Redemption Church Plano Texas

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano, Tx. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. My name is Chris Fluitt and am excited […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano, Tx. We have people driving all over the Metroplex to serve and worship here. We also […]

Texts: Luke 17:11–19; Romans 1:21Big Idea: Thankfulness is the key to breakthrough. Gratitude doesn't just heal you — it restores you. Welcome […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano, Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt and I have so much to be thankful for!  We […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano, Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt… THANK YOU for being with us – In person and […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano, Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt… I am supper pumped about this moment, because God is […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano, Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt… We're starting a brand-new series today called Facing Fear: What's […]

Welcome to Redemption Church in Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt. We are in our message series Untangled.We have asked some […]

Let's Pray TogetherChurch, before we dive into today's message, I want to pause and acknowledge the heaviness many of us feel. This […]

Welcome to Redemption Church.We exist to help people Find and Follow Jesus. My name is Chris Fluitt. We are in the first […]

Welcome to Redemption Church.We are not a mega Church, but we are a mighty Church. We are seeing God do BIG things […]

Welcome to Redemption Church.We exist to help people Find & Follow Jesus Christ.My name is Chris Fluitt. Last week we started our […]

Welcome to Redemption Church in Plano, Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt and I am have to say I am thankful for […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx.My name is Chris Fluitt. Church PeopleThose People You've heard it.You've probably felt it. -“Oh, she's […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx.My name is Chris Fluitt. We are excited to be a Church where you can ask […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx.My name is Chris Fluitt. We are excited to be a Church where you can ask […]

We are excited to be a Church where you can ask questions and find answers. Last Week we answered a big question […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx.My name is Chris Fluitt. We are excited to be a Church where you can ask […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx.My name is Chris Fluitt. We are excited to be a Church where you can ask […]

The Message of Psalms 23Psalms 23 begins with a powerful declaration: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” This opening […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx.My name is Chris Fluitt. Happy Father's Day Happy Father's Day to all the dads, grandfathers, […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx.My name is Chris Fluitt. Summer Playlist Title  Last week – Crazy Peace for your Crazy […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx.My name is Chris Fluitt. Summer is supposed to be the season of fun. Sunshine, road […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx.My name is Chris Fluitt. Two Water Bottles– One is clean.– One has a few drops […]

RISE 5 – From the Grave to the Sky: Find Your Higher Purpose There was a time when all I wanted was […]

RISE – 4 – Failure is Only a Bruise, Not a Burial Happy Mother's Day Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano TxMy […]

Rise – 3 – Fear Holding You Down? How to Get Up! Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx!Everyone Online!Everyone in the […]

RISE – 2 – How to Stop Letting the Past Control Your Future Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx Let me […]

Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx Happy Easter! I love to celebrate the Sunday Resurrection! The RESURRECTION means HOPE! … But […]

Welcome to Redemption Church in Plano, Tx! My name is Chris Fluitt and I welcome everyone…In the Room…Online… Palm Sunday  -An important […]

Underdog's Playbook Bumper Underdog's Playbook Title Hello & Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt and I […]

Hello & Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt and I am sure glad you are here! […]

Underdog's Playbook Bumper Underdog's Playbook Title You are welcome here at Redemption Church of Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt and […]

The Underdog's Playbook – Strategy 3 – A Giant Is Blocking Your View: How to See Past the Struggle Underdog's Playbook Bumper […]

From Serving to Slaying: Your Unseen Path to Victory Underdog's Playbook Bumper Underdog's Playbook TitleWelcome We are in the 2nd week of […]

Underdog's Playbook Bumper Underdog's Playbook Title Everyone loves an underdog story. It's why we get chills when Rocky goes the distance.  It's […]

The Reason Your Goals Die, and How to Make Them LIVE: Belief & Behavior NEXT WEEK Underdog Bumper  Welcome Day 54How is […]

Scriptures Referenced in Sean's Sermon Mark 10:46-52 John 5:2-9 Acts 2:38 Genesis 47:27 Exodus 14:10-12 Numbers 11:4-6 Romans 12:2 Ephesians 4:22-24 Romans […]

Healthy New Year Bumper Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt!  Healthy New Year! 5th and final […]

https://youtu.be/xu8FrQEJLHI?si=F2ne2UvWI4vNYFiO (1) RECLAIMING YOUR HEALTH     Food is a very touchy subject. I get it. I grew up in a culture where pretty much everything was a sin, EXCEPT eating. It was all we could do, and we did it enthusiastically! (2) But now we are living with the consequences. Just listen to the prayer requests in any given church. The majority is for sicknesses and illnesses. And most of it is for chronic disease that we have brought on ourselves: heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, memory loss, cancer, and the list goes on. Most of these are preventable diseases.     So the big questions is this: Why do we avoid talking about food and health and how it affects us? When information is presented to us, why do we ignore, laugh, or dismiss the information? The answer is simple…we don't want to hear. Health is not dealt with in the church. We think God will take care of me, He's got this. And we keep doing what everyone else is doing.  (3) Romans 12:1 says to present your bodies a living sacrifice….”living” means be among the living, enjoy real life, active, fresh, strong, efficient. Holy, acceptable, meaning well pleasing, fully agreeable. We can't help the body of Christ if we don't take the time to take care of ourselves. We need to be able to function in the capacity that God has called us to.     We are in a war, both physical and spiritual. There are two types of people in a war…..Those who are sucked into it without realizing. Think of the Jews led into the camps. And those who are aware of what's going on around them and are ready to respond….Think of Pearl Harbor. There was no denying war that day.     One way to stop an enemy is to make them believe they are not in a fight. The enemy is a deceiver. The Bible calls him a lion seeking whom he may devour. Who does the lion attack….the one who is not paying attention. He deceives us into thinking everything is ok.     And that is what is happening in the war for our health. It's called the Great American Food Fraud.     You may say, “What's the big deal? I ate fast food, candy, etc, growing up and I turned out ok.” The food that we grew up with in the 70's and 80's is NOT the same food on the shelves today. McDonald's fries used to have 3 ingredients: potatoes, beef tallow, salt. Now they have 12 ingredients! (4) The truth is we can't eat those same foods and neither should our kids. The truth is that the foods we buy in America are completely different from the same food bought in almost every other country.  Why? The chemicals, ingredients and dye are not allowed in their food. That's why you can take a trip to another country, like Italy, eat all their pasta, and feel fine and probably not even gain weight on your trip.     Food has become a science. A very precise, targeted, science. That box of cereal, bag of chips, soda, or whatever it may be, has had a considerable amount of time and money spent on it being studied, developed, tested, and advertised. All with one goal in mind: to get you to buy it. Not just once, but over and over again. The goal is not to make it nourishing for your body, but to get you hooked on the flavor by any means possible. That includes adding chemicals, sugar, artificial colors, forever chemicals, and anything else to appeal to your appetite. (5) I John talks about the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. It's almost like the advertising companies read the Bible!  (6) In the early 90's, the American Dietetic Association was funded by Sara Lee, M&M's, and McDonalds. Today it's even worse.     So who is behind all this? (7) The kids of the 80's were the last generation to grow up without social media. During that time, the Tobacco companies saw the writing on the wall, that the truth was coming out that smoking caused cancer. They had the best marketing machine. They could market to adults and make them buy something that was not good for them. Remember the Marlboro Man? Camel Joe?

https://youtu.be/i4aX0xT53-g?si=36tunNfeIiN1Cs7w Redemption Church - Healthy New Year - 2 - Mental Health Talk   Chris IntroHealthy New Year   Introduction:                       Educational background – Obtained master's in counseling psychology in 2016, Tarleton State University                       Work background – almost 10 years' experience - work with an agency that provides mental health services in individuals across six counties. Have worked extensively with justice-involved population – worked across six different county jails Objective: *Will not be an exhaustive deep dive into all mental health issues… *The purpose of our conversation today is to focus on thoughts/emotional issues that we all face in some way in our daily lives. I've worked with a lot of inmates across many jails who experience the very same thoughts/emotional struggles that we do.  Depression, isolation, anxiety. *Today we will focus on five different areas --  so that we can CLIMB to better mental health in 2025   CLIMB C-Change Your Thoughts Psychological Insights: Author James Allen in his book ‘As a Man Thinketh' states: “As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.” Psychological research confirms this very sentiment. Our thought life is powerful & important – it acts as a steering wheel which can bring us to all sorts of different destinations, bad or good. Discuss Reintegration classes at the jail. There is a big focus on helping individuals identify maladaptive thinking patterns & giving them strategies to dispute and change those thoughts. The ABCs of Thinking is a technique where individuals can gain these new skills. Dr. Albert Ellis developed the “ABCs of thinking” model. This model is used to understand how our beliefs about an activating event influence our emotional and behavioral consequences. ABCs of Thinking A. Activating Event B. Your beliefs about the event. C. Consequences How is it possible that two different people can have vastly different responses to the same activating event?   Bus Stop example –   Failed exam example –   What do I believe about what just happened? After practicing, it is possible to evaluate your belief and reframe in real time to improve the consequence.   It is only fitting that Jim Rohn, an influential motivational speaker and thought leader, once famously said: “No one else ‘makes us angry.' We make ourselves angry when we surrender control of our attitude. Biblical Foundation: What does God say about this?   Allow God to Transform Your Mind Romans 12:2 - “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.”   Focus on what is Good-  Philippians 4:8- “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. How easy is it to focus on things that are negative, unwholesome, and distracting? There is power in filling our mind with God's word.   Bring our Thoughts into the Obedience of Christ  2 Corinthians 10:5 -“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,   Stay Your Mind on God Isaiah 26:3  - “You keep him in perfect peacewhose mind is stayed on you,because he trusts in you.     L-Lean Into Your Purpose  Psychological insights: Purpose - Research shows that having a sense of purpose improves mental health, lowers the risk of depression, and enhances overall well-being. An excerpt from The American Psychiatry Association website states: “What is purpose in life? It means having a central, organizing life aim, an overall sense of direction in one's life, and a belief that one's life activities are valuable and important — making a positive mark on the world.1,

https://youtu.be/_cQHYzXaPnM?si=-I3f9XOEsMehvnqt Healthy New Year - 1 - Spiritual Strength: Unlocking the Power of Faith   Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt!   Happy New Year!   RESET BUTTON!Big Goals. Reflect & Align Priorities. Changes Go Change the World Something that will help… GET HEALTHY. A healthy you can accomplish more…   Healthy New Year   We want this to be your healthiest year.It is GOD'S WILL for this to be your healthiest year.   Our health focus: Jan 12 – Mental Mastery – Conquering your Thought Battles     January 19 – Body Blueprint – Finding Your Health Design   January 26 – Having the Heart, Eyes, & Voice to change your year.   Feb 2 – Soul Food – Discover Heath from the Inside Out   BE HERE!INVITE!GET HEALTHY!   Today - Spiritual Strength: Unlocking the Power of Faith   My Life is busy.I struggle to find time…   -To go to the gym.   -Sit back and enjoy life.   -Do the things I love… hiking, movies,  music   I also struggle to find time for faith. Faith is my day job… but I find myself trapped in…   -Email, spread sheets, budgets, meetings.   -Social media pages   -The car dropping kids off at school.   -Phone calls – Spam Likely   It is easy to go your whole day (or week) without thinking and talking to God.   I remember sitting in a Starbucks one day… Staring at my phone as it buzzed…Multitasking childcare and social media…Trying to write a sermon……feeling completely overwhelmed. I was doing all the "right" religious things, but something was missing.   I wasn't experiencing the peace that faith was supposed to bring. I was not healthy.   Can we relate?   We live in a world that's constantly demanding our attention.   Recent studies… 2019 - The average person checks their phone 96 times per day. That's once every 10 minutes! (Asurion.com)   2023 – The average person checks their phone 144 times a day. That's once every 6.7 minutes! (Exploding Topics)   The Trend is Real!We are too busy to be healthy… too busy to be spiritual. HONESTY TIME - For many of us, faith feels like one more thing on an already overwhelming to-do list.   65 % and 25 % Studies show that while 65% of Americans identify as Christians, only about 25% actively practice their faith beyond Sunday morning. (Pew Research 2019 & 2020)   We might be this statistic?   You might be thinking, "I believe in God, but what does that actually mean for my Tuesday afternoon?”   “How does faith help me deal with my difficult coworker or my anxiety about the future?"We have the title of Christian.Do we have the life of Christ?   Here's what's fascinating about Jesus - He never intended faith to be a Sunday-only experience.   Jesus reframes how we think about spiritual health.   Spiritual Health: From Obligation to PassionMatthew 22   The religious teacher (Pharisees) taught obligation… RULES, RULES, RULES.   One day a pharisee asks Jesus what religious RULE is the most important.   Matthew 22:37-39 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”   Notice: Jesus was asked about the RULES. 613 rules in the Old Testament.   Jesus shifts from OBLIGATION to PASSION Spiritual Health: From Obligation to PassionMatthew 22   Spiritual health is NOT about keeping rules… but about love. Obligation… I must NOT murder – thou shalt not murder.Passion…I love God and others… out of love I will not murder… instead I love.   Obligation… I must go to church…I must give…I must not cuss…   Passion…I love to go to Church… worship God, serve others out of love.   I love to Give… Thank you God for my job! I trust you God. I want to help others.   Instead of cursing others… I will bless others. The power of life and death are in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21)… I want to speak LIFE AT ALL TIMES.  

https://youtu.be/X-LfDHd1IHk?si=sp2Mo2gUE8fVpVTm Behold I have Become A New Creation RECEIVING SOMETHING NEW AND HOW IT WAS BETTER THAN THE OLD We had a wonderful Christmas in 1995. I shall never forget it. It is probably that one Christmas that was better than all the rest… PIVOT TO – WE UNDERSTAND THAT NEW IS BETTER THAN OLD… DID ANYONE GIVE SOMETHING OLD ON CHRISTMAS? DID ANYONE OPEN UP AN OLD PAIR OF SHOES… SHIRT… AN OLD USED UP GIFT CARD? WE UNDERSTAND THAT NEW IS BETTER NOW PIVOT TO GOD… GOD FEELS THE SAME WAY ABOUT NEW… Gen 1:1 and 3. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…And God said, Let there be Light and there was Light. Now His easel was ready and Created everything new…and wonderful. Read Gen 1 “What do you notice here?” Does God create an OLD heaven and earth…? He speaks and creates a brand new world… life… purpose… Let's turn to the other creation story… an even better creation story… Therefore if any is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away, all things are become new. 2 Cor 5:17 Consider the NIV “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” HERE hits your present tense idea… Tie this back to Gen 1… but it is better… this is your story. …are become new. Present tense. Ever seeking newness. GOD CREATES NEW THINGS! GOD DOES NOT CREATE OLD THINGS. Father, we also should walk in the newness of life. Rom 6:4 We should serve in the newness of spirit. Rom 7:6 God is a spirit and those that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24 Life renewal comes with a newness, a freshness of the spirit. We value new things; not old things. Sure, antiques are wonderful, but they create museum pieces. God is always new; He is not ruled by days, hours, years nor even millennia. He wants to make things new for you every day, as well. He gives us a song in the night, in the middle of the trial… that is praise and thanksgiving. He brings a new song in our hearts for every day through the power of the Holy Ghost Every day new mercies are revealed unto us. GOD LOVES NEW… BUT DO WE PERHAPS TREAT HIM LIKE THAT SAME OLD GOD… GIVE HIM THE SAME OLD WORSHIP… SERVE HIM THE SAME OLD WAY… DEAD BORED OLD… PERHAPS WE NEED A RENEWAL… WE NEED A RENEWAL God loves us each and every day and He orchestrates great things for each of us according to our various needs. Yet, we are responsible for the newness in our lives, too. We walk in the newness. We refresh ourselves in the Holy Ghost through reading His Word and praising Him aloud for the things He is doing. Our praise team works very hard to bring exciting newness to our worship songs. They worship Christ before us, helping us to realize new ways to worship our King. We stand in honor to the Savior of our daily lives and we seek new ways to praise him; not because He requires it, but because we need to keep ourselves renewed in the Holy Ghost. God has asked men to praise Him in the dance and in clapping; in spiritual songs and active praise. When was the last time you said “Hallelujah” aloud in the presence of others? It should be frequent, because He is actively lifting our spirits and fulfilling our needs. If you try it: God will underscore it for you. He loves His children to do new things. Perform exploits! You may feel a little like a fish out of water; HE LOVES IT! New Worship The praise team works hard to bring vibrant songs to us, and to demonstrate through their own worship the ways we can offer up praises to the King. We stand in honor of the One who died for us and who is delivering and protecting us daily. He has told us He desires men to lift up holy hands to Him, to clap our hands in praise, to sing and dance before Him, but we may have allowed our spiritual praise to become stagnant, not fresh and almost unseen by others. Celebrate your life with joy and praise and freedom of movement. New Confidence Encourage yourselves in God. Lay down before God and all your losses,

https://youtu.be/PiznHI8zAZU?si=-8t4BVtLFPCel7dX Chill Christmas - 4 - How to Make A Moment Chill Christmas Bumper?   Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt!   Chill Christmas Title   Christmas is upon us!We are in the FINAL week of our message Series – Chill Christmas.   Last week we talked about…   Rediscovering Simple Fun – through Joy!   Life is complex, but Joy is simple   In this series we have lit the candles of HOPE, PEACE, & JOY. Now we light the candle of Love.   Today – How to make a moment   I remember a Christmas Eve where Sarah and I were doing a Christmas Eve worship service.   Beautiful Ambiance… Music… Spiritual moment… Candlelight   It was PERFECT!   But then the Service ended…   -No food ready at home…-Search for restaurant – Closed! -Only Chinese food (Packed out)   Kids – Dad what are we going to do?Extended family with us…   We had a PERFECT Christmas Eve service… But our Christmas Eve was complicated. Thankfully Sarah saved the day with a traditional Christmas Spaghetti!   Perfection We know this season is driven by an idea of perfection.   Scrolling through Instagram… perfect Christmas photos. Perfect tree. Perfect family. Perfect matching pajamas. Perfect everything.   Your life – NOT PERFECT.-Christmas tree - dent where the cat attacked it -Your kids are fighting because – they are awake. (Fight Club) -Turkey is dry again…-Thoughts “How do I return whatever ugly sweater I get as a gift.”   We are chasing perfection… but this world is anything but perfect.   You know the stats… debt, divorce, depression.You've seen the news… We have no idea what the drones are!   We have REAL HARDSHIPS in our life…THIS WEEK, some of you have… Hospital…Job problems… Anxious & freaking out…   Trying to manufacture perfect moments in the middle of an imperfect world is exhausting.   The first Christmas – it wasn't perfect. Not even close.   Luke 2:7 "And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”   Let that sink in.   The most important moment in human history – and He did it in a stable. No place to stay…   Cloths… Swaddling clothes… STRIPS OF CLOTH (No onesie – Baby's First Christmas)   No perfect conditions… but WHAT A MOMENT!   The moment marked… not by what they DID NOT have… but what they did have.   Love made the moment God didn't wait for perfect conditions to show perfect love. He didn't say, "Let me wait until humanity gets its act together." No, He stepped right into our mess. Our chaos. Our imperfection. Perfection did not make the moment… Love made the moment…   Yeah yeah… God's love… but Chris… Easy for God… difficult for people in the real world…   Let's not talk about God for a moment…   Let's talk about Joseph….Mary, Joseph, Jesus   Joseph is engaged to Mary!Life gets complicated – Mary becomes pregnant!   Not what Joseph signed up for…Joseph continues to love Mary. How do we know?He chooses to trust God and to not divorce Mary. Love made the moment…   Joseph has a son that is not technically his…Complicated…Joseph loved Jesus… How do we know?#1 It appears Joseph adopts Jesus. Matthew gives us the lineage of Jesus through his adopted father – Joseph.   #2Do you know Joseph's profession? Carpenter. Same as Jesus' profession.Joseph JesusJoseph loved Jesus enough to share wisdom.Jesus loved Joseph enough to receive wisdom.   What an amazing example for our families.Parents & Kids listen up!LOVE ENOUGH to give wisdom.LOVE ENOUGH to receive wisdom.   Life was NOT PERFECT for Joseph… But Love Made the MomentLove made the moment   So what does this mean for you?   Stop waiting for perfect conditions… Create meaningful moments with Love. Love is what makes the moment.   Complication does not have to derail the significance of the season.   Instead, try these three things: 1. Check your motivation - LOVE    - Before you plan anything this holiday season,

https://youtu.be/MDRGUjj0_bM?si=0hRLL_oO2Jw95gcu Chill Christmas - 3 - Rediscover Simple Fun Chill Christmas Bumper?   Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano TX. My name is Chris Fluitt!   Merry Christmas. Chill Christmas Title   We are in the 3rd week of our message Series – Chill Christmas.   Last week we talked about…   How to Navigate Holiday Chaos - Peace   Rethink Peace – NOT LACK OF WAR -WHOLENESS Jesus is either A PIECE of your life, or…Jesus is THE PEACE of your life. Focus on WHOLENESS   In this series we have lit the candles of HOPE & PEACE.   Now we light the candle of Joy.   Today – Rediscover Simple Fun   The world is awfully complicated.Just this week – The shooter was found! (Luigi Mangione) Health Insurance CEO killed…   Shocking questions… “Is murder ok if we don't like the guy that was killed?”   What will happen this week in the news?IDK, But I bet it is complicated.   Israel, Palestine – complicated.Immigration changes – complicated. Personal life is complicated… Health is complicated… Your career, hopes & dreams…    With all this complication… Merry Christmas?   Can you imagine a world that is not complicated? Can you imagine a world with joy?   (Me) Fisher Price Crazy Combo Horn Set Uncomplicated toy… Plastic, no battery, no app, no monthly subscription   Opened this on Christmas… AWESOME!HOWEVER, I had received this toy months earlier… Not disappointed.   Like receiving the gift all over again. (We) I bet you have a Christmas memory like this…   -Simple-Happy & Fun I bet it also feels distant… long time ago.   Growing up, we've somehow transformed Christmas from a moment of pure wonder to a complex algorithm of expectation, performance, and exhaustion.   Statistics… - 2/3 report major stress. - Spending! Over 1k per person avg. - Police - Domestic disputes spike 35% - Divorce rates increase   We've traded joy for stress & celebration for complication.   If only there was a different way…   Let's go back to the original Christmas story.   In Luke 2 – Shepherds working night shiftBoom – Angel! God's Glory!   Luke 2:10-11 …the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.   Notice something? Joy wasn't complex.   Good news was announced. It CAUSED GREAT JOY.   Joy here is simple.   Life is complex, but Joy is simple   Life for the shepherds was complex…No respect…  oddball profession All of Israel – Tyrannical Roman government   Religion was complex… Different groups believed different things… Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes…   Life is complex… but the good news that causes joy is simple.   …A savior has been born……And He is nearby…   Then more Angels show up… They sing… Wow   Luke 2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” What amazing news!A savior in Bethlehem… not that far away… “Let's go…”   Simple… They hear the message and go to experience it…   Luke 2:16-18 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.   Now they are sharing the message and spreading Joy.   3 lessons of Joy#1 Joy is CAUSED The Angels said the good news will CAUSE great joy to all people.   Joy does not just happen… something causes it.   What causes joy?WHO causes your joy? (TELL THEM) #2 Joy is PRESENCE, not Presents   The presence of a savior…   When the angel announced Jesus's birth, it wasn't about: - Perfect decorations - Expensive gifts - Flawless family photos - Instagram-worthy moments   We need to value PRESENCE. -The presence of the Savior.-The presence of our family and friends.   Gifts are good… people are better.

https://youtu.be/zf410_hZWe8?si=WJ-KX3X6QY9ht6tm Chill Christmas - 2 - Navigating Holiday Chaos Chill Christmas Bumper?   Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt!   Merry Christmas! Chill Christmas Title   We are in the 2nd week of our message Series – Chill Christmas.   Last week we told you…   DO NOT breathe life into traditions…Choose traditions that breathe life into you.   We talked about the hope that lights up dark times.   Today I want to talk to you about Navigating Holiday Chaos.   Navigating Holiday Chaos   Is your schedule chaotic?Thank you for being here today…   Which picture does your family look like?Family Picture   Which picture do you feel like?   Is this a peaceful time? …and why not?World: Constantly at war.In 2024 -56 ongoing national conflicts.-involving 92 nations.Last year- 162,000 war deathsThis year's numbers will be similar. Even stable democratic nations like South Korea are lacking peace. This week that National government experienced a coup, and declared martial law.   Here in the US we are not at peace.No “weapons live” active war… but lacking peace.   -Political divide (Holiday withdraw)-Relationship struggles -$$$ - “The average American is expected to spend $1,778 per person.” (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/holiday-spending-forecast/)-Youth – School & social media – NO ONE FITS IN – BULLY ONE ANOTHER. -Mental & physical health   Family Picture Chances are good that you are not the peaceful family in this picture…   Chances are you are stressed out, burned out, and feeling left out.   And yet the Bible says this about the Christmas season…   Luke 2:1413 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”   Other translations “Peace on Earth, Good will to men.”   Christmas should be marked with Peace… but what exactly does that mean?   Does peace mean…-No chaos?-No more wars?-No more $$ problems? -No more relationship struggles?   PEACE does not mean any of this. News to you?  Rethink Peace  At the Birth of Jesus the Angel's declared “PEACE ON EARTH…”  BUT the the world Jesus was born into was not perfect… but broken.  There was still chaos……darkness…wars…murder & death…poverty…relationship issues  Let's rethink peace.Peace does NOT mean problem free   Even though the Light of Jesus came… still evil and darkness. Jesus was born in the middle of a war torn nation, under the occupation of a brutal empire called Rome.Jesus was born, and a self made “king” Herod started killing all the young boys in order to protect his power.   Jesus was born, and yet still poverty was around… and racism… and prejudice… and sexism…   Jesus was born and his mother Mary was still thought of scandalously because of the miraculous birth.   Let's rethink peace. You can have problems and still have peace.   This is why the angel declared peace in the middle of chaos.     What is peace?How do you define it?What if our definition is differently from God's definition?   Shalom (šālôm) - Completeness   Peace is most often used to convey Completeness… wholeness… not lacking…   That is probably a different definition for us.That is likely the definition we need.   Isaiah 9:6: 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.  When we call Jesus our PRINCE OF PEACE… we are saying that He is the ruler, the authority, the leader… that makes us whole and complete.   This season is not PEACEFUL because we are always looking for one more thing…   Imagine if we could say and truly mean that we have EVERYTHING WE NEED. That would be peaceful. Not chaotic.   This is why Jesus came. He came to provide EVERYTHING you need. His life and example showed that He was always providing everything people needed.

https://youtu.be/0JpHpaZ24f0?si=m1MlM_P2mwEXrvyM Chill Christmas - 1 - How to Light Up Dark Times   Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano TX. My name is Chris Fluitt!   Merry Christmas!   Have you ever felt like the holiday season was more stressful than joyful?   Our traditions ought to serve us…But we may feel like our traditions have become a burden.   The tree… the good/the bad The gifts… The perfect day… The full schedule…   Christmas traditions stressing you?Make new traditions. DO NOT breathe life into traditions…Choose traditions that breathe life into you.   Inventory your Christmas traditions this season.   Chill Christmas Title   Our Message series is called…   Chill Christmas – Crafting your holiday vibes.   Series Outline Dec 8 - Navigating Holiday Chaos  Crazy time of the year – Need PEACE Dec 15 - Rediscover Simple Fun  NOT fun – Rediscover the Joy Dec 22 - How to make a moment Left with wrapping paper trash and  empty feelings? Better option. Filled with Love. Today – How to Light Up Dark Times     We live in dark times.   World stage - World War III US – Anxiety epidemic.20% experienced anxiety disorder this year.…Female more likely…younger more likely (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder) Anxiety Reasons?-Disconnection-Social pressure-Uncertainty-Financial stress -Poor habits (Sleep habits) Compare your Christmas Traditions to this list…Is it possible we are…-less connected to family, friends, and God?-Social pressure of the perfect… Decor, Instagram Pics-Social pressure of the busy… FULL CALENDAR-Less certain… new year… many are weighing divorce. (January #1 divorce month)-$$$ Stress – pressure to provide = debt   -Holidays kill diets.  Poor sleep       Review… This Christmas is…WW3 FearsAnxiety on steroids   Are we even enjoying the season?Is the season amplifying our struggle   Can you relate? The Ideal vs The Real What is ideal? Images of perfect familyLavish gifts (Car with bow, Jewelry) Non-stop celebration   What is reality? Crazy kids out of schoolPacked stores and bad trafficLoneliness – loss of loved one The gap between IDEAL & REAL leaves us feeling hopeless and lost in the dark. God wants us to know something…   The very first Christmas wasn't ideal. Anxiety Reasons? THE 1ST CHRISTMAS-Disconnection-Social pressure-Uncertainty-Financial stress -Poor habits (Sleep habits)   Not a mistake… but prophecy… Isaiah prophesied.Isaiah 9:6 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.   We read and sing this verse often… Check out four verses earlier…Isaiah 9:2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.   Dark times do not ruin Christmas.It is because of Dark Times we need a Christmas!   (Christ Mass – a Jesus celebration)   People walking in darkness have seen what? A new iPad?A fancy tree?No! The people walking in darkness saw A GREAT LIGHT.ONLY ONE EVENT could fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah.   Only the birth of God's Son Jesus… the light of the world could push back on the darkness. One of Jesus' disciples described Jesus like this…John 1:4-5 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness…   John refers to Jesus as a light in darkness.   Where did John get this description??From Jesus Himself!   John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."   Do you believe Jesus is the light that shines in dark times?   If so… then why wouldn't you focus on Jesus to light up your dark times?   Leave it to silly humans…We take a season about Jesus… and spend all our time and energy anxiously doing this…   Anxiety Reasons?-Disconnection-Social pressure-Uncertainty-Financial stress -Poor habits (Sleep habits)  

https://youtu.be/gZ5DL5HHkwc?si=PLu6I1YAVAVIpybX   What's Right with You - 4 - Bring Out the Best in Others **WHAT'S RIGHT WITH YOU Bumper   Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx. My name is Chris Fluitt!   We are in the Good News Business.   What's right with you (Title) Not – What's wrong with you.   Last week we challenged you to achieve expert level success. -Stop trying be decent at everything and become exceptional at one thing.   Today – Bring out the best in others.   I used to think leadership was all about me. -My strengths, my talents, my purpose, my success… -As a pastor – my sermon…I'd work tirelessly to improve myself, thinking that was the key to success.   I did improve… but was that really success?I couldn't help but feel I was missing something.--   How many of us have felt that way?   What does that look like for you?Focused on…Your… career, skills, project, promotion, business, health… We improve… but still it feels like we may be missing something.   Something we weren't told about in college, seminary, business school…   Self-improvement is valuable, but not enough…   So what is missing?     Jesus shows us…Think about the leadership of Jesus.   Jesus does NOT just put his talents, strengths, and gifts on showcase.   Jesus focuses on the gifts and growth of others, and puts them on display.   "I'm just trying to figure out my own life. How am I supposed to worry about others?" Or perhaps you've felt inadequate… “Chris, I am not leadership material…”As followers of Jesus, we're all called to be leaders.True leadership isn't just showcasing our growing own talents - it's about recognizing and nurturing the gifts in others.   Jesus examples:   Matthew 4:19 - “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” John 1:42 - And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter/rock).   Jesus sees NEW & TRUE potential in others. Not just fishermen… I see you influencing people.That would be like Jesus telling you… I don't just see you in your current job… I see you in a promoted position.   Not just Simon… a new name – Peter.That would be like Jesus telling you…I don't define you by what others have called you… I have a new identity for you.   Jesus sees New & True potential in us.   We should be more like Jesus.   Do we see New & True potential in others?   Followers of Jesus, we should see others differently.   A great story in the book of Acts… Barnabas   Barnabas known for…-Loving God.-Generous giver-Encourager (name - son of encouragement) Perhaps Baranas' most important accomplishment is what happens in Acts 9…   In Acts 9… There was a murderer… did bad things… BUT THIS MURDERER had found the grace of Jesus.   The Church, the people, the leaders… did not trust this new convert because of his past.   Acts 9:26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.  Acts 9:27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles.   Who was this guy Barnabas brought?Paul   -Paul wrote 13 books in your Bible.-Paul carried the Gospel – new nations people groups   We would have missed out… People were NOT AWARE of the NEW & TRUE potential… but Barnabas was aware.   Are we aware?Here is an AWARENESS TEST   How many counted the correct amount…?How many missed the moonwalking bear?   How can miss something so obvious?We are distracted…   Do we see New & True potential in others?   What is it that distracts us? What is our big dancing bear that we may not be focused on?   What is the obvious thing that we are missing?   Discipleship – helping others realize their NEW & TRUE potential. Discipleship is a concept from Jesus. It works in both sacred and secular contexts… so listen up.   Discipleship is our dancing bear… somehow we are missing it.   Jesus multiple times commands his followers to MAKE DISCIPLES.  

https://youtu.be/sVFaWrHLtyw?si=zxAQk-XypEtl7qPA What's Right with You - 3 - Expert Level Success **WHAT'S RIGHT WITH YOU Bumper   Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano TX. My name is Chris Fluitt!   We are in the Good News Business.   What's right with you Not – What's wrong with you.   Last week we looked at Timmy's report card and decided to shift our focus from weakness to strength.   Today – Expert Level Success   Me: You know, for years I thought success was about being good at everything… Read self-help books Attend seminarsWatch every TED talk… Improve…   It was exhausting. I was spreading myself thin, trying to be a jack-of-all-trades… but a master of none.Lightbulb moment - I was so busy trying to be decent at everything, I wasn't giving myself the chance to be exceptional at anything.   It was like I was trying to play every instrument in the orchestra instead of mastering the one I was meant to play.   WE: I bet you can relate. We live in a world obsessed with success.   Social media bombards us with highlight reels of people's lives. We're constantly comparing ourselves, wondering why we're not as successful as the next person.   They are good at… cooking – I'll try to be like that.home keeping –  Style & fitness – Automotive repair – A decent man would be able fix up his car! Under-water basketweaving – I'd like to give that a shot. 77% of millennials (25 to 39-year-olds) 83% of Gen Z (16 to 24-year-olds) feel pressure to reach traditional life milestones earlier than previous generations.   This is the thought at work… I have to be good at all the things…I have to accomplish all the things…If I don't, I am unhappy, unfulfilled, a failure… It's exhausting! But what if I told you… The key to success isn't about fixing what's wrong with you, but maximizing what's right with you?   Success is not become better at all the things…Success is becoming an expert at the unique strengths God has invested in you.   GOD: Let's look at a success story from the Bible – Joseph.   JosephFancy Coat and Big Dreams   Son of Israel/Jacob Gift from his Dad - coat of many colors. Gift from God – Spiritual Dreams & AdministrationHis gifts did not make him popular with his brothers. In fact, it landed him in a pit and then sold into slavery.   Pit   God's plan for us is sometimes scary.   Joseph is sold into slavery to a man named Potiphar.   Pit -> Potiphar   God's gifting is still at work.Potiphar notices… and puts Joseph in charge of his household. (Genesis 39:4)   Administrative gifting. Manages the house.   BUT Potiphar's wife accuses Joseph of sexual assault- wrongfully by the way. Pit -> Potiphar -> Prison   God's plan for us is sometimes scary.   But God's gifting is still at work.   The warden of the Prison notices… puts Joseph in charge of managing the prison. (Genesis 39:22)   In the prison Joseph gets better at his gifts…He went from managing a household to managing an entire prison organization.He went from having dreams to interpreting the dreams of others. (The cupbearer and baker – Genesis 40)   No matter the hardship… his gifting causes Joseph to rise.   Your gifts still work in hard times   This is a hard time… what should I do?USE YOUR GIFTS!The economy is rough… what should I do? USE YOUR GIFTS!My new boss hates me… what should I do?USE YOUR GIFTS!I don't fit in at school… what should I do?USE YOUR GIFTS!   Use your gifts, and become an expert at your gift.   – Pharaoh has a dream. None of Pharaoh's wisemen and magicians can Genesis 41 interpret the dream…   The cupbearer says… I know a guy named Joseph. Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams. Not just give a vague interpretation; he provides a detailed analysis and a strategic plan.   This plan will cause… Pharaoh to grow to be the wealthiest person in the world. Solve a regional disaster of a famine. Save countless lives – including the lives of his brothers who threw him into a pit!   Joseph does not return to the prison…  

https://youtu.be/9QfYVexn9Dw?si=W7_JU2FsEme2yUFF What's Right with You - 2 - Shift From Weakness to Strength **WHAT'S RIGHT WITH YOU Bumper   Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano, TX. My name is Chris Fluitt!   We are in the Good News Business.   What's right with you (Title) Not – What's wrong with you.   Studies show… People who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged in their jobs and three times more likely to report having an excellent quality of life.   God uniquely created you to be different and to make a difference.   Today – Shift from Weakness to Strength We must KNOW our strengths… We must FOCUS on strengths…   See strength.Not focus on flaws.   Timmy's Report Card What subject will we encourage Timmy to focus on?   Science – Timmy almost failed. We must spend more time on science.   English – A little more work and you will raise that to an “A.”   Teachers and parents are focused on the flaws…   Timmy learns to focus on flaws.   What about Timmy's strengths? Our education system is not focused on increasing strength, but mitigating weakness.   What about your report card…? How many of you are focused on your weaknesses? …feel like you're just not good enough?   The Weakness Trap – Fix Focus   Our culture - obsessed with fixing what's broken.   Self-help industry - $10 billion market in the U.S. alone. Advertisements bombard us - the message, how we need to improve, change, and fix ourselves.   -Cover blemishes with this makeup…-Wear this automatic AB BUILDER EXTREME belt… turn your gut into extreme abs. -Hey loser – you have this problem… but our product. On the job – are you focused on strength or weakness?   Think of your last staff meeting…  It is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease…The friction is where our attention and resource is focused.   What keeps you up at night? Thinking about weakness or strength?   In the family home – Mom and Dad what was your last conversation about? Probably a problem…   Here's the thing: Jesus never told us to obsess over our weaknesses.   Matthew 25 “Parable of the Talents.”   Talent (Greek - talanton) - Worth about 20 years of a day laborer's wage.   A master gives 3 servants talanton – bags of money.   Matthew 25:15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.   Why? The master wanted them to invest and increase. Fruitful & multiply.   How did the master decide who to give what?   “Each according to his ability.” The decision was made according to STRENGTHS… not weakness.   What can we learn from this?   The master (God/Jesus) gave each according to ability.   -EACH: each one of us has received treasure from God.   -God distributes - Not everyone receives the same amount, and that is okay.   -God focuses on your strengths and “hires” you to work your strengths.   -God invests in your strengths and expects increase.   The servant with 5 talent bags of money – doubled the investment. They used their strengths to increase.   The servant with 2 talent bags of money – doubled the investment. They used their strengths to increase.   BUT the servant with 1 talent bag of money – buried the talent bag of money in the ground.   What does God think of us this?   Verse 26: “You wicked and lazy servant!”   God knew the ABILITY of this servant…The Servant did not use their ability.The Servant focused on weakness…   Are you using your ability? Are you burying your strengths?Are you focused on your weakness?   Strength Shift   God knows your abilities.He created your abilities.  Your abilities are your God-given design.   Psalm 139:14: I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;     your works are wonderful,     I know that full well.   You are wonderfully made, right now. NOT… -when you get stronger. -when you fix your flaws. -when you accomplish some metric.   RIGHT NOW!   It is praise to God when you use your God-given strengths.