found!' 

2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT) 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.    “Will you choose to be discipled by a FEAR that overcomes LOVE? Or by a LOVE that overcomes FEAR?”   “FEAR creates either fight or flight, but Believing Bravely leads out of Jesus LOVE.”   1 John 4:11 – 18 (NLT) 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.   Believing Bravely leads out of Jesus LOVE for US and for OTHERS   Romans 8:31 – 39 (NLT) 31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Believing Bravely leads out of Jesus LOVE giving us consistent VICTORY!   “Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened”. Reverend Billy   Three Clarifying Questions: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?    

Week Four: 02/26/23 Series: Dating in the 21st Century Title: “Dating Decisions” Bible: Proverbs 4:7, Matthew 7:24 – 27, Matthew 19:4 – 6, Psalm 119:9 – 11, Proverbs 1:5, Proverbs 12:26, Galatians 6:4, Acts 20:34 – 35, 1 Corinthians 13:4 – 8   Proverbs 4:7 (NLT) 7 Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.   “Love is a Decision made through Hearing, Hard work, & Holy Habits.”   Hear the word of God Psalm 119:9 – 11 (NLT) 9 How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. 10 I have tried hard to find you— don't let me wander from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.   Hear directly from the words of Jesus Matthew 7:24 – 27 (NLT) 24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”   Matthew 19:4 – 6 (NLT) 4 “Haven't you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.' 5 And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.' 6 Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”   Hear from other Followers of Jesus Proverbs 1:5 (NLT) 5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance.   Proverbs 12:26 (NLT) 26 The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray.   “The key to successful advice-giving is to only give one small piece of advice and immediately evaluate how they respond before giving more.”   Be Responsible for Your Work Galatians 6:4 (NLT) 4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.   Let your Work Benefit Others Acts 20:34 – 35 (NLT) 34 You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. 35 And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.' ”   Develop Holy Habits of Love 1 Corinthians 13:4 – 8 (NLT) 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!   Here are our three clarifying questions: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?   “All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision.” James Clear

Series: Dating in the 21st Century Title: Dating Destination Main Scripture: Proverbs 4:7, 31:10-31 Supporting Scripture: Proverbs 1:1-2, Ephesians 5:33   Proverbs 4:7 NLT: Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.   Proverbs 1:1-2 NLT: 1These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel. 2Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise.   Proverbs 31:10-31 NLT: 10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.11Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life.12She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.13She finds wool and flax and busily spins it.14She is like a merchant's ship, bringing her food from afar.15She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day's work for her servant girls.16She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.17She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.18She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.19Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber.20She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. 21She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes. 22She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns. 23Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders. 24She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. 25She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. 26When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. 27She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. 28Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: 29“There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” 30Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. 31Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.   Psalms 111:1-10 NLT: 1Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people. 2How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them. 3Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. 4He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord! 5He gives food to those who fear him; he always remembers his covenant. 6He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the lands of other nations. 7All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. 8They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity. 9He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has! 10Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!   Wisdom guides us to being cherished. (31:10)   Proverbs 31: NLT: 10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.   Wisdom guides us to competence. (31:16-18)   Proverbs 31:16-18 NLT: 16She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. 18She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.   Wisdom guides us to compassion. (31:20)   Proverbs 31:20 NLT: 20She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.   Wisdom guides us to courage. (31:25)   Proverbs 31:25 NLT: 25She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.   Wisdom guides us to compensation. (31:31)   Proverbs 31:31 NLT: 31Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.   Wisdom guides us to Christ. (31:30)   Proverbs 31:31 NLT: 30Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.     Three Clarifying Questions:   What do I know now?   How does this change me?   What do I do now?

Week Two: 02/12/23 Series: Dating in the 21st Century Title: “Dating Dress up” Bible: Proverbs 4:7, Genesis 1:27, Romans 9:20&21, Ephesians 2:10, Matthew 11:18&19, Galatians 5:22 - 26 WORDS/Conversation - Personal Comparison -   Proverbs 4:7 (NLT) 7 Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.   “Created to Care not Compare, because to Compare is not to Care.”   Comparison puts CREATION over CREATOR. Genesis 1:27 (NLT) 27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.   Comparison removes the ARTIST from the ART. Romans 9:20 – 21 (NLT) 20 No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?   Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) 10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.   Comparison seeks the ORIGINAL to become IDENTICAL. Matthew 11: 18 – 19 (NLT) 18 For John didn't spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He's possessed by a demon.' 19 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!' But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”   Comparison kills CARE and the ability to be CARED FOR. Galatians 5:22 – 26 (NLT) 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.   Three Clarifying Questions: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

Dating Study about Generations Gen Z is the least picky online daters. Millennials are the most meticulous online daters. Gen X daters have the deepest convos. Baby Boomers are the conversation sparkers when dating online. Holding doors open is considered a romantic gesture. Proverbs 4:7 (NLT) 7 Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. “God is the #1 leading you to a #3 who is making God their #1.” James 1:5 – 8 (NLT) 5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.   Love God as #1 1 John 4:8 - 10 (NLT) 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.   Romans 5:7 – 8 (NLT) 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.   Love Yourself as #2 Mark 12:30 – 31 (NLT) 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these.”   Seek a #3 that is making God #1 1 Corinthians 7:39 (NLT) 39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord.   Qualifying Questions to Answer: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

Philippians 2:2 (NLT) 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. “A Kingdom Expanding life is AMAZINGLY Inconvenient & Uncomfortable.”   “What must our Lord think of us if His work and His witness depend upon the convenience of His people? The truth is that every advance that we make for God and for His cause must be made at our inconvenience. If it does not inconvenience us at all, there is no cross in it! If we have been able to reduce spirituality to a smooth pattern and it costs us nothing—no disturbance, no bother and no element of sacrifice in it—we are not getting anywhere with God. We have stopped and pitched our unworthy tent halfway between the swamp and the peak.  We are mediocre Christians!  Was there ever a cross that was convenient? Was there ever a convenient way to die? I have never heard of any, and judgment is not going to be a matter of convenience, either! Yet we look around for convenience, thinking we can reach the mountain peak conveniently and without trouble or danger to ourselves.  Actually, mountain climbers are always in peril and they are always advancing at their inconvenience.” A.W. Tozer   2 Corinthians 11:24 – 28 (NLT) 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. 28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.   Jesus Cares and Wants us to Care Matthew 9:35 – 38 (NLT) 35 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”   Beyond the Building and Beyond Borders Acts 1:6 – 8 (NLT) 6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”   “The light that shines the farthest will shine the brightest at home   Sent people Seek the Unsaved Romans 10:13 – 17 (NLT) 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” 16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.   Three Clarifying Questions: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?       Vision Trust MISSION TRIP to the Dominican Republic – July 8th – 15th

Philippians 2:2 (NLT) 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.   “Working as one gives us a purpose and passion to push through the pain.”   “Engaging people so they can experience life change in Jesus.”    “EQUIP teammates to EXPAND the Kingdom of Jesus.”   Ephesians 4:11 – 16 (NLT) 11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.   Start with YOU Galatians 6:4 – 5 (NLT) 4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.   Find a Place to Play Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.   Get EXCITED! 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT) 58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.   Know the WHO not just the DO Colossians 3:23 (NLT) 23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.   Three questions for practical understanding: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?  

What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? (Answers – Raise your Hand) A FOLLOWER OF JESUS/Disciple is: One who is following Jesus. Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23 (NLT)   One who is being changed by Jesus. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. Romans 12:2 (NLT)   One who is committed to the mission of Jesus. “Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. [19] Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. [20] Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT) https://youtu.be/Ymfh6RJezQ4   Why are we supposed to share the gospel? Because we are committed to the mission of Jesus.   Matthew 28:19 – 20 (NLT) 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”   Romans 10:15 (NLT) 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” CHURCH PULSE WEEKLY (podcast) on Evangelism Data from Reviving Evangelism, noting the sobering finding that nearly half of Christian Millennial respondents in 2019 (47%) believed that sharing their faith with a non-Christian was WRONG. However, 94 percent of these same Millennials also said that the best thing that could ever happen as a result of a spiritual conversation would be that the non-believer would come to know JESUS. “When it comes to embracing the new dynamic of evangelism, the most important shift is the shift from proclamation (telling or yelling) alone to conversation,” notes Mark Springer. “There are so many different avenues that this wisdom is illuminated through. One is through the life and ministry of Jesus. [In the gospels,] he asked 307 questions, he was asked 183 questions and he only directly answered eight questions. He created space for conversations in his interactions.” “Create space for conversation about your evangelism strategies in your churches. Train your people to be like Jesus, to be 40 times more likely to listen during an interaction with someone than to drive home a proclamation (telling). Create cultures of listening both in and around your churches and in your congregations.” Share about the first time sharing my faith on the 16th Street Mall   How can we share the gospel? – Personally and Conversationally   ASK: Get to know people. Listen to them and learn their story. Ask questions about their background and spirituality. ADMIRE: As a person shares their faith background, point out things about their religion you admire (i.e., dedication, missions).  ADMIT: Emphasize that as a follower of Jesus, you are a messed-up human who needs a relationship with Jesus. Transition into your life change story and then the story of the Gospel.    God – created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2) Our – sins separate us from God. (Genesis 3) Sins – cannot be removed by good deeds. (Genesis 4 - Malachi 4) (Bad News) Paying – the price for our sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew - Luke) (Good News) Everyone – who trusts in Him alone has eternal life. (John) Life – with Jesus starts now and lasts forever. (Acts - Revelation)   Tools for sharing your faith and growing in understanding of your neighbor: USING THE LIFE IN 6 WORDS APP: https://li6w.com/ Inside of the Life in 6 Words APP you are able to create list of people that you are praying for when it comes to being able to share the GOSPEL message with in your life.  Make sure that you SET a daily or weekly REMINDER to be praying for those people as well as opportunities to share the GOSPEL message.  You also are able to join the Elevation Christian Church Group in the APP – just simply put in the GROUP CODE – NT2H67 so that we all can celebrate the life changing opportunities we have to share the GOSPEL.   Prayer - Care – Share (Method)   Invitations (Invite People to Elevationcc)   We want to encourage you to read the book, “The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door” by Jay Pathek and Dave Runyon.   How do we know as a church we are reaching people with the gospel? First Time Guests & Baptisms   Questions about sharing the Gospel: Close in Prayer:

Week TWO: 1/15/2023 Series: New Year, Same Mission, Many Methods! Title: “Mission Motion is Beyond just Words” (Encourage) Bible: Philippians 2:2, John 13:35, Acts 2:46, Acts 5:42, Hebrews 10:24-25, Titus 2:1 – 7   Philippians 2:2 (NLT) 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.   “Engaging people so they can experience life change in Jesus.”   “EQUIP teammates to EXPAND the Kingdom of Jesus.”   John 13:35 (NLT) 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”   Acts 2:46 (NLT) 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—   Acts 5:42 (NLT) 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”   “There is only so much one anothering you can do in large groups”   Titus 2:1 – 7 (NLT) As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. 2 Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. 3 Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. 4 These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, 5 to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. 6 In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. 7 And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.   Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT) 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.   Chicago Style Luke 11:28 (NLT) 28 Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”   New York Style Galatians 6:2 - 3 (NLT) 2 Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.   Colossians 3:13 (NLT) 13 Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.   Detroit Style Matthew 13:36 (NLT) 36 Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”   “Pizza is a great opportunity to bond with someone, exchange confidences, have fun, and even seduce or fight with each other.”   Weekly Three Questions: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

Week One: 1/08/2023 Series: New Year, Same Mission, Many Methods! Title: “You Don't Get to Choose” (Engage) Bible:  Jonah 1:1 – 4:11, 2 Peter 3:9 Big Idea: “We don't get to CHOOSE who, JESUS died for ALL.”   Mission Statement: “Engage people so they experience life change in Jesus.”   Vision Statement: “EQUIP teammates to EXPAND the Kingdom of Jesus.”   “Marry the Mission, Fall in love with the Vision, and Date the Model” by Andy Stanley   Philippians 2:2 (NLT) 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.   Jonah 1:1-2 (NLT) The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”   Jonah 1:3 (NLT) 3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.   Jonah 1:17 (NLT) 17 Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.   Jonah 1:16 (NLT) 16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord's great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.   Jonah 3: (NLT) 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” 5 The people of Nineveh believed God's message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.   Matthew 28:19 – 20 (NLT) 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”   Close to 2 in 3 unchurched Americans say they have multiple Christian friends Only 3 in 10 unchurched Americans (29%) say a Christian has ever shared with them For 4 in 10 unchurched Americans (40%), they've never had a Christian explain    “We don't get to CHOOSE who, JESUS died for ALL.” Romans 10:15 (NLT) 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”   Questions to Answer: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

Week Three: 12/18/2022 Title: Why waiting? Bible: Matthew 1:20-23, Isaiah 9:6, Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:14, Galatians 4:4 – 5, Isaiah 64:4, 2 Peter 3:9   Matthew 1:20-23 (NLT) 20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in adream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: 23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.' ”   Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) 6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.   Genesis 3:15 (NLT) 15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”   Isaiah 7:14 (NLT) 14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us').   Just because He is quiet, doesn't mean He quit!   Galatians 4:4 – 5 (NLT) 4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.   Genesis 3:15 (NLT) 15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”   “Why WANDER while waiting, when we should live in WONDER.”   Just because He is quiet, doesn't mean He quit! Which probably means you aren't QUITE ready!   Isaiah 64:4 (NLT) 4 For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!   2 Peter 3:9 (NLT) 9 The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.   What if the God you are waiting for is waiting for you?   QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

Week Two: 12/11/2022 Title: “UGH! I am done dealing with PEOPLE! Bible: Isaiah 9:6, John 16:33, Romans 12:14 – 18, Romans 12:1, Ephesians 4:2, Proverbs 19:11    “If you are always searching to be offended, you will always find it!”   Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) 6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.   John 16:33 (NLT) 33 ”I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”    “The Counselor is NOT about correctism, but about LIFE care”.   Romans 12:14 – 18 (NLT) 14 Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all! 17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.   Romans 12:1 (NLT) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.   Galatians 2:20 (NLT) 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.   Ephesians 4:2 - 3 (NLT) 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.   “If you are unable to see another's perspective then your impact will always be limited.” Craig Groeschel   Ephesians 4:2 (NLT) 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love.   Proverbs 19:11 (NLT) 11 Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.    “Love doesn't seek to win the argument. Love seeks to care for the relationship.” Romans 12: 18 (NLT) 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.     Questions to Answer: Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

Week One: 12/04/2022 Title: “Is Peace even Possible?” Bible: Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 26:1 – 4, Philippians 4:8 – 9, John 14:27, Philippians 4:6 – 7   Isaiah 9:6 (NLT) 6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.   Isaiah 26:1 – 4 (NLT) 1In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song: Our city is strong! We are surrounded by the walls of God's salvation. 2 Open the gates to all who are righteous; allow the faithful to enter. 3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! 4 Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.   SHALOM   “Peace isn't found without Pain; Peace is found in the presence of the Prince.”   “The fight for peace starts in our Head”   Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) 3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!   Isaiah 26:3 (NIV) You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.    “SAMAK”   Philippians 4:8 – 9 (NLT) 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.   John 14:27 (NIV) 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.   Philippians 4:6 – 7 (NLT) 6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.   My Three Questions to Answer: Head: What do I know now? Heart: How does this change me? Hands: What do I do now?

Proverbs 17:3 (NLT) 3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.   “True Worship comes when what you treasure is Tested”   Deuteronomy 13: 1- 8 (NLT) 1 “Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, 2 and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say, ‘Come, let us worship other gods'—gods you have not known before—3 do not listen to them. The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul. 4 Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. 5 The false prophets or visionaries who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the Lord your God, who redeemed you from slavery and brought you out of the land of Egypt. Since they try to lead you astray from the way the Lord your God commanded you to live, you must put them to death. In this way you will purge the evil from among you. 6 “Suppose someone secretly entices you—even your brother, your son or daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend — and says, ‘Let us go worship other gods'—gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known. 7 They might suggest that you worship the gods of peoples who live nearby or who come from the ends of the earth. 8 But do not give in or listen. Have no pity, and do not spare or protect them.   Matthew 6:19 – 26 (NLT) 19 “Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! 24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. 25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?   Where is your treasure being stored? Matthew 6:19 – 20 (NLT) 19 “Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.   “Many Christians dread the thought of leaving this world. Why? Because so many have stored up their treasures on earth, not in heaven. Each day brings us closer to death. If your treasures are on earth, that means each day brings you closer to losing your treasures.” by Randy Alcorn   Matthew 6:21 (NLT) 21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.   Where are the desires of your heart? Deuteronomy 13: 3 – 4 (NLT) 3 The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul. 4 Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.   “Give me five minutes with a person's checkbook, and I will tell you where their heart is.” by Billy Graham   What/who do you serve? Matthew 6:24 (NLT) 24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.   “Your money, or your life.' We know what to do when a burglar makes this demand of us, but not when God does.” By Mignon McLaughlin   My Three Questions: Head: What do I know now?     Heart: How does this change me?     Hands: What do I do now?

Proverbs 17:3 (NLT) 3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.   “cash” to 720-740-0620     “Do not save what is left after spending; instead spend what is left after saving.” ― Warren Buffett   Proverbs 19:8 (NLT)8 To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.   “We should remember that good fortune often happens when opportunity meets with preparation.” ― Thomas A. Edison   Proverbs 15:21 - 22 (NLT) 21 Foolishness brings joy to those with no sense; a sensible person stays on the right path. 22 Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.   “A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” ― Dave Ramsey   Proverbs 21:5 (NLT) 5 Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.    “Whether we make our own money or rely on someone else, many of us would rather pretend our financial matters don't exist. Or we hope they'll just take care of themselves somehow. My ex-husband was like that. He always said, “I bank by prayer. I go to the ATM and pray that money will come out.” ― Author Nancy Levin, Worthy: Boost Your Self-Worth to Grow Your Net Worth   Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

Romans 12:1 – 2 (NLT) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.   Malachi 3:6 – 12 (NLT) 6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. 7 Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?' 8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?' “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. 12 “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven's Armies.   Proverbs 17:3 (NLT) 3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.   A Test of Self-Denial (Mal 3:6-9) Malachi 3:6 – 9 (NLT) 6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. 7 Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?' 8 “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?' “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me.   A Test of Obedience (Mal 3:10a) Malachi 3:10a (NLT) 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple.   A Test of Faith (Mal 3:10b-12) Malachi 3:10b – 12 (NLT) If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven's Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven's Armies. 12 “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven's Armies.   “CHALLENGE” to 720-740-0620 Head: What do I know now?  Heart: How does this change me?  Hands: What do I do now?  

Proverbs 17:3 (NLT) 3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.   “Testing reveals what we VALUE and who we TRUST.”   Genesis 22:1 – 3 (NLT) Sometime later, God tested Abraham's faith. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.” 2 “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.” 3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. Genesis 22:6 – 8 (NLT) 6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?” 8 “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together. Genesis 22:9 – 12 (NLT) 9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!” 12 “Don't lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.” 13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”   “Possessions by themselves do not impede us from following God, but, due to the perversity of the human mind, it is almost impossible that those who have great abundance not be intoxicated by it.” John Calvin.   1 Timothy 6:9 – 10 (NLT) 9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.   Four Month Giving Challenge Text “CHALLENGE” to 720-740-0620   Head: What do I know now?     Heart: How does this change me?     Hands: What do I do now?

Series: Better: How to Win at Home Week Nine: 10/30/2022 Title: Generational Impact Bible: Matthew 7:13, Galatians 6:9, Romans 12:4 – 8, Mark 10:45, James 1:22 - 24   Matthew 7:13 (NLT) 13 “You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.   GENERATIONAL IMPACT    “Legacy is not a Life well Lived, but a Life well Lived for Others.”   CONSISTENT   20,075 – 27,375 Days   Galatians 6:9 (NLT) 9 So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.   ENGAGE   “Speed of the Leader, Speed of the Team.”   Romans 12:4 – 8 (NLT) 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.   SACRIFICE   Mark 10:45 (NLT) 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”   “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” – Albert Pike   OWNERSHIP   Six Stages of Ownership: Hear it - Process it - Understand it – Agree with it – Implement it – Own it   James 1:22 - 24 (NLT) 22 But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

Series: Better: How to Win at Home Week Seven: 10/23/2022 Title: Faithful Family Bible: Luke 8:19 – 21, Ephesians 1:5, Ephesians 2:19,   “Losing one's religion in America, it seems, is a family affair, just as becoming religious is, too.”   Luke 8:19 – 21 (NLT) 19 Then Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they couldn't get to him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to see you.” 21 Jesus replied, “My mother and my brothers are all those who hear God's word and obey it.”   Ephesians 1:5 (NLT) 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.   Ephesians 2:19 (NLT) 19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family.   FAMILY = Home + Church   FAMILY = Home + Church – MINUS 1 Corinthians 12: 25 – 27 (NLT) 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it.   Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.   FAMILY = Home + Church / DIVIDED 1 Corinthians 1: 10 (NLT) 10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.   1 Peter 5:8 (NLT) 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.   FAMILY = Home + Church x MULTIPLIED Acts 16:4 – 5 (NLT) 4 Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day.   Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.   “We should see that churches and families should not be competitors but collaborators”   Head: What do I now know?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?   “Losing one's religion in America, it seems, is a family affair, just as becoming religious is, too.”

Series: Better: How to Win at Home Week Seven: 10/16/2022 Title: Synaptic Pruning   “Parental patterns are a powerful device for mental pruning in a child.”   Psalm 139:14 (NLT) 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.   Deuteronomy 6:1 – 2 (NLT) “These are the commands, decrees, and regulations that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you. You must obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy, 2 and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life.   Deuteronomy 6:5 – 7 (NLT) 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.   Proverbs 22:6 (NLT) 6 Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.   Start with a 30-day digital detox (30 days off all technology, not essential to keep your job) 1-1-1 Rule (phone free 1 hour a day, 1 day a week, 1 week a year) No screens when you eat No screens when you worship No screens at big life events Shape space around conversations, not the TV Access to passwords (Spouses have one another's passwords & parents have total access to kids' devices. This is not an option remember from last week BE THE PARENT NOT THE BUDDY) Screen time limits for everyone! Phone stays on do not disturb (DND) Notifications stay off No social media apps on phone Don't start the day with your phone Limit unnecessary phone usage (in front of your kids) One screen at a time Only quality television (we should consume entertainment for art, learning, formation, and fun, stay away from sex and violent stuff) RIGHT NOW MEDIA Head: What do I now know? Heart: How does this change me? Hands: What do I do now?

Series: Better: How to Win at Home Week SIX: 10/09/2022 Title: Glowing Rectangles Bible: Multiple Verses   Matthew 9:16 – 17 (NLT) 16 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. 17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”   Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) 23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.   Ephesians 5:15 – 16 (NLT) 15 So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.   Time over Time is History Love over Time is Worth Words over Time is Direction Stories over Time is Perspective Tribe over Time is Belonging Fun over Time is Connection   Perspective: SCHOOL - K-12 Grade = 13 years = 113,880 Hours = 4745 Days SLEEP - 8 Hours a day = 37,960 Hours = sleeping 1581 Days WORK - 50 Weeks with 2 Weeks' Vacation = 3250 Days at work = 26,000 Hours = 1083 Totals Days CHURCH - 1.8 times a month = 21.6 weekends a year = 1.5 hours a week = 421 total hours = 17 days PHONE - 5 hours a day = 23,725 hours = 988 Days   46X more on a phone than at church - You will be left with only 2081 days with your kids. Do you really want to give half of those days to a device?   1 Corinthians 10:23 – 24 (NLT) 23 You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is beneficial. 24 Don't be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.

Series: Better: How to Win at Home Week Five: 10/02/2022 Title: Power Circles Bible: Multiple Verses   3 John 1:4 (NLT) 4 I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.   Everyone Needs a Circle Proverbs 13:20 (NLT) 20 Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.   A Better Circle Provides a Better Experience Ecclesiastes 4:9 – 12 (NLT) 9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.   1 Thessalonians 5:14 – 15 (NLT) 14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.   The Circle Needs to Challenge Them Proverbs 27:17 (NLT) 17 As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.   Galatians 6:2 (NLT) 2 Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.   Proverbs 19:20 (NLT) 20 Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life.   Who do you need to let know that you are thankful for them being in your circle or the circle of your child(ren)?

Title: Marriage is Marked Bible: Genesis 2:21 – 25, Revelation 21:1- 4, Ephesians 5:21 – 33, Matthew 19:4 – 6 Big Idea: Marriage is marked, so make it matter.   Genesis 2:21 – 25 (NLT) 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the opening. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. 23 “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,' because she was taken from ‘man.' ” 24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. 25 Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.   Revelation 21:1- 2 (NLT) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.   Ephesians 5:21 – 33 (NLT) 21 And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. 25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word. 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. 29 No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. 30 And we are members of his body. 31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.   Submission Romans 12:10 (NLT) 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.   Sacrifice Romans 3:25 (NLT) 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,   Love 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT) 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.   Love Languages Words of Affirmation Quality Time Acts of Service Gifts Physical Touch   Head: What do I know now?     Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

Winning at home: “Relationships on the Rocks”   “It is crucial to realize that your ability to form strong and loving bonds can betray you if you do not intentionally pace a relationship.” ― John Van Epp   Relationships can be built wrong from the start - it becomes a balancing act to analyze and reconstruct them; most relationships are not built for turbulence but experience it regularly. Strong relationships don't just happened they are made, designed and built on purpose.   Healthy relationships can be constructed through teaching, therapy, and biblical instructions unhealthy relationships can be repaired and made strong by the some processes.   Matthew 7: 24 - 27 (NIV) “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” The metaphoric use of house means life and significant things must be stabilized… We are responsible for how we develop relationships. We have to respect the developmental order of relationship building to have better relationships with strong foundations that come withstand challenges to provide support in tough times. There are four components to building better relationships, Three are for every relationship. The 4th one in particular, is for married people: Know, Trust, Commit, Touch Know-bonding with someone and getting to know them (ask questions see them angry) The more you know, the better you can begin to Trust (Reliance) Commitment - is not just the promises you make; it's also how you are prepared to make the other person a priority. Through a level of engagement communicate, compromise, Touch- Head and heart intimacy / Physical intimacy a strong contributor to the feelings of intimacy and closeness in any romantic relationship. Let's play Jenga and rearrange our lives…

Series: Better: How to Win at Home Week One: 09/04/2022 Title: Broken and Redeemed Bible: Romans 8:1 – 32, 1 Peter 5:10 - 11    “Everything Happens for a Reason” with “Anything Can Be Redeemed”   Romans 8:1 – 4 (NLT) So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.   Romans 8:14 – 17 (NLT) 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.   Romans 8:22-23 (NLT) 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.   Romans 8:26 - 28 (NLT) 26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.   Romans 8:31 – 32 (NLT) 31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?   Kintsugi is the art of subliming scars with gold. Cherish your wounds, they show you the path you have been through....   1 Peter 5:10 – 11 (NLT) 10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 11 All power to him forever! Amen

Series: Proverbs: The Way of the Wise Title: Humility: The Antidote for a Self-Obsessed Society   Proverbs 22:4 (ESV) 4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.   Proverbs 3:34 (ESV) 34 Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.   Proverbs 15:33 (ESV) 33 The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.   Luke 14:11 (ESV) 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”   1 Peter 5:5 – 6 (ESV) 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,   Philippians 2:3 – 4 (ESV) 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.   Romans 12:3 (ESV) 3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.   Three Reasons to Embrace Humility People already know your weaknesses Makes you grow as a disciple Make you more like Christ

Week Three: 08/21/22   Title: Proverbs of the Mouth Bible: (Proverbs 14 – 21)   “Our Language communicates MORE than mere Words”   Proverbs 14:3 (NLT) 3 A fool's proud talk becomes a rod that beats him, but the words of the wise keep them safe.   Proverbs 15:1-2 (NLT) 1 A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. 2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.   Proverbs 17:27 - 28 (NLT) 27 A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. 28 Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.   Proverbs 18:20 - 21 (NLT) 20 Wise words satisfy like a good meal; the right words bring satisfaction. 21 The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.   James 3:7 – 10 (NLT) 7 People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, 8 but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!   “We need to think of our tongue as a messenger that runs errands for our heart. Our words reveal our character.” Chuck Swindoll   Head: What do I know now?     Heart: How does this change me?     Hands: What do I do now?

Week Two: August 14,2022 Title: Word to the Wise! “Word to the wise” - is used to say that one is about to give someone advice or a warning. Proverbs provides both advice and warning. “Wise people learn when they can; fools learn when they must.” - Duke of Wellington Biblical wisdom is about character development and Spiritual maturating. Wisdom is the process of learning and gaining understanding, coupled with knowing when and how to use what you know. Being able to put situations in perspective, be solution oriented, trust God, and share it with others is a sign of wisdom. Being wise means being teachable and open to change. What wisdom wants us to BE!   BE Faithful & Committed to Wisdom: Proverbs 4: 4 – 7 (NIV) 4 Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live.5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. 6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. 7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Getwisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.   The Proverb begins by explaining the importance of valuing and attaining wisdom. The end repeats instructions to be committed to wisdom and how to apply it to our lives.   Proverbs 4: 20 – 23 (NIV) 20 My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to one's whole body. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. BE Mindful   Proverbs 4:24 (NIV) 24 Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. BE Quite!   Proverbs 4:25 (NIV) 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. BE focused!   Proverbs 4: 26 (NIV) 26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. BE Strategic!   Proverbs 4:27 (NIV) 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.  BE Careful!   Let's apply Wisdom and BE Wise!!!

Week ONE: 08/07/22 Title: Proverbs the Way of the Wise Bible: Proverbs 1:1 – 7, Proverbs 3:13 – 20    “Knowledge comes from learning. Wisdom comes from living.” Anthony Douglas Williams   Proverbs 1:1 – 7 (NLT) These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel. 2 Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. 3 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. 4 These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. 5 Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance 6 by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. 7 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.   “Fear of the Lord enables you to fight your Fool”   Proverbs 3:13 – 20 (NLT) 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.   Proverbs as part of Wisdom literature - is prescriptive and descriptive content that has instructions and incentives, addressing the conditions of our hearts, minds, and motives; providing applicable understanding on how to live, behave, and how-to respond to life's circumstances. Seeking Wisdom is acknowledging that you don't know something and have a willingness to be teachable. Wisdom adds value, long life and is gift from God!   Now you know...The wisdom of God's instructions has major benefits for life. It's practical, reasonable, and right.   How can this change You? Godly wisdom helps you make better choices and deepens our commitment to trust God beyond feelings, fear, and past failures. (Grow in faith and maturity)   What do I do now? Wisdom is applied knowledge - Apply the teaching and instructions of scripture. Pray for more wisdom and better understanding.   Trust the COMPASS...

Week Four: 07/31/22 Title: Because of You Bible: Mark 6:1 – 6, Matthew 8:5 – 13   Mark 6:1 – 6 (NLT) Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. 2 The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” 3 Then they scoffed, “He's just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. 4 Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” 5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.   Matthew 8:5 – 13 (NLT) 5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” 7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,' and they go, or ‘Come,' and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,' they do it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven't seen faith like this in all Israel! 11 And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12 But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.   Be Cause of Unbelief What are the elements that led to this story of UNBELIEF: Expected to know the Messiah. The inability to see God at work. Familiarity of the wrong kind. They refused to believe. Missed out on being a part of Miracles   Be Cause of Belief What are the elements that led to this story of BELIEF: Not Expected to know the Messiah The ability to see God at work. Familiarity of the right kind. He came believing. Experienced being a part of a Miracle.    “OUR BELIEF can BE CAUSE for the AMAZING”   Mark 2:5 (NLT) 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”   Head: What do I know now?     Heart: How does this change me?     Hands: What do I do now?

Week Three: 07/24/22 Title: “Seeing is Believing” Bible: John 9:1 – 34,   “How we See gives Vision to what we Believe”   John 9:1 – 7 (NLT) 1As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?” 3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. 5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man's eyes. 7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!   Jesus is the CURE.   John 9: 13 – 23 (NLT) 13 Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, 14 because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. 15 The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them. 17 Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What's your opinion about this man who healed you?” The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.” 18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. 19 They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” 20 His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, 21 but we don't know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 That's why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”   Jesus creates CONTROVERSY.   John 9:25 (NLT) 25 “I don't know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”   “The former blind man lost his religion, but found salvation and went to heaven.”   John 9:35 – 41 (NLT) 35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” 37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” 38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. 39 Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we're blind?” 41 “If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.   Jesus CONFIRMS who has Vision.   Head: What do I know now?   Heart: How does this change me?   Hands: What do I do now?

Week One: 07/14/22 Title: Solutions & Outcomes Bible: John 6:1 – 15   John 6:1 – 15 (NLT) After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. 3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. 4 (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) 5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn't have enough money to feed them!” 8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. 9 “There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” 10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. 12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves. 14 When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” 15 When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.   “See the Need, Give it Your All, Trust Jesus for the Outcome”   The Disciples Seek Solutions: First Solution - Send them away Mark 6:36 (NLT) 36 Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.”   Second Solution – Raise the money John 6:7 (NLT) 7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn't have enough money to feed them!”   Third Solution – We have the Hebrew Lunchable John 6:9 (NLT) 9 “There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”   Fourth Solution – Jesus does a Miracle John 6:11 (NLT) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.   “See the Need” Titus 3:14 (NLT) 14 Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive.   “Give it Your All” James 2:21 – 24 (NLT) 21 Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.   “Trust Jesus for the Outcome” Philippians 4:19 (NLT) And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.   Head: What do I know now?     Heart: How does this change me?     Hands: What do I do now? Week One: 07/14/22 Title: Solutions & Outcomes Bible: John 6:1 – 15   John 6:1 – 15 (NLT) After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. 3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. 4 (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) 5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn't have enough money to feed them!” 8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. 9 “There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” 10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. 12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves. 14 When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” 15 When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.   “See the Need, Give it Your All, Trust Jesus for the Outcome”   The Disciples Seek Solutions: First Solution - Send them away Mark 6:36 (NLT) 36 Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.”   Second Solution – Raise the money John 6:7 (NLT) 7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn't have enough money to feed them!”   Third Solution – We have the Hebrew Lunchable John 6:9 (NLT) 9 “There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”   Fourth Solution – Jesus does a Miracle John 6:11 (NLT) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.   “See the Need” Titus 3:14 (NLT) 14 Our people must learn to do good by meeting the urgent needs of others; then they will not be unproductive.   “Give it Your All” James 2:21 – 24 (NLT) 21 Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. 24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.   “Trust Jesus for the Outcome” Philippians 4:19 (NLT) And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.   Head: What do I know now?     Heart: How does this change me?     Hands: What do I do now?

Ephesians 2:15 – 16 (NLT) 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.     Ephesians 4:2 – 6 (NLT) 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.   Kingdom people live with Christ like character   Kingdom people operate in UNITY   Ephesians 4:12 – 16 (NLT) 12 Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.   Unity in Love   Unified in Faith   United in Fellowship   July 8th at 6:30 PM Trivia Night at Elevationcc we are catering barbecue and fun with Save Our Youth   July 22nd the Elevationcc Car Show if you want to get more information on the car show then email Pastor Jason – Jason.beyer@elevationcc.com   August 4th and 5thThe Global Leadership Summit – Want to grow as a leader then you need to make sure you register and be a part of the summit.