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Eternal Life
John 3:16 | We were made to live forever. In the beginning, God created man and woman and the intention was total harmony, communion, and fellowship forever. Sin marred that. But God made a way again.
So far we have looked at God. We have studied His love for the world. Now, this week we are told how His love for us has made a way for us to have eternal life. What is eternal life? How do we get eternal life?
No more important question to answer in our life than this one.
John 3:16 | We were made to live forever. In the beginning, God created man and woman and the intention was total harmony, communion, and fellowship forever. Sin marred that. But God made a way again.
So far we have looked at God. We have studied His love for the world. Now, this week we are told how His love for us has made a way for us to have eternal life. What is eternal life? How do we get eternal life?
No more important question to answer in our life than this one.
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The Love of God
John 3:16 | There is such a powerful and pointed statement in John 3:16 that assures us we never have to worry about whether God loves us or not. The Lord has acted in such a way to demonstrate and display His love for the world! It's unequivocally unarguable!! He loves us!
John 3:16 | There is such a powerful and pointed statement in John 3:16 that assures us we never have to worry about whether God loves us or not. The Lord has acted in such a way to demonstrate and display His love for the world! It's unequivocally unarguable!!
He loves us!
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For God...
John 3:16 | Before we can understand God's love for the world, His giving of His own Son, His making a way for humanity to not perish... Before we can get to the gold of all of those truths unpacked in John 3:16, we have to start at the very beginning:" For God..."Who is this God? God cannot be limited to an understanding that can adequately be unpacked in a 40-minute sermon. We know that. But He also desires to be known. He has revealed to us who He is through His Word. He wants us to know Him, and He desires us to be known by Him.
John 3:16 | Before we can understand God's love for the world, His giving of His own Son, His making a way for humanity to not perish... Before we can get to the gold of all of those truths unpacked in John 3:16, we have to start at the very beginning:
"For God..."
Who is this God? God cannot be limited to an understanding that can adequately be unpacked in a 40-minute sermon. We know that. But He also desires to be known. He has revealed to us who He is through His Word. He wants us to know Him, and He desires us to be known by Him.
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Born Again
John 3:1-22 | Our greatest need isn't a self-help book that will teach us how to "get our life together". Our greatest need isn't a makeover. Our greatest need isn't a motivational speech that will spark our willpower for a time only for it to flame out again.
Our greatest need is to be born again!
What does it mean to be born again? What happens to us when we are born again? How are we born again? What awaits the one who is born again?
We'll unpack all of this. Now, if you think this is a sermon just for non-Christians... no way. These truths may be the most awe-inducing, worship-inspiring, current-Christian-sustaining truths we can tackle.
John 3:1-22 | Our greatest need isn't a self-help book that will teach us how to "get our life together". Our greatest need isn't a makeover. Our greatest need isn't a motivational speech that will spark our willpower for a time only for it to flame out again.
Our greatest need is to be born again!
What does it mean to be born again? What happens to us when we are born again? How are we born again? What awaits the one who is born again?
We'll unpack all of this. Now, if you think this is a sermon just for non-Christians... no way. These truths may be the most awe-inducing, worship-inspiring, current-Christian-sustaining truths we can tackle.
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Abiding in Christ
John 15:1–11 | This is that time where countless New Year's resolutions are made... And a few weeks from now is the time when many of these resolutions are broken. As a year comes to an end, we naturally begin to think about what we want to do with the next one, but with every broken resolution, we are reminded that we don't possess the power to carry out many of the goals we make for ourselves. What if we spend so much time making good spiritual goals for 2019 but don't understand what needs to be true in our life in order to actually carry these out? Let's take the last message of the year and focus not on all the specific things we want to do, but on understanding what needs to be true in our life in order to do what God wants us to do. We'll talk about five powerful outcomes that will be true for our life if we will abide in Christ. This, more than anything else, may prepare us for 2019 to be one of the most fruitful year's for the Lord yet.
John 15:1–11 | This is that time where countless New Year's resolutions are made... And a few weeks from now is the time when many of these resolutions are broken.
As a year comes to an end, we naturally begin to think about what we want to do with the next one, but with every broken resolution, we are reminded that we don't possess the power to carry out many of the goals we make for ourselves. What if we spend so much time making good spiritual goals for 2019 but don't understand what needs to be true in our life in order to actually carry these out?
Let's take the last message of the year and focus not on all the specific things we want to do, but on understanding what needs to be true in our life in order to do what God wants us to do.
We'll talk about five powerful outcomes that will be true for our life if we will abide in Christ. This, more than anything else, may prepare us for 2019 to be one of the most fruitful year's for the Lord yet.
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The Awe of Christmas
John 1:1–14 | Often as we celebrate Christmas we focus exclusively on the manger scene and the birth of Christ. Obviously, isn't this what Christmas is about?
Yes, it is. But one thing we can't miss is who Jesus has always been before He was born as a baby in a feeding trough. Taking some time this Christmas to understand the theology of Jesus will lead us to greater worship as we fix our eyes on the birth of the King in a manger.
So let's celebrate Christmas as we look first at the pre-existent Jesus and then stand in awe of the implications of Him coming to earth!
John 1:1–14 | Often as we celebrate Christmas we focus exclusively on the manger scene and the birth of Christ. Obviously, isn't this what Christmas is about?
Yes, it is. But one thing we can't miss is who Jesus has always been before He was born as a baby in a feeding trough. Taking some time this Christmas to understand the theology of Jesus will lead us to greater worship as we fix our eyes on the birth of the King in a manger.
So let's celebrate Christmas as we look first at the pre-existent Jesus and then stand in awe of the implications of Him coming to earth!
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What If We Pray?
Acts | The greatest way to see and experience the power of prayer is to... Ready for it...*Drumroll*To Pray! In this message, we ask the question, "What if we prayed?" What might God do through a group of humble, dependent followers of His who really believe firmly in the power of prayer?
Acts | The greatest way to see and experience the power of prayer is to... Ready for it...
*Drumroll*
To Pray!
In this message, we ask the question, "What if we prayed?" What might God do through a group of humble, dependent followers of His who really believe firmly in the power of prayer?
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What If We Witness?
Acts | Some of the greatest breakthroughs, inventions, and history-shaping events have come about because someone was willing to ask, "What if...
In the next two weeks, we are going to focus in on the common themes of Acts we need to take with us as we close out this series. We are going to do this by asking, "What if..." on two specific themes we see undergirding all of Acts.
What if asking "what if" on these two topics can unleash the power in our lives and in our church that we read about in Acts? What two themes from Acts will we ask "what if" about? And what if this will drive some things deep into our heart that will stay with us long after this series is done?
In this message, we ask the question, "What if we witness?"
Acts | Some of the greatest breakthroughs, inventions, and history-shaping events have come about because someone was willing to ask, "What if..."
In the next two weeks, we are going to focus in on the common themes of Acts we need to take with us as we close out this series. We are going to do this by asking, "What if..." on two specific themes we see undergirding all of Acts.
What if asking "what if" on these two topics can unleash the power in our lives and in our church that we read about in Acts? What two themes from Acts will we ask "what if" about? And what if this will drive some things deep into our heart that will stay with us long after this series is done?
In this message, we ask the question, "What if we witness?"
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Minister Where I Am
Acts 28:1–31 | Ridicule. Beatings. Assassination attempts. Arrests. Shipwrecks. Stranded on an island. And now...bit by a snake. Yes, bit by a snake. It is hard to fathom everything Paul endured for the spread of the gospel, but maybe the most surprising of all is that he continued to press on. This week we find him stranded on an island and under guard in Rome. As we turn to the last chapter of the Book of Acts, we will learn what we are called to in seasons of life we feel stuck or stranded.
Acts 28:1–31 | Ridicule. Beatings. Assassination attempts. Arrests. Shipwrecks. Stranded on an island. And now...bit by a snake.
Yes, bit by a snake.
It is hard to fathom everything Paul endured for the spread of the gospel, but maybe the most surprising of all is that he continued to press on. This week we find him stranded on an island and under guard in Rome. As we turn to the last chapter of the Book of Acts, we will learn what we are called to in seasons of life we feel stuck or stranded.
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Faith On Trial
Acts 22:1–26:32 | Follow Christ long enough and you will stumble into situations and circumstances in which you feel like your faith is on trial. Maybe it's an intellectual or academic setting where you feel all eyes are on you to defend why you believe Jesus is the Son of God. Maybe it's a conversation that turns to morals and ethics and you can feel the group wanting to know why you hold to such "antiquated ideas." Follow Jesus long enough and you will find your faith on trial. The next five chapters of the book of Acts are five defense speeches Paul gives with his faith on trial. We are going to zoom out and look at parts of all five of Paul's defense speeches and as we do, we are going to find Five Powerful Principles We Must Boldly Hold To When Our Faith is On Trial. This message will equip us for those conversations that feel like we have been put on the spot and we must have an answer for the hope we have in Christ.
Acts 22:1–26:32 | Follow Christ long enough and you will stumble into situations and circumstances in which you feel like your faith is on trial. Maybe it's an intellectual or academic setting where you feel all eyes are on you to defend why you believe Jesus is the Son of God. Maybe it's a conversation that turns to morals and ethics and you can feel the group wanting to know why you hold to such "antiquated ideas." Follow Jesus long enough and you will find your faith on trial.
The next five chapters of the book of Acts are five defense speeches Paul gives with his faith on trial. We are going to zoom out and look at parts of all five of Paul's defense speeches and as we do, we are going to find Five Powerful Principles We Must Boldly Hold To When Our Faith is On Trial.
This message will equip us for those conversations that feel like we have been put on the spot and we must have an answer for the hope we have in Christ.
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Decisions, The Spirit, and Well-Intentioned Counsel
Acts 21:1-16 | Not all counsel is good counsel. Sometimes even those who love us most don't give us the best advice. We should always seek counsel from fellow believers and wise people in our life, but we need to develop the ability to test and filter the responses we receive .In this week's passage, we watch as Paul continues his focused journey to Jerusalem, even after fellow Christians beg him not to go. Why doesn't he listen to their counsel on this? Why does he press on to Jerusalem when brothers and sisters in two different cities plead with him not to? Was this stubborn persistence on Paul's part in resisting his friend's advice, or was this firm resolve knowing what God had called him to? This passage will lead us to an important discussion on testing and discerning when the counsel we get is the right counsel from God!
Acts 21:1-16 | Not all counsel is good counsel. Sometimes even those who love us most don't give us the best advice. We should always seek counsel from fellow believers and wise people in our life, but we need to develop the ability to test and filter the responses we receive.
In this week's passage, we watch as Paul continues his focused journey to Jerusalem, even after fellow Christians beg him not to go. Why doesn't he listen to their counsel on this? Why does he press on to Jerusalem when brothers and sisters in two different cities plead with him not to?
Was this stubborn persistence on Paul's part in resisting his friend's advice, or was this firm resolve knowing what God had called him to? This passage will lead us to an important discussion on testing and discerning when the counsel we get is the right counsel from God!
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How to Not Waste Your Life
Acts 20:17-38 | Let's get right to the point: Do you want to waste your life or not?
None of us want to waste our life, and fortunately for us, this passage in Acts tells us how to not waste it.
Enough said...
Acts 20:17-38 | Let's get right to the point: Do you want to waste your life or not?
None of us want to waste our life, and fortunately for us, this passage in Acts tells us how to not waste it.
Enough said...
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Disruptive People
Acts 19:21-41 | A disruption is defined as a disturbance that interrupts an event, activity, or process.
So the question is: Should a Christian ever be known as a disruptive person? Someone who creates a disturbance that interrupts?
In every city that Paul proclaims the gospel, a disruption happens. This week we look at one of the most volatile examples of this as a riot starts in Ephesus. As we study this, we will be encouraged to live a life of peaceful disruption for the glory of God. We will acknowledge that the nature of walking with Christ is to walk against the current of culture, and anytime we do this, disruption is inevitable.
We don't have to fear being a peacefully disruptive people in society. In fact, some of the greatest Kingdom influencers in the history of Christianity have been powerfully, yet peacefully disruptive forces in the hands of God.
Acts 19:21-41 | A disruption is defined as a disturbance that interrupts an event, activity, or process.
So the question is: Should a Christian ever be known as a disruptive person? Someone who creates a disturbance that interrupts?
In every city that Paul proclaims the gospel, a disruption happens. This week we look at one of the most volatile examples of this as a riot starts in Ephesus. As we study this, we will be encouraged to live a life of peaceful disruption for the glory of God. We will acknowledge that the nature of walking with Christ is to walk against the current of culture, and anytime we do this, disruption is inevitable.
We don't have to fear being a peacefully disruptive people in society. In fact, some of the greatest Kingdom influencers in the history of Christianity have been powerfully, yet peacefully disruptive forces in the hands of God.
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A House God Can Use
Acts 18:1-28 | If you asked someone who was familiar with the Bible to list the key players of the book of Acts, the list might go something like this, "Paul...Peter...Barnabas...Timothy...Silas..." And they would be absolutely right in listing these names. But this week we stumble across two people who would probably never make the "Who's Who List" of the book of Acts and yet have a profound impact on the early church. These two people are a husband and wife who we are introduced to for the first time in Acts 18, and then show up quietly throughout the rest of the New Testament. In this sermon, we are going to learn what it looks like to have a quietly mighty Kingdom impact from this couple. And as we look at this, I believe we are going to be surprised by the 2 simple mottos that made this couple so effective in the hands of God... mottos every single one of us can live by as well. Who is this couple? What did they do that made them so useful to the Lord? What can we learn from their lives so we can have a quiet yet powerful Kingdom impact as well?
Acts 18:1-28 | If you asked someone who was familiar with the Bible to list the key players of the book of Acts, the list might go something like this, "Paul...Peter...Barnabas...Timothy...Silas..." And they would be absolutely right in listing these names.
But this week we stumble across two people who would probably never make the "Who's Who List" of the book of Acts and yet have a profound impact on the early church. These two people are a husband and wife who we are introduced to for the first time in Acts 18, and then show up quietly throughout the rest of the New Testament.
In this sermon, we are going to learn what it looks like to have a quietly mighty Kingdom impact from this couple. And as we look at this, I believe we are going to be surprised by the 2 simple mottos that made this couple so effective in the hands of God... mottos every single one of us can live by as well.
Who is this couple? What did they do that made them so useful to the Lord? What can we learn from their lives so we can have a quiet yet powerful Kingdom impact as well?
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Part 2 - Destructive Idols and How They're Destroyed
Acts 17:16-34 | In Part 1, we left this story in the heaviness and tension of the reality that we are prone to worship idols and idols will destroy our soul.
In Part 2, we leave the valley and head to the mountaintop. We gaze on the goodness of glory of the One True God. We see how our understanding and worship of God roots out and destroys the idols of our heart.
Acts 17:16-34 | In Part 1, we left this story in the heaviness and tension of the reality that we are prone to worship idols and idols will destroy our soul.
In Part 2, we leave the valley and head to the mountaintop. We gaze on the goodness of glory of the One True God. We see how our understanding and worship of God roots out and destroys the idols of our heart.
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Part 1 - Destructive Idols and How They're Destroyed
Acts 17:16-34 | I remember my first trip to New York City. I had never experienced anything like it. The atmosphere--its sights, sounds, the energy, the smells--all of it is such a vivid memory for me. Each block we turned had its own culture. Each block we turned had new sights to behold. Each block we turned also revealed powerful pictures of the idols of our culture. This was Paul's experience as he stepped foot in Athens. Athens was the intellectual and cultural mecca of the empire, but what Paul saw grieved him. As he took in the wrongful worship of idols, it led to him boldly telling the Athenians of the One they were really seeking to worship. This week we talk about idols. What are they? How do they form? What is at stake if we worship them? And how are our idols destroyed and swallowed up by the greater glory of the One our hearts truly long to worship?
Acts 17:16-34 | I remember my first trip to New York City. I had never experienced anything like it. The atmosphere--its sights, sounds, the energy, the smells--all of it is such a vivid memory for me. Each block we turned had its own culture. Each block we turned had new sights to behold. Each block we turned also revealed powerful pictures of the idols of our culture.
This was Paul's experience as he stepped foot in Athens. Athens was the intellectual and cultural mecca of the empire, but what Paul saw grieved him. As he took in the wrongful worship of idols, it led to him boldly telling the Athenians of the One they were really seeking to worship.
This week we talk about idols. What are they? How do they form? What is at stake if we worship them? And how are our idols destroyed and swallowed up by the greater glory of the One our hearts truly long to worship?
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Truth Seekers and Jesus
Acts 17:1-15 | Sharing the gospel will elicit different responses from different people. There is the "This is Awkward, Change the Subject Guy" who will just quickly look to talk about anything except spiritual things. There is the "I Just Want to Pick a Fight Guy" who, by just your mentioning of Jesus, will want to get into an intellectual wrestling match of name calling. But then there are the refreshing reactions of "I Just Want to Know the Truth" people. These people listen to understand. They ask questions to clarify. You see the wheels turning in their brain and the Spirit pulling on their heart. In this passage, we come across "I Just Want to Know the Truth" people as we make our way with Paul and Silas to a new city. Through our study of these people, we are going to learn three things truth seekers do when confronted with the message of Christ. Got any people in your life who are wrestling with whether to follow Christ? Anyone who is doubting their faith? Want to know how to witness to those people who seem to keep asking hard questions that you don't always know how to answer? Let's wrestle through these things together.
Acts 17:1-15 | Sharing the gospel will elicit different responses from different people.
There is the "This is Awkward, Change the Subject Guy" who will just quickly look to talk about anything except spiritual things.
There is the "I Just Want to Pick a Fight Guy" who, by just your mentioning of Jesus, will want to get into an intellectual wrestling match of name calling.
But then there are the refreshing reactions of "I Just Want to Know the Truth" people. These people listen to understand. They ask questions to clarify. You see the wheels turning in their brain and the Spirit pulling on their heart.
In this passage, we come across "I Just Want to Know the Truth" people as we make our way with Paul and Silas to a new city. Through our study of these people, we are going to learn three things truth seekers do when confronted with the message of Christ.
Got any people in your life who are wrestling with whether to follow Christ? Anyone who is doubting their faith? Want to know how to witness to those people who seem to keep asking hard questions that you don't always know how to answer? Let's wrestle through these things together.
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Disagreeing, Yet Unified
Acts 15:36–16:5 | We often, rightly, talk about agreeing in the Lord. It is important that we stay lock-step, unified on the mission Christ has left us with and the core doctrines God has left us with in His Word. But what about disagreement in the Lord? Is there room for us to disagree on some things and remain a unified family? We believe the answer to that question is yes! This week we are going to see where we can disagree on methods, but (here's the important part) remain in missional and relational unity. This week's passage leads us to the most famous ministry partnership breakup in history, but let's be careful we don't quickly assume this to be a completely sad or bad thing. What do we mean by that? Let's find out.
Acts 15:36–16:5 | We often, rightly, talk about agreeing in the Lord. It is important that we stay lock-step, unified on the mission Christ has left us with and the core doctrines God has left us with in His Word.
But what about disagreement in the Lord? Is there room for us to disagree on some things and remain a unified family? We believe the answer to that question is yes!
This week we are going to see where we can disagree on methods, but (here's the important part) remain in missional and relational unity. This week's passage leads us to the most famous ministry partnership breakup in history, but let's be careful we don't quickly assume this to be a completely sad or bad thing.
What do we mean by that? Let's find out.
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How We Stay United
Acts 15:1-35 | This week we study a church meeting. Sounds riveting right? Except this is probably the most important meeting in the history of the church. There were two types of Christians in the early church, those Christians that came from a Jewish background and those that came from a Gentile background. These were groups of people from very different walks of life. As more and more Gentiles became Christians, a big topic of conversation was how they fit into the family of God. Could they become Christians without becoming Jews? Could they truly be saved without taking part in circumcision and adhering to the Law? These types of questions led to a really important meeting called the Jerusalem Council, in which the church walks out with a clear plan, a unified body, and no distinction between Jew and Gentile. What were the convictions and commitments that were made between Jew and Gentile? And how can we continue these convictions and commitments to forever stay unified as a church?
Acts 15:1-35 | This week we study a church meeting. Sounds riveting right? Except this is probably the most important meeting in the history of the church.
There were two types of Christians in the early church, those Christians that came from a Jewish background and those that came from a Gentile background. These were groups of people from very different walks of life. As more and more Gentiles became Christians, a big topic of conversation was how they fit into the family of God. Could they become Christians without becoming Jews? Could they truly be saved without taking part in circumcision and adhering to the Law?
These types of questions led to a really important meeting called the Jerusalem Council, in which the church walks out with a clear plan, a unified body, and no distinction between Jew and Gentile.
What were the convictions and commitments that were made between Jew and Gentile? And how can we continue these convictions and commitments to forever stay unified as a church?
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Through Many Tribulations
Acts 14:1-28 | Did you know that the Bible talks about suffering, hardship, persecution, trials, and tribulations as normal for the Christian life? And it talks about these things a lot. As you read what scripture has to say about tribulation as normal for those who follow Christ, it seems so different from the many titles you see as you stroll the "Christian Living" section of the bookstore. This week, we come across this statement, "...through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." This week we seek to unpack this idea. Why do we enter the Kingdom through many tribulations? Why is this worth it? Why should I expect this as more of the norm in my life of following hard after Christ?
Acts 14:1-28 | Did you know that the Bible talks about suffering, hardship, persecution, trials, and tribulations as normal for the Christian life? And it talks about these things a lot.
As you read what scripture has to say about tribulation as normal for those who follow Christ, it seems so different from the many titles you see as you stroll the "Christian Living" section of the bookstore.
This week, we come across this statement, "...through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." This week we seek to unpack this idea. Why do we enter the Kingdom through many tribulations? Why is this worth it? Why should I expect this as more of the norm in my life of following hard after Christ?
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