SERMON NOTES
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SERMON NOTES •
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SERMON NOTES
Christmas @ Forward - Wk 2
”Hope” | Pt. 1
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Ecclesiastes 3:11 | NIV”He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.“
Messiah = Hope
Proverbs 13:12
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”
Hope
— a joyful expectation for the future
John 1:1-5 | ESV“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Hope is revealed
in God’s creation
John 1:14 | ESV
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Hope is revealed
in the cradle
“God is in the manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succor in abandonment. No evil can befall us; whatever men may do to us, they cannot but serve the God who is secretly revealed as love and rules the world and our lives.”
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
John 1:29 | ESV
“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Hope is revealed
at the cross
John 1:41 | ESV
“He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah.”
Hope is revealed
when you crown
Him as king
Jesus is a liar
Jesus is a lunatic
Jesus is Lord
Philippians 2:5-11 | ESV
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” -
SERMON NOTES
Christmas @ Forward - Wk 1
”Peace on Earth?”--------------------------------------
There will never be peace on earth
until there is peace in me
Somewhere Else
Someone Else
Something Else
Isaiah 2:4
“He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be on his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God breathed and profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Isaiah 40:25-26
To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? Says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their hosts by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.
Jeremiah 10:12-13
It is he who made the earth by His power who established the world by His wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. When he utters his voice, is a tumult of waters in the heavens and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
Psalm 19:1-4
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world
Jesus is our
Prince of Peace
Peace is found
in the presence of God
and nothing else
Our plan
is not always
His plan
Isaiah 55:8-9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
The process
may be painful
John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
His plan
always includes
His presence
Proverbs 3:5-8
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight... -
SERMON NOTES
ONE ANOTHER – Wk 2
“Humble Yourselves”
-------------------------------------
Luke 18:9-12
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
Luke 18:13-14
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, (tax) rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
John 13:1
...Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
John 13:33-35
33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Teknia—Relationship/My children
I’m Right—Feel Morally Superior—Become Judgmental—Easily Angered and Offended
I’m Forgiven—Feel Profound Gratitude—Become More Accepting—Overflowing With Love
Jesus was the most right and least judgmental person who ever lived
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. -
SERMON NOTES
ONE ANOTHER – Wk 1
“Love One Another”
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Matthew 22:35-40
35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
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.”
“Every Christian would agree that a man’s spiritual health is exactly proportional to his love for God”.
- C.S. Lewis
Matthew 22:35-40
35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
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.”
Pain that does not get transformed gets transmitted
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. -
SERMON NOTES
NOT NORMAL – Wk 4
“Normal Isn’t Working”
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1 Peter 2:11 | NLT
11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.
παροίκους παρεπιδήμους
paroikous
parepidemous
Para
—Beside | Near | Temporary
To live near, but not in
To be close, but not from
To be in, but not of
Philippians 3:20 | NLT
20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.
Philippians 3:18-20 | NLT
18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. 20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.
Philippians 3:18 | NLT
… They think only about this life here on earth.
You will think differently
from this world
Romans 12:2 | NLT
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Colossians 3:1-2
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.
You will live differently
from this world
1 Peter 2:11 | MSG
11 Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.
I am a Citizen of Heaven. My life belongs to God. Because earth is not my home, I think differently, and I live differently.
If you don’t actively resist the current of culture, you’ll drift into the deception of this world
“Don’t worry if you’re different from the world. Worry if you’re not.”
— Craig Groschel
Who are you?
I am a Citizen of Heaven.
My life belongs to God. Because earth is not my home–I think differently—I live differently -
SERMON NOTES
NOT NORMAL – Wk 3
“Not Good Enough”
-------------------------------------
Activity = Identity
What You Do = Who You Are
Identity = Activity
Who You Are = What You Do
Matthew 5:13 | NIV
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”Matthew 5:14 | NIV
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”
You are God’s people.
Matthew 5:14-16 | NIV
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Be who you are.
You are the salt of the earth.
You are God’s people.
You are the light of the world.
You are a city on a hill.
Be who you are.
I am the salt of the earth, so I will be a light in the darkness, a city on a hill. -
SERMON NOTES
NOT NORMAL – Wk 2
“Understanding the Assignment”
-------------------------------------
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
presbeuo:
an ambassador, a chosen representative of a ruling authority.
An ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomat sent from one country to another to promote and protect the interest of their home country.
I am — ambassador of Christ —sent by God — to show his love — on earth — as it is in heaven
You were not elected by people
but chosen by God
John 15:16, 19
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last … 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
Philippians 3:20
20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.
When God selects you,
it doesn’t matter who rejects you
You are not elected by people.
You are chosen by God.
You never represent yourself.
You always represent God.
Philippians 1:27
27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.
Colossians 3:17 | NLT
17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus…
You have the authority
of the One who sent you
2 Corinthians 10:8 | NLT
8 I may seem to be boasting too much about the authority given to us by the Lord. But our authority builds you up; it doesn’t tear you down. So I will not be ashamed of using my authority.
Luke 10:19 | NLT
19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy.
I am — ambassador of Christ —sent by God — to show his love — on earth — as it is in heaven
2 Corinthians 5:20 | NLT
20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
2 Corinthians 5:20b-21 | NLT
We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
I am — ambassador of Christ —sent by God — to show his love — on earth — as it is in heaven -
SERMON NOTES
NOT NORMAL – Wk 1
“Not Good Enough”
-------------------------------------
Ephesians 2:10 | NLT
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
without Christ,
you are not enough.
Ephesians 2:1-3 NLT
1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world…
3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
until you admit you’re a sinner, you won’t see your need for a savior.
Ephesians 2:4-5 | NLT
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.
Ephesians 2:10 | NLT
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
with Christ, you are God’s masterpiece.
poiema:
that which has been created, workmanship, masterpiece, God’s poetic statement created by God for God’s divine purposes.
αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα
autou gar esmen poiema
autou:
of Him, by Him or from Him
of him for we are masterpiece
I am God’s masterpiece Created in Christ Jesus; to do good works which God prepared for me to do.
you aren’t saved BY good works, but FOR good works.
Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you [God] created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Romans 8:28
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
“I created a vision of David in my mind and simply carved away everything that was not David.”
— Michelangelo -
SERMON NOTES
THE WAY – Wk 4
“Giving Up On Prayer”
-------------------------------------
when you’ve
given up on prayer
if we want what Jesus had
— pray like Jesus prayed
some of us
lack focus
some of us
lack confidence
some of us
lack faith
prayer isn’t just an action you do
prayer is a way that you live
At His baptism.
(Lk 3:21-22)In the morning before heading to Galilee.
After healing people.
(Lk 5:16)
All night before choosing His disciples.
While speaking to the Jewish leaders.
Giving thanks to the Father before feeding 5,000.
Jn 6:11, Mt 14:19, Mk 6:41, Lk 9:16)
Before walking on water.
While healing a deaf and mute man.
Giving thanks to the Father before feeding 4,000.
(Mt 15:36)
Before Peter called Jesus “the Christ.”
(Lk 9:18)
At the Transfiguration.
At the return of the seventy.
(Lk 10:21)
Before teaching His disciples the Lord’s Prayer.
(Lk 11:1)
Before raising Lazarus from the dead.
For little children.
Asking the Father to glorify His name.
At the Lord’s Supper.
(Mt 26:26, Mk 14:22-23, Lk 22:19)
When Satan asked to “sift” Peter.
For Himself, His disciples, and all believers before heading to Gethsemane.
In Gethsemane before His betrayal. He prayed 3 separate prayers.
(Mt 26:36-46, Lk 22:39-46, Mk 14:32-42)
Right after being nailed to the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
(Lk 23:34)
While dying on the cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
His dying breath, Jesus prayed, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
(Lk 23:46)
A blessing on the bread before He ate with others after His resurrection.
(Lk 24:30)
Blessing the disciples before His Ascension.
(Adapted from jesusalive.cc/times-jesus-prayed)
to be effective in this world,
we have to disconnect from it
disconnect from what doesn’t last
to connect to the One who does
Matthew 6:6 | MSG
6 Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
Philippians 4:6 | NLT
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
never stop praying
(1 Thes 5:17 NLT)
pray continually
(1 Thes 5:17 NIV)
pray without ceasing
(1 Thes 5:17 KJV)
1 John 5:14-15
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -
SERMON NOTES
THE WAY – Wk 3
“The Best is Now”
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John 2:8b-10
8b They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
THE BEST IS NOW
Luke 18:35-41
35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”
Luke 19:1-2
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
Complaining today
about moments
you’ll miss tomorrow
Studies show that the average user
touches their phone 2,617 times a day
with heavy-users clocking 5,427
The “When-Then” Game
Don’t miss
what you HAVE NOW
pursuing what you
WANT LATER
The "What-If?” Game
Matthew 6:34
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Surrender the past
you can’t change.
Trust God with a future
you can’t control.
James 4:13-14 | ESV
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
Psalm 118:24 | NLT
24 This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
You can’t be happy
where you are not
You can’t serve Jesus
where you are not
You can’t love people
where you are not
Don’t miss
what you HAVE NOW
pursuing what you
WANT LATER -
SERMON NOTES
THE WAY – Wk 2
“Unforced Rhythms of Grace”
-------------------------------------
The greatest enemy
to the life you want
may be the life
that you’re living
Mark 2:14
14 As he [Jesus] walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
If Levi followed an unrushed Jesus,
then Levi should’ve been living an unrushed life
If we follow an unrushed Jesus,
we should be living an unrushed life
Matthew 11:28-3028 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)28 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. 29 Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 30 Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
IF JESUS WASN'T RUSHED,
THEN WHY ARE YOU?
Running from something
Running to something
PROBLEM
—You’re chasing a life
that leaves you empty
You have time for what
you choose to have time for
The solution is not more time.
The solution is more of
what matters most
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Average person in a year
—706 hours a year Social Media
(if you are younger, you actually are above that)
TELEVISION:
2,737 hours on TV
— new trending series
VIDEO GAMES:
Average guy will spend over 10,000 hours
on video games by the age of 21!
"God, help me walk slowly enough
to experience Jesus fully
and love people deeply."
Craig Groschel
BE PRESENT
IN THE MOMENT
CHOOSE WHAT'S
IMPORTANT.
ELIMINATE
WHAT'S NOT.
Sense God’s presence
and recognize His voice -
SERMON NOTES
THE WAY – Wk 1
“Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”
-------------------------------------
Do you ever feel like
Christianity isn’t working?
John 14:1-61 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
"It may be the case that (1) Christians are assimilating to a culture of busyness, hurry and overload, which leads to (2) God becoming more marginalized in Christians' lives, which leads to (3) a deteriorating relationship with God, which leads to (4) Christians becoming even more vulnerable to adopting secular assumptions about how to live, which leads to (5) more conformity to a culture of busyness, hurry and overload. And then the cycle begins again."—Michael Zigarelli
Proverbs 14:12
12 There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
“The way I have been doing the work of God—is destroying the work of God in me”
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
— John Mark Comer
Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
unhurried
rhythms of grace
unbroken fellowship
with the Father
uncluttered pursuit
of God’s mission
undivided attention
in the moment -
SERMON NOTES
”A King Like No Other”
-------------------------------------
MATTHEW
Matthew 9:9“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.”
Matthew 10:1-3“Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. Here are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (also called Peter), then Andrew (Peter’s brother), James (son of Zebedee), John (James’s brother), Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew (the tax collector), James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus,”
THOMAS
John 20:24-25“One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.””
John 20:26-27 “Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!””
JAMES + JOHN
Luke 9:51-55 “As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them.”
Mark 10:33-39 ““Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.” Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.” “What is your request?” he asked. They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering.”
Mark 15:27 “Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.”
PETER
Matthew 26:31-35“On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.”
John 18:18“Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself.”
John 21:9“When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.”
* The person with a past* The hurt and confused
* The angry and the bitter person
* The selfish and self-centered
* The promise-breaker
-
SERMON NOTES
”Good Plans?”
-------------------------------------
Jeremiah 29:1111 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
GOD’S PLAN FOR OUR LIVES
OFTEN REQUIRES A DRY SEASON
GOD IS THE GOD
OF THE DRY SEASON
1 Kings 17:117 Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”
WHAT IS MY
NEXT STEP?
1 Kings 17:2-4
2 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 3 “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. 4 Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”
GOD WANTS US TO KNOW
THE WILL FOR OUR LIVES
MORE THAN WE WANT
TO KNOW IT
1 Kings 17:5-6
5 So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook.
1 Kings 17:7
7 But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.
GOD WILL
SOMETIMES LET US RUN OUT
SO THAT WE WILL RECOGNIZE
THAT HE IS OUR SOURCE
1 Kings 17:8-9
8 Then the Lord said to Elijah, 9 “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”
1 Kings 17:10-11
10 So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”
1 Kings 17:12
12 But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God (not her God, but His God—worshiping baal) that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”
1 Kings 17:13-14
13 But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”
14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”
1 Kings 17:15-16
15 So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. 16 There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.
1 Kings 17:17-18
17 Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died. 18 Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?”
1 Kings 17:19
19 But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” (And God is telling you Give it to me) That thing that is dead in your life? Give it to me–Just give it to me
1 Kings 17:20
20 Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?”
1 Kings 17:21-22
21 And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” 22 The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived!
1 Kings 17:23
23 Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!”
1 Kings 17:24
24 Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.” -
SERMON NOTES
NEHEMIAH – Wk 7
”What Could God Do?”
-------------------------------------
What had been destroyed
for over 100 years
was rebuilt in 52 days
WHAT COULD GO DO
THROUGH YOU?
SPIRITUAL
CARELESSNESS
Nehemiah 9:3838 The people responded, “In view of all this, we are making a solemn promise and putting it in writing. On this sealed document are the names of our leaders and Levites and priests.”
Nehemiah 10:28-3228 Then the rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the pagan people of the land in order to obey the Law of God, together with their wives, sons, daughters, and all who were old enough to understand
29 joined their leaders and bound themselves with an oath. They swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the Law of God as issued by his servant Moses. They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the Lord our Lord:
30 “We promise not to let our daughters marry the pagan people of the land, and not to let our sons marry their daughters.
31 “We also promise that if the people of the land should bring any merchandise or grain to be sold on the Sabbath or on any other holy day, we will refuse to buy it. Every seventh year we will let our land rest, and we will cancel all debts owed to us.
32 “In addition, we promise to obey the command to pay the annual Temple tax of one-eighth of an ounce of silver for the care of the Temple of our God.
Nehemiah 10:3939 We will not neglect the house of our God.
Nehemiah 13:4-54 Before this had happened, Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed as supervisor of the storerooms of the Temple of our God and who was also a relative of Tobiah,
5 had converted a large storage room and placed it at Tobiah’s disposal. The room had previously been used for storing the grain offerings, the frankincense, various articles for the Temple, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil (which were prescribed for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers), as well as the offerings for the priests.
Nehemiah 13:1515 In those days I saw men of Judah treading out their winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in grain, loading it on donkeys, and bringing their wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of produce to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath. So I rebuked them for selling their produce on that day.
Nehemiah 15:23-2423 About the same time I realized that some of the men of Judah had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Furthermore, half their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of some other people and could not speak the language of Judah at all.
DIRECTION
NOT INTENTION,
DETERMINES
DESTINATION
IS THERE ANYTHING
I NEED TO STOP DOING?
Nehemiah 13:4-94 Before this had happened, Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed as supervisor of the storerooms of the Temple of our God and who was also a relative of Tobiah,
5 had converted a large storage room and placed it at Tobiah’s disposal. The room had previously been used for storing the grain offerings, the frankincense, various articles for the Temple, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil (which were prescribed for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers), as well as the offerings for the priests.
6 I was not in Jerusalem at that time, for I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign, though I later asked his permission to return. 7 When I arrived back in Jerusalem, I learned about Eliashib’s evil deed in providing Tobiah with a room in the courtyards of the Temple of God.
8 I became very upset and threw all of Tobiah’s belongings out of the room. 9 Then I demanded that the rooms be purified, and I brought back the articles for God’s Temple, the grain offerings, and the frankincense.
IS THERE ANYTHING
I NEED TO START
(OR RESTART)
DOING?
Nehemiah 13:10-1110 I also discovered that the Levites had not been given their prescribed portions of food, so they and the singers who were to conduct the worship services had all returned to work their fields.
11 I immediately confronted the leaders and demanded, “Why has the Temple of God been neglected?” Then I called all the Levites back again and restored them to their proper duties.
Nehemiah 13:1212 And once more all the people of Judah began bringing their tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the Temple storerooms.
MAKE CHURCH
A PRIORITY
BEGIN
TO SERVE
PUT GOD FIRST
IN YOUR FINANCES
HOW SERIOUS
DO I REALLY WANT TO BE
IN MY WALK WITH JESUS?
Nehemiah 13:15-2515 In those days I saw men of Judah treading out their winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in grain, loading it on donkeys, and bringing their wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of produce to Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath. So I rebuked them for selling their produce on that day.
16 Some men from Tyre, who lived in Jerusalem, were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise. They were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah—and in Jerusalem at that!
17 So I confronted the nobles of Judah. “Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked. 18 “Wasn’t it just this sort of thing that your ancestors did that caused our God to bring all this trouble upon us and our city? Now you are bringing even more wrath upon Israel by permitting the Sabbath to be desecrated in this way!”
19 Then I commanded that the gates of Jerusalem should be shut as darkness fell every Friday evening, not to be opened until the Sabbath ended. I sent some of my own servants to guard the gates so that no merchandise could be brought in on the Sabbath day.
20 The merchants and tradesmen with a variety of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I spoke sharply to them and said, “What are you doing out here, camping around the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you!” And that was the last time they came on the Sabbath.
22 Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and to guard the gates in order to preserve the holiness of the Sabbath. Remember this good deed also, O my God! Have compassion on me according to your great and unfailing love.
23 About the same time I realized that some of the men of Judah had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Furthermore, half their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of some other people and could not speak the language of Judah at all.
25 So I confronted them and called down curses on them. I beat some of them and pulled out their hair. I made them swear in the name of God that they would not let their children intermarry with the pagan people of the land.
Nehemiah 1:55 Then I said, “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands"
-
SERMON NOTES
NEHEMIAH – Wk 6
”It's a Party”
-------------------------------------
What had been destroyed
for over 100 years
was rebuilt in 52 days
Nehemiah 7:8-12
8 The family of Parosh 2,1729 The family of Shephatiah 372
10 The family of Arah 652
11 The family of Pahath-moab (descendants of Jeshua and Joab) 2,818
12 The family of Elam 1,254
Nehemiah 7:2828 The people of Beth-azmaveth 42
Nehemiah 7:3333 The people of West Nebo 52
SOME CALL THE GAP
BETWEEN WHERE WE ARE
& WHERE WE WANT TO BE
HYPOCRISY
WE CAN CALL IT
OPPORTUNITY
WE CAN
BE REAL
Nehemiah 8:1-3
1 all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to obey. 2 So on October 8 Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand.
3 He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law.
Nehemiah 8:8
8 They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.
Nehemiah 8:9
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
Psalms 34:18
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
Nehemiah 8:10-12
10 And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
11 And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.” 12 So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.
Psalms 30:11
11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
BECAUSE OF OUR OPPORTUNITY
(THE WORLD DESPERATELY NEEDS
A CHURCH FILLED WITH JOY!)
Nehemiah 8:17
17 So everyone who had returned from captivity lived in these shelters during the festival, and they were all filled with great joy! The Israelites had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua son of Nun.
Nehemiah 12:43
43 Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away. -
SERMON NOTES
NEHEMIAH – Wk 5
”Forgiveness”
-------------------------------------
What had been destroyed
for over 100 years
was rebuilt in 52 days
Matthew 6:1414 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
Matthew 6:1515 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
FORGIVING OTHERS
IS SERIOUS
Nehemiah 6:1-26 Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained—though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. 2 So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But I realized they were plotting to harm me,
Nehemiah 6:33 so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”
Nehemiah 6:44 Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.
BITTERNESS AND
UNFORGIVENESS
ALWAYS HOLD HANDS
Nehemiah 6:55 The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his hand,
Nehemiah 6:6-76 and this is what it said: “There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. 7 He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, ‘Look! There is a king in Judah!’ “You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.”
Nehemiah 6:8-98 I replied, “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.” 9 They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us and stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.
Nehemiah 6:1010 Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, “Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight.”
Nehemiah 6:11-13
11 But I replied, “Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!” 12 I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me.
Nehemiah 6:14-1614 Remember, O my God, all the evil things that Tobiah and Sanballat have done. And remember Noadiah the prophet and all the prophets like her who have tried to intimidate me. 15 So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. 16 When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.
THE BEST WAY TO FORGIVE
IS GIVE IT TO GOD AND
GET BACK TO WORK
FORGIVENESS
DOES NOT ALWAYS
EQUAL RESTORATION
FORGIVENESS
IS A PROCESS
Matthew 18:21-2221 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” 22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!
FORGIVENESS
IS NOT UP TO THEM
Luke 23:3434 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.
FORGIVENESS
SETS US FREE
IT'S NOT UP TO ME
TO FORGIVE MYSELF
Ephesians 1:77 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
-
SERMON NOTES
NEHEMIAH – Wk 4
”Anxious for Nothing”
-------------------------------------
What had been destroyed
for over 100 years
was rebuilt in 52 days
SOCIAL ANXIETY
Nehemiah 5:1-21 About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. 2 They were saying, “We have such large families. We need more food to survive.”
PAST ANXIETY
Nehemiah 5:33 Others said, “We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine.”
FINANCIAL ANXIETY
Nehemiah 5:44 And others said, “We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes.
SPIRITUAL ANXIETY
Nehemiah 5:55 We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others.”
Nehemiah 5:6-76 When I heard their complaints, I was very angry. 7 After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, “You are hurting your own relatives by charging interest when they borrow money!” Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem.
GOD IS GREAT
GOD IS GOOD
Nehemiah 5:88 At the meeting I said to them, “We are doing all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?” And they had nothing to say in their defense.
Nehemiah 5:9-119 Then I pressed further, “What you are doing is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations? 10 I myself, as well as my brothers and my workers, have been lending the people money and grain, but now let us stop this business of charging interest. 11 You must restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money, grain, new wine, and olive oil.”
Nehemiah 5:12-1312 They replied, “We will give back everything and demand nothing more from the people. We will do as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the nobles and officials swear to do what they had promised. 13 I shook out the folds of my robe and said, “If you fail to keep your promise, may God shake you like this from your homes and from your property!”
God is faithful,
so what step of faith
do I need to take? -
SERMON NOTES
NEHEMIAH – Wk 3
”Fight For Your Familes”
-------------------------------------
What had been destroyed
for over 100 years
was rebuilt in 52 days
Nehemiah 4:1313 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows.
Nehemiah 4:1414 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
Focus on the Father
Matthew 7:9-119 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Intentional
Follower of Jesus
10 Minutes a day
in God’s word
Get involved
in church
Ask Jesus
to renew
your mind
daily
Husband
Father
Career
Gumption
Help
Psalms 139:23-2423 Search me, 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.
Try
Nehemiah 4:1515 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.
-
SERMON NOTES
NEHEMIAH – Wk 2
”4 Stages of Spiritual Warfare”
-------------------------------------
What had been destroyed
for over 100 years
was rebuilt in 52 days
Nehemiah 2:4-54 The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, (he paused and prayed) 5 I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.”
Nehemiah 2:6
6 The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked, “How long will you be gone? When will you return?” After I told him how long I would be gone, the king agreed to my request.
Nehemiah 2:7-97 I also said to the king, “If it please the king, let me have letters addressed to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, instructing them to let me travel safely through their territories on my way to Judah.
8 And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself.” And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.
9 When I came to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, I delivered the king’s letters to them. The king, I should add, had sent along army officers and horsemen to protect me.
DISTRACTION
Nehemiah 2:1010 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of my arrival, they were very displeased that someone had come to help the people of Israel.
Nehemiah 2:11-1211 So I arrived in Jerusalem. Three days later, 12 I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding.
Nehemiah 2:17-1817 But now I said to them, “You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!” 18 Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.
DECEPTION
Nehemiah 2:19-2019 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked. 20 I replied, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”
Opposition
= Opportunity
Nehemiah Chapter 3
= Lots of People
Walking with Jesus
isn’t a “me thing”
it is a “we thing”
DISCOURAGEMENT
Nehemiah 4:1-61 Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, 2 saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?”
3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” 4 Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land!
5 Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.” 6 At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm.
DESPAIRS
Nehemiah 4:7-127 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. 8 They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion.
9 But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves. 10 Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.”
11 Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.” 12 The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!”
In Christ
I will see victory
because His strength in me
is more powerful than the enemy -
SERMON NOTES
NEHEMIAH – Wk 1
”You Can’t Handle the Truth”
-------------------------------------What had been destroyed
for over 100 years
was rebuilt in 52 days
Nehemiah 1:1-2 NLT
1 “These are the memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem.”
JESUS:
What area (areas) do you want
to build (rebuild) in me?
Jesus’ work in us begins
when we are willing to tell the truth
Nehemiah 1:3 NLT
3 “They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.””
We can’t get right with God
until we are willing to admit
what is wrong in our lives.
Nehemiah 1:4-7 NLT
4 “When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. 5 Then I said, “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. 7 Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses.”
Confession
is when we
tell Jesus the truth
(come into agreement with Him)
Nehemiah 1:11 NLT
11 …In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.”
God is not
trying to push us away
—but position us for Immeasurably more
than all we could ever ask for or imagine
Nehemiah 2:1-3 NLT
1 “Early the following spring, in the month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his presence. 2 So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.” 3 Then I was terrified, but I replied, “Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.””
JESUS:
give me the wisdom
to know the truth
and the courage
to tell the truth
— even when it’s hard
Nehemiah 2:4
4 “The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?”…
Telling the truth
is the beginning
of a breakthrough
-
SERMON NOTES
A Faith That Matters – Wk 4
”Why Angels Don’t Worry”
-------------------------------------Sometimes we can do the right thing, and still end up in a bad place.
Daniel 6:19-22
19 Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. 20 When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “Long live the king! 22 My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”What can we learn from angels about worry and anxiety?
They are obsessed with the presence of God
Isaiah 6:1-4
1 It was in the year King Uzziah died[a] that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. 2 Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.
3 They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” 4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.Jesus help me to be more aware of your presence
The purpose of God
Isaiah 6:5-8
5 Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs.
7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” 8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”The Power of God
2 Kings 19:35
35 That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere.
1 Peter 1:12
12 They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.
-
SERMON NOTES
A Faith That Matters – Wk 4
”War Against Worry”
-------------------------------------Daniel 4:17
“‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people.’
Daniel 4:25
You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.
Daniel 4:32
You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”
Daniel 4:34
At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.
Daniel 5:21
He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.
We worry the most when we fail to recognize that He is the Most High God
In THE world
In MY world
Matthew 16:16-18
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
If God Guides,
He Will Provide
Jesus wants
greater things for us
than we want for us
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Jesus STILL
works miracles
What miracle
am I praying for?
-
SERMON NOTES
A Faith That Matters – Wk 3
”You’re Not As Strong
As You Think You Are” | Pt. 2
--------------------------------------Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, the one who loves me and gave himself for me.
Hebrews 11:32-34
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.
James 5:13-16
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
James 5:16
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
I Must Identify my Weaknesses
Learn How God Wants To Use My Weaknesses
My Weaknesses should cause me to value others
My Weaknesses Should Make Me Dependent On God
My Weaknesses Should Help Fulfill God’s Purpose for my Life
My Weaknesses should promote humility within me
John 21:15-22
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!” 20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them.
21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” 22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”Comparing leads to despair and difficulty
Comparison is a weakness we all have and we all have to face
Openly Admit Weaknesses to Change Them
Vulnerability is Spiritually Empowering
James 4:6
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Vulnerability is emotionally healing
James 5:16
Confess your faults to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
Vulnerability is relationally attractive
James 3:2
We all stumble in many ways…
Vulnerability is a requirement for leadership
James 3:13
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
-
SERMON NOTES
A Faith That Matters – Wk 2
”You’re Not As Strong
As You Think You Are” | Pt. 1
--------------------------------------Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, the one who loves me and gave himself for me.
Hebrews 11:32-34
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.
James 5:13-16
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
James 5:16
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
I must identify
my weaknesses
Romans 12:3
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
Learn how God
wants to use
my weaknesses
My weaknesses
should promote humility
within me
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
My weaknesses
should cause me
to value others
1 Corinthians 12:21-22
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
My weaknesses
should make me
dependent on God
2 Corinthians 12:9
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:10
10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
My weaknesses
should help fulfill
God’s purpose for my life
2 Corinthians 1:4
4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Luke 22:32
32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Openly admit
weaknesses
to change them
Vulnerability
is spiritually empowering
James 4:6
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble
Vulnerability
is emotionally healing
James 5:16
Confess your faults to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
Vulnerability
is relationally attractive
James 3:2
We all stumble in many ways
Vulnerability
is a requirement
for leadership
James 3:13
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
-
SERMON NOTES
A Faith That Matters – Wk 1
”Something Better”--------------------------------------
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Never been on an airplane?
Never lived without the internet?
Never been confused, frustrated or angry in your walk with Jesus?
Mark 11:1 (a)
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives,
Mark 11:1 (b-3)
Jesus sent two of them on ahead.
Mark 11:2
“Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
“Follow me,”
not “Believe in Me”
Uncomfortable
The supernatural
is on the other side
of uncomfortable
Mark 11:4-6
4The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. 5 As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it.
Follow-Through
Mark 11:7-10
7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it. 8 Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!”
Jesus always wants to do more for us than we can imagine
Conflict with
the Jewish leaders
Arrested
Put on Trial
Beaten
Crucified
Buried
Confused,
Frustrated,
Angry
Mark 16:1-4
1 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.
Mark 16:5-7
When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
Jesus hasn’t
given up on you
Revelation 21:14
The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Gratitude
-
SERMON NOTES
NEW – Wk 4
”Forgiven”--------------------------------------
Isaiah 43:19
19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?! I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
What is the New
God wants to do in you?
Colossians 1:13-14
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
Hebrews 12:2
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1.
Total Forgiveness
of Everything
I Have Ever
Done WrongColossians 2:14
14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
Ephesians 1:7
7 In Christ we are set free by the blood of His death. And so we have forgiveness of sins because of God’s rich grace.
Romans 4:25
25 Jesus was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised from the dead to make us right with God.
2.
We get healing power
of Jesus in our lives1 Peter 2:24
24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.
Isaiah 53:5
5 But He was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; and He was whipped, so we could be healed!
Matthew 9:35
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in the Jewish synagogues preaching the Good News of the Kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
Romans 8:23
23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
Romans 8:26
26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
3.
We get the power
to break free from
controlling forcesRomans 7:15-18
15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] I want to do what is right, but I can’t.
Romans 6:6-9
6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.
Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
-
SERMON NOTES
EASTER 2024
”Hope in Darkness”--------------------------------------
When Jesus Died, Hope Died
There were no Christians because there was no Christ
No one was planning to keep the dream alive or the movement moving
Jesus was not who He claimed to be
John 6:66
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
John 6:68-69
Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
THE EVENT
THE MOVEMENT
THE BIBLE
The Christian faith did not begin with Genesis, it began with Jesus.
There were no believers until after the Resurrection.
The Resurrection is the reason for our hope
1 Corinthians 15:14
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
We have been completely forgiven
Ephesians 1:7
In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death. And so we have forgiveness of sins because of God’s rich grace.
We no longer fear death
John 11:25
Jesus promised, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again.”
Acts 1:3
For forty days after his death Jeesus appeared to people many times in many ways that proved beyond doubt that he was alive. They saw him, and he talked with them about the Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 15: 3-8
Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and then he was raised from the dead on the third day. He was seen by Peter and then by the twelve apostles. After that, he was seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died by now. Then he was seen by James and later by all of the apostles. Last of all, I saw him too…
We now have God’s spirit inside us
Acts 1:8
When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power and will tell people everywhere about me–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Ephesians 1:19-20
I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great his power is to help those who believe him. It is that same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead.
We know the purpose we were created for
-
SERMON NOTES
NEW – Wk 3
”The Reason”--------------------------------------
Isaiah 43:19
19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?! I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
What is the NEW
God wants to do in you?
Colossians 1:13-14
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
“Give me liberty
or Give me death!”- Patrick Henry
“Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us.”
- John F. Kennedy
What does it really
mean to be free?
Freedom:
We are liberated from the power of sin, from the fear of death, and the schemes of the DevilGalatians 5:1
5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:2-4
2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.
Jesus is either
Everything or Nothing
Galatians 5:6
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Galatians 5:7-8
7 You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you.
Unhealthy
Relationships
Galatians 5:9
9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump
Proverbs 13:20
20 Walk with the wise and become wise for a companion of fools suffers harm.
Galatians 5:13-14
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.
Cory Asbury
”Homecoming”Lord, I confess
that I've been a criminal
I've stolen Your breath
and sang my own song
and Lord I confess
that I'm far from innocent
these shackles I wear
oh, I bought on my ownWrong Understanding
of the Gospel
Gratifying
Your Desires
to Sin
Galatians 5:16-18
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.
Galatians 5:19
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.
Galatians 5:22-23
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.
Freedom
from our Past
-
SERMON NOTES
NEW – Wk 1
”The Rescue”--------------------------------------
Isaiah 43:19
19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
What is the new
God wants to do in you?
“If I find myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I am meant for another world”
C.S. LewisColossians 1:13-14
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
Matthew 4:18-20
18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20 And they left their nets at once and followed him.
Jesus rescues us
from a meaningless life
and gives us purpose
Matthew 14:22-24
22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves.
Jesus sometimes places us in a storm so we can experience him on a level we otherwise couldn’t
Matthew 14:25-33
25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”
27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”
Sometimes Jesus speaks to the storm and sometimes he speaks to the people in the storm
Matthew 14:28-29
28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” 29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.
The next step is always the right step but seldom is it the easy step
Matthew 14:30-33
30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. 31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” 32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
Matthew 26:31-35
31 On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” 33 Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 35 “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.
Loneliness
Shame
Mark 16:7
7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
-
SERMON NOTES
Shift Happens – Wk 2
”4 Steps for a Shift in Your Life” | Pt. 2--------------------------------------
Being stalled
doesn’t mean being stuck
Refuse to settle for
your Shadow Mission
Ask for the help
of Jesus and others
Believe that God
does His best work
in His time
Esther 5:1-3
1 On the third day of the fast, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace, just across from the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the entrance.
2 When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her and held out the gold scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched the end of the scepter.
3 Then the king asked her, “What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”
Wisdom
Self-Control
Esther 5:4-8
4 And Esther replied, “If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet I have prepared for the king.” 5 The king turned to his attendants and said, “Tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet, as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to Esther’s banquet.
6 And while they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, “Now tell me what you really want. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!” 7 Esther replied, “This is my request and deepest wish.
8 If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request and do what I ask, please come with Haman tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for you. Then I will explain what this is all about.”
Esther 5:9-14
9 Haman was a happy man as he left the banquet! But when he saw Mordecai sitting at the palace gate, not standing up or trembling nervously before him, Haman became furious.
10 However, he restrained himself and went on home. Then Haman gathered together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, 11 and boasted to them about his great wealth and his many children. He bragged about the honors the king had given him and how he had been promoted over all the other nobles and officials.
12 Then Haman added, “And that’s not all! Queen Esther invited only me and the king himself to the banquet she prepared for us. And she has invited me to dine with her and the king again tomorrow!”
13 Then he added, “But this is all worth nothing as long as I see Mordecai the Jew just sitting there at the palace gate.”
14 So Haman’s wife, Zeresh, and all his friends suggested, “Set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall, and in the morning ask the king to impale Mordecai on it. When this is done, you can go on your merry way to the banquet with the king.” This pleased Haman, and he ordered the pole set up.
Entitlement
to Gratitude
Esther 6:1-2
1 That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. 2 In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king’s private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate King Xerxes.
Esther 6:7-9
7 So he replied, “If the king wishes to honor someone, 8 he should bring out one of the king’s own royal robes, as well as a horse that the king himself has ridden—one with a royal emblem on its head.
9 Let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. And let him see that the man whom the king wishes to honor is dressed in the king’s robes and led through the city square on the king’s horse. Have the official shout as they go, ‘This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!’”
Esther 6:10
10 “Excellent!” the king said to Haman. “Quick! Take the robes and my horse, and do just as you have said for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the gate of the palace. Leave out nothing you have suggested!”
Esther 7:1-7
1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet. 2 On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”
3 Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared.
4 For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king.”
5 “Who would do such a thing?” King Xerxes demanded. “Who would be so presumptuous as to touch you?” 6 Esther replied, “This wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy.” Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen.
7 Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden. Haman, however, stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him.
Esther 7:7-10
7 Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden. Haman, however, stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him.
8 In despair he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king was returning from the palace garden. The king exclaimed, “Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?” And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman’s face, signaling his doom.
9 Then Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs, said, “Haman has set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to impale Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination.” “Then impale Haman on it!” the king ordered.
10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided.
Be all about
other people
Esther 8:3-4
3 Then Esther went again before the king, falling down at his feet and begging him with tears to stop the evil plot devised by Haman the Agagite against the Jews. 4 Again the king held out the gold scepter to Esther. So she rose and stood before him.
Esther 8:14
14 So urged on by the king’s command, the messengers rode out swiftly on fast horses bred for the king’s service. The same decree was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa.
Esther 8:17
17 In every province and city, wherever the king’s decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had a great celebration and declared a public festival and holiday. And many of the people of the land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them.
Good News
-
SERMON NOTES
Shift Happens – Wk 1
”4 Steps for a Shift in Your Life” | Pt. 1--------------------------------------
Refuse to settle for
your Shadow Mission
Esther 1:1-4
1 These events happened in the days of King Xerxes,[a] who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. 2 At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. 3 In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces. 4 The celebration lasted 180 days—a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his majesty.
Esther 1: 5-7
5 When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa. 6 The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. 7 Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality.
Esther 1:8
8 By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.
Esther 1:10-11
10 On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas— to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at.
Esther 1:12
12 But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.
Esther 2:1
1 Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her.
Esther 2:16
16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Esther 2:17-18
17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
Esther 3:5-6
5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. 6 He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.
Ask for the help
of Jesus and others
Esther 4:13-14
13 Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
Esther 4:15-16
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.”
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SERMON NOTES
Because of You – Wk 4
”2 Questions That Will Change Everything”--------------------------------------
1 Thessalonians 3:7-9 NLT
7 So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. 8 It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence.
Because of you
— God is changing lives
“The NCAA's combined revenue from TV and marketing rights fees has reached around $940 million in revenue in 2022. Moreover, the organization generated over $198 million in the same year through championships and NIT tournaments.”
What do I really want to see Jesus do in and through me?
What is the next step I need to take in order to make that happen?
Judges 7:16
16 He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.
Judges 7:17
17 Then he said to them, “Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do.
Judges 7:18-20
18 As soon as I and those with me blow the rams’ horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’” 19 It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. 20 Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”
Judges 7:21-22
21 Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. 22 When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
Judges 7:23-24
23 Then Gideon sent for the warriors of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, who joined in chasing the army of Midian. 24 Gideon also sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down to attack the Midianites. Cut them off at the shallow crossings of the Jordan River at Beth-barah.”So all the men of Ephraim did as they were told.
Judges 7:25
25 They captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders, killing Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. And they continued to chase the Midianites. Afterward the Israelites brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan River.
Genesis 3:15
…He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”John 19:30
30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!”...
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SERMON NOTES
Because of You – Wk 3
”7 Prayers That Will Change Your Life - and Others’”--------------------------------------
1 Thessalonians 3:7-9 NLT
7 So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. 8 It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence.
Because of you
— God is changing lives
Prayer #1
Jesus, help me to be more aware of Your presence
Prayer #2
Jesus, help me to see that, even if I’ve been rejected by religion, I am accepted by You
Matthew 15:29-31
29 Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. 30 A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. 31 The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.
Prayer #3
Jesus, help me see people the way You see people
Matthew 15:32
32 Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.”
Prayer #4
Jesus, help me understand that if You promised it, You will deliver
Matthew 15:33
33 The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”
Prayer #5
Jesus help me to see (and use) what you have given me
Matthew 15:34
34 Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?” They replied, “Seven loaves, and a few small fish.”
Prayer #6
Jesus, give me the strength and the courage to take my next step
Matthew 15:35-36
35 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. 36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.
Prayer #7
Jesus, help me to fully surrender, understanding that your ways are better than my ways
Matthew 15:37-39
37 They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. 38 There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children. 39 Then Jesus sent the people home, and he got into a boat and crossed over to the region of Magadan.
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SERMON NOTES
Because of You – Wk 2
”The Believers”---------------------------------------
1 Thessalonians 3:7-9 | NLT
7 So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. 8 It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence.
Because of you
— God is changing lives
Where is God
sending You?
Like the earliest christians – we are sent with boldness and kindness
Acts 2:1-13
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 tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they hear 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 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?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”God Meets Us
Where We Are
God tells us the truth
about ourselves
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God
We have all preferred
creation over the creator
Believed the lie
over the truth of God
Failed to acknowledge
God as the giver
of all good things
Romans 3:23-2523 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. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith
Acts 2:29-32
29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.
Christ’s victory over death
is now our victory over death
Christ’s victory over the grave
is now our victory over the grave
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The Gospel creates the opportunity
for us to be adopted into
the family of God
Romans 8:15 | NIV
”The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”“
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SERMON NOTES
Because of You - Wk 1
”We Are Sent”---------------------------------------
At 47%, nearly half of millennial
practicing Christians
say it is wrong to evangelize
Acts 1:8
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.”
Matthew 28:19
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Mark 16:15
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
Luke 24:47-48
47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
John 20:21-23
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
A Sending God
Creates a Sending People
Motivation
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Method
Acts 4:13
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
Message
Revelation 12:11
11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
Where is God
sending you?
-
SERMON NOTES
”Alive & Well”--------------------------------------
Acts 20:7 | NIV
”On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.“
Acts 20:8 | NIV
”There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.“
Environments Matter
Acts 2:42-45 | NIV
”They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.“
Acts 2:42-45 | Made-Up Version
They were devoted to their comfort, personal goals, happiness and dreams and bucket lists. No one really notices the Christians because they focused on themselves. Very few of the believers were together and when they were they fought about stupid things.
Luke 5:17-26
17 On one of the days while Jesus was teaching, some proud religious law-keepers and teachers of the Law were sitting by Him. They had come from every town in the countries of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was there to heal them. 18 Some men took a man who was not able to move his body to Jesus. He was carried on a bed. They looked for a way to take the man into the house where Jesus was. 19 But they could not find a way to take him in because of so many people. They made a hole in the roof over where Jesus stood. Then they let the bed with the sick man on it down before Jesus. 20 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
21 The teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers thought to themselves, “Who is this Man Who speaks as if He is God? Who can forgive sins but God only?” 22 Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said to them, “Why do you think this way in your hearts? 23 Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or, ‘Get up and walk’?
24 “So that you may know the Son of Man has the right and the power on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the man who could not move his body, “I say to you, get up. Take your bed and go to your home.” 25 At once the sick man got up in front of them. He took his bed and went to his home thanking God. 26 All those who were there were surprised and gave thanks to God, saying, “We have seen very special things today.”
Acts 20:9
9 As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below.
Bitterness
Hate
Greed
“Pet Sin”
God’s grace doesn’t give us permission to sin
– God’s grace gives us power over sin
Acts 20:10
10 Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!”
Acts 20:11
11 Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper,[d] and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then he left.
Acts 20:12
12 Meanwhile, the young man was taken home alive and well, and everyone was greatly relieved.
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SERMON NOTES
Christmas @ Forward - Wk 4
”Joy”--------------------------------------
Matthew 2:10-11 | NLT
”When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.“
Isaiah 53:6 | NLT
”All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.“
Isaiah 53:6-7 | NLT
”All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.“
Isaiah 53:3-5 | NLT
”He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.“
Isaiah 53:8-9 | NLT
”Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.“
Isaiah 53:11 | NLT
”When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.“
Luke 9:22-23 | NIV
”And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.“
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SERMON NOTES
Christmas @ Forward - Wk 3
”Hope” | Pt. 2--------------------------------------
Ecclesiastes 3:11 | NIV
”He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.“
Messiah = Hope
Hope
— a joyful expectation for the future
John 1:1-5 | ESV
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Hope is revealed
in God’s creation
John 1:14 | ESV
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Hope is revealed
in the cradle
“God is in the manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succor in abandonment. No evil can befall us; whatever men may do to us, they cannot but serve the God who is secretly revealed as love and rules the world and our lives.”
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer
John 1:29 | ESV
“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Hope is revealed
at the cross
John 1:41 | ESV
“He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah.”
Hope is revealed
when you crown
Him as king
Jesus is a liar
Jesus is a lunatic
Jesus is Lord
Philippians 2:5-11 | ESV
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
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SERMON NOTES
Christmas @ Forward - Wk 2
”Hope” | Pt. 1--------------------------------------
Hope
— a joyful expectation for the future
Isaiah 40:30-31 | NIV
“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Messiah = Hope
Messiah is a plan
Jeremiah 23:5 | NIV
““The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.”
Messiah is a person
Isaiah 9:6 | NIV
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Our hope is only as secure
as what our hope is in is strong
Romans 15:13 | NIV
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Messiah is a presence
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SERMON NOTES
Christmas @ Forward - Wk 1
”Peace on Earth?”--------------------------------------
There will never be peace on earth
until there is peace in me
Somewhere Else
Someone Else
Something Else
Isaiah 2:4 ESV
“He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be on his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God breathed and profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Isaiah 40:25-26
To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? Says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their hosts by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.
Jeremiah 10:12-13
It is he who made the earth by His power who established the world by His wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. When he utters his voice, is a tumult of waters in the heavens and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
Psalm 19:1-4
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world
Jesus is our
Prince of Peace
Peace is found
in the presence of God
and nothing else
Our Plan
is not always
His plan
Isaiah 55:8-9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
The Process
may be painful
John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
His plan
always includes
His presence
Proverbs 3:5-8
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight...
