Novation Church

Hebrews Chapter 1 Our great God and His beloved Son “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” Hebrews 1:1-4 NASB “This is My beloved Son with Whom I am well pleased…Listen to Him!” Matthew 3:17, 17:5 NASB “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, 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. He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” Colossians 1:15-20 NASB Our great God and His heavenly family “For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, Today I have fathered You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him And He will be a Son to Me”? And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.” And regarding the angels He says, “He makes His angels winds, And His ministers a flame of fire.” Hebrews 1:5-7 NASB Types Of Heavenly Beings The Elohim (Exodus 20:3, Psalm 97:7, Psalm 82) Seraphim (Isaiah 6:1-7) Cherubim (Genesis 3:24) Angels (Hebrews 13:2) Archangels (Jude 1:9, Daniel 10:13, Luke 1:19) Watchers (Daniel 4:13) “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:10-13 NKJV Our great God and His human family “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to provide service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:14 NASB

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:23-27 NIV Boundary #1 Guard your heart and mind (Proverbs 7:25, 14:30, 15:13, 16:21, 18:12, 20:25) “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” HEART = Leb (Hebrew). “The whole spectrum of human emotions. The center of humanities' inner life. Your spiritual heart: the inner storehouse of our beliefs and the seat of our emotions.” Boundary #2 Guard your mouth (James 3:1-2, Proverbs 10:19, 12:18, 21:23, 18:21) “keep corrupt talk far from your lips.” “Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3 NIV Boundary #3 Guard your eyes (1 John 2:16, Proverbs 17:24, 27:20) “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:2 NLT Boundary #4 Guard your path (Psalm 23:3, Proverbs 1:15, 2:13, 3:6, 4:11, 10:9) “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

“One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And one who rules his spirit, than one who captures a city.” Proverbs 16:32 NASB “If you are angry, be sure that it is not out of wounded pride or bad temper. Never go to bed angry—don't give the devil that sort of foothold.” Ephesians 4:26 JBP Unwise Ways To Handle Anger Blow up (Genesis 4:5-8) Clam up (Jeremiah 15:17-18) Freeze up (Luke 15:28) Even up (Luke 6:11) To handle anger wisely I need to Remind myself that I will always lose when I lose my temper “An angry person stirs up strife, And a hot-tempered person abounds in wrongdoing.” Proverbs 29:22 NASB Three Stages Of Anger Basic Anger “Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.” Proverbs 19:11 NLT Name-Calling “Stirring milk causes butter to form. Hitting someone's nose causes blood to flow. And making people angry causes trouble.” Proverbs 30:33 ERV Pronouncing Judgement “An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.” Proverbs 29:22 NIV Recognize the root of my anger “People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.” Proverbs 14:29 NLT Respond rather than react “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” Proverbs 29:11 NIV Remember the Lord “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1 NIV “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” 1 Peter 2:23 NIV “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Psalm 86:15 NIV

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight…Blessed is a person who finds wisdom, And one who obtains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver, And her produce better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, And nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, And all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,And happy are those who hold on to her.” Proverbs 3:5-6, 13-18 NASB Why Do We Need Wisdom Concerning Our Emotions? Because feelings are often unreliable “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 14:12 ESV Because God does not want us to be manipulated by how we feel but walk in what in what is true “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV Because God can't rule my life if my emotions are ruling Because if we don't we become vulnerable to attacks from the enemy “A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.” Proverbs 25:28 NLT How Can I Learn To Manage My Emotions? I need to identify what I am feeling “Why, my soul, are you downcast…? Psalm 42:5a NIV I need to challenge what I am feeling “Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:5b NIV I need to channel what I am feeling Into worship: “Rejoice always.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Into action: (See 2 Corinthians 1:3-4) I need to surrender what I am feeling to God “For we walk by faith not sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 NASB “How precious is Your mercy, God! And the sons of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.” Psalm 36:7 NASB

“Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses.” Proverbs 10:12 CSB “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but one slow to anger calms strife.” Proverbs 15:18 CSB “A contrary person spreads conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” Proverbs 16:28 CSB “To start a conflict is to release a flood; stop the dispute before it breaks out.” Proverbs 17:24 CSB “Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down.” Proverbs 26:20 CSB “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18 CSB The Cause Of Conflict “Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.” James 3:13-18 CSB The Consequences Of Conflict It hinders my fellowship with God It hinders my prayers It hinders my happiness The Cure For Conflict Step Up “Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses.” Proverbs 10:12 CSB “So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24 CSB 2. Own up “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 NASB (Proverbs 3:23) “Why do you notice the small piece of dust that is in your friend's eye, but you don't notice the big piece of wood that is in your own? Why do you say to your friend, ‘Let me take that piece of dust out of your eye'? Look at yourself first! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. You are a hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to get the dust out of your friend's eye.” Matthew 7:3-5 ERV 3. Hush up “Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.” Proverbs 11:12 NIV “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” James 1:19 NIV 4. Grow up “A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one's glory to overlook an offense.” Proverbs 19:11 NIV “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:12-14 NLT 5. Bear up “Love is patient…love bears all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4, 7 “Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” Proverbs 17:9 NIV 6. Speak up “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18 NIV “…speak the truth in love…” Ephesians 4:15 7. Look up “Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that make war inside you. You want things, but you don't get them. So you kill and are jealous of others. But you still cannot get what you want. So you argue and fight. You don't get what you want because you don't ask God.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:1-2, 7 ERV/NIV

What Are The Proverbs? The Proverbs are God inspired principles for living a wise and godly life “Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding.For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.” Proverbs 3:13-18 NLT Who Wrote The Proverbs? “These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel.” Proverbs 1:1 NLT What Is The Purpose Of The Proverbs? “Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young.” Proverbs 1:2-4 NLT “The Psalms teach us how to get along with God, the Proverbs teach us how to get along with each other.” Billy Graham The Proverbs focus on human character and conduct The Proverbs help us to learn how to make right and wise decisions Who Is Wise? The person who fears the Lord (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10) The person who obeys God's word (Proverbs 1:5, 3:1, 23:12) The person who seeks instruction and continues learning (Proverbs 9:9) The person who seeks humility (Proverbs 3:7a, 11:2) The person who controls their anger and tongue (Proverbs 10:19, 14:17, 16:23) How To Get Wisdom Desire it sincerely “Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you.” Proverbs 4:7-8 NLT Look for it in the Scriptures “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” Psalms 19:7 NLT “You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:15-17 NLT Ask for it in prayer “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” James 1:5 NLT Spend time with those who are wise “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.” Proverbs 13:20 NLT

“Surely you know that you become the slaves of whatever you give yourselves to. Anything or anyone you follow will be your master. You can follow sin, or you can obey God. Following sin brings spiritual death, but obeying God makes you right with him.” Romans 6:16 ERV “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44 NASB “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” Genesis 3:1-6 NASB “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 NASB “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” Ephesians 2:1-3 NASB Remember that you were dead But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, 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 ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 NASB Recognize that you have been made alive For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10 NASB Respond by walking in the riches of His grace and doing the good works prepared for you

Matthew 24 What are the signs of His return? False versions of Jesus Vs.5 Wars and Rumors of war/Nations against nations Vs. 6-7 Famines and earthquakes Vs. 7 Persecution of the Church Vs. 9 Betrayal and hatred Vs. 10 False Prophets Vs. 11 Lawlessness and Cold hearts Vs. 12 Why Has He Not Returned? “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14 NASB “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:8-9 NASB How To Prepare For His Return Be Eager “And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3 NASB Be Aware “And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,' and they will mislead many people. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains. “Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. And at that time many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will rise up and mislead many people… For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will provide great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” Matthew 24:4-11, 24 NASB Be Faithful “But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” Matthew 24:36 NASB Be Wise “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:37-39 NASB Be Alert “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” Matthew 24:42 NASB Be Ready “For this reason you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” Matthew 24:44 NASB

“The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of things regarding the kingdom of God. Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.” And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were watching, and a cloud took Him up, out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, then behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them, and they said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” Acts 1:1-11 NASB Where Is Jesus Now? He is ruling and reigning over His kingdom at the right hand of the Father “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet and made Him head over all things to the church,which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:18-22 NASB What Is He Doing? He is building His church “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” Matthew 16:18 NLT He is preparing a place for us “There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” John 14:2-3 NLT He is with believers that have gone before us “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV Three Things Jesus Left Behind 1.) An unmatchable presence “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” 1:8a This Brings: Passion “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25 NIV Purity “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 NIV Power “…be filled with the Spirit” Ephesians 5:18 NIV Promptings “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Romans 8:14 NIV 2.) An unfinished task “and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.” 1:8b The work of Jesus is finished (John 19:30, Hebrews 1:3) The work of the church is unfinished “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14 NIV 3.) An unshakable promise “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” 1:11

“So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.” John 8:36 NASB “Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.” Galatians 5:1 MSG “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 NASB The Resurrection gives me harmony with the past “He who was delivered over because of our wrongdoings, and was raised because of our justification.” Romans 4:35 NASB “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost sinner Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:12-17 NASB The Resurrection gives me help for today “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:11 NLT “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27 NIV The Resurrection gives me Hope for the future “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” John 11:25-26 NASB “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” Hebrews 2:14-15 NASB “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, so also God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NASB

“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18 NASB The Power of the Curse Genesis 3:1-24 “The earth will be completely laid waste and completely plundered, for the Lord has spoken this word. The earth dries up and crumbles away, the mainland dries out and crumbles away, the exalted of the people of the earth dwindle. The earth is also defiled by its inhabitants, for they violated laws, altered statutes, and broke the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live on it suffer for their guilt. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth decrease in number, and few people are left.” Isaiah 24:3-6 NASB “Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I am commanding you today, that the Lord your God will put you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings will come to you and reach you if you obey the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 28:1-2 NASB “But it shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to be careful to follow all His commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you. Deuteronomy 28:15 NASB The Power of the Cross “It is finished…” John 19:30 Adam and Eve took from the tree “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” Galatians 3:13 NASB They took from the tree with their hands “They pierced my hands…” Psalm 22:16 NASB Fulfilled the word in Genesis 3:15 “They pierced my…feet” Psalm 22:16 Eve came from Adam's side “So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.” Genesis 2:21 NASB Jesus' crown of thorns “Cursed is the ground because of you; With hard labor you shall eat from it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; Yet you shall eat the plants of the field;” Genesis 3:17-18 NASB The Power of the Christ “I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to be able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they *sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.” Revelation 5:1-10 NASB Jeremiah 32:6-15 “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” Revelation 11:15 NASB

“If it were an enemy insulting me, I could bear it. If it were my enemies attacking me, I could hide. But it is you, the one so close to me, my companion, my good friend, who does this. We used to share our secrets with one another, as we walked through the crowds together in God's Temple.” Psalm 55:12-14 ERV What is betrayal? The act of exposing or delivering someone to an enemy through treachery or disloyalty. The act of revealing information in violation of confidence. The act of disappointing a person's trust, hopes, or expectations. Who betrayed Jesus? Judas Iscariot “While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles came there. He had a big crowd of people with him, all carrying swords and clubs. They had been sent from the leading priests and the older leaders of the people. Judas planned to do something to show them which one was Jesus. He said, “The one I kiss will be Jesus. Arrest him.” So he went to Jesus and said, “Hello, Teacher!” Then Judas kissed him. Jesus answered, “Friend, do the thing you came to do.” Then the men came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him.” Matthew 26:47-50 ERV Simon Peter “And Peter remembered the statement that Jesus had made: “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.” Matthew 26:75 NASB “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV Everyone “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Romans 3:23 NASB There is no righteous person, not even one; There is no one who understands, There is no one who seeks out God; They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, There is not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The venom of asps is under their lips”; “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”; “Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are in their paths, And they have not known the way of peace.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:10-18 NASB What was Jesus' response to betrayal? “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34 “It is finished.” John 19:30 Our response to betrayal “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.” Psalm 27:10 NIV

“Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James, and his brother John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If You want, I will make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” And raising their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.” Matthew 17:1-8 NASB “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such a declaration as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory: “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased”— and we ourselves heard this declaration made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” 2 Peter 1:16-18 NASB Glory “Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James, and his brother John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.” Vs 1-3 The transfiguration connects God's glory in the Old Testament with Jesus The transfiguration shows that Jesus is the glory of God Fear “Lord, it is good that we are here. If You want, I will make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified.” Vs. 4-6 “Therefore, having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and we are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not stare at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts; but whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 NASB Peace “And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” And raising their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.” Vs. 7-8

“From that time Jesus began to point out to His disciples that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and to suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day. And yet Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's purposes, but men's.” Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every person according to his deeds. “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Matthew 16:21-28 NASB How do I answer His call? Die to self “Deny yourself” “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3 NASB “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20 NASB “If you live in accordance with the flesh, you will die; but if, by the spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13 NTFE 2. Die to my agenda “Take up your cross” “For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Matthew 16:23 ESV “To fulfill your mission will require you to abandon your agenda and accept God's agenda for your life. You cant just tack it on to all the other things you would like to do with your life…You yield your rights, expectations, dreams, plans, and ambitions to Him…You hand God a blank sheet with your name signed at the bottom and tell Him to fill in the details.” Rick Warren 3. Die daily “Follow Me” Choose sacrifice over selfish ambitions Choose servanthood over power Choose risk over comfort “Let us often ask ourselves whether our Christianity costs us anything.” JC Ryle 4. Die to the temporal “Lose your life for Me” “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 NASB

Matthew 16:13-20 A word about geography “Now when Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi…” Matthew 16:1 NASB A question about theology “…He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you yourselves say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:13-16 NASB  A statement about authority “And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Then He gave the disciples strict orders that they were to tell no one that He was the Christ.” Matthew 16:17-20 NASB

The Samaritan Woman “Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria. So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water. He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” John 4:1-26 NIV Who were the Samaritans? Who was the Samaritan Woman? What is the living water Jesus offered her? “On the last and greatest day of the festival Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” John 7:37-39 NIV “Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him. Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” John 4:28,29, 39-42 NIV The three-fold invitation of Jesus: Come to Jesus “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” John 7:37,38 NIV Leave your broken cisterns “Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town…” John 4:28 NIV “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” Jeremiah 2:13 NIV Immerse yourself in the water

John 3:1-21 A Religious man “Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” John 3:1-2 NASB A Religious Problem “Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother's womb a second time and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus responded and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you people do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” John 3:3-12 NASB A Real Solution “No one has ascended into heaven, except He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds will be revealed as having been performed in God.” John 3:13-21 NASB

“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a Man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know…” Acts 2:22 NASB Signs (John 2:1-11, 4:46-54, 5:1-15, 6:5-14, 6:16-24, 9:1-7, 11:1-45) Signs authenticated Jesus as the Christ and revealed His divine authority. “This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.” John 2;11 NASB “So then, many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:30-31 NASB Wonders (Luke 9:12-17, Matthew 14:22-33) Wonders inspire awe and worship, highlighting the extraordinary nature of God’s actions. Miracles (Mark 4:35-41) Miracles are observable phenomena that deviate from the ordinary course of nature. “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 NASB

“This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn't know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. “This is what I command you: Love one another.” John 15:12-17 CSB His small group “During those days he went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God. When daylight came, he summoned his disciples, and he chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.” Luke 6:12-17 CSB His core group Mark 9:1-13 Luke 8:51 “Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ…For each one will bear his own load.” Galatians 6:2, 5 NASB His Rock Peter's… Calling (Luke 5:1-11) Confession (Matthew 16:13-19, John 6:66-69) Confusion (Matthew 16:21-23) Cowardice (Matthew 26:69-75) Courage (John 21, Acts 2)

“Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry.” Luke 4:1-2 NASB Peirazo (“Tempted”): To test, to tempt, to try, to examine Is there a difference between TEMPTATION and TESTING? Why was Jesus led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested and tempted by the devil? “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15 NASB Jesus passed every test that all of us have failed to pass starting from Adam and Eve, Israel, and all of humanity. The Trust test “And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.'” Luke 4:3-4 NASB The Worship test “And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory, for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I want. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus replied to him, “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'” Luke 4:5-8 NASB The Timing test “And he brought Him into Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; for it is written: ‘He will give His angels orders concerning You, to protect You,' and, ‘On their hands they will lift You up, So that You do not strike Your foot against a stone.'” And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been stated, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'” Luke 4:9-12 NASB “And so when the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:13 NASB

John's Baptism “Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “The voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!'” Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan;and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance; and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father'; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire. “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:1-12 NASB Jesus' Baptism “Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him.But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?” But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him, and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:13-17 NASB Why Did Jesus Get Baptized? He was reliving Israel's history 2. He was repenting for us 3. He was consecrating Himself for ministry Believers' Baptism “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NASB Believers' baptism is sacred 2. Believers' baptism is symbolic 3. Believers' baptism is singular

His dedication in the Temple “And when eight days were completed so that it was time for His circumcision, He was also named Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. And when the days for their purification according to the Law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice according to what has been stated in the Law of the Lord: “A pair of turtledoves or two young doves.” Luke 2:21-24 NASB His escape from Herod “Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.” So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod; this happened so that what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” Matthew 2:13-15 NASB His growth as a human being “And when His parents had completed everything in accordance with the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. Now the Child continued to grow and to become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the favor of God was upon Him.” Luke 2:39-40 NASB “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and people.” Luke 2:52 NASB Jesus grew… Mentally (In Wisdom) Physically (In Stature) Spiritually (In Favor with God) Socially (Favor with people) His rejection by His brothers “After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. So His brothers said to Him, “Move on from here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. For no one does anything in secret when he himself is striving to be known publicly. If You are doing these things, show Yourself to the world.” For not even His brothers believed in Him.” John 7:1-5 NASB “Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are His sisters not here with us?” And they took offense at Him.” Mark 6:3 NASB “James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,” James 1:1 NASB “But I did not see another one of the apostles except James, the Lord's brother.” Galatians 1:19 NASB “Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,” Jude 1:1 NASB

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 NASB Christ is a title not a name “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16 NASB Anointed One, the Messiah The Christ is God's Son “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent name than they.” Hebrews 1:1-4 NASB “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” Matthew 17:5 NASB The Christ has no beginning “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5 ESV The Christ proves God is for us “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring charges against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? Just as it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We were regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39 NASB The Christ is God with us “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 NASB

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matt 28:16-20 NIV COMMISSION: • a formal written warrant granting the power to perform various acts or duties • an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts • authority to act for, on behalf of, or in place of another • a task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another Jesus led with his actions, often before ever preaching to people: Fed them (Matthew 14:13-21) Healed them (Matt 9:1-8) Served them (John 2:1-11, John 13:1-17) Spent time and broke bread with them (Matthew 9, Mark 2, Luke 5) Encouraged them (Matthew 11:28 and John 16:33) Defended them (John 8:1-11) Prayed for them (John 17:1-26)  “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.” – Matt 22:35-40 NIV Truth and accountability without a genuine relationship is transactional. It can appear critical and can cause defensiveness. Relationship without truth and accountability is superficial and temporal. It lacks real depth and can lead to the degradation of biblical values, having eternal consequences. “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 Cor 13:1 NIV

“For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth.” Psalm 26:3 NASB 95 Lovingkindness = “Checed” Favor, mercy, kindness, goodness “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds…“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 2:11-14, 3:4-7 NASB 95 His lovingkindness brought salvation to us “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men…when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” His lovingkindness leads us to repentance “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, Titus 2:11-12 NASB 95 “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.” Psalm 51:1 NASB 95 “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” Romans 2:4 NASB 95 His lovingkindness will lead us home looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, Titus 2:13 NASB 95 “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6 NASB 95

“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11 NASB “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:16-21 NASB These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. John 15:11 NASB How Do We Pursue And Experience Joy In A Broken World? Repent and believe Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14,15 NASB Practice gratitude Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 NIV Pray about everything Discipline your mind Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8 NIV

“For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice… Read More »Adore the King of Peace

“The poor and the helpless have fled to you and have been safe in times of trouble. You give them shelter from storms and shade from the burning heat…” Isaiah 25:4 GNT “It's ok for the Christian to feel helpless, but never hopeless.” Charles Stanley Helpless: “Unable to help oneself; impossible to control one's circumstances.”… Read More »Adore the King of Hope

“I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” Psalm 116:1-2 NLT How does gratitude let God answer our prayers? “When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He was a member of… Read More »Gratitude and Prayer

“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.… Read More »Gratitude and Worship

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NASB “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen… And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek… Read More »Gratitude and Faith

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy. Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon.Don't worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. And because you belong to Christ… Read More »Gratitude and Worry

An Invitation to a Life of Generosity “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve… Read More »Show Me the Money

“Now He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:” Luke 18:9 NASB  “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.” Luke 18:10 NASB “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that… Read More »Lord Have Mercy

Luke 10:1-37 The Great Commandment “Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength… you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.” Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Leviticus 19:18 NASB Matthew 22:34-40 Mark 12:29-34 Luke 10:25-27

“Peter said to him, “We left everything we had and followed you. So what will we have?” Jesus said to them, “When the time of the new world comes, the Son of Man will sit on his great and glorious throne. And I can promise that you who followed me will sit on twelve thrones,… Read More »That's Not Fair

Luke 15:1-32 “All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him. And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:1-2 CSB “So he told them this parable: “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and… Read More »The Friend of Sinners

“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his trickery, your minds will be led astray from sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, this you tolerate very well!… For such… Read More »Unmasking The Enemy

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14 NASB What Is The Gospel Of The Kingdom? It is Jesus' good news about “Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is… Read More »Are We There Yet?

What are the parables? “And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” And Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have… Read More »Can You Handle The Truth?

1 Corinthians 16 “Now about the collection for the Lord's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I… Read More »One Final Word

Corinthians 15:35-58 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.” Hebrews 2:14-15 NASB What takes the sting out… Read More »Death, Where Is Your Sting?

1 Corinthians 15:12-34 “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is… Read More »Living Hope

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 “Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your standand by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 CSB For… Read More »The Gospel

1 Corinthians 14 “ I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for… Read More »When We Gather

1 Corinthians 13 “If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give… Read More »Love Is

(1 Corinthians 12) “Now concerning spiritual gifts.” 1 Corinthians 12:1 NASB There Is One God (Vs. 3-11) “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.” 12:4  Manifestation Gifts “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to… Read More »That's A Good Question

 (1Corinthians 11) Hermeneutics: The art of interpreting Scripture Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.Every man who prays or prophesies… Read More »Hair Do's, Hair Don'ts, and Hermeneutics

1 Corinthians 10 “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. Don't let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don't let your lips talk deviously. Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. Don't turn to the… Read More »Keep Your Guard Up

Guest Speaker Lisa Steven

1 Corinthians 9 “Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1 CSB “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, because you are the… Read More »The Art of Imitation