Faith Bible Chapel

Finding Jesus in Unexpected Places // Stopping a Jesus Parade Mark 10:46-52 (NIV)“Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means ‘son of Timaeus'), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!' Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!' Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him.' So they called to the blind man, ‘Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you.' Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. ‘What do you want me to do for you?' Jesus asked him. The blind man said, ‘Rabbi, I want to see.' ‘Go,' said Jesus, ‘your faith has healed you.' Immediately, he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.” Luke 4:16-21 (NIV)“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.' Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'"  The 59 “One Another's” of the New Testament1.               “...Be at peace with each other.” (Mark 9:50) 2.               “...Wash one another's feet.” (John 13:14) (Serve one another)3.               “...Love one another...” (John 13:34) 4.              “...Love one another...” (John 13:34)5.               “...Love one another...” (John 13:35) 6.              “...Love one another...” (John 15:12) 7.               “...Love one another” (John 15:17)8.              “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love...” (Romans 12:10) 9.              “...Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:10)10.            “Live in harmony with one another...” (Romans 12:16) 11.             “...Love one another...” (Romans 13:8) 12.             “...Stop passing judgment on one another.” (Romans 14:13) 13.             “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you...” (Romans 15:7) 14.             “...Instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14) 15.             “Greet one another with a holy kiss...” (Romans 16:16) 16.            “...When you come together to eat, wait for each other.” (I Cor. 11:33) 17.             “...Have equal concern for each other.” (I Corinthians 12:25) 18.            “...Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (I Corinthians 16:20) 19.            “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (II Corinthians 13:12) 20.            “...Serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13) 21.             “If you keep on biting and devouring each other...you will be destroyed by each other.” (Galatians 5:15) 22.            “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5:26) 23.            “Carry each other's burdens...” (Galatians 6:2) 24.            “...Be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2) 25.            “Be kind and compassionate to one another...” (Ephesians 4:32) 26.            “...Forgiving each other...” (Ephesians 4:32) 27.            “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” (Ephesians 5:19) 28.            “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21) 29.            “...In humility consider others better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)30.            “Do not lie to each other...” (Colossians 3:9) 31.             “Bear with each other...” (Colossians 3:13) 32.            “...Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.” (Colossians 3:13) 33.            “Teach...[one another]” (Colossians 3:16) 34.            “...Admonish one another” (Colossians 3:16) 35.            “...Make your love increase and overflow for each other.” (I Thessalonians 3:12) 36.            “...Love each other.” (I Thessalonians 4:9) 37.            “...Encourage each other...” (I Thessalonians 4:18) 38.            “...Encourage each other...” I Thessalonians 5:11) 39.            “...Build each other up...” (I Thessalonians 5:11) 40.            “Encourage one another daily...” Hebrews 3:13) 41.             “...Spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24) 42.            “...Encourage one another.” (Hebrews 10:25) 43.            “...Do not slander one another.” (James 4:11) 44.            “Don't grumble against each other...” (James 5:9) 45.            “Confess your sins to each other...” (James 5:16) 46.            “...Pray for each other.” (James 5:16) 47.            “...Love one another deeply, from the heart.” (I Peter 3:8) 48.            “...Live in harmony with one another...” (I Peter 3:8) 49.            “...Love each other deeply...” (I Peter 4:8) 50.            “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (I Peter 4:9) 51.             “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others...” (I Peter 4:10) 52.       ...

Finding Jesus in Unexpected Places // Jesus and the Leper   Matthew 8:1-4 (NLT)“Large crowds followed Jesus as he came down the mountainside. Suddenly, a man with leprosy approached him and knelt before him. ‘Lord,' the man said, ‘if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.' Jesus reached out and touched him. ‘I am willing,' he said. ‘Be healed!' And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Don't tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.'” John 6:37-39 (AMP)“All that My Father gives Me will come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will most certainly not cast out [I will never, never reject anyone who follows Me]. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.” Romans 10:13 (NLT)“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” We are the Leper … … And Jesus has come to heal Healing is Found in an Encounter with the Authentic Love of God. We Get to Love Like Jesus  John 14:12-14 (NLT)“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”  Matthew 10:8 (NLT)“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!”

Finding Jesus in Unexpected Places - Asleep in the Boat  Mark 4:35-41 (NIV)“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.' Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don't you care if we drown?' He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!' Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?' They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!'” 1.     Jesus says to them, “Let's go over to the other side…”  1 John 4:17-18 (ESV)By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.  2.     Responses to Fear in Life.1.     Evasion2.    Control3.    Engagement4.    Faith  Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Finding Jesus in Unexpected Places // The Human Womb Isaiah 7:14 (NIV)“Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (God with us)” Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” Colossians 2:9 (NIV)“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” Colossians 1:15-22 (NIV)“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.” Isaiah 40:12,15 (NLT)“Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale? … For all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket. They are nothing more than dust on the scales. He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand.” John 1:1-4 (NLT)“In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.”     Luke 1:30-39 (NIV)“But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacobʼs descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.' ‘How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.' ‘I am the Lordʼs servant,” Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.' Then the angel left her. At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea.” Luke 1:41-42 (NIV)“When Elizabeth heard Maryʼs greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!'” Luke 1:44-45 (NIV)“As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Hebrews 4:15-16 (AMP)“For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin. Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God's gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].”  John 1:14 (NIV)The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (MSG)“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son.” John 1:9-11 (NIV)“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” 

Finding Jesus in Unexpected Places   Romans 8:28 (NIV)“We know that God works all things together for good to those that love him and are called according to his purposes.” Romans 8:31-39 (NLT) “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?  Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else?  Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.  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. 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? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 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. 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.” Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. We are now the ambassadors…Representatives of the kingdomRepresentatives of the personRepresentatives of the valuesRepresentatives of the invitation When we read about Jesus in the Gospels, we can ask ourselves a series of questions:What is being communicated?What can I learn?What can I apply or adjust accordingly?What can I imitate?What needs to be formed in me? John 21:1-14 (NLT)“Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples. Simon Peter said, ‘I'm going fishing.' ‘We'll come, too,' they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn't see who he was. He called out, ‘Fellows, have you caught any fish.' ‘No,' they replied. Then he said, ‘Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you'll get some!' So they did, and they couldn't haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It's the Lord!' When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore.  The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. ‘Bring some of the fish you've just caught,' Jesus said. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn't torn. ‘Now come and have some breakfast!' Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?' They knew it was the Lord. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead.”

Baptism Sunday Romans 6:1-11 (NLT)“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.”

Easter Sunday Mark 16:11,13 (NIV)“When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it… These returned and reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.”  Hope restored in the face of deepest despair.  Without the resurrection of Christ, our horizon is diminished. There is no hope.  Romans 5:6-10 (NLT)“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came, at just the right time, and died for the ungodly. Now, most people would not be willing to die in someone else's place, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.  And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, we will certainly be saved from God's condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.” Jesus once and for all declared…I am the resurrection and the life!I am the good shepherd!I am the light of the world! You cannot extinguish the creator of light and life. You cannot extinguish true hope. You cannot extinguish perfect love. 1 John 4:10 (NIV) “This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.”      John 3:16-18 (MSG)“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.”  Jesus said: “I am the bread of life.” Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Those who will come to me, I will never ever reject. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me.  

Good Friday Jesus the Bread of LifeJohn 6:35-40 (NIV)“Jesus replied, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven't believed in me even though you have seen me. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.  For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. For it is my Father's will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.'” Jesus The Good ShepherdJohn 10:11-17 (NIV)“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don't belong to him and he isn't their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he's working only for the money and doesn't really care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” Jesus The Resurrection and the LifeJohn 11:25 (NIV)“ Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.'” Jesus the Light of the WorldJohn 11:9 (NIV)“Jesus replied, ‘There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world.'” 

Jesus' Not-So-Triumphal Entry Zechariah 9:9 (NIV)Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the Great River to the ends of the earth. Jesus had spoken about His coming death on more than one occasion.Mark 8:31–32 (NLT)“Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later, He would rise from the dead. As He talked about this openly with His disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand Him for saying such things.” Mark 9:31 (NLT)“For He wanted to spend more time with His disciples and teach them. He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later, He will rise from the dead.'” Mark 10:32–34 (NLT)“Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus once more began to describe everything that     was about to happen to Him. ‘Listen,' He said, ‘We're going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence Him to die and hand Him over to the Romans. They will mock Him, spit on Him, flog Him with a whip, and kill Him, but after three days he will rise again.'” The disciples, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with their request.Mark 10:35-45 (NLT)“'Teacher, they said, ‘We want you to do us a favor.' ‘What is your request?' He asked. They replied, ‘When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.'… When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. So, Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you, it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 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.'” Jesus knew His purpose… And He knew His timing.            2 Kings 9:13 (NLT)“They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!” Will we allow His rule of grace, peace, and reconciliation in our lives?Luke 19:41-42 (NLT)“But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. ‘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.'” True Shalom Peace, Godly wholeness peace, will not just come in a change of circumstances…A New Political ClimateA New Marriage PartnerA Man Cave Away from TensionA New Set of ClothesA New HaircutA New BodyA New ChurchA New JobA New House If you want to know peace, you must come to a place of surrender to Jesus. 

No notes

Immeasurably More// Faith Under Fire// March 30, 2025Ephesians 6:10-20 (NIV)“Finally, BE STRONG in the Lord and in the strength of HIS MIGHT. Put on the full armor of God so we can take our stand against the devil's schemes because our battle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers and against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does…On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”Isaiah 59:14-17 (NIV)“So, justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene, so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.” The armor is about confidence in God's ability to hold all those elements of the armor true and together.  The Helmet is His Salvation Isaiah 12:2 (NIV)“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”   The Breastplate is His RighteousnessPhilippians 3:8-9 (NIV)“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” The Belt is His TruthPsalm 33:4 (KJV)“For the word of the LORD is right, and all His work is done in truth.” Ephesians 4:14 (NIV)“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” The Sword of the Spirit is His WordHebrews 4:12 (NIV) “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  The Shoes are His Gospel of PeaceIsaiah 52:7 (NIV)“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” The gospel is meant to be peace with God and peace with one another. The Shield of FaithFaith is deliberate confidence in the character of God.Faith is not about my ability to believe but it's about His ability to BE.His unfailing character and person.  Faith is not about my ability to believe but it's about His ability to BE.  John 14:26,27 (NIV)“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you…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.”  

Immeasurably More // New Identity Ephesians 4:17-32 (NIV)“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”  1.     In Christ, We Have a New Identity. Ephesians 4:22 (NIV)“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.” Ephesians 4:24 (NIV)“And to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Colossians 3:9-10 (NIV)“…You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Romans 13:12, 14 (NIV)“…Let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”  Ephesians 4:1 (NIV)“…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”  Matthew 6:8 (ESV)“Do not be like them…” Romans 12:2 (NIV)"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” 2.    In Christ We Should be Honest and Not Lie.  Ephesians 4:25 (NIV)“Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” Christians Are to Have Righteous Anger, Not Unrighteous. Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV)“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Psalm 4:4 (ESV)“Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.” Psalm 119:53 (ESV)“Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law.” Mark 3:5 (ESV)“And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart…” Christians Are to Work, Be Generous, and Not Steal. Ephesians 4:28 (NIV)“Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.” Christians are to Replace Corrupt Talk with Edifying Talk. Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:30 (NIV)“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”     Christians are to Replace Bitterness and Rage with Kindness and Forgiveness. Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV)“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Immeasurably More: The Book of Ephesians: Unified in love Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIV)“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:3 (NIV)“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV)“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Seven essentials to hold true to keep unity:-       One Body-       One Spirit-       One Hope-       One Lord-       One Faith-       One Baptism-       One God and Father The Wesleyan ConfessionIn the essentials unity. In the non-essentials liberty. But in all things, charity/love. Philippians 2:1-8 (NIV)“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross! The desire of Jesus is that we would walk in love and unity and be his witnesses and his ambassadors can even begin to imagine!

Immeasurably More // FramedEphesians 3:14-20 (ESV)“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”Here is Paul's Prayer• I pray that from His unlimited resources, He will empower you with inner strength - with deep fortitude - by his spirit.• As we trust in Him, Christ will take up residence in us (not just drop by every now and then).• Then our roots will grow down into the depth of God's love and will keep us strong.• And when it comes to understanding that love - may we know the scope of it and experience it. In this letter, Paul has continuously pointed us and all people to the generosity of God in Christ. • Ephesians 1:3 - Blessed with every Spiritual Blessing in Christ• Ephesians 1:7-8 - Riches of Grace - lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding • Ephesians 1:18 - Riches of His Glorious Inheritance • Ephesians 2:5 - God is Rich in Mercy• Ephesians 2:7 - Incomparable Riches of His Grace• Ephesians 3:8 - Unsearchable Riches of ChristThis is Paul's prayer and mine for us today…That we may know, and in turn experience, and then lean in to and ultimately live out of this vast love of God. This love is expressed in John 3:16-17 (ESV)“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”This love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (ESV) “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.”This love is given dimension here in Ephesians 3• Infinitely long and high and wide and deep - more so than we can ever understand fully…• And Paul says the love of God is “too great for us to understand fully.”• There is nowhere we can go that we are out of the scope of his presence and therefore nowhere we can go where we are out of the scope of his love, for “God is love” (1 John 4:8 and 16) and as the psalmist says in Psalm 139 “where can I go from your presence.”• Are we willing to allow this love of God to encapsulate us - to frame us - to define us? If not why not? Guilt, shame, doubt, etc.Are we willing to allow this love to transform us?When we take a look at people around us, we don't have an excuse to look at people outside of this frame. Are we willing to love even as we have been loved (John 13:34)? The love of God for humanity is infinitely long and high and wide and deep.So… here's a searching question for each of us…Who do we need to reframe? Where do we need to start?May our love and the way we live be the testament to the love of Christ and may his love lived out through us be the agent of transformation in our world. Our part really is to be awake to these truths, willing to live in and practice these truths and expectant of God to do the immeasurably more than we can even begin to imagine!

Immeasurably More // The Book of Ephesians: God's Dwelling Ephesians 2:11-22 (NLT) “Don't forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 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. 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. He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. 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. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.” 1.     Jesus is Our Unifying Center PointEphesians 2:14 (AMP) “For He Himself is our peace and our bond of unity. He who made both groups — [Jews and Gentiles]— into one body and broke down the barrier, the dividing wall of spiritual antagonism between us.” 2.     You've Been Reconciled to be a Reconciler2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (ESV)From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  3.     When We're Unified, God's Character and Nature is Declared to the Whole World 1 Peter 2:4-5,9-10 (ESV)As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.   Psalm 133:1-3 (ESV)Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. We are called to declare the Goodness of God's character to the whole world through our unity and love for one another.  Question: In what ways can you actively live out your calling as a reconciler and ambassador for Christ in our daily lives, so that our unity declares God's goodness to the world?

Immeasurably More // Experience More of God's Grace ·      Where did you come from?·      Where are you now?·      Where are you going? Ephesians 2:1-7 (ESV)“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” 1.     Where did you come from? You were dead.            Ephesians 2:1 (NIV)“As for you, you were dead in your trespasses and sin…” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV)"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”John 3:36 (NIV)“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.” You belonged to the devil. Ephesians 2:1-2 (ESV)“You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— “ 2.     Where are you now? Ephesians 2:4-6 (ESV)“God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” You are alive together with Christ. John 16:11 (ESV)“The ruler of this world is judged.”Colossians 2:13-15 (ESV)“You, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him.”Hebrews 2:14-15 (ESV)“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”You are resurrected with Christ. Ephesians 2:6 (NIV)“And God raised us up with Christ.” You are seated with Christ in heavenly places.  Ephesians 2:6 (ESV)“Seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”  3. Where are you going? Ephesians 2:7 (ESV)“So that in the coming ages, He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” You are going to experience more of God's Grace.

Immeasurably More // God's Blessing to You Through Christ “The Gospel is the principal article of all Christian doctrine…Most necessary is it that we know this doctrine well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually.”  Martin Luther Ephesians 1:1-3 (NKJV)"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ..." God's Blessing to You Through Christ 1.     Made You a Saint 2.     All Flow from God Through Christ to YouEphesians 1:3 (NKJV)“God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us.” James 1:17 (NKJV)“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” 3.     Are First for Your Greatest Need, Which Is Spiritual“Every Spiritual Blessing in Christ.” 4.     Are Not Going Anywhere“Spiritual Blessing...in Christ.” 

No notes

 Connecting The Dots // Created for Connection 1.     You are a part of God's family. 2 Corinthians 6:18 (NIV)"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Acts 5:42 (NIV)“Day after day, (they met) in the temple courts and from house to house.” Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” 2.     You study and talk about the bible together with others. Acts 2:42 (NIV)“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching.” 3.     Grow in learning how to love others better. Acts 2:42 (NIV)“They devoted themselves to…fellowship.” 4.     We eat together. Acts 2:42 (NIV)“They devoted themselves to…the breaking of bread.” 5.     You give and receive prayer.  Acts 2:42 (NIV)“They devoted themselves to…prayer.” Galatians 6:2 (NIV)“Carry each other's burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” 6.     Because you and others have needs. Acts 2:45 (NLT)...Shared…with those in need.…

Let My Son Go  Exodus 4:1-5 (HCSB)“Moses answered, ‘What if they won't believe me and will not obey me but say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you'?' The Lord asked him, ‘What is that in your hand?' ‘A staff,' he replied. Then He said, ‘Throw it on the ground.' He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran from it, but the Lord told him, ‘Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail.' So he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand. ‘This will take place,' He continued, ‘so they will believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.'” Exodus 4:6-9 (HCSB)“In addition, the Lord said to him, ‘Put your hand inside your cloak.' So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was diseased, white as snow.  Then He said, ‘Put your hand back inside your cloak.' He put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it had again become like the rest of his skin. ‘If they will not believe you and will not respond to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign. And if they don't believe even these two signs or listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.'” Exodus 4:10-17 (HCSB)“But Moses replied to the Lord, ‘Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent—either in the past or recently or since You have been speaking to Your servant—because I am slow and hesitant in speech.' Yahweh said to him, ‘Who made the human mouth? Who makes him mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh? Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.'  Moses said, ‘Please, Lord, send someone else.' Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses, and He said, ‘Isn't Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, he is on his way now to meet you. He will rejoice when he sees you.  You will speak with him and tell him what to say. I will help both you and him to speak and will teach you both what to do. He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and you will serve as God to him. And take this staff in your hand that you will perform the signs with.'” Exodus 4:18-23 (HCSB)“Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, ‘Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still living.' Jethro said to Moses, ‘Go in peace.' Now in Midian the Lord told Moses, ‘Return to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.'  So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took God's staff in his hand. The Lord instructed Moses, ‘When you go back to Egypt, make sure you do all the wonders before Pharaoh that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he won't let the people go. Then you will say to Pharaoh: ‘This is what Yahweh says: Israel is My firstborn son.  I told you: Let My son go so that he may worship Me, but you refused to let him go. Now I will kill your firstborn son!'”     Exodus 4:24-31 (HCSB)“On the trip, at an overnight campsite, it happened that the Lord confronted him and sought to put him to death. So Zipporah took a flint, cut off her son's foreskin, and threw it at Moses' feet. Then she said, ‘You are a bridegroom of blood to me!' So He let him alone. At that time she said, ‘You are a bridegroom of blood,' referring to the circumcision. Now the Lord had said to Aaron, ‘Go and meet Moses in the wilderness.' So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and about all the signs He had commanded him to do. Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites. Aaron repeated everything the Lord had said to Moses and performed the signs before the people. The people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had paid attention to them and that He had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.” IntroductionThree SignsTwo Objections Freedom for the people of God  Three SignsThe Staff/RodThe Leprous White Hand The Nile Water Becoming Blood Three SignsIn challenging Egypt's faith, God struck at the world of nature. Suddenly nature became to the Egyptian mind, perverse & undependable. This fact struck at the foundations of Egyptian life and religion: Egypt's certainties became uncertainties … - R. J. Rushdoonyy The Rod/StaffPsalm 94:20 (CSB)“Can a corrupt throne be your ally, a throne that makes evil laws?” The Leprous White Hand Nile Water Becoming Blood Two Objections·       First objection: What if they won't believe me? ·       Second objection: I am not eloquent-my mouth and tongue are slow.  First objection: What if they won't believe me?  Second Objection: I am not eloquent – my mouth and tongue are slow.Exodus 4:11-12 (CSB)“Who placed a mouth on humans? Who makes a person mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I the Lord? Now go! I will help you speak and I will teach you what to say.” Second Objection: “I am not eloquent – my mouth and tongue are slow”Matthew 10:16-20 (HCSB)“Look, I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves.  Because people will hand you over to sanhedrins and flog you in their synagogues, beware of them. You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations. But when they hand you over, don't worry about how or what you should speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour, because you are not speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.” Second Objection: “I am not eloquent – my mouth and tongue are slow”Jeremiah 1: 8-9 (NKJV)“Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.” Second Objection: “I am not eloquent – my mouth and tongue are slow”Pharoah was to the Egyptians the great god, and, as such, he spoke to the people through various officials who were his mouth. The Lord uses Moses' reluctance to establi...

Connecting the Dots // The Second Most Important Thing to Do Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV) The Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Luke 10:29-37 (NIV)But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?' In reply Jesus said: ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,' he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' ‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?' The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.'”  Choices we can make when given the opportunity to love others.  1.     Avoid them.  Luke 10:31 (NIV)“A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.” 2.     We are curious but not concerned.  Luke 10:32 (NLT)  “A Temple assistant (Levite) walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.”     3.      Treat others the way you would want them to treat you.  Matthew 7:12 (NIV)“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Luke 10:33 (NLT)“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion              for him.”  How can you grow in loving those around you?  Be mindful of the needs of others.  Luke 10:33 (NLT)“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.” 2.      Put yourself in their shoes.  Luke 10:33 (NIV)“…when he saw him, he took pity on him.” Galatians 6:2 (NIV)“Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” 3.     When you have an opportunity to show kindness, do it.  Luke 10:34-35 (NLT)“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. 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.'” Galatians 6:10 (NIV)“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Proverbs 3:27 (NIV)“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”

Connecting the Dots // Created For Relationship  Romans 12:16-18 (NIV)“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Revelation 22:17 (NIV)“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!' And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!' Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” ME: SuperiorGodParentsAuthoritiesEmployersCoach ME: SubordinateUnder AuthorityChildrenEmployeesTeam ME: PlatonicPeersFriendsNeighborsTeammates ME: RomanticDating, Etc.Marriage

Relationships: Connecting the Dots // The Foundation of All Relationships 1 Corinthians 16:14 (ESV)“Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 13:1 (NIV)“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” 1. Your words without love are unproductive.  1 Corinthians 13:2 (NIV)“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, but do not have love, I am nothing.”  2. Offering knowledge and wisdom without love as your motivation means nothing.  1 Corinthians 13:2 (NIV)“If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” 3. Faith, without love, doesn't mean anything.  1 Corinthians 13:3 (NIV)“If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” 4. Generosity and sacrifice without being motivated by love are insignificant and self-serving.  Colossians 3:14 (NLT)“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. These things are important but without love they are nothing.” What does love look like? 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Love is a Choice

Raise An Ebenezer  1 Samuel 7:7-13 (ESV)“Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. And the people of Israel said to Samuel, ‘Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.' So, Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.” “Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer, for he said, ‘Till now, the Lord has helped us.' So, the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.”  Ebenezer Means “Stone of Help”  Joshua 4:21-24 (ESV)“And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?' then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.' For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”  Remembering 2024  What Remembrance Does1.     Remembrance guards you from straying from the Lord. 2.     Remembrance anchors you in the truth about God's character.   Romans 8:28 (ESV)And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called to according to His purposes.  Now it's your turn. What things do you need to take a closer look at, and intentionally remember?  Ways we can set up an “Ebenezer” in our lives:•      Write it down in a Journal.•      Buy a memento and place it in a visible place or a keepsake box.•      Create a video blog and tell the story of his faithfulness. •      Find a relevant scripture and highlight, date, and annotate it with memorable information. •      Put a sticky note on your bathroom mirror.•      Print a photo book and keep it out where you can see it. •      Collect songs and make a playlist (Mix Tape) •      Paint a painting or create a piece of art. •      Plant a tree.•      For next year: Set aside a Memory Jar, write down the good and bad things that happen on a regular basis, and review these at the end of the year.  Ultimately, the goal is that we take the time to reflect on God's goodness and his character, highlighting his abundant goodness and desire for the situations we have had to walk through.

Christmas Eve – No More Darkness  Isaiah 8:21-22 (NIV)“Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.” Isaiah 9:2,6 (NIV)“The people walking in darknesshave seen a great light;on those living in the land of deep darknessa light has dawned…For to us a child is born,to us a son is given.” Luke 2:8-10 (NIV)“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”  The Light of Christ:  1.Reveals the Truth about God and Salvation.  John 12:46 (NIV)“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John 18:37 (NIV)“The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.” John 14:6 (NIV)“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 8:32 (NLT)“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 2.Seeks and Saves the Lost.   Luke 19:10 (NIV)“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Matthew 20:28 (NIV)“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”   3.Illuminates Your Path and Guides Your Steps.  John 8:12 (NLT)“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness.”  4.Brings Healing in Your Life.  Luke 4:18 (NIV)“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisonersand recovery of sight for the blind,to set the oppressed free.” Psalm 147:3 (NIV)“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” John 1:4-5 (NIV)“In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” 

 Advent // The Love of God  John 3:16 (NIV)“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” For God so loved you, He gave His one and only Son.   1.     To remove your wrong views about Him.  Exodus 34:5-7 (NIV)“Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed His name, the Lord. And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” John 18:37 (NIV)“The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.” John 1:18 (NIV)“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and…. has made Him known.” John 14:9 (NIV)“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Hebrews 1:3 (NIV)“The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.”  2.     To show you what His love is really like.  1 John 4:9-10 (NIV)“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love…. that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”  Ephesians 3:18 (NIV)(I want you) “...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” Exodus 34:5-7 (NIV)“The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” 

Advent // Joy John 15:11 (NIV)“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Luke 1:26b-30 (NIV)"God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God."  1.     When faced with fear of the unknown, Mary chose to accept God's purpose and plans for her life.  Luke 1:31b-33 (NIV)“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:34-35 (NIV)“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” Luke 1:38 (NIV)“I am the Lord's servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”  Luke 1:46-49 (NIV)“And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.”  Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Romans 15:13 (NIV)“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”            

Advent // PeaceLuke 2:14 (NLV)“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, and goodwill toward men!”Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”The invitation of Christmas 1. Come to Jesus just as you are. 2. Receive what Jesus offers. Matthew 11:29a (NIV)“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me”John 14:27 (NIV) Jesus said…“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.”Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)God says to them…“Stand at the crossroads and look;    ask for the ancient paths,ask where the good way is, and walk in it,    and you will find rest for your souls.    But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.'”1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”Isaiah 9:2,6 (NIV)“The people walking in darkness [those who do not have peace] have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”[Hope and peace has come] “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Advent // Waiting in Hope Exodus 13:17-22 (NIV)“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.' So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.” “Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, ‘God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.'” “After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” 1.     God uses waiting to purify you and reveal His sufficiency.  Exodus. 14:13-14 (NIV)“Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  2.     You are not alone; You are waiting with God.  Exodus 15:13 (NIV)"In your unfailing love you will lead    the people you have redeemed.In your strength you will guide them" 

Giving Thanks by Faith2 Corinthians 6:8-10 (NIV)“through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”Ephesians 5:19b-20 (NIV)“Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”1. Thank God for what He has done in the past.James 1:17 (NIV)“Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.” 2. Thank God for what He is doing in your present troubles.2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NLT)“For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”Romans 8:28 (NIV) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”Ephesians 5:20 (NIV)“always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”3. Thank God for His faithfulness in future challenges.2 Chronicles 20:21 (NIV)“After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:                ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.'”2 Chronicles 20:22 (NIV)“As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.”

Against The Grain // It's Not About You, It's All About Jesus Romans 8:31-39 (NIV)“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long;we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”   1.     “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:32 (NIV)“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”           2.     “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?” Revelation 12:10 (NIV)“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come the salvation and the power            and the kingdom of our God,            and the authority of his Messiah.For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,            who accuses them before our God day and night,            has been hurled down.'”  1 John 2:1-2 (NLT)“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”  3.     “Who then is the one who condemns?” Romans 8:1 (NIV)“there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” 1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)”For Christ died once for all the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God.  He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit."   Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)“But he was pierced for our transgressions,            he was crushed for our iniquities;the punishment that brought us peace was on him,and by his wounds we are healed.” John 3:18 (NIV)"Whoever believes in him is not condemned"   4.     “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Romans 8:35 (NIV)"Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”

Against The Grain // Living By Faith Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” John 3:8 (NIV)“The wind [Spirit] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going.” Galatians 5:25 (ESV) “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Romans 4:17-22 (NIV)“As it is written: ‘I have made you a father of many nations.' He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not. Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.' Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”  Stages of living by faith:  1.     A word from God.  Genesis 12:2 (NIV)“I will make you into a great nation…”  2.     A decision to align your actions to what God has said. Genesis 12:4 (NIV)“So Abram went, as the Lord had told him”  3.     Waiting period.  Genesis 16:1 (NIV)“Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children…”  4.     Circumstances start to affirm your doubts about what God said. Genesis 17:17-18 (NIV)“Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?' And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”  5.     God will ask you to surrender the promise you now hold. Genesis 22:2 (NIV)"Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac— and…Sacrifice him"  6.     God will prove himself as the provider and protector of his promise. Genesis 22:11-18 (NIV)“But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!' ‘Here I am,' he replied.  ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy,' he said. ‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.'  Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”  The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, ‘I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.'” Romans 4:20-21 (NIV)“Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” 

Against the Grain // Au ContraireLiving a Life of Love In a Revenge Culture  Romans 12:2 (ESV)Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:9-21 (ESV)Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Matthew 5:43-48 (ESV)You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Acts 4:29-31 (ESV)And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. 1.             Be Perfect2.             Love your “enemies”3.             Pray for those who persecute you4.             Do not be overcome by evil

RESTLESS  Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” How Jesus Entered Rest Jesus left the crowds to get quiet  Jesus read and thought about the scriptures Jesus spoke to his father and his friends  Matthew 23:2-4 (ESV)“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.”  Matthew 6:31-34 (ESV)“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?' or ‘What shall we drink?' or ‘What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  Acts 15:5-11 (ESV)In the book of Acts chapter 15, the counsel in Jerusalem discusses and even argues about whether or not the believing gentiles should be obligated to follow the law, or not.  1 Peter 5:5-11 (ESV)“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.'” “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen!” 

 Against the Grain // The Pathway to Internal Peace   Matthew 5:38-48 (NIV)“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”  Romans 12:2 (NIV)“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Exodus 21:23-25 (NIV)“if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”  Leviticus 24:19-20 (NIV)“Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.” Deuteronomy 19:21 (NIV)“Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”    The upside-down Kingdom of God:  1.     Retaliation is not of my Kingdom.  Matthew 5:38-39 (NIV)"You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”  Luke 17:1 (NKJV)Jesus said, “It is impossible that no offenses should come.” Proverb 19:11 (NIV)“A person's wisdom yields patience;it is to one's glory to overlook an offense.” James 3:9-11 (NIV)“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” Luke 6:45 (NKJV)"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Psalm 51:10 (NKJV)“Create in me a clean heart, O God,             and renew a right spirit within me.” 

Against the Grain // What is A Christian's Role in Politics? Proverbs 14:34 (ESV)“Righteousness exalts a nation,but sin is a reproach to any people.” John 12:31-32 (ESV)“Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  Revelation 1:5a,6 (NKJV)"Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Psalms 24:1 (NIV)“The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it,the world, and all who live in it” A Christian responsibility when it comes to politics.  1.     Pray first. 1 Timothy 2:1-6 (NIV)“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” 2.     Vote for the candidate who will support more policies that align with Christian biblical values.Proverbs 14:34 (ESV)“Righteousness exalts a nation,but sin is a reproach to any people.”3.     Discuss politics from your Christian biblical worldview. “The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

Against The Grain // The King's Heart   Matthew 13:44-46 (NIV)“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (ESV)“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV)“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Against The Grain // The War of Worldviews 1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)“you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” What is a Worldview?“Network of presuppositions through which one interprets all of the human experience.”- Jeffery Ventrella What is real?Where did we come from?Is there a difference between right and wrong? How do we know?What do we know?How should we act? “In every decision we make we are not just deciding what we want to do. We are expressing our view of the purpose of human life.”- Nancy Pearcey 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NIV)“continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” How do we keep our worldview biblical?1.     Stand in awe of His word.2.     Kneel in submission to His word.3.     Walk in the illumination of His word.  Psalm 119:105 (ESV)“Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” 

Parables // The Parable of the Elder Brother   Luke 15:25-32 (NIV)““Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,' he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' “ ‘My son,' the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' ””  Symptoms of “the elder brother syndrome”1.     Projects judgment towards others and God.  2.     Inflated view of their own righteousness.    3.     Misunderstanding of God's grace. Matthew 20:8-15 (The Message)“'Call the workers and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first. Those hired at five o'clock came up and were each given a dollar.' When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.' [sound like the older brother?] He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven't been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn't we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the ones who came last the same as you. Can't I do what I want with my money? Are you going to get stingy because I am so generous?'” The loving father's message to the elder brother. 1.     It's not your works I cherish, it's you. 2.     All I have is yours. 3.     I want you to enjoy my party.

Parables // Lost & Found                                                                                              Lost & Found   Luke 15 The Lost SheepThe Lost CoinThe Lost Son Two Kingdom attitudes to embrace.  1.      Compassion 2.      "For the Son of Man [Jesus] has come to save that which was lost." LUKE 19:10 (NKJV) Celebration"The Lost Sons” God seeks sinners and wants them to come to Him.  God and all of heaven rejoice when a sinner turns to God.  Do you need to up your practice of Compassion and Celebration? 

Parables // Jesus Wants To Do A New Thing In Your Life  Luke 5:27-39 (NIV)“Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. ‘Follow me,' Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?'Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.'They said to him, ‘John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.'Jesus answered, ‘Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.'He told them this parable: ‘No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.'”     1.     Jesus came to give you a spirit of joy not burdensome sorrow. Psalm 34:8 (NIV)“Taste and see that the Lord is good;”Isaiah 61:3 (NIV)“to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” 2.     Jesus came to do something brand new in your life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 3.     Resisting what Jesus is doing will cause your life to get messy.Hebrews 3:7-9 (NIV)“So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.'”

Parables // Have You Found What You Are Looking For?  Matthew 13:44-46 (NIV)“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”  1.    Searching  Matthew 13:45 (NIV) “the Kingdom of heaven is like merchant in search of fine pearls.”  2.    Finding Matthew 13:44,46 (NKJV)“The Kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found…the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, when he had found one…”   Why is Jesus of such supreme Value?-      Because of who He is.  Revelation 19:16 (ESV) “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”Revelation 1:5 (ESV)“Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”  Colossians 1:19 (ESV) “in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” Colossians 2:3 (NKJV) “in [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”  -      Because of what He has done for you. Luke 17:20-21 (ESV)“The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!' or ‘There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”Matthew 13:31-33 (ESV)“'The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.' He told them another parable. ‘The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.'” -      Because of what He offers you.  -      He can never be taken away from you. John 10:28-30 (NIV)"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”  3.    Selling Matthew 13;44,46 (ESV)“In his joy he goes and sells all that he has…Finding one pearl of great value, [he] went and sold all that he had.”   Philippians 3:4-7 (ESV)“I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”  

Be Radical Like Jesus                                                                                               1 JOHN 2:6“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” MATTHEW 9:36-38“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” 5 Keys to Being Radical Like Jesus:1.      See what Jesus saw.MATTHEW 9:36“When he saw the crowds…”  LUKE 19:41 - he saw the city of Jerusalem and wept over it.JOHN 9:1 - he saw a man blind from birth and healed him.JOHN 11:33 - he saw the grieving mourners and wept with them.JOHN 6:5 - he saw the hungry crowds and fed them.JOHN 5:6 - he saw the paralyzed man and raised him up. 2.      Feel what Jesus felt.MATTHEW 9:36“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them…” 3.      Imagine what Jesus imagined.MATTHEW 9:36“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” 4.     Pray like Jesus prayed.MATTHEW 9:37-38“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” 5.      Do what Jesus did.MATTHEW 9:35“Jesus went through all the towns and villages; teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.” 

 Parables // Prayer // The Key to Living an Overcoming Life  Luke 18:1-8 (NLT)“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. ‘There was a judge in a certain city,' he said, ‘who neither feared God nor cared about people.' A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don't fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'Then the Lord said, ‘Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?'” Prayer: The Key to Living an Overcoming Life 1.     God uses prayer to guide you in confusing times. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)“Trust in the Lord with all your heart    and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him,    and he will make your paths straight.” 2.     Prayer helps you overcome the temptations that come in the midst of difficulties. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”  3.     Prayer will steady you in trouble. Joshua 1:9 (NIV)“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”Matthew 28:20 (ESV)“I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (ESV)“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” 4.     Prayer keeps you focused on God's character.  Hebrews 6:10 (NLT)“For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.” Philippians 4:19 (NIV)“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:10 (NIV)“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.”     Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV)“do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” 

Parables // Object on Road Ahead, Do Not Avoid Luke 10:25-29 (NLT)“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?”Jesus replied, ‘What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?'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.'‘Right!' Jesus told him. ‘Do this and you will live!'The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?'” Luke 10:30–37 (NLT)“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.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. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 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. 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.'‘Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?' Jesus asked.The man replied, ‘The one who showed him mercy.'Then Jesus said, ‘Yes, now go and do the same.'”The priest and the assistant. Luke 10:31 (NLT)“he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by”Luke 10:32 (NLT)“A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.” Opportunity lost due to personal inconvenience. The Samaritan. Luke 10:33 (NLT)“when he saw the man, he felt compassion”

Parables // The Parable of the Soil   Matthew 13:1-13 (NLT)“Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn't have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”Why did Jesus teach in Parables? Matthew 13:10-13 (NLT)“His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”“He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables:What does all this mean?Matthew 13:18-23 (NLT)“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds:   What is the condition of the soil of your heart? 1.      Is your heart hard? Matthew 13:19 (NLT)“The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.”2. Is your heart shallow? Matthew 13:20-21 (NLT)“The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word.”3. Is your heart strangled? Matthew 13:22 (NLT) “The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.” 4. Is your heart soft? Matthew 13:23 (NLT)“The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

The Good Life // By The Grace of God  Philippians 4:23 (NIV)“ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)“by the grace of God I am what I am…” Quote from Timothy Keller“The Bible's purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible's purpose is to show you how God's grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome… religion is ‘if you obey, then you will be accepted'. But the Gospel is Grace is, ‘if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you're accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey'. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference.” (Tim Keller) God's RichesAt Christ'sExpense  Acts 17:28 (NIV)“For in him we live and move and have our being.”1 Peter 1:2 (ESV)“May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”John 15:5 (ESV)“apart from me you can do nothing.” “Grace is a system of living whereby God blesses us because we are in Jesus Christ, and for no other reason at all.” (Steve McVey - Author of Grace Walk) Philippians 4:19 (ESV)“my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”Acts 4:33 (ESV)“with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them”Acts 6:8 (ESV)“Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.”2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (ESV)“a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”Hebrews 13:9 (ESV)“it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace” 

The Good Life // The Rare Jewel of Contentment   Philippians 4:10-15 (NIV) “I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only” 1.     Christian contentment is not determined by your circumstances.  2.      Christian contentment is learned.Philippians 4:11 (NIV)“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”1 Corinthians 4:11-12 (ESV)“To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands.”2 Corinthians 6:4-5 (ESV)“…by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger…”2 Corinthians 11:25-27 (NIV)“Three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.”Proverbs 30:7-9 (NIV)“Two things I ask of you, Lord;                   do not refuse me before I die:Keep falsehood and lies far from me;                   give me neither poverty nor riches,                   but give me only my daily bread.Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you       and say, ‘Who is the Lord?'Or I may become poor and steal,       and so dishonor the name of my God.” 3.     The source of true contentment is found in our union with and dependence on Christ.Philippians 4:12 (NIV)“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”Philippians 4:13 (NIV)“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

A Recipe for Practicing a Good Life   Philippians 4-9 (NLT)“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. 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. 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. 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.” Philippians 4-9 (MSG)“Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in Him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” Philippians 4:4 (NLT)“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” Philippians 4:5 (NLT)“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.”    Matthew 24:37-44 (NLT)“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.” Philippians 4:6 (NLT)“Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Matthew 6:27-34 (NLT)“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don't worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.” Philippians 4:7 (NLT)“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.” Philippians 4:7 (MSG)“Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” Philippians 4:8 (NLT)“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.”   James 1:22 (NLT)“But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Philippians 4:9 (NLT)“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.”  A recipe for practicing a good life: 1.     Celebrate, be joyful, and revel in the goodness of God daily!2.     Look for intentional ways to add value to people around you daily.3.     Live with urgency about the return of Jesus daily.4.     Instead of worrying, talk with and listen to Jesus daily. 5.     Practice gratitude daily.6.     Resist the urge to fixate on negativity and think about good things instead... you guessed it... daily.

Living For Something Greater  Philippians 3:20-21 (ESV)“our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”John 18:35-36 (ESV)“'Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?' Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.'” John 17:14-16 (ESV)“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”Matthew 6:9-10 (KJV)“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”1 Peter 1:1 (ESV)“To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion…” 1 Peter 2:9-11 (NASB)“But you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, a royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and strangers”Hebrews 11:13 (NASB)“All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”Hebrews 11:10 (NASB)“for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”2 Corinthians 5:20 (ESV)“we are ambassadors for Christ”Philippians 3:20 (NASB)“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ”1 John 3:2-3 (NASB)“we know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

Which is Better, Life With or Without Jesus?  Which is better, life with or without Jesus?“Drinking beer is easy. Trashing your hotel room is easy. But being a Christian, that's a tough call. That's real rebellion. Sex, drugs and rock ‘n' roll is easy. True Christianity … that's rebellion.”- Alice Cooper  Philippians 3:1-14 (ESV)“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”    Why is life with Jesus worth it?1.     You personally know Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:8 (ESV)“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” 2.     Your standing before God is based on Christ, not you. Romans 3:22 (NIV)“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”Philippians 2:12 (NIV)“Just as if I had always obeyed” Faith + Works = justificationGrace + Merit = justificationChrist + My inherent righteousness = justification (Could you please put a red X over (Works, Merit, My inherent righteousness?)Faith + Works = justificationGrace + Merit = justificationChrist + My inherent righteousness = justification Faith alone, Grace alone, Christ alone = justification Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”      3.     Your purpose is greater than earthly comforts. Philippians 3:10, 13 (NKJV)“that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Matthew 16:26 (NIV)“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”