Blog Archives

"MAY I SEE YOUR ID?"

7/30/2017

I Thessalonians 1:2-10

Things that identify a church
1. Toil (vs. 3)
2. Teaching (vs.5)
3. Trials (vs. 6)
4. Testimony (vs.8)
Scriptural directives
1. Its toil must not be in vain. (Galatians 4:9-11)
The Church's true valued is measured by what goes on in between the holidays and special occasions.
(I Corinthians 15:58)

2. Its teaching is not simply with words.
The two elements of teaching must be combined.

3. Trials are when a church shows its true colors.
Four responses to problems
a. Fold
b. Fight
c. Fizzle
d. Fly
(II Corinthians 8:1-4)

4. Its testimony must not include anything that does not exalt Christ. (I Corinthians 2:1)

"LISTENING TO GOD

7/23/2017

I Samuel 3:1-10

1. Be willing and ready to hear God.
Adults, too, need to learn to come when they are called.
Say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

2. Be still.
Be patient enough to allow God to speak to you.
It takes time to really listen.

3. Establish a Pattern of listening to God.
When are used to hearing someone's voice, it is easier to recognize it.
Prayer and Bible Study hep you to get used to hearing the voice of God.
There are overriding themes and principles that come up whenever God speaks.

4. Sift out the things that may hinder you from distinguishing the voice of God.
a. ambition
b. distractions
voices of accusation
distortion
deception

"WHEN TO SAY 'NO'"

7/16/2017

Matthew 5:38-42

Jesus' example of handling demands
1. Listen to God, and not the crowd.
John 8:28- His heavenly Father was His authority.
When it is God who is saying so, then we must give and not turn away. (Mark 3:20, John 9:4)

2. Find your own mission.
Jesus was called to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
a. You do have a mission.
If you are not investing in spiritual things, then you are not listening to the voice of God.

b. God will not call you to do something that is contrary to another calling.

3. Accept and acknowledge your human limitations and needs.
Nearly every day of Jesus' life, there were slow times.
If you are not sure it is God who is calling you, then maybe you should think about saying 'no.”

"TWISTED FAITH IN A MIXED-UP WORLD

7/9/2017

Jude 3-4

False doctrine and weak theology have made its way into the Church.
Gnostics believed themselves to be the enlightened ones.
They also believed in antinomianism.

Ancient heresies being perpetrated today.
1. Changing God's grace into a license for immorality. (Romans 6:1)
a. sin isn't really sin.
b. people don't choose to do these things.
2. Denying orthodox doctrine.
Synopsis of what we need to believe about Jesus: Jesus Christ, our only Sovereign and Lord.

current movements
a. universalism- everybody goes to heaven
b. denying the deity of Christ

vs. 5-11- God judges rebellion
vs, 12-13- false teaching defeats the very purposes of the Church
The power of the cross brings not only forgiveness of sins, but freedom from sin and victory over sin.

What we are to do
1. Remember.
2. Build yourselves up.
3. Pray in the Holy Spirit

"PEOPLE OF SERVICE"

7/2/2017

Hebrews 13:15-16; Romans 12:1

atreia= worship/service
1. Worshiping is Serving.
We can serve God with all the active things we do for Him, but He also wants us to serve Him by those relational things.
These aspects of service can be found and shown in what we usually call worship.

2. Serving is worshiping.
(James 1:22;, I John 3:17; Luke 6:46)
Worship without service is incomplete.

3. Worship and Service are part of a cycle.
Worship God, and that will lead you to service,
Serve God, and that will lead you to worship.
The cycle will go on unless you choose to stop it.

Mary's act of worship
Washing the feet of a guest was the task of a servant.

The worship service has just begun!