The Journey News

Restore Part 5: Restoring from within

2012-02-29T08:16:00.000-08:00

Big Idea: You and I are supposed to be restorers

Restorers: someone who envisions the world as it was meant to be and works towards that vision partnering with God.

· It’s not all going to be restore before God comes back, that is when it will be completely restore.

Quiz

· 1-9 with one question: four things that you can do to be a restorer?

Four Possible four answers

o Answer #6: be willing to believe broken parts of your life and this world can be restored

o Answer #7: don’t separate into Christian subcultures

o Answer #8: Instead of being offended by culture, but be provoked by it in a healthily way.

o Answer #9: Thinking of your vocation not as a barrier on God’s call on your life but as an opportunity.

Five Things

· We have to pay attention to and have to do before we touch 6-9

Gabe Lyons, “no matter how progressive your approach is to your faith, we are all susceptible to stumbling.” There are things that cause us to get off track and if we assume we are ready to go into the grittiest of places and we are immune to falling, then we are blind and we are lost. Everybody is susceptible to temptations and the appealing nature to what the world has to offer but as restorers and we’re not disciplined in that approached we risk sacrificing the greater work that God may want to accomplish though us.

Mesillat Yeshiram, path of the just (Jewish pub)

· If a man is allured by the things of this world and is estranged to his creator, it is not he alone who is corrupted but the whole world is corrupted with him.

Romans 12:1-2

Things to allow us to stay anchored/ stay grounded to God.

· Read and enjoy the bible

o When was the last you woke and was excited to dive into scripture for the day?

o How am I approaching the word of God as a person?

o How do I handle it?

o What is it about scripture that is going to get your excited about it again.

o Tips to do this

§ Don’t be afraid to read/ compare different translations.

§ 2 Timothy 3:16

· Stop Being Productive

o How many of you have regretted not getting everything done this week?

o Move into our lives the idea of the Sabbath

o Moved with intention with replenish our soul so we the energy to finish.

o Having sometime , a day, half a day, or significant time where you are not required to be your job or you.

· Fast for Simplicity

o Reminds us of our dependence on God

o Confirming that we need more God and less of the other stuff.

· Be Fully Present

o Being embodied

o We become divided people

o To be fully present in conversation and life

· Prayer

o Gabe Lyones, “Prayer should humble us and posture us, puts us in the posture of understanding any power we have to get by in life comes from our connection with God. And the work he is doing through the spirit in our live

o 1 these 5:17 never stop praying

o Inviting God into how you are living.

o Story of Daniel 1:11-17

§ If it worked he would be in a better position to show how to live.

§ Counted on his faith incepting with God’s faithfulness.

When we practice these five things then we have a better chance of intercepting with God’s faithfulness.

Restore Part 3: Moving Beyond Offended

2012-02-02T09:41:00.001-08:00

Main Question

When a follower of Christ engages the culture, how are they suppose to respond when they are confronted with a belief systems and world views that are contrary to their own?

Most Christians default reaction is to be _____________________

When comforted with the corruption of our world Christians ought to be _______________ not offended.

Provoked vs. Offended

Offended people tend to focus on registering their complaint

Vs.

Provoked people tend to take action

Offended people tend to point their finger at others and talk about how awful everything is and but to wait for someone else to take action.

Vs.

Provoked people looks for way to address the issue themselves

Those who are offended tend to focus on the __________________
Vs.
Those who are provokes tend to focus on the __________________

Sermon Passage: Acts 17:16-23; 32-34

Our Offense

-We can only be offended only by those we do not love.

-Those who we are unwilling to love.

-Those who we keep at a distance and continue to view as the enemy.

-Those we have depersonalized someway.

Final Point

__________________ is based not on offense at our sin, but is a demonstration of his paradoxon for us and his action towards are sins

Engaging Your Culture

2012-01-28T21:27:00.000-08:00

Student Notes

Next Step

· We have to ________________ with the culture.

Two way Christians have interacted with the culture that differed form Jesus

1: ________________

2: ________________

How Jesus did it?

Jesus ______________ the culture (Luke 19)

This kind of story is very typical for Jesus

§ Luke 7: the prostitute (anoints his feet)

§ Luke 10: Samaritan (cast as the hero)

§ Luke 15: Young brother who goes out and waste his life (fathers love)

Contagious _____________________

o Jesus discloses not one instance of fearing contamination whether moral or ritual by associating with the wicked or with the impure. Whether He believes that his purity will rub off on them and he hopes that His magnetite toward them would heed them toward his call to discipleship

Order of Grace

1^st ___________________

2^nd ___________________

Final Point

Two Action Points

o You’ve got to __________________ God’s grace, before you can experience his restoration in your life

o You’ve got to __________ with grace if you want to see restoration in the world around you.

Restore Part 1: A World Re-imagine

2012-01-28T21:07:00.000-08:00

Student Notes

Main Question

· Where would you say that the message of the gospel begins?

The message of the gospel begins with the _________________ of the garden

· Genesis 1:3-4,9-10,14-15,25,27

God is on mission in the world to take all that is _____________ and _____________ and _____________ and restore it.

To see the finished product of God’s work then you go to the ___________

Revelation 21:4-5

4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

God’s restoration can begin ___________

Luke 4:18-19,21

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,  to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus invites us to ____________ Him in the restoring work

What does it involved?

It involved looking at this world that has been damages and broken by sin and being able to _____________________it.

One of the things Satan wants to robbed us of is your ______________ to look at the world around you and to dare imagine it

Final Question

· Is there some area of your life that you have _______________

re-imaging?

Not A Fan Week 6: Is Jesus Enough?

2012-01-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

Series Verse

Luke 9:23, and it reads, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Main Question: Are you a fan or a follower of Jesus?

Sermon passages John 6:26-27; 35

1) When Jesus is the Only Thing on the Menu, You Find Out if He’s the One You Were Really hungry For. (John 6:66-67)

2) When You Really know Jesus as Lord, You Don’t Want to leave Him.

3) We Don’t Know the Way We wish , So We Don’t Believe the Way We should .

4) We Don’t Know the day , But We Know His name

Final Point

Are you a fan or are you a follower of Jesus?

Not a Fan

2011-11-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

not a fan. Whether Jesus was speaking to large crowds or small group, He made sure everyone was clear on what it meant to follow Him. As pastors, we are called to do the same. Jesus is NOT looking for fans...He's looking for followers.

Followers who understand that...
There is no forgiveness without repentance.
There is no salvation without surrender.
There is no life without death.
There is no believing without following.

For the first time our sunday morning service will directly impact the wednesday night study. We are being purposeful in the fact that not only the adults but the youth will grasp this concept of not being just a fan, but that there is so much for us and that we are called to be followers of Christ.

So come and join us Sunday mornings at 10:00 am as we explore what the bible says about being a true follower of Christ and then come back on Wednesday nights at 7:00 pm as we take it a little deeper and really strive after being a follower of God.

Rise of the Absalom Spirit

2011-10-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

Main Passage: 2 Samuel 15

Introduction

Spiritual power ARE at work

In America
In the Church
In our own life

Absalom--History

Genealogy
Murder
Revolt--2 Sam 15:1-6
Death

Characteristics of an Absalom Spirit

Origin in the House of the King
Entitlement Mentality
False promises with an agenda
Rebellion
Division
Death

The Answer--The Love of the King

The Love of THE King would have given Absalom anything...
The Love THE King will restore our nation...
The Love of THE King will revive the church...

Conclusions--

Do you see any of the spirit of Absalom at work in your life?
Do you sense the power of that spirit influencing your view on life right now?
Are you controlled by a sense of entitlement?
Ask God to change your heart!!

Financial Faker

2011-10-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

Key Verse:

One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be

poor, yet has great wealth. Proverbs 13:7

I am cool because I have…

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Xbox, cable, car, clothes—can’t pay cc/afford 2 eat

· Play now… pay later…

· Great Depression never did

o Baby boomers adopted this

Under 30 cashed in retirement. 70% have 0 cash reserve.

Where are you going on your honeymoon?

· Exotic locations and charged it and start off on debt.

o Start off the marriage in bondage

· Paid for Honeymoon without debt

o Planned for

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The Lie:

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served

created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised.

Rom 1:25

· Money is the #1 competitor for our hearts!

· "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matt 6:24

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MONEY AND THINGS PROMISE

1) HAPPINESS

Money and things doesn’t buy happiness

· We believe this intellectually

· But not emotional

Make your life a little better

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2) SIGNIFICANCE

Drive up in a new car… clunker, Right jeans, school, neighborhood

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3) SECURITY

Trade health for more, Time w/kids for more. How much more? Little

God can provide! Happiness, Significance, Security

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We have a spiritual problem… not a financial problem.

· Mask… Anxiety, Worry, Tension, Fear, Guilt

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DROP THE MASK AND EXPOSE THE TRUTH

• WE TRUST MONEY FOR HAPPINESS BECAUSE WE

DON’T KNOW WHAT WE HAVE IN CHRIST.

• WE TRUST MONEY TO MAKE US SIGNIFICANT

BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW WHO WE ARE IN

CHRIST.

• WE BELIEVE MONEY WILL MAKE US SECURE

BECAUSE WE TRUST IN MONEY AND NOT IN

CHRIST.

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Defenses: My parents didn’t teach me, My job didn’t pay me enough,

Economy’s bad, Spouse spent too much, Can’t help that kids’ needed

braces, my car broke down. Not as bad as most… Nice things.

Actions reveal what we really believe!

Actions say we love and trust and worship things more than God!

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Behavior follows Belief

· When we put our belief in Christ

When we change what we believe—change how we behave.

TRUTH

• TRUE HAPPINESS, SIGNIFICANCE AND SECURITY

ARE FOUND IN CHRIST ALONE.

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of

Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the

surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake

I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ…

Phil 3:7-8

Dropping the mask and tell the truth…

Money and things will never fulfill me.

Say it over & over & over & over & over again until you believe it.

…A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

Luke 12:15

Repeat with me…

I am not what I have. I am not what I wear.

I am not where I live. I am not what I drive.

I am who God says I am.

16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.

17 Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf

with hatred. Prov 15:16-17

Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be

somebody and have no food. Prov 12:9

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and

godliness… 2 Peter 1:3

If a fish flops on the beach would it be happy?

If you give the fish a big wad of cast is he happy?

If you give a fish a big fish condo is he happy?

If you give a fish a carona beer and a play fish mag will he be happy?

Why is the fish not happy, because he was created for the ocean not the beach.

-Max Lucado (retold by C. G)

Overcome the seductive lie of what the world tell.

Get out of debt, get your life on track, give, and enjoy nice things.

Where's Waldo?

2011-10-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

HIDING YOUR SIN

AFTER YOU SIN, YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES

CONCEAL YOUR SINS.

CONFESS YOUR SINS.

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army…But David remained in Jerusalem. ²One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,³ and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"⁴ Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her...Then she went back home. ⁵ The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant." 2 Samuel 11:1-5

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

Luke 8:17

… you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23

For the story of Nathan confronting David, see 2 Samuel 12:1-14

Nathan Rebukes David

2 Samuel 12:1 The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this must die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

11 “This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the LORD, the son born to you will die.”

WHAT ARE YOU COVERING UP?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TWO TYPES OF CONFESSION

CONFESS TO GOD FOR FORGIVENESS.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

²Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin...¹⁰Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:1-2, 10-12

CONFESS TO PEOPLE FOR HEALING.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed… James 5:16

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3

Where's Waldo?

2011-10-17T11:43:00.001-07:00

HIDING YOUR SIN

AFTER YOU SIN, YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES

CONCEAL YOUR SINS.

CONFESS YOUR SINS.

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

Luke 8:17

… you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23

For the story of Nathan confronting David, see 2 Samuel 12:1-14

Nathan Rebukes David

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the LORD, the son born to you will die.”

WHAT ARE YOU COVERING UP?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TWO TYPES OF CONFESSION

CONFESS TO GOD FOR FORGIVENESS.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:1-2, 10-12

CONFESS TO PEOPLE FOR HEALING.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed… James 5:16

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3

Man in the Mirror

2011-10-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

A Look at: SELF DECEPTION

· People who tell a lie so many times that we start to believe the lie is true

· How many of you are self-deceived

· How many of you know someone who is self-deceived

THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW, DON’T KNOW THEY DON’T KNOW.

TWO TRUTHS OF THE SELF DECEIVED

1) THE LONGER WE VIEW OURSELVES THROUGH A DISTORTED LENS THE MORE LIKELY WE ARE TO BELIEVE A DISTORTED TRUTH.

· David speaking about this: For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. 3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. Psalm 36:2-3

· If we cannot detect our sin then we live in ways that destroy us and those around us. (gossip, rude, pride

2) OFTEN THE MORE CONVINCED YOU ARE YOU’RE RIGHT THE MORE LIKELY YOU ARE WRONG.

· Great example: the Pharisees

o Thought they were all right and everyone else was wrong.

· Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will." 34 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered," this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." 35 But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you…" Matthew 26:33-35

o Addictions and people reactions to this

o Please listen for yourself

THREE STEPS TO LIVE IN TRUTH

1) PRAY

Is there anything in me that is true that I don’t see as truth?

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

Challenge: Pray this for the next 7 days

2) LISTEN

He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. 32 He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. Proverbs 15:31-32

If more than one person who loves you is telling you that you have a problem with something you need to listen.

What is God or a loved one trying to tell you?

3) CHANGE

When God shows you!

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

Today is the day to take the mask off, no matter what you are dealing with (religious, cutting, addiction to cell phone, sexual sin, perfect marriage)

· A lot of times we are afraid to take the mask off because we are afraid of what the truth is.

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:3

· Remove the lies and embrace the truth of Christ.

Journeymen October Update!

2011-10-03T10:06:00.001-07:00

Hey guys,
We've have had a couple of good planning meetings so far and I'm excited about the things we have going on. Here's an update:

Month of October - Journeymen Food Drive
                            Bring non-perishable food items each Sunday this month
                            We will deliver them October 29th @ 10:00AM after our next meeting

October 8th - Courageous - Hollywood 10 Theaters - 1:30PM
                    We will be meeting as a group to watch the movie Courageous
                    Bring your friends, your dads, your sons, your brothers.....
                    See the link below.


http://www.courageousthemovie.com/

January 21st 2012 - Mens Workshop - 6-8PM - Word of Life Church
                             Speaker will be Joe Ehrmann - former defensive lineman for the Baltimore Colts
                             More on this later - Watch youtube video below

http://youtu.be/JefNqedPoTE

October 29th - Next meeting 9:00 at Perkins

As you can see we already have some cool things going on. Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be interested in joining us in any of these events. Also, bring someone to the next meeting for food and fellowship.

Hiding From God

2011-10-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

*Link to listen to this message online at the bottom of this post*

The Very First Masquerade

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Gen 2:24

shame: buwsh (boosh); to be ashamed; to be disappointed, to be confused, to become dry.

Not ashamed. Not disappointed. Not confused. Not relationally dry. Absent of everything that separates.

· No sin… No shame… No games… No masks

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Serpent tempted… She gave some to her husband

· “Did God really say…”

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Gen 3:7

· I can’t bring the real me

· I am not good enough

· I am unworthy

· After what I have done I can’t let you see the real me

o This was the first instance of hypocrites

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Jesus was hardest on hypocrites

hypocrite: hupokrites (hoop-ok-ree-tace'); an actor playing a role, someone wearing a mask to misrepresent reality.

SATAN’S SHAME GAME

· You experience something deeply painful or sinful.

· You connect what happened with who you are.

· You believe the only way to be safe is to hide.

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8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Gen 3:8

· “Hid from God”

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9 But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." Gen 3:9-10

· “Where are You?”

· I was afraid because I was naked so I hid.

o I felt vulnerable

o I knew I was imperfect

o I did feel good enough

o If you knew what I done you wouldn’t love me

§ How could God love me

ú Afraid because I sinned

§ Pastor’s Mystique

ú People want to believe you are a normal regular person, but when you are they can’t handle it.

ú “Can’t believe a man of God did that!”

ú Have to guard

· You learn to fake it

· If you are struggling

· Have marriage issues

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WHERE ARE YOU WITH GOD?

(Lowest) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (Highest)

High Rating

· Close, intimate. Word is a priority. Care about what he cares about. Heart breaks for the lost. Serving passionately in his church. Trusting him in your finances. Person of deep and committed prayer.

Low Rating

· Pretending. In church today. Ignored God all week.

· Call it what it is. You’re spiritually posing.

· That is just some sins I am going to live with

· Personal worship

o Who has time for that

Be Honest

· God already knows

· I haven’t spent time with God in a long time

· I am too busy (still believe) just life has gotten in the way.

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Drop the mask

· Talk about it with the person next to you.

· Why you are there

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“You cannot do what all God wants you to do wearing a stupid mask”- Craig G.

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. Gen 3:21

· Killed an innocent animal to cover their sin

· For us today: Only covering… clothed with Christ

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Listen Online: Click Here

Heroes Chapter 5: Roadblock

2011-09-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

“We all have a need for a hero in our lives”

Looking at the life of Peter

Early Look at Peter:

· Matthew 4:18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

o Peter was without a doubt willing to drop everything to follow Jesus. (verse 20)

o The fact that he was a fisherman shows that he was a hard worker and one who was committed.

· Jesus request was simple as was the reward for his request.

o “Come with me and you will change other people’s lives”

o This showed that Peter didn’t need much to go on, he just wanted to make a difference.

The Training of Peter

· He was with Jesus for the healings, the resurrections, the teachings, the miracles.

o He was part of making a differences.

§ Jesus held true to his promise?

ú Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

· One test: Who do you say I am

Matthew 16: ¹³When Jesus had come to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴They said, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”

¹⁷Then Jesus said to him, “How blessed are you, Simon, son of John!For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven has. ¹⁸I tell you that you are Peter,and it is on this rockthat I will build my church, and the forces of hellwill not overpower it. ¹⁹I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibitedin heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permittedin heaven.”

²⁰Then he strictly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

o After this moment of God-Given “brilliance” I am sure Peter had thought that he had arrived.

o How many times in our life that we get one thing right and we think that we are all that?

o The problem was that he was still in training mode and had the zeal but not the understanding.

The Fall of Peter

· After all that Peter had witness and learned he still in a moment he lost his strength.

o For a fisherman (one of the toughest professions of his time) you didn’t admit defeat or have weak moments

§ If you had a weak moment on the water then that meant death. In this case he has a weak moment on land and it can a different type death.

Matthew 26:⁶⁹Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”

ú He was as close as he could be to Christ

ú One Question to consider, “Why was he not right next to Christ or fighting? Just earlier that night he was cutting people’s ears off

⁷⁰But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”

⁷¹And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

ú At this point he was trying to disassociate himself with Jesus

ú In life there are times that people know that we walk with Christ, but we try to disassociate our self from him, even amidst of their accusations of our involvement with Him.

⁷²But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”

ú The ironic part is that with an oath Peter decided to follow Christ and now with an oath he denies Him.

⁷³And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”

ú When we follow Christ from sometime and are close with Him, our live starts to look different and people take notice of that and it will give you away every time.

⁷⁴Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”

ú At this point his “old man” came back out to play!

Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.

ú As many of us do when we realized that we have let down the very one you believed in us the most.

· All of these events took place in a relatively very short amount of time, which sent Peter to his darkest time since making the decision to follow Christ.

o How many times do we make haste decisions and choice and when we stop to realize what we have done it is took late to take it back?

§ Most of the time the hardest person on you is you!

“I Will Make You A Fisher of Men”

· Now here is the hardest part!

o When we fall to our dark time what do we do?

§ You can choose to sit in the despair, darkness, the grief and let that define you.

§ We can go back to what we were doing

John 21:1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

· Or we can come broken to the one who can put us back together and let that define our Future.

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

· Here are two major traits of a hero

o #1 Peter: We can admit our mistake and go back to the one for forgiveness

o #2 Jesus: When someone wrongs us we are willing to forgive.

Final Point:

· Peter had to experience redemption to preach redemption.

o When we hit a spiritual roadblock we have to make the hero choice and go through it!

Chapter 2: "Here Comes Our Hero"

2011-09-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

“We all have a need for a hero in our lives”

Philippians 3 (NIV)

¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

What is a Hero

Webster: an outstanding warrior or soldier c : a person admired for achievements and qualities d : one that shows great courage

Before He Started His Ministry

The Beginnings

· His Childhood

⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. (NIV)

Traits of this Boy

Luke 2

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.

Trait 1: Leave the comfort of those around you to do what God has called Him to do. (Verse 43)

Matt 8 ¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. ¹⁹ Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

²⁰ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

²¹ Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

Trait 2: Listened and Asked (Verse 46)

Too many times we are quick to talk and slow to listen

⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Trait 3: Boldness (Verse 49)

Do not wavier on what God has called you to do

Trait 4: Grew in wisdom & stature (Verse 52)

When we know everything, then we are dead.

Why ask kids we can be fearless but as we grow we regress, where our Hero did the complete opposite?

· Because we don’t like rejection

They are not rejecting you!

· Luke 10¹⁶ “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

Heroes Chapter 1

2011-08-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

“We all have a need for a hero in our lives”

Hero by Skillet:

I'm just a step away

I'm just a breath away

Losing my faith today

Falling off the edge today

I am just a man

Not superhuman

I'm not superhuman

Someone save me from the hate

It's just another war

Just another family torn

Falling from my faith today

Just a step from the edge

Just another day in the world we live

I need a hero to save me now

I need a hero, save me now

I need a hero to save my life

A hero will save me just in time

I've gotta fight today

To live another day

Speaking my mind today

My voice will be heard today

I've gotta make a stand

But I am just a man

I'm not superhuman

My voice will be heard today

It's just another war

Just another family torn

My voice will be heard today

It's just another kill

The countdown begins to destroy ourselves

Who's gonna fight for what's right?

Who's gonna help us survive?

We're in the fight of our lives

And we're not ready to die

Who's gonna fight for the weak?

Who's gonna make 'em believe?

I've got a hero, I've got a hero

Living in me

I'm gonna fight for what's right

Today I'm speaking my mind

And if it kills me tonight

I will be ready to die

A hero's not afraid to give his life

A hero's gonna save me just in time

Philippians 3 (NIV)

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

What is a Hero

Webster:

*an outstanding warrior or soldier

*a person admired for achievements and qualities

*one that shows great courage

Savior: one that saves from danger or destruction

Traits of a Hero:

Sacrifice

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

Determination, Loyalty, Courage, Dedication, Valor, Selfless, Conviction, Focused, Perseverance, Bravery

Heroes of the Bible (Hebrew 11)

Able

⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

Enoch

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”^[^a^] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Noah

⁷ By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

Abraham

⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹ And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she^[^b^] considered him faithful who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, ¹⁸ even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^[^c^] ¹⁹ Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

Isaac

²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

Jacob

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

Joseph

²² By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.

Moses

²³ By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. ²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵ He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. ²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

Israelites

²⁹ By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. ³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.

Rahab

³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.^[^d^]

³² And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. ³⁵ Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. ³⁶ Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were put to death by stoning;they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— ³⁸ the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

Our Need for a Hero

· We are imperfect

Romans 3

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²² This righteousness is given through faith inJesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

We are:

§ Selfish, cruel, needy, liars, thieves, mean, lustful, messed up people.

Final Point:

· “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” –Christopher Reeve

Intercept Part 3: When God's Will

2011-08-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

Genesis 22:1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram[a] caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.”

Main Point: God will provide for us in our time of need

One big question that you have to ask yourself do you believe?

God is not new to the whole providing thing he has been doing it for years

A lot of the time His test are to prepare us for what’s up ahead for us

What is the will of God? (Book of Mark)

· 1:17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

· 4:40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

· 9:35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

· 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

· 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

Why is this important?

· Because if we seek after God our needs will be covered

Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

This shows that God knows out needs and His promise:

If we seek after Him, then He will supply our needs (Jehovah Jireh)

Final Point:

· But for His will to intercept with our needs we have to want to be used by Him.

New Series: Heroes

2011-08-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

One thing that the world needs more of is heroes. The only problem is that we believe that we could never be a "hero" to someone. What we have to realize is that we all can be heroes if we follow after the greatest hero of all times, "Jesus Christ". In our new series, "Heroes" we will be taking a look at the greatest hero, his traits and life. Then we will flip the script and examine how we can become heroes and then finish out on how we can show others how they can be heroes in this world. Here is a brief overview of this 5 week series:

Week 1: We Need A Hero
Week 2: Here Comes Our Hero
Week 3: Heroes Are Made
Week 4: I Am Legend
Week 5: Who’s Next

Keep checking in week to week to see the notes from each week here on the blog and get the link to our podcast to hear it.

Welcome to Needless Rd

2011-08-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

There is so much in the world that we need less of!

· Stress

· Pain/ Sickness

· Hurt

· Gossip

· Bad News

· Worry

What the world says we need less of the things of God

· Hope

· Love

· Peace

· Joy

· Faith

o This is the, “we can take care of our self mentality”

o Being able to admit we need help opens the door for God to work

Common Mistakes

· When things get tough a lot of time we think we needless of God

· We try to do everything we can while leaving God out

· When we pray we really don’t think God can do what we ask

"how can we be less focus on the things of this world and stay my focus on jesus?"

· The Bible is very clear that this is a personal choice. You need to pray and read God's word and serve your community in Christ. If you focus on trying to be less worldly, you will fail. That approach never works. Rather, you must displace worldliness with Godliness.

1 John 2:15-17 (NIV) Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[^a^] is not in them. ¹⁶ For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

· In this verse, John tells you to decide and then act. "Love not the world" and "do the will of God." How do you know what to do and what God requires of you? Only by means of His Word.

2 Peter 1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

· How are you going to find out about those "great and precious promises" if not through His word? These promises provide the goal of a Godly life. They give us hope and motivation to persevere and keep our focus fixed on the hope of the high calling of God in Christ.

Philippians 3 (NIV)

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage (kjv: Dung), that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in^[^a^] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Things of this World by DC Talk

70 years is all we got
To accumulate goods that seem to mean a lot
For the first 20 years, you're off to school
Learnin' principles and learnin' the tools
To make lots of money, the ultimate goal
Gain the whole world and yet lose ya soul
Huh, humanism is on a roll
20 gets the the knowledge, 30 years to apply
And just 20 years left for askin' why
I didn't realize what it was all about
And, was there any use in this rigorous route because

Things of this world are passin' away
Here tomorrow, but they're sure not here to stay
Things of this world are passin' away
So lay your treasure above
And start to live for Him today

All done for self in this world will pass
And all done for Christ in this world will last
Sounds like a simple task...
But everyday life seems to get in the way
No time to serve, barely time to pray
Our focal points lost and we get tossed
In the wind, cold facing the cost
Of fallin' without stallin' or even callin' the Lord
While you were blackballin'
He was waitin' for you to see the light
And find for yourself, these things are trite

Our mind transforms a want to a need
A simple process that we call greed
Ya say ya like to have money, well I do too
The problem starts when the money has you
Workin' overtime to keep up with the pace
A lifestyle that you want to embrace
But it's 2 steps from where your needs are met
You're keepin' up with the Joneses, but your all in debt
Which will lead to stress, not meeting the bills
While ya sportin' a Benz with all the thrills
The domino effect's gotcha life in check
A temporary stitch and ya livin' a wreck

Don't lay up your treasures upon this Earth
They'll soon pass away
And all return to dirt

Special Benefit

2011-08-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

Connie Jean Guthrie- Bringus grew up knowing who Jesus was, but fell deeply in Love with Jesus giving her life to him a year ago. Jesus turned their lives around. Its funny now they minister to me, God loves everyone and uses all of us to serve him. Connie is married to Jody and has four beauitful daughters. Connie is currently battling a rare liver cancer and will being having surgery to remove 75% of her liver on Monday the 8th. Connie will be in Omaha for 3-4 weeks. I believe God puts people in our paths and says help carry your nieghbors burden and we should raise but on our armour and begin the battle.

On September 3rd we are having a bake/garage sale from 7 am- 4pm @ Journey Church @ 10 am that morning there will be hair cuts by donation and pony rides. If you have donations of any kind thats great if you dont thats okay just be praying. We have also set up a bank account in Connies name @ Bank Midwest.

Intercept Part 1: Needmore Rd.

2011-08-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

Misconception: We need more stuff!

What is Stuff?

· Human Relationships

· Food

· Money

· Electronics

· Titles

· Worldly Knowledge/ Wisdom

Are these things bad? No

· The problem is that they become idols in our lives and the purpose for our living. (Ex 20:4)

What do we need more of?

· Grace

· Mercy

· Heavenly Relationship

· Peace

Col 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

How do we switch our mindset from what we think we need to what we truly need?

· Col 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

· Need vs. Want

God knows what we need and sometime we think we know better

Final Thought: We must realized that the one thing that we need more of each and every day is God.

Weird View of Money

2011-08-02T12:45:00.000-07:00

WEIRD – 5

A WEIRD VIEW OF MONEY

This is the way to live like no one else according to info from Dave Ramsey.

1. Written Game Plan

2. Act Your Wage

3. Save Money

4. Get out of Debt

5. 5. Give

TALK IT OVER

· If someone looked at your monthly statements, what would your spending say about your heart?

· What are some things you have learned about money that aren’t true?

· What money habits will you modify to become weirder with your finances?

Weird Desires

2011-07-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

2 Roads—Broad and narrow

Normal to give into what you desire!

How many of you have ever said something? Done something?

· Normal to give into your desires!

TWO BARRIERS ON THE ROAD TO WEIRD

· Inward

· Outward

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IF YOU WANT WHAT NORMAL PEOPLE HAVE, DO WHAT NORMAL PEOPLE DO.

IF YOU WANT WHAT FEW PEOPLE HAVE, DO WHAT FEW PEOPLE DO.

Eve’s desires fruit * Moses desires revenge * David desires Bathsheba.

Lose temper * Sex b4 marriage * Buy u want * Eat until fat

For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

1 John 2:16-17 NLT

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NORMAL PEOPLE

WANT WHAT THEY WANT NOW, NOT LATER.

The younger son told his father, 'I want my share of your estate now before you die.' Luke 15:12 NLT

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TRADE THE ULTIMATE FOR THE IMMEDIATE.

Esau—man’s man. Jacob—mama’s boy. Esau born first.

Birthright given to oldest—double portion of inheritance. Judge of fam

Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!"… 31 Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright." 32 "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?" Gen 25:29-32

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Who would actually trade their birthright for a bowl of stew?

Normal people do it every day!

Desires overwhelm logic… Esau—I’m going to die!

Lives ruined by unchecked & untamed desires.

WHAT’S YOUR BOWL OF STEW? __________________

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WEIRD PEOPLE

KNOW LATER IS OFTEN BETTER THAN NOW.

Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. Prov 16:32 NLT

Give up something they want for something they want even more!

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SEEK GOD UNTIL HIS DESIRES BECOME THEIR DESIRES.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Ps 37:4

awnag—soft of pliable

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.

Gal 5:16-17 NLT

*Leave broad road for narrow road

*Destiny is changed because of a craving that isn’t harnessed.

*Don’t sacrifice your destiny for distorted desires.

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Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:11-12

MORE—NOT LESS.

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. Eccl 5:10

Such as: Popularity, shoes, titles, recognition

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WEIRD PEOPLE KNOW THAT LESS IS OFTEN MORE.

Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. Prov 15:16

How many times have you said...

Food: Can’t believe I ate the whole thing!

Things: Clean out my office

Schedules: Devil can’t make you bad… busy.

Barrier to meaningful life: not lack of commitment, over commitment.

Say “no” to things normal people say “yes” to…

The Journeymen's New Look

2011-06-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

The Journeymen (our men's small group) has been meeting for several months now. We have enjoyed good food, good fellowship, and good discussions and now we are wanting to improve upon that. Starting June 25th (this is to substitute for our July meeting) we are going to try some new things to make it easier for more men to get involved with the Journeymen.

Here is what is new:

Location: Now meeting at the church in the fellowship hall
Times: 9:00am-11:00am
What is Going On: We will still fellowship, eat, and have a devo, but we are adding on small projects around the church to get our church looking good and running great
Cost: Free

We are hoping to get more men involved in the Journeymen! So plan to come (even if it is for part of the time) and spend some time locking arms with the men of our church!

LIfe Lessons With Dad

2011-06-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

Like all dad I am going to make this sweet and simple for this week! So here is a brief look at lessons that my dad taught me that also my heavenly father has shown me over my life.

God Our Father

Creator (Genesis 1:1)

o As a dad we can create the atmosphere of our home

Love (John 3:16)

o No matter what we love those around us

Justice/ Discipline

o Our Father will invoke justice when needed

§ David- Dead child

§ Moses- Never saw the promise land

Wisdom

o James 3:17

¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (NIV)

Our ultimate goal is to do what our heavenly father has done and that is to leave an amazing legacy

I Will Not Bow

2011-06-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

What do we think of when we hear the word "worship"? Most people think of corporate worship on Sunday mornings.

Well what is the purpose of sing our worship? Here are some examples from the bible

o It can bring relief: (Story of Saul being tormented and David played the harp to relieve him)

o Cause breakthroughs: (When the worshippers played their music the walls of Jericho fell)

o Sometimes a worship song has the words we just can't find to express how we feel towards God.

But worship is just so much more than singing on Sunday mornings or just singing period

Worship Defined (Webster's dictionary)

· The act of showing respect and love for a god especially by praying with other people who believe in

the same god : the act of worshipping God or a god

· Reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power; also : an act of expressing such reverence

· Great admiration or devotion

Main Question: What do you worship?

(Taking a look at the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego)

Daniel 3

1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide,(That is, about 90 feet high and 9 feet wide) and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.

Points #1

o They used people of “influence” to push their cause.

4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.”

7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Point #2

o They used the instruments that the priest and the worshippers of God used to announce their god.

Jericho: Horns
David: lyre & hard

8 At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Point #3

o The world doesn’t like it when you take a stand.

13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Point #4

o This is a picture of true faith

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

Point #5

o They truly trusted what God could do when things got real bad.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27 and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Point #6

When we truly worship God with our life others will see the results

Final Thought

Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Time to Get Weird! Because Normal Isn't Working

2011-06-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

Starting June 26th we will be entering the world of weird for five weeks. Here is what we will be looking at over the next five weeks:

Weird in God's way
Weird is Better
Weird Desires
Weird Way to Save the World
A Weird View of Money

Keep up with us over the next few weeks as we explore this world of weird.

Until there here is a first look at the new intro video for our series.

Reinvention Is Here

2011-06-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we launched our reinvention at Journey Church here is what all happened!

The Vision: "Reach In, Reach Out"

Part 1: To reach in and take care of each other (ref. Acts 2:42-47)

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Part 2: Reach out to others outside the walls of the church (ref. Matthew 28:16-20)

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Two key words on moving forward

Focus

we must stay focus on the vision

Purpose

we must act with purpose

The Ministries We Will Be Focusing On

Student Ministry

Nursery
Children
Youth

Hospitality (HOP)
Small Groups

Who Are We Looking For

Those who are willing to be used
Here I am send me concept

The Definition of Reinvent

To make as if for the first time something already invented
To remake or redo completely
To bring into use again

Not So Small

2011-06-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts church life is fellowship! I have seen how important relationships are in churches and that is why I am sure a huge supporter of small groups. Actully I like the term "connection groups" better. With this in mind this is why we have small groups at Journey. I feel like this is a great way to get connected with other people where you can get to know each other more, disscuss God, and eat. So if you are looking to get connected in here at Journey this is a great way to start getting connected. At this time we have four great groups:

Adult Bible Study

The purpose of this small group is to "dig deeper" into the bible. Each week they will study a chapter out of the book of the bible that they are study and then proceed to discuss that chapter. At the end of each group they are given study questions to get them ready for the next week.
They meet every sunday morning at 9:00 am in our classroom.

Connections

The purpose of this small group is exactly what it is called, "Connections" so basically they "connect". Each month they meet at a home and eat, hang out, play games, and have a short devotion.
They meet the first Saturday of every month at 6:30p at the Nickell's home

Journeymen

The purpose of the Journeymen is to have a time every month where men could get together and talk about topics and situations that affect men everyday.
They meet the second saturday of every month at 9a in the church gym.

Roots Part 7: Spirit-Led

2011-06-06T05:20:00.000-07:00

In part seven we looked at what life by the Spirit truly looked like

Galatians 5

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

1^st Key: Life by the Spirit looks different then life by the world.

· Life by the world (verses 19-21)

o Things that pleases the flesh

· Life by the spirit (verses 24-25)

o Passion and desire to walk with Jesus

2^nd Key: Using the gifts to live in the Spirit

· God have given us talents and gifting

· God sent his spirit for extra gifts to use

3^rd Key: Making sure the results of your gifts add to the body of Christ

· Test the results when you use God’s gifts to scripture

o Video: Fruit of the Spirit

o Fruit of the Spirit (Verses 22-23)

Final Though: 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

We must remember tis phrase, "I am God’s original masterpiece"

Roots Part 8: Pray for the Cause

2011-06-06T05:19:00.000-07:00

In the final part of our Roots Series we looked at the war we fight and how we can make a stand...

Scene Setup: As the war for independence rages on, eldest brother, Gabriel, sends a letter home illuminating the struggles of a soldier in battle. His siblings sit on their front porch and read his report with eyes wide open and pride for his participation.

Overveiw: War can sound romantic when it is far away, but when a warrior is on the battlefront there is little but the reality of suffering and death. It is much easier to read a letter and attribute heroism to the one who is on the front line than it is to join the battle ourselves. We are all the recipients of letters written on the battle front. The Apostle Paul writes to us of being chased, harassed, beaten, stoned, imprisoned, and eventually martyred for the cause of Jesus. We sit on our clean verandas in our fancy clothes and smile as we read the letters outloud to one another. Even when Paul's battles are within his Christian communities, we remain disconnected from our responsibility to enter in. Paul, the letter writing apostle, writes to his friends all over the Middle East and addresses pride, church splits, jealousy, control issues in relationships, backsliding, backbiting, gossip, and so much more and we chuckle at his ability to chart a course through such unclean behavior. Yet when it pops its head up in our midst we want our professional clergy to deal with it. If we happen to be the perpetrator of any of these spiritual offenses we want everyone to ignore our sin and assume our best intentions caused it. In a spiritual revolution launched by some of the greatest heroes of all time we have become like well dressed little children reading letters from far away that sound so brave and romantic. Our own world is filled with spiritual attrocities. Christians are being killed by people of other religions all over the world every single day. Do we pray? Are we moved by the martyrs in our worldwide Christian family who suffer because of their faith? Do we sacrifice and send money? Do we enter into the pain and suffering in any way? People who track this kind of thing report that there are more Christian martyrs in this century than in any other century. Perhaps the title of this clip is the best place to start. As our Christian brothers and sisters pray with their blood, perhaps it's time for us to "Pray For The Cause" and then as God leads, begin to follow His lead into a bigger role.

Main Idea: The Horror Of The Front Line Can Seem Romantic On The Porch

The Cause:

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (New King James Version) 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Causalities

o Matthew 5:10-12 (New King James Version) 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Adamant

o Ephesians 6:18 (New King James Version) 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--

Useful

o David made himself useful

§ To his father (1 Sam. 17)

¹⁷One day, Jesse told David his son, “Take this sack of cracked wheat and these ten loaves of bread and run them down to your brothers in the camp. ¹⁸And take these ten wedges of cheese to the captain of their division. Check in on your brothers to see whether they are getting along all right, and let me know how they’re doing ¹⁹—Saul and your brothers, and all the Israelites in their war with the Philistines in the Oak Valley.”

²⁰David was up at the crack of dawn and, having arranged for someone to tend his flock, took the food and was on his way just as Jesse had directed him. He arrived at the camp just as the army was moving into battle formation, shouting the war cry. ²¹Israel and the Philistines moved into position, facing each other, battle-ready. ²²David left his bundles of food in the care of a sentry, ran to the troops who were deployed, and greeted his brothers. ²³While they were talking together, the Philistine champion, Goliath of Gath, stepped out from the front lines of the Philistines, and gave his usual challenge. David heard him.

Sincere

o His Efforts were sincere (1 Sam. 17)

³²“Master,” said David, “don’t give up hope. I’m ready to go and fight this Philistine.” ³³Saul answered David, “You can’t go and fight this Philistine. You’re too young and inexperienced—and he’s been at this fighting business since before you were born.” ³⁴David said, “I’ve been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, ³⁵I’d go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I’d grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. ³⁶Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I’ll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive. ³⁷God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine.” Saul said, “Go. And God help you!” ³⁸Then Saul outfitted David as a soldier in armor. He put his bronze helmet on his head and belted his sword on him over the armor. ³⁹David tried to walk but he could hardly budge. David told Saul, “I can’t even move with all this stuff on me. I’m not used to this.” And he took it all off. ⁴⁰Then David took his shepherd’s staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath.

Effort

o He put forth the effort when no one else would (1 Sam 17)

¹¹When Saul and his troops heard the Philistine’s challenge, they were terrified and lost all hope.

Final Thought: Our Bible is a record of real men fighting real battles against dangerous foes who took their lives. Our King has now called us into the battle. And even if we are stationed at our home base, we can still engage the enemy and support those at the front lines.

Roots Part 6: The Nine

2011-05-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed

In part six of our roots series, we started off by looking into the arrive of the Holy Spirit in Acts_2:1-4. Through this we see that the purpose of the Holy Spirirt is to give us extra power or "boost" in our daily life. We also looked into the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit as stated in 1_Corinthians_12:4-11. These nine gifts are very important to giving us "power" in our everyday lives...

The Arrival:

Acts 2:1-4

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tonguesas the Spirit enabled them.

The Purpose: To give us an extra boost in our daily life

Acts 1:3-8

3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized withthe Holy Spirit.”

6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

What it Does for Us

1 Corinthians 12:1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.

Gives us good gifts

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,and to still another the interpretation of tongues.11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

A Closer Look at the Nine Gifts

Wisdom

A word of wisdom will give you the ability to be able to properly apply the knowledge that you may already have on a particular situation.
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (NIV)
James 3:17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (NIV)

Knowledge

The wise are the ones that treasure up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish one is near to ruin itself. - Proverbs 10:14

Faith

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Healing

Acts 3 (Peter Heals a Lame Beggar) 1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Miraculous Powers (Miracles)

Some of the different Bible Dictionaries describe the word miracle as the following:

An intervention in the natural universe by God
A phenomena that transcends natural laws
A divine act by which God reveals Himself to people

Good examples of actual miracles from the Bible are the following:

Jesus and the apostles healing and casting demons out of people.
Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding of Cana.
Jesus feeding 5000 people by multiplying 5 loaves of bread and two fish.
God parting the Red Sea for Moses and the children of Israel.
Daniel not being eaten by the lions in the lion’s den.
Peter walking on water.

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever

Prophecy

“But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” (1 Corinthians 14:4)
“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21)

Discernment (distinguishing between spirits)

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, BUT TEST THE SPIRITS, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” (1 John 4:1-4)

Speaking in Tongues

Earthly

Acts 2:5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

Heavenly

1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in human or angelic tongues

Interpretations of Tongues

“If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.” (1 Corinthians 14: 27-28) 
“Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.” (1 Corinthians 14:13-14)

Final Point: Paul tells us in several scriptures to eagerly desire the gifts of the spirit, but not for the purpose of pride but for the purpose to further the kingdom of God.